Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 46 of 161)

🙂 I’ve been checking out your site since you created it! You deserve credit for staying so calm, especially in your replies! I got an S105 since then and have been quietly making progress! I just joined the forum, so excuse me if I don’t have your experience to understand all the repetitive questions from everyone! I’ll try to keep it short and to the point!

PROJECT: I want to create a 60 cm x 120 cm opening in the bus roof to access the roof rack using an "ATTIC LADDER," positioned at the front in the "cabin" area, starting from the access steps.

ANALYSIS: This opening could be considered a large roof hatch.

QUESTION: For this operation, do I need authorization from the manufacturer—in this case, RENAULT TRUCK—to proceed by the book?

Hoping to slowly integrate into this forum, thank you all for welcoming me!

🙂I completely agree with you, but I do regret the ending "at the risk..."! It seems to me that Patrick created this forum to help folks like me solve our problems—not to wage war on the "Lamentable Federation of Helmeted Idiots" (FLIC), which is just the national police, a corporation I worked for during my career! We must keep our pride! And if we have problems, it’s only by working with available people like Patrick and maintaining good relationships with officials responsible for overseeing our leisure activities that we’ll make progress!

Yet I know a "whole bunch of directors of all kinds and from all departments," and not a single one can give me an answer!

It’s only through volunteers like Patrick and thanks to his hands-on experience—which I’ve personally benefited from for two years—that some of us will be able to realize our projects or dreams with joy and serenity. We shouldn’t let ourselves be distracted by ideologues!

Regarding the "left-door dilemma in buses," I just received my DRIRE file, and one of the pages addresses the issue. I don’t want to say more in case it’s a mistake, but I’ll submit this document to Patrick’s discretion via direct email.

My email: thouvenin.georges@wanadoo.fr My phone: 0553045892

Hi there,

If I understood correctly, you used to work in law enforcement? From what I can tell, that makes two police officers and one firefighter. If we can’t talk safety with this crowd, then who can we? 😉 I sent you a PM. See you,

sorry AMAsxmx I’d disconnected before reading your post.

I’d say......couldn’t have put it better!

so I’m out.........can’t stick around long, I’m on the run....(shhh) word is the Forum’s been infiltrated.......

No worries....... See ya.... we’ll get the green light to discuss

So many people think what gasmobil wrote, but he probably said it out loud to avoid the comments...

Anyway, I think I can speak for him by saying he’s totally comfortable with his profession—otherwise, he wouldn’t have mentioned it! He could’ve just said he was a bus driver in Marseille, for example!

As the song goes, "to each their own life, to each their own path, and the cows will be well looked after!" (!)

For your door and emergency exits, only trust the post I shared on page 19 of this thread. All the mine documents talking about driver doors concern motorhomes under 3.5 tons or less than 12 m²—so that doesn’t apply to us.

Don’t forget that the best way to handle the mine regulations is to work with the current standards, bring your vehicle and the rules, and ask the inspector to do their job: INSPECT IF YOUR WORK MEETS THE STANDARDS.

One point, one hole!

There isn’t a single department where the mine engineer speaks the same language as their neighbor. As advice goes, they’re clueless—it’s way too specific!

Alright, here’s a little brain-teaser gift!

This is the regulation about seats and seatbelts. I’m not including the annexes.

Check out Article 9, paragraph 2. It means that if you take a coach, convert it into a camper, and use seats and seatbelts that have already been approved as seats and seatbelts in a previously approved vehicle and they’re installed correctly (so you can bolt a 5-seat Neoplan lounge into a Heuliez without needing a crash test), as referenced in paragraph 5 of Directive 76/115/EEC! Happy reading.....

Shall we chat about this (and the rest?) on the 16th/17th? Does it make you want to come? Don’t be shy—sign up for the weekend in Drôme for converted vehicles!

PATRICK26

Art. 1. - The following international category vehicles must comply with the provisions of Directive 74/408/EEC as last amended by Directive 96/37/EEC, Directive 76/115/EEC as last amended by Directive 96/38/EEC, and Directive 77/541/EEC as last amended by Directive 96/36/EEC, within their respective scopes and under the conditions set out in the table below:...................................................

You can consult the table in the Official Journal no. 0294 of 18/12/96, pages 18622 to 18623.....................................................

Art. 2. - Second-hand seats intended for vehicles approved under Annex III of Directive 74/408/EEC as last amended by Directive 96/37/EEC and sold from 1 October 1999 must comply with the provisions of said directive.

