I lived in this beautiful ex-library bus for three months this summer before relocating to the Isle of Man, which is why its now for sale. Meanwhile the fridge, cooker and water heater are powered by gas. I slept in the lower bunk, with a new mattress and double duvet folded in half it was extremely comfortable, and easily took my 6 2 frame. Consequently I never had need to move the pods (see below) to form the double bed. Friends staying over were able to use the other bunk and sofa with ease. Living on the street I filled two 25l containers (included in sale) with water at a public tap and manually filled the tank under the sofa about once every 4 days, using the shower every other day. However of course at a campsite full hookup and water facilities would be available. With a full-size shower, toilet, wardrobe and oven/hob, this bus is a luxurious space for full-time living, for travelling around or for weekends away. I have lived in smaller busses and the extra size makes all the difference in the world yet it can still be driven on a normal car licence by those of a certain age. As for reliability, it starts almost before you press the button, and has never let me down. The MOT is due in November I would renew it now because Im sure it will pass with flying colours, but now Im living in the Island it would be logistically difficult. It drives nicely, although with an auto-box dont expect to be winning any races. The interior was fully refurbished by the last owner in early 2019. A furniture maker, he used reclaimed wood throughout. The effect as seen in the pictures, is stunning. Interior-wise all Ive done is fitted the swivelling captains seats, painted the floor with a hard-wearing coating, and given it a general once-over. PLEASE NOTE that as a rough guide you probably need to be over 510 to reach the pedals with the new, higher seats in place. The exterior is solid and clean. I have resprayed things like mirrors, bumpers and so on, and replaced any broken sidelights etc, but the main bodywork is vinyl wrapped. It is peeling slightly around the edges, but I like the patina, and the fact that from the outside it doesnt look that plush until you step through the door. There is no rust to speak of. Viewing by serious buyers can be arranged, my friend Tony has the keys in Swanage, but hes a busy man running a business so please no time-wasters. In the first instance call Ian on 07813 140054 to discuss. I will need a 10% deposit to secure the sale. Below are the details prepared for me by the previous owner. BEDS/LIVING AREA One wall of the accommodation contains a media cabinet, again made from reclaimed timber, this time some beautiful redwood salvaged from Heathrow. It is opposite a 2m long sofa which can also double as a single bed. Underneath the sofa is the plant-room containing the water tank, solar controller, gas manifold, water pump and water heater. Underneath the cabinet are three modular pods made from reclaimed redwoood frames, with pallet wood infill and redwood slats on top. In this configuration they also make up a single bed. Slide the pods across against the sofa and you have a king size bed. Turn a couple of the pods around and they become great foot stools. A slot on table-top converts the remaining pod into a cracking little coffee table. The pods can slide out of the way, be stacked up or even taken outside, for a spot of al-fresco dining. Finally there is a six foot dining table with fold down legs, again custom made from reclaimed timber. This makes a great dining table, desk if you really have to! Or can be taken outside with the pods for a posh picnic. When not in use it slides into a pair of brackets behind the passenger seats. KITCHEN The kitchen is based upon standard kitchen units which have been brought up to date aesthetically with replacement pallet wood doors and galvanised steel handles and thumb latches (so they stay closed in transit). The work top and splash back are made from aluminium sheet and there are pretty much all the conveniences of home. There is a full size stainless steel sink and draining board with a mixer tap. Gas is provided from an external locker (holds two good size bottles) to provide hot water, and power the four ring cooker, oven and grill as well as the full size fridge (with ice box) which can also run on 12V DC when in transit. The kitchen area also provides a couple of 240V and USB sockets as well as the battery charge monitor. There is also a unit for storing a pair of bins (also accessible from the top) to allow you to keep waste and recycling separate. WARDROBE/TOILET/SHOWER On the opposite side is a unit containing a full height wardrobe and the shower/loo. Externally the unit is clad in pallet wood with folding doors and