Useful and interesting article

[channa]

I came across this a day or two ago , the van was featured on George Clarkes living spaces, but tells the tales trials and tribulations of converting an American School bus getting it tested etc.....interesting stuff

Buying, importing, converting and registering an American School bus as a UK Motorhome - Home - Skoolie in the UK

Channa

 

[wildebus]

They make a great conversion in terms of space, but the economy is a killer

 

[Deleted member 2572]

They make a great conversion in terms of space, but the economy is a killer

Not sure why people always worry about economy as it is a tiny part of running a motorhome, most only do a couple of thousand miles a year if that ,so have the space you want not some tiny camper :wacko:

 

[wildebus]

Not sure why people always worry about economy as it is a tiny part of running a motorhome, most only do a couple of thousand miles a year if that ,so have the space you want not some tiny camper :wacko:

10MPG? there is economy and there is ECONOMY

on the plus side it will be cheaper to tax then some small 3.5t campervan or motorhome

 

[Deleted member 2572]

10MPG? there is economy and there is ECONOMY

on the plus side it will be cheaper to tax then some small 3.5t campervan or motorhome

10 mpg not bad
Our Winnebago was the same on petrol
2000 miles in a cramped up ice cream van camper at say 25 mpg or 2000 miles in a nice big space , difference in cost approx £ 700 more
Not a lot when you consider how much money is tied up in a motorhome.

 

[jagmanx]

Not sure I agree

10 mpg not bad
Our Winnebago was the same on petrol
2000 miles in a cramped up ice cream van camper at say 25 mpg or 2000 miles in a nice big space , difference in cost approx £ 700 more
Not a lot when you consider how much money is tied up in a motorhome.

Last summer we did 6000 miles at say 30mpg (yes an accurate figure)so 200 gallons or 900 litres so at £1 a litre £900 maybe £1000
Multiply that by 3 = £3000

Also Ferry costs and toll charges and vignettes much more maybe £1000 !
We have a good sized Vehicle which we "live in" for 6 months
A bigger vehicle such as a converted bus brings with it other problems !
In particular limiting the "Free Wildcamping locations" and parking in towns !

Just my opinion...... if you prefer a bigger vehicle that is you choice !

 

[hairydog]

Not sure why people always worry about economy as it is a tiny part of running a motorhome, most only do a couple of thousand miles a year if that ,so have the space you want not some tiny camper :wacko:

I think your estimate is a bit low.
My estimate is that most motorhomes that are used do 5000 miles or so each year. I seem to have done nearer 8000 last year, but that was not usual.
If you only get 10mpg, you will be reluctant to drive much - it's the wrong side of 50p per mile. Maybe most 50p per mile motorhomes really do just 2000 miles a year.
Of course an LPG conversion would have the fuel cost, but you have the capital cost of the conversion.
Assuming 30 mpg and 5000 miles a year, it'll cost about £870 for fuel. Around £250 for insurance, £200 for tax, £200 for maintenance. So the fuel outweighs all the other costs, even at 30mpg.

 

[Deleted member 2572]

I think your estimate is a bit low.
My estimate is that most motorhomes that are used do 5000 miles or so each year. I seem to have done nearer 8000 last year, but that was not usual.
If you only get 10mpg, you will be reluctant to drive much - it's the wrong side of 50p per mile. Maybe most 50p per mile motorhomes really do just 2000 miles a year.
Of course an LPG conversion would have the fuel cost, but you have the capital cost of the conversion.
Assuming 30 mpg and 5000 miles a year, it'll cost about £870 for fuel. Around £250 for insurance, £200 for tax, £200 for maintenance. So the fuel outweighs all the other costs, even at 30mpg.

I really don't think most motorhome owners do more than 2 or 3 k a year and many are lower
Add depreciation which can be massive and most will spend significantly more than £250 on insurance and much more than £200 on maintenance.

 

[Deleted member 2572]

Last summer we did 6000 miles at say 30mpg (yes an accurate figure)so 200 gallons or 900 litres so at £1 a litre £900 maybe £1000
Multiply that by 3 = £3000

Also Ferry costs and toll charges and vignettes much more maybe £1000 !
We have a good sized Vehicle which we "live in" for 6 months
A bigger vehicle such as a converted bus brings with it other problems !
In particular limiting the "Free Wildcamping locations" and parking in towns !

Just my opinion...... if you prefer a bigger vehicle that is you choice !

6000 miles is a high mileage for a motorhome believe it or not
I don't really worry about the fuel costs as having a motorhome is a luxury anyway really.

 

[trevskoda]

Dont know why anyone would bother as plenty good buses here to buy,more mpg and no cost of import/shipping,take your pick.

 

[Lee]

Dont know why anyone would bother as plenty good buses here to buy,more mpg and no cost of import/shipping,take your pick.

I'll take the first one, it looks like it's already converted.

 

[Deleted member 2572]

Dont know why anyone would bother as plenty good buses here to buy,more mpg and no cost of import/shipping,take your pick.

