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

[luvrbus]

Dave doesn't have a 45 ft bus he has RV and my 45 ft rv is not as easy to drive as my 45 ft MCI was,you were here when Sylive backed the MCI out to the road and saw how easy it was compered to my Country Coach

[lostagain]

Having driven the J4500 and H3-45, I can tell you that they are easy to drive for sure. Tight turning radius, either steerable or lifting tag axle. Maneuvering them is not the problem. The fact remains that they are 45' feet long by 8 1/2' wide. That is restrictive in RV service. Unless you only stop at rest areas, truck stops, fairly empty shopping mall parking lots, and big RV resorts. They are too big for older camp grounds, busy parking lots, and that kind of tight spots.

JC

[chessie4905]

When I purchased the 4905, I quickly saw the downside of 5 extra feet in maneuverability, compared to the 4104. Especially with the longer wheelbase. I started to need to be careful when making a U-turn, not to hit the rear of the coach with the front from turning too sharp.

[buswarrior]

Gary, get your hands on a 45' and head into a nearby shopping plaza, as if you were going grocery shopping.

A good one, curbed islands, lots of cars.

And then run your Eagle through the same gymkana.

And then you'll know for yourself.

Everyone, no matter the size of their coach, thinks that every inch counts... well, you know males and their inability to measure correctly... with a 45' every real inch matters, absolutely every last one. And watch the tailswing...

And it isn't about the turning radius, a shorter bus with a bad wheel cut just has to back and cover, and will make it around just fine, a 45' is a much bigger "box" to get around the obstructions, and sometimes, it just won't fit.

One does that sort of thing, and that sort of place when doing charter work as well. Always some  venue they want to go to, or the group has been dropped and the driver is after their own supplies, or a place to hide the coach until pick-up.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[sledhead]

Hummm, those are the kind of comments I was looking for, but there may be very few people that would hesitate admit to this.  For those people that have a 45' monster now, how many wished they had a 40' bus?  I hope I am never in that category myself, which was the purpose of the original question.

ok

It's not the drive ability that is the problem it is the length of the coach to FIND a camping spot as up here in Canada there are very few 45' sites and if they have them there might only be 3-5 that will fit in a park that has say 50 -100 spots
plus don't even think about state or provincial parks

most times I tell them that I am only 40 ' long and never have a problem backing in or driving in as the coach turns as good as the 40 ' ( total was 41' 5" ) in reality
M C I 102c3

It is all about the 45' size that they hear if I tell them the truth

the other problems are there are no where near the 50 amp sites as there are 30 amp sites

so for all you guys ... sometimes bigger is not better

dave

[luvrbus]

Here in the US campgrounds and RV are adjusting to the 45 foot RV not a problem to find a spot even the Grand Canyon now have long and wide spots for 45 footers with slides,we stayed in a RV park in Vegas that had some 100 amp service sites.All the RV manufactures for Class A offer 45 ft motorhomes now,lol where we go in Idaho I don't think this 45-7 inch long X 14 ft wide with the slides out is going to fit where our 26 ft long Safari Trek would I maybe walking to my fishing spot for a distance.I do see people with the 40ft plus long fifth wheel trailers in some tight spaces though   

[6805eagleguy]

Ok, what I would really want would be a 40' model 15 with a 12.7 series 60

Everybody talks about turning radius, what about inside turning radius?

Bw, I don't think eagles have as much tail swing as a conventional axle setup

Bluebirds sit really low, aka the large patch in my oil pan....

[luvrbus]

Ok, what I would really want would be a 40' model 15 with a 12.7 series 60

Everybody talks about turning radius, what about inside turning radius?

Bw, I don't think eagles have as much tail swing as a conventional axle setup

Bluebirds sit really low, aka the large patch in my oil pan....

The 01 with a tag had a tail swing the 05 up didn't

[sledhead]

wow! if sites have a 100 amp service I could start bringing my HOT TUB on the float trailer !! 

that would be cool

dave

[luvrbus]

wow! if sites have a 100 amp service I could start bringing my HOT TUB on the float trailer !! 

that would be cool

dave

100 amps is what most entertainer buses have and Nev has laws about idling and generators lol they probably do have hot tubs 
 

[chessie4905]

Probably needed for the 6 roof airs, plus then campgrounds can charge motel rates.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

ok

It's not the drive ability that is the problem it is the length of the coach to FIND a camping spot as up here in Canada there are very few 45' sites and if they have them there might only be 3-5 that will fit in a park that has say 50 -100 spots
plus don't even think about state or provincial parks

most times I tell them that I am only 40 ' long and never have a problem backing in or driving in as the coach turns as good as the 40 ' ( total was 41' 5" ) in reality
M C I 102c3

It is all about the 45' size that they hear if I tell them the truth

the other problems are there are no where near the 50 amp sites as there are 30 amp sites

so for all you guys ... sometimes bigger is not better

dave

Good point. Most of the newer parks have many spaces large enuf to park a 45' bus, but many of the older parks cannot accommodate the longer ships in all of the slips. So even though the ad says they can fit a 45' bus in their ad or app, when you call for reservations one of the first questions they ask if how long is your RV? 

You may not get a space if you have a 45' unit which you may have gotten if you had a shorter bus during the busy season.  So that just narrows down where you can park.  If you do have a long bus, it may be best to call ahead and make reservations as soon as you know where you will be staying.  Also some of the smaller spaces on the edges of the park are frequently nicer spots next to the woods, something else to chew on.

[windtrader]

So that just narrows down where you can park.  If you do have a long bus, it may be best to call ahead and make reservations as soon as you know where you will be staying.

This can be as critical consideration depending on the amount of pre trip planning one does. We like to mostly just go and it is very true just pulling into campground/RV park looking for an open 45' spot may be disappointing. And in general, as stated, the larger sites are in newer park, i.e. more $$$ than less/undeveloped sites.

[luvrbus]

This can be as critical consideration depending on the amount of pre trip planning one does. We like to mostly just go and it is very true just pulling into campground/RV park looking for an open 45' spot may be disappointing. And in general, as stated, the larger sites are in newer park, i.e. more $$$ than less/undeveloped sites.

Do you call head when towing a vehicle or just for a space the 45'ft is going to fit in any pull through spots setup for a bus towing a trailer or vehicle,it has to be a very,very old rv park not to have pull through sites for overnighters.The price of RV parks is getting to be stupid  especially in CA where we were quoted $300.00 a night on the ocean out of San Diego with a night minimum plus tax,so we moved on to San Dimas where they have SoCal mini bus rally that park can handle 45 ft easy and I think it was a county park


 

[Boomer]

Lol a while back a bunch of Prevosts had a rally at the greyhound dog track RV park at Amado, AZ down by Tubac.  It was hot and they all had on multiple AC's.  Blew the park power out right away.  Then a guy fired up his gen and a bunch of them went off to tour the countryside and the one guy's gen started a fire and the bus caught on fire.  Real circle jerk for awhile.