If you were going to convert or buy another bus, what length bus would want?

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Most of our Forum members have owned at least one bus conversions in their lifetime.  Many have owned several buses and several have converted their own from a shell. 

If you were going to convert another bus from scratch or have one converted or buy one ready to roll knowing what you know now, what length bus would you choose to start with assuming all buses cost the same amount of money and are all in the same good running condition and why would you choose that length?

35 Feet
40 Feet
45 Feet

Other?

[David Anderson]

I love Lee's 35' 102" eagle.  He is from Missouri.  Don't remember his last name.  He wasn't far from you at Quartzsite with the eagle group.  It is such a nice looking coach.  The length is just right and only 2 axles is nice. 

40' is sometimes a bit to long for some places for me.

David

[Jim Blackwood]

The 45' DL has the same turning radius as the D3 and is easier to find.

Jim

[Utahclaimjumper]

 I know you are looking for length,, after owning/using a 35 ft. for 14 years I would not consider another 96 inch wide coach.. I am now in a 38 and consider width a greater issue.>>>Dan

[luvrbus]

Not any manufacture making anything but 45 ft coaches for the highway and  conversion use now anyways they turn in less radius now than a older 35 ft bus. All the rv parks,fedral,and state parks too are adjusting to the 45 ft rigs just like they did when the industry went from 30 to 50 amp service. I love my 45 ft x 102 wide RV . my vote is for the 45ft x 102 wide with a 4 stroke engine.lol 4 slides are a overkill I think but I lost that vote   

[6805eagleguy]

I'd have a hard time deciding between 40' or 45', but I would want a 102 body.
I also agree with Clifford about a 4 stroke, I wouldn't want a 2 stroke again.

Nor would I want to convert a 2 stroke eagle to a s60 eagle again....

[richard5933]

I'd go for a 35 or maybe 40. It's not just about turning radius, it's the length itself that sometimes makes things difficult.

I believe that Van Hool makes a 35.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

 Another 35 ft.  Full timed for 12 years in a 35 ft.,  don't need anything longer.

[luvrbus]

Gary is 40 ft now single axle the question was if they cost the same money, you get a lot more for the money in a 45 ft bus plus it will be 102 wide

[buswarrior]

Waiting to get started on a seated 102D3.

I choose 40 feet for my bus conversion.

I started in the industry driving 96" x 40', migrated to 102" x 40'
Migrated to 102" x 45', DL, E, J, and H3 45

Didn't drag a 40 footer, or have to think about it nearly as much as i have with a 45 footer.

We go strange places with our conversions, even stranger than a charter driver.

Pretty rare for someone to come back on a forum or social media and report they tore the oil pan off their coach, or high centred it, or tore the rub rails off the underside of the front.

Not because it doesn't happen, but because they don't come back to report. Few people like to brag they had an epic incident.

Pick the coach that will make you happy, and drive it where it fits!!

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

I agree with Cliff, you get more bang for your bus with a 45' bus if you are looking for total square feet.  I also agree there are more 45' buses coming on the market now than 40' tour buses as companies find them more profitable as they can carry more passengers for basically the same cost.

One of my concerns is that I like to take the red roads and avoid the interstates. It sometimes takes 40 acres and some side roads to turn my 40' Eagle around with a toad if I miss a turn or see something along the side of the road that I want to go back and visit.  I also prefer state parks over private RV parks which are a challenge to get a 40' bus into and a 45' may not fit where I can sometimes squeeze in my 40' bus.

Most new Prevost conversions are 45' buses too, but the people that buy those pretty much stay on the interstates and in the higher end resort type campgrounds that can easily accommodate the longer coaches. 

The 45' buses also have an extra bay so you can carry more stuff with you if you are a full-timer like me and you will have room for long-range water tanks if you want them. 

So taking those thoughts into account, I am slightly hesitant to get into a 45' long bus when a 40' will allow me to maybe go in some of the places I like to travel, irrespective of the turning radius.  Another thought, the 45' bus has a longer rear overhang from what I understand, which could potentially cause problems when turning now and then? 

More food for thought.

[luvrbus]

The wheel base on a 45 footer is longer there is that not much difference in the rear overhang between a 40 and 45 ft bus if I recall the DL3 is 318 inches vs the 40 ft D of 279 inches.Oil pans I don't how people damage those but it happens as you know Gary I have a stack of those from GM's that even have braces to protect the pan and people manage some way to damage it on a 35 ft bus
   

[Dave5Cs]

We like 35' like we have now. They are comfortable. If we had a 45 footer it would be packed with stuff we don't need right Clifford, LOL

[luvrbus]

We like 35' like we have now. They are comfortable. If we had a 45 footer it would be packed with stuff we don't need right Clifford, LOL

You got that right Dave,it gets down to people are happy with what ever they have lol some people

[lostagain]

I have driven them all in charter service, like Bus Warrior. From 1957 MCI Courier 96s, to the latest J4500s and H3-45s.

My favorite bus is still my MC5C conversion. 35' X 96". It is big enough for the 2 of us. We have customized it to the way we like it over the years. I have found and installed the most comfortable driver's seat than in anything commercial I have driven. Yea, it has it's limitations: I wish it had more storage space in the bays mostly. But nothing is perfect. The late model 45 footers are nice, but I think it is too big for a camper, at least in the way we use ours. I suppose a 40 footer would be a good compromise. Like a D3. But I don't feel like building an other conversion when I have a good one already.

What is the best length? There is no answer. To each his own.

JC