Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 72 of 161)

For length, coaches and buses don’t have the same regulations as trucks!

The maximum length for a non-articulated heavy vehicle is, according to regulations, 12m.

To brush up on licenses😉:

http://www.formatrans.net/Permis/Som_permec.htm

Check with the *mines* (French vehicle inspection authority) if they’re willing to authorize reclassifying a vehicle over 12m as a heavy-duty vehicle.

In principle, an exemption under RTI (Road Transport Infrastructure) is possible, but the file needs to be well-prepared or handled by a consulting firm (as I mentioned in my previous post). It’s not impossible, but less straightforward than for a 12m coach.

PATRICK26

You're facing several challenges:

First: reversing the car in through the back...

For this, you’ll need to find a coach or bus with a full-length beam chassis and the engine positioned centrally or at the rear (central is ideal for weight distribution when the vehicle is loaded). Very few models exist. DAF and MAN made many for the Spanish market, where you can find some stunning buses at very affordable prices. The only issue is that the coachbuilders are unknown in France! So, the process for French registration won’t be straightforward (but it’s still doable!). You can check out examples on truckscout24.fr, like the DAF 2300 and 3000 in Spain. They’re on chassis, just like a truck.

For info, the Volvo B10M also has a chassis (right, AMAsxmx?), but the chassis runs from the front wheels to the rear wheels! The overhangs are made of tubular lattice.

A memory comes back to me... a coachbuilder (if I remember correctly) told me they’d reinforced the rear lattice of a B10M with two added cradles from the chassis beams and opened up the back. Their client could then load a Smart car in there.

AMAsxmx’s B10M, which is completely dismantled, might let you test this solution. Given that B10Ms aren’t expensive, if you’re ready to deal with a few constraints, this could be your answer.

PATRICK26

And now I’m throwing out a fun idea here😉!

I don’t know how many private messages each of you gets, but for me, it’s at least 3 a day, and up to around ten. Let’s just say, quite a few😉!

My PM list has at least 15 pages, and I don’t even use it for my regular correspondence!

Nothing bothersome (quite the opposite), and overall, all the posts are really nice, the requests are clear and well-formulated... and if a reply hasn’t been sent, a thousand apologies, but it’s just an oversight because I make a point, whenever possible, of answering everyone.

No, what amuses me is what I just noticed today: 6 private messages from people—2 of them from the same city (yes, really!) with the same type of project (yes, really!), and if they keep only communicating with me via PM, they’ll never meet each other🤪!

If we add in a member who chimed in once (or maybe twice!) and sent me a PM, and with whom I had a long phone conversation, and who’s also from the same city, it’s downright hilarious!

So now we’re at at least 3 people from the same city, and we can probably add other "shy" folks (I say that with a lot of kindness and respect) from the region around that city.

And there they are, each in their own corner😕!

So let’s go back to the start: we’re not on a site for "kids." There’s no risk in introducing ourselves a little better. Let each person, without getting too personal, share their city of residence, age, status, and why they want to build or are interested in a converted bus in their profile.

That’s the first step. The second is to introduce yourself... even if you’re shy or have nothing to say and are just here to look around!

A little post like:

Hello everyone, I just discovered your community, I have the same projects as you!

SOMEUSERNAME

or:

I’ve been following your discussions for a long time, nothing special to say, just: keep it up!

ANOTHERUSER

Even if it doesn’t add much, it lets others see you, check out your profile, and message you!

A forum is made for exchanging. And when I see PMs addressed to me where the member’s profile isn’t even filled out properly, it’s not easy!

I feel like I’m replying without knowing who I’m talking to: a man, a woman, young, old. If someone asks me questions about their conversion without me knowing if they’re alone or with family, how am I supposed to answer?

Come on, a little effort to fill out your profiles, then a little post to say hi!

To give you an idea, in two years, there isn’t a single department in France where I couldn’t stop by to visit a member from this discussion topic I’ve become friends with.

How?

Mostly thanks to PM exchanges with members with whom we shared affinities discovered in our profiles (kids, age, passions, etc.).

And the more external relationships there are outside VF, the more the desire to organize meet-ups will grow! Think about it.

