Converting old bus to motorhome/party bus

[xp_wannabe]

Hey People.

A group of mates and myself are looking in to buying an old 36ft+ bus, gutting it, and turning it into a party bus.

We live in NQ and want to do a 2 week trip down the coast to say Ballina and back, hopefully lining the trip up with a music festival or two.

So far, the basic plan is this; 8 blokes tip in $2500 each, giving us a budget of $20,000. Spend $10K on initial bus purchase, and then hopefully the other $10k covers getting it on the road, fitting it out, and maybe fuel for the trip...

We are looking for a '80s+, rear engined bus with under storage and highway gearing (preferably).

For $10k, do you think we could get something that doesnt need much mechanical work? Was thinking something like this:

http://www.bussalesonline.com.au/vehicle.asp?ID=878 but I dont think that has under storage, and most likely is only geared to do 80km/h. We can work around that though, we'll just go slow

Once fitted out, the bus would legally need to seat 10, bunks for 8, fridge, microwave, air con, lounge, tv and big stereo. If we can fit a sink we will, shower will be camp shower, and real cooking done on portable bbq. We would wire it up like a house, and throw a diesel generator up the back beside the engine (seen it done). Everywhere we stop would be powered camp sites to give the genny a rest.

Any thoughts, comments? Anyone on here done it before?

Thanks, Mark

[Scott]

No idea, but sounds like an epic adventure with the lads. Good luck mate, hope this gets followed through!

[Rambunctious]

You're not serious are you, 8 XP Wannabes throwing in money to buy and fit out a bus.
Who's going to be the Treasurer? who gets the final say on which Bus you buy? who's going to do all the fit out work? because you definately will not fit it out for $10000, let alone put fuel in it.
Do a costing on the fit out first, then make doubly sure you can get along with the other 7 before you commit any funds to the project.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by Rambunctious

Do a costing on the fit out first, then make doubly sure you can get along with the other 7 before you commit any funds to the project.

Absolutely ....
Considering a mate who does that side of things refitted his kombi out and the refit was north of 5K , i doubt youll get a big bus done

Oh ya could with 2nd hand bits ,$49 new microwaves,again 2nd hand gear
Hopefully those throwing some coin like the interior design or dont pull the pin mid way and expect to be bought out my others

[Scott]

A bus for the lads could easily be fitted out for less than $10k. It's not like they'll be needing Taj Mabus and doing it all themselves they could bring in a rustic fit out easily.

[Jim Goose]

A 30ft bus for $10000 AND IN GOOD CONDITION??? Not to mention fitting it out for 8people in VERY CRAMPED conditions.... because you would need (though dont quote me) 8 seats in the bus (with seat belts?) in order to carry 8 people? Which doesnt leave much room for 8 bunks... a kitchen, shower, toilet?

Not to mention your fit out costs will be well in excess of $10000, not to mention REGO, FUEL....

the mere mention of "party" bus also rings alarm bells....

If you want to do a road trip just hire out 2 large campers....

[xp_wannabe]

Originally Posted by Scott

No idea, but sounds like an epic adventure with the lads. Good luck mate, hope this gets followed through!

Thanks mate. Getting all my advice off a bloke who did it with an old Bedford back in 1999. They bought their bus for $3k off the local bus company, had just come out of service, was in good nick, but they did a full brake rebuild anyway, and fitted it out for $7k, doing all work themselves.

Fit out will be very basic, no kitchen (only fridge and microwave), no bathroom, just bunks and seats basically.. If we can't fit that in a 36ft bus then there is something wrong...

Apparently (need to look into this properly) if the seating is less than 9, it's classed as a van and needs seat belts (which requires engineers).. If you keep it above 9, no worries, and as long as it's below 15, you don't need a commercial bus licence.

[Geez Louise]

I love your enthusiasm for your project. Have I got this right...It is just a bus for you and your mates to travel in? You are not looking at hiring it out...because that is a whole other kettle of fish, filled with complications.

