Converting a heavy-duty bus/coach/truck into a motorhome (page 79 of 161)

Hey there, Instead of printing 800 pages full of photos, ads, and other stuff, here’s a better idea: just select the text, copy it, and paste it into a text editor (like Word or anything else). That way, you can format it before printing, and—voilà—you’ll end up with only about 80 pages (I think).😉

I just pasted pages 66 and 67 into a Word file, and they fit into 3 and a half pages.

If you want me to send you the file, just give me your email.

thanks for the service but it’s too late—I already printed them!!! for what comes next, now that I’ve found this forum, I’ll be checking it regularly. So I’ll only print what’s really useful. But I appreciate it anyway.

david

Hi Patrick 🙂

To give credit where it’s due, I wanted to pay tribute to you (and to François, the forum admin) for what you’ve earned:

When a member asked a question, François replied: http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=834930#834930

So, I’ve given you the recognition you’ve more than deserved over these past two years of keeping this forum alive:

http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=835134#835134

That’s my way—one that most contributors here surely share—of thanking you on behalf of all of us for a topic that brings me joy every day.

A thousand respects.

Christian

Calling all enthusiasts!

http://cgi.ebay.fr/Bus-Autocar-Amenage-camping-car_W0QQitemZ320054667727QQihZ011QQcategoryZ79058QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The bus was sold, that's what the owner told me yesterday. Fab

Thanks christian06!

And yeah, who would’ve thought when I started this thread that we’d get here...

A big thanks to everyone who chimes in regularly and keeps this discussion going. And this isn’t over yet!

I’ve got one or two calls to make tomorrow, and then—maybe—some news that’ll surprise more than a few of you ;)!

ggdbdb65, I’ll call you tomorrow, wait for my call.

Things are moving for BIG motorhomes!

PATRICK26

The coach is being sold on eBay anyway, thanks!

😉Hey everyone,

So Patrick, spill the news already!!! 🙂 We're all super impatient.😉

PAt loves making us wait and drool with anticipation!!!😏 What a sadist!😉

Hey AMAsxmx, Since we’ve got the same machines, I’m dropping by to share some info about my starter problem. I took it apart and checked it thoroughly—nothing wrong. So I went to see the beast in person. Well, damn, I’ve got two broken teeth on the drive ring. Must’ve bought it like that. Never ran into this issue before, even though I’ve moved it around a lot.

For those who’ve followed my journey, you’ve probably noticed (I’m talking about the bikes) that I often switch vehicles on a whim.

Anyway, I’m kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Not sure what I’m gonna do with it. (Sorry, Pat, for disappointing you—he’ll get it.) Here’s the thing: I’m torn between the blowtorch or the angle grinder. The angle grinder’s a pain because it’ll take a ton of discs.

Unless someone on this forum has more guts than me and decides to bring it back to life. If anyone’s interested in a Volvo B10M, let me know. If that happens, I won’t have to stress about what to do with it. For the work needed, I’ll keep everyone posted on this forum so the potential buyer knows exactly what’s up and can’t blame me later.

Attached is the registration doc to show it’s officially classified as a camper.

Or maybe I’ll just wait a few days and regain my courage.

david

Don't do that, you poor thing...... Call me right away, I’ll set your ideas straight...

Hey everyone

AMAsxmx is right, you don’t wanna go all barbarian with the angle grinder.

The ring gear is a wear part, so the issue is whether it’s easier to remove your engine or the gearbox.

It’s up to you to decide what’s more practical since I don’t know your setup. After that, you remove the flywheel, knock out the ring gear, or cut it off with the angle grinder along the edge without touching the flywheel.

Reassembly is simple: place your flywheel on a perfectly flat surface, heat the ring gear with a blowtorch—don’t be afraid to get it hot, but don’t let it turn red—and using two pliers, fit it onto the flywheel. Let it cool, and you’re done!

