Posts by Bybyboxe

As for the FR1, I think I'm going to skip it—you've talked me out of it. One question about your S53: did you get it inspected at Véritas + DRIRE, or are you going to do that? If it's already been done, did it cause you any trouble with the driver's door? Because I'm really worried about buying a coach without a door and failing the inspection.

Hey leforezien, I think you misread my message. The driver door is optional, so it's not mandatory (source: official DRIRE Nanterre documents + phone confirmation). As for your Lyon story, I reckon you ran into a junior trainee who had no clue. Why would they approve VASP motorhomes all across France but not in Lyon? You say you've driven FR1s—how much do they consume? Because we've talked about S53s (23 liters/100km) but not the bigger ones. That still counts toward the budget anyway. To sum it up: anyone with problems with the driver door, just call DRIRE NANTERRE at 01 56 38 02 61. I don't see why the other DRIRE offices would have different rules. Cheers everyone.

I've been following this discussion for a while, and honestly no one's really managed to solve the driver's door issue. I went to the DRIRE in Hauts-de-Seine (Nanterre) and ran into an administrator (the technicians are on vacation, coming back Thursday).

While waiting for more info, he gave me some documents that spell out the points to respect and the documents you need to provide. But definitely check section 3.5.1 (emergency exits):

"A DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE PROVIDING DIRECT ACCESS TO THE DRIVER'S CAB IS OPTIONAL"

I think the real issue is whether the driver's left window has the right surface area for an emergency exit—2700cm² minimum with no dimension less than 45 cm.

I haven't found a coach myself yet, but I'm thinking about going for an FR1 or VanHool ACRON. On a tight budget though, it's not easy to find.

For those who've already passed all these tests—did you have to follow the same technical requirements? Hope this document helps everyone. Cheers!