Pro/con of flatnose, RE, conventional?

[AlleyCat67]

Here are the interior photos of where the engine sits in a RE, as I promised....

 

[Geo Jeff]

Until I bought mine I thought side compartments were the way to go. Now that I'm starting in on my project I realize all that side compartment is going to be fluid tanks. So you don't need a storage compartment for them. they just set up behind the skirt. I had to have the rear engine as i needed flat floor low in back to haul a car. So my build is different than most but if it was not my car hauling need i would love a RE with side compartments. Center mount the fluid tanks. So nice to have some gear right at door on the out side. Now I'm going to have to build a roof rack and i think use some of those truck bed tool boxes. Not very convenient for getting to but if i have my kayak and bike up there with a small davit crane that folds it should not be the end of the end of the world.
Also if i did not need access to the back of my FE I would put in a 3 or 4 foot area space back with a wall that only access to the rear escape door fro a storage shed. I think I saw that on the good news bus. Or it could be a room for there next set of twins?

 

[Stu & Filo. T]

Crown made quite a few RE buses. Granted most were not school buses but they did make them.

The Crown Highway Coach had a raised floor with under floor luggage bays with usually 8V-71 power.

There were a few RE's built in the early to mid-'60s with 6V-53 power.

So no, the first classic Schoolcoaches with RE's was much earlier than 1988.

I'm sure your correct I just havn't seen one.

 

[Alan N]

that's nice.

I love the look of vintage vehicles, cars trucks and buses, but modern vehicles are SOOO much better in every way.

How many vehicles built today will still be on the road in 30 years?
My guess is not very many.
Every day I work with the most up to date farm machinery.
I farm at home with machinery that is 30-60 years old.
With proper maintenance I see no reason my equipment couldn't last another 30 years or more.
I can't say that about the modern stuff at work.
To be brutally honest the new engines are junk.
New stuff is great, when it works.
But to be fair I really appreciate air conditioning, cruise control, and in farm machinery GPS auto steering.
As for the FE RE question, the best place for the bus engine is in the back.
Drive a rear engine bus and see and hear for yourself.

 

[prof_fate]

Well...on cars and other passenger vehicles you can do pretty much only oil and brakes and filters to 130k miles.
40 years ago I'd buy 7 year old cars with 75k miles for $500..worn out.

Better mileage, better brakes, more options, quieter, faster and more powerfule, pullute less, better mileage.

I have a '13 silverado and had an 89 S10..the silverado has more than double the HP and 1mpg less. Double teh seats, more payload, air filter lasts 40k miles, front brakes lasted to 63k miles. Never been to the dealer for anything - the 89 had key buzzer issues, coil, head bolt broke, seat belt froze. And that was all before 36k mile warranty was up.

The school buses of my youth were a far cry from today's - diesel, turbo, engine brake, air for springs, breakes, horn, door and seat, cruise control, abs, light checking buttons, on-spot chains, back up alarms, on board cameras (so the school can deal with rowdy kids), auto-dry air system, no black exhaust..and who knows what else I'm missing.

How so?

That model of bus was made until 1991.

One of those with a mid-engine 855 Cummins NHH in it, and some tall gears...

Great ride quality, built to last forever, tremendous amount of power, and extremely reliable.

Correct me if I'm missing something, but I'd take that over anything made since then if it weren't for the price that they usually command.

 

[prof_fate]

I don't think cars being around 30 years from now is a durability/construction issue as much as it is societal - it's easier to replace something than fix it.

My 03 windstar was in need of an intake and probably soon after a transmission. So I can put $3k plus into a 12 year old van or buy a new one..and get more/better features, more power, more mileage, bigger, more safety...it's a no brainer.

Second would be interest - many folks would love a 70 mustang..how many want an 81 citation? Or a 2001 cobalt? Go look at the prices for late 90s/early 2000's mustangs..you can a good running car for under $2k. No demand so not many will be kept around- and who wants a 30 year old kia? LOL.

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As for basements - I see them on class A's and they get used for all sorts of things - genset (on a slideout),

Here's a video showing extreme organization..but read the labels on all the stuff they've got. I know i don't have 1/10th of that in my TT, but if you're gonna full time you need more stuff.

Look at all the space you COULD use...I can't pass it up.

have a look at all the stuff they get in there..yes, you can take it all with you apparently! LOL
Exploring our basement storage compartments on our motorhome

 

[rockerboy86]

Here's my rear engine, it's an outside shot but maybe this will help you visualize how it's set up:

The floor is at approximately the level of the bottom rub rail... the frontmost bulkhead between the engine bay and interior approximately follows the line the vent panel makes... the rear seat sits on top of it (you can see the seat backs in the last window)... another vertical bulkhead is behind the seat backs, with the top bulkhead being approximately at the level of the rear window and emergency exit. So it's kind of a stair-step shape.

My seats are still in but next time I'm over there I'll see if I can get a couple of close-up pictures of the inside.

Where did you find this beauty?!

 

[JoeNesquik]

So, if this is an option for you, maybe mounting the tanks inside, like under a couch or bed would work? I’m drawing up multiple plans for a Skoolie, and I could put them under the bed in a conventional. The bed would be in the very back, and this would be ideal for weight distribution. In a rear engine, mounting the tanks under the couches in the front would be good for weight distribution, too. Having them inside in both situations, they would for sure never freeze, as long as you have some sort of heater on.

 

[G Dub]

Here's a nice little article from Buslandia that discusses some of the pros and cons that you are discussing here.

Choosing the best bus body style for your build — Buslandia

It's a very easy and quick read but has the main points.

Cheers

 

[Theflowerchildgr]

For those of you with a flat nose.... do you find it difficult when on private roads like pulling into a private drive with an incline? Does anyone have issues with bottoming out!?

 

[boojiewoojie]

For those of you with a flat nose.... do you find it difficult when on private roads like pulling into a private drive with an incline? Does anyone have issues with bottoming out!?

No, there's actually a good bit of clearance. It's the back end that causes more trouble if it's a long FE.

 

[Rovobay]

For me it came down to approach angles. I go into forest service roads and into the mountains. sometimes the transition at intersections can be drastic. Also with a flat nose you will also have 4 wheel wells to design around. My dog nose handicap bus has a totally flat floor that has no wheel wells.

to each their own.