September 2019
ConversionsBCM
The Midwestwanderers By Luke & Rachel Davis Scenicruiser Myths – Busted! By Paul von Fange Roadmaster Tow Defender By Gary Hatt Building A One Piece Door For My Eagle By Gene Lewis 2 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019 PUBLISHER’S
NOTE Bus Bits for a Free Subscription traveling and living in a conversion. or Extension There are many possible topics to write about and perhaps you have several helpful tips you could send GARY HATT Want a free subscription or extension to Bus Conversion in. Many people think that everyone Magazine? Read on… knows everything about converting a bus but that is not true. You may have a unique skill or This month we brought back Bus Bits. These are short sto- idea that others may not have even thought of. So send it ries of about a half page or less that are from experiences our way. that you may have had either during your bus build or after you started traveling and/or living in your bus. This month, When we publish your Bus Bit, we will extend your sub- I started off with a story about a less messy way to drain oil scription for one additional year for each Bus Bit you send out of your bus oil filter, or any liquid filters for that matter us. If you send us five Bus Bits, we will extend your sub- and on any vehicle. You can read all about it on page 46 of scription for five years, or we will apply it to a friend’s new this issue. or existing subscription, just send us their name and email address. If you are not a subscriber but reading someone Bus Conversion Magazine is all about people helping else’s issue, email us a Bus Bit along with your name and people. I have been to many bus conversion rallies and city and state and we will sign you up for a free 1-year talked to people about how they converted their bus and subscription. So in about an hour of writing, you can get picked up many tips and tricks to do simple things on their several additional years of BCM for yourself or to give to bus, either during the conversion process or while traveling your Bus Nut friends. and living in a bus conversion. Some of those tips were the most helpful bits of information I have used on some of This is what the Bus Conversion community is all about. my own conversions and I have met people in my travels People helping people. If it was not for Bus Conversion and at bus rallies that say they have implemented some of Magazine, I would never have even considered converting these tips and techniques in past issues of BCM as well. a bus. But after reading every back issue available once I But we can’t always be attending rallies, so BCM is the heard about it, I was encouraged to buy one myself. place to get ideas between those rallies. Please send all Bus Bits or any other article you would like So, if you are converting a bus and you have an idea that to share to [email protected]. either you thought of, or someone mentioned to you to help SYOTR Opinions and techniques expressed you do a particular task, or that you saw someone else do, herein are those of the authors and do not please write it up and send it our way. We will be glad to necessarily represent those endorsed by publish it as it may help others either doing a conversion or the Publisher. Bus Conversion Magazine and the authors respectively accept no re- sponsibility or liability for any errors, omis- sions, alterations, or for any consequenc- MAGAZINE es ensuing upon the use of, or reliance CONTACTS upon any information contained herein. Tasks performed in maintaining, altering Published By Contributing Authors and using vehicles may require special- Bus Conversion Magazine Luke & Rachel Davis ized skills and involve inherent risks to 661 E Main St # 200-313 Paul von Fange the person doing the work or to the safe Midlothian, TX 76065 Gary Hatt operation of the vehicle. It is the reader’s responsibility to assess their own skills to (657) 221-0432 Gene Lewis determine if they can perform any such task and to seek professionally trained as- Publisher Online Discussion Forum sistance if needed. Gary Hatt www.BusConversions.com/bbs/ [email protected] Phil Lyons [email protected] Website Editorial www.busconversionmagazine.com Jorge Escobar Moderators Senior Editor and Art Director Phil Lyons Follow us on Instagram [email protected] Nick Badame Instagram.com/Bus_Conver- Jack Conrad sion_Magazine/ Accounting/Subscriptions K.J. “Frank“ Franklin Noemi Johnston Paul Lawry Like us on I [email protected] Facebook.com/BCMagUSA
Please send us your stories of your bus conversions (long or short) and please document them with digital photos. We would love to consider your articles for the magazine. Please send them to [email protected].
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Note: You may click or tap on any of the article titles or advertisers on this page to go directly to that article or ad. Index of Advertisers
All American Urethane 23 Ardemco 36 Autex 7 Balance Masters 44
The Midwestwanderers – 1992 36’ Scenicruiser Myths – Busted! B&B Coachworks 41 FE International AmTran By Paul von Fange By Luke & Rachel Davis Byler Rivet 20 Clearsource 10 Custom Instrument Panels 29 Custom Instrument Panels Lights 21 Double Decker Buses 47 Engine Heat Protection 4 Engine Power Source 43
Building A One Piece Door Flame Genie 5 Roadmaster Tow Defender For My Eagle By Gary Hatt By Gene Lewis GiraffeG4 30 Hose and Cable Grip 12 In This Issue Leisure Coachworks 32 Lloyd DeGerald Services 17 Publisher´s Note 2 Midwest Transit Equipment 38 Mobile RV Glass 34 The Midwestwanderers – 1992 36’ FE 4 International AmTran By Luke & Rachel Davis National General Insurance 33 Scenicruiser Myths – Busted! Nature’s Head 14 By Paul von Fange 28 Northwest RV Supply 13 Roadmaster Tow Defender By Gary Hatt 34 O-SO-Pure 37 Pacific RV Parts 19 Building A One Piece Door For My Eagle 37 By Gene Lewis Passport America 31 Bus Bits - Draining Your oil 46 Pro Auto Works 26 Recovery Room 6 Cartoon 39 RF Mogul Satellite 11 Service Directory 49 Roadmaster 27 RV Part Center 60 Gary’s Tip 23 Sewer Sock 28 SmartPlug 18 Bus Classifieds 50 Straight Line Steering, Inc. 40 Subscription Form 56 Sulastic Rubber Springs 42 Superior Driveline 39 BCM Encyclopedia of Busess Volume II 57 Sure Marine Service 16 Tailgater Tire Table 26 Bus Events 59 Turbo Kool 35 Bus Chat - Accelerator Pedal Riser 63 Unforgettable Fire 10 Wrico International 22 When you contact our Advertisers, tell them you saw their ad in Bus Conversion Magazine.
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The Midwestwanderers – 1992 36’ FE International AmTran
BY LUKE & RACHEL DAVIS
efore bus life we were like many other young social media, so we had to go at it with very few Bfamilies: we had a house with a fenced in references as to what we could do. But that did yard, two dogs, one baby, we were in a great not slow us down! There were certain ideas that school district, had steady jobs, lived by all our we knew we wanted to include we just had to friends and family, so why mess with the perfect figure out how. scenario?! Because we wanted more.
We wanted to be able to see the country, take a risk, enjoy this life and this country while we were young and didn’t have too much holding us back. Of course, there were reasons (or excuses) not to do it, but we focused on our dreams and desires instead and pushed forward. Engine Heat Protection We found out what a “Skoolie” was in Febru- ary of 2015 and couldn’t get the idea out of our Reduce that unwanted heat with heads. The ultimate deciding factor for us was an EHP rollboard. that if we didn’t end up doing this, in 30 years we would look back and say “We were so young! We should have just gone for it!”
In May we found a bus on Craigslist that looked worthy, bought a one-way plane ticket from Chi- cago to Phoenix, and went to pick up our bus! We bought a 1992 36’ FE International AmTran. Stops heat and noise dead · E cient · Economical Easy installation We spent the next year working on the conver- No special tools • No mess • No heat storage sion during evenings and weekends. We were Cuts down heat by 50% Used by Airstream Mfg. and professional coach builders able to store it in our driveway and do the entire conversion ourselves, with some help from family 39250 Green Meadow Road, Temecula, CA 92592 and friends. At the time of our conversion there (951) 302-2212 weren’t many out there, or at least not many on EngineHeatProtection.com
www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 5 We took out all the original bus windows, did a Across from that, right behind the driver’s seat 20” roof raise and cut in eight RV windows and we have a large counter, with a large undermount three porthole windows. One of the goals of our stainless sink, a 24” Avanti range (propane), conversion was to be able to go wherever we range hood, upper cabinet storage, and another wanted so we made sure to make our rig off-grid cabinet on the other side of the stove (this cabi- capable. net houses our 5-gallon propane water heater). Opposite that last cabinet is our kitchen table with a large window above. We made our table from a piece of black walnut we got from a local mill.
