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Old 01-03-2016, 12:47 PM   #1
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Roof raise

Post #2 for me and still a rookie.......I am shopping for a 72 pass.Bluebird.I have seen a lot of roof raises and add- ons,bulky and slick.My idea is to raise the last 8 feet of the roof of the bus 4 feet to act as a loft bedroom.The reason being i am going to have a small workshop underneath it.Is a 4ft raise going to make for difficult handling?

Thanks

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Old 01-03-2016, 12:56 PM   #2
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Might be wise to check/confirm some measurements as well as standards. I can't recall but it seems that about 13'-6" is the national clearance standard for highway overpasses and such (some even lower, some higher). Maybe someone here can verify that. Most Birds top out around 9-10 feet so another 4 feet and you are looking at being in the hazard zone.
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Old 01-03-2016, 02:13 PM   #3
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Ya,thanks Tango,i will contact DOT up here in BC.
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Old 01-03-2016, 02:16 PM   #4
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As an ex trucker I agree with tango 100%. Whatever the height of the bus do not extend over 13"-6'. You will need an escort and pay expensive permits fees to travel if you do. Also be very causious about crosswinds while traveling through Canada and the northern part of the US. Always check before you leave home. I have seen many trucks, cars and rv's get blown off the road because they couldn't wait a couple hours. Have fun and stay safe!
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Old 01-03-2016, 03:14 PM   #5
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Ditto what the others said. I will add that it's more than a permitting issue and more than low bridges you have to look out for. I've seen over-height loaded flatbed trucks take out power & phone lines, which I assume are quite expensive to fix. Low hung traffic signals will damage your rig also.

Having driven a tall (but legal) truck, I can tell you it's difficult to judge height; nearly impossible at traffic speed, when there's no time to react anyway.

One more point: an over width permit is a pain, but a fairly casual matter. An over height permit is way more difficult because you have to define your route to verify clearances. I'm assuming most jurisdictions approach it the same way.

I'm also planning a roof raise, but keep it under 13-6. I only plan to move it occasionally. If I were going to travel regularly I would skip the roof raise.
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Old 01-04-2016, 11:14 PM   #6
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Aside from the other people's comments, I'll agree as well. Don't exceed 13'6". I ended up with an 18" raise to get that height.

I would also like to point out that the effort required to raise a section of a bus pretty near the same effort to raise the roof for nearly the entire length. Yes, it's a little more but not by much.

So, the question I have for you is: why not raise the entire roof, then your last 8' section maybe figure out a way to raise and lower it?

If I were doing a raise/lower roof sectional on a bus, I'd weld in a rim frame with some cross reinforcement around the ribs, then carefully cut the middle out, keeping the ribs in place and securing it. That way, you have a "hatch" that is the same curvature of the bus itself.

I'd then fabricate a flange all the way around with a nice gasket (like perhaps the same door bulb seal for storage hatches or car doors) and a way to raise/lower the entire section. Stick some windows or whatever in there and that way when you're parked, you can bump it up another 4' or whatever and have a huge open space inside for your workshop. When you want to move or drive, drop it down and motor on completely legal and no worries.


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Originally Posted by Gaslab View Post
Post #2 for me and still a rookie.......I am shopping for a 72 pass.Bluebird.I have seen a lot of roof raises and add- ons,bulky and slick.My idea is to raise the last 8 feet of the roof of the bus 4 feet to act as a loft bedroom.The reason being i am going to have a small workshop underneath it.Is a 4ft raise going to make for difficult handling?

Thanks
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Old 01-05-2016, 10:41 PM   #7
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Thanks,as far as raising the whole roof my sweetheart and i are both below 6ft tall so as far as head room we are ok with that aspect.I know it is a lot easier to frame the inside when their is more height,but we can live with that as well.I am wanting to preserve the integrity of the bus as much as possible.We have discussed the idea of a mechanism to raise and lower the loft as you have suggested.At the moment it is beyond my expertise to accomplish this.i am not advertise to doing this but I am going to need more input.Thanks
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