Welding two buses together...

[Robin97396]

This bus turns sharp. Very sharp, but the cantilevered front and rear still limit being able to turn around sometimes because she's got a big butt that swings wide. The book says it's only an 18" swing, but it looks like about three feet in the mirrors.

CK; you may have a few less feet of floor space, but the dognose shorties drive like a pickup truck. This one is a nine window, all the same size and all wide windows. It's nice to be able to have just one size thermal window cover when you need them. These FEs are ok but I feel like some of the driving experience has been lost because these FEs drive differently.
This is the biggest big boy toy I've bought, and as time goes by the most expensive too.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

This bus turns sharp. Very sharp, but the cantilevered front and rear still limit being able to turn around sometimes because she's got a big butt that swings wide. The book says it's only an 18" swing, but it looks like about three feet in the mirrors.

CK; you may have a few less feet of floor space, but the dognose shorties drive like a pickup truck. This one is a nine window, all the same size and all wide windows. It's nice to be able to have just one size thermal window cover when you need them. These FEs are ok but I feel like some of the driving experience has been lost because these FEs drive differently.
This is the biggest big boy toy I've bought, and as time goes by the most expensive too.

my 7 window Carpenter Shorty. (a 3800 CE chassis). has a 27500 GVWR and 11R22.5 tires on it... it drives like a Big truck...

my 6 window bluebird (also a 3800 CE chassis) has a 17500 GVWR. with 225/70R19.5 tires on it.. and it drives nearly like a big pickup truck.. but with the nice industrial feel of a School Bus.. (one reason I drive it all over the place).

-Christopher

[Alan N]

I like the idea of a rear engine shorty.
Someone with more spare time than I should build one.
A 30 footer would be interesting.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur

Well, as far as 53' trailers 1 mile off the highway, that's a *FEDERAL* rule. They can't dictate state and local laws ... though they can strongly encourage them. Many states have legalized 53' trailers on many state roads that are not part of the National Network because so many businesses get deliveries and shipments, and these days 53's trailers are rather ubiquitous. Not many 48' trailers left in service, at least with the big companies.

You guys know far better than I but there are a lot of warehouses more than a mile from the interstate. I don't know what this National Network is but it must include US highways as well. There is a lot of US that has no interstate and while the feds LOVE paperwork, that sounds like a lot of pointless work even for them.

While on the related subject, what do you truckers use for GPS apps? This weekend up in Watkins Glen I came across a lot of 5 ton weight limit signs. The first time also included truck route signs and I followed those. The second time I saw the limits but no alternate route signs so I said screw it. I didn't do the roads any favors but at least I didn't fall thru any bridges.

Originally Posted by cadillackid

windows doesnt always dictate the overall length.. Bluebird for sure uses 2 different width windows... to me there is often no rhyme or reason.. other than perhaps some local regulation? but I see some busses with no "wide" windows and others with several.. my little bluebird has 5 normal windows and 1 wide on each side..

point being that a 7 "window" FE from one brand may be just as long as an 8 from another.. many of the '8s' ive seen are thomas.. and they have all one width window. unless theres a wheelchair door, then ive occasionally seen a narrow window..

Oh I know all about the varying windows. It's going to be real fun when I go to cover mine up. I have four windows that are 32" and nine that are 25".

bluebird shows they make a 144" wheelbase all american still.. thats a pretty short FE bus...

Hmm, I wonder if the overhang front and rear are "standard". I saw a true shorty this morning. 5 or 6 window. and yeah, it would look pretty stupid as a flat nose.

Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur

I remember, years ago, there was some funky intersection that a driver approached and "went straight", according to his directions. Well there was no "straight", he had to either go slightly right or slightly left and he took the wrong one. The road was not marked in any way (at the time). He's going like 40 around a curve and *BAM*, there's a low bridge. He scalps the entire top of the trailer. Cops show up and they're about to ticket/arrest the guy, until he goes "Nope, no signs, no warnings, no nothing. Someone owes me a new trailer." Come to find out, the signs had been flattened by the county mowing crew and the cops dropped the ticket. And yes, the county ended up having to buy him a new trailer. You can bet your bottom dollar they had crews putting up new signs very quickly.

How the hell did he get out of that ticket? I'm on the driver's side but the cops should have nailed him for "driving too fast for conditions" or some other standard catch-all. He wasn't on an interstate so didn't have the expectation of 55mph being safe.

Originally Posted by Robin97396

... but the cantilevered front and rear still limit being able to turn around sometimes because she's got a big butt that swings wide. The book says it's only an 18" swing, but it looks like about three feet in the mirrors.

Knock on wood; no problems yet. I have made a couple of turns and got lucky. Looked in the mirror after the fact and saw I was passing within inches of something.

These FEs are ok but I feel like some of the driving experience has been lost because these FEs drive differently.

This bus turns sharp. Very sharp,...

Really? This is why I like the flat noses. I like that they turn sharper and that they drive different. Maybe if I was jumping back and forth between buses I wouldn't but I only have one so far.

Originally Posted by Alan N

I like the idea of a rear engine shorty.
Someone with more spare time than I should build one.
A 30 footer would be interesting.

Fairly sure they come in shorter versions than that already.

[jctrembly]

There was a short RE at the Mason Dixon Auction just north and west of the PA/MD line on I-81. It will pop up on Google maps. Call them and see if they have it still or if the folks who bought it will sell it to you.

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