Short bus, GIANT wheel wells!

[Crystalineminddesign]

Hey all! Sorry if this is a commonly asked thing--tried searching but maybe i just wasn't using the right words...

We just got our bus a few days ago! we've stripped out all the seats and are in the process of getting the rubber flooring ripped out. our bus is about 17-18' from drivers seat to back door. once all the seats were out i realized damn those wheel wells are HUGE and immediately strike me as wasting so much space I was really hoping that once we took the rubber covers off they'd be a lot smaller but no such luck--that's just how big they are.

We are still thinking about floor plan ideas, having some trouble coming up with good solutions for this wheel well issue....was wanting to put the bed all the way in the back and have the bathroom right by the bed but that's not gonna be possible with these dumb things! maybe closet/storage thing on one side and kitchen counter on the other?

what are some of yall's solutions to this issue? space is just so precious in a little bus!

Thanks!!! <3

[yellowxj]

We just built over them. Our bus is too short for bathroom area with us needing bedding for 4.

Jeep, bus, repeat.

[Tango]

A few folks have cut them down a bit and welded in flat tops, but they are what they are (I had to "notch" mine a bit to make room for a potty/shower). But...you really don't want to have the tires bumping into them or anything wedging between them and the tires. We've all had to plan and work around them except for a few folks who bought "flat floor" models.

Welcome and good luck on the build.

[ol trunt]

Several of us have done this. Figure out how much vertical travel the axle has and add an inch or two for chains if necessary and lop off whatever the excess is in the fender well.

Before and after can be seen in this pic. The wheel hasn't hit the top during the first 10,000 miles of use. Jack
.

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by Crystalineminddesign

Hey all! Sorry if this is a commonly asked thing--tried searching but maybe i just wasn't using the right words...

We just got our bus a few days ago! we've stripped out all the seats and are in the process of getting the rubber flooring ripped out. our bus is about 17-18' from drivers seat to back door. once all the seats were out i realized damn those wheel wells are HUGE and immediately strike me as wasting so much space I was really hoping that once we took the rubber covers off they'd be a lot smaller but no such luck--that's just how big they are.

We are still thinking about floor plan ideas, having some trouble coming up with good solutions for this wheel well issue....was wanting to put the bed all the way in the back and have the bathroom right by the bed but that's not gonna be possible with these dumb things! maybe closet/storage thing on one side and kitchen counter on the other?

what are some of yall's solutions to this issue? space is just so precious in a little bus!

Thanks!!! <3

I don't have a solution.... but I can tell you that you have 1/2 as many wheel wells than a flat nosed bus...... I'm dealing with 4 wheel wells!

[Crystalineminddesign]

Originally Posted by milkmania

I don't have a solution.... but I can tell you that you have 1/2 as many wheel wells than a flat nosed bus...... I'm dealing with 4 wheel wells!

Oh no!!! I feel for you! Thats double the challenge!!!

[Crystalineminddesign]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Several of us have done this. Figure out how much vertical travel the axle has and add an inch or two for chains if necessary and lop off whatever the excess is in the fender well.

Before and after can be seen in this pic. The wheel hasn't hit the top during the first 10,000 miles of use. Jack
.

hmmm, interesting. is there a conversion thread or like tutorial i could look at with more info about how to do this?

[Phatman]

I was one of the lucky ones. No wheel wells. Flat floor. But the more space you have, the more you try to cram in that space. It's a never ending problem. .........Hahahahahaha!!

[cadillackid]

use the wheel wells for the obscure things.. build cabinets around them... you can have little cubbies for things like washclothes, socks, etc..

-Christopher

[Oldmopars]

In mine I put the tub(4 foot galvanized trough tub) over one side and a closet over the other side.
I have a full length bus so I have lots of room, in a short bus, you just have to get creative.