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Old 10-05-2009, 08:50 AM   #1
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Moodus, Ct.
Posts: 1,062
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Champion
Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
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Hello-new short bus owner here

Ok-this proves it--there IS a forum for everyone!
Hi-my name is Sherman-and i have a short bus. 1996 Champion Defender on a Ford e-450 chassis with a 7.3 diesel. It was a former 16 pass. airport /hotel shuttle bus. The wife found it on Craigslist for $1800.
For the last 20 or so years, I've been hauling my race car around in a 14' GMC cube van with a small living area built in (its a small race car) -it worked fine--but gas milage was poor-8.5 mpg. I needed a diesel so I can run one on veggie oil. (I've got 70k on a VW Jetta on veg-I'm all set up with supply + filtering). The car will now have to be trailered, but I'm leaving the rear 6 ft or so set up for a shop.
Its about 75% completed -and has survived its maiden voyage-a 700 mile ride to Watkins Glen NY Vintage races. It goes down the road soooo nice-it drives like a big car! Heres a few pics--I'll post some more soon.

The awning was another Craigslist find. Notice the 1st window is turned over-so the dog had somewhere to stick her nose out the window.

the hutch-you got it-Craigslist-$50. Underneath is 2 deep cycle batterys-a 2000 watt inverter-a 1000 watt amp for the music and power converter.

Those bars under the bench swing out to support the bed. One of the big tricks was to get blinds to follow the contour of the body-it took a couple of tries till we came up with those guides + got the spacing down. The curved white plastic on the ceiling is the stuff you do bathroom enclosures out of-works great!

view from the back.

where it started--well not really-anyone who has started from scratch knows how much work there is in just STRIPPING the van. You want to pull up the floor? Start by pulling down the ceiling + work your way down!

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Old 10-05-2009, 09:37 AM   #2
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Location: Southwest Wyoming
Posts: 334
Year: 1991
Coachwork: ward
Chassis: IH
Engine: dt466
Rated Cap: 72
Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

Looks great. Those big windows make it seem a little bigger on the inside. Welcome to our madness.
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Old 10-05-2009, 10:40 AM   #3
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Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

Very nice conversion. Any chance you could show how your bed works? The pull-out idea look interesting.
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Old 10-05-2009, 08:03 PM   #4
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Year: 1996
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Chassis: Ford e-450
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Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

Quote:
Originally Posted by TygerCub
Very nice conversion. Any chance you could show how your bed works? The pull-out idea look interesting.
well not really a pull out-a swing out is more like it.

The legs are 1" round tubing +1" 1/8"thick flat bar-held to the bed with pipe staps.


Two legs swing one way-two the other. That left a long gap across the middle. I took a section of 3/4"sq. tubing and notched the ends.

Now fold the 2 pieces of the top over. We then have an air matress we put on . Worked perfect-and it passed the main design parameter-the "set up in 5 minutes while drunk" test.
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Old 10-05-2009, 08:34 PM   #5
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Location: Moodus, Ct.
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Year: 1996
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Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 14
Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

One thing I wanted to overcome when I got the bus was the lack of passenger seat. And the box girder bridge of a door opener had to go. It probably took me a week of head scratching + mock ups of trying different ideas before the POOF! moment came. And it turned out being the simplest solution. I think it took me 10 minutes build once i knew the direction.

1st thing I did was remove this end cap + cut back about 8" of the glass. Quick sawzall job and the cap went right back over. Now there would be enough room for a captians chair with armrests.

The door is now opened + closed with a linear accuator working directly on the bar that connects the 2 doors together. Speed-wise it isn't too bad-it takes about 5 seconds to open or close. And seals tight too.


Todays pennace-glue more carpet. (good thing I'm near done-i'm really tired of contact cement + cutting carpet! ) Now all the industrial white plastic covers are grey + sound deadend.
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Old 10-07-2009, 08:58 PM   #6
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Join Date: Aug 2009
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Chassis: thomas
Engine: 7.3
Rated Cap: 22
Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

Hi , nice job on that bus . We have had ours for a couple years now and still see changes we want to make .Right now we are trying to get out the bump.

I like the bed idea too .


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Old 10-10-2009, 10:46 AM   #7
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Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

I hope that hutch is secured in place VERY well!
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Old 10-10-2009, 05:47 PM   #8
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Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

great job. looking to convert the same thing seems perfect for my needs. if anyone knows of any for sale in the ny area let me know! how much length have you got to play with in the back? is it a standard sized 450 or a larger one? lastly how is your economy now? have heard great things about them! thanks!
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Old 10-10-2009, 10:32 PM   #9
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Moodus, Ct.
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Year: 1996
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Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 14
Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
I hope that hutch is secured in place VERY well!
Oh yea--its lagged right into the metal framework at the top-and 3 90* brackets connecting the top to the bottom.
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Old 10-11-2009, 08:03 AM   #10
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Moodus, Ct.
Posts: 1,062
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Champion
Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 14
Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

Quote:
Originally Posted by adam
great job. looking to convert the same thing seems perfect for my needs. if anyone knows of any for sale in the ny area let me know! how much length have you got to play with in the back? is it a standard sized 450 or a larger one? lastly how is your economy now? have heard great things about them! thanks!
Its 16ft from the back of the drivers seat to the back door. Its the standard (158") wheelbase 450. The one trip i took was very hilly-i only got 11 mpg-gonna have to get a tuner to make that a bit better.(242k miles--new Beans tranysaver injectors) Here are some specs from Champions website-it looks like the body sizes are still the same-my bus is a Challenger (oops-been calling it a Defender).
http://www.championbus.com/index.pl?id=2655

One place I saw buses for sale before i was looking for one is right around the local airport. I've seen them just sitting near the road for sale. Or just ask at the airport parking places -they might just have an older one out in the back lot. I've found out long ago that vehicle NOT yet for sale are usually cheaper that ones that are.
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Old 10-11-2009, 04:53 PM   #11
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Year: 1996
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Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 5.9L Cummins
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Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

Quote:
Originally Posted by sdwarf36

The door is now opened + closed with a linear accuator working directly on the bar that connects the 2 doors together. Speed-wise it isn't too bad-it takes about 5 seconds to open or close. And seals tight too.
This is one thing I was trying to figure out myself. I'd like to keep my double doors (with a little modifying) and not mess with framing in some other kind of door. Where did you get this actuator? Do you have some kind of key switch on the outside of the bus for entry?
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Old 10-11-2009, 08:27 PM   #12
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Chassis: Ford e-450
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Re: Hello-new short bus owner here

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HEAVY-DU ... ccessories

You probably only need a 6 " stroke-I bought the long one 1st thinking I was gonig to the door direct with it. mocked up it would have taken 20 seconds for the door to open!
Outside the door I have a 2 panel 110v plug with waterproof covers-under one of the covers is a a dpdt toggle switch. they also sell remotes you use to acctivate it. Careful how sturdy you built things -this thing has enuff power to bent things. Notice the low tech piece of metal I had to weld to the door frame to cut down on flex.
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