The jump from a big shuttle to a motorcoach is one of the steepest price cliffs in the industry. A new coach runs several times the cost of a heavy shuttle, and the operating side follows: specialized service, specialized parts, air systems, and drivers comfortable at 45 feet.
The STRATOS is the other way up that hill. On the Ford F-650, Freightliner S2C, and International MV607, it carries up to 42 passengers — roughly two-thirds of what a full coach seats — at a fraction of a coach's purchase price. Weight stops being a concern: these are medium-duty truck chassis, built to haul, with capacity margin left over when the bus is full of people and their bags. Rear luggage compartments, overhead racks, and interior racks are available across the floor plans, and the Freightliner builds go to a 102-inch-wide body.
Who runs them: charter and tour operators who move large groups every week, universities and athletic programs, churches with traveling congregations, and airport and hotel operators on high-volume routes. The STRATOS doesn't sell in MAVRYK volume, and it isn't supposed to — it's the answer when the group is big, the luggage is real, and a coach payment isn't.
Groups under 36? The KAVLYR may fit without the step up in chassis.
| Spec | STRATOS |
|---|---|
| Capacity & configuration | |
| Passenger capacity | Up to 42 passengers · up to 11 wheelchair positions |
| Model sizes | HLE-36 – HLE-42 |
| Typical build time | 90–120 days from order · 2026 average: 92 days |
| Luggage options | Rear compartment · overhead · interior rack |
| Passenger seat width | 17.5 in standard · 19 in upgrade |
| Seat spacing | 26 – 42 in, typically 31 – 34 in by floor plan |
| Chassis & driveline | |
| Chassis options | Ford F-650 · Freightliner S2C · International MV607 |
| Engine | Diesel or gas |
| GVWR | 25,850 – 33,000 lb by chassis |
| Fuel options | Gas · Diesel · Propane · CNG |
| Fuel tank capacity | 60 – 100 gal by chassis, plus DEF |
| Alternator | 160 – 325 A by chassis |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 260 – 306 in |
| Body length | 306 – 392 in |
| Body width (mirrors excluded) | 102 in |
| Interior width | 98 in, inside wall to inside wall |
| Overall height | 126 in without roof-mounted A/C — a roof-mounted A/C adds to this |
| Interior standing height | Raised floor 80 in |
| Entry steps | 4-step entry (raised floor) |
| Step riser / run | 8.25 in rise × 8.375 in run |
| Ground to first step | 11.25 in |
| Aisle width | 23 in (seat to seat, without armrests) |
| Overall length | Published per floor plan — see the floor plan library |
| Accessibility | |
| Entry door width | 36 in rough opening (33 in clear) · 42 in rough opening optional |
| Entry door opening height | 82 in (floor to opening) |
| Wheelchair lift | Braun 800 – 1,000 lb · platform 34×51, 34×54, 37×51 or 37×54 in |
| Comfort & climate | |
| Air conditioning capacity | 80,000 – 211,000 BTU |
| Fuel economy | — |
| Construction | |
| Body structure | 1.5 in × 1.5 in welded steel cage, fully powder-coated |
| Sidewalls | Pressure-laminated one-piece sidewall, roofline to skirt, bonded to the steel structure — no beltline seam |
| Roof | One-piece Impact Guard (grade IG03), fiberglass-reinforced polypropylene |
| Sub-floor | PerformMAX 500 with Ovation overlay |
| Insulation | 1.5 in closed-cell EPS foam board, cut to fill each wall cavity · insulation R-5.85 |
| Wiring | Custom-built wiring and harnesses per HLE brand · Amphenol / Molex marine-grade connectors |
| Leak test | Every bus rain-tested before delivery, with an inspector riding inside |
| Warranty & testing | |
| Warranty | 3yr/36K bumper-to-bumper · 5yr/100K structural body · 7-year subfloor |
| Air conditioning warranty | By installed system — Spheros up to 5 years / unlimited miles · Trans/Air 2 years standard, extensions available |
| Testing | FMVSS compliant |
Specifications are from the 2026 HLE order forms and published chassis data, and vary by chassis and configuration. Confirm the exact build with your dealer before writing a purchase order. Overall length and step riser height are published per configuration — ask your dealer or call 574-343-2150.
Roughly two-thirds of a coach's seating at a fraction of the purchase price, on medium-duty truck chassis that any commercial truck shop can service. You give up the coach's underfloor luggage bays and highway-cruiser ride; you keep most of the capacity and skip most of the cost.
Ford F-650, Freightliner S2C, and International MV607. The Freightliner supports a 102-inch-wide body.
Floor plans run up to 42 passengers, with rear luggage compartments, overhead racks, and interior racks available.
Yes — at this size, plan on CDL drivers. Confirm class and endorsements for your specific build and state with your dealer.
Need a configuration you don't see? Most layouts are buildable. Talk to your dealer or call HLE at 574-343-2150.
Every STRATOS carries the same construction: powder-coated steel cage, one-piece pressure-laminated sidewalls, 5/8" PerformMAX 500 subfloor, Impact Guard roof, in-house wiring harnesses with marine-grade connectors — and every single unit runs the rain booth and a 25-mile road test before delivery.
Why that mattersWhere this model works: Airport & Parking · Government & Procurement · Hotel & Resort
