Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 12 of 161)

I'm in a similar situation. I just bought a Mercedes bus in Tarbes and I need to drive it to Puy-en-Velay (while it's still registered as TCP on my registration papers and I only have an HGV license). So I called about ten police stations and they all told me they'd immobilize the vehicle and suspend my license, at best until the court hearing. (Even though my DRIRE file is almost complete and I've removed all the seats...). So it's risky! Only do it if you don't have any other options... While I'm at it, I want to post a message: I'm looking for someone with some spare time and a TCP permit to bring my bus from Tarbes (65) to Puy-en-Velay (43). It's quite urgent. Contact me at balek@etnoka.fr And thanks to Remy for the info - for Mercedes it's EVOBUS you need to contact and it costs 385. Safe travels everyone and see you in Czechia for early August!

Hi everyone😉

I'm answering all the questions about licensing, past and future:

The law says:

Over 3.5t truck = D license

Over 3.5t passenger vehicle, 9 seats max = C license (or EC if trailer over 750 kg)

Over 3.5t passenger vehicle + 9 seats, D license (and technically C but there's a gray area here because with 9+ seats it should remain a truck so you should have on your registration: "dual bodywork" or "unspecified")

In any case, driving a truck with a C license = as "balek" said IMMOBILIZATION of the vehicle and major trouble, especially if some jerk on a motorcycle without lights comes and hits your coach! Your insurer will drop you.🙁

There are equivalences depending on the year you got your license (with or without restrictions) but they must appear on your license!

Many have slipped through the cracks, but from what I know, I guarantee you that coaches are on the radar and the gendarmerie is now sharp and impartial😠

Now everyone does what they want. Just think about a possible little accident with a granny who didn't see the stop sign🤪 or your coach 😄

If it's just property damage you'll just have to pay for the damage even if you're not at fault because you shouldn't have been there, because you don't have the right license, because ...etc...etc...

PS: I have a truck and an EC license, I got it insured without a problem because while waiting for the inspection, I have a driver... and because I'm known (that helps) but if I take the coach and I "crash" the insurance warned me: they won't know me anymore !🏴‍☠️😕

Thanks for the info! I'd love to see photos of converted buses or ones being converted, just to get an idea of what it could look like. I'm planning to do a similar project myself sometime soon. Thanks!

Hi, I'd also like to know how much it costs to get a heavy truck license in France today. Thanks for your answers! And for some beautiful luxury motorhome inspiration—search Google Images and type 'motorhome'—some of them cost a fortune! Happy building, everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Completely agree with GX47!

To get your truck license, it costs €1,000 for Class C at CHAZOT in Bourg-les-Valence (26).

It's one of the biggest in France (16,500 students pass in heavy goods!), with accommodation for people coming from far away, 4 or 5 practice ranges for maneuvers, 10 or 12 trucks, and friendly instructors who are laid-back...

Plus, the price is "until you pass," which is rare in HGV.

It kind of looks like an ad, but it's helpful info and it's from a friend!

Have a good evening everyone,

PATRICK26

Hi

I have an S53 bus converted into a motorhome and registered. On the registration document a PTRA appears—has anyone already towed a trailer behind this type of bus? Do you need an adapter piece?

I asked at Renault PL, but they couldn't answer me.

Cheers

Thanks for your response (PATRICK26). 1000 euros isn't expensive for a project like this, since I'm planning to live in it year-round. Do you have any idea what the average annual maintenance cost for a bus would be? And what material should the cabin/living partition be made of? I'm waiting to have everything I need (permit and bus) before getting the current regulations—they change so often...

See you soon and safe travels! !

hello sputnik

thanks for your response but I looked into it thoroughly and it's bad news, the prefecture and the police both gave me the same answer, in case of traffic stops the 'law enforcement' refer to what's on the vehicle registration, meaning TCP, 51 seats (in my van), so given that I only have a Class C license, it could be really problematic...

so I'm working on a little something...

See you..................

Hey balek,

Well, I can tell you, I'm in the same situation. I went to the prefecture and two police stations and they all gave me the same answer—it's the car registration that counts. And in a vehicle where you get pulled over, that's really risky...

Did you find a garage that does the inspection for €385??? Or are you the one taking it to the inspection office for that price???

Good luck finding a driver...

See you on the forum...

Rémy

hey gx47,

I just checked your message. I got the info from the prefecture and the local police this week and it's crystal clear—they won't budge. It's pretty much what the officer told me...

and with insurance, it's the same story. I have a buddy driving the bus from the municipal depot to the garage where I'm buying it, and they're handling the RTI (I'm doing the modifications myself), and the insurer told me that if something happened to me on that trip while the bus was still in transit and I was the one driving, they wouldn't cover me......

bottom line—you gotta be by the book to avoid a lot of trouble...-- to thmou:

for the hitch, on the S53, if you have a rear compartment normally just behind the door in the center, on the floor there's a little hatch and underneath you have a spot for a connector (generally cars have a ball hitch and trucks have a connector)... your trailer bar will pass under the compartment and you fit the connector in from inside...--

see you on the forum...................

