Highest roof raise

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by shorthair

A good rule of thumb if taken with a grain of salt, I have seen several bridges as low as 11 feet that ere on public roads and not marked as to height, pucker you right up when you are 14 feet. Even saw a couple that the state had replaced adding a few inches of asphalt and hadn't yet corrected the clearance sign.

I'd pucker at driving anything over the legal limit at 14'.

[shorthair]

Originally Posted by o1marc

I'd pucker at driving anything over the legal limit at 14'.

Real fun doing oversize at like 16" on a very specific route then find a detour for an accident and the cop just won't listen when you point up and say no can do I am not going off route period.

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by adic27

What's the highest you've seen/done/heard of? What was the exterior height after the raise? Just curious as I wanna go high as possible without going to extreme to where it's too much safety wise.

I think that a 2ft raise is going to attract attention that I wouldn't want and insurance company agents looking at the pics and police passing by may go "wt....". Besides I personally think it just looks odd and it is going to require a lot more attention while driving that is just not necessary due to overhead obstacles (I took out a country gas station roof a long time ago and I wasn't near that tall), side winds are going to be worse (who wants to get blown off of a tall bridge or mountain road by a sudden gust of wind... you are talking about a 20-25% increase in the size of the sail), and it is going to increase fuel consumption due to drag.

[DeMac]

Attract cops, maybe. Wont attact me. Large size mods on vehicles causes half of us to assume there's something tiny on the owner.
....and we truely know from experience.

[Bert06840]

Originally Posted by shorthair

A good rule of thumb if taken with a grain of salt, I have seen several bridges as low as 11 feet that ere on public roads and not marked as to height, pucker you right up when you are 14 feet. Even saw a couple that the state had replaced adding a few inches of asphalt and hadn't yet corrected the clearance sign.

I can confirm that in the northeast many, many bridges are below 12’. I need to make a detour AT LEAST once a day. With a 10’2” bus!

Worse, there are many parkways here, off limit for buses to begin with. It’s impossible to navigate without special apps (or maps).

[o1marc]

[QUOTE=Bert06840;447909]

Worse, there are many parkways here, off limit for buses to begin with. It’s impossible to navigate without special apps (or maps).[/Q]

The rule applies to the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkway's, but school buses are exempt. The law applies only to commercial vehicles, not privately owned RV's.
There are no bridges on the low clearance bridges listed in Ct. under 10'4".

[Bert06840]

[QUOTE=o1marc;447926]

Originally Posted by Bert06840

Worse, there are many parkways here, off limit for buses to begin with. It’s impossible to navigate without special apps (or maps).[/Q]

The rule applies to the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkway's, but school buses are exempt. The law applies only to commercial vehicles, not privately owned RV's.
There are no bridges on the low clearance bridges listed in Ct. under 10'4".

I’m afraid you are mistaken, Marc.

https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Commission...ticut-Parkways

Anything over 8’ tall is banned.

All RVs are banned, even if they were under 8’.

Tiny, short, low and narrow school buses under 4.5 tons, on school bus plates, transporting actual school children, are permitted.

And every single ramp is plastered with signs like this.

[o1marc]

[QUOTE=Bert06840;447938]

Originally Posted by o1marc

I’m afraid you are mistaken, Marc.

https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Commission...ticut-Parkways

Anything over 8’ tall is banned.

All RVs are banned, even if they were under 8’.

Tiny, short, low and narrow school buses under 4.5 tons, on school bus plates, transporting actual school children, are permitted.

And every single ramp is plastered with signs like this.

Attachment 59977

I doubt some of that is enforced. It says I can't drive my Dakota on it because I have my business name on the door.

[A Crafty Beaver]

I went with 14" raise. Still in the midst of the project but my reasoning was that I wanted approx 7' ceilings in the center. I also wanted to insulate 3" on the floor and ceiling. I started with 6'5" inside height. Also, the new steel skin needed to be 4' tall to cover from the windows to the rub rail which ended up being a lot less cutting of steel.

My bus total is 11' tall right now with another 6-8" going on for the roof deck/solar panels.

[Bert06840]

[QUOTE=o1marc;447943]

Originally Posted by Bert06840

I doubt some of that is enforced. It says I can't drive my Dakota on it because I have my business name on the door.

That’s okay, federally it’s only considered commercial > 10,000 lbs, or if you transport hazardous stuff or more than 8 people for money. In CT it can even be 26,000 lbs.

With some exceptions, like the word “POLICE”, you can put whatever you want on your car.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by Bert06840

I can confirm that in the northeast many, many bridges are below 12’. I need to make a detour AT LEAST once a day. With a 10’2” bus!

Worse, there are many parkways here, off limit for buses to begin with. It’s impossible to navigate without special apps (or maps).

If yo have converted title to motorhome you are no longer a bus and not subject to restrictions on buses. Weight, weight per axle, height, width, etc. restrictions apply but you ARE A MOTORHOME and a bus prohibition does not apply. An RV prohibition would or the aforementioned limitations.


Personally, I wouldn't drive a rig that large without an RV or trucking specific GPS moving map that allows input of your rigs specifications for height, weight, axle weights, width, etc. In fact we're considering buying one while we're in the conversion process for use with our F350/Fifth wheel set up so that we have the added safety and are used to its operation before we take teh bus out.

[Bert06840]

Originally Posted by HamSkoolie

If yo have converted title to motorhome you are no longer a bus and not subject to restrictions on buses. Weight, weight per axle, height, width, etc. restrictions apply but you ARE A MOTORHOME and a bus prohibition does not apply. An RV prohibition would or the aforementioned limitations.

