Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 37 of 161)

I'm reminding everyone about the meetup proposal for our converted buses and trucks. Doesn't seem to interest many people! I'm still surprised, given all the views and posts on this topic!

If something doesn't sit right with you about my proposal, let me know. And if you want to suggest something else, go for it!

Don't be shy! A keyboard and screen are fine, but talking face-to-face around a campfire with a drink in hand and sausages to munch on—that's way better!

LINK TO THE MEETUP THREAD: http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=677677;#677677

a quick hello from this evening... I see I'm discovering this forum pretty late... but the internet too.. I see we have the same passion, that's really cool after 3 years without being able to drive a truck (steering + sleeping = accident + alcohol = busted truck + license suspension + insurance not being cooperative) I'm back in action. if by any chance you spot a little 8m truck, a Merco-Setra flatbed, or a 911, ..... blablablabla I get all pumped up (if anyone's looking for a little bus as a leisure vehicle, I have a friend selling a Renault Master with inspection OK 4000 euros 0611733631) I'd like to show you a 911 bus from the Argentine army... awesome, but I don't know how to send photos... if you can help me!

yo

AH!!! magic? whoever finds me the same one, I'll buy it otherwise it's cool to plan meet-ups. But for me, I do winter tours in Paris, and car rides get me too down...

You need to copy the image link into the insert image window.

Right-click on the photo and a menu will drop down. Click on Properties at the bottom. Highlight the photo's address: http//...etc. Copy it using ctrl+c or right-click on the highlighted part and copy. When you make the post, click on the insert image icon (the little frame) and delete what's inside, then paste the photo's link in its place. Click insert and it should normally work.

Try it and let me know if it works please.

Good luck.

First of all, thanks for your detailed replies

lol... I was sure you'd ask about the photos...

To display GX47's bus, I hacked his computer... 😎

More seriously, the command to display an image is described here: http://voyageforum.com/...aide;;#image_attache or here (at the bottom of the page): http://voyageforum.com/v.f?do=markup_help;

The system with tags works with the basic or advanced editor. Note that there are also tags to display an interactive Internet link (you click on it, it launches the link)

Be careful not to use images that are too large, otherwise they don't fit on the screen and then you have to drag the image from left to right (it's annoying).

For large images there's http://www.imageshack.us/, which allows you to display small thumbnails and see the image full-size when you click on the thumbnail. See the tutorials found on Google: http://www.google.fr/...meta=lr%3Dlang_fr http://forum.telecharger.01net.com/...um-2/messages-1.html

For images used as avatars, you generally need to respect a maximum size, otherwise the image is reduced. This is the case with our forum: Note: The maximum size your personal photo/image can have is 120 pixels by 120 pixels. If your personal photo/image is larger than this size, it will be reduced to the permitted dimensions. If it is smaller, it will not be enlarged. (read in "my profile")

But curiously, the reduction only happens on display—the image saved on the site remains at its original size. In fact, the image that GX47 used for his avatar originally measured 540x307 (verifiable by right-clicking on his avatar -> display image -> right-click -> properties). Patrick26's is 267x125.

So to display GX47's image, I right-clicked on his avatar -> display image -> right-click -> copy the image address. Then I posted my message by including the image address between two "image" tags. That's all, no hacking involved.

Patrick, I absolutely did not take what you wrote as a personal attack. On the contrary, I agree with you. Besides, I have a buddy who's a bus driver who'd be happy to give me some lessons if I ever get a bus... I've been thinking about it for a while, which is why I found this forum by doing a Google search.

edit : arf... by 9 minutes... hi gasmobil, you beat me to it... For info, could you give me the GVWR and GTWR of your bus, as well as its dimensions? Thanks in advance.

Well, apparently the tag doesn't work on this forum so with imageshack you have to make a small modification:

Once the image is uploaded to imageshack, you need to double-click on the URL named "Thumbnail for forums (1)" to highlight it then right-click on the URL and click copy

Then you paste it in your message, you replace http://img95.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00599jl9.jpg

OK, this is doing my head in, I keep forgetting—you can click on my photo

So my project is slowly taking shape and I'd like to know what type of bus would be best suited for my needs.

I've been looking at: Renault FR1, S53 Vanhool

Ideally, I'm looking for a vehicle that would have a living area with large storage compartments underneath and a workshop at the back with a door to fit motorcycles (so preferably mid-engine). I saw a Vanhool T818 and I'm looking for a bus like that.

Searching online, I've found lots of bus sales websites with prices all over the place.

Do you have a sales website to recommend with vehicles in good condition and not too expensive (which is what everyone wants)?

If you have any sites for the Paris region that I can start looking through and see what I can get for a reasonable budget.

I'll share the diagrams (electrical, layout, gas...) and the sponsorship proposal I'm putting together.

I've also ordered the AFNOR guide "Converting an RV/Motorhome"

Thanks for your replies!

P.S. I'd really like to meet up with Patrick so we can chat about buses of course and I can see yours

FIRST OF ALL, THANKS CUNNI FOR MAKING ME UNDERSTAND THAT I'M BETTER OFF TINKERING WITH BUSES THAN WITH COMPUTERS!

Joking aside, I get it!

The only way to put a photo in a VoyageForum post is if it's on the internet! (That's right, CUNNI, yeah?) And me, my photos are on my PC, which goes on the internet, but they're not actually on the internet.... so, screwed! If you want to see my whole folder and the transformation photos, you just have to come to the meet-up I proposed! (Seriously, grrrrr, I'm not going to get a degree in computer science and learn CUNNI's language—because it's definitely a foreign language, right?—just to put photos online!)

Aside from that, bastosyzf450, vanhool = good base.

