OK first off this could be a completely daft question.
Im looking at buying a midi coach and dont have a clue about them mechanically but obviously want to get it checked out when I go to buy. Is there such a thing as an AA type inspection that you get for coaches like you get for cars?
Or the only thing i can think of is if I like the look of the coach then maybe try and get a garage local to where the coach is and pay a mechanic to inspect for me?
Try actually asking the AA.
Nearest small private bus garage will have their own mechs or a trusted one they use, ask them.
Welcome and apologies if what follows is either sucking eggs or incorrectly assumes that you do not know much about coaches. However the nature of your enquiry possibly indicates the latter.
A ‘midi coach’ suggests a vehicle with more than 16 passenger seats. You have not mentioned your intended use, however there are many factors related to the ability to carry passengers which may affect your decision to purchase. A true midi coach will normally be subject to Operators licensing, Public Service Vehicle driving licence requirements and MOT testing regulations. Even if exempt from full operator’s licencing requirements, it may still be subject to section 19 or section 22 regulations if you intend to carry passengers. If you are purchasing for Private use only, with no element of payment for any passengers carried, then vehicle testing and driver’s licensing requirements are your only concerns. If the vehicle is over 30 years old and passenger numbers are restricted to only 8 then driver’s licensing requirements are different. If this vehicle is to be subject to an interior conversion then things are different.
To return to the specific question asked, as already said a local coach operator or smaller bus company will most likely be able to help you with a mechanical inspection report . An operator who runs the specific type of vehicle will be of even more help. Alternatively you could contact an Authorised Testing Facility in your area and ask the company who own the site to carry out such an inspection themselves.
If you mention the county or a town near to you then other members may be abe to guide you to a particular garage/operator.
On other words the OP needs to give us a clue as to what they intended to do with it.
On a side note, as it’s a first post i suspect a troll
Hi all thanks for replies.
Ok so not a troll it’s a genuine question.
Regarding the operators licence I have my national licence.
Plan is to convert into a party bus so the coach has got to be right as cost of conversion will be more than the coach. New venture for me and I have no knowledge of coaches at all.
Type of coach I’m looking at is a Mercedes cheetah 33 seater looking to pay £20-£25k inc vat.
Regarding the area well I’m near Glasgow but depends where the bus comes up.
Just back from a 400 mile trip viewing one but decided agai st it as I think it has some electrical issue plus guys selling after only owning for a few months and after a £6k paint job so something doesn’t add up.
Yeah think my best option is to get a look at it myself and i think it’s ok then ask owner if ok to book in for an inspection (like what’s done every 8 weeks or so) but I’ll stick it into a different garage from who they are using to get a genuine report done.
I am seeing a 2011 Mercedes Vario chassis advertised by a dealer at £60k. Certainly there are considerably cheaper similar vehicles for sale but they are getting on for 10 years or more older than that. I don’t see you getting a vehicle compliant with future Glasgow low emissions zone requirements for £17-21K +VAT. A party bus will be looking primarily for its customer base to come from the major connurbations, that will present a problem. The other problem can be summed up in one word …alcohol.
Since a new COIF or possibly an IVA will be required for the conversion you will need to have the work carried out by a specialist.
Would it be a good idea to buy an existing converted vehicle or even buy a business that is already up and running. I drove customers to Perth races once and there was a party bus ahead of me. I thought that it was a wreck but had a wee look at it, some of its fittings were made of hardboard!! . Then the DVSA bods came along so I disappeared.
Getting an existing one is the easiest route but they simply don’t come up for sale, we’ll not in the quality that I’m looking for, one was up that I would have took but didn’t have the funds at the time and that’s only 1 I’ve seen in the past 16 months of watching.
The others that come up are basically crap and that’s not what I want, I plan on doing it proper and having the best bus in the area.
Alcohol - speaking to a guy that runs a party bus in England way round it is allow customers to bring their own drink on board and then I would do a free raffle for say 6 bottles of bubbly between the group.
I’ve got a specialist to convert it and have seen their work and it’s to the level I want and the price fits into my budget.
If it’s got a coif then after it’s converted the Dvsa do a more basic test than an iva to make sure it’s been converted properly.
Been planning this and saving for a while now, it’s just finding a suitable coach and getting it tested to ensure it’s mechanically sound.
I would assume that you have a PSV to drive a coach, As like those limo’s they now do, I might be wrong but ROG will know for sure.
There are a couple of Mercedes sitcar beluga’s which are 25-35 seater Midi coaches, they are a bit harsh and only 5 speed, We have a 61 plate with 6 gears and which is a bit better, Rust underneath and at the back end.
There are some ex band buses in your price range, But again rust.
clubadria:
I would assume that you have a PSV to drive a coach, As like those limo’s they now do, I might be wrong but ROG will know for sure.
There are a couple of Mercedes sitcar beluga’s which are 25-35 seater Midi coaches, they are a bit harsh and only 5 speed, We have a 61 plate with 6 gears and which is a bit better, Rust underneath and at the back end.
There are some ex band buses in your price range, But again rust.
Yeah seen them what do you mean bit harsh, rough engine you mean?
