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08-28-2009, 06:40 AM
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#1
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 784
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Genesis
Engine: Detroit
Rated Cap: 14
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Re: Using your Roof Right
I'm with you... a full length & width roof rack is a must. But after reading that there are several low (12' 4" at lowest) bridges and tunnels along some routes that I hope to take, I hope to keep my total height down to 12' max. To be safe, I'm planning for the deck, plus permanent railing to be no more than 1' 8" tall, then will have places to either attach railings, or will create the railings to swivel up and lock into place.
My rooftop will be used primarily for storage while traveling. Once I'm in a spot for more than a few days, it may become an observation/recreation/workshop deck. Just depends on the weather of the area. The area over the driver's side will hold things like the solar panels and spare water barrels (55gal drums). The middle to rear will be mainly storage boxes on either side of a central walkway. I've been toying with the idea of adding permanent storage boxes along either side that can double as seats. But until I firm up that idea, I'm sticking with the 18gal. plastic totes right now since that's what I've been using to pack up the house. Unfortunately, while they stack pretty well, they leave a lot of wasted space when put side-by-side.
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08-28-2009, 04:04 PM
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#2
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Athens, TN
Posts: 58
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: Spartan (I think)
Engine: Cummins BT-6
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: Using your Roof Right
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smitty
I'll have a full length & width deck which will hold up to 6 PV panels, 2- (roughly) 3-X8' solar heating panels, a solar water heater, and a secondary 100 (maybe 125) gallon freshwater tank.
Smitty
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I am not trying to be negative about it, but wouldn't the (approximately) 1,000 lbs of water as well as the other items and systems make for a slightly top-heavy vehicle? I have no doubt the chassis could support the weight, I'm just thinking about the center of gravity and the change in the "center of moment" for weights at that distance from the suspension. The leverage exerted in a curve or on an unlevel road surface would be much greater than similar weight carried lower to the ground. Have you had a chance to figure how this might affect your stability?
Respectfully,
Lee
__________________
"Adversity that does not kill you can only make you stronger."
Good Lord! I must be Superman by now!!!
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08-28-2009, 11:08 PM
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#3
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Wimberley, Tx
Posts: 197
Year: 93
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: ?
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
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Re: Using your Roof Right
I am planning a 32 x 8 ft deck. It will have fold down railings. The front eight foot section railings will have three positions, travel, observation, and beach(folded out 50-60 degrees or so). The two a/c units will have boxes with expanded metal for protection with removable boat style tables mounted on top. There will be easy an easy up shade as well.
I figure it will be approximately 10 1/2 ft. in travel mode.
A great deck on top is the main reason I picked a school bus to turn into my rolling tent with all the fixens.
You gotta have a deck.
S
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09-05-2009, 11:42 AM
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#4
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Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Posts: 130
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: 7.3 International Diesel
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: Using your Roof Right
Of course for height I would say just find out your local max limit and keep a very close eye out for height limit signage, I guess thats what I am banking on.
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09-13-2009, 07:33 AM
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#5
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Key West, Florida
Posts: 56
Year: 1963
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Engine: 640 Detroit allison
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Re: Using your Roof Right
Definitely want a roof deck. Would be great for sightseeing..sunbathing, stargazing. I have awesome sunsets, and sunrises now..i can only imagine what that would be like atop Boo-boo.
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09-13-2009, 08:02 PM
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#6
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Almost There
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Carriere Miss.
Posts: 97
Year: 85
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: G.M.C. 6000 series
Engine: 366 G.M.
Rated Cap: 60
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Re: Using your Roof Right
Isn't 13' 6'' the limit here in the lower 48 without a permit? I drove a load of three custom vans under a railroad bridge and made the van in the front a convetabile . It seems the highway department had repaved the road but didn't bother to change the sign. Love God or you know what. Russell
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07-07-2011, 06:52 PM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
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Re: Using your Roof Right
Quote:
Originally Posted by bakerstone1
... Perhaps you should consider getting some kind of a trailer to attach behind your vehicle...
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But a consideration is what all are you towing then. Plus once you get to your destination, where will you "store" your cargo trailer. Many campgrounds won't let you store a dolly or cargo trailer on your site. So, it could cost you as much as an extra site, which can be pricey if you are a fulltimer. And then you may have to store the cargo trailer far away from your campsite. It cost us $30 per month to store the bus at our current campground when we first came out here. Same considerations for tow dollies (pro's is that you can back up a dolly but not a vehicle towed 4 down.. and you certainly can't back up a triple setup). We have a food cart that many campgrounds do not want us to keep on our site (and we don't stay in those campgrounds either). We also have a 4WD jeep that we can, and do, pull 4 down. The bus could pull both Jeep and food cart at the same time with no problems. We travel up to Albuquerque (70 miles one way) every week on I25. But after looking at all the flipped triple units on I25 (we see about one flipped about once a month), we wouldn't risk it unless we absolutely had to (one of us was sick or incapacitated and we HAD to travel).
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07-07-2011, 08:13 PM
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#8
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 801
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Re: Using your Roof Right
Best to get you a truckers GPS system...... Most of them have the low overpassses ID'd .....
There are plenty of overpasses less than 12 ft.........
be carefully out there...
__________________
GreyEagle
Roll - On...
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07-07-2011, 08:16 PM
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#9
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 801
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Re: Using your Roof Right
__________________
GreyEagle
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