Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 58 of 161)

Hi everyone, No, Patrick, it's not you who's being a pain, and I get frustrated by too many rules and regulations – some of which aren't really justified – but we need them! And there are some good ones! I think you're right about motorhome upholstery. Factory ones need to be fireproof. For laminated plywood – does the Castorama version (for example) meet this standard? Or does it need to be properly certified? (That's probably not the same price!) For tracing an oddly-shaped wall, here's the method I use: Take a sheet of plywood 1200×1600 and attach battens at the bottom so it stands up on its own (like a school board). Prepare a nice straight batten, 20×20, 1.20m long, cut at an angle so it comes to a point. Position the board where the wall will go and use the batten to trace horizontally every 5 or 10cm from floor to top of the board – mark both the line the batten makes and the spot where the point of the batten touches the wall you're copying. Trace these lines horizontally, vertically, at 45 degrees – basically in every direction to help you recreate the profile. Then place the board on the panel you need to cut and reposition the batten where you marked it (at the lines and the end point). Where the point is, make a small pencil mark. Connect all your marks together and you're done – you've got your wall profile. Fair point, written out it's not very clear, but I can't send pictures yet, but I promise I'll sketch it if you need it. Have a good evening everyone, see you soon, quick

Hi quick, thanks! I gotta say it's not easy to explain, but the main thing is I understood where you were going with this. That's clever, well done!!! Fab

Alternatively, there are flexible measuring rulers available in stores for about 20 euros—they're made up of lots of small slats (so they work for lengths around 30cm, with a profile variation of about 15 to 20 cm...)

It's the same principle except you press your panel—which will be your final partition—right against the 'maximum' point, meaning the part that sticks out the most, and you mark it with a pencil.

And finally, you do what any normal DIYer does after taking measurements, and you'll be just as accurate as piccin's solution and it won't cost you a euro either: measure your reference points from a vertical line, and if you have curved sections, make rough cuts, then fit your partition several times until it matches the profile. If what you need to match is a recess rather than a bump, apply a bead of sealant (silicone or whatever) and you're done... so a little gap won't hurt

Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum and I'm looking to convert a semi-trailer box into a camper van I'd love your advice, as I'm torn between a school bus, a straight truck, or a semi-trailer, knowing that I'll be getting my C and EC licenses soon along with my FIMO My goal is to travel all over France, making stops of a few months at a time to rebuild my savings. If anyone has suggestions, I'm interested! Thanks in advance

😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎Hi Patrick and the tribe, I'm new here and had to put on my sunglasses because your vehicles are amazing... With all these tips and info, there's plenty to think about to get a great result. I hope to start a conversion in a few months. A windowed van for now until I can do something bigger.

Patrick, I haven't found the book you're talking about on the web: the AFNOR guide "Converting a Leisure Vehicle". But I found this book: Camper Van Conversion: http://www.eyrolles.com/Scan/MaxiScan/9782124156511.jpg ? Is that the book you're talking about?

Regarding thin insulation (1cm), there's one that's M1 rated (it doesn't burn), it's Airflex made by KdB: www.kdb-isolation.com .

Ciao from Roulmamaison

Great job on the guide, that's the one, and for the thin insulation too!

For the insulation, you can find something simpler and cheaper in my opinion!

I installed 2 layers. One glued to the metal sheets, and another to the back of the panels. That leaves 3.5 cm of air space between them. (See the photo)

PATRICK26

You gotta admit, it's still pretty well made, eh?

Hi, Also check out Triso Protec rated Bs1d0 (Euroclasses: non-flammable, no smoke, no burning droplets). I couldn't find a price comparison between the two. Best a+

Hi, lots of great tips are shared by everyone on this site – it's really inspiring. My plans are constantly getting better thanks to all of you, and I really appreciate it. I hope all these ideas will be applied to my project someday. For a reasonable project, can we estimate the overall cost of a standard conversion (a price range), not including the base bus? Fab

Me, when I'm dealing with the authorities, I'm not claiming to be "Trigano Motors homologation services"!

and if they do, it's because the material in front of the polystyrene must be fire-classified.... (I have no idea!)

so I'll stick with AFNOR and current regulations!

now, like I already said, there's no mining engineer or Veritas inspector who knows these standards perfectly! so with all that, who knows what the rules are!

me, if I had to choose, I'd go with the simplest option for me. I don't want polystyrene. I prefer multi-layer materials. It works out great because it's thinner, it insulates better, doesn't make noise, doesn't retain moisture, and it's fire-classified! Why look for complications!😕

Hi Patrick, I have a Burstner motorhome that's 11 years old, and I was surprised to see that the shell was made of wooden slats, between which polystyrene sheets are inserted, all sandwiched between a few tenths of a mm of embossed aluminum sheet, and a thin interior layer (4 mm) of plywood. On the floor too, insulation with polystyrene. Given your skepticism (which I think is justified) about this material, I looked and found that there was expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene that were classified M1 (standard replaced in 2009 by the new European standards B0 B1 B... etc) http://www.sartorius.fr/...tion/polystyrene.htm http://www.caraibesisolation.com/isoletanche.html and Lafarges etc... There's just this information, but it really is surprising that polystyrene can be classified M1

Hi Patrick!! I'm brand new to the forum, but I've been checking it out for a bit... First of all, hats off for the bus build – I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you and definitely won't be the last! lol I'm reaching out because I'm nearing the end of my truck conversion – quick intro, it's a Mercedes PL 709d van... After 2 years of work we're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!!!! and yeah when you love a project you don't mind the effort... I'm hoping you could help me put together the homologation file? There are a few points I'm struggling to understand – specifically weight distribution (especially the interior storage), body certification, and other bits and pieces... Thanks in advance See you

Hey skass,

I've been following your project from the start, right up to the 'cut finger'🏴‍☠️

That's really, really beautiful work 😎

On the other hand, I skipped the comments and didn't verify that you'd done everything to code, but you shouldn't have any issues with Véritas.

