Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 48 of 161)

😉Thanks for your tips! Do you have any good addresses for the *drire* you could share with us? If you’ve got any other little tricks to share, don’t hesitate—they’ll be more than welcome! I’m coming back to the door issue that scares a lot of people—if just an icebreaker is enough, I think quite a few folks will jump in and introduce themselves on this forum. There are plenty of people lurking around without making themselves known.

Hi there, and thanks to both of you for your reply about the difference between VASP, motorhome, HGV, and camper van. But I still have a question that’s been bugging me: when people say you no longer need a tachograph, why do all buses still have one on the dashboard? I haven’t seen a single one where it’s been removed—since it’s supposedly useless now!? Plus, thanks to you, PATRICK, I learned I no longer need to use the tachograph disk on my HGV since I only use it for personal purposes with my own equipment on board. Thanks again, PATRICK. Have a great weekend, and keep us in mind for photos—I’m stuck at work.

🙂What do you mean by Inviolability outside legal hours, etc... what are the hours?

Hi, in my case the pr80 is a real intercity coach so it goes at 90. It does have a semi-automatic gearbox and I’ll ask the guy how much it consumes. I’ve attached some photos of the bus.

Well, the controlograph is also the bus's meter, so you can't remove it😐 Personally, I always keep a disc spinning inside it. It happens that I change it too, and I recommend everyone do the same—it costs nothing. Otherwise, you'll wear out the needle. Plus, you should always think ahead. You never know when you might need it for a calculation, a consumption check, or something else (like selling the vehicle to a company or a performance troupe for professional use...)

Well, in my MOT I don’t list a disc... so yeah, I use the needle... but what’s the big deal? Since the chance my non-spec van will ever become a pro truck is like 1 in 1000...? 😉

Otherwise, one Sunday I got stopped at a toll booth in the south on the A20. I was at 8t GVW, so (over 7.5t) normally not allowed to drive on Sundays, even in a van conversion. But the gendarme was pretty embarrassed... I showed him it was my home, so a "motorhome" even if the registration papers didn’t mention it. He called his superior. Then tried the DRIRE but because it was Sunday... no one on the line... so after 30 minutes of back-and-forth... and after getting the green light from his boss... he let me go :-) 😏

Your question is off-topic for this forum, but I’ll answer it anyway and close this digression at the same time. As for "inviolability," it’s all relative—it actually follows the same rules as a house or apartment. For example, in the morning, no arrests or searches (to mention just that) before 6:00 AM. For more details, look it up—it’s treated like a residence. Just a reminder, this is off-topic here!

Regarding vehicles, I’d actually disagree with GX47. You can absolutely perform what’s called a "visual inspection"—meaning, as the name suggests, checking only what’s directly visible. So, for instance, inspecting a bag you see on a seat or the contents of the glove compartment if it’s already open. Another legal nuance: even if officers aren’t authorized to open the trunk or glove compartment themselves, they’ll usually have the owner/driver open it—and most people quickly realize it’s in their best interest. One more thing: according to my district commissioner, officers can legally remove a driver from their vehicle for one reason or another. To quote: "Force must remain with the law."

What I’m about to say is just my personal opinion, but I find that some questions here have motivations that seem questionable to me—even some claims about so-called "tricks" that make me think of people trying to dodge this country’s laws and obligations.

I don’t approve of that kind of attitude. This country’s laws exist to prevent chaos and to compel those who lack common sense to follow basic principles of caution, respect, and personal responsibility. When I see young people who only think about cheating the system and paying little or nothing, it reminds me of someone sawing off the branch they’re sitting on. Who can predict the long-term effects of such irresponsible individualism?

Yes, I’ve been preachy again, but now, let’s refocus the topic on real, constructive, and intelligent questions about bus conversions.

Best regards, Gasmobil.

The important thing is, of course, finding the right contact, and I obviously have "my connections" (as a former member of the Mining Service) in the Paris region. But I also know the right person for Brittany (in Quimper, 29000). See you soon

🙂 Hey gasmobil, thanks for your reply but I don’t find it sketchy—just wanted to know what to expect😛

😉 thanks, I’ll message you later in private.

Hi everyone, I’m now the happy owner of the red and grey PR14 you might have seen a few pages back. Its registration is VASP caravan, not motorhome, so I’d love confirmation on whether I’m allowed to drive on weekends, public holidays, and whether I’m exempt from restrictions on public transport and goods vehicles. Thanks in advance! Where can I find the legal text that allows all this??

