Dot wrote: ↑Fri Feb 18, 2022 4:13 pm
This was on FB Is it correct?
So we are looking at a 12.5m bus at present, am I correct in saying this length bus cannot have a towbar fitted as this would exceed 12.5 metres. Thanks in advance======
Answer,,,,
12.5 includes tow bar, and bull bar if fitted.
Length isn't the serious issue, it is the overhang front and rear. I know it is 30% of the length between the centre of the front axle to the centre of the rear axle. the most common mistake I see is someone assuming 30% is 1/3rd and it is not, 1/3rd is 33.3%, get the rear overhang wrong and no rego and an off the road defect if pinched for it by a transport officer. Trust me, getting that 3.3% excess overhang off the back of a motorhome/converted bus, is a huge job .... tackled it on my bus and a mates bus and would not do it again if I could avoid it.
I believe the overall length without additional axles is 40 ft and that is 12.3mtrs, but that is something you would need to get verified in writing from the technical people at the transport mob ...not a counter jumper, after a very bad piece of advice from one of them I wouldn't trust anything they say or write down, they simply don't understand what they are reading or put their own interpretation on it.
There are a huge number of converted buses that can never be registered because they didn't follow the rules, and other who found a loophole to get the initial rego but a new owner wouldn't get through now.
The door opening outwards and must have access to the ground that does not have to be deployed from outside the motorhome is one of the big ones .... Gas certification is another .... never buy a personally imported vehicle unless you have an engineer certify it and have it passed over the pits for rego, the traps are financially fatal ..... Our neighbour back the Illawarra bought a personally imported caravan from a bloke in Melbourne, it is a permanent decoration in their front yard now ......
T1 Terry