Carpenter Roof Welds

[busdriver_phil]

Someone over at School Bus Fleet posted this link. It has NHTSA info on the Carpenter roof weld issue, including which buses were affected, how to tell if the welds are defective, and ways to repair them.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/ ... /index.htm

[madpsalmer]

Nice to know I have one of these critters... Looks like I have got some welding to do!!!

Thanks for the heads up!

[busdriver_phil]

Anyone looking to raise the roof on their conversion, buy one of those Mitchell Carpenters. Half the work is already done.

[Abbott]

I raised the roof on my Carpenter bus, I didn't find any cracked welds. Even if I had they would have been no big deal. V them out and reweld them or run a deep bead over the top or just ignore them altogether would likely not hurt a darn thing. (IMHO) Those weld guidelines are nothing for guys like us to worry about, they are just Fed regulations like half of OSHA's bullshitte. I see them as falling into the same category of half the welds we had to inspect according to Fed guidlines when I was welding for the railroad. Very rarely would they be something that a private owner would need to worry about, if ever.

[Elliot Naess]

This is the bus in question.

No personal knowledge, but if I had a Carpenter, I think I would want to inspect those welds.

(There were no kids on board. The driver was injured but survived.)

[Abbott]

The chances of that happening to a Skoolie owner (IMHO) are slim to none. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

[Abbott]

Originally Posted by Smitty

Likely the entire event was just a school liability thing, not saying it should be totally ignored, but I wouldn't (and didn't) turn-down a fair deal on a bus because of it.

Smitty

That's what I was thinking as well. It's easy for the Feds. or another body to order inspections for this and that based on a very low percentage of indecent just as a CYA. We used to get some ridiculous inspection orders from OSHA and the Federal Railroad Administration along the same line. Very, very often it was much to do about nothing. I also agree with Elliot that looking at them can't hurt a thing but even if you spot a few cracked welds it's nothing to worry much about. A few small cracks means absolutely nothing as far as the overall roof integrity goes. I can understand the Feds wanting school children in buses to have that absolute best ride they can put them in and its easy for them to order inspections for just about anything. But as far as a camper goes we are much more safe in even a convertible bus (smile) then a factory built motor home.

[Elliot Naess]

No question about it -- stick-and-staple motor homes are much scarier!

[Vapor Ghost]

If you flip your Skoolie your Refrigerator and other things in your build may be more likely to take you out in in any bus. I've also got a problem with open shelving ! You will survive most low speed accidents but a Jar of Pickels to the back of the head at 30MPH well that may not go so well. I know you only keep your Beenie Babys up there..