Plans are still up in the air at the moment, however I maybe making a mission to repatriate an RM back to the UK from eastern Europe within the next two weeks, possibly as early as next week.

Sounds like the ultimate road trip no? Anyway I can just about afford the bus itself so in an attempt to make this a positive for me and third parties I'm proposing the following idea.

If anyone out there has ever wanted to experience a 'Summer Holiday' type road trip in reverse, then this is your once in a life time chance without buying a bus yourself! I would be willing to accommodate around 5 people on our return journey back to the UK for an estimate of about £350.00 each towards my expenses. Just to be clear, you would be responsible for your own accommodation and other expenses on route, think of it as the worlds biggest bus fare only. I expect the inbound journey to take about 3 to 4 days assuming all goes well!

If this appeals to you please get in touch off forum to register your interest.

Details of which bus it is, I'm keeping confidential at the moment.

Hi Barry,hope you are well,I'm very pleased that you are bringing back a routemaster from abroad,what number is it and when will it be back in the country?

Regards

Jim

My bus number (if any): none yet!

My bus number (if any): RTL 960, RMC 1458 RM 1585, (M 961, M 271 - both sold) and several RTs

How do the "passengers" get to E Europe? Is that at their expense as well or part of the package?

My bus number (if any): RTL 960, RMC 1458 RM 1585, (M 961, M 271 - both sold) and several RTs

We recently had an approach to cost the shipment of an RMC in Poland which has been for sale for an age and is now sold.
My regional chap is an ex LT engineer and is in Warsaw and mentioned that it was good enough to drive or tow rather than low load so this is probably the one.

So as no-one got back to us on the shipping quote , I presume this is the plan 'B'.

Hi Brian
Nothing included except for the experience of riding the bus back to the uk.

As for speculation about which bus it could be.... Good luck.
Thanks
B

Plan your journey with care, there's an awful lot of low bridges on the way!!

Low bridges worry me the most! But how do you plan ahead with this, low bridges arn't marked on maps are they! I could street view to entire journey I guess!!

Don't go via Germany, Holland or Belgium is the easy answer. Oh, nor Switzerland, or Italy.

Take a 14'6" length of wood with you.

Take a credit card with plenty of wonga on it; the fines for being overheight are astronomical.

What fines?

You do have to be careful for trees and bridges, the height clearance standard is 4 Metres in much of mainland Europe, not had any experience of Poland but in Germany there are still 4m bridges on some motorways.

If you buy a Michelin map it shows all bridges below 4.5 metres but not trees! If you can, avoid Germany as they might take you off the motorways as strictly being over height you need an escort van and flashing orange lights.

My bus number (if any): RTL 960, RMC 1458 RM 1585, (M 961, M 271 - both sold) and several RTs

We factored in all the rules, regulations, restrictions and obstructions for the Warsawa based buses.
So our proposal was to drive or tow it to Gdansk and ship to Harwich or Tyneside. By far the safest and cheapest option.
We never did get a reply! But maybe it was too expensive. We never cut corners.

For some odd reason, half this entry is missing!!

Earlier in the year myself, and 2 others one German and one Pole looked into purchasing an RMC in Poland.

It was inspected but only lightly and photographed, Negotiations were slow and via a German vendor.
In the end it never came to fruit.

But we did look into transporting back to the UK and did make a serious enquiry to a couple of transportation companies. (Not Jack's one they are very expensive from Poland.!!) We did this first because the cost along with the amount estimated for the restoration of the vehicle may mean the difference between viable or not.

Then it follows on to the previous bit which is supposed to be the next bit!!

So for the £350 do i get to ride on a PCV back from Eastern Europe. Which will obviously have the relevant Class 6 MOT, O disc, Paid Tax and safety inspection on it, as 5x £350 is £1750, which makes it hire & reward, oh and that O disc, will be an international one? with international hire & reward insurance, and all the safety equipment needed to be carried on a PCV in Europe, and paperwork for International travelling in Europe.
Sounds like you wont get much change out of that for you get the fares in for the people on the bus to cover all your costs of bringing it back!

This sounds as good as buying shares in one you don't actually own!

Torpedoes away!

Awaiting with bated breathe scheme number three.

How about this one someone asked me about a couple of years ago?

Advertising agency's client wants a bus as a mobile advertising and promotional exhibition. I can't recall exactly but I think about £50k was on offer as payment for a three month contract to:

Purchase a bus, wrap it/paint it in the company logo, install generators, computers, cctv and TV monitors, install necessary interior seating, carpeting, decor, promotional display mountings etc.

Undertake a three month 7 day a week promotional tour of the entire UK providing the driver. This meant two drivers needed with overnight accommodation, meal allowance and travelling expenses for each. Overnight parking for vehicle, refuelling and servicing arrangements for a vehicle away from home. Plus of course the necessary insurance.

At the end of the contract attempt to sell or reconvert to saleable condition; one bus.

Likely profit?? Ahem.

Nul point!

A bit like one of my customers in Germany who paid euro60k for an open top RT promo bus; drove it from down south to his up north, near the border with Venlo, and found the gearbox welded solid.. the false floor meant the gearbox oil was never checked, and driving it 800km with no oil didn't do it much good. More ahem!

RML2567, just bought by said gent for an undisclosed sum, which needs 2 accumulators, new exhaust and a power steering ram. "Will the TuV man pass it for use?" was the question...