Any suggestions where to get entrance door modified?

[belfert]

My Dina has an air operated door like a Setra or Van Hool where the whole door glides out instead of being hinged like an MCI/Prevost/GMC/Eagle.  It does not operate properly at this time and is basically a pain for a conversion even if it worked properly.

Does anybody have any ideas of a person or shop reasonably close to Minnesota that could convert the door to a hinged door?  I took the bus to one guy that was recommended and he wasn't real interested in taking it on.  I called another shop locally that does body work and restorations on buses and they wouldn't touch it for liability reasons.

I don't have metal fab skills which is why I need to pay to have this done.  I would probably ask Ross Carlisle and/or Bruce Knee to take a look at it, but I don't have enough time off to drive to Delaware any time soon.

Brian Elfert

[Ace]

Brian first off, how much you looking to spend? Keep in mind, your asking to change the whole design from one to another! That means fabricating all new hardware, hinges, latches, seals etc.!

I'm not saying it can't be done but, whatever you do, is going to cost mucho due to the time invested not to mention materials needed!

Ace

[belfert]

Brian first off, how much you looking to spend? Keep in mind, your asking to change the whole design from one to another! That means fabricating all new hardware, hinges, latches, seals etc.!

I am hoping not to spend more than a few thousand if the original door can be used.  If a new door has to be fabricated and the opening reframed, that would be mega bucks.  JD over at C&J Bus repair thought a good bodyman could do it for $1000, but the guy he recommended didn't have any real interest in doing the job.

Ross, BK, and myself (Ross mostly) adjusted the door somewhat at BK's rally, but it is out of adjustment almost as bad again.  I talked to the MCI/Dina service center in Chicago and they said it generally takes two days for them to adjust a Dina door.  I decided not to spend my money on service from them.  My friends and I might be able to eventually get the door adjusted, but I still have a door that is less than ideal for a bus conversion.

Brian Elfert

[David Anderson]

Ace is correct.  I priced a fabicated door for my eagle and it was about $1200 sans hinges, seals, and latch.  I ended up doing it myself using the old door halves and it didn't take much material, but it took a whole week to cut and fit, cut and fit.  It was very tedious and slow.   Stainless hinges are available at IBP, but that type system may not work on your Dina.  Call IBP and see if they have any hardware that would make you OEM door change to a swing type, eliminating the closure system you have now.

David

[belfert]

If anyone wants an idea of how the entrance door on a Dina is mounted, it is very similiar to the mechanism on an RTS.  There is a photo of an RTS door on the busnut owner's thread.  I don't have a picture of the door mechanism on my Dina right now.

Brian Elfert

[tekebird]

Not understanding....the RTS has spit doors?

I recall someone saying in a previous post that they had a one piece door......ask them....or any of the setra or van hool owners with a one  piece door.

[belfert]

Not understanding....the RTS has spit doors?

I have a one piece door, but the mechanism that swings out the door on the RTS looks very much like what I have.  My entire door swings out like the RTS instead of being hinged.

Brian Elfert

[tekebird]

go to the rts yahoo group and see how those guys do thieir one peice doors.

[Dallas]

I'm not sure, and may be totally off the mark but I thuink brian is talking about how the doors act like the doors on a GulfstreamIV aircraft.

As they open the don't swing out, they come out flat and then slide to the sides.

Maybe a better simile would be the sliding side door on a Chevy or GMC van from the 70's and 80's.

Brian,
If I'm wrong, please don't hesitate to tell me... I have a pretty thick skin and can take it.

[TomC]

Just a suggestion- I have a transit, so looks were not at the top of my priorities, rather-being usuable.  I used both doors, and each door was a bi-fold typical transit door that I ended up not using.  What I did was to frame in the door with 1x3 ash and from that measurement had RV style foam core doors made.  While they are cheap, they have held up without much adjusting in the 11 years they have been in.  The big draw back is that they don't seal as tight as a pneumatically held bus door would so I do get wind noise at freeway speed.  I like them so much, that if they do wear out, I'll have replacement ones made rather than change the design.  You'd probably not like the look though since my bus has three very slight angles to the side and the door is straight.  But as you can tell, such imperfections don't bother me, compared to some of the other members on the board that just couldn't live with it.  Good Luck, TomC

[belfert]

I'm not sure, and may be totally off the mark but I thuink brian is talking about how the doors act like the doors on a GulfstreamIV aircraft.

As they open the don't swing out, they come out flat and then slide to the sides.

Dallas is right.  This is a good description of how they work.  I've talked to MCI/Dina about getting the door back in adjustment and they admit the design is poor and hard to keep in adjustment.  I'm sure the Gulfstream doors work much better.  Besides, you couldn't fly a plane if they door didn't close fully!

Brian Elfert

[RJ]

Brian -

OK, this may sound a little outrageous, but maybe you need to take a jaunt over to your local airport that handles corporate aircraft.  Perhaps an A&P that works on Gulfstreams might be able to help you adjust the door on your Dina.

Just thinkin' a little outside the box. . .

[Ace]

Believe this or not but Prevost at one time issued busses with a door that went outward and then rearward as to slide the side  of the bus! You may want to check with them and see if anything they have will work OR since they had that design, maybe one of their tech guys can help you walk thru the process If you can't get it to a prevost shop!

Ace

[Busted Knuckle]

Brian,

I just got off the phone with Mark! The reason I hadn't been able to get in touch with him is he's been in Vegas at the big car show of the year for a week! & the dip s***s in his shop never gave him the msg. to call me! Anyway he's gonna come by tomarrow and look my door over somemore and get a renewed idea on what he's gonna have to do (we'll take plenty of pics & measurements just to be sure because the new owner of mine will be here Friday to pick it up!) & then I'll have him get in touch with you, with an estimate! We both agree that his estimate will be somewhat higher than what he realisticly thinks it will cost! But we both believe in making our customers happy by it costing NO MORE THAN QUOTED! We'd rather you be prepared to pay X amount and it either be X amount or lower when you come to pick it up, than to have you show up and start ho huming around about well this and that and well uh let's see it'll be X x 2 amount because of such-an-such! BK 

[belfert]

I really don't want to keep the current door mechanism if at all possible.  Yes, maybe I can get adjusted to work (for a while), but it is not ideal for RV use.  It requires the bus electrical to be on and there be more than 80 PSI of air in the system to operate.  Yes, I could rewire the selenoid to use the house batteries, but I still need a source of air.

I didn't realize how much of a problem the entrance door was going to be when I bought this particular bus.  I really, really like the torsion suspension and I'm not sure I would want a bus with air bags. 

Brian Elfert