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Project - BlueBird Bus RV Conversion

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Sir Flipsalot

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
I have been towing my buggy around with a C-Class for too long. The frame extension in the back is fawked and I am sick of the 400 sbc sucking the fuel. The last time I took it out I got a tick in the motor for my troubles. Sitting around the campfire, bitching about it and talking about how I would like a Diesel bus, my friend said "I have a bus, want to buy it?" - I said "fawk yes!"

My C-Class:

Image
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
The inspiration:

http://www.skewly.com/

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I have 33' of floor space behind the dog house to work with. 7.5' wide.

I want a small garage in the back for tools/welder/etc. That is also where I will house the water tank, propane tanks, hot water heater and generator.
I then want a separate area for colleen and I to sleep, then a full sized shower, then a bunk house for the kids, then kitchen/dinette/couch area in the front.

So far the plan is to take everything out of my C-Class and transfer it over, unless somebody want to offer me 3K for my C-Class, then I will start looking for a wrecked trailer to part out.
 
Discussion starter · #5 · (Edited)
Some info on registering it as a RV: (In Ontario)

You need to do FOUR of the following seven things:

Cooking facilities
a refrigerator or an ice box
a self-contained toilet
a heating or air conditioning system
an independent electrical power supply
an independent gas supply
a potable water supply system with faucet and sink.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
The reasoning for the garage in the back:

- It eliminates any need for doing any sheet metal work in the back
- Garage has a separate door for access - no need to disturb the kids when accessing it
- Water tank, propane can go back there eliminating the need for hiding this stuff under furniture, etc and everything can just be run forward making the water/elec/propane run easy.
- Welding can be done out the back door
-Kids bikes, toys, BBQ, etc and be shoved in the back without disturbing the finished parts of the bus.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
87manche said:
I sent a link to a guy in our club that has pretty much the same bluebird.

It's a big bastard!

I think he said it weighs in @ 22k.

this build should be fawesome.
Click to expand...
I imagine that would be Gross. If you do the math, 14 rows of seats - 200lb average per person = 11,200 lbs capacity. I will look at the sticker when I get it home and check GVW for sure...
 
#10 ·
Sir Flipsalot said:
I imagine that would be Gross. If you do the math, 14 rows of seats - 200lb average per person = 11,200 lbs capacity. I will look at the sticker when I get it home and check GVW for sure...
Click to expand...
I doubt it's 22k gross. No way that thing only weighs 11k empty.

I'm guessing 18-19k empty and 30k gross.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
MT4Runner said:
I doubt it's 22k gross. No way that thing only weighs 11k empty.

I'm guessing 18-19k empty and 30k gross.
Click to expand...
Looks like your about right:

On the average, a 38', 84 passenger school bus weighs in between 11 & 14 Tons (22,000 to 28,000 pounds) curb weight without passengers. When you add 84 passengers, say high school students, that can add up to 14,700 additional pounds in weight, bringing the total up to about 42,700 pounds
 
#13 ·
Sir Flipsalot said:
I imagine that would be Gross. If you do the math, 14 rows of seats - 200lb average per person = 11,200 lbs capacity. I will look at the sticker when I get it home and check GVW for sure...
Click to expand...
it probably included the trailer and his XJ on tons in that number. or I may be completely wrong.

I sent him a link. you guys can talk bluebird.
 
#14 ·
I'm not posting to be a Debbie Downer....I know my UHaul is about 14k empty, and that bus has to weigh more than it.

Screw opinions, let's talk tech. :laughing:

What does your new bus have for rearend gears?
What does it have for a transmission? Guessing Allison? AT-540? 545?

Friend's 68? passenger 1991 DT360-powered buses get about 7-8mpg loaded with elementary kids and a 5-speed manual.
 
Discussion starter · #15 · (Edited)
Damn, I wish I took a pic of the info plaque LOL

The gears were in the high 4's if I remember correctly.
Tranny is the 545.

We had it up to 65 mph on the dirt road by his house, From what I have read they top out at about 67 mph - I have a couple options if I want to go faster, he said there is one size taller tire I can go to, to change the rear gears, or change the governor spring on the pump to get higher RPM's. That being said though, I think 67 MPH would be fine for what I want to do....
 
#16 ·
Faster on the governor spring = more fuel burned! :laughing:

I was mostly wondering if you can keep the engine at a happy RPM while traveling at your intended highway speed. Around here, they have "school" buses and "tournament" buses. 90% of them are "school" buses that spend most of their lives at 25-45mph doing pickups and dropoffs, and maybe 30-40% of their time at 55mph-ish after they're loaded or empty, and probably can't go faster than 55-60mph. The "tournament" buses have highway gears, since they spend 2-4 hours traveling between towns at 65-70mph.
 
#18 ·
I think he said his tops out about 70, it was a day camp activity bus, so I'd imagine that it was a highway bus. He was getting 6-8MPG, but hadn't figured up mileage since he fixed a leaking fuel line, and had fixed something else in the motor, injector maybe.

From when I was doing research on finding myself highway gears I saw that most of the busses were geared 4.78.
 
#19 ·
With an auto I'd expect about 8mpg on the highway. The newer buses with lockup TCs and Cat engines will get 10mpg or so.

Full-size conventionals weigh 15-16k depending on the year/options, but transit-style buses like you have are built heavier overall (heavier front axle, etc.) in addition to all the extra sheet metal. Maybe 18k? School buses are designed for extreme duty and to stay intact in a rollover, and obviously that adds a ton of weight over a regular motorhome. I've wondered if anyone has tried removing the interior layer of sheet metal from a bus... it might be fine but it might also kink the body the first time you went over a crooked driveway or something.

The conversion you linked is really nice except for the RV door in place of the original door, which is completely unacceptable for visibility reasons. Buses have ridiculous blind spots to begin with and there's no way he can decently see to the right with that door. Combined with the lack of hood mirrors he's probably tried to change lanes into a car next to him more than once. If you're going to add an RV door you should put it farther back on the body... the way RVs do it.
 
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