galvanised steel hardware to match the kitchen, along with some rather natty coat hooks that fold away when not required. The shower/loo is lined internally with textured aluminium to give a rather nicer look than the ubiquitous floppy plastic panels. There is a pretty comfy and efficient Thetford chemical loo which is emptied via a hatch on the outside of the vehicle. Above the loo is a fold down basin, the shower head and a small mirrored cabinet. POWER There are two solar panels mounted on the roof which, via a controller under the sofa, charge both the vehicle batteries and leisure batteries (both 24V). The leisure batteries then provide power for the 24V lighting and to two Eberspacher diesel cabin heaters (not currently commissioned). There is a 1000W inverter which provides 240V power to sockets. The 24V is then stepped down to 12v to power the water pump, fridge and loo. We found that for about six months of the year, the solar power was sufficient to allow a couple of people to live aboard, providing enough energy for washing, cooking and a couple of hours of telly each day as well as charging all your gadgets and gizmos. There is also a 240V hook up (with RCD) available and a dedicated external locker at the rear to allow a generator to be fitted. HEAT/COOLING On very chilly mornings we just opened the oven door for a bit! Being a former library bus its pretty well insulated with a good inch of polystyrene in the walls and a double membrane roof which provides light along its length along with two openable roof lights for cooling and ventilation. GAS There is an external gas bottle locker which supplies gas from two bottles via an auto changer-over valve to the water heater, fridge and cooker. We found that if living aboard and cooking most mornings and nights a bottle would last over a month. WATER There is a 70l water tank under the sofa with an external filler. This provides hot water on demand via the gas powered Truma water heater to the shower/bathroom tap and kitchen tap. The hot water heats up in 15-20 minutes and can manage a couple of showers before you need to let the heat build up again. The 75 indicates that it has a gross weight of 7.5 tonnes and the 14 that it has a 4 litre normally aspirated diesel engine. The engine is mated to an automatic gearbox and the vehicle is fitted with air suspension at the rear. You will need to have a category C1 license to drive a vehicle of this weight but should have this if you passed your test before 1997. It was converted into a mobile library by GC Smith Coachbuilders of Loughborough for Manchester City Council. The bus is registered as a Motor Caravan. That means it needs a Class 4 MOT ie the same as a car and does not require an HGV MOT. DRIVING There is a (slightly erratic) reversing camera and the four speed automatic gearbox makes life nice and simple. The driving position is really comfy with incredibly good visibility. She is a tad on the wide side and you do need to take that into account but soon get used to it. She is also just over 3m high which you also need to remember. She will cruise at 60 on the motorway but takes a little time to get there. EXTERIOR Access is from one central swinging door which can be manually operated or pneumatically via controls on the outside and inside of the door or by the cab. There is also a door at the rear above the wheel chair lift. The lift is not currently commissioned but I believe that all of the components are present. The outside of the vehicle retains the vinyl livery applied by the previous owner. Beneath this is the Manchester City Library paintwork. Generally it is a bit shabby in places but it does have the advantage of looking somewhat commercial and not attracting too much attention if you intend to overnight away from a formal campsite. There are an assortment of lockers on the outside that all open with a T-Key. They include: the vehicle battery compartment (two new batteries), gas bottle container, wheelchair lift motor and controls, air heaters, generator compartment and power hook up point. The item “Absolutely Stunning and Unique Ex-Library Bus Camper Van Motorhome” is in sale since Tuesday, September 8, 2020. This item is in the category “Cars, Motorcycles & Vehicles\Campers, Caravans & Motorhomes\Campervans & Motorhomes”. The seller is “ianlawton444″ and is located in Swanage. This item can’t be shipped, the buyer must pick up the item.

• MOT Certificate: 2 Months Remaining
• Colour: Black
• Sleeping Capacity: 4
• Width: 7 feet
• Total Length (feet): 27
• Model Year: 1997
• Type: Motorhome
• V5 Registration Document: Present
• Manufacturer: Iveco-Ford
• Vehicle Sub-Type: Camper Van
• Engine Size: 4000
• Transmission: Automatic
• Fuel Type: Diesel
• Mileage: 35000