Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 73 of 161)

😉For my part, there are Kersode, Drazic, and Carhibou near me

The fact that it's a bit old isn't too much of an issue—it's got real character!!! From what I remember reading, Sputnik's one is from '74 (just like my old J7). The difference is in the engine, I think—S53R has a MAN engine, while the S45 has a Saviem engine. Does anyone know the difference??? Power, durability, or are they about the same??? I admit the S53 isn't bad, but it's missing that rounded shape that gives the S45 all its charm...

Well, that's pretty cool, man! ;) It was Dad who suggested this model

🤪 The documents I received from the DRIRE aren't the same compared to page 19. EX 3.8.4. Every liquid tank, other than the fuel tank, with a capacity of 100 liters or more, must be equipped with a baffle on at least 50% of the tank's section, limiting each compartment to a maximum of 100 l.

I'm missing: "limiting each compartment to a maximum of 100 l." 🤪

It's the DCTM42A 2006 08 printout.

No, that’s not the model I was talking about😕 I was talking about a DAF 2300 or 3000, or a MAN in the same style as the two previous DAFs...

But hey, why not?

Just be aware, it’s still a city bus! So at worst, you might end up cruising at 70 km/h.

For mechanical parts, given its color and left-hand drive, this one must be from Berlin. It probably has non-metric mechanics.

Watch out for its height! 4.49 m is huge—a semi-trailer doesn’t even exceed 4 m! (Except for car transporters and a few exceptions.)

Be careful with hard-to-find replacement parts. For the mechanics, no problem—MAN never leaves a customer stranded. For the bodywork, you’ll always find a good body shop, but I’m thinking of a window (though they look flat) or a door actuator, etc...

After that, you’ve got to be handy and accept that it’s an industrial vehicle.

We’ll see, we’ll see—but one thing’s for sure, ask how many kilometers it’s done! In my opinion, this beast isn’t for people in a hurry😉

PATRICK26

I'm waiting for a response from the seller. For speed, I checked a German site and it's around 75 km/h. Do you think that would be a problem on our beautiful French roads? It's clear you shouldn't be in a hurry... (and those behind you either ;)) And do you think this kind of thing can climb a mountain? It's a short transmission on it, right? Anyway, I'll keep you posted as soon as I have news. Oh, and... what is: a non-metric engine?

Oh, and also, do you think it's a money pit in terms of consumption? Thanks for all the info and good night! 🙂

😉 Well, you really did well opening it—getting through half a page in half a day! It used to take nearly three days to get the same result this morning😏😏😏

Oh, and most importantly, thanks—I mean, to your now-invalid email address 😄—it pays off...😏

So A BIG WELCOME to the newcomers 😉🙂

😉 I see there’s a comedian around—even better, it’ll liven things up a bit. I was starting to get bored with the bus stuck in front of the entrance. That’s right up my alley! I had a blast reading your post, VolvoB10M—I feel ten years younger. Guys with B10s, I loooooove you.😄😄😄😄😄

😎 hey PROTON51, metric pitch is a European standard to differentiate from inches, the British pitch😏

okay, I see you're not much further along😏😏😏

alright, I'll explain, "l'Pat" is more online:

so, metric pitch in very rough and simple terms is the type of threading on your bolts. The inch-based British pitch is different—it's not crap, just different. The real pain is that you need all special tools because, on top of having special nuts, they have special sizes. You're no longer talking about a 17mm or 13mm wrench, but a 1/2" or 3/4" one—or worse.

That said, I don’t agree with Patrick. I think your bus, even though it has left-hand drive and comes from Germany, is very likely to have British pitch bolts 😠🏴‍☠️

Here’s why I think that: a friend’s left-hand drive Jaguar has British bolts (OH RIGHT, I FORGOT—on top of that, the threads are reversed! They call that LEFT-HAND THREAD🏴‍☠️😏). The second example is MY own Hotchkiss-Willys JEEP: it’s from 1959, a French Jeep, an exact copy of the WWII Willys, BUT built in France under Willys Overland license EXCLUSIVELY for the French army. You following? Built in France for the French army, used and maintained in France—and yet, the first models, like mine, have BRITISH PITCH bolts, while later ones are metric. So on mine, I’ve got bolts from both systems—sometimes you turn right to loosen, sometimes left😠. SUCH A PAIN to strip bolts😠

😉Okay, so after a little online search—even if the message disappears like magic—I’m posting the link to the form I received. Only the Brittany DIRE has this particular form.