The Bus
We have 100 gallons of fresh water, 93 gallons of gray water and 900W of solar (we started with 600). While traveling, we could make the 100 gallons last 10-16 days before running out and needing to stop somewhere to dump and refill. We also have a 27 gallon LP tank and two 20lb. tanks. If we have all three tanks filled, we can go a few months before running out. If we are just running on the two 20lb tanks they last about a month.
The layout of our bus is as follows: you walk into the bus and are in the kitchen. On the passenger side we have a pantry cabinet with a counter and an electric/propane RV fridge with storage above and below. Drivers Side
Living Area
www.BusConversionMagazine.com 6 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019 A huge must for us was to have an open floor We had a child and two dogs so floor space was plan so we gave our table the ability to fold down a must. Our couch is an RV couch that has stor- flat against the wall and our chairs can stack in age underneath and jackknifes into a bed. Having the corner by the fridge. This gives us about 14’ two windows behind the couch has been great of open floor space since there is a permanent for cross breeze, natural light and views out both open space after the table and across from the sides of the bus. The couch sits against the wall couch. We chose to leave the area across from of the bathroom. our couch completely empty so that we could enjoy the view out of our two large windows.
Lining and Bedroom
Looking Forward
Passenger Side
www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 7 Our bathroom is built over a wheel well so you of the bus to help disperse the warm air more step up into the bathroom. Don’t worry though, evenly. we did not waste that precious space underneath the floor! We use it for log/wood storage for our The cabinet behind the woodstove and across stove. With the roof raise, stepping up into the from the bathroom is our main closet. It is 4’H x bathroom isn’t a big deal as far as headroom 2’D x 2’W and it fits about 98% of our clothing in goes. We even re-gained some headroom by it. Our nicer clothing gets hung in another cabinet placing our tub/shower on the original floor level above our daughter’s bed. so you actually step down into the shower. The master bed is lofted 5’ off the floor and our Our bathroom consists of a 2’x3’ tub/shower, a daughter’s bed is perpendicular underneath ours small vanity cabinet and sink, a DIY compost- (behind the bathroom). We get to our bed by ing toilet with a Separett urine diverter, a small climbing the staircase that we made out of Cherry window and a Maxx fan. The overall size of our wood. Each step is removeable so that we can bathroom is approximately 6’x3’. utilize inside the stairs for storage (hiking gear, backpacks, off-season clothes, large jackets etc.) We also have a 3’x7’ garage that is accessible from the outside of the bus which houses tool chests, bag chairs, stroller etc. Run a Service Directory ad on page 49 for as little as $17/month
Bathroom, tub/shower is just out of view to the left
We also chose to have a wood burning stove in our bus. This furthered our ability to be off grid. Instead of having a small wood burning stove designed for tiny houses/boats we decided to use a family heirloom, a potbelly stove that belonged to Luke’s grandfather. Luke welded a custom stainless steel flue pipe that has an air exchanger around it that runs behind the ceiling to the front
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The Midwestwanderers – 1992 36’ FE International AmTran 10 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019
Sleeping area. Lofted queen and a toddler bed
www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 11 And one of the most unique and defining features with more power if we were able to choose again. of our bus is our blue coffered ceiling. We LOVE our ceiling!! With the untraditional ceiling and the We had to replace our radiator on the side of the 20” roof raise, when you step inside you don’t road in Colorado with the tools we had in the bus. even remember that you are in an old school bus. Being that our bus is a front engine flat nose, it We also love the layout we settled on and that we was a lot of work but overall wasn’t terrible. We were able to do the conversion ourselves. were just glad we were able to get the new radia- tor right away. And it was actually a blessing be- cause it gave us the chance to install a full core radiator and relocate the turbo intercooler which helps the bus run much cooler!
We belonged to Escapees, Harvest Host, and Boondockers Welcome, all of which were great resources for us while we traveled full time.
We were a part of many Tiny House festivals over the last few years and they have all been so unique but all so much fun. You get to be in an environment where people are excited to see what you have created and appreciative of what you are doing/how you are living, which is not al- ways the case on the average day. We have met a lot of wonderful people through these festivals and suggest to anyone interested in or already
Coffered Ceiling
After living in it for three years now, and building conversions for other people, there are a few things that we decided we would do differently if we ever did this again. The first thing we would change is our air conditioning system. We have a window unit framed into the back wall of the bus above our bed. This does a decent job when you are in moderate temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s. Once you hit multiple days of consis- tent 80’s and 90’s it is hard to keep it comfortable during the day.
It would be nice to have a mini-split and maybe a secondary heat source aside from our wood burning stove. The main thing we would change would be the engine/transmission we purchased. Our bus was a good price ($4,000) and was in good condition but we would look for an engine
www.BusConversionMagazine.com 12 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019 apart of the movement to make sure you go to at least one festival!
One of the greatest things that has come from living this life for nearly four years now is that we were able to move to a new state and start a business converting buses for those who are unable to do it themselves! We started Skoolie. com in November of 2017 doing high end cus- tom conversions, partial conversions, small proj- ects, roof raises, solar, welding, fabrication and more. On that same note, now that our business demands us to be stationary, we recently pur- chased a small piece of property and a 30’ yurt that our family will soon be moving into. All of that to say our bus is for sale! A sad but neces- sary next step for our family.
If you are interested in our bus send us an email at [email protected]
Extra Photos Seats Out!
The bus in its original state! The day we brought it home
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Demo Phase Walls and Windows
First window in after the roof raise
Starting to put the walls up
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Bed loft framed and working on framing the bathroom in. Walls painted and floors going in! NATURE’S HEAD Self-Contained Composting Toilet Saving Our Water for Tomorrow
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Barnwood accent wall. All the wood is from local barns in our hometown
Floor Finished!
Cabinet boxes ready to install
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Bead board going up!
The start of Charlotte’s nook
Textured wallpaper on the ceiling in the back of the bus
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Furniture and cabinets starting to go in! Potbelly woodstove with custom chimney
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View from the front, starting to feel like home! Ceiling isn’t finished just yet
Click HERE to watch video
Couch and stove are in. Still lots of work to do.
Ready for the fridge and sink to go in
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Coffered beams are going in! Coffered ceiling install complete! Waiting for paint
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Feeling homey New wall and ceiling colors! We are in love
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Adventuring in Bryce Canyon Powered by the sun
Driving through the Painted Desert A fellow traveler in Yellowstone
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We carry a full line of Coach Conversion Parts & Accessories, to list a few: • Wrico Generators • Magnum Inverters • Webasto Hot Water Heating Systems • Cooktops & Water Heaters • Automatic Transfer Switches • Generator Autostart System Call the people with the Coach Conversion Experience and Know-how. Made Speci cally For Bus Conversions Kubota Powered • Water Cooled • 1800 RPM Direct Drive • Easy To Service Rugged and Trouble Free Buy direct and save. Call the Generator Man (541) 744-4333 Fresh paint job WRICO INTERNATIONAL PO Box 41555 • Eugene, Oregon 97404
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Gary’sTip:
On our website, choose the Cool Stuff drop-down list to see several interesting bus items. Go ahead, try it now.
