Who's building a bus?

[Darkspeed]

I know that a bus conversion it truly never finished, but I was curious how many people here are actively building a bus conversion?

I had to take off a year+ due to work / travel and im sure a number of people finished their buses in that time, lucky you!

I also know there seems to be a fairly large age / generation gap between builders, with a lot of the younger crowd gravitating toward school busses.

I would think with the popularity of the tiny house movement some of those people would figure out a bus is much more versatile than dragging around your house on a trailer.

Anyway, just curious who is building what...

[Iceni John]

I've been working on my bus for the last eight years or so, spending about a thousand hours a year on it.   Not all that work is bus conversion per se:  for example I spent almost a year completely rebuilding my entire cooling system.   I've finally started on the interior, but I can't guess how long that will take!   Why it's taking so long is because I'm doing everything in the RV yard where I store it, by hand, by myself, with only a minimum of tools (a small bench-top drill press, a small grinder, a small vice, and a modicum of simple hand tools).   If I had a proper workshop I would be finished by now, but I haven't, so I'm doing the best I can with what I have.   My intention is very simple  -  I want to have a better-engineered and better-functioning motorhome than any of the miserable boring plastic RVs in the yard, none of which impress me at all.

John

[TomC]

I started my conversion in 1994 with taking until 1995 off from work (cross country truck driver). Then finished in 2000. Now still converting the truck I used to drive since May 2008. Still have about a year to go. Good Luck, TomC

[Zephod]

I've taken almost 3 years. Mines pretty much complete. I have no vice and no drill press either.


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[Jeremy]

I've been building mine for years, and I have years still to go. Keep meaning to update my thread in the Projects section but never seem to get around to taking photos of things. Working in my own yard at home at my own (slow) pace, and with no particular deadline in mind. It'll get there in the end but I've got far too many other projects on the go as well, and at this time of year I'd rather be away doing other stuff on weekends anyway.

BTW, it's an 8m (ie. short) Plaxton Paramount on a Bedford chassis and the conversion involves a roof raise (done) 4 slideouts (3 done so far), 2 fold-outs (one 50% done, other 0% done) a roof patio (access hatch & staircase 75% done) and a huge awning (0% done), and it's mainly going to be used for attending sailing events and (hopefully) as a base-camp for walking & cycling holidays (they are in the final stages of completing a continuous coastal footpath around the whole of the UK and I have a long-term ambition to walk & cycle it's entire length of around 3000 miles or so).

Jeremy

[scanzel]

I have been working on mine since 2005 when I bought it, slacked off for awhile when the wife said either sell or get your butt into gear. Just installed the two roof top air last weekend, interior 98% done still need to install 9kw generator and down the road maybe some solar panels. Used it a little over the years, going to Ohio Football Hall of Fame with grandson it August. Next year when I finally retire at 68 also do some body paint on it too. Your never finished always finding something to update.

[somewhereinusa]

I'm on the 7 year schedule. I figured it would take about 7 years to finish. I've been working it for about 7 years. I figure I'll have it done in about 7 years.   

[4104SoFl]

WOW
I feel much better now. Only about 4 years into mine. I still do not know if it is going to work out for me. Some times I look at newer buses, but the 4104 has everything I want. Looks, Style, 35 foot long. The 671 may not be the fastest motor, but what the h-ll, Greyhound used them all over the place back then. I'm 60 and still have a few before I retire.

[TomC]

Yes Greyhound drove 4104's with 6-71's and 4spds all over the place-but primarily on selected routes that were truck routes and relatively flat (6-8% grades max). Where you run into problems with any bus with only a 4spd is getting in and out of campsites; towing your car, etc. A great change for 4104 is finding a transit bus with 6V-92TA and V730 automatic and change rear end also. You go from 210hp and 600lb/ft torque to 350hp and 1,000lb/ft torque. But then again, you'll find out. Good Luck, TomC

[uncle ned]

Orvile   You should get to know John Silver and Jack Campbell.

John runs Florida bus, I think in Lakeland Fl. and Jack hangs around there some.

Jack put series 50's in everthing.

Last time I was through they had sever transit buses with series 50 and zf transmissions with revers er gears.

I think that would make the perfect combination for a 04.

