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Anyone ever live in a bus?

Mith

The Eccentric Englishman
SUPER Site Supporter
Well as part of the world tour I wanna do I plan to travel across Aussie, then New zeland then around the US a bit. Then choose the place I like best and live there.
I figure the best way to do this on a (major) budget is to grab me a bus and convert it. One in Aussie and one in the US. Travel NZ by car and tent I guess.

So basically anyone live in a bus before? Any gems of knowledge? :weneedpic

Cheers

PS, the lack of thought that has gone into this plan is what makes it appealing, gunna try and aviod the practicalities till they happen :yum: :D
 

REDDOGTWO

Unemployed Veg. Peddler
SUPER Site Supporter
Over here, they are called motorhomes and are just like a small house, only nicer.:tiphat:
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
sounds like someone is ready for an adventure.

Seems to me a car and tent would be cheapest. Maybe a mini van or truck with topper would be evn better than a car. If you bought a bus and converted it I think you'll be into major expense. I'd guess it would be better to buy an older motor home than to convert a bus.
 

California

Charter Member
Site Supporter
Here you go Mith.
19020418.P6200086.jpg
 

thcri

Gone But Not Forgotten
DVD, TV, nice stereo, conerted seats taken out of a cruizer. Nice traveling,


DaBus
 

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California

Charter Member
Site Supporter
thcri said:
Mith said he wanted to tour in a bus he converted himself. The first thing that came to mind was the hippie busses I remember from the 60's. That's a photo of a modern day one.

At least I think I remember the 60's.......

Here's a link to someone restoring one to be a museum piece - (click on the images).
http://www.antiquewhs.com/2003hippie.htm
 

Mith

The Eccentric Englishman
SUPER Site Supporter
California, thats what I want, though I'm not good at apinting so it will be more rusty.

Vin, I just worked out fuel will run to £2000 at current prices. From Sydney to perth running roughly along the south coast with a bit thought the middle near Perth. Bugger, as I said, lack of thought :D

Anyone lived in a minivan?
Darn, thats gunna be small :(
 

daedong

New member
Mith here's what you need. easy to pull, a spot of fishing along the way. On your way through South Aust drop in and i will take you for a week or two on the houseboat.:pat:

2005Super010-2.jpg

2005Super023-2.jpg

onroad2small.jpg
 

Mith

The Eccentric Englishman
SUPER Site Supporter
Vin, thats the ticket, get an old Ute to tow it with for my kit, and that to live in.
I hear you have dangerous things in your water (heck, you have them everywhere), I think I might stay a little further away that just inside a weenie little very un croc-proof boat like that :eek:
Do you have any idea what them things run, and can I get them in Sydney?
I found this map on the interweb, looks like a nice route, some coast some inland. Right down the south too :D

California, I have a problem with my pics randomly disappearing. As far as I know everyone else can still see it even when you cant.
 

daedong

New member
Mith its bullshit about all the dangerous stuff, Crocodiles are only found in the top end (northern Aust) sharks take an odd person, considering the amount of people that enter the water its minuscule. Very few people die of snake bite and most that get bitten have either been playing with them or are trying to kill them (leave them alone and they leave you alone). One thing that you do need to watch for is a thing called a car it kills plenty every year, but I guess you know about them.
 

Mith

The Eccentric Englishman
SUPER Site Supporter
I was just knockin ya about the dangerous stuff, I know that use common sense an yer allright.

that thar is pricey than I thought it would be, you can get a bus for that! Still, its all there and dont look too bad. Lots of room for kit too, especially if I had a ute to tow it with.

I guess the question now become has anyone travelled living in a trailer tent?
 

California

Charter Member
Site Supporter
Mith said:
I guess the question now become has anyone travelled living in a trailer tent?
Several trips of a week or two.

The setup/teardown of a tent trailer is more nuisance than a hardshell RV. I don't recommend it for continual travel where you set up in a new location after dark every evening.

Photo: Last family trip together before eldest daughter departed for college. Easter week 1999. This is at Fort Churchill, western Nevada. (An abandoned outpost that was established to protect travellers across the Nevada desert for a few years during California's Gold Rush, about 1849 - 1860.) The snow was unexpected, we had to wait for chain control to lift before we could get back over Donner Pass in the Sierras to get back to California.
 

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Mith

The Eccentric Englishman
SUPER Site Supporter
California, what makes you suggest that it isnt good for travelling? Is it hard to put up?

I'm not planning on rushing my trip, that why I preferred the idea of something to live in that is always up, I can just stop any time I want and its there. Maybe something like a transit would do to live in.
I hope to spend atleast a year travelling.
 

California

Charter Member
Site Supporter
Mith said:
California, what makes you suggest that it isnt good for travelling? Is it hard to put up?
That tent trailer towed nicely behind the 2500cc Trooper, but we only used it when we were trying to extend the camping season into the harsher portion of the year.

A tent and shade-tarp suffices the rest of the time.

It was not hard to put up, but it took about 10 minutes. Sometimes in miserable cold rain.

First, take the supports for the extensions out of the tube bumper, then kneel in the mud and set the levelling feet.

Cranking up the top took maybe 150 revolutions of a very stiff crank. I always assigned that to the kids, who tired and traded off a couple of times before completing it. I think I'll carry a big cordless drill for that in the future.

Then slide the front bunk (queen size bed) forward, but to make room for it you need to unhitch the tow vehicle and drive it forward out of the way.

Then slide out the back extension (another queen size bed) and set the diagonal supports under both. Then carry groceries etc from the car.

I think the rig shown by Vin would take considerably longer to set up. In rain and mud, that canvas that reaches the ground would get muddy. And like mine, you can't take shelter inside it before completing the setup.

In contrast to all this, a van, bus, or RV is self contained. Just park, walk back down the aisle, and start making dinner. Its irrelevant whether is raining outside.

Dawn in Death Valley - Easter week 2003.
 

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AndyM

Charter Member
Have you ever thought about living in a Volkswagen? :17875:
 

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California

Charter Member
Site Supporter
Andy, is that you in there? Are you only four feet tall?

I once went on a road trip with two other guys in one of those, to see the Motorcycle World Speed Record runs at Bonnieville salt flats. About 600 miles from the Bay Area.

The back seat was very seriously claustrophobic. Never again.
 
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