Spending some time off grid on BLM land near Glacier National Park
Living off grid
You make a lot of friends while traveling in a skoolie
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Spending time in the mountains was some of favorite times (Location: Idaho)
Off grid camping right outside of Bryce Canyon
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BUS SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Amtran DVR: No Model: Genesis Blu-ray: No Year: 1992 Satellite: No Vehicle Weight: 22,000 ish Bed Size: Queen Fuel Tank Capacity: 60 gal How long have you owned your bus? 4 years Miles Per Gallon: 8-9 Did you self-convert? Yes Engine: DT360A How long did it take? 18 months start to finish of Transmission: Allison 545 nights and weekends Overall Length: 36’ Overall Width: 8’ Electric/Gas/Propane Overall Height: 12’ 9” to the top of the chimney Raised Roof: Yes Wire Type Used: Stranded Copper Solar Power: 900W House Batteries: 4 House Batteries: 4 Type: Lead Acid Type: Crown CR260 Manufacturer: Crown Electrical System: 12V & 120V How Many Panels: 6 Inverter: 2,000W Total Capacity (Watts): 900 Manufacturer: Magnum Propane: Yes Shore Power Amps: 30 Stationary: 1 Removable: 2 External Equipment Number of Tanks: 3 Total Capacity: 2-20lb and a 17gal Fresh Water Tank Capacity: 100 Gallons Is Black and Grey Water in one tank? No Water System Black Water Tank Capacity: None Grey Water Tank Capacity: 97 Gallons Hot Water Heater Tank Tank Material: Plastic Size: 5-gal Water Heater Type: Gas Water Filter: Yes Plumbing Material Used: PEX Material used for water lines: Pex Water pump: Shurflo Internal Equipment Interior Stove: 4 Burner Propane Oven: Propane Did you insulate? Yes Microwave: No With what? Closed cell spray foam Convection Oven: No Type wood used for walls and cabinets: Plywood Microwave/Convection Combo: No walls, poplar cabinets Refrigerator: 2-Way (Gas/12V) Counter Top Material: Repurposed barnwood- heart- pine and black walnut Other Notable Kitchen Features: Kitchen Appliances: Fridge, stove/oven Window Coverings: Handmade curtains Bathroom: Combo Lighting Type: 12V lights Toilet: Compost Entertainment info: Laptops, Hotspots and DVDs Air Conditioning: Built-in Window - 1 Unit Satellite dish? No Heating: Wood burning stove Wall Material: Plywood Ceiling Material: Popular and bead board coffered ceiling, textured wallpaper in the back Flooring Material: Hardwood bamboo flooring Roof Ventilation: 12V Fans Generator: No TV: No VCR: No
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BY LUKE & RACHEL DAVIS Luke and Rachel and their two kids went from living in a 1,500 sq. ft. home in the Chicago suburbs to living and traveling in a 220 sq. ft. bus conversion. They have been in their self-converted bus for three and a half years now, spending the first half of that traveling the country. Since settling down in North Carolina in 2018 they have started a bus conversion company, Skoolie.com, building unique and well outfitted buses and vans. Rachel and Luke can be contacted at [email protected]
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Scenicruiser Myths – Busted!
BY PAUL VON FANGE
o inter-city coach in the United States has Fact: The PD-4501 could run on one engine Never had the attention and popularity enjoyed alone if needed and could not run on one en- by Greyhound’s Scenicruiser (PD-4501). From gine alone! How can both be true? The first 570 the mid-1950s when they were built and de- coaches were equipped with a driver-operated ployed, the public loved them, rode in them and lever that modified the hydraulics of the fluid cou- bus aficionados to this day revere their style and pling to run either the right or left engine alone in history. case the other engine failed. However, due to sig-
Over the decades, as stories were told, the his- tory was augmented by a tale or two. To this day, “facts” are sometimes reported that, with a closer look, are more myth than truth. Here are some clarifications to the more common ones.
Myth: Greyhound ordered 500 coaches, then 500 more and that was all they could buy contractual- ly.
Fact: Greyhound’s initial order of 500 PD-4501s was followed by another order of 200 in early 1955. Orville Caesar, the President of Grey- hound, anticipated a fleet of 700 by the end of that year. But before that could happen, another 300 were ordered. While this turned out to be the final number (1000) ordered, Greyhound had contractual rights to buy another 1000! But problems during manufacturing and deployment probably stopped any additional purchases.
Myth: The original two-engine Scenicruiser could not run on one engine alone.
www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 29 nificant problems with this system, GM pulled the clutch plate to overdrive discs, through planetary capability beginning with coach #571. From that carrier ring, planet pinions, and ring gear to trans- point on, the drivers were instructed to call their mission main shaft.” supervisor if an engine failed since they could no longer use the lever to run on the one working. Mechanics, however, were given instructions on Scenicruiser Two-Speed how to manually switch and block hydraulic hos- Clutch es if needed to transport a Scenicruiser with one engine a short distance when in the shop. Myth: Drive was to the rear-most axle only.
Engine Control Valve to Run Fact: The rear axle was a tag axle and the inter- Either Engine Alone mediate rear axle was the drive axle. Even before the first 500 were manufactured, a change was made by adding a new switch and a new tell-tale light, apparently because Scenicruisers were get- Myth: “Consequently, only about 40 of the dual ting stuck in off-road situations. The DRIVE AXLE 4-71 units were produced.” LOADED switch activated two solenoid valves that exhausted some of the air from the trail- Fact: Every one of the 1,001 PD-4501 coaches ing-axle suspension down to 25 PSI. This put an manufactured came with the dual 4-71 power additional load on the driving axle as the coach plants. leveled itself and gave it more traction. The new tell-tale light came on because this was to be Myth: “The driver’s seat and a doorway jump used only in emergencies and was to be turned seat brought the seating capacity to 45.” off once extra traction was no longer needed.
Fact: The Scenicruiser had the capacity for 45 seats. However, the restroom on the lower level used space for two seats, so the coach came with seating for 43. The driver’s seat was never included in a seating capacity number and no jump seat in the doorway came from the factory.
Myth: The original Scenicruisers came with “a two-speed differential” or “a two-speed auxiliary transmission” or “a two-stage splitter section.”
Fact: The 3-speed Spicer transmission was mated to a 2-speed clutch. “With the transmis- sion shift lever knob overdrive switch in ‘LO’ … the clutch is held in direct drive position … [and] the spring holds the direct-drive friction discs compressed between the clutch drive plate and pressure plate. The power flow is then from clutch drive plate through direct-drive discs and ring gear to transmission main shaft…. [With the switch in ‘HI’] … The clutch piston release sleeve overcomes clutch conical spring pressure, releas- ing the direct-drive discs, and then compressing the overdrive discs. The power flow then is from
www.BusConversionMagazine.com 30 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019 Turning the switch off restored air pressure to the light bulb #57. bellows for the trailing axle. 6. Fire-detection sensors in the engine compart- Finally, to help bust any future myths about Sce- ment and an alarm system were a Scenicruis- nicruisers, here are a few items that most folks do er option installed only for coaches sent to the not know about the PD-4501. Northeast that would be operated in the state of New York. Four sensors were installed in the 1. The first 500 Scenicruisers had four sin- engine compartment, and each had an element gle-pane skylights; the second 500 had four that, subjected to sufficient heat, would melt, double-pane skylights (with desiccant material close a circuit, and ring the fire alarm bell. [New between the two). York State Public Service Commission regulation X-223.] 2. The original Scenicruisers pumped the lava- tory-sink water through a line to the rear of the 7. The enclosed spaces above the reading lights coach and out through the exhaust muffler of the and smoke evacuators along each side, lower right-hand engine. and upper decks, were connected together above the window at the rear of the bus. They were, in 3. The seat in the middle at the back of the up- turn, connected to the air intake manifold which per-deck aisle was seat #41 and was called the provided the vacuum to pull the cigarette/cigar/ “lounge seat,” probably a carryover from the pipe smoke into the engine. GX-2 lounge that once was in the rear. Ironically, where that seat sits in the Scenicruiser is exactly 8. The air-intake manifold, at the upper left side the one spot where the GX-2 lounge did NOT of the engine compartment, is also, to provide have a seat! cooling, the location of the rectifier that converted AC, the output from the generator, into DC. 4. The emergency door seen at the left rear in EXP-331, the first “model” Scenicruiser built in in madethe 1953, was an option (SL-12133) available for coaches being operated in the state of New Jer- USA sey. However, it was pulled from the design and manufacture right before the first PD-4501 was built, in early 1954, and not a single production coach shipped with it. While the Interstate Com- merce Commission had removed the emergency door requirement in 1952, it wasn’t until 1954 that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Commis- sioners permitted Greyhound to substitute push- out windows as an alternative to an emergency door.
