Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 56 of 161)

So, here's what to order:

angle grinder discs 10/10 gauge sheet metal brazing rods 2mm rods 2 liters of rust treatment fiberglass mat sauerkraut blackson 30 ml of cargo seals repaint the rims 4 hubcaps 200 sanding discs masking tape primer body paint and ... the 2 or 3 bits and pieces for the interior...

Still plan for 4 or 5 afternoons of work!😉

Well, the easy part's done, now the surprises start!

That's also what happiness is! (Do you remember when I was explaining my sheet metal at the back of the bus, which we ended up changing!)

But anyway, joking aside, you know what a truck is. Don't get carried away with the interior. In your place, I'd start by dealing with everything that's rotten or about to be. Cut it out, redo it, treat it, repaint it. After that, the interior is just details. Boards, pipes and wires. With a bit of cleverness and common sense, it always comes together, even in the rain. On the other hand, the bodywork is a mess! It's not complicated, but it's a mess! It's noise, dirt, welding (no welding in the rain, eh!), etc...

I know you're resourceful, but let yourself have fun with it! Do it in order! Like with a house, you take care of the walls first before laying the tiles!

One last thing, use chocks! Working level is heaven! Looking at your curtains in the photos, you're going to need a timber or two!😛

PATRICK26

Thanks for the advice, that's what I thought. Rust first and the rest will come later.

But anyway I'm going to have a blast with all this DIY stuff😉, plus I'm pretty well equipped. I'm missing soldering equipment, a big jack, big candles and the big pit that I'm planning to dig on some land I have nearby, plus there's water for the pressure washer. And with the power generator I have for the tools, it'll work out!

Count on me to keep you updated through my photos.

Thanks Patrick, thanks everyone else😎

Hey buddy,

First of all, I want to tell you that on this discussion topic, I've been teasing you, but no more!😉

I'm trying to make this discussion space as friendly as possible, and trying out some humor😊

When I said you just had to come, it wasn't ironic, just joking around, but good jokes are often hard to put into writing!

There, it's said! Now, if you chose a job that deprives you of weekends, that's not our fault either! (humor!)

About your weight question:

It's much more complicated than you think, unfortunately!

My bus weighed 11,400 kg empty (that is, with the fuel tank 90/100% full—that's the rule for all tanks!), with all its equipment.

We removed the seats.

We installed partitions, but also water tanks especially, and that's where things get complicated...

As for tanks, we have fresh water, greywater, and blackwater tanks.

In principle, it's like communicating vessels, so if the fresh water tanks are full, the greywater and blackwater are empty, and vice versa. Or even 50-50!

And there's the panic.

My bus, which weighs 11,400 kg empty, from which I removed about 1,100 kg of seats and 300 kg of trim and other things, now weighs only 10,000 kg. Its maximum weight is 17,500 kg. Very good!

But it also has a maximum weight per axle!

And like any bus, the maximum weight on the front axle is low! (especially if there's a mid-mounted engine!) And there, you have to juggle with the tanks!

You must not risk overloading an axle when fresh or dirty water is full! Even if you don't exceed your total maximum weight!

So when, like me, you also load a car at the back!

Well, you weigh the vehicle at several stages of the conversion to know where you stand, or you use software (quite complicated!) for load distribution that Gasmobil found!

Basically, for me, I have 7,500 kg of capacity, and it's up to me to distribute it properly, knowing that I have little on the front axle, more on the rear axle, and anything that sits as weight on the rear overhang gives me back on the front axle! (Yes, the tipping phenomenon, at the midpoint on the rear axle!)🤪

When I say you have to do 'bus sessions'!

PATRICK26

I won! I wanted post 1133!

Well, it's just a joke – Patrick26 will understand!

Look at the time – how are you going to manage to work on your motorhome tomorrow

Hi everyone, I'd like to know if this kind of window cutting directly is simple, or if professional glazing should be recommended instead, or something else? Thanks

See the attachments😉

Hey everyone.

Just to refresh my memory – is an FR1 a chassis or a frame?

Getting old isn't pretty 😕

Talk soon

Hello,

Congratulations on your bus, it's huge (the rust too 😛). They're going to have others of the same kind (especially at the same price and condition I mean...).

Another question: what's a W garage for 150 euros?

Good luck.

Later, Seb

Hey acapola...

Well... a W garage is an insurance that allows the garage owner to drive or transport vehicles with their own registration plates and their own insurance. Otherwise I would've had to insure it for the trip, but this way I have time to find cheap insurance! See ya soon

It's 100% DIY!!

