Converted Deuce VS 4x4 Shorty Bus

[1st and 25 Greenhorn]

Hey guys,

I have been following this board and a few others the past few months and I need some help figuring out which to buy...

My goal is to convert either a M35A2 or a 4x4 Shorty Bus into an tiny home / camper / rv. I am going to be traveling around the country in this full time. The plan to chase winter around 6 months out of the year to snowboard and the hop around boondocking and visiting national/state parks during non winter.

If I got a deuce, I would install a slide in camper in the back like several of you all have (envy)...If I got a bus, I would have to convert the entire thing into a livable area.

Both have their pros and cons for each. I know deuces have plenty of pros but some major concerns I have are black ice (hear its scary with 13,500lbs behind ya), brakes going out, height restrictions on bridges and tunnels with slide in camper attached, and the routine maintenance of the deuce on the road....like changing oil, axle seals, etc.

I prefer the deuce over the 4x4 Shorty Bus. Truthfully, it is hard to even find a good 4x4 bus for sale right now. The bus would give me more ability driving anywhere but offroad I feel like. I also believe the shorty bus would give me more SQFT but it would not get me as far as a deuce, if it was dumping snow.

I could talk for days about the pros and cons, but I know you all are smart enough to pick up on them. I mainly want to get your thoughts and opinions on what you think of converting a deuce vs a 4x4 shorty bus into a tiny home and traveling around the country. I know you all are creative!

Thanks in advance!
Chris

 

[someoldmoose]

For what you are describing, have you considered a 2 dr. HMMWV with a slide-in. Dunno how available they might be but in lieu of an M35 you get a more modern drivetrain, ABS, 4 wheel independent suspension, lower overall height . . . and it would just look B A.

 

[wreckerman893]

Depending on how much work you are able to put into it you could put a deuce drive line into an existing bus about as easy as you could convert a deuce into a motor home type vehicle. Or you could find a M36 long wheelbase deuce and put a bus body onto it.

If you do that you are still going to be gearbound to around 60 MPH unless you put bigger tires on it.

Just thinking out loud for what it's worth.

 

[1st and 25 Greenhorn]

I appreciate any 2 cents thrown my way. I might be able to afford a deuce from everyone's 2 cents alone! I am grateful for any response I get on here. So thank you!

Someoldmoose - that thought hasnt even crossed my mind but it is a pretty cool idea. A hmmwv camper idea looks mean. I like it haha. Part of the reason I wrote this thread is hoping for ideas like these to pop up!

Wreckerman893 - Speed doesnt concern me as much as noise. Granted, I think its cool as heck, doesnt mean everyone does. I have thought about putting the shell of a shorty bus on the body of a deuce and going from there. Also I would mostly likely go super singles on the deuce if I went that way.

Anyone else that wants to think out loud is more than welcome. I am in debt to all the wise minds on here. The older I get, the more I realize I go to straight to the experienced guys and ask the questions. Learning from others mistakes and picking everyones brain is the best way to get ahead and save yourself a lot of money.


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[98G]

Some thoughts -

M109A3 - mostly already what you want

M1079 - newer variant of the 109 theme

Truck tractor + trailer as living area. Drop the trailer to go into really rough stuff.

M1082 trailer, pulled by any of the military trucks bigger than an hmmwv.

M820

M934

Personally I like the droppable trailer idea.

 

[someoldmoose]

Like bein' a kid in a candy store.

 

[m715]

I have been looking for years for a short 4x4 diesel bus. They just are not near me. That would be a great camper for chasseing snow. I have a m35a2 with a shelter that I may use as a camper, but I would much rather have a bus.

 

[DiverDarrell]

This rig chases snow year round. Belongs to an old pro snowboarder.

 

[rustystud]

I bought an old school bus and had planned on doing something similar to it. Life got in the way though. I got the idea from a guy back in 1984. He bought an IHC 40ft school bus (they sell them all the time at auctions) and using the lines of the sheet-metal body he cut the front section off (at about 10ft back) and then the back section off (about 6ft) and reconnected them.
This gave him a small living area with a flatbed that could haul his small car. Now there are several bus manufactures out there that make 30ft school busses. Gillig, BlueBird, IHC, just to name a few. So you buy one then replace the whole drivetrain (differentials and transfer case) with a deuce's, keeping the engine and transmission from the bus. This will give you a modern engine and transmission (usually an Allison ! ) with the benefits of the extreme Rockwell differentials. I am in the process right now of converting one of my old M35 1954 REO Studebakers to use the cab and engine/transmission from an IHC Loadstar truck. The frame width is the same 34" which is pretty standard for medium trucks industry wide.
Another option is to just find a medium 4X4 truck and put that whole drivetrain under the bus. That way you would have the benefits of a modern air-brake system and engine/transmission. So many options, so many ways to go. Oh to be young and "footloose" and "fancy free" again !!!

