converting a bus to motorhome

Hi Christine,
I would check with the your states road authorities to see what needs to be certified.
Cheers Steve.

Hi Christine,
What state are you in as they all have different rules.
Andy

As other have said, you must check first with motor reg authority to see the current regs which apply.
Generally, people converting older buses don't want to spend the money for the mechanical repairs and upgrades the law now requires you to do, then on top of that you have a conversion which has to meet current standards and guidleines.

Have you noticed, there is a lot of advertising about for example Winnebago but you don't see many if any newly renovated busses. The market is capitalising on the current state of play.
I worked for a bus/coach company for a while and they can't sell busses for conversion anymore because no one wants them, or rather they can afford to buy them but can't afford fulfilling the regulatory requirements.
Worse still. You still have an old vehicle as the base of your conversion and all authorities are trying to get rid of older polluting vehicles and have them off the roads.

Ross M

Christine,
Have a look in the classifieds at a bus that has been converted.

Looking at what has been done to it I believe it would be a great buy.

Also I notice it is in SE Qld.

Happy travels.

Hi Christine,

My brother was going to do what you suggest.
He was looking at a low kilometre import from Japan, already right hand drive.

He decided to import one from America instead and he now regrets that decission as it has taken much more time and brain power to convert the American motorhome from left hand drive to right hand drive.
We have been working on it for 2 years now as there are all sorts of engineering hoops to jump through not to mention regulatory hoops.
Not to mention the blind alleys you go up when you are prototyping.

If he were doing it all again he assures me he would go with the Japanese import.

He didn't go with the Japanese unit at the time as there are certain regs in NSW which meant the overhang at the back was too long. He could have had that rectified and engineer certified for around $12,000 at the time. Several years ago.

In hind sight it would have been the better option.

The brother informs me that in NSW, at least, all you need do is install a bed, a fridge and a sink and it qualifies as a motor home for rego purposes. "so he informs me".
Any further fitout is optional and at the discretion of the owner. Keeping an eye on weight of course.

You may be lucky and get a converted bus nearly completed where someone has gone cold on the project, I have seen many but I would not take them on, but now and again a reasonable one comes along, although they are few and far between, in my experience.

There is a mob in northern NSW or southern QLD who do the Japanese importing. A check of the web might shed some light.

My preference is a 4 wheel drive and a caravan large enough for my needs. That way you have a runabout when the van is parked up in a van park.
But, each to his own.

Cheers, Bruce

We are currently doing a bus in SA. and enjoying the challenge. It isnt a quick project by any means but we will get the bus we want and will suit our family and needs. We looked at ones already done and couldnt find one that suited. So here we are.
Good luck with your choices.
Penny

A friend of mine bought an old Mercedes coach in Canberra, drove it across the nation to Perth and converted it to a nice traveling home.

The first thing he said he would different next time, is 'buy a square framed coach'. His is rounded, and has made the fitting out much more difficult.

Tim