http://www.bretagne.drire.gouv.fr/vehicules/Imp_veh/DCTM42A.pdf

Hey everyone, it's 10:30 in the morning and I'm mentally preparing to grab the shovel and dig my toy out from where it's stuck. Actually, this B10M is quite the adventure. I need to tell you about my misadventures. The day I bought it, I had to drive 250 km to get it home, and on the highway, while passing a truck, I took a projectile in the side window. I'll tell you straight up, which one? The middle one. Not the last one I wanted to remove, of course!!! A whole day to remove the rest of the window!!!!! Then I wanted to go on a weekend trip with it, and 15 km from home, the clutch gave out!!! All of this, of course, on a small country road where no one could pass by!!! I managed to get home in second gear!!!! No one at the intersections, please!!!! Wait, it's not over!! As I said earlier, I had to widen the entrance to my barn to get it inside. Well, that cost me a 3.5-meter fall right onto a beam at waist level. Result: a compressed vertebra and a nice hematoma on my spine!!! Not done yet—just hours before getting it stuck yesterday, when I tried to start it, there was a short circuit in the electrical system!!!! 5 hours trying to find where the problem was coming from!!! Actually, I still haven’t found it, but I managed to bypass it and start it. Now, it's stuck where I told you. Planted!!!! Anyway, AMAsxmx, I can't tell you what type of box I have on it because I don’t know. How can you tell? And yes, to answer your question, the engine also almost sits on the ground when the tanks are empty. I’ll take a photo of it and show you if that’s possible on this forum. Alright, I’m going to shovel!! Oh, and if you look closely at the photo, that’s where it’s stuck! PS: Does anyone know if it’s possible to find the technical manual for my baby?

David

🤪 Wait, it's not very clear here,



Here it's a tiny, tiny, tiny bit better 😏

Well, damn, the guy who's really out of luck... but just think, after this, nothing worse can happen to you 😉

That bus is gonna cost you a fortune in health, you're married to a nurse who didn't have enough work to do 😄

Get comprehensive insurance for the bus and a great health plan for yourself 😄

So, the B10s are really buses I love...😏 But when I get another one, it's definitely this one I'll avoid 😏 (I'd steer clear of rust and disasters 😄😄😄 lol!)

SERIOUSLY, good luck! It's too bad you're far away, I've got a shovel on the side of my Jeep and I never use it 😏😏😏

Okay, I'm sto----pping, I'm outta here, good luck with the digging, you've got work to do—take it easy on the slopes, clear the front, fill up with small branches in front of the wheels (including the non-drive wheels to make a mat)

GOOD LUCK🤪 @+ GX

Hey everyone, and welcome to the new folks! So much to catch up on! As GX47 said, it’s great for the forum that your old address isn’t working anymore, Pat! But now I’ve got two pages of replies and tips to share—think I’ll split them into a few posts to keep things clear... Let’s start from the beginning:

ggdb65 I checked out the link you shared—it’s not bad, lots of info (just be careful with anything about regulations and electricity: those details are for motorhomes!)

About the VehiPlan software, I downloaded and tested it a bit. Personally, I wouldn’t use it because it has some quirks that’d drive me nuts, but I have access to way more complex tools.

That said, it has one big advantage: it’s super easy to get the hang of and really customizable! No need to bother the developer to add your bus layouts or accessories (a GIF or JPEG image is enough—just follow the interface). Just make sure the outlines are thick enough to see once imported! Overall, I think it’s pretty well done for beginners and saves you from photocopying plans!

But here are a few downsides (for my use, at least): only one active view at a time—if you want to work on both top and side views, you’ll have to open the app twice! Object positioning is totally random, so you won’t be making precise plans but rather rough layout diagrams to check clearances, not measurements. The photo import and texture features are pretty gimmicky! No way to round table corners (unless you import a photo), and it only works with "solid" objects—you can’t draw a square with just an outline, only a filled shape. That’ll bulk up your plan and make drawing harder, especially if you’ve got lots of partitions... It works with images, not vectors—that’s a technical thing, but for me, it’s the biggest flaw!

There’s my take. As for adding bus layouts and accessories, the best way would be to do it as a group—the software’s big strength is using shared libraries. So speak up if you want to use it! For those who don’t feel comfortable adding their own buses or accessories, I’m happy to help...

Up to you! !

I checked out your link... it's kinda normal you're not finding the right info on that form... you gotta read the 2nd paragraph!

"This form applies to converting a van with a GVWR of 3,500 kg or less into a motorhome, without major bodywork modifications (no added living module, for example). The total surface area must be less than 12 m². If either of these two conditions isn’t met, contact the DRIRE to find out what rules apply."

Just a quick question to revive the budget discussion... Is 5,000 €-6,000 for buying the bus alone, or for the whole project?

I’d love to hear details on the exact equipment and corresponding costs from anyone who’s kept their budget under 10,000 € (all-inclusive!). In my opinion, to have a bus in good condition and truly self-sufficient, you need at least 15,000 €, and that’s if you’re careful. At 20,000 €, you’re comfortable; at 25,000 €, you can consider some special fittings or proper bodywork (unless you do a lot of the work yourself without paying for labor). Beyond that, you can start thinking about major modifications!