If I had it to do over again that is what I would have.

uncle ned

[4104SoFl]

Just goes to show you what I know. I thought back in the 50's & 60's Greyhound went everwhere. Didn't they have Greyhounds in Colorodo?

[RJ]

Just goes to show you what I know. I thought back in the 50's & 60's Greyhound went everywhere. Didn't they have Greyhounds in Colorodo?

Orville -

You have to put the 4104 into the context of the time frame it was designed in (late '40s, early '50s), long before the interstate system came into being, and 60 mph was considered "speeding."

That's why it's most at home on the little blue highways, not the big super slabs.

And, in reality, that's also it's major charm - being able to cruise along at a more relaxed pace, thoroughly enjoying the journey.  Compare that to mashing dadly down the Interstate "just to get there" like all the other minions.

Tom does have a point, however, about the 4-spd sometimes being a little awkward when it comes to campgrounds, but for the experienced 4104 owner, they quickly learn what their coach can and cannot do and adjust accordingly.  After all, the bus was never designed in the first place to be an RV!

Besides, when you pull into a campground, you'll get lots and lots of attention from all the plastic pachyderm folk admiring your unique rig, something that they never receive with their cookie-cutter boxes on wheels.

Enjoy the ride!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[Jeremy]

Oddly enough I saw something on TV today where caravan and campervan owners were enthusing about their vehicles and performing various driving tests. One guy had an early-60's VW split-window camper van - beautifully-restored it was, but completely unable to reverse itself up a short slope and over a bump out of a field.

Jeremy

[Zephod]

Oddly enough I saw something on TV today where caravan and campervan owners were enthusing about their vehicles and performing various driving tests. One guy had an early-60's VW split-window camper van - beautifully-restored it was, but completely unable to reverse itself up a short slope and over a bump out of a field.

Jeremy

Omg.... he probably needed to learn to use his mirrors!


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[neoneddy]

I think I'm one of the younger builders in the group.   34, 4 kids, married, self employed.

We refurbished a 1993 Dutchman Popup Camper last year.   After lamenting about tear down and setup as well as  travel experience we were in on the idea of an RV.  Make the journey as enjoyable as the destination.

Now what kind of RV?  My Step Dad recently bought a sticks and staples Class A gasser, All I heard about was leaks and a transmission blowing up on him.   During a recent trip in Florida we saw a rolled over RV... nothing but a chassis and pile of stuff on the side of the road, somehow everyone in the vehicle seemed ok, still that is burned in my memory.  My neighbor has a class B and his is always leaking, dealer has tried to seal up 4 times now.

More and more the classic RVs seemed not up to the task just for the basics.

Now on to our family, 6 of us with a St. Bernard dog and a few cats we might want to bring with.  Most RVs can sleep 6-8 but really are setup for 2-4 at best.  To get more sleeping space you're converting this and that into a bed, then back out of  a bed.... imagine doing that for a few weeks.

My Father-in-law has a nice Country Coach, they pull a small SUV and go all over...  now I'm thinking this might be it... but then I look at even a used diesel coach RV runs...  ok more than our house, scratch that.

Some how I started looking at busses, even before or during the popup camper adventure... but then this February it just clicked... this is what we should do.  I looked at school busses, but they in general don't seem to be built for long hauls continually, more short runs, well school bus routes.  They were built for a job and do it well.    I was drawn more to coaches because of the basement and the air ride and overall build quality.  They were made to haul adults for long periods of time vs kids for short periods of time.

I learned about Prevost and MCI, I really liked the Prevost Mirage, even had one for sale locally cheap ($10k) but  then I learned more about MCI.  I learned that Grey hound bought MCI,  and they manufacture their own busses essentially, they build them to run 3 million miles.  The MC9 is largely unchanged since the 1980s  so parts are plentiful.   I think I'm in love, and as luck would have it there was a pre-gutted shell  of an MC9 for sale within driving distance of me.

Just after Easter of this year I brought  my bus home and have been working on it 20-30 hours a week since.  We've had it out camping once already and are going again Saturday.  It's long, hard, and now very hot work.  I have AC, but I can only run one while plugged in at home.

Speaking of,  I need to get back out there.