Information (Gross Combined Mass) for early Mercedes 0303 Bus

[Bus0303]

I'm really hoping someone can help me.

I own a 1979 Mercedes 0303 Medium Rigid Bus, which has been converted into a Motorhome.

My issue is this. The bus' compliance plates - both those issued by Mercedes for the chassis as supplied to a local Coach builder (Ansair), and the one affixed by the Coach builder itself, have no mention of a "Gross Combined Mass".

I know that these buses were intended to tow trailers. I also know that many effectively identical buses to mine were fitted with towbars and were towing substantial loads back in the day. In fact, mine actually has a towbar and solid mounting between the chassis rails at the rear, which has likely been there for 40+ years.

But there is zero documentation for it.

As things stand - and I've been told this by Mercedes Australia's rep - I am only able to tow a weight which falls within the bus' GVM envelope. Which means in effect, I am not able to tow anything of any real weight. (E.g. I've weighed the bus "as laden" when travelling, which came in at 14.5T. As a medium rigid bus, I therefore would only be able to tow 1.5T max. Effectively useless if I want to tow any car in a trailer).

What I need is some kind of documentation from Mercedes or someone else which I can take to an engineer, so he/she can affix a modification plate stating a "modified GCM".

What I'm hoping for is someone who can point me in the direction of a late 70s Merecedes 0303 which had a Gross Combined Mass noted on a compliance plate from new. If that person was happy to provide me that info. (chassis number and a photo of the CP), I could take that to Merecedes, and they could assess that against my bus' chassis number to see whether my bus could be issued an S3 mod plate to note a GCM.

Happy to provide chassis numbers etc. if that helps.


I've reached out to Mercedes in the past, to ask if they could search their records to see if they had a record of a bus similar to mine, which had a GCM nominated, so they might provide me with a document I could take to en engineer.

They aren't interested in doing that. Instead, they've put the onus on me to find a comparable bus with GCM nominated.

Hence this post.


Thanks in advance.

[Guy_Arab]

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guy arab