How many kind of Bus/Coach are out there that can be converted?

This question does sometime pops up, as, after all unless you have been working in the industry, for most people, everything is a bus. But if you are in the market for a vehicle to convert, you better know the differences between the various model, series and options…

The BUS normally has a rear or mid mounted engine. Front engine are rare these days, and so are becoming the mid-engines, due to hard access for both passengers (an extra step) and mechanics (the engine sits in the middle and it lay on one side)…

It normally has only two axles, but there are also three axles if you look around. Two doors minimum and no bins or very small bins area. Normally around 3.3 metres high and a great steering turn capabilities. 200 litres fuel tank are also common, as a very low floor throughout the entire length of the vehicle, other than above the wheels and the rear engine. Rear view mirrors are also not on the same level, for obvious reason, the left side being as high as possible. Most do not have either a toilet or any other common accessories like TV, Wi-Fi or music speakers.

Buses do tend to sell a lot cheaper than coaches as they cost much less to purchase new. They can make great conversion, particularly for old people or people with mobility issue. After all it is just one step and you are in.. You also have banana (bendibus), but because they can’t be registered as Motorhome, I’ll leave them out..

Next we have Mini Coach.

Mini Coach are simply cut down version of normal coaches. They can still have all the optional offered in the full size coach. The only difference is in the length, the bin’s size and the number of axles. They don’t really need the third axle and they normally carry only up to 30-35 passengers..

They do cover the gap between the Toyota Coaster number of seats and the regular size coach, that can have up to 60 or more seats

They also have a smaller engine and can have smaller wheels, but not all the times. They are ideal if you don’t want the 12.5 metre full size coach, but you still want something larger than the Coaster or the Rosa…

Because of the smaller size engine, they tend to use a bit less fuel, but don’t expect miracles…

Finally, the full size Coaches do come in different flavours:

• Short range two axles Coach
• Long range three axle Coach
• High Deck Coach
• Double Deck Coach
• 4 axle with 4 steers at the front
• Length from 12.5 to 14.5 metres

Main difference between a short and long range Coaches, beside the extra axle, is normally the size of the fuel tank, toilet and number of seats. Fuel tank for the short range can vary from 350 to 600 litres, while the long range can reach 800-1000 litres. Short range don’t normally have a toilet, therefore do have more seats. Long range do offer some extra luxury, like recliner seats, foot rest and hot water for tea and coffee. They can be found in both full frame chassis or just frame chassis. The latter has normally much more bins space, but it is not as planted as a full frame chassis.

While the two axle is cheaper to register, the three axle does offer few benefits over the two. An extra 6 tonnes of carrying capacity and a much better side wind stability due to the extra two airbags in the tag axle. The braking capability it is also increase by the extra two disk/drums brake. The extra axle allows for the bigger fuel tank, the air conditioning system in the rear, the toilet and possibly a disable rear door access. Scania also have steers wheels on the tag axle, that does make it a lot more enjoyable going around corners, and reduce tyres drag..

Size of engine does vary from 7 litres to 13 litres, with the most common around the 12 litres. HP does also vary a lot, going from 230HP up to 500HP.

There is no a real rule for either engine size or Horse Power, other than normally the bigger engine revs a lot lower, therefore giving possible better fuel efficiency at the same speed..

Then we have the High Deck Coach. The High Deck share most of the three axle coach features, but the floor has been raised by an extra two steps giving few advantages. The passenger now have their own front windows to see forward, without any obstruction like sun visors or internal mirrors. There is now room for a toilet somehow nearly entirely below the first floor and two door for access and safety..

We have an extra bin area above the rear wheels and the fuel tank can be as big as 1000 litres and because of the toilet location a possible further three extra seats… This coach is often confused with the Double Deck because of the two doors and the two front windows

The Double Deck is simply a mix of a low floor bus and a High Deck Coach. They are heavy to drive and not really that enjoyable as the driver seat it is just as high as the one in a car, so visibility is extremely reduced..

You get few row of seats and a toilet downstairs, plus a possible bed for the second driver, for interstate trips, while upstairs is just the same as a High Deck coach. Again two doors and two sets of stairs are the norm.

Because of the height of the vehicle, like in some of the High Deck, the Air conditioning unit is fitted above the engine in the back. While lots of people think these are possibly the best coach for a conversion, that’s simply not the case.

You can’t install anything on the roof because the height and the plumbing both upstairs and downstairs is a nightmare as you have no bins area under the floor other than the one above the rear wheels. So any water tank either fresh grey or black has to be pump feed..

The stairs, are also very steep and do become an issue after a while.. In the end, most people have to use the lower floor space for what normally would go into the bins area in a normal coach, making the purchase of a Double Deck, becoming more like a High Deck situation, while retaining the not so comfortable driving height especially in traffic…

In saying this, there are double decker out there that have been converted and they do look great, but let’s not confuse look with functionality…

Lastly You can see in the last picture a beautiful 4 axles Coach. Unfortunately it is 14.5 metre long making it not possible to register as a motorhome…