dhutch
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| posted on 29/1/15 at 07:45 PM |
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Converted Coach
Childhood dream, no time like the present, what does the forum know about converted coaches?
Interested in:
- The economics of buying/running/maintain/selling them.
- Legalities of driving them, licensing, re-registering them.
Doing some digging, prices for reasonable looking (to the casual eBayer) coaches seem to go for £3-5000 fairly happily, and excluding high budget
motorhomes it seams a conversation with or without a tailgate at the back for a car, for not much more. Bargain. I understand servicing is less cheap,
but equally not unmanageable, 10mpg average, maybe 12 on a longer run. I have not looked at tax and insurance yet.
License wise I passed between 1997 and 2013 and have just a Cat B, which is the coach is over 30years old, has 8 or less passenger seats, and has been
reclassified to reflect the seat reduction, I can drive legally as long as its not for hire or reward which it will not be. However, that does limit
me somewhat to older buses and although 1985 is ok and you can find B10M's or Javelins, early 80's it all falls off a cliff, so its a
narrow search.
I have heard on a fairly good authority (a colleague, who maintains the converted d-decker coach for a youth group) that if correctly re-registered as
a private LGV it is ok, but he is unable to quote the exact rules. He is going to look into that for me in more details, but what do we know on here.
MEss I have yet is old thread on other forums where a user stated 'if its PLGV and and not for hire&reward you can drive almost
anything' followed by another that counters it.
Thoughts ?
Daniel
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theduck
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| posted on 29/1/15 at 07:53 PM |
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Your licensee only allows a GVW of 3.5tonne. A coach will be over that.
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ReMan
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| posted on 29/1/15 at 08:11 PM |
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ohh!
Wincing thinking of travelling to nice places at 10mpg
www.plusnine.co.uk
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blakep82
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| posted on 29/1/15 at 08:32 PM |
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You can drive a bus or coach of any size as long as its over 30 years old on the day you drive it, on a catagory B license, as long as you don't
carry more than 8 passengers and they're not paying
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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matt_claydon
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| posted on 29/1/15 at 09:10 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
You can drive a bus or coach of any size as long as its over 30 years old on the day you drive it, on a catagory B license, as long as you don't
carry more than 8 passengers and they're not paying
Yes, full info in DVLA leaflet INF52:
http://www.hillsofplumpton.co.uk/INF52.pdf
Not available on gov.uk for some reason, but I don't think anything's changed.
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dhutch
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| posted on 29/1/15 at 09:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by matt_claydon
Yes, full info in DVLA leaflet INF52:
http://www.hillsofplumpton.co.uk/INF52.pdf
Not available on gov.uk for some reason, but I don't think anything's changed.
Yes, not on direct.gov.uk (although it was) but has also been confirmed over the phone by the DLVA, and is also on nidirect.gov.uk
And that might the only exemption, but as said said I have seen a number of references as well as from my colleague the allow driving of motor homes
and or PLGV of less than 30 years old. Not sure. Would be nice if I could if the the end of the world if I cant.
Seems a Cat C is about £750 and 4 days to put yourself through it, maybe a grand all up, and not much more for C+E.
quote:
Originally posted by ReMan
ohh!
Wincing thinking of travelling to nice places at 10mpg
Yeah, but at the same time, you be driving a coach! I have a 100hp E36 compact, and with the box trailer on, that only does 18mph.
Daniel
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dhutch
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| posted on 4/2/15 at 12:35 PM |
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Rang the DVLA, and atleast on this first call, they have suggested unless its over 30yo I would indeed need a car C (Class2) or D (Coach) to drive it.
And If I wanted to tow anything over 750kg I would need a C+E or D+E (which would give me B+E also) so there. 1985 coach required!
I all been looking at where I would stand regaurding MOTs.
Obviously would work on it myself as and when I could, but clearly also dont have a pit at the house, although I know the local truck garages well
enough they may do me some time on a pit for a sensible rate. My uncal has a small pit but sadly its in his garage so no can do!
