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06-22-2020, 05:59 AM
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#1
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New Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2
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Widesth busses
Hello im looking for a mid-sized school bus who is somewhere near 100 inches. Any suggestions??
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06-22-2020, 06:47 AM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,830
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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06-22-2020, 11:03 AM
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#3
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Lebanon, Indiana
Posts: 911
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Winnebago
Chassis: Ford F53
Engine: Ford Triton V-10
Rated Cap: currently 2
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Based on a reading of the referenced thread, if federal school bus dimensions have been expanded in 2015 from 96"x40' to 102"x45' that does not mean any school districts have yet ordered them nor have manufacturers retooled to build them. Furthermore, as most school buses seem to remain in service for 15 years or more, it's unlikely we in the secondary market are going to see these behemoths anytime soon. I'd settle for a WestCoaster or a Crown, not because they'll be any larger but they usually have that second rear axle which 'looks' bigger!
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06-22-2020, 11:47 AM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,830
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Or skip the skoolie fad and buy a COACH.
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06-22-2020, 11:58 AM
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#5
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Lebanon, Indiana
Posts: 911
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Winnebago
Chassis: Ford F53
Engine: Ford Triton V-10
Rated Cap: currently 2
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LOL I keep going back and forth with that notion. I just know the conversion and upkeep of a full-scale motorcoach is so much more than I can afford.
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06-22-2020, 12:18 PM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,830
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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The conversion itself is the same, only a bit wider and 5 feet longer.
The upkeep yeah they're a bit more to keep on the road. More tires, more electrical system to maintain. The engines themselves are about the same amount of money to maintain. They do get a few less mpg's.
But if you HAVE to have one wider than a standard school bus a coach is your only option.
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06-22-2020, 12:29 PM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: So Cal
Posts: 3,245
Year: 1935
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 317 ci/tid / Isuzu
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Some enterprising soul should run a schoolie through a band saw long ways and add the missing 6" of width! Always another way to skin a cat!
Jack
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06-22-2020, 12:55 PM
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#8
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Fraser Valley British Columbia
Posts: 1,047
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: C7 Cat
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ol trunt
Some enterprising soul should run a schoolie through a band saw long ways and add the missing 6" of width! Always another way to skin a cat!
Jack 
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Someone must have put slides in one by now!
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06-22-2020, 12:56 PM
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#9
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,259
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American
Engine: 8.3 Cummins ISC
Rated Cap: 75
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My next conversion will probably be an MCI J4500 or a Prevost with the Detroit Series 60 (pre emission of course).
The only real downside to coaches is they suck for backwoods/BLM/public type camping.
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06-22-2020, 01:00 PM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,830
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WIbluebird
My next conversion will probably be an MCI J4500 or a Prevost with the Detroit Series 60 (pre emission of course).
The only real downside to coaches is they suck for backwoods/BLM/public type camping.
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Can't beat a series 60.
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06-22-2020, 02:22 PM
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#11
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Lebanon, Indiana
Posts: 911
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Winnebago
Chassis: Ford F53
Engine: Ford Triton V-10
Rated Cap: currently 2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ol trunt
Some enterprising soul should run a schoolie through a band saw long ways and add the missing 6" of width! Always another way to skin a cat!
Jack 
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I go round and round with this one in my head all the time too but no matter how I figure it by the time it's all over it would have just been cheaper and easier to start from scratch than to make a school bus something that it's not.
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06-22-2020, 05:38 PM
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#12
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: So Cal
Posts: 3,245
Year: 1935
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 317 ci/tid / Isuzu
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Yup but it would sure be fun!
Jack
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06-22-2020, 07:47 PM
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#13
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,529
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
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Plenty of transits are wider and some also shorter... pick your poison.
Johan
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07-01-2020, 04:32 PM
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#14
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Regina, SK
Posts: 44
Year: 2015
Coachwork: Chevrolet
Chassis: Goshen Shuttle Bus
Engine: 6.0 Chev
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oscar1
Someone must have put slides in one by now!
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Now there is an idea! Bravo!!
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07-01-2020, 04:50 PM
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#15
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Regina, SK
Posts: 44
Year: 2015
Coachwork: Chevrolet
Chassis: Goshen Shuttle Bus
Engine: 6.0 Chev
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oscar1
Someone must have put slides in one by now!
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I guess we have been one up'td! Hahahaha!
__________________
If l can't fix it, it's not broke!
Duct tape!! Who knew!!
If l don't have that tool... they don't make it!
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07-01-2020, 05:14 PM
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#16
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 127
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sehnsucht
LOL I keep going back and forth with that notion. I just know the conversion and upkeep of a full-scale motorcoach is so much more than I can afford.
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More Upkeep?
Not really!
With a Skoolie you are generally starting with a bus that has 200K+ miles. Rarely does a Motorcoach from new have anywhere near a 100K miles. The more expensive when new the motorcoach the less miles they will have as the buyers of these expensive when new motorcoaches were OLD and DIED a couple years after purchasing them. Florida is full of em!
Therefore "I" would say less mileage generally means a lot less "rebuilding" and needed maintenance.
__________________
Mike
Remember "Drive Fast, Turn Heads, Break Hearts"
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07-01-2020, 08:36 PM
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#17
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Almost There
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Davis ca
Posts: 97
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Bluebird 35 shuttle cng
Engine: John deere
Rated Cap: 36
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Motor coach
Quote:
Originally Posted by vintageracer
More Upkeep?
Not really!
With a Skoolie you are generally starting with a bus that has 200K+ miles. Rarely does a Motorcoach from new have anywhere near a 100K miles. The more expensive when new the motorcoach the less miles they will have as the buyers of these expensive when new motorcoaches were OLD and DIED a couple years after purchasing them. Florida is full of em!
Therefore "I" would say less mileage generally means a lot less "rebuilding" and needed maintenance.
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This thinking might be right for a motor home but a motor coach is owned by a corporation which probably won't get rid of it until 500,000 or a million miles. The best one to get I think is a motor home that is built on a motor coach chassis and converted. Only problem is they don't sell for anywhere near what a skoolie build would cost.
John
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07-01-2020, 08:40 PM
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#18
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 127
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Motorhome or Motorcoach I was thinking of them in the same vane as a RV.
__________________
Mike
Remember "Drive Fast, Turn Heads, Break Hearts"
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07-02-2020, 02:27 AM
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#19
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: California, Bay Area
Posts: 895
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vintageracer
Motorhome or Motorcoach I was thinking of them in the same vane as a RV.
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Motorcoach
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07-02-2020, 06:14 AM
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#20
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 128
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I doubt anyone is making 102" schoolbuses. The wide body chassis is heavier, uses larger, more expensive driveline and brake gear, and wouldn't net the school district any more seats for the increase in size, cost and maintenance.
For the converter, that extra 6" makes a very big difference indeed: over 15 square feet on a 35 foot bus, which is a bathroom. They really feel roomier inside, too.
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