Hello from South Alabama

[kenfoozed]

I guess i should introduce myself and stop lurking in the dark corners. Life has slowed down bit to where I actually have time to spend with the family and we went camping in our travel trailer over the Holidays. Everyone enjoyed it, wife and 2 boys, and we want to do it more often. After watch countless videos on youtube we want a bus to convert for action and/or tiny home living if ever the need arises. I am looking for a RE 40' bus with either a Cummins 8.3 or DT466, backed with a MT634 and "highway gears"-- still need to figure that ratio out. So our search continues. I thank everyone on this site for the wealth of information and will try my best to search a topic before I ask a question.

[Robin97396]

Welcome

That's a common subject here.

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by kenfoozed

I am looking for a RE 40' bus with either a Cummins 8.3 or DT466, backed with a MT634 and "highway gears"-- still need to figure that ratio out.

This is a common dilemma.

So it's not "one thing" that makes the bus good on the highway, it's the power-train combo.

Most of the gearboxes do not have overdrive gears. That includes both the AT545 and MT643.

You are could easily find an AT545 behind the DT466, unless it's tuned for higher power. You will not find that transmission behind the Cummins 8.3 because the engine is too powerful (usually 250 hp in a school bus).

You are most likely to find either the MT643 or the MD3060. EIther works well, but the transmission has implications for the Final Drive Ratio.

The MD3060 has a 0.75 OD (5th), and the possibility of 0.65 (6th). With that transmission a FD ratio of 5.38, even 6.14 is perfectly practical.

Those numbers behind an MT643 would be too high. With that trans you would want an FD ratio somewhere in the 4's to give adequate cruising speeds at lower revs.

So when you are looking for a bus, it's the combination that gets you what you want, not any individual element.

[kenfoozed]

Thanks, I will look more into the MD3060 over the MT634

[Johnny Mullet]

Good luck on your search!

[jjhwick119]

Welcome! And good luck with the search! I'll be searching over next couple months as well

[kenfoozed]

I passed my CDL classes last week and will start my new job tomorrow as a bus driver for the county school system. So I hope this will be a fun new adventure.

[Mobile_Stability]

I found this bus in north Alabama: I would buy it if I had the extra space. It may not be a Cumming but Detroit has a pretty good reputation. And coaches usual are geared better than school buses. You'd have to contact the seller for all that info ..the description is rather vague

https://huntsville.craigslist.org/ct...450221272.html