Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 54 of 161)

Hi there, Just for info, can we put film on all the windows? Because a while back, quite some time ago, it was completely forbidden on the windshield and front windows. I think it’s not bad, since from the inside it doesn’t darken the rooms, and it’s sometimes better than people who tolerate the windows. To get a perfect flat surface, it’s almost impossible, especially if you paint it a dark color. Maybe a tip: paint it white or very light colors—the imperfections fade with fewer reflections.

😉Hi, Plastic film is okay, but it won’t protect you from the cold—you can use it, but just a little.

I’ve got two friends who check the forum regularly but are too shy to post!!! Could you help them with these questions? Can we go over the steps to get homologation? When can we start the work? Thanks

the steps to get homologation, a link that might help:

http://perso.orange.fr/pl65/homologation/homologation.htm

Hi everyone, and for those who might be interested, I found a site that can supplement all the information above: http://perso.orange.fr/energies-nouvelles-entreprises/consult.htm See you soon! JLC

😉 THANKS

Regarding plastic films for windows, they're prohibited on the windshield as well as the side windows of the cab. But be careful—it's also banned on any glass surface considered an emergency exit, because it prevents the safety glass from shattering, and that's the main purpose.

😮Hi there, there are several types of films—some are UV-blocking and others are thermal, which insulate against both cold and heat. As for the latter, I’m not sure if it’s actually worse in terms of thermal insulation than a plain sheet of metal just one millimeter thick, especially since the glass in buses is usually quite thick. If any of you have measurements, I’d love to hear them. 😉 Fab

Here we go, here’s our future home that just arrived. Only got two exterior pics ‘cause it started pouring, and no interior shots ‘cause it was too dark. So, it’s an PR80 from ‘85, the inter-urban version of the PR100-2. 618,000 km and worth 2,500 €. Its twin brother is also for sale.

Cheers, Pierrick

It's actually a self-supporting structure, which is why I'm looking into it. 😉

I read that this type of vehicle isn’t really made for long highway trips because of the transmission—what do you think?

It's clear that 1 mm sheet metal—or even thinner—doesn’t insulate well at all, just like glass unless it's double-glazed. Those so-called insulating films only protect against heat, specifically sunlight by reflection. The film’s "shininess" and mirror effect reflect heat back outside. When it comes to actual insulation—keeping warmth inside the vehicle during winter—I’m pretty skeptical. The advantage of sheet metal is that you can potentially install smaller windows where you want, like two small horizontal ones for bunk beds, but more importantly, it lets you add REAL insulation inside.

Hey! Where did you read this if you remember? Take a city bus with an automatic transmission—the bus runs all day (the transmission is much more stressed), so personally, I don’t see why the transmission, since it’s automatic, couldn’t run long-term in the same gear. After all, I’m no mechanic or even an expert, but that’s just what I think. I’ll still look into it because it’s got me worried now ;)

What’s certain is that most city buses with automatic transmissions don’t exceed 70 km/h!

Their 3-speed automatic gearbox (sometimes just 2 speeds) is designed for urban driving where all routes are limited to 50 km/h for heavy vehicles—even on 70 km/h sections, just a quick reminder of the highway code!

So, your engine and gearbox might struggle on long trips at sustained speeds.

Check your redline; your gearbox type and the maximum speed it’s designed for should be indicated.

A quick reminder for anyone in the process of buying:

Buses and coaches aren’t like cars!

When a transporter in the Landes region buys a bus for school transport, they order it with a long gearbox and long axle ratio (basically, this bus will never climb the 2 Alpes faster than 20 km/h in first or second gear—but since it’ll never have to...).

On the other hand, a transporter in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ordering the same bus for school transport will request a short gearbox, maybe even a relay gearbox with a short axle ratio (basically, the bus will guzzle fuel like a drunk at 90 km/h but will climb hills like a mountain goat!).

The good test:

You accelerate the bus to 60 km/h on flat ground with no particular wind, then shift into 6th gear. If it engages just enough but still engages, you’ve got a balanced setup (good for all terrains). If it engages too easily and revs up quickly, watch out—you probably have a short setup that’ll drink fuel at 90 km/h. If it doesn’t engage at all, no big deal, as long as you’re not heading into the mountains! At 70 or 75 km/h after pushing your 5th gear a bit, it’ll engage on flat ground. But in the mountains, this vehicle will struggle.