[poppa smurf]

Hah! love it.......hell if I was young enough I'd book me a berth on that wagon

theres a few on ebay that are within your price range....

$10,000 fit-out....yep do-able if you're not too fussy

anywhere near me and i'd do it for you just to see the smiles on your dials!

who's driving the beast....as far as I know it will need a checkover from the authorities to go across to motorhome

and a vehicle that size I reckon still needs a heavy rigid ticket to drive it

good luck mate and have a ball just stay safe and dont do anything stupid

[xp_wannabe]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

I love your enthusiasm for your project. Have I got this right...It is just a bus for you and your mates to travel in? You are not looking at hiring it out...because that is a whole other kettle of fish, filled with complications.

yeah no way mate, just me and 6 or 7 mates. Already 5 of us who are keen and will go through with it, shouldnt be a prob finding the others... We are taking applications, under 30 and diesel mechanic experience preferred

and yeah poppa smurf I have a HR licence, would like at least 2 other boys to have the same, plenty of time.

my workmate who did it with his mates had 10 bunks, seating for 10, 9 blokes on the trip. very slow going as they had a school bus geared for 80km/h, and in his words, very hard to co-ordinate 9 bladders for p!ss stops... but he says travelling was the most fun, they would do 10 hour + days easily. they did a 2 week trip from Toowoomba to Cairns and back.

We would do Townsville to Ballina and back, 3000km round trip. Should be able to get 650km to 200L.

anyway im talking too much, need to go find a bus!

[Scott]

Originally Posted by xp_wannabe

very hard to co-ordinate 9 bladders for p!ss stops...

Hole in the floor and a little care goes a long way

[Rambunctious]

Originally Posted by Scott

Hole in the floor and a little care goes a long way

I can just picture that, it's hanging through the hole, a stone is thrown up off one of the wheels, hits it, it swells up, and the other 7 step over you for a week until the swelling goes down.

[Rambunctious]

[QUOTE=xp_wannabe]yeah no way mate, just me and 6 or 7 mates. Already 5 of us who are keen and will go through with it, shouldnt be a prob finding the others... We are taking applications, under 30 and diesel mechanic experience preferred

and yeah poppa smurf I have a HR licence, would like at least 2 other boys to have the same, plenty of time.

Would be wise to try to get someone with 240 volt Electrical Licence on the crew as the electrical installation will need to be certified.
Some parks these days ask to see the certification before allowing you to connect to their power supply.

[xp_wannabe]

[QUOTE=Rambunctious]

Originally Posted by xp_wannabe

yeah no way mate, just me and 6 or 7 mates. Already 5 of us who are keen and will go through with it, shouldnt be a prob finding the others... We are taking applications, under 30 and diesel mechanic experience preferred

and yeah poppa smurf I have a HR licence, would like at least 2 other boys to have the same, plenty of time.

Would be wise to try to get someone with 240 volt Electrical Licence on the crew as the electrical installation will need to be certified.
Some parks these days ask to see the certification before allowing you to connect to their power supply.

Already sorted, 1 x electrical engineer and 1 x tradesman electrician/fridgy on board.

[Rambunctious]

[QUOTE=xp_wannabe]

Originally Posted by Rambunctious

Already sorted, 1 x electrical engineer and 1 x tradesman electrician/fridgy on board.

Sounds like you have it sorted, so I take back what I said, you should be able to fit it out well under $10000, good luck with the project.

[Pis-ton broke]

I reckon its a great idea, bill an teds execllent adventure, ha,ha.
I reckon 10k for a basic fit up is do able, your blokes not sheilers so the basics should get you through.
you can **** in a bottle, spring valley juice bottles work good (cause there big arond the top).

The caravan for sale magazine (i can,t remeber its name) has buses and coaches in it and some are 10k. Its amazing what people can do to the big coachs and tow cars behind them too.

this would make a good thread as to your progress on the build.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

you can **** in a bottle, spring valley juice bottles work good (cause there big arond the top).