5. A wiring component related to that exit door is still on every PD-4501. The left rear body junc- tion, terminal #1, connects to “Emerg. Door Light (If Used) and to Left Rear Corner Marker Light.” The GiraffeG4 System Likewise, terminal “I” on the left switch panel Am- PREVENTS your Bus Conversion phenol connected to “Emergency Door Tell-tale (If Camper from having Used).” And the parts manual printed in Decem- “Low Clearance” Collisions ber 1954 included the emergency-door lamp and bulb, while the August 1954 operating manual www.GiraffeG4.com specified one two-candlepower emergency-door 1-877-543-1087
www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 31 9. The original plastic greyhound dog emblem on aboard every coach without exception. the front of the bus does not appear to have been lighted. None of the original bulb lists includes 15. The Scenicruiser originally had both a one for that purpose, and the front-end wiring hand-throttle control and a defroster-heater con- diagram, which contains harness and connection trol knob to the right of the wiper knobs. details, shows no light for the emblem. At least one Greyhound bus historian concurs: “I find it 16. The dual arm/blade wiper was only on the hard to believe that the engineers at the T&C passenger side windshield and was removed Division would omit that circuit from the manuals later. if that feature were present, particularly since the dog lighting would undoubtedly have been a 17. The PD-4501 had windshield wipers on the standard feature throughout all 1,001 coaches.” It upper-deck windows. would have, however, been pretty easy for a local garage to add a light behind the emblem and tap 18. The Scenicruiser speedometer originally had into the marker-lamp circuit. However, there is an odometer as well. one piece of evidence in favor of a lighted dog: the part is referred to as “lens – emblem;” why 19. The original 4501 had an outside emergency would it be called a lens if no light was shining stop switch just inside the louvers of the left en- through it? Some have suggested because it was gine compartment door to kill the engine without translucent plastic, it would have been called a opening any doors. lens whether a light was behind it or not. 20. The Scenicruiser had three braking systems: 10. Scenicruisers came equipped with a fire- the service brake, the parking brake, and the ICC axe mounted on the inside of the front compart- emergency brake. ment door.
11. Every Scenicruiser had a tire guard consisting of a hanger and rubber guard suspended be- tween the rear driving wheels and the trailing axle wheels. This reduced flat tires on the trailing axle caused by debris thrown up from the other tires.
12. The “45” portion of the model number 4501 referred to the nominal seating capacity. Because of the restroom, two seats were not available, so the Scenicruiser originally held 43 passengers. The driver’s seat was never included in the seat- ing count, nor was there a “jump seat.”
13. Every one of the 1,001 production Sceni- cruisers had the dual 4-71 GM Diesel engines (150-horsepower each) driving the forward rear wheels on the intermediate axle, not the rearmost tag axle, and all 900+ remaining coaches had them replaced with 8V-71 engines in the early 1960s.
14. The Scenicruiser was the first model (from any builder for any carrier) to have both air-con- ditioning and a washroom as standard features
www.BusConversionMagazine.com 32 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019 21. The Scenicruiser fuel tank was equipped with a “Ventalarm,” which had a whistle that sounded while the tank was being filled and stopped when the tank was full (180 gallons). National General is a Leader 22. The styling of the Scenicruiser, even with- in the same article describing its introduction, in the Bus Conversion was variously described as “deck-and-a-half,” BY PAUL VON FANGE “two-level,” and “dual-level.” Paul von Fange unexpectedly discovered the Insurance Industry Greyhound Scenicruiser in 2009 and has been on a quest for its story ever since. He has ridden thousands of miles on these buses, attending the 2010 Scenicruise in Amarillo, Texas, the 2011 Scenicruise in Grand Canyon Caves, Ari- zona, the 2011 Gathering of Buses in Hibbing, Minnesota, the 2013 Ghosts of Highway 61 in Blytheville, Arkansas and the 2017 Busboy Rally in Evansville, Indiana. He served as a volunteer at the Minnesota Transportation Museum, work- ing to restore Scenicruiser PD-4501-739. His Scenicrusing videos can be found on YouTube by searching for “paulmontry.” Any additional evidence for the Scenicruiser history can be sent to him at [email protected] His books and more links are available at www.Scenicruising.com
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www.BusConversionMagazine.com ©2019 National General Insurance. All Rights Reserved. Eligibility, coverages and discounts may vary by state. Underwritten by member companies of National General Insurance. National General is a Leader in the Bus Conversion Insurance Industry
Specialized coverage for RVs, motorhomes & bus conversions.
Don’t Leave Your Rig Unprotected. We know schoolies & the RV / motorhome lifestyle.
Ask your insurance agent about us or check us out at nationalgeneral.com.
Call 800-462-2123 for a quote.
©2019 National General Insurance. All Rights Reserved. Eligibility, coverages and discounts may vary by state. Underwritten by member companies of National General Insurance. 34 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019 Roadmaster Tow Defender
BY GARY HATT
was tired of having to wash my toad every time This week, while I am writing this, they are at the II arrived at my destination while on a trip. It FMCA rally in Minot, ND. seems that no matter how far I was traveling, my bus would kick up a lot of dust and road debris Roadmaster has a nice unit you can mount on onto my car and at the very least I would have to your toad to prevent rocks and other debris from clean my windshield which I have done at many breaking your headlights, cracking your wind- fuel stops. shield or just making a mess of your car. Here is one that they offer which does a great job from I have also traveled in New England in the winter what I have heard. and picked up a lot of road salt and sand during a storm. Even for a few days after the storm there is still road salt and sand on the edges of the road that can get kicked up onto your toad.
I don’t know about you, but I am not fond of having salt all over the nice finish on my car or on my windshield or covering my headlights either. Sometimes I had to run my windshield wipers when unhooking my toad as it was that dirty and Roadmaster Guardian Rock Guard had to clean off my headlights to see. I thought there must be a better way.
I bought my Nighthawk tow bar from Roadmaster a couple of years ago which is great as it is easy to hook up and is light for night travel. You can see more about that here. https://www.road- masterinc.com/products/towbars/nighthawk.php I liked how it worked so well, that I went to them to see what they have to offer while in Quartz- site one year. They have a booth at the big tent in Quartzsite every January and have a booth at many of the large RV rallies around the U.S.
www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 35 The only problem with the Guardian 4000 and the tow bar pins directly to the arms of the base- others like it is that it takes quite a bit of space plate. This guard is made of a screen fabric to store them when they are not in use. I know which is stretched between the bus and toad to because a few years ago when I was in Quartz- keep rocks and other debris from kicking up from site someone came to me and asked if I could under the bus onto the front and top of your car take someone’s rock guard back to Los Angeles while letting some air pass through. with me because he forgot it when he left. I had a heck of a time trying to find a place to carry it The advantage of the Tow Defender is that it rolls in my MC-9 as it was so big but he was a happy up when not in use and can be stored on the camper when I brought it to him. back of your bus on the tow hitch itself. I have driven many miles with mine stored on the back The Guardian also must have the older quick of my bus without any problems at all. disconnect system which works great but means you also have to have a crossbar to disconnect each time you want to unpin everything from the car. So even though many people who have ample storage capacity may prefer these, they do take a bit more work to install each time you hook up.
A caveat. If you plan on going to Alaska or other places with either a lot of construction going on or if you will be traveling on a lot of gravel roads, then both the Guardian and the Tow Defender combination are recommended for ultimate pro- Tow Defender Stowed Away tection. This way your headlights and windshield are protected from cars traveling in the opposite direction kicking up rocks which are aplenty on some roads. Fully protecting your toad becomes more important than worrying about finding a place to store it while parked.
Guardian & Tow Defender
Because I travel full-time in my bus, I wanted something that I could stow away and not be in the way when in a campground. So I looked at the Roadmaster Tow Defender 4750. These work with their “direct connect” baseplates where
www.BusConversionMagazine.com 36 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019 When taking corners, it has a spring loaded mechanism that allows the leading edge of the Tow Defender fabric to bend so it adjusts to your turning radius. When you straighten the bus wheels out, the unit straightens out too protecting your toad at all times.