Hey Pandrée, thanks for the info, but I’m an electromechanical technician and my question wasn’t about repairs—it was about slicing the whole bus into rounds! lol

Anyway, in my low mood, you just made me laugh a lot! Thanks again for that.

Just so you know, my engine is mid-mounted and I don’t have a lift, of course, to raise it. So if I decide to shell out for a ring gear, I’ve got no choice but to do it on-site by moving the gearbox away from the engine (I know, it’s a ton of work).

For now, that’s not the issue since it starts on the first try, but I just have to pray not to stop where the two teeth are broken.

Anyway, thanks again for your solidarity.

David.

Hi everyone! I just discovered this forum (which I haven’t fully explored yet). I’m 25, have a huge passion for travel (especially in vehicles!), and I’m a professional HGV driver in real life (the real deal!). I live in Le Havre (when you live here, you can’t help but love moving around!!). I own a VW Transporter and I’ve just bought a 20-year-old Heuliez GX47 coach. I haven’t read all the pages, I’ll admit, but I see there are quite a few people who’ve converted coaches into campers, so I wanted to know how to reclassify this bus as an HGV. I just want to find out which page I can check for discussions on this topic, because I don’t know where to get the list of modifications needed to make it drivable with an HGV license (I don’t have a passenger transport license). I’d also love to get in touch with other GX47 owners, if there are any, to hear their thoughts on the vehicle. Anyway, I hope I haven’t overwhelmed you with my questions—I’ve been struggling with this for 3 months, but I’m really happy to have found this place!! 😉

😉Hey Simongx47,

Another crazy idea. Just to confirm, Le Havre isn’t the best place to live. I bought my first truck there—thought it was black, but turns out it was a beautiful white.

You’ve got GX47 with the same bus as you—he’s our favorite magician. Check out his posts starting from page 19, but you’ll also need the AFNOR guide: camper van conversionsoccupant comfort and safety

Keep us posted, Patrick!

@+

Hi everyone, I couldn’t follow the live discussions because we spent 15 days in Corsica with our Bo Bus—it was absolutely amazing! Gorgeous weather, warm sea, stunning roads (I didn’t regret my 2.30 m width and 10 m length at all!!!), and breathtaking landscapes. If I’m sharing this, it’s just to motivate you and give you a boost because traveling in a converted bus is the best. Big congrats to those just starting their projects—hang in there and keep going; it’s totally worth it!

For inspiration, check out this site: http://www.wohnbus.ch/home.htm. It’s been updated! (Obviously, it’s in German—click on *pos 4 Vorstellungen* and then on the bus of your choice. There are tons of ideas to get inspired and motivated—I’ve been through tough times too.)

For those dealing with corrosion issues, just remember there’s always worse out there. Check this site: http://www.hoehenwagen.de/ and click on the photo equipment section.

I’ll leave you for now, but don’t worry—I read you regularly. Good night and keep going!

See you on the road

Hi François, It’s really great to hear from you and to know you made it to Corsica with your Bo Bus! Best wishes to your wife and kids. GG

Hello everyone, I’ve been following you all for several months now because I love traveling, driving, and buses. That’s why I bought the SETRA S215HD that was on eBay... there’s still a bit of work to do, but it’s already reclassified for a Class C license and as a caravan.

I’ve noticed that others are also looking for vehicles like this... If you’re interested, I still have a few leads: a 1977 Setra 211H for 1,500 € without the mining permits, a 1979 213H with some interior work started (also without permits) for 3,200 €, and a 1978 215H without permits for 3,000 €. Some have a clean inspection, but in any case, these buses often have unbalanced rear brakes. A full drum brake overhaul costs around 2,500 €...

Looking forward to hearing from you. Christobale

😉Not even a little word, he's really tough on us.

That’s exactly what I’m saying—it’s sadistic. You think he’d just give us the info straight up?? Nope!! He tells us there’s gonna be some amazing new thing, and now he’s got us all waiting on tenterhooks while we’re holding our breath!! 🏴‍☠️ Patrick, sometimes we hate you lol!! 😎