2014 - The Finished Product - from Bus to Motorhome

The following posts summarise our self built conversion from an old school bus to our private apartment on wheels. From the initial purchase of our bus ($7,000 AUD) through to the day we departed for a life of freedom and choice. Note i didn't say "through to completion" as I don't think it will ever truly be complete. The posts are written from Julie's perspective and are in descending order - newest to oldest, so if you want to get full story from start to finish, then begin at the the very end post in December 2012 and work your way backwards.

Use the left and right arrows to move through each post. Click on the photo thumbnails to enlarge the photos and arrow through each one.

After exploring the build return to the home page and click on “Living Our Life" to follow us on our travels.

2014 - Out and about in quintessential Melbourne

Out and about yesterday in quintessential Melbourne - the alleyways of Fitzroy and Brunswick after doing a publicity photo shoot to promote the amazing work of Jaw http://javvs.fr/ with thanks to Shaun at Juddy Roller https://www.facebook.com/JuddyRoller finishing with a first class coffee at Juddy Roller Café https://www.facebook.com/JuddyRollerCafe . Can't wait to see the professional pics. Also stopped in to meet Dean Sunshine in another art filled alleyway http://deansunshine.com/the-bus-by-jaws/

2014 - Nearly there

Have been a bit slack with the pics. Far too busy working on finishing touches of the bus as well as packing up the house, selling up/giving away furniture and endless trailer loads for the tip. We're nearly there, will be on the road before the end of March. Moving out of the house and into the bus by 17 March, staying at my wonderful friend Michele's for a week or two to make sure everything is working well. Wow, it's full on exhausting but so exciting.

We started with raising the front floor where a walk in ramp was to make the floor even. Covered entire floor with Masonite underlay. Then lay commercial quality vinyl tiles in a checker plate look.

2014 - Plumbing up

After much debate about grey water tank (do we, don't we), do wins. Only problem is we would be sacrificing too much under bus storage room to install the 3 x 200 litre water tanks we have (drinking water, house water and grey water). So decision made, we are having grey water storage, but the drinking water needs to shrink to 100 litres.

So Brad being Brad decided to re engineer the tank and cut it in half. A little plastic welding later (in Melbourne's current 44 degree heatwave) and we now have 2 x 200 litre and 1 x 100 litre tanks to be installed up the middle of the bus. The converted tank is for drinking water storage

So of course this means that two taps are required. One for house water and one for drinking water (not exactly the look I was going for but certain I'll live with it in order to have clean quality drinking water). The bathroom plumbing is also underway

FYI - I still hate the mirror but have yet to come up with a way to replace it (without ripping the walls down).

2014 - Port side

A mere 6 days effort and the last of the overhead cupboards are in. The vents were installed as purely decorative port hole style features......turns out they make good light

2014 - Lighting the lavatory

Amazing what a difference light makes to a small room. Hole in the roof for ensuite fan, vent, skylight.

Brad with his new and long overdue spectacles (getting old). He can now read a tape measure, probably should have got the specs sooner!

Meanwhile, Jay cuts out the remaining architraves (turns out he's no better than me on the jigsaw).

2014 - Going with the flow

While Brad lays on the bed doing nothing.........I'm deep in concentration cutting out a template for the remaining two window architraves. And Ken is busy installing the first of the kitchen taps (another drinking water tap yet to be installed)

Oh he's rested and back to work trying out the frame for the next set of overhead cupboards.

Jan and Ken (Brad's mum & dad) are here visiting from Townsville for Christmas. While we have managed to find time for some nice dinners, they have been mostly working....Ken helping out on the bus and Jan doing all the household chores including cooking up a feast every night.

Special thanks to both, unfortunately the deadline does not allow downing tools for visitors (even those travelling so far).

2014 - Moving in....well sort of

Happy New Year! No that doesn't mean take a day off, it means oh shit....instead of planning to take off "early next year" it is now actually early next year and we are planning to take off in about 8 weeks.....all hands on deck, back to work, quick.

The cupboard doors are on. Next will be our first ever attempt at 2Pak Painting for the finished product. Ken trims away at the overhead cupboard doors while Brad gets to work on the drawers. Meanwhile, I am routing 48 grooves in melamine to serve as upright plate holders.