BY GARY HATT
Since July 2012, Gary Hatt has been the Publisher of Bus Conversion Magazine. Gary does most of his own work on his buses with the help of mechanic friends. He has owned tents, truck campers, travel trailers and stick-n-staple motorhomes, until he bought his first bus in 1997 which was a 1972 MCI MC-7 Combo. When he had a chance to buy a 1983 MCI MC-9 Log Cabin Roadmaster 4700 Tow Defender bus with larger windows he jumped at For Roadmaster Tow Bars during Cornering the chance. In Thanksgiving of 2014, Gary bought a 1967 Model 08 Eagle and has When you are ready to leave your campsite, since been living fulltime in that. the Tow Defender takes less than one minute to install. Because you leave it attached to the hitch Gary can be contacted at on the back of your bus when not in use, all you [email protected] have to do is remove two elastic tie straps, pull it towards your toad, insert the cross bar into two U-shaped clips on your toad and insert two pins and you are ready to hit the road.
When you get to your destination, when you are ready to unhitch, the first thing you do is pull the two pins and roll it up and strap it to your hitch mounting bar with two elastic ties provided with the unit. Then you go about disconnecting your tow bar from your toad. The entire process takes less than five minutes.
I have a Roadmaster hitch, but the Tow Defender will also fit the Blue Ox and Demco brackets as well.
It is nice to arrive at your destination with a clean car and be able to see out the windshield when disconnecting from your rig instead of having to wash it when you arrive at a new destination.
To view two short videos of the Tow Defender in action, click on these two videos below.
Video 1 Video 2
www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 37
Building A One Piece Door For My Eagle
BY GENE LEWIS
he way I see it, you have two choices. 1. Use the Note: Overlook the rough sketches; hopefully T2-piece door and make it into a one-piece door, or they will get the point across. 2. Use 1½” square tubing and make your own. I’ll try and give you a step-by-step procedure to accomplish In this sketch (Figure 2) you will find the 3” Stain- either method you choose. Here goes. less Steel Hinge.
Option #1: Existing Doors stripped to 1½” framework. Replace any rotten frame with 1½” square tubing. Wire brush well removing all surface rust. Spray or paint with a rust killer and then use a good primer on all surfaces. Figure 1 should represent your present 2-piece door, assuming there is no rust. LOL.
Figure 2
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2. Next determine the length of spacers you will need and cut from 1½” square tubing (Shown in red – Figure 3). Weld these spacers in place, grind down smooth and prime.
3. When the framework is welded and is now one piece, cut the two supports out that supported the two windows allowing you to have one large window. IMO a more professional look.
4. Mount the Door latch (Mine came from a big truck junk yard – from a wrecked Freightliner - $10.00) and Dead Bolt (found a stainless steel one at Big Lots for less than $6.00 bucks).
5. Once all of the welding is completed I chose to fill all of my door tubing with Great Stuff (expand- able foam in aerosol cans available at Lowe’s or Home Depot) to eliminate the gathering of con- Figure 3 densation and rust. 1. Mount the hinge on the doorframe and then on the coach. This is for alignment so use only two 6. Paint all surfaces with a good metal paint. or three rivets (or self-taping screws) on either surface (you will be putting this off and on more 7. When the door is installed, you can begin to than twice). put your Eagle aluminum siding on using the ex- E ER EC BUS IS I IN OR OU Is adventure calling you? Bus conversions allow you to be on the move while maintaining the comforts of home. Once the seats and paint are removed, the buses become a blank slate for your creative expression.
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www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 39 isting pieces on the body to align all joints.
So much for using the existing door frames.
The reason I did not use my old doors was quite simple – when I stripped them down I found the bottom half being held together literally by the Eagle siding. Because of the severe condition I decided to make the door from scratch. I had to find a metal fabrication shop that could bend 1½” square tubing. Here is the procedure I followed;
1. Using the cardboard from a mattress or refrig- erator (most any furniture store will gladly sup- ply you with the cardboard). Hold this up to the opening and make yourself a pattern. Be sure you mark all sides, top and bottom.
2. Take the pattern to the fabricator and tell them to copy the pattern and make it 1” narrower on the sides and top. This is an important step and you will need a MINIMUM of 1” – this can vary up to 1½”. This will allow for weather stripping.
3. Leave the sides about 6” longer than the open- ing. This will be cut to fit the opening when you start fitting the door to the opening. It will be nec- essary to cut the outer edges of the doorframe in DRIVE SHAFT DISCONNECT order for the door to close. See sketch – Figure 4.
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4. Mount the hinge on the doorframe and then all my door tubing with Great Stuff (expandable on the coach. This is for alignment so use only 2 foam in aerosol cans available at Lowe’s or or 3 rivets (or self-taping screws) on either sur- Home Depot) to eliminate the gathering of con- face (you will be taking this off and on more than densation and rust. twice). 9. Paint all surfaces with a good metal paint. 5. Bottom horizontal on the door should be about ¼ to ½ inch above the “finished” level of the first 10. When door is installed, you can begin to put step. This allows for bubble insulation (Figure 5) your Eagle aluminum siding on using the existing that will eliminate moisture and air. pieces on the body to align all joints. You can now install your insulation at this point. I chose to use two layers of ½” blue sheet insulation found at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Liquid nails hold it in place nicely.
Figure 5
6. Mount the Door latch (Mine came from a big truck junk yard – from a wrecked Freightliner - $10.00) and Dead Bolt (found a stainless steel one at Big Lots for less than $6.00 bucks). See Figure below.
Eagle aluminum siding
Mount the Door latch
7. With the door latch and dead bolt installed on the door it is time to install the latch bolt on the doorframe. Make it adjustable. You will appreci- ate this later.
8. Once all welding is completed I chose to fill
www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 41
11. If you want to look around a little you might find a builder who has some scrap that they have left over from pouring a slab floor. The price is right going this way. Contractors have to pay to have their scrap hauled off so you are saving them money.
12. I was fortunate enough to find an aluminum sign that a friend of mine had in his scrap pile. I cut out a piece that could be glued and rivet- ed in 4 places to the window frame area. I cut this large enough to cover a couple of mistakes, Opps those were errors in judgments. Here are a couple of pictures of what I am talking about. Look close and you can see the orange side of the aluminum sign.
Orange side of the aluminum sign Pic 2
Orange side of the aluminum sign Pic 1
www.BusConversionMagazine.com 42 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019
13. The next step is to have the window installed. 14. Here are a couple of pitures of the door that Again you have two choices: may be helpful.
A) Have a frame made up and then install the frame in the window opening. This can be a solid window or it can have a slider in it. This will no doubt be quite pricey IMHO.
B) Have a Glass Shop cut the safety glass to fit the frame. They will use a special paint around the edge about 1½” wide. They will then apply a heavy bead of black windshields adhesive and when it sets you are set. I was surprised, at the look and the final out come. See Figure 6.
Door Picture form Outside
Figure 6
www.BusConversionMagazine.com September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 43
17. You will need some type of door stop or restraint. Here is a door stop that I made from scrap stuff. Don’t look at the dirt – the coach needs washing – on the list to do – one day. See Figure 7 for another method.
Figure 7 Figure 7 pic 2
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With your subscription, you also have access to many Back Issues
Figure 7 Pic 3 Two brackets – one fastened to coach frame about midway down door opening and the other at a corresponding point on the hinged frame of the door. The green is either webbing (preferably nylon) or a piece of an old leather belt.
16. Skin the inside of the door to match your inte- rior. Click Here to see the List of all Articles
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO
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17. If you have to bend the tubing yourself it can be done by making a lot of saw kerfs through three sides of the tubing in the area you want to bend. It is better to have too many than not enough, the bend will be smother with more saw kerfs. Once the desired bend matches the pat- tern then its time to weld the kerfs up and grind down smooth and paint. This is also the labor-in- tensive way to do the job. Here are a couple of rough sketches. Figure 8.
