sebdavid

Since I'd be alone in there most of the time, and because I don't really care about a dated interior, I think I'll still keep them in mind.

Snuckley

To answer the question about a bus conversion's towing capacity. They can pull 10-15000lbs easy. Total length may get over 65ft. with a long trailer on a 45 ft coach. Everyone's needs are different. I have way more enjoyment out of my bus than ever imagined. Find my reply a few pages back from acouple years back. A real bus is all electric, big genny, lots of battery power with a big inverter or two. I stop in NYC - no trailer hooked up - and can park in certain areas for "Bus Parking" that you can't do in an "RV". So I entertain clients in NYC in the biggest limo made. The interior rivals the Gulfstream 5. Sitting near a theatre or hotel or bus parking, no question are asked.
Pulling my car on a trailer is effortless. The coach is designed to haul 55 people and their luggage and keep them cool. The Bus Air is 12 tons. Plus 4 aux AC's when the Detroit is off and I am on genny(20kw). 300gals fuel, 200gals water. I do 3-4 day music fests and only use half of my storage.
So for me a real bus was the answer, everyone's needs are different. It is a buyers market for 1M bus conversion , lightly used for 100k. I can tell a buses age like we know vettes. There are buses running almost everyday for the past 30 years, I pass them on the road. They have 2-3,000,000 miles. Charlie Daniels driver told me last year he has over 3M on the main coach. Try that in your Winny. They are tall , heavy with low ground clearance, so they won't go where that Chevy/trailer combo above will, at the campground-over the grass and through the woods....May need the 80 ton tow truck....

sebdavid

I find a lot of "8V92" engines in the older Prevost, along with some Detroit series 60. Snuckley, do you know what the difference is and whether I need to stick with the series 60?

jaa1992

Yep, thats the one I saw. Sweet rig, If I win the lotto its something I would be interested in.

Snuckley

KInda like LT1 vs LS1 ....... +1 mpg for the Series 60, less smoke , less noise..........if you are really going to search for a bus, contact me via pm and I'll help you.... the right purchase can be very gratifying, you will laugh at the difference between the RV and bus converted by the pros.... I have a couple contacts in the industry who know of coaches for sale , not on the web. FYI Buses are made for ease of service, the engine slides out the back on a dolly and bolt the new one in. Some bus parts are cheap and some are pricey, there's a fair amount of DIY service. At times you'll wish 45ft was 28ft. The genny in these things is a $20,000 setup with outboard radiator and air exchanger fans. You need someone to look a 15 yr old bus over, biggest problem can be lack of use and longs periods of sitting. I drive mine regularly except when the snow comes. Some guys out West run chains and go skiing. There are homemade conversions, that turn out economically like a car restoration. Better off to have let someone else do it.

sebdavid

Thanks for the offer, I will contact you when I really start looking for one, but for now this idea seems really interesting from a value perspective. I'll try sticking with a series 60 engine.

What about fuel consumption compared to a diesel pusher? The bus weighs more so it probably drinks more, right?

Would I be correct in saying that a bus conversion should require less maintenance less often, but when something breaks it will usually be more expensive than an RV? Or not? The generator setup is sweet but in my experience with cars, the ones that are more expensive to start with are usually more expensive to maintain and service, and I can't do much by myself.