recreation > hints and tips
Hints and Tips

As an owner of a bus conversion, you have a vehicle that is a truly unique recreational vehicle. Along with this uniqueness comes some special safety considerations you should be aware of on the road. Unlike your manufactured motorhome counterparts, which are built specifically for RV use, most buses were engineered with another purpose in mind.

It’s a logical assumption to believe, “if a bus can haul 50 or more passengers, it must certainly be suitable for carrying my family or friends plus all of our personal contents.” However, nearly 42% of bus conversions on the road exceed a weight rating.

By educating yourself with some basic knowledge about the safety aspects of weighing your bus and understanding the importance of tyre maintenance, you can greatly reduce the likelihood of having a serious accident.

Proper weight distribution is important to think about when you are converting or loading your bus. Take into consideration the location of appliances, cabinets and additional components for proper weight distribution side to side as well as front to back. When loading food, clothing, cooking utensils, tools and other items, be sure to distribute heavy items evenly throughout, keeping in mind the components of your bus that are permanently installed. All items should be placed in a way so they don’t shift during your travels. Improper weight distribution and heavy items shifting while you are driving can have an unfavorable effect on the handling, ride quality and braking of your bus.

Also, be sure to carefully consider your tyre selection. Although many folks think as long as a tyre is round and black it must be OK, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Today's high-tech radial tyre is a very sophisticated device, and with proper care it will give you many kilometres of excellent performance.

Double-check that the size and load range of the tyres installed as original equipment on your bus are suitable for the RVing lifestyle. After your bus is converted and loaded for travel, weigh the bus, by individual wheel position, to assure that your tyres are capable of handling the load.

Next, confirm the age of your tyres. It is not uncommon for bus conversions to have very old tyres. The age of your tyres is engraved on the sidewall of each tyre. Find a string of characters that begins with DOT. The last three digits indicate the tyre’s “birthday.” The first two digits are the calendar week of the year, starting with week “01" in January. The last digit is the year.

Once you know the age of your tyres – you need to ask how old is too old? There are many factors but as a rule of thumb, the average life of a tyre in RV service is five to seven years. Factors such as load, the tyre’s inflation, sun damage, ozone pollutants, your speed of travel and frequency of use are just a few of the hazards that will cause a tyre to age.

It is interesting to note, a tyre that is used regularly will have a longer life than one that is not. Tyres are constructed with compounds that are released within the tyre when it heats up from friction on the road. If there is no heat being generated, there is no release of these compounds. Thus, your tyres will dry out more quickly.

Of all the facts about tyres, one of the most important is also the most controllable by you. Proper tyre inflation pressure is key to protecting the lifetime of tyres. Think about all that your tyres do besides just supporting your vehicle. They cushion you over rough surfaces, turn you around corners, accelerate your bus and brake your speed. Clearly your life is in the "hands" of your tyres. The only way you reap the maximum benefit from the engineering that went into your tyres is to properly inflate them.

A radial tyre must have the proper shape or profile to do its job. Too little air will force it to flex too much, causing overheating and stress. Under-inflation can also lead to premature tyre failure. However, over-inflation can be nearly as dangerous. An over-inflated tyre reduces the contact area with the road, commonly called the "tyre patch." When you need rubber on the road for braking, especially on wet roads, an over-inflated tyre could cause you to lose control of your vehicle.

The best way to determine the correct pressure for your tyres is to weigh your rig, wheel by wheel, and set the pressures according to the manufacturer’s inflation tables. However, most tables reflect the minimum pressure for the load, so a small increase above the table amount is suggested since the weight of your bus will vary. Also, for steering axle tyres, yet another small increase is suggested to minimize edge wear.

Set the pressure of all tyres on the same axle to the same pressure. Although this may cause a difference in tyre patch if your unit is significantly heavier on one side, there are other considerations such as spring rate that dictate the same pressure. The best solution is to balance your rig.

It is also important to understand how most tyres fail. Although punctures and other road hazards can certainly cause problems, most tyre failures are caused by progressive damage. Each kilometre your tyre rolls down the highway overloaded or under-inflated, it may be suffering internal damage, something not visible in the early stages by a casual inspection of the tyre. The day that the tyre fails, you may be travelling empty or not moving at all! The tyre simply reaches the point where the damage has exceeded its design limits. It may blow-out or shed its tread. And of course, tyres do not heal themselves, so if they have suffered damage due to under-inflation, inflating them to the correct pressure may not prevent eventual failure.

If you do experience a tyre blowout, it can be an alarming experience. Your natural reaction will most likely be to apply the brakes – but that’s not the best thing for you to do. Michelin Tyre Company recommends briefly stabbing the accelerator to the floor to regain momentum in the direction you are going and then gently taking your foot off the accelerator. Grab the steering wheel firmly and regain control. If you are on a highway/motorway, gradually move into the far left lane. Immediately turn on your hazard lights to let traffic around you know that something is amiss. Allow your bus to slow down, without applying the brakes, to 10-15 kph before pulling off the road surface.