Advice on Custom Suspension?

[BusFiend]

what do you use for a compressor for your bus tires... my shop compressor does great but becausde I plan to do a lot of ohio to florida, texas, etc travelling even in winter i will be airing up and down tires to keep with the temperatures.. I need a compressor to carry along that can handle the big tires... or I was thinking of making myself shop air riught off of the bus air system compressor..
-Christopher

I've seen a regulated tank plumbed into a coach's air system, with quick connects on both sides of the bus. That is my plan. Have the 25 gal tank already.

 

[RossAnabel]

Lockers are available for most skoolie diffs. Out of my price range though, I believe. Adding an LSD is in the budget. Knobbed tires instead of ribbed tires also makes a huge difference. They're more aggressive than typical snow tires. They are noisier and get worse mileage, however.

I would probably not go with a 5th wheel. I think I'll need storage in the truck to make up what I'd lose from the skoolie. If I went the 5th wheel route, I'd probably convert a class 6 truck to 5th wheel duty. Flipping the axles/swapping tires out should get me the 8" minimum ground clearance I'm looking for. Not sure I have the time or budget to find and convert a 24-26' trailer and a truck.

I'd rather have the skoolie. Just have to figure out how to make it work safely.

Yeah, for full time you'll need all the storage you can get. A 1 ton van with travel trailer is a decent alternative too.

 

[family wagon]

or I was thinking of making myself shop air riught off of the bus air system compressor..

My bus has a shop air connection at both ends: one up front with all the drain valves (this one looks like it may not have been installed at the factory) and another behind the rear axle, coming directly off one of the air tanks back there. This latter one looks like it was put in by the factory. The rear one is plumbed in such a way that I can connect it to shop air to release the brakes and move the bus without starting its engine, or I can draw air out of it for example to air up a tire while on the road. I've used it for both. Go exploring under your bus; you might find that it already has a shop air connection similar to mine.

 

[BusFiend]

As I'm thinking this through...

First of all, has anyone seen a 30' RE bus, from the factory with front and rear air suspension? I haven't run across one yet.

A bus with 26K lb GVWR, converted to skoolie will probably sit in the 18k lb range. The suspension is "auto leveling". If I bypass the auto leveling, how much extra upward travel can I realistically expect to obtain?

 

[dan-fox]

Lockers are available for most skoolie diffs. Out of my price range though, I believe. Adding an LSD is in the budget. Knobbed tires instead of ribbed tires also makes a huge difference. They're more aggressive than typical snow tires. They are noisier and get worse mileage, however.

I would probably not go with a 5th wheel. I think I'll need storage in the truck to make up what I'd lose from the skoolie. If I went the 5th wheel route, I'd probably convert a class 6 truck to 5th wheel duty. Flipping the axles/swapping tires out should get me the 8" minimum ground clearance I'm looking for. Not sure I have the time or budget to find and convert a 24-26' trailer and a truck.

I'd rather have the skoolie. Just have to figure out how to make it work safely.

What's an LSD? Limited slip differential? Local school delegate?

 

[BusFiend]

What's an LSD? Limited slip differential? Local school delegate?

Your first guess was right, limited-slip diff.

 

[BusFiend]

Now I'm wondering if I'm overthinking this. What is the typical ground clearance on an RE type D, with underbelly storage?

 

[EastCoastCB]

I have a Viair 450P and also Harbor Ft POS as a backup. The Viair takes an hour to get all 8 tires up to 50 - 70 psi. Reports say it won't start above 115 though.
I've only done a serious air down once just to see, most spots that I can get the rig into have been hard packed. I don't have a winch to make me bold.
I may end up rebuilding my 5er ( it's an '89) , beef up the frame and suspension, bigger tanks for boondocking, instead of doing a skoolie.

Nothin wrong with that!

 

[EastCoastCB]

As I'm thinking this through...

First of all, has anyone seen a 30' RE bus, from the factory with front and rear air suspension? I haven't run across one yet.

A bus with 26K lb GVWR, converted to skoolie will probably sit in the 18k lb range. The suspension is "auto leveling". If I bypass the auto leveling, how much extra upward travel can I realistically expect to obtain?

my gross is 33k and my bus weighs 17.9k without seats or interior paneling.
My rear air bags deflate to fully down when the bus sits and isn't running, when the bus is running they fill up to full. IDK if there is any way of getting more upward travel. Unless I'm just confused. That happens once in a while.

 

[retiredChemist]

As I'm thinking this through...

First of all, has anyone seen a 30' RE bus, from the factory with front and rear air suspension? I haven't run across one yet.

A bus with 26K lb GVWR, converted to skoolie will probably sit in the 18k lb range. The suspension is "auto leveling". If I bypass the auto leveling, how much extra upward travel can I realistically expect to obtain?

About 1/2 of the suspension movement again.

 

[retiredChemist]

my gross is 33k and my bus weighs 17.9k without seats or interior paneling.
My rear air bags deflate to fully down when the bus sits and isn't running, when the bus is running they fill up to full. IDK if there is any way of getting more upward travel. Unless I'm just confused. That happens once in a while.

Mine does the front first, but it's an Australian delivery Volvo. Have a look near your shock absorber on the rear, middle of the front axle, there will be a link rod to an arm and air lines to it.
That's the leveling valve. To adjust ride height adjust the link rod or move the valve body downwards

 

[BusFiend]

Many skoolies in the States have rear air suspension, with front leafs. This seems most common. Front/rear air suspension seems to only be on activity buses, if then. Gone are the days of the Crowns...

 

[retiredChemist]

Commercial version of what I was talking about earlier in the thread,
Www.dunlopsystems/products_ecas.html