Figure 8
Gene Lewis Gene Lewis received a B.S. Degree in Industrial Arts from East Carolina University in 1963. He spent seven years in the classroom as an Industrial Arts Teacher and then ventured into business for himself. During the past 40 plus years, he has continued his interest in different businesses as well as the industrial trades. In 1965 he built a fold-up camper trailer complete with a bed slide- out. Then, in 1967, he built a 10’-6” slide in truck camper in which he and his wife made an eight week trip to Alaska in June of 1968. Some four years later he moved up to the Motor Homes class (stick and staples) with 24’ and 27’ Winnebagos. It was during this time he was introduced to converted buses and was bitten with the “BusNut Bug”. Over the years he has remained active in designing and repairing different types of RV’s and accessories. With the demands of a growing business and family, the idea of converting a bus had to remain only a dream. In the late 1990’s, the dream became a reality. Out of the blue, a deal was struck for a 1968 Model 05 Silver Eagle. I was in great shape and came complete with all the records and paperwork from the day it was built in Belgium. Whoopi! The decision was made to convert the bus to a custom coach done by Gene, for Gene – converted his way. Gene and his amazing wife Frances have enjoyed the world of camping/RVing since they began their endless adventure, called marriage, some 55 years ago. The Lewises now include two married children and two grandsons, who they love spending time with. They presently make their home in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
www.BusConversionMagazine.com 46 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019 BUS BIT By Gary Hatt An Easier Method to Drain your Oil Filter S Take a sharp object, a punch or screwdriver, touch it to the bottom of the filter, and tap on the bottom of the punch with a pair of pliers, drain plug wrench, or hammer. This punches a hole in the bottom of the oil filter and all of the oil drains out, hopefully into the drain pan.
Then when you remove the oil filter, you can remove it without having oil run down your arms and sleeves making a mess, or having the filter full of oil fall on the floor and running all over your ground or in your pit, or if in a drain pan, splashing all over your face. Been there done that. Let’s face it, draining your oil is a messy job. I don’t r care who you are. So when I change my oil, I try to Then your filters are already empty so they can just make it as easy as possible. be discarded in the usual way. This also works for fuel b e e er b filters, coolant filters, hydraulic filters and any other One thing you can do to make the job easier that I fluid filters you may have on your other equipment. These unique buses can be converted to make a learned from my diesel mechanic Joe Maser in Eu- Our readers love helpful hints. perfect dream home on wheels, mobile o ce, or gene, OR is, after draining the engine oil, put the If you have a Bus Bit, send it to simply a one-of-a-kind means of transportation. drain plug back in and then slide the drain pan under [email protected] and we will extend your subscription for another year or give a Bus Nut friend a the oil filter(s). 1-year subscription. Some Double Decker buses have a unique open top for evening star gazing, sightseeing, or a pleasant outdoor evening with family and friends. They even make a wonderful permanent resi- dence when parked on a privately owned lot and are great for a Guest House or an Airbnb.
As a mobile o ce, these spacious vehicles pro- Advertise your business here… vide ample room for community outreach services, on-the-road meetings, church gather- $158 per month for a ings, sports teams, fund raising events, etc. Double Decker buses can even be used for large capacity media viewing areas. Perfect for political 1/2 page! candidates, mobile medical providers, veterinari- ans, or any industry that provides goods or click here to learn more services to remote areas.
This unconventional mode of transportation makes for a unique environment with endless possibilities! Get yours now. For more info contact [email protected]. www.BusConversionMagazine.com or call (714) 614-0373 S
r b e e er b These unique buses can be converted to make a perfect dream home on wheels, mobile o ce, or simply a one-of-a-kind means of transportation.
Some Double Decker buses have a unique open top for evening star gazing, sightseeing, or a pleasant outdoor evening with family and friends. They even make a wonderful permanent resi- dence when parked on a privately owned lot and are great for a Guest House or an Airbnb.
As a mobile o ce, these spacious vehicles pro- vide ample room for community outreach services, on-the-road meetings, church gather- ings, sports teams, fund raising events, etc.
Double Decker buses can even be used for large capacity media viewing areas. Perfect for political candidates, mobile medical providers, veterinari- ans, or any industry that provides goods or services to remote areas.
This unconventional mode of transportation makes for a unique environment with endless possibilities! Get yours now. For more info contact [email protected]. or call (714) 614-0373 48 BCM BUS CONVERSION September 2019
Advertise your business here… $245 per month for a FULL PAGE!
click here to learn more
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Extraordinary History of the Scenicruiser Buses Magazine Scenicruising SKOOLIE.com Quality crafted conversions and fabrication The Greyhound Scenicruiser Story IG: skoolie_com email: [email protected] www.lulu.com/spotlight/Scenicruising
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1989 Prevost XL
PRICE: $15,000 Bus Year: 1989 Engine: Detroit 8V92T
Click HERE for more info.
To see more bus conversions for sale, click HERE to visit the Classified Ads on our Website.
1981 MCI/MC9
PRICE REDUCED: $15,000 Contact Number: (281) 796-7787 Bus Year: 1992 Motor: 6V92T Bus Location: San Benita, Texas Sellers Name: William Friar
Click HERE for more info.
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1962 PD-4106
PRICE: $28,000 Contact Number: (719) 661-1932 Bus Year: 1962 Motor: 8V71 Bus Location: Colorado Springs, CO Sellers Name: Shirley
Click HERE for more info.
To see more bus conversions for sale, click HERE to visit the Classified Ads on our Website.
1975 Prevost La Mirage Bus
PRICE: $??? Contact Number: (928) 242-1275 Bus Year: 1975 Motor: ?? Bus Location: ?? Sellers Name:Elnora
Click HERE for more info.
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Bristol VR BRITISH LEYLAND
PRICE: $25,000 US PRICE: $23,000 US Contact Number: (714) 614-0373 Contact Number: (714) 614-0373 Bus Year: 1980 Bus Year: 1992 Motor: Gardner 6lxb Motor: Cuminns L10, Diesel, 6 cylinder. Sellers Name: Gary Hatt Sellers Name: Gary Hatt
Click HERE for more info. Click HERE for more info.
To see more bus conversions for sale, click HERE to visit the Classified Ads on our Website.
1984 MCI Bus Conversion 1981 MCI MC-9 Conversion PRICE: $7,500 Contact Number: (618) 841-2195 8V71 with 5-Speed Allison Bus Year: 1984 PRICE REDUCED: $37,700 Bus Location: Southern Illinois Location: Florence, WI Sellers Name: Angie Crowder Call Bill at (715) 528-5225
Click HERE for more info. Click HERE for more info
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Click Here to See Video
1968 Eagle Model 05 1989 Eagle Conversion PRICE REDUCED: $20,000 PRICE: $60,000 Contact Number: (910) 893-8892 Contact Number: (865) 399-1993 Bus Year: 1968 Bus Year: 1989 Motor: 8V71, 4 Speed Spicer Motor: Allison Automatic Transmission Bus Location: Buies Creek, NC Bus Location: Kingston, Tennessee Sellers Name: Gene Lewis Sellers Name: Gail
Click HERE for more info. Click HERE for more info.
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1995 Dina 1975 MODEL 05 EAGLE PRICE: $49,000 PRICE: $55,000 Contact Number: (773) 858-3473 Contact Number: (360) 636-2895 Bus Year: 1995 Bus Year: 1975 Motor: Allison B500 Motor: 3406 B Model Cat 400 HP Bus Location: Chicago, IL Bus Location: Longview, WA Sellers Name: Wulf Ward Sellers Name: Vic Crane
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MCI – MC-9 with 1987 MCI-9 PRICE: $29,999 Detroit 6V92 Engine Contact Number: (406) 521-0651 Bus Year: 1987 PRICE: $49,000 Motor: Detroit 6V92 Turbo DDEC and Located in Kerrville, TX HD 740 Allison Trans Call Frank at (830) 928-2303 Bus Location: Montana Sellers Name: Gary Ferguson Click HERE for more info. Click HERE for more info.
To see more bus conversions for sale, click HERE to visit the Classified Ads on our Website.
