any coach/bus experts on here??

[trekkerglenn]

my latest fantasy is to buy an old single decker coach to slowly convert into a camper/mobile home for family trips away

I don't want to entertain a "motorhome" as a) they are very expensive for a decent one and 2) I want the freedom of styling it to suit us rather than having to fit the family around the layout already there.

I've been researching aka watching youtube and found a few cracking home builds, this one purely for the "presenter"

sadly a cool old yank school bus will be out of budget but looking on Ebay some of the older single decker coaches are silly cheap.

whilst the build will be a walk rather than a sprint due to budget and bargain hunting I'm needing advice on the daily running of these things?

I cant imagine they do great mpg but also I don't think they'd have been such a mainstay if they were prohibitively expensive to run no??

If they are I may have to downsize to something like a local authority minibus or similar

if anyone has any top tips and advice feel free to update the thread

many thanks

[Bolf]

Your looking at 8-14 MPG depending on weight etc. and how its driven .

I am a engineer that designs/works on bus / coach / HGV custom security solutions and have worked on a few re-purposed coaches and both single and double deck buses.

Ideally try find one with a cummins 6 cylinder (as per the Dodge Ram) , as you can tune them for a bit more power and as a result the MPG will be better.

Also take a look at a few episodes of George Clarkes Amazing Spaces , i'm sure you've already seen the conversions on there , AMAZING

[icky]

I used to run a coach company and now I just have my own preserved one.

I'm at work at the minute but I'll give you a proper reply later about some of the pitfalls efx

[trekkerglenn]

thanks guys. look forward to more info

[penski]

This is one of my favourite YouTube channels; very inspiring and often full of great ideas for use of space/tech

*n

[v8ian]

www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/garage/1947-flxible-clipper-restoration-184561

[Granadaman72]

Sounds like a top plan I don't know much about buses etc but it might be worth looking at the driving licence required, it depends when you passed your license as post 97 the maximum weight for a vehicle is 3.5 ton whereas pre 97 its up to 7.5. Also i believe there is something to do with regs changing with a vehicle newer than 30yrs. I'm sure someone will be along shortly with better knowledge. Being a joiner by trade ive always fancied doing something similar myself

Edit, just been reading the license stuff and i might be talking out the top of my head, I'm sure someone will know better

[Raoul Duke]

While you're right about 7.5-ton entitlement being pre-97 only, I'm fairly sure a bus would have a different licensing class, even after being re-done inside.

[optimusprime]

Sept 2, 2014 17:25:20 GMT Raoul Duke said:

While you're right about 7.5-ton entitlement being pre-97 only, I'm fairly sure a bus would have a different licensing class, even after being re-done inside.

I believe if the bus is over 31yrs old then you can drive it on a normal licence if passed before 97.

[SmokeEm]

Not sure how valid but I used to be a bus mechanic and I could drive one at 18 back in 1988 as there were no paying passengers so no PSV licence required. Could be different now though.

[nomad]

Sept 2, 2014 11:31:50 GMT trekkerglenn said:

If they are I may have to downsize to something like a local authority minibus or similar
if anyone has any top tips and advice feel free to update the thread

If you decide to downsize to a LA bus, yellow is a popular choice (ours is the ex-PTS / Patient Transport Services Iveco )
retrorides.proboards.com/thread/168351/show-me-camper-conversions
Suggest you check what your potential new toy is registered as, ours was "Ambulance" so we could do what we wanted about seats, our Insurance co told us we "must" leave *ALL* the seats in if it was registered as "minibus"* (but this wouldn't be the first time we've been given duff info by insurance companies )
ps. Top marks for the the "presenter" vid

Suggest you also look at this for an update on what your licence allows
retrorides.proboards.com/thread/163627/gtw-gross-train-weight?page=2

Doo eeet!

[optimusprime]

As long as you passed before 97, you can drive a ' passenger carrying vehicle' that is over 30yrs old on a standard car licence.
AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT CARRYING PASSENGERS FOR HIRE OR REWARD.you are also limited to the amount of passengers you can carry as well.
One site suggested 9 persons.

A problem you might encounter is insurance if it's still registered as a 'bus/coach'

[trekkerglenn]

Sept 2, 2014 16:11:25 GMT penski said:

This is one of my favourite YouTube channels; very inspiring and often full of great ideas for use of space/tech

*n

DAMN you Penski, i've already wasted hours of my life watching Roadkill episodes and now another great channel haha, thanks for link, i'll be cruising through it in the morning

[trekkerglenn]

Sept 2, 2014 18:16:32 GMT nomad said:

Sept 2, 2014 11:31:50 GMT trekkerglenn said:

If they are I may have to downsize to something like a local authority minibus or similar
if anyone has any top tips and advice feel free to update the thread

If you decide to downsize to a LA bus, yellow is a popular choice (ours is the ex-PTS / Patient Transport Services Iveco )
retrorides.proboards.com/thread/168351/show-me-camper-conversions
Suggest you check what your potential new toy is registered as, ours was "Ambulance" so we could do what we wanted about seats, our Insurance co told us we "must" leave *ALL* the seats in if it was registered as "minibus"* (but this wouldn't be the first time we've been given duff info by insurance companies )
ps. Top marks for the the "presenter" vid

Suggest you also look at this for an update on what your licence allows
retrorides.proboards.com/thread/163627/gtw-gross-train-weight?page=2

Doo eeet!

oooh nomad, more real world info needed please

if i'm honest whilst I love the fantasy of a single decker with all bells and whistles 8mpg would destroy any pleasure of driving right away.

