anyone got any info on the Blue Bird P-Model or mini bus?

[trentet]

I am looking at an ad for a p-model blue bird or mini:
http://www.used-bus.com/Usedbuses/us...?stockno=I3588
does anyone have any info or reccomendations/warnings about these. I don't know what tranny they come with but I assume it would be on the order of a turbo 400 auto. I am guessing that the 6.5 l diesel is non turbo??? I am an engineer, so I hate making decisions without research[/url]

[Dan-O]

Looks like it's A Grumman chassis (only looks) which could be pretty good, but that's about all I know.

Only thing I can say.. Is that it being a short bus and only 22 passengers I am pretty sure that you will only have about 2500-3000lbs of free weight for cargo, which will add up quick. You will need to factor this in when doing a conversion on a vehicle this size. The Boys with the big rigs don't really have to worry bout this coz they usually have around 10000lbs cargo weight... more than enough!

Anyhoo hope that helps somewhat.

[busone]

If you are concerened with weight you can look for a 22 pax bus on a international chassis. They are not as common as a 65 pax but they do exist

[trentet]

I'm not really to concerned with internal carrying capacity as I intend to use it to tow a 30 ft 1948 Spartan Mansion aluminum travel trailer. I want to use this mostly for carrying mountain bikes, canoes, camping gear and 10 of my closest friends. I'm thinking of pulling all seats and putting in a row of foam sleeper couches with seat belts along the drivers side wall and a row of car seats on captains chair swivels on the opposite row with ceiling hooks in the back area for up to 10 bikes like the bike trailer Mammoth mountain uses for mountain bikes. I was also thinking a bathroom stall with vent and a chemical toilet. I also want to mount a motorcycle rack to the front of the bus so I have a shuttle vehicle to leave at the bottom of epic mountain bike rides, so that I might be able to retrieve my primary mode of transport from the top of the mountain where I left it. Most creature comforts will be mounted in my trailer, which should be in the 7500 lb range.

[Dan-O]

Ahhh... A Freeride Shuttle. Im hip to that. That bus should be perfect for that then... perfect size for shuttling some buddies around and a bunch of gear, you could even build a cage thingie in the back just to keep the bikes and Muck out of the passenger area.

-off topic... do you ride Mammoth much?...
I've only done the Whistler Park... Lived there for 4 seasons
gonna do the Kicking horse park in Golden later this year.
Otherwise I mosly ride the "Shore"
You?

[trentet]

I live 4 hours south of Mammoth in Tehachapi (southern Sierras, 4000 ft alt) so I mostly ride local cross country but I get up to the Sequoia national forest area and ride there as much as I can (bout 2 hours away) going this weekend in fact to do Cannell Meadow (26 miler that starts at 9000 ft and descends to 2800 ft with 2 climbs of 500ft and 800ft respectively). 5 miles are fire road and the rest is sweet sweet singletrack. http://www.mountainbikebill.com/CannellPlunge.htmThen Big Bear and the whole san gabriel mtn range is south of me bout 1-1/2 to 2 hours, although Big bear just instituted this draconian no lift policy for bikes 35 lbs or over or if they run 2.5 or larger tires or if they have 6 inches or more of travel, which rules my new Kona Dawg out on two fronts. Just came back from Mammoth 2 weeks ago and they had just closed down for ski/snowboard on the 4th and opened up for bikes on the 9th. We were there 11th through 15th and rode 64 miles worth of trails in three days of riding. Had to hike a bike over 3/4 mile of 12 ft snow drifts on Beach cruiser though. Anywho I've just never had a chance to get up to Whistler or any of tthe Pacific Northwestern riding areas, want to though and I think a Skoolie would be just the thing to get me there. Talked with my father in law though and he thinks that without a turbo there wont be enough go to get up the mountains. Anyone got any feel on that. I haven't seen a lot of turbo powerplants in the minis or micros.

[Dan-O]

Don't do as much cross country as I used to. Used to race, but now I enjoy d-hilling more, although I still believe you have to ride up to go down (sometimes) There are still some great loops in Whistler, which are mostly flat if you want, with lots of stunts, or very steep, with lots of stunts. Then there's the Hill... Whoa!
Strange... the Limits on the chairs for "Bear", that would be the kind of bike you would want up there... wouldn't it, then they rule them out.
Reminds me of a race we do in Whistler "Crud to Mud" when the snow starts melting and you can ride from Mid-Station down, you Snowboard/Ski the top half and then Bike the bottom, In teams of two or solo. Last time I did it I was Riding my bike with My Snowboard boots.

My bus is a 7.3.. no turbo,
she's kindof a pig, and I imagine if I had a much bigger bus, it would really suck on the hills, but mine is 16 pass. It's a Little slow but I can still beat 4bangers uphill and I can do the speed limit on the highway. It's not a race car and I never bought it to be one... so I am happy with the Power that I have (Turbo would be nice tho) :P

[busone]

In higher elevation a turbo is a good thing to have on a diesel. I would look for a bus on an IH chassis with a DT360 or466 with a turbo. Even a 7.3 (t444e) with turbo would be ok on a shorter bus.

[Dan-O]

DT466 ... Droooool

Someday, Someday

[Jarlaxle]

It's a 6.5 Detroit...run away from this thing as fast as you can. You're better off with a used unicycle with a flat tire.