Finshed our conversion

[MacL]

After starting in January we have just finished our conversion on a Fiat ducato bus and hoping to pass the dvla check list but on the tax book its classed as bus/coach even though it states 16 passengers including driver.
When we purchased it, it was advertised as a minibus and only had 8 passenger seats and wheelchair lift.
I am now dreading the thought of not getting motor caravan on the tax book.
Ignore the silly blue stripes on the side they have been removed

 

[wildebus]

Looks very smart. I would hope you would get a reclassification there - not sure what there could be to object to!

 

[MacL]

Looks very smart. I would hope you would get a reclassification there - not sure what there could be to object to!

I am hoping but when I printed the checklist off and the body type was not on it I nearly dropped,I am not sure why its classed as sd/bus/coach as it only has 16 passengers including driver on tax book,but maybe it was to do with the overall weight of the bus.

 

[SquirrellCook]

Bus classifications make no sense. For example if you don't have fare paying passengers the road tax is not valid! Yours may have been tax exempt as it was used for welfare transport. (ambulance) Some PSV testers will test with only one passenger seat, others want them all in. So how many seat does it or could it have? I guess it depends on the day.
It will be nice to know how you get on with the registration change. What I object to is it being classed as a PHGV, as it never would have been approved as a goods vehicle, so technically illegal.
I have seen a V5 with class M1 with a weight exemption. (M1 passenger vehicle)

 

[wildebus]

I am hoping but when I printed the checklist off and the body type was not on it I nearly dropped,I am not sure why its classed as sd/bus/coach as it only has 16 passengers including driver on tax book,but maybe it was to do with the overall weight of the bus.

That is odd - there is a lot of confusion over buses even with people who should know.
When I bought my VW Shuttle, I couldn't add it to my Admiral Car insurance as they decided it was a MiniBus as it had 9 seats (but as you know, a Minibus has to have at least 9 PASSENGER seats - driver doesn't count) so I had to tell them one seat was removed.
When I got my LT Bus, it was down as a Minibus correctly as it had 17 seats including the driver, but was a PLG on the V5 despite also being down as 4600kg on the V5. When I changed the classification to Van/Windows as a temp measure, DVLA wanted photo evidence of the change? had to send the a photo of the inside with a few seats out. pointless really.
(oh .. and my 4.6t Bus being a PLG? I know someone who bought a very similar minibus from the same Council but his was the 3.5t version - and on HIS V5C it was recorded as a PHGV while only being 3500kg weight listed!)

 

[Squiffy]

Looks really well put together, very professional. I'm impressed . Phil

 

[MacL]

Bus classifications make no sense. For example if you don't have fare paying passengers the road tax is not valid! Yours may have been tax exempt as it was used for welfare transport. (ambulance) Some PSV testers will test with only one passenger seat, others want them all in. So how many seat does it or could it have? I guess it depends on the day.
It will be nice to know how you get on with the registration change. What I object to is it being classed as a PHGV, as it never would have been approved as a good vehicle, so technically illegal.
I have seen a V5 with class M1 with a weight exemption. (M1 passenger

 

[MacL]

Ours was classed as disabled passenger vehicle so no tax this last year,not that we used the vehicle it has sat up no driving at all for a year but had to register in Northern Ireland yesterday (we bought it in England) to get a psv done so we can use away at it until the new V5C comes back and apparently on there end it came up as minibus,so now I think the body type should not matter for changing over (I hope) with Dvla.

 

[RV2MAX]

Ours was classed as disabled passenger vehicle so no tax this last year,not that we used the vehicle it has sat up no driving at all for a year but had to register in Northern Ireland yesterday (we bought it in England) to get a psv done so we can use away at it until the new V5C comes back and apparently on there end it came up as minibus,so now I think the body type should not matter for changing over (I hope) with Dvla.

You were lucky to get away with using it , as its only disabled excise class if used for disabled !

 

[Nabsim]

Bus classifications make no sense. For example if you don't have fare paying passengers the road tax is not valid! Yours may have been tax exempt as it was used for welfare transport. (ambulance) Some PSV testers will test with only one passenger seat, others want them all in. So how many seat does it or could it have? I guess it depends on the day.
It will be nice to know how you get on with the registration change. What I object to is it being classed as a PHGV, as it never would have been approved as a goods vehicle, so technically illegal.
I have seen a V5 with class M1 with a weight exemption. (M1 passenger vehicle)

Mine that was built as a motorhome, (not a conversion) is PHGV. Thought that was standard over 3.5t?

 

[wildebus]

PHGV does not mean Goods Vehicle though, and is not a Vehicle Classification but a Tax Category anyway.

Similar to cars being PLG - meaning Private OR Light Goods (not Private Light Goods), PHGV is Private OR Heavy Goods (and Commercial Heavy Goods would be just HGV of course - The PHGV is still applicable for Good Vehicles if used privately)

 

[MacL]

You were lucky to get away with using it , as its only disabled excise class if used for disabled !

We didn't use it at all on the road as it was bought last August brought over on the boat and just sat on our property,we did put insurance on it as it stated on the tax book as a bus and now only changing paperwork over.We started ripping it apart in January and just finished last week.

 

[MacL]

How it started life
By the way this is the 1st time we have build so if you see something that isn't right please be kind as we are not professional

 

[st3v3]

How it started life
By the way this is the 1st time we have build so if you see something that isn't right please be kind as we are not professional

Quite a difference!

The one thing that jumps out at me is that you want to be able to get the lid off of your consumer unit. Is that currently possible?

 

[wildebus]

Quite a difference!

The one thing that jumps out at me is that you want to be able to get the lid off of your consumer unit. Is that currently possible?

I think photo 32? (May need a little lever though?).
But a good point - ready access to breakers and fuses always important.

 

[MacL]

Quite a difference!

The one thing that jumps out at me is that you want to be able to get the lid off of your consumer unit. Is that currently possible?

Yes it just pulls up so easy access the same with all of the electrical equipment we have a floor to ceiling vent behind the wall that screws off if needed

 

[st3v3]

Yes it just pulls up so easy access the same with all of the electrical equipment we have a floor to ceiling vent behind the wall that screws off if needed

I mean can you remove the lid and get access to the internal wiring?

 

[MacL]

I think photo 32? (May need a little lever though?).
But a good point - ready access to breakers and fuses always important.

Lever? Im not sure what you mean please elaborate

 

[MacL]

I mean can you remove the lid and get access to the internal wiring?

Yes it you can remove the whole unit out behind the wall if needs must

 

[Nabsim]

Looks great to me, I know I couldn’t manage anything looking like that

only thing I notice is the board under the double bed mattress. Keep an eye out for damp patches and/or mould, can be a problem when a board is used. It’s all to do with air flow and others here will advise better than me. It does depend what is in the void under the bed though I believe, if heated then less likely to be a potential problem I think.

I would be proud of that build if I had done it, well done and hope you get lots of use from it