You might just have a problem down the road with your rigid PVC wastewater line—it could crack when rolling.

Anyway, for the storage boxes, you just need to fill out the DRIRE form. You measure the distance of your boxes relative to the front axle, you fill in the formula: mass of each box × distance relative to the front axle --> that gives you a moment (B)

you add up all the moments (B) divided by the vehicle's wheelbase and you get the max weight on the rear axle

you do your vehicle's GVWR minus the max rear axle weight, and you get the max front axle weight.

you compare all that with the manufacturer's specs (on the red bar)

you need to weigh the front and rear axles and the empty vehicle before all that.

the simplest would have been to weigh your build as you went (that's what I did, but my build is very, very, very basic😄) but with the weighings you can manage it.

don't worry, I spent 3 days on it and redid it 3 times (had a little issue with exceeding the max manufacturer weight with the TELMA weight😮), but you don't have a TELMA😉

with a 709, it's simpler than a bus, because you don't have a front overhang, but on the other hand, you can't juggle things to lighten the rear by adding weight ahead of the front axle (negative distance)

anyway, for the body certificate, I don't see why ??? you simply request a written reclassification certificate of your truck as a caravan-spec vehicle from MERCEDES FRANCE.

trifles...? they don't exist in a DRIRE file 😏😏😏

Well done with your project GX47

Congratulations!! I've watched your project evolve over time, you're doing great work. The problem with getting official approval is that you really need to first understand the regulations better and design your conversion based on what's required. If you build it and then pray it passes inspection... Just one detail by the way—there must be no sharp corners around where passengers will be. Check that you have at least 45 cm of clearance everywhere. One thing that could catch you out is the lack of an emergency exit in your bathroom, unless you have less than 2 meters from the main exit door handle to the bathroom door handle. I didn't see the required permanent ventilation openings that can't be blocked—both low and high. That's what I noticed at a quick glance. I have the book with the current regulations. Give me a call if you need it. 0664423159.

😉Hi SKASS,

I've got just one thing to say 😎CONGRATULATIONS😎. What a joy to see the work in photos—it helps so much.

hey well, I thought I'd slip through unnoticed on this forum..... well, that didn't work out!!! thanks for your messages anyway GX47 I think I got what you explained to me, today I went to weigh the truck for certification and we're all good - we've got plenty of margin compared to the weights shown in red! I'm gonna try to fill out that document, if anything comes up I'll let you know, thanks a lot!

as for the standards we've been following them from the start, and it's not easy to meet everything while getting the layout we want in the end! but it's alright with patience we always manage.... the bathroom emergency exit is fine, it's 1.74m from handle to handle, and there's also continuous mechanical ventilation... what I'm hoping is that I can get 5 seats certified instead of 3 on the registration, normally it should go through but yeah with those lovely officials from the DRIRE you always gotta be careful, we'll see!

well then tomorrow it's the Véritas inspection, the beginning of the end...

have a good evening talk soon

Bravo on that fantastic result! Really encouraging for anyone wanting to tackle this—it's a lot of work, but what a great feeling! Safe travels, and see you soon on the forum!

Hi everyone, at the risk of posting something that might be redundant, I'm looking for ideas on bus conversion layouts and photos of converted bus interiors. So if you have any links handy... I've just acquired an S45 in great condition. I don't plan to move it around much—it's mainly about being able to move it around several hectares of land from time to time, depending on the season. But there will also be some occasional trips outside, so I plan to keep it street-legal (with inspections). Thanks for your responses! !

Hey, we're Plume and Julien—we just discovered this site! We've been thinking about traveling for a year and have looked at several options. We think a bus would be the best choice for us. We like having space, and we have two big dogs. Plus, since it's going to be our home for a year, we've already found a bus we like. But we're not really sure how to go about getting the campervan certification. Since we want to travel far, it needs to meet campervan 'standards.' We're young (23 years old), so we don't have a lot of money, but we're hard workers. We'd like to know if we can convert it ourselves and what we need to do to meet the standards for the technical inspection. Any advice, tips, and tricks would be welcome—here or on our MSN plume_dargent@hotmail.com. It would be great to chat with people who are passionate about this way of traveling! 😉

Here's my plan

Hey,

So, to dive into this adventure, you’ve gotta start at the right end.

To learn music, you start with the basics...

To convert a vehicle, you dive into the regulations!

It’s not complicated—just a bit tedious at first, but not complicated!

So, head over to the AFNOR website (you’ll find the details a few posts up) and order the guide for converting leisure vehicles.

Read it (all of it!)

After that, skim through this discussion thread from the beginning (or at least from page 19 and the post about the new regulations).

You’ll have a pretty complete idea after that, and you can ask the additional questions specific to YOUR project, because every project is different (you want to live in yours, while I want to go on vacation with my three kids!)

For now, it’s hard to help you more—you’re starting from too far back. You need a minimum of knowledge and a grasp of the basics. After that, the whole community will be here to advise you and help you bring your project to life.

Understand—I’m not pushing you away! Quite the opposite! I’m one of the pillars of this discussion thread (I created it two years ago now). But the initiation journey starts right there...

If you sit down at the piano without learning the basics first, it’s a lost cause!

The explanations we could give you would be too complex per post if you don’t have a little knowledge.

Happy to have another enthusiast on this forum!

By the way, what model is the bus you’ve spotted?

PATRICK26

And if you want to chat about it, send me a private message with a landline number, and we can talk on the phone one of these evenings...