Finished Weight after Roof Raise

[Pigeoneer]

For everyone that did a roof raise; what's y'alls finished weight (loaded or unloaded)?

I did a 16" roof raise with 16awg galvannealed steal. (6) windows framed with 1-1/2" x 1/8" square tube. Undermount toolboxes, custom fab'd door (sheet metal/square tube), 100gal freshwater tank.

Starting to wonder if I'll get too close to my GVWR and need to cut back on some design weights.

04 International, 38' dog nose. GVWR of 29,000 lbs and the gutted weight was 15,280 lbs when I did my last scale.

There's no way I could ever get 14,000 lbs of **** in this right?

2,000 lbs was on the ticket for roof raise material, another 2,000 lbs in sanded plywood, 1,000 lbs in water, 800 lbs in batteries/electrical (not including panels), plus a decent sized toolbox full of tools (6' tall chest type).

Planning on taking it to a Cat scale here soon to double check, but wanted to see what you guys got.

 

[nikitis]

I think most people end up around 23-25k after building. The roof raise doesn't always add a ton of weight, maybe 400-600 lbs. if you do it like I did, possibly 1000 if you do it the traditional way. (My way was under window, keeping the windows so I needed less panels.) The hat channel extensions are like 50lbs. 100 if you are doing a 40 footer.

It's all the inner walls and stuff people add afterwards that really adds to the weight. Water being one of the biggest weight items. I have a 30ft bus (including the dog nose, but 25ft living space, and my bus was 13.6k empty. 14k empty after roof raise. I have a GVWR of 25.5k I don't think I'll be adding more than 12k in appliances, and expect to end up around 23k.

 

[Bjorkinman]

Nikitis, when I removed all those school bus windows they were heavier than I expected them to be. I honestly think the raise came close to a break even for me from factory. Of course, like you said, the inside stuff is what adds up. All the 3/4 subfloor and tile I put in the bathroom contributed most I think.

 

[Hooker-SKO]

I'm not doing a roof raise and I dind't weigh mine before I took the seats out, but that's not hard to figure out if knew the weight of 1 seat. I should go get mine before I start building and see what a build adds.

 

[nikitis]

I'm not doing a roof raise and I dind't weigh mine before I took the seats out, but that's not hard to figure out if knew the weight of 1 seat. I should go get mine before I start building and see what a build adds.

Yeah this is good to know. Historically water tanks add the most weight to a bus. Also when you do get weighed, go with a full diesel tank because diesel also weighs about as much as water if not a little more, and it's a base line for when your bus is built up and filled with a full tank.

So you'll know what your bus weighs at it's lowest with a full tank, and with it's highest once you're built out with a full tank.

If you go with an empty tank and say you have 9000 lbs to work with, but you go over cause you didn't account for a full diesel tank putting you over the GVWR.

 

[desrtdog]

Specific gravity of diesel fuel (ultra low sulfur) is approx 0.84, so weight is roughly 7 lbs/gal …. Lighter than H2O…

 

[nikitis]

Ah well I knew they were close, wasn't sure which was heavier. Still both are your more weight creating items.

 

[s2mikon]

Most bus chassis have enough beef for a conversion, but the most important thing to consider is the ballance front to back and side to side.

 

[cruizinbiker]

Removal of the seats removes a fair amount of weight. I weighed 2 years ago. 15 gallons of water on board, 18' roof raise, 40' rear engine bus, all cabinets and bathroom framing and cast iron tub, bed, tanks, residential stove and plumbing in place AND a 5x10 trailer with an 800 lb motorcycle came in at 20,400 lbs total. I have since added all the solar components (can't be more than 1,000 lbs). We have capacity for 200 gallons of fresh water (total would be 1,668 lbs). I'm going to be way under the 35k lbs GVW rating.

 

[Bjorkinman]

Removal of the seats removes a fair amount of weight. I weighed 2 years ago. 15 gallons of water on board, 18' roof raise, 40' rear engine bus, all cabinets and bathroom framing and cast iron tub, bed, tanks, residential stove and plumbing in place AND a 5x10 trailer with an 800 lb motorcycle came in at 20,400 lbs total. I have since added all the solar components (can't be more than 1,000 lbs). We have capacity for 200 gallons of fresh water (total would be 1,668 lbs). I'm going to be way under the 35k lbs GVW rating.

Wow thats very light. i weighed on the drive home when I bought it, all seats removed, 2" foam floor with 1/2" subfloor, a make shift bed/couch made from 2x4's and a tiny wood stove. No roof raise, no water, half a tank of fuel and I was just over 21,000. Blue Bird All American