 

[tobyS]

Rusty beat me to it.

I like the shortened back idea for a bus with living space and room for a small car (Mitsubishi or Suzuki 4x4).

A friend had one of the Mitsubishi vans (I like the truck version) that would go about anyplace. We would ride 4 and go mudding along the river, twist around tight paths and up hills...but still be usable for a grocery run to town.

Full size buses are relatively cheap and you can do highway speeds when necessary. I like the idea of taking 10 feet or so off and replacing with a semi trailer door. Then towing is also an option with the rear axle closer to the hitch.

I have a bus dealer nearby that has probably 30 nice used buses that were trade ins on newer ones. That was my goal before green iron.

And if I'm not mistaken, if one is on the highway a lot, there is a 6th gear in the Allison that can be accessed by programming on some of them.

 

[1st and 25 Greenhorn]

I love hearing all these ideas. I should have posted this thread sooner!

98G - I debated on one of those boxes behind the deuce. It was more appealing to me to get an all in one slide in camper. Plus I like the way it looks. If I was to ever have a pull behind...it would be for a snowmobile and dirt bike.

m715 - I hear ya. It has been a struggle simply finding a 4x4 Shorty. I enjoy how maneuverable they are for what you get out of them.

DiverDarrell - His rig is pretty cool. His name is Mike Basich. I can think of about 8 pro snowboarders that live in built out conversions.
Here is Mike's other build
One pro, Austin Smith, converted his old fire truck

Rustystud - That is a freaking sweet idea to take the back 10ft or so and use it as a flat bed. Do you all think it would be that difficult to switch out the drive train from a deuce to a bus? It is not the first time I have picked up a wrench but I am no mechanic. Just used to be a machinist for several years. Also, the air-brake system would force me to get a CDL...correct?

tobyS - My biggest issue with a full size bus is parking. I LOVE all the options but I do not want to invest all my money into a BA mobile and then get limited on where I can go/park.

 

[wreckerman893]

Learning from others mistakes and picking everyones brain

Sometimes the pickins are pretty slim.

 

[1st and 25 Greenhorn]

Haha slim pickins are better than no pickins!


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[tobyS]

You motivated me to go look at the buses. They had about 50 used ones.

First, a modern bus can run up and down the highway, whereas if you stick the Deuce axles in, you have 6.7?/1 gears, so are really limited on speed. I want highway gears (for my own use)....so a team bus would be best. Second, yes, maneuverability is a bit more limited on the longer wheel base, but a short distance from the axle to the hitch makes the trailer pulling a lot more stable. And if you notice, even the longer wheel based ones are not exceptionally long...they are made to run towns and neighborhoods and maneuver just fine. The beam front suspension can turn very sharp (but of course not all wheel drive).

 

[tobyS]

Sometimes the pickins are pretty slim.

Free cat

 

[plym49]

OP, here is my suggestion.

If you do not need to get somewhere 'right now' - and it sounds as if you do not - 55 mph plus is plenty. My M35A2 with super singles is very happy at about 57 mph or so. It is a sweet spot that the truck likes, and I have seen as high as 10 mpg.

Add your own slide-in camper or build your own in the bed.

Flat tow something like a Wrangler YJ or TJ so you have local transportation and a parts go-getter if you get stuck. You will not even know you are towing it.

Noise? What noise? Speak louder LOL. I wear ear muffs and many swear by a muffler and/or a bottom-exhaust. Even if you do there is a lot of gear whine and drivetrain noise; so what.

You can probably find a decent Deuce for $6K and all in, including purchasing a YJ or TJ, should 'giterdone for $12K or so.

No way you can beat that with a drivetrain swap science experiment. And the versatility of a multifuel motor is, IMHO, priceless.

 

[1st and 25 Greenhorn]

Plym49 - Do you think the camper height would be too tall for some situations. I have heard there are several bridges and tunnels that have height restrictions out west. That is what scares me about the slide in camper concept. I have thought about the pop up camper in the back to eliminate that issue as well as building a roof that has hydraulics on each corner the raise my ceiling height when parked. Not sure how that would play out but it looks cool in my head!

What do you all think the chances of taking a mid size bus shell (roughly 6 window) and placing it overtop of the deuce? Would that be in the realm of possibility outside of maybe realigning the wheel hubs?


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[Flyingvan911]

Don't worry about the short bus. There's lots of us on here who are familiar with the short bus. He, he.

 

[1st and 25 Greenhorn]

Haha I was the type that got the spit guard and helmet too!


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[1st and 25 Greenhorn]

So I was playing around in photoshop earlier (not perfect but you get my drift) and made what I envisioned in my head. Has anybody thought about this or do I just have a few extra screws loose!

What are the chances I could take the shell of a bus and weld it to the bed of the M35A2 and fab up the cab to fit the shell of the bus...Those 6 window school buses seem like almost perfect size.