An odd question but ...

[Brewerbob]

It probably varies by bus body, mfg, and even pax count but for a full length skoolie what is the distance from floorboards to the ground?

It came up in a conversion playing the What If game. Buddy has an RX-7 with a body kit that bottoms out when he drives over his own shadow. He is tossing around the idea of using a skoolie for a toy hauler. Doing the impossible (the What If part); giant hinges and using the entire roof for a ramp, the approach angle would be fine.

I found that tire diameter is 40". Since the wheel wells are 9" ABOVE the floor boards, is 40" a fair height?

And actually this would be a good dimension to know as I would like to get rid of the interior stairs and use RV folding stairs (if they don't suck too bad).

[Rameses]

I'd say 40" is probably a pretty decent guess.

I'll measure mine a little later on today for you.

[Brewerbob]

Rameses, Thx.

I did a search for tire sizes but didn't see any in thread titles. I expected 37 hits, maybe they were all 10 yrs ago but nothing in the first page of results. Didn't want to have to open each and every thread.

[Rameses]

Measured at the stairwell, my 2002 All American with 11R22.5s has a floor height of 37 7/8".

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Rameses

Measured at the stairwell, my 2002 All American with 11R22.5s has a floor height of 37 7/8".

Those tires are 41.x" tall brand new. I guess cutting down the wheel wells to something shorter isn't going to net you much before you start rubbing. There was some guy or another that was talking about doing that.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Rameses

Measured at the stairwell, my 2002 All American with 11R22.5s has a floor height of 37 7/8".

If I go moving the door and don't have interior steps, a roof raise is a must. How high am I going to have to raise it? What's the distance from the main floor to the bottom step? That's got to be a fairly significant distance.

[dalez]

My bottom step is at most a foot off the ground... o_0 '84 Amtram International

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by dalez

My bottom step is at most a foot off the ground... o_0 '84 Amtram International

Other way. From the bottom of the bottom step to the top of the top step is ...?

[dalez]

I dont know my floor height, i havent measured, but ~38" sounds roughly right, so minus a foot leaves 26", which sounds approximately right. I can measure when I get home... but every bus is different :P

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by dalez

I dont know my floor height, i havent measured, but ~38" sounds roughly right, so minus a foot leaves 26", which sounds approximately right. I can measure when I get home... but every bus is different :P

The better measurement would be the door height. Are those standard? Floor to ceiling is. New ceiling is however tall the door is.

[Rameses]

Distance from floor to bottom step on my bus is 28 3/8".

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Rameses

Distance from floor to bottom step on my bus is 28 3/8".

Well that sucks. A nice 24" even would have been good.

[DoubleO7]

When school buses are built, they must meet federal and state standards.
Stairs are spelled out.
067 Pa. Code §Â*171.70.Â*Steps.
(1) The lower step at the service door may be not less than 12 inches and not more than 16 inches from the ground, based on standard chassis specifications.
(2) The service door entrance may be equipped with at least a two-step stepwell. Risers in each case shall be approximately equal. When a plywood floor is used on steel, the differential may be increased by the thickness of the plywood used. When a three-step stepwell is used, the first step at the service door shall be approximately 10 to 14 inches from the ground when the school bus is empty, based on standard chassis specifications. Type D school buses shall have at least a three-step stepwell with the first step at the service door 12 to 16 inches from the ground.

https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/fi...ards2002_2.pdf

Of course yours will no longer be required to adhere to those rules.
But they give you an idea as to why they are built the way they are.

[Rameses]

That's the Pennsylvania code. I wonder if it's vastly different elsewhere. My type D has a bottom step that's only 9.5" off the ground and it's originally from Arizona.

[Brewerbob]

I understand the reasoning. My son started school full time at age 3. He was a tall 3 and didn't need any help from mom. Climbing the stairs didn't bother him at all. Not needing her help bothered her. I was just hoping it was a nice round 24" which would work out to 8" per step for a 3 step bus. Would make the sheet metal easier.

Differ state to state; yes. Vastly, doubt it. Commiefornia would be the first place to look.

[DoubleO7]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

I understand the reasoning. My son started school full time at age 3. He was a tall 3 and didn't need any help from mom. Climbing the stairs didn't bother him at all. Not needing her help bothered her. I was just hoping it was a nice round 24" which would work out to 8" per step for a 3 step bus. Would make the sheet metal easier.

Differ state to state; yes. Vastly, doubt it. Commiefornia would be the first place to look.

It would be wise to make all risers the same heights, reduces tripping.
If your adding floor insulation and finish floor, you might want to do the same for the stair treads.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by DoubleO7

It would be wise to make all risers the same heights, reduces tripping.
If your adding floor insulation and finish floor, you might want to do the same for the stair treads.

My plan is to relocate the door and put the stairs outside. In order to move the door intact, the ceiling has to go up to the full height of the door. 24" would have made it easy by ripping a standard sheet in half. 28 and 13/64ths is just a pain.

As I don't even own a bus yet, plans will change. Maybe one interior step? Would leave a nice spot for muddy boots.

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

My plan is to relocate the door and put the stairs outside. In order to move the door intact, the ceiling has to go up to the full height of the door. 24" would have made it easy by ripping a standard sheet in half. 28 and 13/64ths is just a pain.

As I don't even own a bus yet, plans will change. Maybe one interior step? Would leave a nice spot for muddy boots.

And whatever bus you end up getting might have something reasonably close to a nice round 24" difference between the floor and bottom step. Sounds like my bottom step is abnormally low. Might have something to do with my bus's deep side skirts.

[cadillackid]

im guessing redbyrd would not have passed PA code.. it has a really low first step.. as it was used an elementary bus.. even has really small tires on it too for making the step low to the ground... my guess so thedriver didnt have to lift all the little ones into the bus.. although the driver would have to strap them all into the kid-seats anyway..

the DEV has a tall first step.. i dont an early-grader could easily have gotten on that bus unless the lift were lowered for them.

-Christopher

[Brewerbob]

Where is the OEM roof at on the 6' bus? I don't remember. I'd like to keep the bus as short as possible while still having space inside. I know I don't want to do the 13'6" raise.