Art. 3. - For the application of Articles 1 and 2 of this order, it shall be considered that: the provisions of Regulation No. 14 are equivalent to those of Directive 76/115/EEC, except for its provisions on the minimum number and location of anchorage points in M2 and M3 category vehicles; the provisions of Regulation No. 16 are equivalent to those of Directive 77/541/EEC, except for its provisions on the installation of seatbelts; the provisions of Regulation No. 17 are equivalent to those of Annex II of Directive 74/408/EEC, except, where applicable, for its paragraph 3.3.3 and headrest heights for rear seats; the provisions of Regulation No. 80 are equivalent to those of test 1 of Appendix 1 and Appendices 2 to 5 of Annex III of Directive 74/408/EEC.

Art. 4. - In accordance with the provisions of Annex XI of Directive 70/156/EEC, the provisions of Article 1 of this order apply, for motor vehicles converted into motor caravans, only to seats intended for normal use when the vehicle is traveling on the road. Rear seats of motor vehicles converted into motor caravans with a maximum authorized weight exceeding 2.5 tons may in all cases be equipped with only two anchorage points and lap belts. Furthermore, if these vehicles are built in several stages, they may only comply with the provisions of Directives 74/408/EEC, 76/115/EEC, and 77/541/EEC applicable to N category vehicles of the same maximum authorized weight. Separate headrests installed above the rear seats of motor vehicles converted into motor caravans are exempt from the requirements of Annex II of Directive 74/408/EEC and those of Directive 78/932/EEC.

Art. 5. - The seatbelt anchorages of the rear seats of N category motor vehicles built in several stages and converted into double cabins or extended cabins may, given the specific design and construction characteristics of these vehicles, not comply with certain provisions of Directive 76/115/EEC, particularly regarding their strength and location, provided that the minimum number of required anchorages is respected.

Art. 6. - For the purposes of national type-approval and individual approval of M3 category vehicles, seat anchorages shall be considered as complying with the provisions of paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of Annex III of Directive 74/408/EEC if the seatbelt anchorages are placed directly on the seats and these seatbelt anchorages meet the requirements of Directive 76/115/EEC, where applicable with the derogation provided for in point 5.5.4 of Annex I of this directive.

Art. 7. - For M2 category vehicles with a maximum authorized weight exceeding 3.5 tons and M3 category vehicles type-approved before 1 October 1998, compliance with the provisions of Article 1 of this order shall be presumed, under the manufacturer’s responsibility, if the seats and their anchorages comply with the provisions of Regulation No. 80 and are equipped with two- or three-point seatbelts approved in accordance with Regulation No. 16, without verification, during the approval of seatbelt anchorages, of the compatibility between seats and seatbelts (determination of the number of points and requirements for seat installation), nor, where applicable, of the restraint system itself.

Art. 8. - For the purposes of individual approval of used vehicles without a registration certificate, the requirements applicable to seatbelt anchorages, seat strength and anchorage, and seatbelts and restraint systems are as follows: requirements applicable to vehicles first put into circulation at the date of approval, in the case of coaches; requirements applicable at the presumed or proven date of first circulation of the vehicle to be approved, for other vehicles.

Art. 9. - For the approvals provided for in Articles R. 106 to R. 109-9 of the Highway Code, the documents usable for assessing vehicle compliance with the provisions of Articles 1 to 8 of this order are as follows: 1. Complete or incomplete vehicles: for EC type-approval: EC type-approval certificates or ECE homologation certificates; for national type-approval: the documents mentioned above, or test reports issued by laboratories approved by EU Member States or parties to the agreement establishing the European Economic Area under Article 14 and Annex IV, points 15, 19, 31, and 38 of Directive 70/156/EEC, or direct verification by the approval officer in cases under Annex IV of Directive 74/408/EEC not requiring testing; for individual approval: the documents mentioned above, or a manufacturer’s statement comparing the vehicle with an already approved type. 2. Completed vehicles (converted in several stages): documents relating to the approval of the base incomplete vehicle insofar as its compliance with the provisions of Articles 1 to 8 is preserved, in whole or in part, during its conversion; additional documents to the above, relating to the completed vehicle, taken from the list in point 1 above.

Art. 10. - The following provisions are repealed as of 1 October 1999: Order of 17 May 1977 on the strength of foldable or removable rear seats in passenger cars; Order of 23 September 1982 on seatbelt anchorages for adult occupants of motor vehicles; Order of 24 September 1982 on seatbelts for adult-sized occupants of motor vehicles.

Art. 11. - The Director of Road Safety and Traffic is responsible for the execution of this order, which shall be published in the Official Journal of the French Republic.

Done in Paris, 5 December 1996.

given your plans, are you aware of our meet-up the weekend of September 16–17 in Valence, Drôme?

If not, and you're interested, let me know—about twenty participants have already booked, and nearly as many are waiting for confirmation.

PATRICK26

Okay, I'm working on the AFNOR guide in PDF—making progress, think I'll finish it by the weekend.

But I need your insights! I've been offered a Renault PR14 with apparently 290,000 km, from between 1987 and 1990, and it's in good condition—for 3,600 € all taxes included.

