| Author | Message | ||
| Ian Giffin (Admin) (64.228.43.124)
Rating: N/A |
Hi folks, Below, you will see all the e-mail we have received regarding the pix on our current home page. I did a simple cut and paste for each response and I have edited nothing - adding the name of the author as the "username". I hope you enjoy these remarks as much as I have! Thank you so very much for your e-mail and your contirbution to BNO. Warmest regards, Ian Giffin www.busnut.com | ||
| DaveD (216.18.113.69)
Rating: N/A |
I remember seeing one of those buses in an RV park in New Jersey, just outside New York City about 12 years ago. If I recall correctly, there was an article in a magazine (possibly Popular Mechanics, or maybe an RV magazine) about these buses. I believe they were used by German tourists. Each of the windows on the side is for a sleeping bunk of some type and there is a platform that opens up from the side. I think this, when opened, was covered by some type of canvas enclosure and was used as an eating and lounge area. DaveD | ||
| J.P. van de Bundt (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
Hi ! I was looking at your site today, and I can tell you what those are about; they actually are a kind of tourbus, with small " berths" sleepingcompartements, and they transport European tourists around the country. I once had their website adress, don't know if I can still find it.. It is a German company. They even have their own cook onboard, who makes them a giant kettle of soup or what have you.. I'm ( well, the bank & me I should say.. ) the lucky owner of a 1990 Prevost countrycoach ( see pics ) and I once ran across one of these buses in Myrlte beach, S.C. Needless to say, some of the " inhabitants " of that bus pointed some envies eyes towards us, since it's only my lady, me and our dog Mickey traveling in our bus..Hey, SOMEBODY 's gotta do it, right ? Greetings and keep up the good work ! J.P. van de Bundt, Eugenie van Asssendelft & Mickey Mutt | ||
| Dave Dulmage (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
I remember reading an article a number of years ago about groups of German tourists who travelled around Canada and the USA in these buses. The large panel on the side opened up into a platform and I believe that all the windows on the opposite side were for sleeping bunks. I think the platform opened up in some type of large tent type area for common eating, etc. I remember seeing one of these buses set up in an RV park (essentially a large paved are with hook-ups and security) in NJ just outside of New York City. We were in the same park with our motor home, around October 1989. I think these buses are modified VanHool's. Dave Dulmage | ||
| Jim Thompson (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
I've seen Mercedes Busses like those on tour in the States. Its a Tour group for Europeans that tour all around in those things and stay in campgrounds at night. If you look hard at then I believe they have European Lic. Plates also. Jim Thompson | ||
| Frank Wells (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
Hi folks: I saw these coaches a couple of years ago in the Banff Alberta area and they seemed to be a self contained tour group of German tourist group. The sleeping thing sure looked small from the outside sort of like a dog box that the sled dog racers use on their trucks. They seemed to do their own cooking and ate outside picnic style so to answer your question I would say that they probably belong to a European tour company. Frank Wells | ||
| Jerome H. Hankins (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
Hey, now THERE'S a conversion!! Ok, viewers, what is this thing? We spotted these buses parked in an RV lot near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The folks in the RV store weren't much help, only able to confirm that the buses were being stored over the winter there. So, what are they? Hint: They have Rotel signs on the front an Man signs on the rear. They look like Van Hools up close, but there is something definitely a little different here. Obviously a tour bus which sleeps a bunch of people, this would make a great conversion for an extremely large family. So, what is it? Let us know and we'll update this page when something comes down the pipe that sounds right! How about Van Hool "Rolling Hotel" Coach (hence Rotel). Rotel Tours -- I believe a German based company providing tours almost everywhere. The coach (in your photo) does appear to be a Van Hool (maybe) TD-927??? You can find more info on there website at; http://www.rotel.de/html/startseite.htm Yes it is an interesting coach. The interior photos I saw might be a bit cramped for my liking however. Jerome H. Hankins | ||
| Les Robinson (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
As a truck driver in BC, I have seen these buses over the last 8 to 10 years. they are mostly used by Europeans, and are very communal, the large doors on the passenger side open to have a large cover over the cooking and supply area. >From what I have seen they always stop at campgrounds. Sorry i can't give more info, but will pass on anything I find out about them. Les Robinson | ||
| Greg Hanson (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
Greetings, Those are older Van Hools (T800) which were converted in Europe into rolling hotels and then shipped to the US for use as rolling hotels. As you probably surmised, those windows are little sleeper berths. They were used for several years doing cross-country tours. I saw them on several occasions around the SoCal area and heard that they were used on cross-country tours. Greg Hanson Safety Manager Sundance Stage Lines | ||
