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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
 Posted - 11/18/2007 : 05:56:21 AM
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As you all might know- that since I was given my 00-Amtran RE back in the days, I have been a fan of Outward opening doors (NOT!).
The only buses that I have used as route buses that had jack-knife doors were my 96 and 97 AmTran RE buses. My 00 AmTran RE and all others, including my current 07 Thomas FE all had/have the outward.
Does anyone think that in the future the companies will go back to making the folding doors standard again?
I've had my door checked out, it shuts solid, air pressure is FINE, everything about the door is fine, works 100% solid, but when the wind grabs a hold of it, the doors start to act as if they are going to open. It has happened in my 00-AmTran RE and other doors equipped with outwards.
One time, I was on the highway, and in fact the doors couldn't withstand the pressure of the air and slightly opened, then they opened even more to a point that they flew open. I had to pull over and fix it. Wind pressure forced the doors open. I know that had it been the jackknife type, it would have never happened because the pressure is being pushed on to the door preventing them from opening.
I hope in the future that bus manufacturers stop putting these cheap outward opening doors on buses!
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4544 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2007 : 06:04:23 AM
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| Outward doors are speced for safety reasons...they are less likely to jam in an accident and far less likely to catch a kid's coat draw strings. Amtrain/IC is the only company who cannot make an outward door that will stay shut for some reason. |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2007 : 06:28:25 AM
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It's been very windy here and I noticed that in my thomas they will try to open and they did once. there is nothing wrong with them!!!!!!!!! It only happens when it's windy. The wind was 24 MPH and I was going 67 MPH. Is that normal? I am only using statistics based on weather.com and the approx. time.
They tried to open yesterday but they held shut. |
Edited by - 80-RE4 on 11/18/2007 06:29:07 AM |
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busgeek++
Advanced Member
United States
253 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2007 : 06:49:56 AM
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| Maybe you could check into a mechanism to use more air pressure to hold them shut. Talk to your mechanics. |
Buses are not a way of life, they are life |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4544 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2007 : 11:28:30 AM
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| No, I don't think it's normal. I had 10 Thomas with air doors and 3 with electric and NEVER have I seen them move in wind. Get it checked. |
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Kodie
Top Member
United States
2028 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2007 : 12:56:20 PM
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| All of our buses doors dont have any issues with opening in the wind including our AmTrans/IC's. We have them adjusted so when the driver flips the switch the bus doors take like 5 seconds to react to it and they pop open real fast. I am not sure if it is bad for the door though, they snap open real fast but it keeps them closed when they are going down the road. However when a bus is on a slight slant the doors slowly open themselves when you have the bus completely off. |
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03CV200
Top Member
United States
740 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2007 : 5:17:53 PM
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| I've seen the doors on a C2 move slightly in the wind, but unless you were watching them, you would have never known. |
-Dave |
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disp29
Advanced Member
United States
202 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2007 : 12:02:44 AM
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| Never had a problem with this when I worked for my old employer (ALL AmTran/IHC or IC CE buses... mine was a 1998 IHC 3800/AmTran) but I know some of the buses would do this. We don't have any problems with our 3 IC CEs doing this. We do have a few of our Blue Birds that try and do this... and one that actually does (2002 IHC 3800/Blue Bird) |
kEvIn
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Lords47
Top Member
USA
714 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2007 : 07:42:51 AM
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Yes, my 2007 IC CE with electric doors move shake slightly on the highway. When I do my pre-trip, for whatever reason I put this into my routine is beyond me, but I always push on the doors from the stairwell with them closed to make sure they remain closed. Not sure why, but they have never been able to be pushed open.
Sounds like your Thomas needs a slight adjustment to the air pressure. |
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Outward-opening doors are standard because?