Absolutely.

That being said: If there were a BUS ban on a stretch of road where MOTORHOMES are allowed, you’re asking to get pulled over if you drive what *LOOKS* like a bus. Sure, you may not get a ticket, but I rather not get pulled over at all.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by Bert06840

Absolutely.

That being said: If there were a BUS ban on a stretch of road where MOTORHOMES are allowed, you’re asking to get pulled over if you drive what *LOOKS* like a bus. Sure, you may not get a ticket, but I rather not get pulled over at all.

There is that. But the if you're pulled over for that (and you're titled and registered as a motorhome) it would be an illegal stop and the moment the officer said "buses are prohibited" I'd explain that it's not a bus and that he should be able to see that by the plates. If he does anything but acquiese I'd immediately demand a supervisor on site.


While there might be a state that doesn't, every state that I'm aware of does in fact have separate plate types to differentiate between between different classes of vehicles such as buses, RV's, commercial rigs, etc. so that the officer can look at the plate and know that it's a bus, RV, commercial, non commercial, etc. Even if a state didn't, calling in the plate would have it come back as a motorhome.


I'd start out with a nice demeanor (assuming the officer starts with one) and only escalate if he doesn't listen. A good number of them have that problem these days. Bottom line, if he pulls over a motorhome because it's a bus (where buses are prohibited and motorhomes are not) it is an unlawful stop and you have no obligation to cooperate.


That said, NEVER fight it out on the side of the road. The fighting should be in the courtroom. But don't just roll over because you came up on a bad or stupid cop.

[shorthair]

[QUOTE=o1marc;447943]

Originally Posted by Bert06840

I doubt some of that is enforced. It says I can't drive my Dakota on it because I have my business name on the door.

Commercial vehicles are allowed per the sign but no combinations allowed as I read it.

[Bert06840]

[QUOTE=shorthair;447982]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Commercial vehicles are allowed per the sign but no combinations allowed as I read it.

There is typically a series of signs leading up to one like these spelling out the ban commercial vehicles unambiguously. This one is unclear on its own. Also the published restrictions (see link) state what is allowed and what is forbidden.

[Bert06840]

Originally Posted by HamSkoolie

…If he does anything but acquiese I'd immediately demand a supervisor on site…


…Even if a state didn't, calling in the plate would have it come back as a motorhome…


I'd start out with a nice demeanor (assuming the officer starts with one) and only escalate if he doesn't listen. A good number of them have that problem these days. Bottom line, if he pulls over a motorhome because it's a bus (where buses are prohibited and motorhomes are not) it is an unlawful stop and you have no obligation to cooperate…. But don't just roll over because you came up on a bad or stupid cop.

Well, I see it as just another business case. I run the numbers. Say: 10 minutes extra travel time vs a 20% chance that I get pulled over, searched, run into a d*#%head cop, give him a reason to find a broken tail light, whatever. I probably take the 10 minutes. Other people like to fight for on principal grounds, for civil liberty’s sake, are happy to lose a day of work to go to court, and so on.

Im gonna be dead in 40 years. Time is running out.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by Bert06840

Well, I see it as just another business case. I run the numbers. Say: 10 minutes extra travel time vs a 20% chance that I get pulled over, searched, run into a d*#%head cop, give him a reason to find a broken tail light, whatever. I probably take the 10 minutes. Other people like to fight for on principal grounds, for civil liberty’s sake, are happy to lose a day of work to go to court, and so on.

Im gonna be dead in 40 years. Time is running out.

I'm principled and took a number of oaths. An unlawful stop will be challenged.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by HamSkoolie

There is that. But the if you're pulled over for that (and you're titled and registered as a motorhome) it would be an illegal stop and the moment the officer said "buses are prohibited" I'd explain that it's not a bus and that he should be able to see that by the plates. If he does anything but acquiese I'd immediately demand a supervisor on site.


While there might be a state that doesn't, every state that I'm aware of does in fact have separate plate types to differentiate between between different classes of vehicles such as buses, RV's, commercial rigs, etc. so that the officer can look at the plate and know that it's a bus, RV, commercial, non commercial, etc. Even if a state didn't, calling in the plate would have it come back as a motorhome.


I'd start out with a nice demeanor (assuming the officer starts with one) and only escalate if he doesn't listen. A good number of them have that problem these days. Bottom line, if he pulls over a motorhome because it's a bus (where buses are prohibited and motorhomes are not) it is an unlawful stop and you have no obligation to cooperate.


That said, NEVER fight it out on the side of the road. The fighting should be in the courtroom. But don't just roll over because you came up on a bad or stupid cop.

If I put the RV tag on my Miata should the cop leave me alone? I think you'd have a tough time proving it was an illegal stop if the cop pulled over a private NSBGY bus with a standard tag. I doubt anyone will be able to give an example of roads that allow RV's, but not buses. The roads that forbid buses, forbid RV 's also. As soon as you say it's not a bus, I would write you for having it yellow, and then impound it because you were a smart ass.

[Bert06840]

Originally Posted by HamSkoolie

I'm principled and took a number of oaths. An unlawful stop will be challenged.

Good for you, and good for society, frankly. I salute you for it.

My fights are around access to information and energy sustainability.

I leave battles around civil rights, justice, policing, traffic, public health, education, poverty, human rights, etc. to others to fight. Not because they aren’t important, but prefer getting more done in fewer areas.

[DeMac]

Originally Posted by Bert06840

........My fights are around access to information and energy sustainability......

Hahaha.
While driving a bus.
Too, funny, Bert. You're such a kidder.

(jk :•) I'm into both, as well.