International 3800 adventure bus build

[AdventureBus]

How far off-pavement are you planning on taking this bus? Have you considered a rear diff locker if you aren't doing a 4x4 conversion? They can be had for relatively cheap from the junkyard; from dump trucks and such. Reading about off-pavement builds on other forums, it sounds like a locker + Michelin XDE or XDY + 24k-30k lb hydraulic winch + snatch block would get you through plenty of muddy BLM roads and the like...

I have considered a locker for the current axle and may do that as a temporary improvement. I really think I will be doing a full 4x4 conversion eventually. I also want to go with 20” military internal beadlock wheels with Goodyear MVTs so I can air-down for better traction and smoother ride. They have a larger diameter bolt pattern that won’t fit the current axles. If I put a winch on it one day, it will likely be a 30k Ramsey hydraulic.


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[AdventureBus]

Progress has been pretty slow lately but I have the rear 5’ of floor removed so I can do an inverted dovetail on the frame to get a better departure angle. The metal also came in for the exterior walls and window blanks. I have one picture of some angle iron I’m splicing for the strip between the siding and the lower window sill. Also one piece of crude artwork depicting my vision for the finished bus.





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[ITTOG]

That sure looks like a cool bus.

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[baipin]

Awesome work! I'm thinking of trimming the bumper on my bus (mind you, I need a bus first) but I really like the direction this is headed in.

 

[Buddha.]

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[AdventureBus]

I got some siding put on. To fill the gap under the roof raise.




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[AdventureBus]

Here’s a shot of some siding that’s almost finished. May change the name of the bus to RIVET.

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[AdventureBus]

I’ve been busy fixing the poor departure angle problem.

The lowest point at the rear was 26” from the ground. Now it is 50” from the ground changing the departure angle from 10 degree to 21 degree.


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[IdaSHO]

Fair warning, you should check your local reg's for bumper height.

Thats not legal in most of the US, last I checked. As I recall max rear bumper height was less than 30"

 

[AdventureBus]

Yeah, I’m going to build a hitch and bumper that will fold up and be tucked between the frame rails when traveling off-road.


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[baipin]

Very exciting! I like the folding bumper/hitch idea. I wonder if you could make it go all the way to the ground, then attach a platform for a motorbike or bicycles to it? That way, you'd get a legal-height bumper and a "lift gate" for a spare tire, diesel, bike, etc.

 

[AdventureBus]

I have another plan for that stuff. I started working on a rear folding platform/deck/mountain bike/spare tire holder that mounts above the rear bumper.

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[IdaSHO]

Lookin good dude

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Random question... How are you going to keep the interior from falling apart whilst you go off road?

 

[AdventureBus]

It will have separate angle iron frames for each piece of furniture or cabinet isolated by sway-bar end links with rubber bushings. It will also get full cross-linked air-ride suspension using Hutchinson’s ZMD air springs with internal damping chambers that take place of shocks. The main piece of the whole suspension build will be my own version of Toyota’s KDSS with front-rear linked hydraulic cylinders for sway bar end links. That should all but eliminate frame twist and dampen road vibrations. I think it will end up with around 15” of suspension travel at each corner. I will also be running either 395/85R20 Goodyear MVTs or 16.00R20 Michelin XZLs.


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