City bus?

[fraseraj]

Has anyone thought about or attempted to convert a city transit bus into an RV? I've found one for a decent price, and I was wondering what thoughts you had.

[cowlitzcoach]

City buses have a lot going for them, chief among them being they have really high ceilings.

The down side to high ceilings is there is virtually no space under the floor for any storage or tankage. One has to become very creative in creating space for tanks, plumbing, and all of the other stuff that is usually hung underneath a skoolie or in a luggage bay on a motorcoach.

Another down side is most city buses are not geared to go highway speeds. On newer T-drive layouts the options are not quite as restrictive as the older V-drive layouts.

A real plus is most city buses that have been built in the last 30 years have been 102" wide instead of 96" wide like all school buses.

With such low ground clearance city buses are not the best choice if your favorite spots to go are off the beaten track and off pavement.

[EastCoastCB]

Someone on here, I forgot the name, has a BEAUTIFUL Gillig transit bus fully converted. Looks like IKEA made it or something.

[family wagon]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Someone on here, I forgot the name, has a BEAUTIFUL Gillig transit bus fully converted. Looks like IKEA made it or something.

You might be thinking of LuckyChow's bus.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by family wagon

You might be thinking of LuckyChow's bus.

'tis the one!
A REAL BEAUTY OF A BUS!

[Veganvegabond]

I've heard inter city buses make great conversions. There are a couple bus companies here that have routes which go to several cities. Namely between Salem and Portland, which is a 54mi drive. Sandy to Portland is a 42mi drive. So it really depends on which route the bus was on, which determines the motor and how it was maintained. Given that transit companies pick specific buses for specific routes.

[cowlitzcoach]

City buses are for the most part route buses that stay in town.

Suburban buses are for the most part route buses that go from way out past the suburbs to downtown.

City buses will generally have higher numerical rear gears for better take offs and lower top speeds.

Suburban buses will generally have lower numerical rear gears for better top speeds since many of them will have routes with long stretches of sustained highway speeds.

[Veganvegabond]

Just sucks that this https://spokane.craigslist.org/rvs/4839075105.html can't be registered as an RV.

[EastCoastCB]

I have an acquaintance who bought an articulated bus. They aren't as rare as that ad suggests.

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by fraseraj

Has anyone thought about or attempted to convert a city transit bus into an RV? I've found one for a decent price, and I was wondering what thoughts you had.

Done all the time. You need to wander over to BNO and what you are referring to is called an RTS. We looked at an RTS in Maryville. David said it drove/rode beautifully. The problem is they are made for highways so low slung (even lower than a highway coach). They are not usually made to get out and run at top speed, although some do. I strongly suggest you ask your questions at BNO. There are several converted RTS buses there. They are also more upscale than skoolies tend to be. Although I have seen a few skoolies that rival some highway coaches.