No prices ?

 

[hairydog]

I really don't think most motorhome owners do more than 2 or 3 k a year and many are lower
Add depreciation which can be massive and most will spend significantly more than £250 on insurance and much more than £200 on maintenance.

Well, that may be your experience, but it is definitely not mine.
My motorhome is gaining in value (admittedly not much faster than inflation, though).
The insurance went up this year. It was £209 this year compared with £200 last year.
The maintenance was rather less than £200 in the last 12 months, though this year's service and MOT bill STILL hasn't arrived*, so may push it up a bit. So far it has cost three wiper blades at £3.50 each and a marker lamp (which I hit on a low hanging branch) at £4.99 including postage. I've not even had to top the oil up in 8,000 miles of driving. I did add an NTC sensor to the fridge fan this year. That cost another £3.

*The garage got some of the work done by a local HGV garage who are slow at sending invoices.

 

[Deleted member 2572]

Well, that may be your experience, but it is definitely not mine.
My motorhome is gaining in value (admittedly not much faster than inflation, though).
The insurance went up this year. It was £209 this year compared with £200 last year.
The maintenance was rather less than £200 in the last 12 months, though this year's service and MOT bill STILL hasn't arrived*, so may push it up a bit. So far it has cost three wiper blades at £3.50 each and a marker lamp (which I hit on a low hanging branch) at £4.99 including postage. I've not even had to top the oil up in 8,000 miles of driving. I did add an NTC sensor to the fridge fan this year. That cost another £3.

*The garage got some of the work done by a local HGV garage who are slow at sending invoices.

I know about prices and you are right the older ones are more expensive today than they were 5 or 6 years ago.
We have just looked at a 18 month old van the guy has lost about 40k in that time !
Most owners pay more than £200 for their habitation and water ingress checks .

 

[rugbyken]

like everything with motorhome there are as many ways of using them as there are models we used to work on nights away lot of cash standing in the drive if you only used it one month in the year 30 nights away which is why ee sold a caravan we had, our requirements 17 years ago when we started had to consider work commitments. and cash etc we normally averaged only 3000 miles a year 50 nights no further than france or ireland , now we have retired the newer van was part of our retirement plan we have toured spain portugal italy etc for months at a time and last year our mileage exceeded the 8000 in our insurance limit 179 nights , we either have travel days or tootling days and our expectation of fuel economy is different on both if i want to make 300 miles + in a day i expect to be going 75/80 and expect only 22/23 to the gallon and to pay tolls etc once i've arrived won't drive for more than an hour and give way to all traffic well chilled

 

[trevskoda]

No prices ?

There on ebay every few weeks,gov is ditching library buses as folks use kindles these days,
they go from £5000 up to around £12000 depending on age millage etc,all have diesel heaters wash basins ,inverters m/wave and some have a loo.
So if your into converts these are the bees knees,better than anything you could buy from a dealer.

 

[channa]

There on ebay every few weeks,gov is ditching library buses as folks use kindles these days,
they go from £5000 up to around £12000 depending on age millage etc,all have diesel heaters wash basins ,inverters m/wave and some have a loo.
So if your into converts these are the bees knees,better than anything you could buy from a dealer.

Well insulated too, ideal base vehicles from looking about, without going overboard to 7.5 tonners which are great but restrict where you can realistically hole up.

Need to get my act in order, but a definite contender for my build. Just pennies required ...did someone mention new tenners they couldn't get on with ?

Channa

 

[trevskoda]

Well insulated too, ideal base vehicles from looking about, without going overboard to 7.5 tonners which are great but restrict where you can realistically hole up.

Need to get my act in order, but a definite contender for my build. Just pennies required ...did someone mention new tenners they couldn't get on with ?

Channa

Yep the green and white merk was sold to a chap i met in donegal which he had converted into a mobile sweety shop,it had about 20 th miles on it and cost £6g.
He said like mine diff ratio to low but easy sorted for 4/5 hundred bucks,to me she looked like new and a easy convert,so if you find those plastic tenners a burdon or you have no room to store i will take em of your hands.

 

[Deleted member 2572]

There on ebay every few weeks,gov is ditching library buses as folks use kindles these days,
they go from £5000 up to around £12000 depending on age millage etc,all have diesel heaters wash basins ,inverters m/wave and some have a loo.
So if your into converts these are the bees knees,better than anything you could buy from a dealer.

All seem expensive to me at the moment, that conversion at 17.5 k looks expensive but when you start adding everything you need (or want) up ,you can spend some serious money on a conversion.

 

[wildebus]

All seem expensive to me at the moment, that conversion at 17.5 k looks expensive but when you start adding everything you need (or want) up ,you can spend some serious money on a conversion.

more than the base vehicle in many cases! my T5 I sold a little while ago had many many thousands in parts added. My current conversion in progress will have £1500+ just in the leisure electrics alone.