Of course, everyone has their own vision of interior design and finishes (to each their own!), but there are still unavoidable costs!

For the rest, a bit of a mixed bag:

Introduce yourselves! I’m really echoing Pat’s post about introducing yourselves. I’d also add that you can share a bit more about your plans and how you’ll use the vehicle. Some of you have asked for details about interior layouts, and I’m directing you to my earlier posts! I can’t help if you don’t give more info—“I want to live in it year-round” is a bit vague! How many of you are there? Do you have access to water and electricity? Do you need to work inside? By the way, in general, I don’t fully get your projects or motivations, so I’m putting together something small that I hope you’ll welcome...

Tome38 Could you please make a little effort? I’m not saying you have to be perfect (I don’t think any of us is flawless), but at least put in some effort to be understandable because you ask a lot of questions (no need to stress like that!). I don’t think I’m the only one struggling to understand you (others have mentioned it too). We’re not on a tight schedule—take the time to preview and reread your message... thanks in advance. And I really get the feeling you haven’t gone past page 19... Make the effort! 😛 As for buses with enough height for you, there are some (Pat mentioned it in one of his recent posts). Look into intercity buses with truly flat floors. Otherwise, depending on your budget, with the help of a homologation consultant and a coachbuilder, you can lower the floor (especially in a Vanhool).

Partition There have been a few posts about the partition behind the seats. From what I understand, it’s not just about homologation (or the *type mine* classification) but also about your layout. Of course, some reclassifications require it. It’s about the load retention partition. So as soon as your setup includes a storage area (or something that could be considered as such), you’re required to have a partition to protect passengers. And this partition isn’t just a wooden panel. If I’m not mistaken, it must be secured to the structure and made of steel tubes (40x40x2 mm section—so not just cabinets!) and must pass a test with a 40x40 cm inflated balloon...

That’s all I wanted to say... By the way, don’t take any of this as aggression—by nature and professional habit, I tend to critique, but take it the right way!

Hey everyone

About your engine scraping the ground, heavy vehicles have an external air intake to inflate the air tanks if there’s an issue with the truck’s air compressor, and also to release the brakes. If you have an air compressor, connect it to the top and the air bags will inflate. 6 kg of pressure is enough on my Van Hool—the intake is on the front of the B10M 😅 attached image This can save you from shoveling, lying on your stomach with your lower back wrecked. AMAsxmx you’d need a jackhammer for your slab. Hope you’re making progress since your last update

For your bus, volvob10m, I agree with gx47 about their explanation on metric steps and inches, but I still believe your bus is in metric steps if it comes from Berlin.

In fact, buses manufactured by MAN were all in metric steps except for a few special series for England (but in that case, the bus would have the steering wheel on the wrong side!). It was Leyland and another brand (whose name I’ve forgotten) that were in inches.

Anyway, your story reminded me of the skit about the guy fixing his roof, the pulley, and the tiles (connoisseurs will appreciate it)😉

I had a good laugh... sorry!

In the future, take your time, go slowly, the right rhythm is one beer every hour. That forces you to think before making mistakes😉

PATRICK26

Well friends, hello again—even though I already told you about my troubles this morning.

So, it's 3:49 PM and it finally came out of the hole. (my Volvo)

Actually, I spent two hours digging, lying flat on my belly because it was sitting on the rear axle. Sorry you can't see it clearly in the photo—I bet it would've made some people laugh.

Well, actually, I dug for nothing because it wouldn't budge an inch!!! (damn stuck thing)

Now I can laugh about it, but not at the time.

Anyway, it took an 8-ton tractor with 210 horsepower to pull it out of there, but it wasn't easy.

We snapped 5 straps!

Well, for now it's sitting right in the middle of my property (1.5 hectares) waiting for the freeze.

If I try to move it with the luck I've got, I'll end up in the pond in front of the house.

So for now, my short-circuit search has fallen through until further notice.

With that, I wish you all the best with your projects.

David

I've already explained to tome38 that I'm 1.95m tall and so I have the same height problem as he does. I've already told him the possible solutions. He seems to either not listen or needs everything explained at length. In my view, there's no way around it. I've been searching for over 6 months, visited dozens of buses across France, and you need to start with a Vanhool or Bova base with large storage compartments and pay for a floor lowering (manufacturer approval required and costs extra). Cost: roughly €5,000 to €7,500. If you're going to invest that much in a coach, you might as well start with a good solid base—it'd be a waste to do heavy conversion work on an old, beat-up, heavily used chassis. So basically, the coach itself costs around €20,000. Then €10,000 to €15,000 for a proper fit-out (according to my standards—just my opinion). Total: €35,000 to €42,500+ plus manufacturer approval fees and potentially consulting fees. So if you're on a tight budget, forget it...🏴‍☠️