Then I drive Brad nuts because I insist on moving in (I had to see how things will fit). It certainly does look a bit like an apartment on wheels.

2013 - It's a breeze

The air conditioner is mounted (all 47 kilograms of it) to the roof and I think it looks really ugly. We have heating and cooling (well we will when the power is connected).

2013 - The Wheels on the Bus

So I spent the morning painstakingly scraping 25 years of paint from the second wheel.......... and then I outsourced! Jay took over, added some power tools, primer and some paint (well one of four is painted - ran out of primer.

Ahh, I feel so much better. Another one of those shitty nightmare jobs Brad assigned to me is complete.

2013 - The old gir's out again

Same passengers but legally seated this time! Tooted Santa on his trike, passed a caravan who shortly after passed us and on our way to Shells in Emerald. Sshhhh don't tell anyone but we're really just checking out if the bus fits in her driveway so we can move in in Feb.

Guess what? She fits (well done Brad, despite the neighbour's fear Neil and I got u in). Welcome to summer at the Butlers by the pool.

2013 - Our first official passengers

The old girl's had a busy day.....

Picked up the seats from the upholsterer yesterday, started fitting them, then caught up with Corrine and her beautiful family on the Nar Nar Goon Highway. I'm not sure the girls were totally inspired but hopefully they will be when they set off on their own travels in the future.

Next we loaded up Jan and Ken and headed off to our very favourite restaurant - Tanya and Sonny at Discover India in Yarragon (magnificent food as always Sonny) http://www.discoverindia.com.au/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=83

So beer and wine topped up, off we head complete with yours truly providing scenic commentary for my first passengers.

2013 - By the Seat of his Pants

All aboard! The seats are installed. Installation begins with a frame. A test fit to the base and floor positioning. Frames painted, swivels attached and seats installed.

We seem to be missing the pictures of me sliding under the bus manipulating my way through metal, bugs and boxes to tighten the bolts while Brad takes the easy option of working from above!

The bench seat is HQ holden front seat the the buckets are from ZH Fairlane. Have all be restrung, springed and covered. The buckets swivel 360 degrees, and when slid forward they recline the full depth.

Seatbelts now to be installed and some sort of decorative yet functional feature to cover the frames.

2013 - Starting to feel like home

After another very long weekend and late nights, most of the window architraves are on. These have been painstakingly hand crafted, routed in MDF then covered in hessian, painted and lacquered. The red tiles are up and the first set of overhead cupboards complete, also handmade with timber cutouts and aluminium frame. Kitchen bench end panels are padded material ready for the lounge to be installed. The blinds are also in and concealed by the overhead cupboards.

The drivers seat has been picked up and I'm loving the purple. Thanks to Kevin at Megatrim http://www.megatrim.com.au for getting them done so quickly for us, cant wait to pick up the rest.

We're exhausted! dying to see those cupboard doors on though Brad xx

2013 - It's not quite Adrien's masterpiece but inside is taking shape

It is getting so exciting, after all the dirty body work a nice clean home is starting to form. The layout is turning out to be perfect for us, a feeling of space being the main aim (my claustrophobia paranoia avoided).

Kitchen carcass is in, awaiting doors and drawers, the red tiles to go up the wall but need the overhead cupboards first. They say he works hard but these are the legs of a man asleep on the job. Sitting on the seats which are off to be upholstered next week and then mounted on swivels. The stove top, sink, microwave and fridge are all in (not connected yet, but they're in). A lot of work behind the scenes with the fridge as we don't want to vent it out the wall through the artwork so it needed a baffle built and awaiting delivery of a roof vent.

Ensuite commenced and then stalled while the kitchen goes in and behind the scenes of the fridge. Last panel at side of fridge (another very very late night) and the kitchen commences. Shower is in but needs a door, ensuite door is on with a photo wall of family, friends and memories on one side and a little light newspaper reading on the other. Oh and as for my not so handy handy work, this is clock trial number 5 and I'm finally happy.

2013 - Speechless!