Daniel
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DAN@ADRIAN FLUX
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| posted on 4/2/15 at 08:26 PM |
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Hi,
If you need any help with insurance at all then please feel free to give us a try. We have schemes that can cater for converted coaches.
Regards,
Dan.
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perksy
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| posted on 4/2/15 at 09:25 PM |
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Just a thought
Where would you keep it ?
Surely the maintenance and running costs could end up being a bottomless pit ?
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Volvorsport
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| posted on 4/2/15 at 09:57 PM |
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Don't go into London with it...
B10m complete pia to work on
www.dbsmotorsport.co.uk
getting dirty under a bus
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dhutch
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| posted on 5/2/15 at 12:02 AM |
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No where near London nor any desire to be!
Storage is a consideration, have just about enough room to get is down the side of the garage and off the road, but would look to find somewhere else
to store it ideally.
Why do you say the B10M is a pain to work on? More so than any other mid engine bus? Dennis Javelin seams about the only other but most conventions
seem to be b10m based...?
Daniel
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Volvorsport
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| posted on 5/2/15 at 12:10 AM |
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Any other has the engine at the back. Unless under the bus , you'll be lying in the locker space to do anything . That said mot should be easier
as you'll do less mileage
www.dbsmotorsport.co.uk
getting dirty under a bus
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mark chandler
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| posted on 5/2/15 at 08:04 AM |
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Just what you want on eBay now
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/271764703481?nav=SEARCH
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motorcycle_mayhem
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| posted on 5/2/15 at 10:23 AM |
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..couldn't drive that without continually humming.... "....self preservation society..."
Lack of MoT scares me with that one though.
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mark chandler
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| posted on 5/2/15 at 10:50 AM |
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Even comes with London to Turin on the front
Lack of MOT and the hand made look of the interior makes it expensive, but a nice toy never the less
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dhutch
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| posted on 5/2/15 at 01:07 PM |
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Yeah I saw that one before it went on eBay, not really my thing, but a very nice product of someones work non the less.
Daniel
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dhutch
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| posted on 6/2/15 at 12:40 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Volvorsport
Any other has the engine at the back. Unless under the bus , you'll be lying in the locker space to do anything .
Rear engine gets in the way of having a tail gate to get a car in however!
Apparently the Dennis Javelin is lighter and new parts are cheaper, but used parts and secondhand examples less available as its a less common bus.
Daniel
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 6/2/15 at 01:16 PM |
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Storage costs and getting maintenance jobs done should not be underestimated, there often difficult to work on without proper lifting equipment and
parts heavy beyond belief, took two of us just to lift a front brake calliper on that’s how heavy they are. I stopped doing the workshop as my back
was getting wreaked. Most old busses sold off are at the end of their useful life and have already done huge mileages
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gremlin1234
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| posted on 6/2/15 at 07:48 PM |
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Just what you want...???
I guess this one is 'condition : poor' too much of a 'challenge'
that and it being, a bit far away.
http://autoline.info/sf/bus-coach-bus-KAROSA-Skoda-RTO--1502050
8494310992700.html
KAROSA Skoda RTO coach bus for sale
€3,600.00 Offer price
Brand :KAROSA Model :Skoda RTO Year of manufacture :1970 First registration :1970 Mileage :5000 km Location :Czechia, Zábřeh Placed on
:yesterday Autoline ID :AM6725
Engine: Liaz, in-line, diesel.
Vehicle condition: vehicle condition - poor
[Edited on 6/2/15 by gremlin1234]
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Irony
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| posted on 6/2/15 at 11:21 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Storage costs and getting maintenance jobs done should not be underestimated, there often difficult to work on without proper lifting equipment and
parts heavy beyond belief, took two of us just to lift a front brake calliper on that’s how heavy they are. I stopped doing the workshop as my back
was getting wreaked. Most old busses sold off are at the end of their useful life and have already done huge mileages
My brother was chief depot engineer for Arriva bus in lecester back in the nineties. His job was the upkeep of 80 buses and coaches. He always said
his speciality was keeping old buses running way past their useful life and then spending as little as possible on them. He quit because of penny
pinching upper management. I would suspect věry few used buses have life left in them.
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