Champion Bus, Inc. submitted a model LF
Ford F-Series, diesel-powered 18 seat (including the driver) 31’ 9.5” bus, for
a 7 yr/ 200,000 mile STURAA test. The
odometer reading at the time of delivery was 2,190 miles. Testing started on February 25, 2016 and was
completed on July 18, 2017. The Check-In
section of the report provides a description of the bus and specifies its major
components.
The primary part of the test program is
the Structural Durability Test, which also provides the information for the
Maintainability and Reliability results.
The Structural Durability Test was started on March 16, 2016 and was
completed on July 18, 2017.
The interior of the bus is configured
with seating for 18 passengers including the driver and three wheelchair
positions. Free floor space will
accommodate 24 standing passengers resulting in a potential load of 45 persons.
However, the manufacturer recommends that there are to be no standees. At 150 lbs per seated person and 600 lbs per
wheelchair position and no standees, this load results in a measured gross
vehicle weight of 18,880 lbs. It is
noted that there is a potential for overloading the bus with available floor
space for standees.
The
first segment of the Structural Durability Test was performed with the bus
loaded to a GVW of 18,880 lbs. The
middle segment was performed at a seated load weight of 18,880 lbs and the
final segment was performed at a curb weight of 14,360 lbs. Durability driving resulted in unscheduled
maintenance and failures that involved a variety of subsystems. A description of failures, and a complete and
detailed listing of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance is provided in the
Maintainability section of this report.
Accessibility, in general, was adequate,
components covered in Section 1.3 (Repair and/or Replacement of Selected
Subsystems) along with all other components encountered during testing, were
found to be readily accessible and no restrictions were noted.
The Reliability section compiles
failures that occurred during Structural Durability Testing. Breakdowns are classified according to
subsystems. The data in this section are
arranged so that those subsystems with more frequent problems are
apparent. The problems are also listed
by class as defined in Section 2. Of the
nine reported failures, two were Class 2, four were Class 3 and three were
Class 4.
The Safety Test, (a double-lane change,
obstacle avoidance test) was safely performed in both right-hand and left-hand
directions up to a maximum test speed of 45 mph. The performance of the bus is illustrated by
a speed vs. time plot. Acceleration and
gradeability test data are provided in Section 4, Performance. The average time to obtain 50 mph was 17.76
seconds. The Stopping Distance phase of
the Brake Test was completed with the following results; for the Uniform High
Friction Test average stopping distances were 26.91’ at 20 mph, 56.36’ at 30
mph, 95.78’ at 40 mph and 111.42’ at 45 mph.
The average stopping distance for the Uniform Low Friction Test was 30.61’. There was no deviation from the test lane
during the performance of the Stopping Distance phase. During the Stability phase of Brake Testing the
test bus experienced no deviation from the test lane but did experience pull to
the left during both approaches to the Split Friction Road surface. The Parking Brake phase was completed with
the test bus maintaining the parked position for the full five minute period
with no slip or roll observed in both the uphill and downhill positions.
The Shakedown Test produced a maximum
final loaded deflection of 0.145 inches with a permanent set ranging between
-0.002 to 0.001 inches under a distributed static load of 8,550 lbs. The Distortion Test was completed with all
subsystems, doors and escape mechanisms operating properly. No water leakage was observed throughout the
test. All subsystems operated
properly.
The Static Towing Test was performed
using a target load (towing force) of 17,232 lbs. All four front pulls were completed to the
full test load with no damage or deformation observed. The Dynamic Towing Test was performed by
means of a front-lift tow. The towing
interface was accomplished using a hydraulic under-lift wrecker. The bus was towed without incident and no
damage resulted from the test. The
manufacturer does not recommend towing the bus from the rear, therefore, a rear
test was not performed. The Jacking and
Hoisting Tests were also performed without incident. The bus was found to be
stable on the jack stands, and the minimum jacking clearance observed with a
tire deflated was 8.9 inches.
A Fuel Economy Test was run on simulated
central business district, arterial, and commuter courses. The results were 6.29 mpg, 6.28 mpg, and
11.86 mpg respectively; with an overall average of 7.26 mpg.
A series of Interior and Exterior Noise
Tests was performed. These data are
listed in Section 7.1 and 7.2 respectively.
The Emissions Test was performed. These results are available in Section 8 of
this report.
Number: |
1604 |
Model: |
LF Ford F-Series |
Manufacturer: |
CHAMPION BUS INC. |
Vin Number: |
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