1965 MCI Conversion Bus 1984 Eagle 10 – 8″ Roof Raise PRICE: $69,000 PRICE: $58,995 Contact Number: (954) 298-7507 Contact Number: (937) 548-0686 Bus Year: 1965 Bus Year: 1984 Motor: 4500K Allison Transmission Motor: 6V92 Detroit Diesel Bus Location: South Florida Bus Location: Greenville,OH Sellers Name: Linda Rucerito Sellers Name: Becky Collins
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GM PD41XX SERIES BUSES
1990 Prevost LeMirage XL PRICE: $52,000 Looking for GM Intercity coaches left in the world. Contact Number: (224) 856 5364 Coaches are being tracked by serial number and Bus Year: 1990 location, city and state. Any status: conversion, seated or Current Miles: 96,000 scrapped. Even buses sitting in fields, I would like to add their numbers to the list. All GM coaches built between Motor: Angola. Detroit Diesel 8V92 1947 and 1980, with the exception of Scenicruisers. Bus Location: Campton Hills, IL 60124 Sellers Name: Rosemary Sayre Call Jon at (760) 272-4081 Click HERE for more info. or email: [email protected]
To see more bus conversions for sale, click HERE to visit the Classified Ads on our Website.
1984 MCI 9 1974 MCI8 – 871 Detroit PRICE: $35,000 REDUCED PRICE: $5,000 Contact Number: (605) 759-1385 Contact Number: (218) 329 6246 Bus Year: 1984 Bus Year: 1974 Current Miles: 852,000: Motor: 871 Detroit with Allison Transmission Bus Location: Sioux Falls, SD Bus Location: Hawley,MN Sellers Name: Brian Wheeler Sellers Name: Rick Peterson
Click HERE for more info. Click HERE for more info.
www.BusConversionMagazine.com If you own a bus conversion or an RV or are considering building your own or purchasing one, you should subscribe to Bus Conversion Magazine. This is the only periodical dedicated and authored by Bus Nuts like you. The majority of our articles come from our readers, both amateurs and professional bus converters, who share their experiences of building, maintaining, living in and traveling by bus. SUBSCRIPTION FORM Online Digital Subscription - Circle One: RECIPIENT INFORMATION 1 Year ($19) 2 Years ($34) 3 Years ($44) ○ Same as Billing Monthly Digital Magazine Name Recurring Subscription $1.75 Email: BILLING INFORMATION
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Index
96 A3 3 MCI MC-8 43 102 A3 4 MCI MC-8 44 120 A3 5 Metroliner AN 340/3, 340/5 45 102C3 6 Metroliner AN 340/3, 340/5 46 Articulated AN 460 7 Neoplan Articulated AN 460 47 Articulated AN 460 8 Neoplan Cityliner AN 116/3 48 C2045E 9 Neoplan Metroliner AN 340/3,345/3 49 Cityliner AN 116/3 10 Neoplan Skyliner AN 122/3 50 Cityliner AN 116/3 11 Neoplan Spaceliner AN 117/3 51 Dina Viaggio 1000 12 Prestige 52 D Series 13 Prevost H3-45 H3-41 53 E Series 14 Prevost Le Mirage XL II 54 Eagle Model 01 15 Prevost Le Mirage 3 345-3 55 Eagle 05 16 Prevost Prestige 56 Eagle 15 17 Prevost X3-453 345-3 57 Eagle 20 18 Prestige Intercity Coach 58 F3500 19 S215 HDH 59 G4500 20 S215 HDH 60 GMC PD 4104 21 S217 HDH 61 GMC PD 4106 22 S417 HDH 62 GMC PD 4107 23 Setra S215 HDH 63 GMC PD4903,05 24 Setra S217 HDH 64 H3-41, 45 25 Setra S417 HDH 65 J4500 26 Skliner AN 122/3 66 Le Mirage 27 Skliner AN 122/3 67 Le Mirage XL II 28 Spaceliner AN 117/3 68 MC-5 29 Spaceliner AN 117/3 69 MC-7 30 T800-35 70 MC-8 31 T800-40 71 MC-9 32 T800-35 72 MCI 96A3 33 T815 Vanhool 73 MCI 102A3 34 T900-40 45 74 MCI 102C3 35 T915-40 45 75 MCI D 36 T900-40 45 76 MCI E 37 T915-40 45 77 MCI F3500 38 Vanhool T800-35 78 MCI G4500 39 Vanhool T800-40 79 MCI J4500 40 Vanhool T800-4 80 MCI MC-5 41 Vanhool T815 81 MCI MC-7 42 Vanhool T900-40 45 82
www.BusConversionMagazine.com BUS EVENTS For the most up-to-date Event Information Click Here: https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/events/ September For further info, contact Al Roeske: Northwestern Bus Nuts Rally [email protected] Sep 19-22, 2019 www.nwbusnuts.com Guaranty RV Travel Center and RV Park Junction City, OR Click Here
Southeast Bus Nuts Autumn Rally Rallymaster: Ed Fisher Sep 26-29, 2019 For more information go to: American Heritage RV Park www.sebusnuts.org Williamsburg, VA
2019 Blytheville, AR Antique Bus Homecoming Contact: Tom’s Garage Sep 27-29, 2019 (309) 253-2169 109 N 5th St, Blytheville, AR 72315-3319, United States Watch Video
Eagle Bus Rally Contact: First week in September, 2019 Mel & Trish Legg (308) 850-1251 Kingsley Dam RV State Park Wayne & Lin Schell Ogallala, NE (303) 591-0372 or (970) 224-9020
October
Tiny Living Festival California Contact: October 5-6, 2019 John & Fin Kernohan: (706) 623-4332 Richmond Art Center [email protected] Richmond, CA www.UnitedTinyHouse.com
67th Annual California RV Show October 4-13, 2019 Contact: Tom Gaither Auto Club Speedway [email protected] (775) 772-3023 Fontana, CA www.californiarvshow.org $2 off with this ad!
Dam Rally Pre-Rally - Oct 30 - 31, 2019 Rally - November 01 - 03, 2019 Lake Shore RV Park at Willow Beach RV Park 268 Lakeshore Rd. Call (928) 767-4747 for reservations Boulder City, NV 89005 Contact: Tom Vanozzi Call (702) 293-2540 for reservations [email protected] Ask for parking in rows 8&9 January 2020
Flxible Owners International Sportsman’s Club Contact Winter Rally 2020 6225 Sunburst St. Matt Merz (562) 715-8526 January 09-12 Joshua Tree, CA ALL BUSES WELCOME!
BCI Quartzsite Arizona Rally Contact: January 21-25, 2020 Tony Saraceni: (307) 250-6966 Quartzsite, AZ [email protected]
Skooliepalloza 2020 For More Info January 20-27, 2020 Ehrenberg, AZ Click Here
March 2020
5th Annual SoCal Mini-Rally Contact: Buck Trout March 27-29, 2020 [email protected] Bonelli Bluffs RV Resort & Campground Call the park to make reservations: (Formally East Shore RV Park) (800) 809-3778 Request to park in Section B www.bonellibluffsrv.com
Southeast Bus Nuts Autumn Rally Rallymaster: Lou Kirk Lou Kirk’s Residence For more information go to: January 9-12, 2020 www.sebusnuts.org Saint Cloud, FL
Having a rally? Let us know! We will help you spread the word. If you or someone you know is hosting a bus rally, we invite you to send us the information so that we can announce it here in the magazine for Bus Nuts. You can send it to us up to 11 months before the rally date so that we have time to get news of your rally out there. Then af- ter the rally, send us photos and a story about the rally. We will make your rally famous.
Email your info to [email protected] September 2019 BUS CONVERSION BCM 61 Bus Parts Liquidation Sale! These are just a few of the parts available. Call John Zahn now to find out more!
RandM Front Cap, Windshield Frame, and Breast Plate Eagle 01 Rear Torsilastic for 102-015 Eagle $1000 Suspension $1,000 Each
Air Cleaner for Eagle 8V92 $350
JOHN ZAHN Many new and used Eagle parts.
be sure toWhen ask for you the call, “
discount. Phone: (714) 703-8200 Gary Hatt”
E-mail: [email protected] 1946 East Occidental Street Fax: (714) 259-7575
Santa Ana CA,92705
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RV Parts Center [email protected] (714) 703-8200
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I had the same problem. I was tinkering last year in Florida and tried a 2 x 4 that I planned on an angle like a wedge at the seat side and put it flat on the floor in front of the peddles with 2 small screws through it into the floor trim and wow! What a difference. Now my foot is 1.5 “ higher than it was and I do not have my heal floating in the air like it was before. I know, cheap fix, but it works great and after we got home I stained it the color of the floor.