Fill out your profiles, introduce yourselves—it’ll only bring happiness to you and those who’ve been here a long time. They’ll welcome you without any problems, right, new arrivals?

Come on, just to tease, the three I’m talking about are from a port city in the northwest of France... (let’s let them discover each other😉)

And it’s the same for jose6440, who isn’t alone in his region (and his bus runs on the *demoiselle de Biarritz*! And that lady has other projects!)

And we’ll keep going region by region...

No, let’s let them introduce themselves...

Who’s first😉

PATRICK26

🤪 Oh YES, here we go!

That's EXACTLY what I was saying about what would happen to the TOPIC if we MADE a dedicated site for conversions—people COME, they LOOK, they COPY, and they LEAVE without saying HELLO or THANK YOU!

AND even though THE SITE was never created, I’ve noticed for quite some time now a HUGE drop in online messages. It’s true we know each other better now, so we communicate directly. And it’s only going to get worse! Especially since the old-timers don’t have much left to ask.

BUT I’m glad you posted this for the newcomers. I’ve met guys—even some who don’t post here but read the thread—and I’ve found some on another forum where I barely ever post, but where I did a big PROMO for HERE. I think quite a few come from there.

Fill out your profile completely—WE’RE NOT the POLICE! 😠

🤪 Uh, yeah, there are 🏴‍☠️... oh yeah, but we KEEP THEM IN CHECK 😄. If they act up, we hit ‘em! 😏

For me, when a guy or girl messages me, I check their profile. If there’s nothing filled out, it annoys me. I was talking to someone on another forum who turned out to be a girl—you see the mess that can cause. 😉

Oh, and another thing—put your age! It’s not a hookup site 😕. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got some miles on you!

AND I SIGN OFF GX47 😏

hi

I just came from the DRIRE in Grenoble—the driver’s door isn’t mandatory, phew😎. I talked to them about reclassifying it as a MOTORHOME—they don’t know what that is. Every DRIRE in France got the circular from (((MINISTRY OF EQUIPMENT, TRANSPORT AND HOUSING CIRCULAR no) 27790))), so why don’t they know about it?

They also told me I need an anti-underrun bar once it’s downgraded to a heavy-duty vehicle😮😮

hi tome... check out the discussion on this topic.

http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=719383;#719383

Do you say HOME-BUS or BUS-HOME?😮

🙁🤪🏴‍☠️😕🤪😕🏴‍☠️🤪🏴‍☠️😐😕😕🏴‍☠️🤪 motorhome I’ve been following the whole discussion.....

http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=694955;#694201

patrck speaks highly of the HOME-CAR, and you say it's called a MOTOR-HOME 😲😲

Hey Patrick, it's David, the guy who emailed you about the bus length. Since I can't email you anymore—your address seems to be invalid—I'm reaching out via the forum. Actually, the ad said 13m, and I trusted that, but it's actually 11.9m overall. As soon as I got your email, I ran outside with a tape measure—phew!

Anyway, fellow unconventional motorhome owners, I’ve got a story to share that’ll either make you laugh or ask how I’m going to fix this.

I just finished expanding the height and width of my barn door so I could fit it inside for winter and work in warmth. Well, today, I tried to get it in, and all I managed was to plant it in my yard up to the bottom of the wheel wells. What awful weather we’re having!!!!

It’s stuck right in front of the barn door and won’t budge an inch!!!

Here’s a little message that’ll give more than a few of you a good laugh.

PS: It weighs 12 tonnes empty. The model: a non-articulated Volvo B10M.

Anyway, have fun with this, everyone!

david

🤪🤪🤪 I knew you wouldn’t read everything... you’ve got to read the whole discussion (the whole page) http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=694955;#694201

Otherwise, there’s Cunni’s method... you’ll see, the guy’s cool😉, he put all the answers to all your questions in one place—you won’t even have to bend down to pick them up... click below

My quick reply for newbies

Hey there, hey there, replying to Patrick, I just wanted to say a quick hello. I discovered this forum a couple of weeks ago while researching buying a bus. I'm only on page 17, notebook and pen in hand, taking notes to avoid repeating the same questions. I'll save my questions until I've read the remaining 54 pages...

