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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: Jim Eh. on November 20, 2019, 08:36:07 PM

Title: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: Jim Eh. on November 20, 2019, 08:36:07 PM
Does anyone know the exact floor slope on a 9/12? In a Jack Conrad post he says he "thinks" it is 1/8" per foot. Just would like to try and get that verified before building cabinets. Shimming can be done later but starting right should end right, right?
Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: chessie4905 on November 21, 2019, 03:30:00 AM
You can check it with an inclinometer also. The coach will have to be level first. They are available at Lowes and Amazon, and Home Depot.
If we assume that the window sill is level, measure floor to sill distance at front and rear divide the distance into length of slope and do the math and convert to degrees.

Not an answer, but interesting how one guy dealt with partial floor slope on newer model.

http://jdfinley.com/on-the-level-floor/
Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: Dave5Cs on November 21, 2019, 07:38:36 AM
If you have a smart phone there are clinometers Apps for free also. :)
Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: neoneddy on November 21, 2019, 09:07:04 AM
My $.02 here... Nothing is square, nothing is level on this bus.   Plan for adjustments and shims.

I built mine square then shimmed and trimmed.
Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: peterbylt on November 21, 2019, 09:33:25 AM
On our MCI 96A3, we bought unfinished cabinets from Home depot, over the 8 foot length of the Kitchen counter it came out to almost exactly 1 inch difference.

Measured it out and cut a 1 inch wedge out of the 8 foot length of the bottom, worked out perfect.

The concrete pad the Bus sits on is perfectly level, with all the air out of the suspension, the windows and the roof are perfectly level, just the floor is slanted, I measured from the bottom edge of the windows to the floor get my 1 inch difference over 8 feet.
 
Matches up to Jack Conrad's 1/8 inch per foot.

Peter       
Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: buswarrior on November 23, 2019, 08:20:39 AM
An inexpensive contractor tool, a projecting laser level, lets the busnut sit inside and outside the coach and ponder and measure all manner of things. Floors, ceilings, laying out external graphics and paint...

The thin red line shows all...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: brmax on November 23, 2019, 10:22:13 AM
I been looking at some in the torpedo size. The last similar i had were lacking laser but did accomplish great work in welding and concrete projects. First one was a small craftsman and lasted about seven years in real work!

Subsequent exact replacements lasted maybe a year with " little! to no usage" so its good reason to move on.
A Laser addition can be interesting, and the same gaff tape to a longer level still prevails. I am partial to a small torpedo rather than a long setup. In these choices I really liked the zero option setting so to get an actual angle/slope etc. from any existing position.

Floyd
Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: Jim Eh. on November 24, 2019, 11:55:07 AM
Yes I have a number of laser instruments, what I don' have is a level area large enough to start with a level surface to "measure" the bus. Also I could be wrong on the ride height front to back. I am not necessarily wanting to start perfect but it is much better to have the proper slope built in then shim to compensate for height control deviation (which may change after I get it on the road). If I can start with the proper slope built in the I can level the parked bus with the counter top being the guage. Yes I am well aware nothing anyone builds is square or true. i have quite a few past projects that support that statement 100%  :-[
Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: buswarrior on November 24, 2019, 01:27:29 PM
"Level" and "straight looking" are two different things in a bus conversion.

Ride height of the suspension wildly changes "level", as does the surface the bus is sitting on.

" straight looking" just requires choosing which continuous feature of the coach body is going to most please the eye, and lining everything else up to match it.

The top or bottom horizontal edge of the windows is the most prominent feature, anything "crooked" in relation to those lines is going to show.

Now, if you are creating a mobile ice rink, swimming pool, etc, then "level" is going to matter...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: Jim Eh. on November 25, 2019, 05:24:03 AM
Quote from: buswarrior on November 24, 2019, 01:27:29 PM


" straight looking" just requires choosing which continuous feature of the coach body is going to most please the eye, and lining everything else up to match it.

The top or bottom horizontal edge of the windows is the most prominent feature, anything "crooked" in relation to those lines is going to show.

Now, if you are creating a mobile ice rink, swimming pool, etc, then "level" is going to matter...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

Good point. I can always level the bus (when parked) to make the counter level. I can never change the "look" of the counter if it does not match the windows.

Does driving on an ice rink count? A little dicey on the way in this morning.

BTW ... Congrats to the Blue Bombers for ending a 29 year drought.
Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: brmax on November 26, 2019, 12:06:38 PM
Jim: I got a replacement for the broken level I have. So pickin up the thing the first legit job was to see just how these floors measure up!

MCI 9 floor: Slopes down to front
Based on the OEM window lever/sill at a level position.

1/8 in/ft
0.75 degrees
1.3 %
13 mm/m

Hope that gets the cabinet maker in your project powering up the saws. If this can help out in other stuff or whatever, I can sure put it to more good use.



Floyd
Title: Re: Floor slope in a 9/12?
Post by: Jim Eh. on November 27, 2019, 06:58:40 PM
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.914world.com%2Fbbs2%2Fstyle_emoticons%2Fdefault%2Faktion035.gif&hash=9be5afb3e9b60cc5b47baea83f2a1bc3418c91fe)