bewildered newbie ; converted buses ; help

[james pond]

hi there, we are becoming increasingly bewildered by the array of vehicles, and whether they will suit us/can afford . have heard of problems with some insurance companies . a couple of buses on ebay dont appear to have split charging system; is it really essential anyway. other vehicles, often older transit dont have cassette loos, only the potti type and the wife insists on a proper loo, is there any chance of getting one fitted?. this is my 4th post in 2 days, hope i'm not overstaying my welcome, but we have saved for years to buy a MH and are becoming worried we are going to drop a clanger, so any and all advice or info will be gratefully received.

 

[Viktor]

James...

I just new to the Campervan scene too....lots of traps for newbies....

1. Low Emission Zone London....might be difficult/expensive to comply with an older vehicle...do you need to?
Possibility of future new LEZs.
2. Seats....side by side on older don't need seatbelts fitted, but you're stuffed if you carry anyone on them
because it's illegal to carry unrestrained passengers....if you get caught or have an accident you might have
a police problem followed by an insurance problem....means some vans/motorhomes are effectively 2 birth max
unless the others travel separately as can't be upgraded to take extra forward facing seats or seatbealt fixing points.
3. Older vehicles may have poor parts supply depending on the make/model.
4. Only petrol engines can be dual run on LPG or petrol (after conversion about £1500)....(75p litre for LPG).
5. Some self conversions are hard to insure with cheaper insurance for motorcaravans and more hoops to jump
through to get the insurance.....Dolmens for example insist on photo evidence, certificates, and a walkthrough
from front cab to rear area.

Larger MH more expensive to run, not so hot on narrow roads, but more comfortable overall than campervans.

Depends what comfort level you want...winter's coming...want to risk a dead battery if you don't have a leisure
battery powering the extras. Need heat, or just going to have a tent on wheels?

You can't 'overstay' your welcome lol.....great forum.

p.s. a proper MH loo is essentially a larger portapotti except the casette goes out a side door instead of being unclipped
from the 'bowl', and most, (not all), use hotels or other loos whenever possible expecially for No. 2's

 

[Firefox]

When they say split charge system it is just a switch and cable which connects the leisure battery to the vehicle battery so both can charge off the alternator at the same time.

The switch is usually a relay switch which operates when the ignition is switched on, and isolates when the leisure battery is switched off. That's all there is to it.

You will hear people talk of split charge relay system as though it is some clever box of tricks which smart charges your leisure battery but all it is a switch and a cable and a fuse which you could fit yourself for £25. Some older vans have a switch that you have to manually set for site or touring or a capacity to use either engine or leisure battery. Most modern vans have the automatic relay switch.

 

[kell]

Hi James.

'Proper' loos (mostly Thetfords) can come with either sideways access or rear access for removal of the cassette so there would normally be at least one wall that it can be installed against though it would obviously mean cutting a hole in said wall for the access door to fit into. I have even seen in self-build vans the cassette access door on an internal wall so it is removed inside the van.

Though I love 'self built' motorhomes, I'm not a great lover of bus conversions as there are too many windows for my liking. I think it would probably be difficult to keep the van warm in winter and cool in summer. But that's a generalisation and I have seen some really good bus conversions.

Viktor makes a good point about passenger carrying in motorhomes. Although it is a big grey area. As I understand it it is not strictly illegal to carry passengers in sideways facing seats unrestrained, you can be 'done' for carrying an "unsafe load" if a policeman should deem that carrying unrestrained passengers is just that. Carrying children in any seat is governed by separate rules and really requires front or rearward facing seats to comply. My own opinion is that it's only a matter of time before carrying any passengers in sideways facing seats is made illegal.

There are many insurance companies that wont touch self build conversions but there are a few that do and at reasonable cost too (I pay £197 fully comp). the best currently seem to be: Sheild, Insurance Choice and Frank Pickles insurance.

Anyway, all the best with your 'bus hunt'. Keep us informed.

Cheers.
John.

 

[vwalan]

hi up untill recently seat belts in the back of m,homes werent needed they were exempt . you could and stillcan carry passengers in any of thevolder van seats in the back un restrained . unsafe loads are not people .
cassette toilets are only different to thetford porta potties because you remove the cassette from out side. .mind you pay alot more foir them. you can get conventional toilets with a big black water tank .but they can be harder to empty in some situations ,
split charging as said cab be a switc . relay or a charging system that monitors the vehicle battery then charges the liesure batteries when the vehicle ones are full. i use a 24volt to 12 volt system.
many bus conversions require a c licence or possibly a d licence.
the big windows do cause condensation . i used a 33ft bedford for a few years . decided it drew the wrong type of attention.hippy buses just arent accepted in many places.
good insulation is a must .
decide what you want /need. how many are going to be using it /sleeping in it etc is it for holidays ,weekends or longterming. i use mine for stays away upto 9months . could be longer sometimes shorter. not ideal for weekend parking in a pub carpark though.
fire away with questions theres enough of us here to solve most things .happy camping.

 

[David & Ann]

hi there, we are becoming increasingly bewildered by the array of vehicles, and whether they will suit us/can afford . have heard of problems with some insurance companies . a couple of buses on ebay dont appear to have split charging system; is it really essential anyway. other vehicles, often older transit dont have cassette loos, only the potti type and the wife insists on a proper loo, is there any chance of getting one fitted?. this is my 4th post in 2 days, hope i'm not overstaying my welcome, but we have saved for years to buy a MH and are becoming worried we are going to drop a clanger, so any and all advice or info will be gratefully received.

You are most certainly NOT over staying your welcome. You are now a member, you are entitled to stay as long as you wish, except if you upset the likes of Tony Blair, David Cameron and so on. Otherwise, you are in safe hands. Phil the Boss, is not a bad bloke. He takes things in his stride.☺☺☺ As for me, you can run roughshod over me. ☺☺☺

 

[maingate]

There is plenty of useful info on the internet.

Why not join the Self Build Motor Caravan Club (SBMCC). You will get a lot of help from members who have converted all kinds of vehicles. They will also help with insurance etc. plus there are discounts for members.

I have a coachbuilt van but I am thinking of changing it. If I cannot get a suitable American RV, I am thinking of doing a self build on something like an ex Mobile Library as I need a large base vehicle. As has been said, a bus is not the ideal base vehicle unless you are skilled in coachbuilding to get rid of most of those windows.

Good luck.

 

[Viktor]

<<hi up untill recently seat belts in the back of m,homes werent needed they were exempt . you could and stillcan carry passengers in any of thevolder van seats in the back un restrained . unsafe loads are not people >>

This was discussed at length elswhere.....let's knock it on the head in this thread....



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