I've talked to the owner, and where there are windows, they're black-painted metal sheets. The original windows still have the opening part at the top. Notice that where there are bay windows, this part is gone.

Hello everyone I'm new but I've been reading your posts for several months. I stumbled upon this forum by chance while looking for a bus for sale to convert into a motorhome. 😮 Wow! There are others as crazy as me! Since then I've read everything from the beginning (or almost) and I've learned so much. A huge thanks to everyone for all the advice. I found an FR1 that I'm picking up this week. I'm looking for ideas for the interior layout. If anyone has photos... Thanks again everyone and I'll keep you updated on the progress. Cheers!

Well, if you find others at the same price and condition, then you're really skilled

Yeah, I confirm, mesh 100%

It's normal 😉 Patrick, we tease each other a bit on the site—it would be too sad otherwise, and besides I love the "messing around"🏴‍☠️. So basically, if I understand correctly, for the interior setup you'd need to count on about 7.5 tonnes total for a bus like yours, including fluids and passengers. Average weight per person is 75kg times the number of seats, that's already quite substantial. On an ad from someone who lives near me, a bus was fitted out with drywall for partitions, and the floor was tiled, just like at home. On a chassis with a truss frame or self-supporting body, isn't there a risk that all of that could come loose on a rough road?😮 I'm asking all these questions to avoid making a mistake before buying it—so we don't regret it every time we go on a weekend trip or get in the bus. I'm a bit of a perfectionist type, and once I see a flaw, that's all I can see after that. See you next time, Fab

Well, there's a good one! Now it's just a matter of getting to work (take it step by step, no need to rush 😉) Take care of the rust and I trust you on that... then reinforce your bus and if you want, we can talk about how to set up that big empty space... I'm here for you...

I'm taking this post as an opportunity to share my thoughts... mrkonn Bus windows are generally made of toughened safety glass, which means they've been treated to make them really hard, almost impossible to machine. So don't think you can drop your windows and get them cut without dealing with all the headaches of mounting new openings onto the glass... and anyway, if you're dropping them you might as well weld them up 😛!

jose6440 Like I said in my first post, don't follow other people's builds or standard vehicles as a guide—their needs aren't necessarily yours! You have a big space to work with, which has its constraints, but it leaves plenty of room for customization. What's important is figuring out what you want to do with your FR1: how you'll use it, whether parked or driving, how many people will live in it and for how long, whether you want to be able to work in it, fit in a whole crew, have friends over, cook meals and what kind, etc. With all that in mind, you'll define what elements to integrate into your layout with their dimensions and space requirements, then add your own personal taste and preferences, and you can start placing your elements, moving them around until you have an interior that feels like you...

Good luck everyone!

Thanks, tell me what thickness the sheet metals in the joint are? It's pretty good too. You'll need about as much time as if you had to remove the windows to weld on cross-members and sheet metal, not forgetting the small windows. IF ANYONE HAS TIPS 😉

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BUS AMAsxmx? See you later 😉

😉 I don't have Patrick's gear, for example so no welding, the sheet metal system in the joints is pretty good thanks for your advice😉

Worth checking on, but you'll probably still need reinforcements behind your metal sheets anyway (for safety and rigidity). A window pane should be about 8mm thick, so I wouldn't use a metal sheet of the same thickness! Anyway, metal-sheeting a window isn't necessarily a materials problem (easier to find materials than someone who really knows how to use them). And there are other solutions besides welding: simple adhesive bonding, or for added security: 'glue-riveting' (with steel rivets!)

Like gasmobil said and I looked at the photos, the sheet metal is in the joint.

But to verify. Thanks

Thanks junior, your help will be very welcome 😉! Once the rust is done, too bad if it takes some time. I plan to savor every moment that lets me finish my work. If some in the neighborhood call me "the slave," it’s not for nothing—I never get tired of working and, of course, this plays tricks on my little family 🙁 who’d prefer I calm down a bit to spend time with them! So, junior, it’ll be a pleasure.

ACAPOLA: I’ll say like fanan! This coach came from a lot of prayers and sheer determination—I wanted one so badly! I had to push myself 🤪, especially since the price I got it for was a steal. It’s part of the motivation, and let it be a lesson to anyone hesitating to take the plunge. If others managed it, why not me? That’s my mindset. But the hardest part isn’t finding it—or at least, I think so. Wish me good luck! Come on, good luck to everyone—your camper van is waiting for you somewhere!