10 or 18speed skoolie?

Jiggalo · 06-06-2023, 03:44 AM

Since I been having issues finding the right bus. I'm leaving other options open.

Has anyone ever heard of a 10 to 18speed skoolie? Like a bus body put on a semi chassis use semi engine and transmission combo. Or swap engine and transmission off a semi onto a bus chassis. Would you need a CDL? Or could you convert a semi truck into an RV and be exempt from having CDL?

I feel with an 10 to 18 speed. That skoolie would be pretty much be an overlander to an extent. Would have some great pulling power.

rossvtaylor · 06-06-2023, 09:05 AM

I owned a Gillig school bus with a 10-speed manual and there are also Crowns with 10-speed transmissions. I would do some searching with those two brand names in your searches...they are out there.

Ronnie · 06-06-2023, 10:56 AM

No cdl as long as it is registered as an RV. may or may not need a air endorsement or a class A depending on the state you live in. Ask your local DMV.

Yes Crown is what came to my mind as well. I know of a nice one for sale but it is an automatic with a 6-71 detroit and tandem rears, both live axles not a tag axle.

Jolly Roger bus 223 · 06-06-2023, 01:42 PM

search here for dave and kennys kenworth.
they bought a wrecked tractor and swapped everything into a dog nose bus.

cadillackid · 06-06-2023, 05:41 PM

there were some eaton 10 speeds made with SAE2 bell that would fit many of the medium duty engines.. ive never seen a common school bus with a factory 10 speed. (gillig and crown are niche High end brands)..

you could sure build one though

La Camioneta · 06-07-2023, 05:42 AM

I wondered if the L9000 series Fords were good donors to the B series busses.

A RT-OO swap was my first thought but Mr Kid's Allison swap changed my mind. Even with the 5sp Allison, I'm totally satisfied.

Having driven trucks for years, I was biased against automatics - until I picked one up in TX and drove it back to GA without shifting once. You lose some control and the trans can't see the hill it needs to downshift for coming, but a bus is many tons lighter and doesn't need the gears for high gvw work.

cadillackid · 06-07-2023, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by La Camioneta

I wondered if the L9000 series Fords were good donors to the B series busses.

A RT-OO swap was my first thought but Mr Kid's Allison swap changed my mind. Even with the 5sp Allison, I'm totally satisfied.

Having driven trucks for years, I was biased against automatics - until I picked one up in TX and drove it back to GA without shifting once. You lose some control and the trans can't see the hill it needs to downshift for coming, but a bus is many tons lighter and doesn't need the gears for high gvw work.

I actually started playing with my red bus "seeing the hill it needs to climb" but elevation maps are not near complete enough... now a route driven before my prediction of elevation against actual measured by the GPS elevation was decently consistent.. I havent actually written a program to run my allison with it but it was interesting data to grab...

can the L9000 be a good transmission donor.. good question.. there were so many powertrain combos offered on the medium duty trucks that im guessing its not a hard and fast rule... ive never seen a common school bus with an SAE1 bell engine.. im sure some of the big crowns or gilligs may have run such.. school busses tend to be class 5 style power trains which are generally SAE2 (often adapted down to SAE3) diesels and SAE3 gasoline engines.. the big issue obviously is in finding or making the right combo of flywheel, hibs, spacers and such to set up a clutch or torque converter offset..

the allison 1000/2000 swaps are common auto swaps simply bedcause so many school busses were made with AT545 autos.. and an SAE3 (very common) 1000/2000 swap is a direct bolt in as far as the mechanicals go... so it leaves only the electronics which can be as simple or as complex as someone wants.. (the more integrated you make your allison the better it is at picking gears)...

im of the mind if budget allows to go 6 speed.. the more gears the more choices and options you have..

La Camioneta · 06-07-2023, 10:56 AM

Wasn't so much the L9000 trans but the pedal box with clutch in it. For any real gains with a manual swap it'd need that OD which doesn't seem to be common in HD trucks. And whatever stick trim it'd take. The chicken busses run eaton fullers/C10 cats so I know it can be done but their top speeds don't have to be 70. And they run way overloaded all the time.

Could you put a rheostat in you'd 'preselect' the terrain for your trans shifting? Uphill/flat/downhill? An inclinometer is only good for real time, right?

I wish I had the horsepower to use a 6th gear, but that'd be >80mph which is faster than I want to go. Maybe the next build.

Booyah45828 · 06-07-2023, 11:46 AM

Christopher, didn't you install a push button pad on your trans at one time as well? I think the push button

With the pushbutton pad you can select gears for manual downshifting if it's needed, along with the mode button for changing shift schedules between performance, economy, tow/haul, etc.

Bearmtnmartin · 06-07-2023, 11:49 AM

I have a 13 speed bus. I bought a Freightliner century and transplanted the driveline and wiring harness into my Wanderlodge.

IDoMy0wnRacing · 06-07-2023, 10:10 PM

I have two Gilling's with the Cummins 855 and 10-speed transmissions. That is a Semi combination. Both are registered as RVs, no CDL needed.

cadillackid · 06-08-2023, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Booyah45828

Christopher, didn't you install a push button pad on your trans at one time as well? I think the push button

With the pushbutton pad you can select gears for manual downshifting if it's needed, along with the mode button for changing shift schedules between performance, economy, tow/haul, etc.

my 4th gen TCM is capable of "tap shift" through J1939.. so essentially I can run up or down gears as I wish as I emulate a Module ID 5 which is a pushbutton shifter pad.. ive never tried changing modes thriough that just semding the commands for gear up and down and they work..

to the post about OD in HD trucks.. Overdrive is a bit of a maligned term.. if you have 10 gears and a really tall rear end you dont need overdrive.. its all about final ratio.. chances are on a 10 speed you have at least 1 or 2 really low gears in the first range so you gear the rear tall and even with 1:1 trans ratio you have a great final drive for highway cruising and also a couple low gears for steep take-offs..

La Camioneta · 06-09-2023, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadillackid

to the post about OD in HD trucks.. Overdrive is a bit of a maligned term.. if you have 10 gears and a really tall rear end you dont need overdrive.. its all about final ratio.. chances are on a 10 speed you have at least 1 or 2 really low gears in the first range so you gear the rear tall and even with 1:1 trans ratio you have a great final drive for highway cruising and also a couple low gears for steep take-offs..

This is true, but we're typically changing rear ratios and transmissions for more road speed. Swapping a non-OD HD trans is like-for-like top speed from the 545, you'd get no speed increase until you also changed the rear gearset.

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