Splitter Tour Bus
Encyclopedia
Splitter tour buses are specially converted vehicles commonly used by bands
to travel on tour. Their principal defining feature is a bulkhead
placed halfway down the vehicle, in front of which are situated seats for carrying passengers and behind which is an area for storing equipment. Splitter buses tend to be built on normal van chassis and the most common base vehicle used is the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
.
Splitter buses are very common in Europe where, along with sleeper coaches
, they provide transportation for most professional touring acts. They are less common in North America, where the combination of minibus
and trailer
is favoured.
In Europe
splitter buses tend to be configured to carry the driver plus eight passengers due to driving license laws within the European Union
which restrict holders of a normal car license from driving vehicles over 3.5 tons in weight or with over eight passenger seats. Larger splitters do exist, however, with some vehicles configured to carry up 11 or 12 passengers.
More expensive splitters commonly come with entertainment packages in the passenger area that may include DVD players, games consoles, CD stereos and MP3 Player docks, mobile internet access. Splitter buses are not produced in the factory by vehicle manufacturers, but rather, they are built by specialist coachbuilders such as Lonestar Conversions who also hire an extensive range of high end luxury splitters.
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
to travel on tour. Their principal defining feature is a bulkhead
Bulkhead
Bulkhead may refer to:* Bulkhead, a compartment of a building for preventing spread of fires, see Compartmentalization * Bulkhead , a retaining wall used as a form of coastal management, akin to a seawall, or as a structural device such as a bulkhead partition* Bulkhead , a wall within the hull of...
placed halfway down the vehicle, in front of which are situated seats for carrying passengers and behind which is an area for storing equipment. Splitter buses tend to be built on normal van chassis and the most common base vehicle used is the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a light and heavy commercial vehicle, built by Daimler AG of Stuttgart, Germany as a van, chassis cab and minibus, and sold as a Mercedes model, except in the U.S. where it is built from complete knock down kits and was sold by Freightliner until 2010 when Mercedes...
.
Splitter buses are very common in Europe where, along with sleeper coaches
Sleeper bus
A sleeper bus is a type of specially adapted coach, often used to transport bands and their technicians and road crew between cities and shows....
, they provide transportation for most professional touring acts. They are less common in North America, where the combination of minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
and trailer
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....
is favoured.
In Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
splitter buses tend to be configured to carry the driver plus eight passengers due to driving license laws within the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
which restrict holders of a normal car license from driving vehicles over 3.5 tons in weight or with over eight passenger seats. Larger splitters do exist, however, with some vehicles configured to carry up 11 or 12 passengers.
More expensive splitters commonly come with entertainment packages in the passenger area that may include DVD players, games consoles, CD stereos and MP3 Player docks, mobile internet access. Splitter buses are not produced in the factory by vehicle manufacturers, but rather, they are built by specialist coachbuilders such as Lonestar Conversions who also hire an extensive range of high end luxury splitters.
Features
- A seating area in the front of the vehicle
- A storage area at the rear of the vehicle, separated from the seating area by a fixed bulkheadBulkheadBulkhead may refer to:* Bulkhead, a compartment of a building for preventing spread of fires, see Compartmentalization * Bulkhead , a retaining wall used as a form of coastal management, akin to a seawall, or as a structural device such as a bulkhead partition* Bulkhead , a wall within the hull of...
- Often the passenger area in the vehicle resembles the interior of a minibusMinibusA minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
- More expensive vehicles often have entertainment systems including DVD players, games consoles, CD stereos and MP3 Player docks
- tinted windows
Also known as
- Splitter Van
- Splitter Bus
- Band Van
- Splitter
- Touring Van
- Conversion Van