I looked at different pedals and I tried a block on the pedal in different sizes but the 2 x 4 on the floor felt better.
Accelerator Pedal Riser Post by: Utahclaimjumper This was one of the first things I did on my present Post by: richard5933 coach. A small block also changes the leverage applied to the pedal to your advantage (by changing the angle of Finally determined what’s causing my right knee to hurt; attack). So less pressure is needed. my accelerator pedal is just a bit too far to the right and a bit too far from my seat. Being only 5’-2” tall, this is Post by: richard5933 nothing new. This time I’m a bit short (pun intended) of ideas for solving it. It’s an air throttle, so fortunately the amount of pressure required is minimal. What’s causing the problem is just I don’t have cruise control and don’t want it, so let’s having to hold my leg elevated for the entire time I’m leave that out of the conversation. The problem is com- driving. I’m thinking of adding the pedal extension and ing from ‘floating’ my heel over the pedal while I press adding a riser mounted where my heel goes to provide a the pedal with my toes for the hours that I’m driving. This place for my heel to rest, taking the weight off my knee. is causing pain in the top of my knee under the knee cap since it causes constant tension in the muscles. Post by: Utahclaimjumper
Oddly, the brake treadle is perfect for me, as is the It’s simpler to just try the heel riser first. That way you clutch pedal. I think that because the accelerator is can experiment with different heights as needed. slightly offset to the right of the seat it makes it just enough of a stretch to be a problem. Post by: DoubleEagle
I did try moving the seat close, but then it’s too close to I had a similar problem on my Model 05 Eagle, years comfortably use the brake and clutch. And I can’t move ago, not so much with elevation, but with the angle my the accelerator without moving the brake pedal since foot was in while going down the road. I fashioned an they share the same mounting platform. aluminum mounting plate out of some heavy aluminum angle that left a 3/4” riser on the bottom to rest my heal So, I’m trying to come up with a way to build a riser on on, and adjustment screws so that I could change the the accelerator. Right now my idea is to get a pedal angle of the whole unit. I have thirteen pieces on metal cover and a 1” piece of some type of rigid foam behind it in my right leg, so finding a comfortable position was and make a riser block for the pedal. desirable for long trips. When I had it finally adjusted, I had my foot at a right angle to my leg with the throttle at Anyone already done this or seen something similar? I’d the highway cruising level. My heel rested on the bottom rather not reinvent the wheel if there is already a solution riser, and my foot was comfortable for hours. In your out there. case, just add in elevation, if you can separate the fuel pedal from the mounting platform for everything else, Post by: luvrbus otherwise, adding a shaped wood block might be best. One consideration is being able to transfer your foot Heavy equipment dealers like Cat sold the risers for from the accelerator to the brake pedal without getting years. I have purchased a few sets for short legged op- hung up (as you know better than most of us, you never erators before but they are not called risers and I forgot know when someone is going to cause you to brake what Cat called them. suddenly).
Post by: Ed Hackenbruch Post by: Gary Hat
The PO of my bus made one out of wood, which had In my MC-9 I still had the original air ride seat that the a couple of different levels for your heel so you could Greyhound drivers sat in for hours on end and it did not change the angle of your foot. I used it for several years have cruise control. The seat air cylinder leaked a bit. I and then found out that I liked it better without it so took would have to air it back up about every 45 minutes to it off. an hour as it would go completely down in that span of time. Post by: sledhead
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I was going to fix it but decided against it. I discovered on long hauls, that the settling seat worked to my ad- Post by: Ed Hackenbruch vantage as the angle of my knee and hence foot would change over time and I would “reset” it several times on Just get some women’s high heel shoes in different a long road trip. That prevented me from sitting in the heights and see which one works the best for you! ;D same position for hours on end i.e. same knee and foot On the subject of cruise control, 20 years ago we bought angle. My legs, feet never tired on a long drive. a used Jeep light Wagoneer. Once while my wife was driving it and twice while I was driving it, the gas pedal Just a thought. Sometimes simple things in life are easi- went to the floor and we took off. I disabled it and years er. Or maybe I was just too lazy to fix the air leak. later when the turn signal/cruise control stalk went bad and I replaced it, I found that where the wires went into Post by: richard5933 the steering column they had worn thru and came into contact with each other and the metal of the steering Hmmm...installing an air seat...that’s an idea. column. Evidently under the right conditions it would activate itself. And no, we were not using it any of the Post by: Geoff times that it happened. Also had it happen one time on an old van that had, I believe, an aftermarket system on I get cramps in my leg from driving long hours, no matter it. I disabled that one too! what I am driving. The first thing you said is you don’t want cruise control, but for me that is the only solution Post by: oltrunt to having to have my leg cramped. With cruise control; I can move my cramped leg straight into the isle, flex it The accelerator pedal on my little bus is neither air oper- and move it about to get rid of the cramps. I love cruise ated nor linkage operated - it is fly by wire. Thanks to control and have spent a lot of money to keep it opera- the short wheel base and heavy springs even the slight- tional. est irregularity in the road caused my foot to peck at the accelerator. It made the ride in the bus feel something Post by: richard5933 like a bull ride in a bar. Once I installed cruise, the buck- ing stopped and my leg quit hurting from playing catch This might sound odd, but it still haunts me whether or up with the pedal. Nothing is ever simple is it? not the cruise control on our 4106 contributed in any way to a delayed response when we were involved in a head-on collision. For that reason alone, I’m reluctant Post by: sledhead to even consider adding cruise to our current bus. Might this change in the future? Perhaps. But, for now the only Cruise control is a must on everything. thing that’s going to mash down the go pedal is my right foot.
Post by: chessie4905
Cruise control may have contributed to crash? Doesn’t it release when you hit the brake pedal?
I went to a truck salvage yard and purchased a used air ride seat. It was good mechanically, but the cushions were rough. Turns out, Bostrom sells a kit composed of new foam and new fabric seat and back. I made a template of the old seat pedestal (GM original) and of the Bostrom seat. Three holes line up on adapter plate and the other requires a stud. I dry fitted it before making pattern. Air supply is right under seat and comes through the one unused hole. Air ride seat has seat belt attach- ments. I’ll be able to adjust ride height as needed.
Post by: richard5933
Yes it did. The cruise shut down immediately with the brake pedal application. The fraction of a second that it took going from accelerator to brake pedal is what I’m talking about. I know that it verges on ridiculous to think about fractions of a second, but I still wonder if a fraction of a second would have made a difference.
Back to the topic here, an air seat is a great idea for the future but for now I’m going to start with building a pedal riser.
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You can’t tell from the photo, but the accelerator is actu- ally a bit higher now.
You make a good point though. I’ll have to do a little test- ing to be sure that there is no chance of a problem.
Post by: Lin
I also had a problem with the angle and extension of my foot on the accelerator. I cut a wedge from a 2x3 and temporarily duct taped it to the pedal. It worked fine by placing my foot in a neutral position while on the road. That was about 10 years ago. At some point I will have to update the duct tape I suspect. Advertise your Post by: sledhead
Yup! At some point practicality has to trump all the glitz and glitter. business here… Post by: richard5933 Here’s what I’ve come up with so far. It’s a replacement $88 per month pedal cover from a Kenworth truck which I hot glued to a 1” thick piece of very dense foam. There are two Velcro straps which hold it to the OEM pedal. This gives me about 1-1/4” of extra reach, which should be plenty. for a I think that it looks pretty good and is hardly noticeable. If it works well, this might be a keeper. 1/4 page! Post by: DoubleEagle
Yes, it looks nice, but now both pedals are on the same click here to learn more plane (or closely), which might lead to pedal confusion in a tight situation.
Post by: richard5933
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