Wow, I feel like such a bitch! We were quoted and paid for 5 full days of artist time to cover the bus with art and 4 weeks later we still haven't had the bus back and our calls were being ignored. Naturally I pictured not a lot of work was happening and our 5 days was being spread over a long 4 weeks. Well I was totally and Adrien spent everyday, long hours working hard and we were amazed when we finally picked it up!

Adrien you are magnificent and I'm so sorry I was nagging you. I can't tell you how much we appreciate what you have done for us. It is amazing, so special. Artist the amazing Adrien "Jaws" and New Hunting Ground - http://newhuntingground.com/jaws.php
http://javvs.fr/ or www.facebook.com/Jaw-DaMentalVaporz Some photos (the good ones) supplied by https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/StreetsmART/325055414252255

Please note: These images may be subject to copyright and should not be used for commercial purposes without the express permission of the owner with the exception of artist and agent. That is Lola floating upside down Wizard of Oz style

2013 - Coupla Days He Says

Couple of days he said, a quick sand, tape and prime. Well about 45 hours of hard labour later, we have produced what now looks like a prison bus ready to be delivered for artwork. Thanks to Neil we had access to a factory and scaffolding which turned out to be a life saver.

It begins with body filler then more body filler. My interpretation of the day is that Brad spent the entire day scraping on bit of play dough while I single handedly sanded and taped the full length of the bus. Hours and hours and more hours of sanding then taping up. Finally finished the first stage at about 2am. Thankfully Al came to help the next day with more sanding and replacing the sanded rivets. A slab of beer later and dust, dust and more dust, the washing down with Prepsol, ready for painting.

First coat etching primer over the raw steel. Thankfully Cookie calls in to give a hand and Kerryn provided a much appreciated lunch. Second coat full body primer on one side. Guess what, more bloody sanding and wiping with prepsol and at last the prison bus is born. Finished at long last. Has got to be the worst job of the entire project so far.

2013 - Last pics of a white bus

Last pics of a white bus as we are off to an empty factory in Dandenong today to prime the old girl with a temporary flat grey ready for artwork next weekend (thanks Neil for access to the factory).

Only concern is I can't get insurance! No one will touch it...it must be either a commercial bus or completed motor home in order to be insured it seems, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Wish us luck, and put it out there please!

What's Brad been up to? Clearly not housework! Finalising outside work - a new rear and side door, more sanding and finish off installing the guttering. I've just finished grouting the bench top, silicone grout is the best. Guessing my job for the day will be sanding, sanding and sanding and playing drink slave to the boys. Neil is coming to help and bringing a mate too I think.

Speaking of artwork we finally received the concepts this week which was rather an emotional roller coaster but I'm so excited to say I know the end result is going to be AWESOME! We have full faith in artist Jaws and so happy we left the designing to him with pretty much no direction, he doesn't need it. I'm not going to post the concept images, you're just going to have to wait and see.

Speaking of no insurance..... off for some fun, it is still a novelty for me driving the bus, Brad wanted me to go and get some fuel, but because it's been a while and my experience is very limited, I wasn't quite confident enough to go it alone, so made him come with me for comfort.

Now this is a highly recommended must try thanks to Catherine's advice...Hendricks Gin, Tonic and very thinly sliced cucumber, magnificent! Just what I needed after a busy and emotional week.

2013 - Happy Wife Happy Life

Fortunately Brad lives by this rule in order to remain sane.

So while he should have been working on the outside in the beautiful sun and finishing of ready for the external artwork (which now has a deadline of next Monday although we still haven't seen the concepts we anxiously await), I simply couldn't wait for the "breakfast bar" to be installed.

Well I'm pleased to say it is (well almost) complete with matching wall clock and sample cactus garden and I love it! Admiring his handy work - It was a prickly fight for me get the cactus garden, he secretly loves it now. Can't say we've actually gone for the light weight option on this one but it's worth it it my eyes.

And still time left to reinstall the guttering ready for artwork.

2013 - Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day! Now back to work, there'll be no sleeping in here. A beautiful sunny first day of spring is s too good to waste. Preparation for painting continues with unskilled labour on hand (yes that's me). I've had enough now - these stripes are tough to remove.