| Lorna Schinske (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
The bus that you are showing on your home page looks a lot like a tour bus from Alaska we saw down here in Chattanooga, TN. If I remember correctly it had a Mecedes logo on it. It seemed to be part seats and part sleepers (like the sleeper cars that you see on trains in the old movies). Lorna Schinske '72 Eagle 05 | ||
| John Wilkinson (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
Hi just reading ur web .love it .those buses you seen in hamilton where there for winter . you were wright/there not for sale . they since have left gone over to IRAN or near there some where . i no chap who works at where those busses were parked 30 smaller types were also sent there too.somebody got money huh. i live in hamiltonalso drive bus from toronto to ramma casino part time .all prevost nice coach hope this helps see you BUBBA. John Wilkinson | ||
| Jim and Shirley Powers (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
The picture of the odd looking bus on your web site we encountered while camping in Bellingham, Ma. last year. We were able to talk to the driver about the coach. He told us he was waiting for a group of German tourists to come from Logan airport in Boston. It seems that the machine is a tour bus during the day. At night, the large door areas on the right side fold down to a platform and a tentlike structure is erected to add to the sleeping quarters. We got a chance to see this and it is quite amazing. The sleeping areas are like berths you would find onboard a military ship. The windows with canvas style curtains are for each birth. Very tight. Best Regards, Jim and Shirley Powers | ||
| Aart van Hunen (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
It a German company that does big over land trips like in the days that it was still possible. Driving ol the way from the north to the south of Africa and sometimes you came across them in the wiled. -> WWW.rotel.de. But to my it's like the Japanese in Amsterdam, lot of picture but not really bin out in to the field ha ha. The have more of this stuff in Germany. Driving in Europe is more the thing in state of flying. Here you go out on the holidays ,poor people, driving from Holland to Spain for almost 24 hours non stop fold up in a bus chairs no tanks I like the comfort of our own bus '65 scania white a jonkher body. but there are some exeptinos even in a 4501 scenicruiser WWW.aber-online.de/busgre.html more comfie but you have to bring a lot more a lot more money along. The have a English link on there side to. For me it's more the fun to drive my self to were ever in the sun for example recovering 1 of last 12 '74 mb o317 ludewig a old German transit bus. After 10 years in Spain, last Feb the bus drove back to the snow in Holland It got a new Dutch license and is already sold for a over land trip to India and made place for a '72 Berlin bussing dubbel decker bus Hi from Holland. Art | ||
| Les Robinson (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
Further to my previous message: I saw one of these on the hwy. 1 Vancouver today; this one is on a Mercedes platform with the name Rotel Tours on the side, i did a search and came up with German web pages so here is the URL http://www.rotel.de/ hope somebody reads german, I did not see any english pages As a truck driver in BC, I have seen these buses over the last 8 to 10 years. they are mostly used by Europeans, and are very communal, the large doors on the passenger side open to have a large cover over the cooking and supply area. >From what I have seen they always stop at campgrounds. Sorry i can't give more info, but will pass on anything I find out about them. Les R | ||
| Paul T (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
those pix are exactly that - Hotels on wheels - I've seen those before and they seem to be very common for use with Japanese tour groups (I'm sure some of our global travelers have seen the stacks of bed cubes at the airports) In any event - that's what those are - tour group busses with Bed Stacks - not made for the claustrophobic  those pix are exactly that - Hotels on wheels - I've seen those before and they seem to be very common for use with Japanese tour groups (I'm sure some of our global travelers have seen the stacks of bed cubes at the airports) In any event - that's what those are - tour group busses with Bed Stacks - not made for the claustrophobic Paul T | ||
| Grant Stapleton (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
Met the folks 2 summers ago, 2000, at the Rocking C in Polson, MT that piled out of one of these tour buses. They were all from Germany and on a 3 wk tour of the western US. The front portion seats 22 plus the driver. The rig sleeps 23 including the driver. When parked the right side folds out with a large platform, canapy around it and roof to enter the sleeping quarters, approx 3X3 and 8 ft in length. The left side, drivers side, bays slide out and are a commercial kitchen. The tour guests prepare all their own meals with the supervision on the driver/chef. The right side bays are for luggage. Guest can only get into their luggage once every 3 days. Yea right... you can see a bunch of us Americans standing still for that. Hope this helps. Best Regards, Grant Stapleton | ||
| Rémi Guertin (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
I have seen one of these busses twice, once at the KOA in St-Augustine, Flo and also in downtown Ottawa, ON. They sleep 24 people and have a full galley where they prepare meals as a group. Each sleeping area has its own window, a requirement if one passes gaz! . They have a driver and a tour guide. They have been as far as Alaska. The customers are from Europe and seemed mostly German. Rémi Guertin | ||
