Bus floorplan layout resources?

[wolrah]

So the feel I'm getting is that there aren't really any good diagrams of an empty bus or something like that I could use to specifically plan out a hypothetical floorplan?

I know that no good plan survives implementation and there would inevitably be things that need to change based on a specific chassis' configuration, and that considering the aisle space a difference of an inch or two shouldn't really be hard to work with for the most part, but I am a numbers guy at heart so I was really hoping there were diagrams along the lines of what richard5933 posted, but for an empty shell, so I could see the exact limits I'd have to work within and then play around with scale cutouts of various elements.

Also thanks very much to those early replies that provided reference serial numbers, that didn't find me exactly what I want but it is nice to see the sort of documentation that would be available if I were to pick one of those models.

Just get a early 90's MCI 45' bus. You have lots of room to make a living room/big office for all your stuff, nice sized kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. You could easily make a master bedroom big enough to contain one office and one in the living area.

I am definitely considering the MCIs, I have some personal nostalgia for the XL45 because my grandparents had a Country Coach back then but this would be a long term project so finding the best platform for what I want logically has to outweigh nostalgia.  Any bus platform in this class is in the running at the moment, and I would definitely be focusing my search on 45s because the whole point is space.  If I can get to the point of drawing it out and it would fit I may be able to consider 40s, but I'm pretty sure the 45 is more common in the model years I'd be looking at.

If you want king size sleeping space you might do better with two twins against the outside walls and a center isle. This gives much easier access and much better walking space. I've seen some do this in a way that the beds can slide together at night to make a larger single bed.

You seem to be reading my mind.  One of the ideas I am looking for this information to evaluate was exactly that, now much room it would give me to run a TwinXL on each side mounted on something like a drawer so they could be pulled together to equal a "split king".

[windtrader]

Check out what Yvan did on the flip up Murphy design. With twins you could easily design something that flips/rotates where when not used for sleeping it could be set up as a nice work area. but if you need to keep your desk more permanent that that'd not work so well. Maybe have a full length desk that could be raised up during the night then drop down with all your stuff on it. Instant desk for the day.


As to trying to do too much detail dimensional planning, it seems most new builder get the floor in, lay tape down where they think things should go, then "live" with it to make adjustments to make things flow better, more comfortable, and efficient.


Unless you have previous with the specific coach and dimensions and done a conversion on that platform, it seems unrealistic to lay it all out before starting and expect it to be even close to where it actually ends up.


Plenty folks here can give you 1st person insights. I made the decision from initially wanting to DIY then seeing an already converted coach was the overwhelming practical and economic and time saving option.

[wolrah]

Check out what Yvan did on the flip up Murphy design. With twins you could easily design something that flips/rotates where when not used for sleeping it could be set up as a nice work area. but if you need to keep your desk more permanent that that'd not work so well. Maybe have a full length desk that could be raised up during the night then drop down with all your stuff on it. Instant desk for the day.

I have definitely spent a lot of time considering fold-away solutions for the desk but the desktop computer aspect makes that challenging.  How to make multiple monitors, keyboards, mice, etc. compatible with a stowable desk is an immense challenge.  If I could work off a laptop it'd be a lot easier, but I'm used to having a lot of screen real estate in which to multitask and have built my workflow around that.

I have a few thoughts but they're not exactly simple mechanically and I feel like it would go beyond my abilities to fabricate so for now I'm assuming a relatively normal (if maybe a bit shallow) desk.

As to trying to do too much detail dimensional planning, it seems most new builder get the floor in, lay tape down where they think things should go, then "live" with it to make adjustments to make things flow better, more comfortable, and efficient.


Unless you have previous with the specific coach and dimensions and done a conversion on that platform, it seems unrealistic to lay it all out before starting and expect it to be even close to where it actually ends up.

I get that, but at the same time my issue at the moment is deciding whether this entire concept is practical in the first place, and if so what kinds of vehicles are viable bases for the amount of stuff I want to pack in, so some level of preplanning is necessary.


At this point I guess I could simplify what I'm looking for down to a general "safe zone" where if I were to come up with something that fit in a given area I could be confident it would fit in any likely candidate bus.  If we assume a 45 foot widebody bus can I safely assume at certain amount of interior width?  Are they all more or less flat vertical walls up to the windows with various forms of tapering from there to the roof?  Is the amount of space available behind the driver's area similar across most 45' buses or does it vary?

Interior height is of course the one interior dimension I can easily find because it's marketable.

[windtrader]

A 45' long 102" wide bus is as big as they get. I'm guessing but the sidewalls are pretty close to vertical. The back is likely not a squared off inside.


