Shorty & Horse Trailer

[Cowgirl Magic]

Hi There,
I am looking forward to purchasing my bus. It is a shorty, five windows diesel engine with a Blue Bird body. I want to set it up as a camper and will add a reciever so I can pull my small Miley horse trailer. I can't wait to get started and look forward to camping in something a little more secure than a tent!

[nat_ster]

Welcome.

Sounds like a great idea.

Be sure to post pics when you get your bus.

Nat

[Roadrunner]

Welcome to the best Skoolie site there is. Everyone will offer you help and advise here.

[Tango]

Welcome! --- Sounds like a plan to me. Being able to pull up, turn the engine off and just crawl into bed does make for mighty pleasant traveling. Can't wait to see your new rig and what you come up with.

[bansil]

As others have said....hello~~~~~

And welcome

[sdwarf36]

Just a though-school busses have their exhaust up pretty hi-right under or thru the bumper. I'm sure most horse trailers are designed for the exhaust go under the trailer-but probably not planning the pipe to be 3 ft off the ground.

[Cowgirl Magic]

As I'm getting a shorty the tailpipe is much lower however I will have to think about that exhaust. Thanks for your reply.

[Scooternj]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl Magic

As I'm getting a shorty the tailpipe is much lower however I will have to think about that exhaust. Thanks for your reply.

You could extend and turn the pipe into a stack. I know there are a couple of full-size conversions that have done that.

[cowlitzcoach]

If you are talking about a full size Type 'C' medium duty short bus you shouldn't have any problems towing a horse trailer.

If you are talking about a small Type 'A' light duty short bus you may run into the problem of running out of GCVW.

As a rule of thumb, since no bus is rated to tow, you will need to use the tow ratings for light duty trucks and vans from the same manufacturer to determine how much GCVWR your bus might have. The tow ratings can be confusing due in large part to differences in engine, transmission, rear gear ratios, and tire sizes.

Be aware that tow ratings are based on best case scenarios. To determine for sure you will need to weigh the empty bus and subtract that weight from the GCVWR to determine your tow rating.

Regardless of the size of the bus you will need to install an electric trailer brake controller. On some of the newer buses with multiplexed electronics and electrical systems it may not be easy to install an electric trailer brake controller. It isn't as simple as it used to be. It isn't just a case of finding the brake light switch and a constant hot lead to power up the controller. If it isn't done correctly you may find the engine won't start, or the transmission won't shift, or the ABS brakes will fail to operate correctly, or any other odd sort of thing will turn on and off every time the brakes are applied.

Good luck!

[Cowgirl Magic]

Thanks for all the information. This is a Class A bus. I currently tow with a 1/2 ton Ford with no problems as my trailer is very small and only haul 1 horse. Looks like I have a lot of decisions to make about the towing capacity. Anyone else out there towing with a shorty?
Thanks

[leadsled01]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl Magic

Thanks for all the information. This is a Class A bus. I currently tow with a 1/2 ton Ford with no problems as my trailer is very small and only haul 1 horse. Looks like I have a lot of decisions to make about the towing capacity. Anyone else out there towing with a shorty?
Thanks

I tow with a 1997 shuttle bus (Ford van front clip). I think hauling your single horse trailer would just fine.

[Cowgirl Magic]

After reading the threads about this engine I have some concerns. I plan on mostly short trips 60 miles round trip an occasional longer trip. This bus is a 2002 and the mechanic has told me the valves need adjusting. I've driven the bus as a school bus driver and always found it handled very well including highway speeds and steep hills as we are a very rural area. Any thoughts on this?