Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 43 of 161)

If you get a coach equipped with a Webasto or Eberspächer heater, a 6.5 kg "Twiny" cylinder will be enough for a year of cooking!

Keep a spare one stowed in the hold (well secured) and you're good to go...

Plus, if you only have the gas cooktop, no complicated setup!

Store the cylinder in a ventilated area (check the AFNOR guide), use a max 1.2 m flexible hose to connect the cylinder to the cooktop, and you're all set!

That's why I only use gas for cooking. All other heat production (heating and hot water) is handled by a Webasto.

Watch out for heating power! If it's not original to the bus and you're looking for a second-hand one, don’t go for a truck model—they’re not powerful enough! (Designed to heat the cab only!)

PATRICK26

hi everyone I’m planning to buy a bus soon so I can convert it and, most importantly, travel in it I’ve got a really tight budget and I don’t have a heavy-goods license so I’d love to get one for next to nothing any tips? thanks in advance

If you're unemployed, take your licenses at AFPA. Otherwise, Patrick 26 will know how to guide you better, especially in his area

Driving school Chazot: http://www.ffrchazot.com

For info about your license:

Driving school Chazot in Bourg-lès-Valence offers the heavy vehicle license for 1100 € until you pass (accommodation on site is free, and you can take the test in 15 days—both the maneuvering and road tests).

Chazot has issued over 16,000 heavy vehicle licenses, has a fleet of 10 or 12 trucks, and amazing instructors! A benchmark in southeastern France...

PATRICK26

🙂🙂Hi Patrick, and thanks for your tips! I’ve just printed out all the pages from this forum to make a kind of checklist in a binder before I start my project (stuff like regulations, steps, etc.). I think I’ve found everything, but we’ll see. Anyway, hats off for your AMAZING camper—I checked out your photos, they’re awesome! We’re eagerly waiting to see the inside.

I’ll start 😎looking for a bus next week, but not as big as yours. My first build will be more modest…

For GX47,

I think I got that you’re in the west? La Rochelle, right? Would it be possible to meet up one day so you can tell me about your experience? 😉

Have a great day to both of you, and THANKS!

hi, new to the bus-camper world, but I’m a coach mechanic and I’m looking to build one for road trips. Right now, I’m in the process of buying a vehicle like that and figuring out the modifications I’ll need to make. So I’ll take any useful info you’ve got—thanks in advance!

Hi there,

A mechanic working on coaches—that’s interesting! If you don’t mind me asking, which region are you in?

Welcome to the club.

thanks for your message it’s really nice of you I think this solution works for me and thanks for looking out for newbies really great attitude cheers see you

thanks also I’ll first check with AFPA but what you’re suggesting is great, so if I can’t go through AFPA, I think I’ll head down south best regards and see you soon thanks

Hey there, master, and of course all the members of the site—I’m new here and I think this site is perfect for someone like me who has the same project. I kinda bought a Volvo bus a bit too quickly to convert it without checking out the mines first! But once I was connected, I had some surprises, especially that infamous driver-side door issue... GRRRRRR!!!!!! Given that I need a few days to read all the posts since 2004 to know everything that’s been said, could you tell me, master, if there’s a way to work around (at least to start) the door problem? Anyway, thanks to everyone for all the info in your posts!!!! I love this site

Hey there, master, and of course hello to all the members of the site. Well, I’m new here and I think this site is perfect for someone like me who has the same project. I bought a Volvo coach a bit too quickly to convert it without bothering to check with the mining services first! But once I got connected, I had some surprises—especially that infamous driver-side door issue. GRRRRRR!!!!!! Given that it’ll easily take me two days to read all the posts since 2004 just to catch up on everything that’s been said. Could you tell me, master, if there’s a way to work around (at least to start) the door problem? Anyway, thanks to everyone for all the info in your posts! I love this site.

NOT SO MUCH FLATTERY.....

Check page 19 of the thread. You’ll find the regulations that exempt you from needing a driver’s door… and require everything else!

What model is your Volvo?

PATRICK26

NOT SO MUCH FLATTERY.....

Check page 19 of the thread. You'll find the regulations that exempt you from needing a driver's partition... and require everything else!

What model is your Volvo?

PATRICK26

Thanks a bunch, M....!! I'm heading straight to page 19. The Volvo model: on the registration certificate it's KB10M1, 51 seats, from '89, 700,000 km, 1600 € without a describable manual. Is that a problem? Anyway, what do you think about the price? Thanks

does it look like this one? http://www.bushandel.pl/...0M/16005.html?lng=pl

apparently the gear shift is on the floor, right? how high is the interior ceiling—is it too low? how tall are the storage compartments? where’s the engine? what type of bus is it—body-on-frame or chassis? (question for Patrick?)

Does it look like this one? http://www.bushandel.pl/...0M/16005.html?lng=pl

Apparently the gear shift is on the floor, right? How high is the ceiling inside—isn’t it too low? How tall are the storage compartments? Where’s the engine? What kind of bus is it—body-on-frame or chassis? (question for Patrick?)

Exactly, the gear shift is on the floor. The ceiling height, I’d say about 1.95 m. The engine is central, more toward the front. I don’t know what you mean by body-on-frame or chassis😊. I haven’t finished reading the whole site page to be sure😊. But I’ll check it out this week, and I can give you more details and send you a photo if you want. It looks like the one in the photo, except the windshield is split in two parts.

Hey Patrick, Can you tell me where to find the AFNOR standards manual for our S53? Thanks. Thanks also for your valuable info over the phone the other day. Insurance question: I haven’t found many answers in what I’ve read... Do we really have to budget at least 1000 € for insuring a bus as a motorhome??? (That’s pretty steep, honestly!!!) Thanks everyone—keep it up, it’s a pleasure reading you.

Ju and Eva

hey molosse! can't help you out since I'm a newbie and just joined the site plus I think you mixed up the site members !!!! me it's amasxmx not patick the master 😉 see ya and good luck to all like me

hi everyone so I’m in Brittany, northern Finistère and I’ll finish my message to ask if there are any websites for buying this kind of vehicle thanks in advance cheers

For the AFNOR guide, you can buy it directly from their website— that’s what I did, but honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it because there’s not much to it. Otherwise, I can also send you some excerpts based on what you need.

hi everyone

I’m really excited about this project of converting a bus into a motorhome, so I’m looking for a driving school where I can get my heavy-vehicle license. But now that I’m super motivated, I can’t find a heavy-vehicle school that offers the license with just a few hours per week and on Saturdays. Since I work all week, I can’t take daytime lessons. Ideally, I’d need 1 to 2 hours in the morning (from 7 to 9 AM) and I have Saturday mornings free.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get the license—the first step in my project.

If anyone has ideas, experience, or a contact, I’d love to hear it. (I’m in the Paris area).