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Old 01-03-2023, 03:11 PM   #1
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bus welding question

im curious would it be possible or even a good idea to weld a bus ontop of another bus to make a double decker? complete with a 2nd story floor.

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Old 01-03-2023, 03:32 PM   #2
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Possible? Yes. A good idea? I cannot believe so.

Personally, I won't do a 24+ inch roof raise...and I prefer to keep them to 14-18 inches. I presume that the suspension on a double-decker bus is designed with the added height and sway/tilt/leaning moment factored into the design. A regular bus might handle that added moment (leverage or "turning force" when going around corners or in wind) but I wouldn't assume that.

If you were to do this...and this isn't an endorsement...you need to watch the weight limitations on the running gear and tires. And I'd disconnect the front air spring crossover line and plumb them separately, so that air won't flow from the loaded (compressed) side to the unloaded side when cornering. Do the same in the rear too, if they're not adjusted individually already. But like I said, this isn't a recommendation.
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Old 01-03-2023, 03:54 PM   #3
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If you are planning on a stationary "tiny home" situation, maybe look into shipping containers. Those can be stacked.
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Old 01-03-2023, 04:12 PM   #4
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More Floor Space

Building a tall tow behind may be more suitable.







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Old 01-03-2023, 05:00 PM   #5
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Old 01-04-2023, 02:14 AM   #6
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While the physics (weight, tilt, etc.) could be problematic, look at it this way......


Should there be some incident in which my home made double decker falls on it's side and rear ends someone...... HOW WILL THE JURY LOOK AT ME ...... In the criminal and civil cases that may come?
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Old 01-06-2023, 11:50 AM   #7
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I think all the above posts are applicable.

I am not endorsing anything, I am just chiming in on the fabrication part. Take it for what it is worth (nothing) just brain storming along a similar line that you were going in.

Hypothetically if I had two identical busses, and wanted to do a roof raise on one and the other was just for parts, I would consider cutting the good bus (the one you are building up) off at the tops of the windows. Then cut the junk bus down from the top of the windows as far down as you want to raise the other. Then cut up and junk the discard roof, and put the roof from the junk bus on the good one and butt weld the ribs together.

While this sounds good…. practically I am not so sure.

It does sound easier, but school busses are steel, and not thin. You would need a crane to lift the roofs off and on. I suppose you could hoist them up under a gantry, bridge, or something and then drive out from under it. Sounds like a pain to me.

Yes, a roof raise is a lot of work, but doing it the way I described above would be a whole different kind of work, and probably not easier or less work, just a different way to skin a cat, requiring more equipment.

It is a cool thought until you get to the mechanics of what you might not have seen coming.

It is fun to think of these things. But reality does set in at some point, and very seldom is a new idea, that revolutionary.

I have talked myself out of the idea already.
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Old 01-06-2023, 12:03 PM   #8
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well i dont plan to anything dramatic to it for a few years as my family will be moving from indiana to my home of washington state, once there we will bw ficused on buying land of our own so it could be a while but projects do happen. we will be living in it for quite some time, the 2nd story idea was because i wanted to give my kids their own space. we will likeky use it here and there to go on multiday travels. ive take tons of ideas from videos on youtube as well
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Old 01-06-2023, 09:23 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by daddydoody13 View Post
im curious would it be possible or even a good idea to weld a bus ontop of another bus to make a double decker? complete with a 2nd story floor.
Every picture I can find of a factory built double decker is a city transit style bus with low floors. I should add, thats every bus built within the last few decades, the early 20th century had lots of multi-story rigs before the federal highway system built bridges covering the landscape, and I doubt you want to keep a bus old enough to get a birthday card from the President alive.
Uncle Sam says the gross height limit for all double deckers in the good ole USofA is 14'3". Thats a whole lotta millimeters to our metric friends before getting tall enough to hit bridges built to Federal spec.
Low floors mean standing room both upstairs and downstairs, at the expense of low ground clearance. If you want the "go anywhere" ability of a dog nose, a second story would make for a *very* tall bus once complete. And quite a bit top heavy depending on, lots. But nothing is impossible, just challenging. The trailer suggestion has a lot of merit for more personal space when parked.
Tall package or long package. Decisions, decisions......
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Old 01-11-2023, 04:17 PM   #10
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Maybe you could find one of these Van Hool Double Deckers on ebay but a bit cheaper. I feel like I see these going from mexico to chicago (maybe further ) occasionally. Maybe you could pick up and older one down there for a price that beats combining two buses.

It would definitely save you some work if the 2nd floor was already installed
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Old 01-14-2023, 11:12 PM   #11
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You might be able to get away with it if you used a low floor Transit bus. Double decker buses the lower half always sits just inches above the blacktop overall you can't be over 13-6 here on the East Coast. And yes she would have to stiffen up the suspension
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Old 01-19-2023, 06:28 PM   #12
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You might be able to get away with it if you used a low floor Transit bus. Double decker buses the lower half always sits just inches above the blacktop overall you can't be over 13-6 here on the East Coast. And yes she would have to stiffen up the suspension
It is fairly common for double-decker tour buses in NYC and elsewhere to be formerly "single-decker" transit buses, converted to double-deckers with extensive fabrication. Just something to consider. I don't know exactly what structural components these companies beef up when they are adding a second story.
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