[popafink]

I just bought a flat nose bus to build toter home out of. My plan is to the remove the back wall, cut 15' of body of and put the rear wall back on. The I have a 17' rollback tow truck bed I want to mount on the rear of the bus.

Question do you think that a rollback bed and car on it would be to much weight behind the rear axle?

My thinking:
Fuel tank with 150gal =1250lbs
15' of body and seats =2200lbs ?????
Rough weight removed behind axle 3300lbs

Rollback weight 2700lb
Heavy car 5000lb
Total 7700lb

So roughly 4400 lb more behind the axle. But I would move the fuel up by the front axle so it would be a counter weight

Do you think the steering would be light

 

[RoosterBooster*]

some pictures and more specs would help :flipoff2:

what is the WB, how much overhang, what axle, frame, engine, etc

definitely sounds interesting :smokin:

 

[popafink]

Its a flat nose bus thatnis 40ft long. The rear overhangs about 15' right now and would over hang 17' when done

 

[GONRACIN]

Like this?:

From here:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/tow-rigs-trailers/1069580-project-bluebird-bus-rv-conversion-2.html

 

[Machinos]

What are the axle ratings? Flat front buses usually have extra-heavy axles, but having the entire (heavy) car and bed hanging past the back axle might be too much, you might need to put it farther forward.

 

[bigun]

So you decided to build rather than buy, or did the guy in Alb. never get a hold of you?

 

[parkers30]

Do the math on how much weight in human bodies would be be back axle if the bus were full to capacity. I bet it will be suprising...

How many rows of seats would be removed?

Watch the overall vehicle length also, I thought flat nose buses were generally the max 45' from the factory.

 

[Machinos]

A school bus wont be more than 40' generally, full-size motorcoaches go all the way up to 45'

 

[popafink]

I got a pretty good deal on the bus and the guy in Albuquerque got a hold of me but that bus had a motor that I do not want. I got one with a p-pumped dt466 :evil: that's what I was thinking with the fuel being moved in the people not to be back there in the bus it I think I'll have more than enough gvw. By the way the gvw is 34400. the reason for not just leaving a flatbed on it is because we do demolition derbies so half the time we have to figure out how to get the car back on the trailers. so with a rollback bed. I can till and winch it on there and not have to worry about it ramps kcking and what not.

 

[bigun]

Good deal

 

[Machinos]

I think you've got way more than enough GVW to spare, but it's gonna be a real heavy lever back there

 

[RoosterBooster*]

imho i would check with max single vehicle law ...
if you extend the 40 foot to 42 you may shoot yourself in the foot

i personally would cut the body 2 extra foot shorter for balance anyway
17 foot overhang would be too much for my taste (swing out will be a bitch )