So I’m buying a short bus…

#2
Here's mine, complete with wheelchair lift aka minibike/Honda monkey loader/unloader on the pass side. If it wasn't for my hernia problems, i was about top take off for a 3 month trip out west in it back in july, but thats gonna have to wait until after the surgery and recovery. So hopefully this next summer me and "mornin wood" can take off with the monkey for some travels. I didn;t do any sort of insulation yet, but I did use 5% ceramic tint on almost all the windows and also used 65% solar no see um screens on the side windows. Those two things alone cut down interior heat quite a bit. My original bi fold bus doors had some slight damage, so I swapped in a rv door/screen door combo. I have both gas and solar power generators so I can boondock/off grid camp in it. Its a 2013 with the 6.0/6 spd auto/3.73 rear. Around here it gets about 12/14 mpg in the hills and mountains of appalachia but on the flats I have seen 15/16 mpg at 55-60 mph. I have removed the cats, put on a big block magnaflow mufler and sent the pcm out to be tuned for max power/mpg on 87 octane. I was able to fit a twin bed across the back which was my main priority, its a 14" cool gel memory foam and I sleep like a baby on it. Have a few more additions to do this winter if my surgery recovery allows such as a permanent window mounted ac unit for when I camp, will use one of the rear small windows for that. Right now i keep the ac unit under the bed and slide it in one of the side windows, but if i can make it perma mounted, that frees up more storage under the bed. Just my opinion but i'd opt for a 6.0 gm gasser, try to get 2010 and newer with the 6 spd auto trans as thats gonna be about your best mpg combo. I get better mpg then a buddy of mine with a similar bus with the duramax diesel and I have a lot less to worry about costs wise. You can custom tailer these short buses any way you want them, great for the diy'r. IMG_0068.JPG
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#4
Thanks, I have worked on it the last 2 summers. I'll get some pics of the inside before I take off for mini mayhem on friday. Its nothin fancy like some bus builds but its functional and still a work in progress. I am puttin a 24" tv and a dvd player in at the moment, the mount needed to be customized, which most everything has been that way. I also want to get some overhead racks put in for more storage. Its a Thomas built "my bus" model, has a slightly lower and more aero roof then majority of buses but there is still a hair over 6' of inside height.
 
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