How much of a GM 5108's strength is from the shell?

[mikewarmblood]

I would never scrap any bus.  That is like bus abuse LOL.   But yes an RTS is a tank and welded together.  All stainless except for the airbeams and axle substructures. Which are still a high quality steel that is not as rust prone as others.  I had an RTS the one that I lost due to a storage fee war I had to deal with,, long story short I lost. It was a 1983 40 by 102 inch and had a 6v92ta with the typical V730.  Unlike my 1978 it did have steel bulkheads and were in decent shape. They actually what I would call hybrid the tops were stainless steel about 8 inches from the floor of the bus down, Then the rest was steel.  I had another bus that was the same size of mine now 35 by 96 and the bulkheads were almost non existant and not sure how the bus was able to hold up. I just welded angle iron and rebult them.  IT is an easy thing to do if you can weld. I was looking on my Flxible title and the weight that is stated is 27,235 LBS and GVWR is 38,000 LBS  I need to take it to a cat scale and see what the weight really is. But my Gillig Phantom weighed 27,876 unlaiden weight.  So my Flxible weighs as much as my gillig.  I think a fishbowl weighs in at 19,000 unlaiden weight.  Not sure.  I have seen a Flxible starliner and it looks just like a fishbowl inside the walls but the Flx Newlook inside has all kinds of stuff in the walls looks like a bridge inside wierd but not sure if it is a skeleton or "birdcage" design or not.  But I wish it only weighed 10,000 would almost be able to take it to work every day. My RTS for being 35' by 96"  weighs as much as my Flxible. That is overkill.  Mike.