FR1, it's getting worse and worse! I was at Bieron's yesterday, and his mechanic told me that even RVI garages come to him looking for parts that Irisbus (which now belongs 100% to Iveco!) no longer stocks!

That doesn't make me want to drive an FR1!

And the S53 and similar models, we've already discussed those. They're really only for tight budgets and young people. Me, almost 40 with 3 kids, I'm looking for a bit more comfort. But at 20, I had a raised Estafette camper van... no money, no kids, and with lots of friends and good times, it was the best!

And now it's gasmobil's turn.... We understood that you had a wedding, just the weekend of the meet-up.... What an excuse!

Enough joking around—for the meet-up, if it's all just to get together with a handful of us, it's a shame!

By mid-September, I'll have done most of the interior work, I'll just have some tinkering and final touches left.

For now, I'm stopping because I'm taking the kids to eat at an American gastronomic restaurant (McDonald's!).

PATRICK26

FOR YOUR OLD MERCEDES:

http://www.maggie-deutz.com/iv/index.php?pg=bezug

and dig through the links. you'll find suppliers of German equipment there.

good luck with your search....

PATRICK26

you totally nailed that German site........... damn, my head's killing me can you confirm what I think—to register a truck or a bus, does it need to have been sold in France? how can you find that out? from the type number? lots of Merco buses weren't sold in France, I think (305, 309, 307) does anyone have the Mercedes-Daimler company number? I really don't feel like dealing with an isolated vehicle passage, and then you need the motivation to move on to the campervan anyway.... thanks, I'm really exhausted, you guys are great advisors!!

😏Organizing a meet-up isn't easy, as you can see. I'm from Toulouse and I'd love to swing by, but 800km is a lot—especially with the family... not easy.

Has anyone on the forum already converted a 30-seater bus? What kind of fuel consumption are we looking at roughly?

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A BUS, I spotted one this week on eBay. It's a Renault and is being renovated, priced at €4,500. For my part, I'm a bit discouraged by what people on the forum say about its poor reliability. Plus, the seller doesn't have all the paperwork in order yet. It seems like if everything were fine, the price would be reasonable compared to other listings currently online. One of them was asking €20,000 for a 53, not even in great condition either...!!!!!

My ideal would be to find an old Magirus—one that doesn't need to prove its reliability anymore, with proper campervan papers, just needing some renovation work. Its retro look, its size, its curves... I dream about it, but you gotta keep your feet on the ground. I've always found its rounded, cuddly shapes charming—proof is my first campervan was a 23-window Volkswagen. If anyone knows of one, well... I'm not holding my breath. Better to aim for something more realistic, like an S 53.

OK, I finally figured out how to post a clickable image on this forum that launches a link! Phew! 😛

Click on the images 😏

Never mind my last post - with the quotes it was really confusing. Anyway, I found an easier way. I'm starting a tutorial, and as soon as it's done (this weekend), I'll post the link... (with the thing I'm putting together, even Patrick will be able to post tons of photos on the forum) In the meantime, I've started gathering some photos from the thread here: http://profile.imageshack.us/user/cunni

AND I'VE GOT PLENTY OF GEMS LIKE THIS ONE!

I've already shared a few, but there are still some left. (I've got a Russian one too! but that's even more of a headache!

For your info, Mercedes provides the procedures to certify their vehicles worldwide. Get in touch with the nearest heavy-vehicle dealer with copies of the German (or other) documents, and within a week they'll tell you whether it's importable to France, what modifications might be needed, etc....

PATRICK26

Yeah, to certify a used foreign vehicle in France you need to get it approved here. If you do a technical inspection you're required to meet current standards—unlike a vehicle already approved in France when new, which only needs to meet the standards of its approval year. In short, it's not possible: emissions, seat belts, brakes, engine (DCi mandatory now I think), lighting, etc., etc.

BRAVO, BRAVO!

So we're waiting for the tutorial then....

Like a real pro, you even masked the faces.....

But who are you, what do you do, what region are you from? Your profile's not filled in—I'm left wondering if you're a 'young' tech genius or a seasoned pro...

PATRICK26

Hi again, So the FR1 is a bad option then? On the other hand, what about Vanhool — do they easily grant authorizations (for adding seats with seatbelts, that's important to me) on 20-year-old buses? I was also wondering about Bova, a smaller manufacturer — might it be easier to get paperwork or approvals? My requirements: a bus with large cargo holds, capable of covering long distances, 12 meters long (for under €20,000), and ideally a MAN or Mercedes engine (with after-sales service available everywhere) Patrick, if you want to upload all your photos without any hassle, I can set up something really simple for you, with automatic resizing and all the features you could want (it's what I do), and I can give you a hand by phone if needed... I would've liked to come to the meet-up, but from Rennes it's quite far 😕

OK, while I was trying to post an image, patrick26 had already replied, but it's not the same answer... I'm confirming what I said because I've already tried it with a Trabant (it's not possible to register it in RTI because of the pollution WITH 2 L, unlike my previous message (where 1 L is missing but that's normal—my job is magician, making things disappear I know) BUT I can't manage to make a photo APPEAR M.... I'm hopeless at computers!!! thus ends my international career in my neighborhood😕😏

OK I also confirm what Patrick26 said about Mercedes, I've already heard about it (plus I imported one (but it was already registered in France 300 Break TD Turbo) )

OK I'll wait for cunni's post for the photos I think😐

A really practical tool would be great...

while waiting for the tutorial, the command to display an image with a link is:



for images to be side by side, all the brackets need to be together (no space) otherwise they'll stack one on top of the other.

To display an image simply: (works if the image is stored on a website!)

Alright, I'm off to bed, I wake up at 4:30

Patrick, I've started filling out my profile... 😛 GX47 soon a tutorial that should be clear for everyone...