Interior back deck/length extension

[IC08]

been around here a long while reading some great stuff from you guys

ive got a flat nosed front engine 72 passenger bus which is roughly 35 feet long about 30 feet from the driver seat to the back, and were all tarped up and getting materials for the roof raise. If youve seen Wes's Transcendence or the broccoli bus thats pretty much exactly what were going for with the raise and outside look.

My question is im really feeling the cramped space of the 30ft interior and trying to fit a bedroom in for our two small kids, if we had the extra space of an 82 passenger it would be perfect, so im considering somehow adding on a rear extension which we could fit our bed in. Ive seen people do rear decks but what if we extended the back wall outwards and turned the rear deck into an interior space? or just added on a rear deck bedroom kind of deal and insulate it like the rest of the bus?

cant find any info on this so id appreciate anything you guys got, if we could only extend like 3ft even that would prolly make this all work. were only going to be in this thing about 2-3 years and we are going to be stationary all year so making it harder on driving isnt too worrisome. Thanks in advance

[bp1791-unleashed]

Welcome!

While I imagine this is doable (nearly anything is doable with sufficient time and money), I think the extension has the potential to be a problem in the future.

Basically, your rear wheels are a fulcrum when turning, and your tail swings farther than you expect. If you extend the body too far, you run the risk of the tail swinging into another lane and causing damage.

I have not seen where anyone has done this, and perhaps a modest extension would have minimal impact. There's a user on here that has recently removed something like 3 window sections from their bus to shorten it, and if you two aren't too far apart, that might make a donor shell for you to work with. Extending the frame can be done by sistering in a smaller frame rail within the existing one, and clamping it all together. There are frame shops out there that extend frames and would be able to help you as well. On the other hand, if you're only talking 3-10 feet or so, you can probably do it yourself.

I'm curious to see how this goes.

Good luck!
-jim

[o1marc]

Go to the UserCP and fill out your profile with location and bus info. Helps address your questions better.

The rear overhang is much shorter on a flat nose, than on a conventional. Adding 3' will still have less overhang than a dognose.

[IC08]

Originally Posted by bp1791-unleashed

Welcome!

While I imagine this is doable (nearly anything is doable with sufficient time and money), I think the extension has the potential to be a problem in the future.

Basically, your rear wheels are a fulcrum when turning, and your tail swings farther than you expect. If you extend the body too far, you run the risk of the tail swinging into another lane and causing damage.

I have not seen where anyone has done this, and perhaps a modest extension would have minimal impact. There's a user on here that has recently removed something like 3 window sections from their bus to shorten it, and if you two aren't too far apart, that might make a donor shell for you to work with. Extending the frame can be done by sistering in a smaller frame rail within the existing one, and clamping it all together. There are frame shops out there that extend frames and would be able to help you as well. On the other hand, if you're only talking 3-10 feet or so, you can probably do it yourself.

I'm curious to see how this goes.

Good luck!
-jim

ill see what i can find about that, someone taking bits out would be asking some of the same question so good idea

like i said if it makes driving tolerably worse thats okay because we dont intend on traveling much if at all. most likely i would take it on myself, with all the welding of the roof raise and under bays im thinking it couldnt get too much crazier than that.

its looking like nobody really has tried this before, what kind of vehicles do these frame shops usually work with or extend or whatever?

[bp1791-unleashed]

I think it's not terribly uncommon for semi tractors to add or delete extra drive axles, which sometimes involves lengthening or shortening the frame.

I've only ever seen it done as part of shows like monster garage, diesel brothers, etc.

Look at how some of the rear deck extensions have been done as well, a lot of time they're cantilevering that out from the frame rails. With what you're doing, you'll be tying the body together, and it should be pretty strong. But also heavier.

Can't wait to see how you progress. Hoping someone else has some ideas to contribute too.

[BarnYardCamp]

somebody here did a Rear "slide out"...posted a lot of picks...looked like a lot of work, final outcome was pretty amazing.

[BeNimble]

You can just get a trailer for extra space. If doing a roof raise, bunk beds?
Our family of 7 had two of us sleep in the station wagon during vacations.