Ya reckon????

[Pis-ton broke]

Originally Posted by Scott

Ya reckon????

its do able, those glass ones.

[snowcone]

Make sure your electrician knows how to wire a caravan - it has a different code to a house wiring and must be all done in double pole.

[79FordEsky]

check out buses on ebay

[xp_wannabe]

Originally Posted by snowcone

Make sure your electrician knows how to wire a caravan - it has a different code to a house wiring and must be all done in double pole.

Thanks mate. Any idea where I can find this code?

[xp_wannabe]

Originally Posted by xp_wannabe

Thanks mate. Any idea where I can find this code?

AS3001, found it. Thanks mate.

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by 79FordEsky

check out buses on ebay

Here is your bus! If storage is an issue, an enclosed trailer might be the go!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/261001669...84.m1423.l2649

[302 XC]

I love it
Mentions of do wee breaks in a bottle .....
Sounds like the feral bus from hell

On road trips when mates whom will be drinking the ale while others are driving (thats what happens) the glass bottles get full real fast
Then sleeping with ya smelly mates whom wont/dont wash for a few days
yep sounds like something i wouldnt take a ticket in
That aside, there are many rest stops with ameneties along most trips
Council showgrounds , most there, so that should help with the stinkers and those whom cant hold the bladder
Look into whats required for your class of vehicle
Being a bus , and a camper as such it mite need the basic essentials, like a toilet and shower
Nothin beats a road trip,good times to remember
But stinky mates on a trip will out trump the memory of a good road trip everytime

[FG_Frodza]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

its do able, those glass ones.

Lipton iced tea bottles mate, 500ml and big around the top.

[poppa smurf]

not that hard to put a blow moulded "blackwater" tank underneath hooked in to a loo! with a disposal port

short jump from there for a water tank and on call 24 volt pump plumbed to shower and loo

then greywater tank plumbed to sink

relatively cheap and very easy to do!......

[xp_wannabe]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

not that hard to put a blow moulded "blackwater" tank underneath hooked in to a loo! with a disposal port

short jump from there for a water tank and on call 24 volt pump plumbed to shower and loo

then greywater tank plumbed to sink

relatively cheap and very easy to do!......

Yeah just been talking to another mate who has a 52 seater Leyland Tiger. He takes a big crew down to Splendour (music festival) every year, and says the most annoying thing is p!ss stops, so yeah a toilet might have to make an appearance.. where the hell would you empty the black-water tank though??

[EFFalcon]

Originally Posted by xp_wannabe

Yeah just been talking to another mate who has a 52 seater Leyland Tiger. He takes a big crew down to Splendour (music festival) every year, and says the most annoying thing is p!ss stops, so yeah a toilet might have to make an appearance.. where the hell would you empty the black-water tank though??

Wait till theres a commodore behind you?

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by xp_wannabe

Yeah just been talking to another mate who has a 52 seater Leyland Tiger. He takes a big crew down to Splendour (music festival) every year, and says the most annoying thing is p!ss stops, so yeah a toilet might have to make an appearance.. where the hell would you empty the black-water tank though??

I'm a member of a large organisation that deals solely with motorhomes, campervans and now caravans

we are on a drive to install "dump points" wherever the councils will allow us to

there are many of these in existence now all over the joint look for the blue sign

failing that many caravan parks will allow (sometimes for a small fee) to dump your waste into theirs


hang on, I just did a quick search and came up with this....http://www.dumppoints.com/ you can empty your black water in these places

[poppa smurf]

if I can help you in any way with construction or just knowledge don't hesitate to give me a yell....I've decked out around 6 of these buses so far and helped with many others

I think i'm up to about a dozen campervans as well.....don't mention camper trailers, I've given up counting

dont let it beat you....just work out what you want from the vehicle and do it in stages