Hey dyane25,

just for info, I think I'll manage for around 7000 for the bus + conversion + registration, but I'm only at the start... and it might not all go as planned... anyway, it's already started...

about the license, I confirm 100% what you said Patrick26, Chazot is such a great school, I got my license there and there were people from all over France, it's the best bang for your buck you'll find, I got my license in 3 weeks, no problem, and there's a really good vibe...

if you manage your project, there's no reason you won't make it, fulfill your dreams, don't stop at the border.....of your dreams. I started a year ago, I got my license in May last year and hunted for buses, I did my research well and found one only two months ago (but I have to say I was picky, not too expensive and in very good condition - that doesn't come around often, especially from transit companies), and I'll have it in only a week because it's still running for school transport until July 1st... then this winter it's going to be DIY time... slowly but surely...

Rémy

RémyS53R, sure it's at your own risk and peril to drive with a C license for the bus, but without the seats at least! Avoid it, but it works...

Hey everyone!!!!!!!!!!!! To get my boss at PSA Sochaux to help finance this 😏, he won't see a big hole in his wallet with the profit involved - it'll just take a bit longer but every bit of profit helps!!!! I'm wondering if at the certification level it wouldn't be simpler with a semi-trailer. Does anyone have info on this or know someone who's already done it? (Actually I only need 3 seats, and in a semi-trailer you could set up a nice little car garage in there)

It's possible, but there's no access to the driver's cab...

Hi SPUTNICK, no worries about getting through the cabin. I'm mainly looking for a large mobile home to live in year-round and move around as I please, while still having a car, a bike, or something to access different city centers — because even with a bus it's not that simple to get around, plus what really bugs me is this whole driver door issue. Anyway, I've still got time to think it through and pull off a killer project! See you later........

TRAVELS FORM THE YOUTH AND DEFORM THE SUITCASES

Hey 🙂

Don't write that—there are people who'll be tempted 🤪. The cops don't care whether you have seats or not 🤪. It's actually worse (it's not up to code anymore! 🏴‍☠️). And they don't get in; they just check your registration and license. Plus you need a valid driving license, or you're in trouble 🏴‍☠️.

The gendarmes are under orders, especially during vacation season. As soon as they spot an old truck or anything that looks modified, they pull you over! It brings in revenue 😏. And besides, they're not taking on extra risk 😛. If they let something through and there's an accident further down the road, they risk getting in trouble too, so they crack down 😕

You're right, GX47. You've gotta follow the rules from A to Z. If something goes wrong, it's jail time with surely a driving license ban for quite a few years. Speaking of that, here's a little story that'll make some "road pros" bristle.

Last year in HAUTE SAONE (near my place), a school bus driver was caught with 2g and some stuff in her blood behind the wheel of her bus with kids in it.

She was recently tried and got 2 months jail, 6 months suspended, and a 2-year ban on retaking her driving test.

In her defense, she says that day she wasn't supposed to work—it was her boss who called her for a last-minute replacement. She was afraid of losing her job.

So when it comes to safety, alcohol, physical condition (fatigue...), pay attention. The danger doesn't necessarily come from others. It could've happened to any of us.

THERE ARE RULES, EVEN IF SOME SEEM STUPID, BUT YOU CAN'T IGNORE THEM BECAUSE IF YOU GET CAUGHT YOU CAN LOSE A LOT.

SEE YOU SOON AND SAFE DRIVING.

Hi, I just bought a Volvo B10M bus. I'm writing because I have the same question—do you have any answers? Thanks

Hello, I just read a message you posted back in February 2005. It actually provides part of the answer to my question.

In fact, I just bought a Volvo B10M with a driver-side door, and I'd like to downgrade it to 9 seats. The rear section will be converted into a workshop and race car transport. I'll therefore need to open the rear to load my car.

Do you have any information about downgrading to 9 seats (is it just a simple technical inspection)? And what administrative paperwork do I need for this?

Thank you for your response. Talk soon, Jean-Louis

Hi there,

for your Volvo, you'll need to:

1- go through the authorities to reclassify it as a VASP (fewer than 9 seats) 2- install a load barrier made of 40x40 mm tubes with 2 mm thickness. You'll need uprights and cross-members spaced less than 40 cm apart. (They perform the "balloon test", with a 40 cm diameter balloon that shouldn't be able to fit through into the living area.) The covering must be made with sheet metal or 19mm marine plywood.

However, I have a couple of questions:

What year is your Volvo? Because to be able to carry a car, you have to meet two requirements: 1- integral chassis (and depending on the year of manufacture, the B10M either has an integral chassis, a tubular frame with false rear chassis, or an all-tubular frame) 2- have a mid-mounted engine (and depending on the year, it could be rear-mounted)

Next, you'll need authorization from the manufacturer to drill into the body, because the rear of the bus can't be part of the body's structural rigidity. The authorities will ask for it.

Good luck to you - I personally spent 8 months of various negotiations to get all the approvals.

PATRICK26