Why the 60 km/h test? Because on national roads, heavy vehicles are limited to 80 km/h, and it’s really nice to have 20 km/h of leeway without changing gears.

My bus has a DAF chassis that comes with one engine (6-cylinder, 11.4 liters) but 7 different gearboxes and 5 axle ratios!

Unless you’re a mechanical engineer, you’ll need to ask around or test it out! All bus and coach dealers know this fact! None will refuse a slightly longer road test as long as you cover the fuel (famillede8 did a test with 100 € of diesel. Departure gauge at zero, return the same—about 400 km on the trip! ... The bus was sold, and both the buyer and seller were happy!)

PATRICK26

For city buses, driving at sustained speeds does mean a high engine RPM, but this isn’t a city bus—it’s an intercity coach. It cruises at 90 km/h with an average consumption of 35L/100km. Since it’s an intercity coach, it can be used for school runs, Rennes-Paris trips, or similar long-distance routes, so it’s built for the road. Whether an engine (or gearbox) runs for 1 hour or 10, unless there’s a cooling issue (or a driver pushing it too hard), it won’t overheat beyond its normal operating temperature.

Regarding gearbox differences, you’re right to point out that depending on the geographic location, gearboxes can vary and might not suit the new owner. So, be cautious about that.

Alright, here’s the debrief from the weekend of September 16–17 on the theme of converted buses!

Over 30 adults (some told me nearly 40 including the speakers!), 2 buses, and a Mercedes 508 on site—plus 5 owners in the middle of more or less advanced projects and several others still in the planning stages! For a first event, I think that’s not bad at all!

Apparently, Wohnbus only had 4 vehicles at their first meet-up! Close enough...

I made a JPG file that’s a bit (too!) compressed, but the vibe is there!

And for those who were there, it’ll bring back memories, and for the others, I hope it’ll make you want to come next time!

It’s short, but to fit it all into 200 KB, I spent... 2 hours on it! Didn’t manage to include more photos... better luck next time with the bus... sorry about that...

PATRICK26

I WANT TO BUY A BUS TO CONVERT INTO A MOTORHOME BUT I ONLY HAVE A CAR LICENSE. WHAT MODIFICATIONS AND STEPS ARE INVOLVED? ARE THEY COMPLICATED?

hi there, welcome! reply: read the 47 pages 😛

Hi there, 😛 I'm a bit hesitant about the photos from the weekend. Sure, it's easy to criticize, but I would've loved to see the inside of the buses in detail.🙁

The organization itself seems perfect, though, and I’d like to thank PATRICK for his dedication. FAB

Hi everyone,

I’ve finally finished reading all 47 pages—my eyes suffered a bit, but I don’t regret it. Bravo and thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences and tips. It seems like a real community is forming thanks to this thread, and the success of the first weekend meet-up confirms it. In short, it’s really great but, there’s a but: new arrivals often ask for info that’s already been posted, topics overlap and become hard to follow, and file exchanges (other than images under 200k) happen privately—for example, the famous AFNOR guide that was supposed to be shared as a PDF...

To improve all this, I’d like to offer some space on my site to host files, and maybe even create a dedicated forum entirely for DIY spacious camper vans. Setting up the file-sharing system is super simple and can be done almost instantly. The forum would take a bit more time since we’d need to find the right format (plus I’ve never set one up before...).

Before I get carried away imagining how it could look, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these two ideas: hosting files and a dedicated forum.

See you, Seb

Who’s this newbie showing up and wanting to change everything and move it all around?!

My apologies—I didn’t even introduce myself:

Name’s Seb, I’m 26. I was gonna buy a houseboat, but then I thought I’d cry if, after two years of work, I had to sell it because I was moving somewhere you can’t have a houseboat... So, a bus is what I need! Plus, I actually had this idea as a teen, and if my cousin hadn’t teased me so much about it, I wouldn’t have even considered the houseboat.

My plan, like some of you here, is to live in a bus year-round. For now, nothing’s decided—not even the bus model!

So, what do you all think of the ideas in my last post?

See ya, Seb