Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 74 of 161)

Hello to all you bus lovers!😏😄😉😎🙂😛🤪 Well, I reckon the height (4.49m) is going to be a real problem, seeing as bridge heights aren't marked above 4.30m anymore... Plus, I don't think there's a road map with bridge heights marked...? That's annoying, for just thirty centimeters. And cutting the roof to lower it by 30cm might not be worth it and maybe not even doable... right? I'm handy but, you know... What do you reckon? (Here's a cabin we built with some friends...)

just a quick heads-up following the photo you posted of your bus in your field:

it's a Jonckheere body! (so AMAsxmx will know what it is 😉)

PATRICK26

IT'S DONE, WE MOVED MY BUS!

It's parked right next to its buddy, the FR1 privilege de famillede8.

Same length, same width, but 80 cm difference in height!

They'll be able to tell each other jokes all night!

Alright, as soon as it gets light, we'll take some photos!

PATRICK26

Hey everyone

I'm doing my best to avoid making too many mistakes. If I still make too many, I'm sorry, forgive me 🤪 😊 🙁

volvoB10M, you really have no luck—I've been following your adventures! 🏴‍☠️

Could someone give me a website where I could download free software to design a motorhome interior? Thanks! 😎

Good evening everyone, thanks but I'm not dead yet. Almost though. To Patrick26, if that's my bodywork, you're right that I'm being dumb—I could've said it sooner!!! Anyway, have a good evening everyone.

David

😎 YES, YES DO IT, (cut 30 cm off the height) you'll have the first double-decker bus TOP-CHOP. 😄😄😄

I'm happy to come saw it up, then you figure out how to weld it back, or ask AMAsxmx—he's going to become a pro😏 for your cabin in the woods, it's really the first time I've seen a double-decker one🙂

OTHERWISE, PATRICK26, is it raining at your place? 😏 given the number of posts, he'll be able to have a nice chat with his buddy in your van 😄😄😄

GX47

Yeah, but for that kind of conversion, do I need to ask the manufacturer? I'm tempted... but oh well! The cutting isn't the hardest part, I reckon...

😉Hi Gasmobil,

I don't agree with you (we don't forget about tight budgets) I'm far from finished with the work, but I can estimate the conversion at 8,000€, at most 10,000€. I'm not counting the bus in the price, but if you search carefully you can make huge savings from one site to another for everything. You just need to look carefully and calculate everything again and again. Since we're going to live in it year-round, we don't cut corners. And for our personal comfort, we already have everything we need, I'm going to be honest with you—my wife does all the calculations.

😉

http://www.gaby-chariots.com/...ffres/volvolb10m.htm

Not sure if this is a good listing. The experts here can answer you—there are engine and gearbox specs... large storage compartments and WC (is that really the right kind of WC???).

What's the fuel consumption like on this model?

edit: Watch out—not sure if this one even works. This one's more expensive and listed as "in working order": http://www.gaby-chariots.com/...s215hr04.01.1984.htm

To find out if a foreign vehicle can be certified in France (in this case, a German bus), should I contact DRIRE, Veritas, or my insurance company...? 😕

NO PARTICULAR ANSWER

I just wanted to get the 1500th post!

GX47 beat me to the 1000th post during the September weekend, and I promised him I'd beat him to the 1500th 😉, done!

We're silly! We're like teenagers who don't know what to do with ourselves.... but hey, no shame.

PATRICK26

near the mines.

go ahead with a copy of the coach documents.

PATRICK26

ok thanks a lot and what do you think about cutting the roof down by 30cm?

mrkonn Read gasmobil's post carefully - he's not saying you can set up a bus on a small budget, you're missing the point - he's saying that if you have to rip out the floor, you're going to blow your budget... that's the nuance!

Gasmobil I know your problem well, but with your budget you'll do amazing things! 😎 When are you going to decide to go see the Neoplan? 😛

Tome38 Are you doing this on purpose? Read the posts carefully! ggbdb65 talks about it on page 60 and I gave him an answer about some software in my last post! Please pay attention!

PROTON51 Double-decker buses with a mega-terrace on the second level already exist... I think I've seen some on the Wohnbus site, but then you'd have to plant grass and pitch a tent up there, because in terms of living space, there's not much left! 😉

I don't understand what you're saying or you don't understand me... I want to cut the roof, then remove ~30cm, and then reweld it. I don't want an open-air terrace. It's to make sure I can pass under the 4.30m bridges.

So in that case, you'll need to do a fitout with just 140 cm of height...

that would be funny!

you'd be the first to have cargo holds above the seats🤪!

because 1.8 m - 0.5 m (to stay under 4 m) leaves you 1.3 m on the upper level!

no, jokes aside, either you go all out and take the whole thing, or you shouldn't go at all....😕

for road maps, Foldex (and probably Michelin too) has maps at 1:200,000 scale for heavy vehicles, which include tunnel heights, bridge tonnage limits, etc.

you can also find specific heavy-vehicle software for GPS units like TomTom (where you can input your vehicle's dimensions)

do your homework before you build that terrace on the upper level😉

PATRICK26

Well, thanks for all this advice—I'm going to think about all that! 🤪 In the meantime, waiting for more wild double-decker bus stories... I wish you a good night and I'll definitely see you tomorrow Evening friends, good evening!

In reply to proton51, I have some experience with bodywork transformations, and I don’t want to discourage you, but doing a top-chop on such a large surface seems more than difficult. Cutting is very simple, but how are you going to ensure everything is level afterward, over such a big area, without creating wrinkles or bumps?

Have you thought about the weight of the project? The welding seams (25 meters), the rods for arc welding (a whole box), the oxygen/acetylene bottles you’ll need... I hope for your sake you won’t have any curved glass to cut.

Over the years, I’ve done one on a Peugeot 203, and believe me, "it’s no piece of cake."

Hey sjunior and everyone, From what I’ve read, you’re a whiz at 😇 layouts! Could you share some ideas for the layout of my FR1? I’d like to set it up for 9 seats. I’m married with 3 kids and a son-in-law, and I’d love to go for a modern look with light wood, aluminum, and stainless steel—plus keep it feeling spacious. Thanks in advance! Jose.