Maybe you stated earlier but generally it helps a lot to know a bit about your primary parameters. For example, what is your budget upfront and all in? What is your timeframe to find and build a bus, enough to make it functional? How extensive are your trade skills, everything from mechanical, electrical, plumbing, wood, and metal working?


When you mentioned designing and building a floating platform desk might be a challenge the bell went off. With more info we can provide a more realistic idea of what makes the most sense in your case. Trust me, more than one wannabe busnut shuffled off head down. Not that we were mean but getting informed about getting into this, they decide some other option would suit them better.

[ktmossman]

A 45' long 102" wide bus is as big as they get. I'm guessing but the sidewalls are pretty close to vertical. The back is likely not a squared off inside.

Depends on the model...  My J4500 sidewalls have a significant curve from the bottom of the windows to the roof line.

Things like the back are why there are not a whole lot of pre-created shell plans out there.  Because things like the engine air intake run through the back of the J4500, only part of that space is usable. So, it would be there on a generic floor plan, but it's not conventionally usable place.  There is also the question of usable floor space in the broader space. Are there wheel wells intruding? Is the floor level or terraced (like the J4500)?  If it is terraced are you going to level it?

Also, as many have alluded to, the spacial relationship of the bays to the floor is critical.  I was surprised how long it took me to find a reference point that carried through from the bays to the floor so I could lay out those measurements.

On the computer desk, I would also consider what actually has to be on the "desk."  Can the computer itself be stored in a cabinet (even if that is a few feet away?)  Can the monitors be ceiling mounted to flip down and extend?  The more you can simplify the "furniture" part, the easier the "murphy" concept becomes.

[Jim Blackwood]

The walls on my 102DL3 are straight but have an offest at the windows of course.

You can lay out any kind of an interior you like, and someone can give you the wall-to-wall inside dimensions, and if you look in the "Bus Projects you will find some layouts that have already been done. Maybe that's what you need and you can decide what and if. You will have to adapt it when you start to build of course, when realities begin to intrude.

Jim

[chessie4905]

time to actually purchase a shell.

[modernbeat]

For -initial- layout, including runs for ducts, wiring and plumbing, I use Solidworks.
But, that's an expensive and difficult to master program and I use it because I already have it for professional reasons. Google SketchUp can do the modeling and is easier to learn. Fusion 360 from Autodesk is another alternative.

A compact 35' layout


That model does not take into account wall slope or ceiling shape.

If you take time to make the model accurate you can pull dimensions from it to build the pieces.
I used this process to design and construct a custom Model T body. Every cut in wood was made to the dimensions of the 3D model plan.

[lvmci]

When I started the build from scratch, on my second bus, Gary from B&B, a renound coach builder told me of two options he liked the most, taping the floor for the simpler, quick look, but he liked getting cardboard boxes, the approximate size and shape of the major components and place them in the preliminary spots imagined. Even overhead bins. Moving boxes in your limited space really does reset your thinking...

[usbusin]

I agree 100% on the tape and cardboard box solution.  I did it in my bus conversion and for my truck conversion I laid it out in my garage.  Put tape on the floor and then used/made cardboard and boxes to make a mock-up.  Works great and would seriously recommend it!!

[chessie4905]

Yes, just taping the outlines on the floor doesn't cut it. You need to make actual sized copies of what you install. Things change when real height components impede or intrude into area. Works real nice if you have wife, and or kids to do this for you. Gets them into your endeavor more.

[mqbus767]

I used Google's Sketch-up. It's easy for non-cad folks. It also has a free 3d object library, measurements, walk-throughs, etc. Once we had a basic layout, I mocked up the bulkheads in hardboard so we could get a feel for the size of each room. I'm pretty good at imagning how something will look based on a 3d render, but it also helped to do the rough fit with the hardboard. Check out my build thread in my signature and you should be able to find my sketchup file for our 102 DL3. Be forewarned though, it's not an exact model.

[dtcerrato]

After all will most know the joke of when the poo hole becomes the boss, right? 

[lvmci]

Here's the very first sketch of the 40' 102C3. I eventually reversed the sofa, to help shifting the weight to the passenger side because of the generator placement on the driver side...

[windtrader]

Hey guys. We have a way of scaring off nobodies. He hasn't been here in over a week. Oh well, we can design our own new bus.


Weight distribution is a factor as just mentioned. So more things to consider than interior layout. You need to think about all the utilities layout below other than just poo hole. He'll never come back. we gotta stop this nonsense. LOL