I wanted to know if this is a good deal and if anyone has info on the vehicle size, storage compartments, chassis type, whether it can tow a trailer...

Also, is this a solid base for a camper bus with a rear compartment to load motorcycles?

Thanks in advance!

What a pleasure to read you again, my dear Patrick............

You truly impress me more and more.... And I confirm what id944 says: that if some people realize their project or keep their motivation just like me, it will be partly thanks to you! We need you!!

So: hip hip hip for Patrick

Hey Patrick, I'm also in the Drôme in Saint-Donat and I'm struggling to find a bus. Reaching out for help—thanks, Seb 0660880762

On this topic, I've had the chance to travel in a C25 Dangel, VW Syncro, Iveco Daily, and then a Renault B110—all in 4x4—and from that experience I really recommend to anyone wanting to travel in a 4x4 van to outfit a B110 (or B90 for those wanting a shorter chassis) however you like because it's really a beast for off-roading and in sand; its 3-leaf helical suspension is a huge part of that! It's really a handy tool, just below heavy-duty trucks in capability. You can load it up well since, let's remember, it's a 4.5-ton in the military, downrated to 3.5 tons civilian to stay accessible with a standard car license. Really a truck with great comfort, easily repairable, and parts are easy to find at RVI for reasonable prices.

The Iveco Daily is really solid in the same class, but with an engine that maybe heats up a bit quicker (e.g., Libya in August) and it's less reliable. But I'm nitpicking there...

The VW Syncro isn't a true 4x4 since it doesn't have a differential—just a viscous coupling that engages the other two wheels. Its advantage: smaller and therefore more discreet.

Then there are plenty of other options: the TP3 (ancestor of the B110) with incomparable looks, great volume, cheaper but no power steering!

Steyrpush in 6x6 are real beasts! But harder to maintain and maybe less discreet ;-)

Bremach has a good reputation too but I don't know enough about them to comment;

In short, if you've got the budget and you're looking for a 4x4 van to live in, don't hesitate: Renault B90 or 110! (while you save up for the Xerax...)

Cheers. Batz.

Oops! Sorry, looks like I answered the wrong post...😛 Personally, I'm looking for a Mercedes 911 or 1113 to convert into a motorhome. I know a few places in Germany, but does anyone have any for France? Thanks.

Hi, my friend bought a 508 with a moving cargo box. The thing is, originally it was a light vehicle (2.8 tons empty), but the previous owner reclassified it as a commercial vehicle so he could armor-plate it.

My question is: is it better to keep it as a commercial vehicle and get the proper license, or convert it back to light vehicle status?

Knowing that we're going to be fitting it out ourselves as a campervan.

And while we're at it asking questions, what are the exact procedures for converting from a commercial vehicle back to light vehicle?

Thanks in advance!

For your 911 or your 1113, try this address:

http://www.lys-tout-terrain.com/camion-nouveaute.html

It's in France

PATRICK26

OK, thanks Patrick, but I've already visited that site and contacted the sellers. I'm looking for other options or private individuals.

Hello,

I notice that my previous post was deleted.

Sorry.

Alright, a week before the most famous of weekends, here's my little rundown!



and a couple of photos of the place where it's all happening.

in order:

the entrance, the space reserved for our meet-up, the camping area, and because it's really beautiful, a caravan that's permanently based at this campsite.









hopping this will convince the last of the holdouts....

PATRICK26

For a first time, it's pretty good. Hopefully the mining engineer, the bodywork specialist, and C. de Risbourg will be present. But in any case, the setting looks good, and we're going to have a great weekend on a theme we all have in common, it'll be great😉

Hi, I just got back from vacation and heard about the weekend plans. I have some work commitments, so I'm not sure yet if I can make it. In case I do manage to free myself up, could you let me know if any participants are coming from Brittany or the Loire region? That way I could possibly avoid taking the train. See you soon! JL Corouge

Thank you for the:

For a first time, it's not bad!!!

Having had you on the phone, I'm taking this as teasing! 😉

After 3 weeks of: - Phone calls (I burned through my 3-month phone plan!) - Emails (in groups or one by one via Travel Forum DMs... hours!) - Finding the location (I came across as crazy when I explained to the campsite owner why we were having the meeting! ...buses? ...camper vans?) - Finding tables, chairs, a giant barbecue, etc. (thanks to the "Chabeuil pétanque club" who don't have a tournament this weekend!) - Negotiating with gaby chariots (those who know will understand!) - Inviting the speakers (but what was I supposed to explain to them? ...some are coming from across France and even from abroad?!) - etc...

So there's only one week left to enjoy this WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION!

The field is large, there's still more room...

And those who've registered.... start packing and don't forget your sketch folders, photos, etc... which can fuel the discussions!

WARMLY TO ALL...

PATRICK26