Bus Conversion – shopping & making plans

Rain, work, and a bit of a cold on my part and a injured back on Rob’s part have kept us from making much tangible progress on the bus conversion over the past few weeks, but there has been plenty of thinking about the motor home going on. And that's something, right?

Installing the skylight

We really are looking at we want to have in the motorhome and what we can live without. We are not looking at possible resale value of the motorhome, though eventually we will come to a point where we can’t traipse around the country anymore and then we will need to sell but hopefully this will be many, many years away. No, this motorhome is being designed just for us. We have travelled long enough to know just what it is that we want. Sure there will be compromises, but it will be closest thing to what we want and what we can have at a reasonable price. We are not into a fancy rig that will have everyone envying us. We know we want a higher roof, higher benches, reclining lounge. I don’t want a washing machine or an oven, heck we are not even going to have a built in hotplate cooker in the kitchen.
I am thinking of having a double butane stove on a sliding shelf pulled out from the back of the bench. This way if we want to cook outside, it is easy to take it out rather than having a separate unit indoors and another out doors. When we tent camped for more than 3 weeks on our trip to the tip of Cape York, we kept on eye on the fuel consumption and effectiveness of the burners and decided that it is just as economical as LPG gas.

We have a clear-ish plan in our head for the bus' finished interior. We have begun to troll the internet to locate sources for many of the various components that the bus conversion is calling for.  As I mentioned earlier, a key challenge was sourcing a new chain for the motor. Well that is on its way here from America after having to be hand made. The captain’s chairs have been made and they have arrived from Casino. These chairs can swivel right around 360 degrees to be used as part of the dining setting.


Rob made the shower, though it still needs some finishing touches. Last week Rob picked up the aluminum sidings that we had ordered but he needs to do more strengthening work before the sides can go on. (That reminds me, I had better start thinking of designs and do I want it decal or painted?)

We have bought the mixer taps for the kitchen and bathroom. We have also bought the permanent toilet, the skylights and most of the windows.


The slide-out mechanism has been ordered though the American manufacturer does not seem too enthusiastic to deal with it’s Australian customers. I gather they think the Australian market is too small to bother with. I feel sorry for their Australian agent here. We can’t ignore them as Rob believes that their product is superior to anything else he has seen and he doesn't want to make his own this time, as he did in the last 2 caravans.


There are also quite a few items that I am hoping to see at the Sydney Camping and Caravan Super Show which starts on the 20th of April.


We have planned the placements of the solar panels though we haven’t bought them as yet! Rob is still debating with himself just how many batteries we will have.

I have been thinking about the kitchen, figuring out the height of the drawer shelves etc. Rob has designed and has started the framework for a uniquely innovative cupboard above the bed.  Here is one photo of Rob starting this unit before he did his back in, but it won’t make much sense at this stage until it is all finished.

So... We may not be moving real fast... but Rome wasn’t built in a day either.

Hoo Roo & keep safe