Side Aisle or Center Aisle

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · July 09, 2023, 06:25:21 AM

If you were to convert a bus from scratch, knowing what you know now, would you build it with a Side Aisle or Center Aisle to get to the Bedroom and why?

dtcerrato · July 09, 2023, 06:33:34 AM

Center Isle as we did ours. One of the advantages is further insulating of the side exterior walls lends to better HVAC, shallower storage on both sides instead of deeper storage on one side, more options to passageways from bottom compartments to main cabin and our list goes on.

luvrbus · July 09, 2023, 07:22:23 AM

We had a short side isle at the bedroom,we done it to have a large bedroom closet foward and a fridge that faced foward not sideways on the wall she wanted a kitchen and bathroom that you had to have a wall and side isle,the CC has a semi center isle and she doesn't care for it much because the fridge is not foward facing and the bedroom has a door

.Eagle bus are easy to raise the roof so see a lot of side isle in the Eagles,inside height dictates the type isle in older buses unless both are short people

thomasinnv · July 09, 2023, 08:13:20 AM

First bus was center isle. Second bus is side isle and if I ever do another one it will be side isle as well. I much rather have a private bathroom and not have to go thru the bathroom to get to the bedroom.

dtcerrato · July 09, 2023, 08:18:27 AM

Our center Isle layout has a full private bath all on one side.

luvrbus · July 09, 2023, 08:19:45 AM

Quote from: thomasinnv on July 09, 2023, 08:13:20 AM
First bus was center isle. Second bus is side isle and if I ever do another one it will be side isle as well. I much rather have a private bathroom and not have to go thru the bathroom to get to the bedroom.

Center isle do make for smaller bathrooms and are usually split, Sonja doesn't like that in the CC either

Jim Blackwood · July 09, 2023, 08:57:15 AM

I put the shower on one side and the toilet and vanity on the other. My doors are set up so that you can close off just the small bathroom and leave the isle and shower open, or make it one big bathroom.

Jim

luvrbus · July 09, 2023, 12:01:39 PM

Quote from: Jim Blackwood on July 09, 2023, 08:57:15 AM
I put the shower on one side and the toilet and vanity on the other. My doors are set up so that you can close off just the small bathroom and leave the isle and shower open, or make it one big bathroom.

Jim

Our CC is setup about the same except we have a large vanity in the bedroom area also, plenty of room in the bedroom for the king size bed since it has 2 slides

sledhead · July 09, 2023, 12:37:38 PM

1st coach had a side aisle
coach we have now is a centre aisle

liked the side aisle better as it made a nicer layout

tr206 · July 09, 2023, 05:38:45 PM

As for me with a Eagle center isle in case you need to remove the access panels in the floor.

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · July 09, 2023, 09:29:23 PM

One advantage of a center aisle is that if you have roof A/C units, which are almost always on the center line of the roof, I have 3 in my Eagle, the air seems to flow better between rooms.

But the side aisle affords more privacy in the bedroom and may be better if someone is an early riser, whilst the other mate is not. But then again, a door will do about the same thing...right?

And yes, if you have a center aisle, you will have a split bath, but is that all that bad? With a split bath, one person could be using the commode and another one taking a shower at the same time. Or I suppose you could put facing commodes both on one side of the bus so there is no waiting.

The other disadvantage of having a split bath, you may want to add two fart fans. One for the commode area and one for the shower to suck out the moisture. But fans are cheap anyway.

Another disadvantage of a center aisle, as noted above, is that if the bathroom is occupied, no one can access the bedroom, which may or may not be a deal breaker.

And correct, you can put a door on each end so you end up with one BIG bathroom if you like.

And yes, good point about the center aisle allowing more insulative air space between the outside walls and the living area. It may not make a big difference, but everything helps.

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · July 09, 2023, 09:31:12 PM

Quote from: tr206 on July 09, 2023, 05:38:45 PM
As for me with a Eagle center isle in case you need to remove the access panels in the floor.

Good point, but they usually get covered over with flooring anyway.

thomasinnv · July 09, 2023, 11:13:05 PM

Quote from: thomasinnv on July 09, 2023, 08:13:20 AM
First bus was center isle. Second bus is side isle and if I ever do another one it will be side isle as well. I much rather have a private bathroom and not have to go thru the bathroom to get to the bedroom.

Well, to clarify it's actually kinda both. The isle is off center but not against the outside wall...there is a full wardrobe on one side and full bathroom on the other. Bathroom door is setup so that it opens into the hallway and sections off the wardrobe from the front area. Full length mirror on the back of the bathroom door for the wife.

thomasinnv · July 09, 2023, 11:14:30 PM

Quote from: tr206 on July 09, 2023, 05:38:45 PM
As for me with a Eagle center isle in case you need to remove the access panels in the floor.

All my access panels are under the bed or under removable night stands.

Dave5Cs · July 10, 2023, 04:53:37 AM

Ours is center and bath all in one room, If privacy is wanted just close the bathroom door and you still can go by to the bedroom. If changing and need the room just open the bath door out into the hall and open the pantry door at the kitchen end and you have a big bath. Or open the other side closet door same thing. Fulltiming we need all the storage we can muster and that makes for a lot of it.