Options I can see for coaches are below if anyone can add to this let me know or if there are any below I should avoid for any reason let me know
Merc cheetah
Merc Unvi riada (believe these are same engine/chassis as cheetah)
Sitcar beluga
Iveco indcar maxim 2
Optare nouvelle
And cheers for help it’s appreciated.
It isn’t the licensing laws for the sale of alcohol that cause the problem it’s the idiots swilling it down their necks that will be the problem. The idea of any PSV is that the passengers remain in their seats while the vehicle is moving. It is quite possible that your vehicle will have a layout with an open space. The punters just will not stay seated once they have a couple of drinks inside them, however many times they have been told or however many notices are displayed in the vehicle. Traffic conditions will result in the driver having to brake slightly harder than he wished. Sloshed guest falls over. Then you have the entire group swearing on their mothers’ lives that your driver was at fault or the vehicle was defective and so demand a refund or they will be onto ‘claims for you’ to get compensation for the injury sustained.
It happens and CCTV won’t be much help unless you are very lucky.
Not sure, but I believe that if it’s under PSV regulations ( or whatever its called these days ) then NO alcohol is allowed inside the vehicle, it certainly was when I drove em…maybe someone can clarify.
The engine’s are quite noisy, The Sitcar is based on the Merc 814 7.5t chassis, but has rear air bags.
Iveco engine OK but body work rusts a lot.
Nouvelle quite old will smell fusty inside again rust.
We had one and a couple of Sitcar’s
There’s also a Toyota we have one of those good engine and 6 speed but again rust.
The mechanicals should be fairly good as 6 week inspections, but chassis and body get left until MOT time, our fitters spend nearly 2 weeks on MOT prep.
I think that early sprinters were only 5 speed at 60 quite noisy.
Hasn’t Drew Wilson got anything in your price range.
Proctors have a midi but in Yorkshire
If going to Professional football matches then no alcohol is the rule. I generally say have a drink and a sing song if you want to but don’t be rocking in the aisle as the police will stop us and find fault with the bus and we wont be going anywhere. Seems to work. I some times drive a Merc. ARTego with a Sitcar body. Its a good drive with lots of boot space.
truckyboy:
Not sure, but I believe that if it’s under PSV regulations ( or whatever its called these days ) then NO alcohol is allowed inside the vehicle, it certainly was when I drove em…maybe someone can clarify.
You are quite correct. Any driver letting alcohol on the vehicle and being consumed whilst the vehicle is being driven (no matter where) is subject to being fined (at least)
get an ex fire engine,paint it pink,be a limited company,offer a discount for cash,call yourself dennis and rake it in.
why would you spend a fortune on a bus for a market that is predominantly lower class drunk sluts wh will show absolutely no respect for the interior of your partybus apart from pishing and spewing everywhere?
either your lift stops short of the penthouse suite,or your looking to money launder a fortune down the pan.
pearls before swine my man.
In regards to the alcohol as far as I can see I dont see any law stating that it cant be consumed on board.
I did read something though stating for it not to be consumed on the way to sporting events which is fine as I wont be doing these, which is what alamculloch stated.
Theres lots of companies doing party buses in the UK doing the same thing and allowing punters to bring their own drink on board.
In regards to cav551 comment this comes part and parcel with the job, ill have liability insurance in place and plan on having internal cctv and also a dash cam.
Also as part of the t&c - the person that booked will sign I plan on having a cluase in it that states they are in charge of the party and no abuse, damage etc.
As the law goes its up to an adult to wear a seatbelt, that plus my t&c and cctv/dash cam footage should be covered.
dieseldog - not money laundering, i wish i had that much money that i had to launder it but unfortunately thats not the case.
clubadria-
whats the toyota you had? caetano?
So you think the cheetah/riada and the sitcars are the best of the bunch?
drew wilson has some old cheetahs and thats about it im keeping an eye on it case anything comes up.
seen the one at proctors was meant to view it but the guy couldnt make it back in time (was the day i was going to view the riada)
Yes for the Toyota caetano, I think the Merc’s are the best.
Having done quite a few wedding hires and jolly boys’ outings, I would say that everything is fine with even the most respectable wedding party until you are lumbered with taking them back to the hotel after the reception, which is when everything kicks off. It is bad enough in a half cab with a blind behind your head and another member of staff on the back. Make that a vehicle with the poor driver sat among the drunks and things get a lot worse. It is not going to be like a service bus with an annoying drunk distracting the driver, you will have the rest of the group egging several of them on. Considering what seems to be normal behaviour these days once they’re tanked up, there’s a good chance he’ll have a fight going on somewhere behind him - and that’s just the women. Those who have driven a PSV at night down winding unlit country roads against oncoming traffic, with all the reflections from the interior lights in the screen, will appreciate that you don’t want to be on your tod doing it while sitting amongst a drunk rabble. Your cctv, designated responsible person and a damage deposit ain’t going to hack it as far as due diligence is concerned. I would be surprised if you can get insurance to cover allowing alcohol on board for this type of operation without double manning the vehicle, and that’s going to add another £100 at least to your wages costs. Nor would it surprise me to see your employer’s liability insurance premium go up to cover the risk to the second man.
Strangley enough the jolly boys’ outings seem to be less aggravation, you just don’t want them tipping their beer over passers-by and shouting lewd suggestions at young women as you drive an open topper up Piccadilly. 
T shirt.