The Good News Bus

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Bigdogger is probably president of the HOA. Never had an inspection like that at any RV park yet.......Some of you need to loosen up some. Sound like a bunch of old busy bodies with nothing to do but criticize others without ever considering the skills that it took to do something like that. Do you really think someone would do all that and not consider safety????? I suppose that just because it has a sticker on it that means its safe? Ever seen or heard of a RV with that sticker beside the road burning? Maybe he can get a fire extinguisher from the Good News bus without that sticker.LOL!

When I lived in California, I believe it was the 70s or 80s, a home conversion caught fire in the Cajon pass, Several fatalities, This was the reason they started keeping them out of RV parks.

deandec wrote:

qtla9111 wrote:
didn't get charged 300K for a bus with furniture.

:B :C

:C

qtla9111 wrote:
didn't get charged 300K for a bus with furniture.

:B :C

They did a fantastic job, saved tons of money and probably have no debt. They have a safe, warm/cool place to hang out on the road which most people can't even imagine owning.

As for safety, the rv industry is highly unregulated. That's why there is so much junk hanging around on rv lots not to mention the fact that I have never seen a video of a school bus conversion that has caught on fire like all the other rv videos showing burning rvs.

I congratulate the people who did something out of the box, on their own and didn't get charged 300K for a bus with furniture.

artguys wrote:
Jarlaxle...those are most definitely not 11X22.5s...if you look closer you'll see the cast iron spoked hub, which in turn would be attached to the steering knuckle which in turn would be attached to a kingpin and straight axle...The rim is a 20" Dayton style single lock ring rim...and having been in that industry for enough time to know that the tires used in that config were 20" either a 9.00 or 10.00 tube type.

To the best of what I remember, to convert, a different knuckle would be required. And for that reason probably better to find a used axle assembly at a truck salvage dealer.

Driving the bus with those tires could be a very large problem.

You're not paying attention: my Genesis uses 11R22.5's with the same Dayton wheels!

Like it or not, a project like that is a huge undertaking. Much more than I certainly would like to take on. You have to at least give credit for all the work that was done. If the owner is happy with the end result, that's all that matters. Overall, I think that they did a nice job on that old bus.

I'll admit though, I thought the same as others here when I first saw the 2X4 framing throughout. Could've used 2x3 instead and 2x2's in some areas and saved some space and weight (although I agree that I doubt weight is that much of a factor in this instance). But that's just me thinking out loud after seeing someone elses completed project.

Jarlaxle...those are most definitely not 11X22.5s...if you look closer you'll see the cast iron spoked hub, which in turn would be attached to the steering knuckle which in turn would be attached to a kingpin and straight axle...The rim is a 20" Dayton style single lock ring rim...and having been in that industry for enough time to know that the tires used in that config were 20" either a 9.00 or 10.00 tube type.

To the best of what I remember, to convert, a different knuckle would be required. And for that reason probably better to find a used axle assembly at a truck salvage dealer.

Driving the bus with those tires could be a very large problem.

And some live in a "bubble". Where our farm is there is no zoning, no building permits, no plumbing-electric-or any other kind of inspection. That's country! On the other hand our daughter just bought a new house in Holly Springs, NC in a higher end HOA community that had 42 code violations that would not have been disclosed had she not had it inspected......everything is not as it seems. That bus wouldn't suit me but I still admire the skills it took to build it. Everyone does not have income or taste to have a high end bus like I have but that doesen't mean that what they have don't serve their needs. Maybe I can get them to fix some of the things I am not smart enough to fix.......

artguys wrote:
Interesting they chose to keep the OE 900 or 1000x 20 tube type tires and rims...note; tube type tires and rims not able to convert without changing the entire axle assemblies.

Those look like the same 11R22.5's my Genesis uses. And you most certainly can convert from tube tires to tubeless without changing the axle!

smlranger wrote:
My first thought was how heavy it would be when they are done. I also think leaving so many windows (single pane I would think) will make it less than desirable in cold weather.

Anyway, I can see a time when I was much younger where I might have thought it was a cool party bus. We age, our tastes change, etc.

Basically: you cannot cram enough into one of these to overload them. I'd bet they're 5000+lbs under the GVWR, fully loaded to camp.