| Matthew D. Ellis (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
No but really!! I was at the Sams park in Nashville, Tn. One of these coaches came in with I can't remember how many people, the side folded down and made like a tent tip out. the bottom was a full slide out gally. Seems to me the concept was Europeans were able to get a look at the great U.S.A. by traveling a designated tour in this format NYC, Nashville And Disney Orlando, amongst other destinations I think they were on a 14 or 21 day itenerary. Matthew D. Ellis Proud owner of BIG BLUE (1980, 4905) | ||
| C. Hardison (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
I think that the bus on your webpage is a converted coach from Kenya. Check it out at this address: http://www.busesworldwide.org/kenya.htm ===== C. Hardison | ||
| Richard Carlisle (64.228.43.177) Rating: N/A |
I remember reading an article about these unique tour buses. I don't recall the source. Could have been online or possibly a magazine. Here is what I remember... They are built by Mercedes Benz. The bus depicted in the article had a Mercedes emblem on the nose. Each small window is a sleeping berth. When the big doors on the side opposite the windows are open they provide space for dining. When closed the area is used for galley storage. The forward area provides luxury seating for the passengers. The buses are owned by a tour company who operates them in Canada in the summer months and in the Southern US in the winter. If I remember where I saw this article, I'll pass it along. Ross | ||
| DaveD (216.18.113.69)
Rating: N/A |
I went to the ROTEL website and found this out: These have been operating for about 40 years. The ROTEL is a patented invention of George Hoetl and ROTELis a German registered trademark. ROTEL has over 3,500 "beds on wheels" travelling annually with more than 600,00 overnight accomodation. Each passenger is assigned a "cab" by the local tour guide and retains it for the duration of the trip. Setup of the sleeping area is claimed to take about about 5 minutes on arrival at each overnight stop. Each "cab" is equipped with an opening window and a curtain. Each has its own lighting Clothes which are not needed during the day may be left in the sleeping cab and suitcases are stowed in the luggage compartment. There is an area 2.00 metres wide, with length dependent on the bus type, in front of the sleeping area and this is lighted all night long. The tours rely on restroom and shower facilties at the campgrounds where they stop. It appears that tours are operated all over Europe and North America, as well as other parts of the world. DaveD | ||
| DaveD (207.236.51.158)
Rating: N/A |
Actually I'm not so sure about the ROTEL tours operating in Mexico, but they do operate in the United States and Canada. DaveD | ||
| Jon W. Wehrenberg (64.228.43.124) Rating: N/A |
Dear Webmaster: Several years ago my wife and I ran into these buses literally all over the country. We ran into them in Washington, D.C, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco. In Washington at Cherry Hill Campground we spoke to the driver and at other locations we spoke to some of the riders. The buses carry about 26 travelers (my estimate, I forgot the precise number). During the day when they were underway the travelers would sit in the seats in the front of the coach. Once stopped at their destination ( a campground) the RH rear side opened to become a galley of sorts as I recall. I think there was a canopy and a platform that extended over the rear wheels. The buses, their passengers and drivers were European and they were traveling for a week or two. They slept in individual compartments at the rear of the bus on the drivers side. It was 1992 or thereabouts when we seemed to see these buses everywhere, but as I recall there was only a limited number of them. The passengers were almost incapable of believing that my wife and I were traveling the country as they were alone in our Prevost conversion. One lady in Salt Lake City wouldn't believe we were alone in our bus and I think to this day she thinks we were teasing her. Jon W. Wehrenberg | ||
| J. R. Mann (64.228.43.140) Rating: N/A |
The red, triple decker on your home page. I saw a Mercedes with a similar body in Fairbanks in the summer of 2000. The driver said that it was a self contained tour bus with sleeping quarters for everyone. I didn't get a chance to see inside. J. R. Mann | ||
| Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (63.224.197.10)
Rating: N/A |
Think I saw one, this one was red. Was just passing thru the giant city of Cave Junction OR (pop. 1500) where I live probably going north from the coastal giant redwood trees near Crescent City CA maybe to Crater Lake National Park up in OR. Very cool. Thanks. | ||
| Peter Muskat (64.228.43.180) Rating: N/A |
The red bus conversions are tourist buses. They are operated by "ROTELTOURS" located in Lower Bavaria, Germany. The Passengers sleep in the small bunks, cook their own meal at evening and enjoy every attraction on their way for about 15 to 20 minutes. Poor People. | ||
| Jim Stacy (12.87.109.76)
Rating: N/A |
Ian, The units we ran into this Summer were both Mercedes coaches. The driver advised us that there were 12 buses in operation by his company, and they were all carrying Alaska plates due to costs. We saw our first one at a Yellowstone North entrance campground, the second was in the Banff area, I believe. Those are sure small cubicles; about the size of a coffin! A low priced way for Europeans to see the US. | ||
