If this bus is rockin' don't come knockin'

[superduty_59]

Not trying to be funny here although I find it a funny conversation. What do you'all do about the bus swaying back and forth when others are on the bus? If you get my drift! My kids are just old enough to know what's going on. On campers you have leveling jacks. Any ideas?

[dabusybee]

This is a legitimate question. I'm curious about it myself.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Just be honest, one time when my son was 5 or 6 he & a neighbor boy knocked on our bedroom door & asked if we were naked, I said no your moms wearing socks.

[slaughridge85]

Leveling jacks at the four corners of the bus will stop the bus suspension from swaying back and forth... Or just don't care... Either way, either way...

[superduty_59]

Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T

Just be honest, one time when my son was 5 or 6 he & a neighbor boy knocked on our bedroom door & asked if we were naked, I said no your moms wearing socks.

Ha ha!

[superduty_59]

Good to know the jacks work on a bus too! I remember going to away games in HS football on a school bus and just walking down the isle seemed to rock the bus from side to side. Maybe just to be safe just send the kids on a hike through the woods!

[onenationundergoat]

Believe it or not, there's a similar thread to this over on PopUpPortal (pop up camper thread). A bit harder to be inconspicuous in a small tent trailer. I believe the general consensus was either send the kids on a hike or wait til they go to bed and then you go outside! Haha.

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by superduty_59

Not trying to be funny here although I find it a funny conversation. What do you'all do about the bus swaying back and forth when others are on the bus? If you get my drift! My kids are just old enough to know what's going on. On campers you have leveling jacks. Any ideas?

What about squeaky springs?!?!?

[cadillackid]

arent the walls in a school bus much thinner than a house too?? so any "noise" is goping to carry... id say really its like life.. Ok so I dont have kids (thank god).. maybe its a big deal.. but I never undesrtood the need to keep it a secret..
-Christopher

[dabusybee]

Play some music maybe. I usually play classical, or bedtime stories at night. Getting them to sleep is a good idea. Most couples with tiny houses say that things are usually a little more planned, so the same concept could be applied here.

I'm still in the planning stage, but my plan is for the kids bunks to be at the rear and the master to be at the front (sofa converts to bed). Also, a foam mattress could dampen some of the movement too.

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

arent the walls in a school bus much thinner than a house too?? so any "noise" is goping to carry... id say really its like life.. Ok so I dont have kids (thank god).. maybe its a big deal.. but I never undesrtood the need to keep it a secret..
-Christopher

That's what music is for.....

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by dabusybee

Also, a foam mattress could dampen some of the movement too.

Nothin' dampens a screamer


But, a screamer gets damp.


Yeah, I'm driving the short bus straight to hell for that one

[BusFiend]

You have multiple options, convince the kids that sleeping in a tent is the cool thing to do... Park in the same vicinity as other RVing parents. Have sleep-overs. The parents take turns having alone time.

[Alan N]

Originally Posted by superduty_59

Not trying to be funny here although I find it a funny conversation. What do you'all do about the bus swaying back and forth when others are on the bus? If you get my drift! My kids are just old enough to know what's going on. On campers you have leveling jacks. Any ideas?

A jack under each corner of the bus body will keep things stable.
I use the mechanical bottle jacks from older F series pickups.
Saw off the jack handle and chuck it in your cordless drill for power up and down.
I just put a jack at each end of both bumpers.
If you have one of your children set up the jacks you can have voice activated leveling jacks.
You can't even get that as an option on a Prevost.

[family wagon]

HA! Voice activated. That's pretty funny.

I haven't seen the "mechanical bottle jack" from an older F-truck, but based on the description, it must be functionally the same as the factory jack in my '98 Dodge pickup. Form factor looks like a bottle jack, but it has a socket for winding rather a lever for pumping. I mention this as a second source, in case one is fresh out of older F-trucks but does have some older Dodge trucks sitting around.

If the kids don't want to "camp out" in the tent, you could use the tent instead. Definitely don't go without the tent.... there are some places where you just don't want to have a mosquito bite! The song "Check You For Ticks" comes to mind, as well.. Maybe that's a good cover story in case the kids inquire what you're up to.

[slidewayzm5]

milkmania and I are on the same page .. I'm going to install leveling jacks, music and tell everyone else to peace out. Oh and I'm just practicing for making kids at this point.. practice makes purrrfect I hear ;)

[superduty_59]

All good ides! Thanks

[Jolly Roger]

I have been looking at air operated leveling jacks that I could mount on all four corners to use as leveling when parked to stabilize the platform but also 1 get the wheels of of the ground for storage and 2 get a single wheel off of the ground to change a tire on the side of the road?
I know I need a bigger pad to sit/set the jack on so I acquired through my work some plywood pads used in between the driver and post for concrete pile drivers to put under my jacks but that is as far as my lack of money has gotten me ?
I have air brakes so why not add an extra tank,valves,gauges and jacks?
I want to add air bag suspension but it is not made for my platform so something from something else will be fitted (looking at dump truck/concrete truck stuff) but the air bags won't help with the rockin and Rollin? They can help the ride if controlled properly but the only way to deal with the wiggly platform is to put solid supports under the frame to get the weight of off the suspension.

[milkmania]

Figured it out!

Call in for Plan B....
(From Hi-Lift video)

[rjnye79]

Hey, what kind of leveling jacks do y'all use? I've been looking at these for use on my bus...