Towing With Bus, Newbie Here

[slingindirt45]

Hello all. I am looking at getting a bus to tow a race vehicle. I am looking for information and insight on what busses or engine/transmission setup will be best for towing. Top speed really isn't an issue, however if I were to guess, the weight of trailer with vehicle will be around 9000lbs max. Is this even a feasible option for me or I am not going to be able to find a engine/transmission setup to handle this? Very new to all this but would like to get a conversion to sleep in overnight while traveling out of town. I am looking to get into a bus under 30' long to keep my total bus plus trailer length around 50' max. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated.

[Ronnie]

Yes it is possible. A 6 window, to 8 window shorty, full size, not van cutaway, dog nose would make a nice tow rig. Good stable platform that will handle well. Thing is most buses this size have smaller engines and the AT 545 trans. Not so good for towing. If you look at newer buses early 2000's up to 2004( after 2004 you get more emissions stuff starting with EGR in 05) you can find ones with the Allison 2000 series trans, in rare cases the 3060. Both are better choices for towing. Or a manual trans. The DT466 can be found in short buses, and would be a nice engine for towing. I also like the Mercedes 906






By the way I have pushed the limit pretty good with the old International and towed up to 18,000 lbs. 5 speed with 2 speed rear. Gas engine. Just changed the engine though....


My Thomas I have not gone over 10,000 lbs, and do not want to push it to the limit, so staying 10,000 and under on it.

[nikitis]

The Curt 14082 hitch is a 10k hitch and should fit your needs.

[Dbacks2k4]

9000lbs is a good amount of weight. I'd definitely look for the bigger engine/trans combo.

I wanted an 04-07 international conventional, so I specifically got the 245hp dt466e over the usual 220hp variant for pulling my 3000lb car.

I also made sure I got the bigger Allison 3000 instead of 2000 series.

If you're looking at a Cummins I'd probably avoid the 5.9 unless on a small bus and you're going to crank it up.

[Tsoclose]

You definitely want something with the turbocharger I believe Cummings has one. Also the Ford 7.3 L Powerstroke is a great engine with a Turbocharger. You going to pay more in insurance when you tow something behind your vehicle


Call this girl from roamly ons great prices in insurance

Courtney from Roamly 512-877-5338, my email is courtney.fitzgerald@roamly.com