I will have to look at a more economical vehicle and i'm hoping a LA/PTS vehicle will fit the bill, so............

mot - normal garage or vosa/special type?

fuel - petrol or diesel?

road tax price?

mpg? it will be used for long distance trips as in France or down South so will see lots of motorway driving

Licence conditions - i'm an oldy with an oldy licence so I hope restrictions don't affect me

think thats it for now haha, cheers

[MrSpeedy]

Forget petrol engines. There's good reason they're mostly diesel.

Personally, if you looking at pre 80's then get something with a Gardner diesel. More likely to be an LXB (180)
Most reliable thing ever built, and in it's time the most economical also.

[nomad]

Sept 2, 2014 20:10:36 GMT trekkerglenn said:

more real world info needed please

I will have to look at a more economical vehicle and i'm hoping a LA/PTS vehicle will fit the bill, so............

mot - normal garage or vosa/special type?
"special" but there's no shortage (the tester rang VOSA/DVLA HQ for advice as we have most of the seats out - got the very sensible "no problem - just test it as it is presented for MOT" reply) 

fuel - petrol or diesel?
diesel (2.8 TD Iveco   )

road tax price?
I should know this but don't. Not crazy high.

mpg? it will be used for long distance trips as in France or down South so will see lots of motorway driving
I've not checked but ours is based on an Iveco hi-top Daily, Google guesses 25-35mpg depending on traffic, diff, etc.

Licence conditions - i'm an oldy with an oldy licence so I hope restrictions don't affect me
ours is plated at 5.2 ton - your oldtimers license (if it's like mine) should allow you up to 7.5 ton so you're ok there *BUT* only for personal use, no hire/reward/commercial use.

Hope it helps - either ask if you think of anything or Google.

Have fun, pics if/when you get sorted please

[bortaf]

I've converted a few ambulances to campers and vans/minibuses, i was concidering an ex comunity transport bus but i decided not to for the very reason i'm going to point out,, concider parking storage costs add up if you cant park it at home.

[dodgerover]

Go proper retro and get a Dodge 50, still available at sensible prices, the welfare buses and mobile libraries are popular camper conversions, prepare to build big arm muscles as power steering was an option

There was a Bedford coach/ camper for sale on the for sale thread - don't think it ever sold and was mega cool.
EDIT - found it link to for sale thread

For the mileage you are going to do with it (assuming its not going to be a daily) mpg doesn't really matter, most older diesels would probably stand veg oil but don't try it in France or you will be tied up in a tree and beaten with garlic sausages* until you agree to pay a huge fine there and then at the cash point or hand over your vehicle....

* this bit may not be 100% accurate

[trekkerglenn]

Nomad, thanks for all the answers, that eases my worries a little cheers

Bortaf - no worries on storage, I have a big drive and the plots we intend to use in Europe generally come as big plots, thanks for the word of warning though

Dodgerover - eek that sounds like a past experience for you, maybe with the garlic sausage too ?? haha

I hear what you are saying on the "as its not a daily mpg doesnt matter" but it does. A serious lifestyle change has seen our monthly income drop quite a bit (our choice after a nasty gun incident at work) so we're trying to get as many cost effective holidays as possible each year. I don't want to be watching the fuel gauge drop every minute i'm driving or else it'd spoil my hol before I got going haha

that bus is seriously cool, the mrs does NOT share my love of retro vehicles sadly so it'd need to look a little more modern for her to "accept" it. I do think the ex council busses would suit my needs, as giving it more thought we wouldnt need to incorporate a shower room as the facilities at the sites are spotless most of the time.

something like this would be an awesome (and at the minute) cheap project to get my teeth into to complete for next summer

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181511644153?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[wyer1972]

up until having a change of career last year ,I had previously worked in the body/paintshop of various bus firms for 25yrs ,my advice is be aware that coaches mostly have box section mild steel frames so plenty of rot ,they have plywood floors which rot ,they nearly always let water in some where , if you're getting a bus they are mostly aluminium frames so you need to be able to weld aluminium, some are ally frames with timber inserts where the timber rots, avoid a Leyland national they rot just everywhere
besides that I would love a bus camper , they can look cool