Bus floorplan layout resources?

[wolrah]

Hello all,

I am in the early stages of planning an RV build, trying to decide what kinds of configurations would even be practical for what I want to achieve.  Most of the other options I'm evaluating more or less come down to "fiberglass or aluminum rectangle on top of a pair of frame rails" and are thus fairly straightforward to plan, but with a bus I have to think about non-flat walls, window placement, unibody structures, chassis infrastructure more complicated than a handful of electrical lines and the wheel wells, etc.

With that in mind I am looking for resources along the lines of what Ford would call a "Body Builders Layout Book" that provides diagrams with all the relevant dimensions and more importantly where you should not do certain kinds of things like drilling due to critical components being nearby.

Are any documents like these publicly available for any of the major bus platforms?  I'm primarily looking at later Prevost XLs but anything in the 40-45 foot range with a non-DEF four stroke is under consideration.  XL2, H3, MCI D-Series, etc.

If the official guides don't exist or are kept closely guarded, are there any good unofficial resources for the same?

[buswarrior]

There is a degree of "trial by fire" to this hobby...

Get all the manuals for your bus, and tread gingerly to find the big and small wiring.

I don't know anyone who successfully pre-planned the floor plan, without the bus being available to measure, check, and find structure directly below where you wanted to put the toilet pipe...

The adventure continues?

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[robertglines1]

go to   prevostcar.com   look up tech manuals  elect puematic etc. You can use my serial number for this search.  W-6553.  If you have a coach the last letter in your serial number= year   the last 4 digits= unit number.  Wiring in prevost bus are tatooed every few inches and color coded.. The air lines are color coded to use only.IE blue=suspension.  best of luck!!

[robertglines1]

In search engine above.. put in   45XLE     the first was sort of offtopic  the 2nd in 2013 give you a better idea  bus projects.

[Jim Blackwood]

Yes, in the end it does all revolve around where you want to put the toilet pipe. There is, seriously and all kidding aside, no more important decision you can make in planning a conversion. With some coaches there are only a couple of choices that make any kind of sense. I can say the D series is one of those because I have one. The Prevost? I dunno.

Jim

[chessie4905]

Go to all the Prevost for sale ads. Look at the interior pictures. You'll start seeing commonality after viewing a hundred or more.

[dtcerrato]

Or you can do it a Neanderthal way - we moved into our shell of a bus & started with masking tape & belongings in boxes - full timing peeing on trees & such. As time went on after a couple rolls of masking tape (beats demolition of a changed idea!) and much rough times we ended up with exactly what we wanted and still lovin' it in our 42nd year of ownership. That's our story & we're stickin' to it! 

[freds]

There's a fairly new YouTube channel with guy who I think has a Prevost in the vintage range you are looking at: Prevost Life Plus

[lvmci]

Hi wolrah, if you can't find parts and service books for whatever bus you choose, these are a similar resource here, lvmci...

[SamanthaRoss]

I have a dozen similar literature lying around in my garage, the relevance of which, in principle, is already a little outdated. But I can share with you if you are interested, need to make a scan and send it.

[Tedsoldbus]

My understanding is you have not yet picked or found the vehicle? Good suggestion above is look at all of them you can. Doing slides? No slides? Big difference on what you can do. We almost gutted an Allegro bus and re did interior to our liking. Just got a 1980 Shorty (35 foot) Prevost and jerked half the furniture out and redoing all the valences and shades right now. Allegro had slides, mini me Prevost has no slides and only 96 wide. Not much floorplan changing going on there, but we still love it. If vehicle is important, floorplan will be a little boxed. If floorplan is priority, choose wisely on what vehicle lets you do that. Expect to keep shower/toilette where it is and beware how tricky Prevost is on hiding wires, heating ducts in places you thought too small for all of that. Mostly, try to have fun with it.

[Jim Blackwood]

The DLs will have you putting the toilet just in front of the rear wheels which is a pretty good location.

Jim

[richard5933]

Another option is to go with a composting toilet. Then you don't have to worry about the black tank at all, just a gray tank.

Some of the newer composting toilets look just like a conventional RV toilet. Here's one I'd consider if doing any renovations on our bus bathroom.

https://compoosttoilets.com/

[windtrader]

With such a creative bunch, seems like plenty ways of swishing poop off center of the gravity drop zone. Can't one put a small holding tank directly under and use a sump pump to transport it anywhere to the black tank?


I'm missing something as it seems universal there is this golden rule that the crown must sit on top of the black tank.

[richard5933]

It all depends on how simple one wants to keep the install. Lots of current options for a toilet not over the black tank. Nearly all high-end motor homes with more than one bathroom are using a macerator toilet, and with that system it's not necessary for the toilet to be near the black tank.

Many are also getting away from a black tank at all. A composting toilet combined with a small cube of peat moss and a few trash bags will get you at least a few weeks use. Works in any weather and even with the plumbing system still winterized.

Not sure I'd opt for a smaller tank/lift station set up though, as to pump the solid waste you'll need to use more water. If you're going do that, you might as well just install a macerator toilet.