Toyota Optimo

Adriana1

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Hi all
I have a yearning to convert another bus to a motorhome, looking at buying a TOYOTA CAETANO OPTIMO 20 seater
Just wanted to know if anyone on here has done this?? Would like to understand the niggles if any

Also wanted to know the size and weight of this bus
Any help very welcome
Thanks Adrian
 
Seen one on one of the forums a few years back, a good job, but rememeber a lot of the windows will require removal and paneled up plus insulated to keep heat in through winter and cool in summer, lots of wireing work and plumbing etc, have you the tools skill and somewhwere to do the job like a barn etc, good luck hope all goes well if you go down this avenue.
 
By the looks of them I would say they're based on a 7.5 tonne chassis so a C1 licence would be required, Caetano buses and coaches were well made, Toyota mechanicals are reliable so seems like a good base for conversion.
 
I have ideas in my head of doing something bigger as well for our third self build but knowing it will take me probably three years to complete means it may only have a practical life of another 2-3 years before anything non Euro VI and diesel is virtually priced off the roads so I think instead my next build will be an EV panel van!
 
Thistle said:
I have ideas in my head of doing something bigger as well for our third self build but knowing it will take me probably three years to complete means it may only have a practical life of another 2-3 years before anything non Euro VI and diesel is virtually priced off the roads so I think instead my next build will be an EV panel van!
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I would not go electric as the infrestructure to charge iis not here and will not happen within 7 years as it will require all the roads in the country to be dug up and cables as thick as an elephants trunk laid down. in 15 yeras they have not managed to get fibre broadband sorted.
 
Adriana1 said:
Hi all
I have a yearning to convert another bus to a motorhome, looking at buying a TOYOTA CAETANO OPTIMO 20 seater
Just wanted to know if anyone on here has done this?? Would like to understand the niggles if any

Also wanted to know the size and weight of this bus
Any help very welcome
Thanks Adrian
Click to expand...
i have one for you
 
Thistle said:
............it will take me probably three years to complete means it may only have a practical life of another 2-3 years before anything non Euro VI and diesel is virtually priced off the roads so I think instead my next build will be an EV panel van!
Click to expand...
You would have to buy a new EV panel van, because there is a very good reason for a used one being for sale. It is no good, that's why. Forget the claimed range, the real range is 60% of the claimed, and that is before you add 2000kg of fittings. Then it will take 24 hours to recharge.
In any case, apart from the fact that it will spend longer plugged in to recharge it than you are driving it, a used one will have a cream crackered battery. Then when you have taken 3 years to build a new one, it will need a new battery. After 2 years and 8000 miles my Nissan Leaf needed a new £5000 battery - warranty void because I had a) plugged it in to recharge when the battery was already 80% full, and b) I had let the charge go below 20%. That was because I pulled into two faulty, not working charging stations.
People who buy EV motorhomes are in for a sad experience.
 
andyjanet said:
Hi danno! The original poster has never been back and has only ever posted that once so !!!!
I’m afraid you are whistling in the wind ! Good luck with the sale though
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Happening more and more Andy. New members post a question and never sign on again to even read the answers given. I've seen a few of these recently and I just don't get it.

All traffic for the forum I suppose though.
 
Robmac said:
Happening more and more Andy. New members post a question and never sign on again to even read the answers given. I've seen a few of these recently and I just don't get it.

All traffic for the forum I suppose though.
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Probably brainwashed or fatigued by using the lawless and increasingly AI world of @rsebook, twatter, tit-toc and other nefarious social meedja, Rob.

Throwaway questions and comments are more like flotsam and jetsam on the high seas, chucked into the ether with no expectation of a reasoned or sustained response, where they swirl around aimlessly for a few minutes or hours and disappear with the next big tide of pointless commentary.

I like this forum. It is a survivor against all the faddish digital newcomers, like a much loved, comfy pair of slippers you will never throw out.
And it has a really good bunch of crazy and (mostly! 😜) loveable members and tons of brilliant banter and mega-useful information! (y)😘
 
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What did i miss ?
I have a caetano lived in it for 9 years and love it. Parts are a sod though and Toyota is going to be your go too that's if they can identify your vehicle. The chassis is a Toyota coaster the caetano is the fibreglass body fitted to it. Very common in Australia as motorhome conversions but their bodywork is metal. Where did he go ..... Oh well🤣
 
mariesnowgoose said:
Probably brainwashed or fatigued by using the lawless and increasingly AI world of @rsebook, twatter, tit-toc and other nefarious social meedja, Rob.

Throwaway questions and comments are more like flotsam and jetsam on the high seas, chucked into the ether with no expectation of a reasoned or sustained response, where they swirl around aimlessly for a few minutes or hours and disappear with the next big tide of pointless commentary.

I like this forum. It is a survivor against all the faddish digital newcomers, like a much loved, comfy pair of slippers you will never throw out.
And it has a really good bunch of crazy and (mostly! 😜) loveable members and tons of brilliant banter and mega-useful information! (y)😘
Click to expand...
You use your tongue better than a $20 whore :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: That was better than Shakespeare X
 
guerdeval said:
You use your tongue better than a $20 whore :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: That was better than Shakespeare X
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🤣 😜🙃

will.jpeg
 
gasgas said:
You would have to buy a new EV panel van, because there is a very good reason for a used one being for sale. It is no good, that's why. Forget the claimed range, the real range is 60% of the claimed, and that is before you add 2000kg of fittings. Then it will take 24 hours to recharge.
In any case, apart from the fact that it will spend longer plugged in to recharge it than you are driving it, a used one will have a cream crackered battery. Then when you have taken 3 years to build a new one, it will need a new battery. After 2 years and 8000 miles my Nissan Leaf needed a new £5000 battery - warranty void because I had a) plugged it in to recharge when the battery was already 80% full, and b) I had let the charge go below 20%. That was because I pulled into two faulty, not working charging stations.
People who buy EV motorhomes are in for a sad experience.
Click to expand...
On the flip side we owned our first ex demonstrator Kia Soul EV for seven years, I bought it at such a good price it held its value extremely well, we used it for 95% of all journeys and when I upgraded last year to the newer model its battery was still holding 100% SOC.

I only sold it because the PX offered was extremely generous making the upgrade surprisingly good value. We were finding the 100 mile range in winter a bit limiting for day trips, but that is probably unique to us simply because we limit our journeys to avoid wasting money on the now massively overpriced public charging which is now so expensive that many petrol/diesel cars are cheaper per mile to run.

Our newer Soul can cover almost every journey we need to make on a single cost effective charge from home plus it has lots more toys, is twice as powerful and does over twice the range of its predecessor.
There something very nice about driving an electric vehicle and I prefer driving it to my far more expensive and mostly redundant BMW 5 Series.

It is a real shame there aren't more hybrid vans available as the current crop of pure EV vans except the Transit are very range limited
I did consider the Transit custom PHEV but it's extremely small and the engine drone is pretty irritating!

I am pretty sure in a few years time when I am looking to build my next van there will be all sort of options though, hydrogen perhaps!
 
Yes I would agree that an EV is lovely to drive. Except in the winter when you need to wear hat, coat, scarf, gloves and fur boots because you cannot afford the range drop if you put the heater on. Expensive to buy in the first place as well of course.
I've thrown in the towel and gone 'sod it' and bought a cheap AutoSleeper V reg Transit based diesel motorhome on the basis that the furniture was built from tree wood so it won't fall to bits, and it is an automatic, and if we are no longer allowed to drive diesels anywhere I'll just throw it away and go on cruises on ships blowing black smoke around the world.
 
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