| Bill Jeffries (64.228.120.173) Rating: N/A |
Hi, I am looking at buying my first bus after a whole string of conventional rv's. Enjoy your site immensely, and have learned a lot. Regarding the picture you have of the red bus conversion, I ran across one of those rigs a few years back--I think in Maine. The company that runs them does tours; if memory serves me, they specialize in Alaska tours and northern Canada tours. The bus has seating in the front section, with sleeping berths in the back, raised section. I also remember that the side of the bus opens somehow to create a chuckwagon kind of deal for people to take their meals. Kind of a self-contained RV on a much larger than normal scale, able to accomodate far more people. I suspect the inspiration for these rigs is a train car, with sleeping berths and seating areas, as well as a dining car. This is basically the same deal for the road. Good luck, and thanks again for being there! Bill Jeffries | ||
| Craig Lovelace (64.228.55.101) Rating: N/A |
I am from Alaska and I use to see these bus running around here every summer. Being a bus nut I stopped one time and asked what was the deal with these cool looking buses. I was told that people from Europe would travel, sight seeing through the state on the few roads that we have, and then sleep in the back at arranged RV parks. The passenger side of the bus near the back would open up (clam shell like arrangement with stairs) and the passenger would access their bunks through there. In the mornings the tour guides would prepare breakfast for their guest, as they used the RV parks showers etc. Then they would hit the road again and continue on like that until they had seen the whole state (as much as they could by roads). Cool huh! I enjoy your sight. Craig Lovelace | ||
| Jeff F (64.228.43.50) Rating: N/A |
I can help you solve the puzzle. "MAN" = Mannheim, Augsburg, Nürnberg These are the names of three large cities in Germany. MAN is a company that builds vehicles including trucks and buses. I don't know at which one of their factory locations those buses were built. "Rotel" = First, there were Hotels, then there were Motels (Hotels for Mobile people), and about 20, 25 years ago, Rotels (Rolling Hotels) were introduced. I remember watching a TV program about Rotel buses when I was in Germany that many years ago. As you see by the time that has passed since, I was impressed by the bus shown in the show. The front of the bus looks like a "normal" bus with comfortable seats for the passengers and driver. The rear, however, reminds me of a morgue. I'm sure Rotel travelers don't like the comparison. The small windows on the picture on your website indicate the number of sleeping accommodations. I am only familiar with the one version introduced in that TV show but there may be others. The tired passenger would have to enter his "drawer cabin" from the outside. Now, we're talking about crawl space here. There is little room in each compartment, and the bed takes up almost all of it. You store your extra clothing there, too. There is electric light in each "hole in the bus", and some sort of ventilation system supplies fresh air so you don't gasp for too long after you have taken your boots off. Changing inside must be rather difficult even for those with lean and rank and well-toned bodies, I imagine. I don't even want to think about what might happen in a sideways collision, or if the bus turns over on the door side of the bus.... I would hate to be the one trying to sleep in one of the compartments adjacent to the engine that has just run for hundreds of miles in the heat of a summer day but maybe A/C makes it bearable. Also, consider the noise level in the compartments near the engine while the bus is running down the interstate. I had no idea rolling hotels like those pictured were still in service. The idea is appealing to those who don't want to go to hotels/motels and don't want to pitch tent every night. I imagine it can even be romantic to travel like that with a group of like-minded travelers, going sightseeing by day, roasting marshmellows on a campfire in the middle of nowhere in America in the evening, and sleeping while the driver drives to the next attraction at night. Since the compartments are really very small, there isn't much danger of two passengers becoming extremely close .... When the travelers awake the next morning, they are already near where they want to go. I don't recall if the TV show was filmed in Germany, or in the U.S. I just remember where I was when I saw it. I compared these coaches to trucks used to transport homing pidgeons to distant locations to test their skills which was a big thing in those days in parts of Germany and England. I hope this information helps. Do I get a free bus now ? Jeff Editor's Note: No Jeff, only the first 25 responders get a free bus. Nice try though! :-) | ||
| Tim & Stel (64.228.43.182) Rating: N/A |
Hi. saw the question on those big red buses, Yes, they are a tour bus from Germany, the back is all compartments for sleeping in, somewhat like coffin's ( not for us ) too small. We do believe that there are kitchen facilities also in there. They travel from Ontario to Alaska mostly, we see them traveling through Whitehorse Yukon. We sure do enjoy your site. We look forward to our own conversion one day, as we are getting close to our retirement. We operate a reindeer farm and were open to tourism for a number of years and enjoyed all the RVrs that came to visit our reindeer. Now we hope to sell the reindeer and hi the road. Help us out. Tim & Stel |