Hello all, I'm new to this site, just found the roof.co.uk pages, which are a very useful resource. I'm planning on buying an RML to use for transport hire and plan to get it into as good as authentic condition as funds will allow, however, I'm a complete novice in this area, so what advice can you offer me with regard to the right questions to ask and/or things to check and be aware of before buying? Many thanks

This is a BIG question Barry and quite hard to know where to start! The two important parts are of course getting the right bus but also, if you are to operate legally comercially (there is NO way round the requirements if you want to take money by any method) getting all the necessary things such as operator's licence and your own PCV in place. It would be a very good thing if you could get in touch with another owner/operator in your area (where are you). Do you already have a specific vehicle in mind to buy?

My bus number (if any): RML2302

Keeping an original engined RM, AEC or Leyland running will be increasingly difficult because of the availability of spares for these engines and their associated electrical and mechanical systems. The refurbed RMLs with Cummins, IVECO etc engines are not so difficult, but to restore an RML to original new condition will set you back a lot of money and that is assuming that you can find the respective parts, the lighting units interior and exterior being probably the hardest items to locate.

Corrosion wise you wil not have too much of a problem due to the aluminium based construction but you should check the panhard beam under the lower saloon rear floor as that is an area where corrosion can cause problems. Have a look at the associated South Devon Railway RM 1872 site where their experiences of taking an RM from a dealer are detailed.

My bus number (if any): RMC 1485 and RTL 960 plus loads of RTs

Hi Brian, thanks for the links. I should mention I've done extensive research on the requirements for operating. I'm based in Ilford, East London. I've located a vehicle RML2723, which has a Cummins engine and appears to be in 'fresh out of London service condition'. So I guess it's been well maintained and had a few upgrades, so to speak and hopefully will have a tachograph or the infrastructure to install one easily. I've just looked at the article about replacing the panhard beam, which look extensive, this is the kind of thing I need to know about. Part of the deal will be that it will have to be supplied with a Class 6 MOT anyway.

Hi Barry,
I've emailed you off forum , hope this is of help

Mark

My bus number (if any): RML2391

Hi Barry - pleased to hear you've done the research - there is an awful lot to learn about how the bus works and the responsibilities of operation!! It would be a good idea to get the Routemaster Maintenance Manual - available from the Routemaster Association or online.

I see from Ian's Bus Stop ( http//www.countrybus.org/RML/RML5a7.html#fleet ), which has the history of 2723, that she was actually "fresh out of London service" as long ago as 2005 but even then you couldn't necessarily have made any assumptions about the standard of maintenance. It would really be best if you could take a knowledgeable Routemaster expert with you to check her over.

My bus number (if any): RML2302

Whoops! - she was actually out of London service in 2003

My bus number (if any): RML2302

The problems are severalfold.
You will always have to balance an indulgence and the fun/satisfaction you get out of it with how much money it sucks out of you.

Storage is probably the biggest bugbear.
You need somewhere dry, safe and at least enough space to work on the vehicle,
then you need light and access to power to at least make an attempt at restoration and preservation. Otherwise, you are entirely in the hands of third parties to do just about anything other than polishing the brightwork!

It's a big problem in Britain, currently, there are plenty of places scattered about that would or could be ideal, but already our current greed driven society wants top dollar for rubbish and even more for adequate accommodation. There are simply too few who are benevolent enough to provide at a fair cost.
It's not helped by the taxman and increasing regulations that heap more and more on site owners.
In the end storage costs alone can exceed the value of even the best vehicles in a very short time.

As for parts, well, a well maintained vehicle should in principle last a very long time as it has gone from a 16 hour day, 330 odd days a year, to maybe 16 hours or less a month.
But this brings a host of different problems.
Unless you have a facility like the LTM annex, laid up and not in use actually accelerates decay, often in new areas, tyres get flat spots which in turn wear bearings and joints, still fluids corrode and congeal, rubber components harden and split and condensation creeps into places where previously it rarely had the chance. Electrical components oxidise and dampness can cause cables to lose resistance and insulation properties.
Hence my view that restoring a bus has to go beyond cosmetics and preserving, by going way beyond what LT would normally do in a full overhaul as the only way to make a vehicle last without the prospect of constant replacements and attention.

Of course to many, this is good fun, a challenge and a passion but for many it simply grinds them down, taking their bank balance with it.