double becker bus

drewdunnrespect

Guest
hiya people

question time

what do we reckon to converting a london double decker bus thats in perfect nick but has 80000 miles on the clock is an ex london transport bus and has been looked after perfectly.

The reason i ask is there is a load coming on ebay shortly (in the next 6 months according to bus company who a mate works for) and the buy now price is £3000 to £4000 pound

what do you guys think

drew
 
Thought about doing a DD but I wanted more flexibility. A couple of points to think about, hight is a problem, on most roads low bridges are marked but down nice country roads the trees could be a bit naughty. Some of the places we are all looking for tend to be in awkward places to get into when wilding and a DD would not be good down narrow lanes. If using sites they may not be all that welcoming and some gates into the smaller sites may tight. Wilding in that out of the way place will be harder in something that is 18 ft plus high. Hey but don't let me put you off though, as I said I would love to do one.
 
Don't do it!!!:eek:

The shame of being mistaken for a geriatric rock'n'roller with a dodgy face lift would stay with you for life!:p

'Becker Tennis Cliff, a tenuous link perhaps, but a link nontheless.
 
my hymer was 3.1metres and was sometimes difficult to pass under overhanging branches;)
 
There was someone on the sbmcc (self build motor caravan club) site who converted a double decker bus, you'd get good advice on there.
Problems i'd foresee is the amount of windows, cost of spares and availability. Getting onto sites if you want to use them, fuel consumption, speed. I guess they aren't easy to secure. Difficulties getting into supermarkets and car parks in general. You would need a HGV licence once converted and until it is converted it's still a PCV. You have to have somewhere to convert it and store it.
My truck is 13ft 6 including the satelite dome and i've not really had many problems due to height.
You will of course have loads of space but you may not be able to stand up properly in such a bus.
 
does your licence cover you to drive it .buses with over 16 seats were took off the normal old licence in about 1991. you may find you cant drive it. problems with insurance is another reason. places to go considering the height. also have you had any experiance of this size vehicle?
make the enquireies then give us all a shout i know the words to the song .
 
Top Deck Travel ran about 300 double deckers in its heyday, all converted for sleeping, cooking, etc. Slept about 20 punters. They used to run from the UK to Russia, North Africa, India, Nepal and all places in between. They "lost" 3 buses in Kabul when the Russians invaded.

They had a few overheight problems - knocked down a 12th Century bridge in Italy which nearly caused a diplomatic incident.

Ferries can be a drama if the height is over 4.75m. Their buses used to travel on the open deck on the Ceuta ferry to N Africa, with the rear door hanging over the back of the ferry.

The rear engined buses are not successful in hot climates unless they get a tropical cooling kit fitted.

Weight, height, length and width limits will restrict where you can go, and logically a lot of the best places to visit will be off limits.
 
drewdunnrespect said:
hiya people

question time

what do we reckon to converting a london double decker bus thats in perfect nick but has 80000 miles on the clock is an ex london transport bus and has been looked after perfectly.

The reason i ask is there is a load coming on ebay shortly (in the next 6 months according to bus company who a mate works for) and the buy now price is £3000 to £4000 pound

what do you guys think

drew
Click to expand...

Only 80,000 ? Most ex PSV's have far more than that under their belts. But mileage is pretty irrelevant. They've all been professionally maintained on a regular basis.

Personally I wouldn't want a vehicle that large. Things like turning round, turning circle, reversing, parking, and route restrictions will be a continual nightmare during usage.
 
Firefox said:
Things like turning round, turning circle, reversing, parking, and route restrictions will be a continual nightmare during usage.
Click to expand...

Not to mention, every half mile, people stepping out in front of you to wave you down.

Super romantic idea but not as practical as you`d want.
 
there was a few double decker buses on ebay a short time ago..looked very nice inside with bedrooms upstairs and lounge area/kitchen downstairs..Would suit a family of 4 but if wilding in 1 police might mistake you for travelors and so would vosa...A single decker bus would be better or a ex library bus(Which is what i will be doing next year as soon as i find a decent libaray bus)
 
buses of all discription are looked upon as hippy travellerbuses .i have travelled with afew really nice tidy buses and they were ok. others i know get loads of grief. better to get a truck ,much cheaper than a library bus . you can build in lots of insulation etc . coavhes can look ok if venetian blinds fitted and kept to look abit excecutive looking .but start panelling windows over and then they dont look so nice.
there still are afew d/d out there being used for expedition trips and privately owned ones on the circuit.
truck small windows plain looking gets you just about everywhere. and not too much hassle.
had a coach for awhile so been on both sides of the fence. truck wins every time. plus a few stones thrown in maroc or somewhere isnt going to destroy them . lot of glass in a coach. cheers alan.
 
It brings back memories. I was 19 then, living in Old Addington near Selsdon (Croydon) My then girl friend invited me over to her place to introduce me to her parents. Guess what! it was a London Transport double decker, which was there home. Bedrooms upstairs, and the usual downstairs. It was real cosy. It was a stationary home in a field. (No, they were not gypsies)
 
We did it

We converted a double decker a few years ago. Have considered it again but the main draw backs are.
Fuel consumption was 6-8 miles to gallon even with restrictor of 46mph.
Condensation
Height and length, even at 4.42metres with a skylight, lots of bridges abroad are not marked. Trees, verandas signs sticking out, telephone lines.
And you will never get an peace, people looking in through the window ALL the time.

There are loads of good points but we have just got a LWB Iveco, big.
 
lewisdragon said:
We converted a double decker a few years ago. Have considered it again but the main draw backs are.
Fuel consumption was 6-8 miles to gallon even with restrictor of 46mph.
Condensation
Height and length, even at 4.42metres with a skylight, lots of bridges abroad are not marked. Trees, verandas signs sticking out, telephone lines.
And you will never get an peace, people looking in through the window ALL the time.

There are loads of good points but we have just got a LWB Iveco, big.
Click to expand...

You were very lucky not to be heavily fined taking a vehicle that high abroad.

The height limit in most of the low countries in Europe is 4 metres, some, including France is 4.2 metres.

As in this country, bridges are only marked for height if they are lower than the max height allowable in that country, 5.5 metres in the U.K. - 16' 6inches in old money which we stubbornly stick to.
 
You were very lucky not to be heavily fined taking a vehicle that high abroad.

The height limit in most of the low countries in Europe is 4 metres, some, including France is 4.2 metres.

As in this country, bridges are only marked for height if they are lower than the max height allowable in that country, 5.5 metres in the U.K. - 16' 6inches in old money which we stubbornly stick to.
Click to expand...

This is the first time I have ever heard of this. We were checked lots of times by various police and customs ( generally just being nosey until they realised there was a family living on it). and we have never heard of this or had any issues regarding legalities.
 
double decker

sounds like a double decker isnt such a good idea but the next question is then what about a single decker whats your thoughts

drew
 
Picture003.jpg
this is my little bus sleeps 4 with no problems with table chairs/cooker/fridge/etc
 
go for it wot a great idea the thing is 2 be diffrent 2 every 1

get 1 and do it matey :):):)
 
All depends on your licence .remember when you convert to m,home it is no longer a bus for driving licence needs. it can make insurance difficult to get. also there is a spec of what makes it a m,home. make lots of inquirey,s to dvla and your local mot station to find what you need.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top