Just a heads-up for anyone struggling with insurance: Groupama insures me for 625 € (and since I’ll be living in it full-time, they cover up to 10,000 € worth of belongings inside the bus, unlike the usual 1,500 € for a "normal" vehicle, and it’s fully comprehensive). I just need to take out my mutual insurance with them.

Hi,

It’s the same thing😉

On the registration certificate (CG) of my GX47, it’s marked J1 (Type) VASP, J3 (Body) CARAVANE.

"Camping-car" is a designation like "Motor Home."

No problem for weekend trips or transporting goods (including TCP ), no need for extra paperwork—the authorities know the law.

But watch out for camper van parking or access restrictions! (Though for parking tickets, there’s a template letter that supposedly works to get them dismissed.)

There you go—feel reassured now? 😉

PS: The insurance plan looks pretty solid.

GX47

Hi, you mentioned a template letter—what do you mean by that, GX 47?

FAB.

Hi there, new to this forum! I just bought a 1974 ES 140, CG TC with 14 seats, at a reasonable price and in decent condition despite some corrosion on the frame (the diagonal bars) and an air leak at the front door.

Questions: Is it possible to replace the side rails? Apparently, the leak is at the solenoid valve—where could I find a replacement for that?

Since it won’t be driven for a while (I need time to convert it) and I plan to switch to a 1,215 model around June, what’s the best move for the CG? Should I leave it registered as a bus or try to get it reclassified?

Registering it as a classic is tempting for now, but what about resale? I’m on the fence because I don’t really need to drive it, and with this air leak, downgrading to a heavy goods vehicle (PL) isn’t an option.

What would you do?

😉Hey everyone, can't make it this weekend 🙁 think of us to get as much documentation as possible, photos too, and the negotiation notes see ya

I think, given some PMs (from other François), I’m now labeled as a potential "schemer" lol (especially when it comes to gas—what a fatal mistake I would’ve made without some members’ advice). Anyway, can you remove my username from the homeless association? Thanks lol. Uhh, I’m sure it’s from back-to-back replies, but no big deal.

sorry, that’s my bad

It's a "template" letter drafted by the legal department of the French Federation of Motorhomes, but I doubt its effectiveness because it refers to the Court of Cassation ruling of July 9, 1931, and the Council of State ruling of February 25, 1932. They weren’t exactly swamped with motorhomes back then—plus, "no parking" signs must’ve been pretty rare😎.

Basically, it argues that permanent parking bans for certain vehicles infringe on the freedom of movement, so they can’t be enforced indefinitely.

To me, this challenges ALL restrictive parking bans (unless they’re justified by safety or public order concerns).

Anyway, it seems to work—I’ve got a copy, but I’ve never used it (I just park where it’s banned now). Saves me the hassle of paperwork or paying fines.

If anyone’s interested, let me know via PM—I’ll try to scan and send it (though I can’t get ADSL out here—long live the countryside—so I’ll have to compress it).

GX47

😉 No worries at all, everyone makes mistakes. At your age, I did way worse—I only calmed down when I found out I was going to be a dad. And hey, there are always workarounds and tricks.

The forum is here for sharing ideas, thoughts, answers, and counterpoints together. We take on mod roles because we’ve got experience and want to pass it on. If we get a bit loud, it’s to prevent accidents (you can’t know everything) and to keep this post from getting shut down—it’d be a shame!😐

A mechanic buddy (who now preps cars for the 24 Hours of Le Mans) once told me (I was 16 and wanted tips to "soup up" my 80cc even more): "You learn mechanics by breaking engines." Since I didn’t have much cash, I learned fast. Here, I think we’re all trying to skip that stage—a bus is way more expensive to fix than a Suzuki engine.

BUT YOU’RE STILL ON THE RECORD!!! 🏴‍☠️ ... JUST KIDDING😄

Oh, and I also removed the "homeless guy" from the title 😏

Later! GX47

I hope I'm not gonna wreck the engine of my bus. I didn't plan on pushing it too hard, anyway. I'm a trumpeter, but still—a Saviem engine!? Especially since I'm pretty laid-back when it comes to that stuff.

Okay, the little joke’s out of the way...

Otherwise, everything’s running smoothly. Since the undercarriage is filthy, I’m tackling the cleaning tomorrow to prep for winter. Rust is a real issue, so with S45/53 models, you’ve always gotta keep the frame clean to stop moisture from getting trapped between the dirt layer and the chassis.