Coach weight?

[5B Steve]

  Looking  at the pictures of everyones conversions here, I have a question, after you have compleated the conversion does the

  finished weight exceed the weight of the bus before the start of the conversion?  I know that when I weighed mine at the

  beginning it was around 24,500 LB, down to a shell around 22,000 LB. I didn't know how much fuel was in the tank at the time.


Just curious,

  Steve 5B.....

[Tenor]

I'll venture to say that many probably do weigh more.  On the flip side though, they probably never reach the weight of a fully loaded passenger bus.  I got mine already empty, but I think even with a lightweight conversion, including a genset and additional fuel tank it I bet I have gone over.

Glenn

[Ed Hackenbruch]

 I am pretty sure it will be heavier than when you started the conversion but it will still be lighter than a stock coach with luggage and passengers.    We fulltime and fully loaded we are 6-7000 lbs less than gross weight. Only way we could get much more weight in would be to carry gold bars. Anybody got some that they could spare?

[cody]

From reading the post I'm not sure we'll ever know, your post brought up the completed thing, mine won't ever be completed especially as long as libby is allowed to see what toerh people are doing to their coaches.lol

[robertglines1]

lots of variables there..I have granite floors...My 89 prevost with 2 slides weight is 36100..with everything full...I did not weigh before...It does not exceed the weight of the bus full of passangers and luggage....I was told to figure 250 lbs per passanger and their luggage times bus capacity ,using this figure a bus like mine 1/2 full would weigh the same....The simple answer is yes but not to exceed the design for the total load. I figured I added about 6000 lbs over the stripped out bus... 

[RJ]

Steve -

My 4106, like your 5B, has a 32,000 lb GVW, per the federal bridge formulas.

Currently a shell, but still with the HVAC downstairs, I ran it across the scales when I moved it recently: 20,633 lbs w/ 3/4 tank of fuel.

I wouldn't be surprised if, after removing the compressor, condensor and evaporator units for the AC, the shell would come in under 20K.

That gives one the ability to put almost six tons of "stuff" onboard before exceeding the GVW.

Granite floors, counters, shower?  How about granite-lined baggage bins?   

Or build it with lightweight components and get better fuel mileage?

Decisions, decisions, decisions, eh?

FWIW & HTH. . .

[Sean]

We've discussed this extensively before:
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=11329.0

I hear from lots of people that it would be hard to exceed the expected weight of a full load of passengers and baggage with conversion items.  I beg to differ, especially if your coach is set up for full-timing and/or boondocking.  We had to pay careful attention to weight and balance throughout the conversion process, and even then we come right up to the weight limit on the rear per the federal formula, and pretty close on the front.  Our conversion plus all household goods weigh very close to ten tons, whereas a full load of 50 people plus baggage and fuel comes in around 15,000 lbs, or 3/4 of that amount.

I broke some of our weights down in a post in the other thread:
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=11329.msg118677#msg118677

I would strongly encourage you to asses the weight of every item you add.  For us, balance calculations were particularly important; this led us to put the nearly one ton of batteries and inverter in the front over the steer axle to move the CG forward.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[belfert]

My bus today with the conversion mostly done in terms of weight is about the same weight as when I bought the shell.  I removed over 500 lbs of scrap metal when you include evaporator and condensor along with other aluminum and copper.  When I stripped the shell I removed at least a ton of debris that I took to the transfer station.

I also removed the A/C compressor which weighs something like 200 lbs.

[Jerry32]

mine wieghs in at around 34000 and gross is 36,000 Jerry

[johns4104]

my 4104 weighed 16,000 lbs striped ready for conversion.
It weighed in just under 22k loaded with family (2 adults 4 boys), full fuel, coach and generator, full of water 105 gallons, clothes etc. and 2-300 lbs of tools.

[5B Steve]

   Hey guys,


   Thanks for all of the responses, Had I know that this was in a previous thread I wouldn't have brought it up again.


   Steve 5B...

[white-eagle]

my eagle with all tanks full or close, and all bays loaded since we are full time, is around 38000.  so's the upper limit

[BG6]

 Looking  at the pictures of everyones conversions here, I have a question, after you have compleated the conversion does the

 finished weight exceed the weight of the bus before the start of the conversion?

Oh, yeah!

Do the math.  Your water system weighs as much as all the seats you pulled out.

HOWEVER, remember that a coach is designed for 250 lbs per pax (seat + occupant), plus their luggage, plus shipped cargo.  Not likely you're going to get anywhere near that weight, no matter what you stuff into the bays or build inside.

[belfert]

My coach has a GVW of 46,000 lbs.  It weighs either 36,000 or 38,000 lbs (can't remember) when empty. 

I figure with 9 adults, food, full water, and cargo I might put on as much as 4,000 lbs additional.  I'm still at least 4,000 lbs under GWV at that point.

[TomC]

My 10240B AMGeneral transit weighed in at 28,000lb before conversion.  With my wife and I in it with full tanks, I weigh in at 31,000lb-so the conversion added 3,000lbs.  Now I weigh 10,500lb front and 20,500lb rear.  Considering the gvw rating is 13,000lb in front and 23,000lbs rear, I'm 5,000lbs under gvw.  So even when pulling my car and the whole thing weighing in at 34,500lbs, I'm still under gvw as far as my braking goes.  I can't think of a sticks and staples that can say that.  Good Luck, TomC