Buying a Bus: Advice please

[Dave_Q]

 care to provide a reference for that assertion  , especially as 'mobile project vehicles' can still be driven  on a cat B even if brand spanking new ... 

 

are you conflating   the historic bus   driven on cat b  with   volunteers  driving Minibuses NFP or  S19 on a cat B  ?

 

DVLA  leaflet  INF 52  http://www.hillsofplumpton.co.uk/INF52.pdf

That leaflet definitely doesn't state any weight limits, however driving on that exemption you are relying on a po-leece officer knowing and understanding that particular exemption.

 

If they didn't they might decide you are driving other than in accordance etc, and recover your vehicle, which I'm sure is cheap for a big bus.

 

Personally, if embarking on a shenanigan such as bus ownership, I would do my cat D anyway, what does it cost, £1000-1500?

 

Less than a set of tyres for your new whip, and all part of the fun IMO.

[Guest Hooli]

The dream:

 

 

The AutoShite reality:

 

 

The top one is basicly what I drove for a living for a bit. Lovely things to drive with a Scania lump, 7 speed pre-select box etc. It was one of those that drifted over a bridge between roundabouts

Good aircon too, until it broke & the boss was too tight to fix it.

[martc]

Buy that Optare on BBC4's "Country Bus" slow television epic which was on earlier this week; the view out of the windows was superb*.

 

(* views may alter)

[scruff]

While I can understand the attraction of "sticking one to the man" by driving big stuff on a car licence, I will say that there's a lot more to doing PSV/HGV than passing the test, the training will get you used to driving the things and make you think about stuff you never even thought of. I had been driving tractors and large machinery for years and it was a real eye opener!! Yes it will cost but you will be much better for it and no one can bullshit you in the pub too.

[DodgeRover]

What about this Dodge?

http://www.travellerhomes.co.uk/?p=16763

[Partridge]

While I can understand the attraction of "sticking one to the man" by driving big stuff on a car licence, I will say that there's a lot more to doing PSV/HGV than passing the test, the training will get you used to driving the things and make you think about stuff you never even thought of. I had been driving tractors and large machinery for years and it was a real eye opener!! Yes it will cost but you will be much better for it and no one can bullshit you in the pub too.

Agreed. It's satisfying driving big stuff the right way. There's no way I'd be able to get wacking great coaches in the tight places I have on an almost daily basis without the training I got. I'm sure after a year or so you could train yourself to do it, but probably at the expense of paintwork, local architecture and people's toes. 

[JeeExEll]

[83C]

That's very.... striking.

 

Certainly wouldn't lose it easily, even if you wanted to.

[ShiteRider]

There was a really interesting thread over on the blue about house trucks in NZ, seemed to be mainly based on pre 80s british and jap 5t trucks.

Think the thread op was called rotary viva/hb or something like that.

The creativity of the builds and the lifestyles that went with them certainly turned my eyes green.

[Snipes]

Didn't someone on RR blog a New Zeland truck house build a couple of years ago?

[JeeExEll]

I'd love to tour the north west coast of Scotshite and Skye and the Western Isles in this.

Would make an excellent base for hillwalking.

[Pillock]

That's very.... striking.

 

What, in a low bridge sort of way?

[Sheefag]

http://www.pigeondoor.com/

 

 

[SiC]

To drive in bus lanes and around bus routes, do you need to be a fare generating entity? If not, and just a case of driving a bus, it could be the quickest way in and out of the centre of Bristol...

[Guest Hooli]

Depends on the local rules, they are often limited to local bus services only.

[83C]

I think what we all need to know now is how BorniteIdentity feels now about buying a bus. Have we put him off at all?

[Felly Magic]

I know another DJ apart from Mr Popmaster who owns buses, BBC local radio (Suffolk & Norfolk) presenter Luke Deal has a Bristol VR fetish and recently owned the intact survivor from Dr Who, he flogged it on ebay for an inflated price IIRC

[lisbon_road]

I know the chap who had the Dr Who VR before Luke.

 

I have been on a friends AEC Regent through bus lanes though it isn't a PSV any more.  But he didn't take it through town centre ones.  Bus like that gets a bit of respect though, for sure.

[JohnDeere]

First in Norwich still run a load of ex-London Transport Dennis Tridents, mostly on 02 and 52 plates.  They break down quite a lot.

I recognise some of the Norwich buses as being ex-route 25 in East Laaandan. Remember them when they were new, were taken off when the hateful bendy buses came in.

 

For some odd reason the current 25 fleet seems to be the only service buses I've seen in the UK fitted with driver seat belts and where thr operator must mandate they are used. (Service buses in Hong Kong have belts all round, including for passengers).

 

Top thread. I'd like to be a coach driver on pensioner holiday trips.

[BorniteIdentity]

I know another DJ apart from Mr Popmaster who owns buses, BBC local radio (Suffolk & Norfolk) presenter Luke Deal has a Bristol VR fetish and recently owned the intact survivor from Dr Who, he flogged it on ebay for an inflated price IIRC

I used to work with Luke 16 years ago. He'd remember me as the work experience boy. Had no idea he was a bus anorak.

 

Yes. You've totally put me off tbh. I'm hoping the guy around the corner will pass the Bristol L5G on for a fair price along with his storage and repair contacts. He was already sounding my wife out about it earlier in the year.

 

Google LHY 994 to see it. Glorious.

[Eddie Honda]

Depends on the local rules, they are often limited to local bus services only.

 

The sign will (should) say if it is local or not.

 

[Felly Magic]

I used to work with Luke 16 years ago. He'd remember me as the work experience boy. Had no idea he was a bus anorak.

 

Yes. You've totally put me off tbh. I'm hoping the guy around the corner will pass the Bristol L5G on for a fair price along with his storage and repair contacts. He was already sounding my wife out about it earlier in the year.

 

Google LHY 994 to see it. Glorious.

 

Luke pestered me for a load of photos of one of his buses in service, he recently bought a Bristol RE single deck from a local op who was slimming down his fleet due to impending semi retirement, and spunked a fair few grand on it getting the bodywork sorted. He's also gone and done his PCV, he's deffo a fully paid up Bristol/ECW apologist

[83C]

Yes. You've totally put me off tbh.

Excellent.

 

That L5G looks lovely.

[Guest Hooli]

I think someone around my way was reading this. This turned up a few days ago about a quarter of a mile around our regular dog walk.