Load capacity without compromise, that is ... a bus as a motorhome

We present another competition camper , made by our reader.

We are creating the competition together with the organizers of the Caravans Salon fair, which will take place from September 24 to 26, 2021 in Poznań.

There, in a special zone, owners of selected vehicles will be able to present them to fair participants. Therefore, a very interesting event is being prepared for the upcoming edition of the fair.

Detailed information about the competition itself and entries can be found here: Did you build a camper yourself? – we are waiting for you .

We are also creating a series of posts on our Facebook fan page that will introduce readers to the competition vehicles and their creators. We invite you to like our Facebook profile to stay up to date with all the news.

The projects of hand-built campers sent by you also include unusual basic cars and original body designs. Today we will take a look at Mateusz's vehicle, which, contrary to the common trend for slimmed-down 3.5-ton "tin" vehicles, chose... a small bus as a base. This allowed him to achieve considerable loading reserves and plenty of space for 4 people. We invite you to read!

Interview with Mateusz Kubatek - the creator of a bus-based camper

What made you decide to build a camper and such a large one? Is the bodywork inspired by a specific car?

Previously, we traveled with a large caravan, but constant problems with load capacity, lack of tanks, or poor adaptation to wild driving made me look for an alternative. I knew that fitting into 3.5t would be a problem, so we immediately planned to build it on a car over 3.5t. Obtaining a category C driving license is not that expensive compared to the freedom offered by a car with a large capacity.

Base car - what are its parameters, how did you find them and what guided you in your purchasing decision?

It is a Renault Carrier PC27S , a bus built by Carrier on a Renault Midliner truck chassis. The engine with a capacity of 5.5 liters and 160 HP is located at the front. Originally it was used to transport 27 people. The length is 7.8 m. I was looking for a bus with relatively small dimensions - a maximum of 8 m and preferably with a front engine to have a large trunk in the back. We managed to buy this car imported from the French army with a very low mileage of 160,000 km. When purchased, the visual condition of the vehicle was quite poor, but technically it was in very good condition - and that was what mattered most to me.

How and from what materials were the supporting structures, insulation and furniture built-in made?

The car's insulation is 50mm hard Styrofoam in the floor and mineral wool in the walls and ceiling (also about 50mm). Some of the windows are also built-in and insulated.

Furniture and partition walls, e.g. bathrooms, are made of ordinary furniture chipboard with a thickness of 18 mm. The bunk bed is made of glued wooden slats.

What was the biggest challenge in the construction process, what did you cope with yourself, and in what aspects did you use the services of external specialists or companies?

The entire reconstruction was done by me myself, I did not use any external companies. The biggest challenge was the aesthetic execution of the whole thing - I think it was a success.

Have you summarized the costs associated with the entire project, including the database?

Somewhere in the middle of the reconstruction, I stopped counting because the assumed budget was exceeded by 100%.

With such a large building, you could afford to use typical home technologies, e.g. in the case of a shower. What elements of typical camper equipment - specialized?

Typical camper elements include only locks in the furniture. Due to the very large load capacity, I could use home-made solutions, so all other elements of the camper were bought in DIY stores or supermarkets.

Can you tell us more about your campervan travel plans?

At the moment I don't have any specific plans due to the COVID situation, but ultimately we want to travel both in Poland and Europe. Generally, the size of the camper is optimally selected so that it allows you to visit any camping site (even very small ones) and also stand "in the wild" due to its self-sufficiency.

Technical data:

• Base - Renault Carrier bus
• 5.5l engine
• Weight of the car after construction - 6,400 kg
• GVM 9750kg
• Power 160 HP (changed gearbox and final drive allows you to reach speeds of 100 km/h)
• 6 driving seats, body for 4 people,
• In the back there is a large double bed and a bunk bed
• Bathroom 120x70 with a home shower
• Kitchen with a 230V household refrigerator
• Electrical installation based on a 3000/9000W 24V converter
• 1000W solar panels - full energy independence
• Clean water tank – 500 l
• gray water tank - 250l
• Heating - Webasto water with underfloor heating
• Electric awning (bought in a supermarket)

We also invite you to read previous interviews with the creators of the competition campers:

• Vandalvan
• Vantek