In the meantime, let me quickly introduce myself. I've been living in a truck for over 3 years now—seasonal work, travel, music, and meeting people are what I love about this life. But as the years go by, the need for space in my home on wheels is becoming essential. I just spent 5 weeks with 3 others in my Iveco in Denmark—you can imagine how cramped it was, even though it's well-equipped with two double beds, a stove, and a wood stove. Plus, the desire to take on a new challenge after converting my "little" Iveco 35-8 naturally led me to consider the ultimate road paradise: the bus.

For me, (just to clarify, I don’t have a category C license, the bus, or the necessary funds yet, but it shouldn’t be long—I’m giving myself at least a year. With motivation, anything is possible...) the Saviem S45 (it reminds me of my J7, just a bit bigger...) is the only option for now. Sputnik’s bus completely won me over—I want the same, and if I may say so, even better... (obviously, I’ll be the one doing the work...😉).

On the side, I’ve got a project with a friend to run mobile summer camps for teens in Eastern Europe, using a converted 15-seater bus as our base—just imagine living with 15 people in it! But I’ll start with my own to get familiar with the regulations... (by the way, is this doable as a TPC/VASP???)

Anyway, I hope I haven’t rambled too much, but I agree with the forum’s principle of sharing. (I know a bit about mechanics, so if that can help...) I’ll get back to reading so I can ask plenty of questions later...

Thanks to everyone for sharing so much knowledge and experience...

See you soon, and happy travels—Joël...

Hey there and welcome! 😉 What kind of body do you have on your Volvo—BERKHOF like mine?

One more thing: if your coach is fully loaded, watch the engine, especially the rocker cover when restarting once the ground is dry again—if you haven’t found a tractor to pull it out by then. Mine’s so low that with just the empty air tanks (so no air cushion), the engine nearly scrapes the ground on even slightly uneven terrain. 🤪

Well, here we go!

That’s pure joy right there!

I’m not talking about your stuck B10😕, I’m talking about your two posts!

Plans, detailed profiles (just a little more effort for volvoB10M😉), and the discussions can finally start!

I’m sure AMAsxmx will make a new friend! See, AMAsxmx, there’s another one with a B10M!

Maybe you’ve got some rust to trade😛! (Sorry)

As for your project, titoforever, it’s doable—as long as you don’t cook inside. But we’ll have plenty of time to discuss it again...

Anyway, welcome😎

PATRICK26

Well, that was quick! 😉

PATRICK26

😉Hi Titoforever, if I may, the S45 C is a good bus but the S53R C is the same, just more recent and a bit longer. The Sputnik model is from 76/78 or even a bit older. Mine is from late 85 and in great condition.

See you!😉 And welcome

hi everyone, and thanks Patrick for your tips I’m in the middle of researching for my vehicle... and while I was looking at used MANs, I came across this... MAN SD 200 F Vehicle Scout ID: 8016537 Category Double-decker bus First registration (month/year) 10 / 1987 Year of manufacture (month / year) 3 / 1987 Mileage 500,000 km Power 147 kW Gross vehicle weight rating 16,800 kg Fuel type Diesel Axles > 3 axles Price 4,999 € Curb weight 11,020 kg Transmission type Automatic Emissions class none Member number 2141398318 Other information Partially converted into a bar, no TÜV, needs full approval, Technically okay, fully drivable, engine runs very well, height 4.49 m More photos You’re gonna say I’m a pain, Patrick, but what do you think? It seems cheap for its age and mileage, right? Ugh... what to do...

Wow, when I read B10M, I jumped on my keyboard—there are three of us, including Fanan, each tinkering with a Volvo B10M😎

Hmm🤪You think they’d be up for trading mud for rust? Uh… no!!! I’d rather keep my rust otherwise I won’t have anything left to do!

Otherwise, still no news from my elected officials (for those who’ve been following). Work’s moving along slowly—I’ll fax some photos once I’ve made a bit more progress.

PS: Welcome to you too, Titoforever

hey AMAsxmx and b10, any tips for finding a Volvo B10?

Well... to be honest, mine just fell into my lap by chance, I didn’t even know what kind of vehicle I needed. But this one works great for me😉 If I come across another one, I’ll let you know😉