Hi all, new to this but could someone please advise if there is a lot of difference between a 40 ft or a 48 ft bus for availability of camping sites around this great country. 2 of us want to live and travel full time
Mike Harding said
03:47 PM Apr 9, 2021
I think the least of your issues will be 8' of bus.
Watch, listen, learn and ask - living on the road can be a great lifestyle (2.5 years so far for me) but there are many ups and downs.
If you are going to *live* in it as opposed to holiday in it then I suggest a caravan every time, in a bus or the like you instantly become homeless if the (eg) oil pump fails. Consider carefully.
bgt said
03:53 PM Apr 9, 2021
Where can you get a 48ft bus? My understanding is that longer suburban buses are over width. But that may have changed.
We had a 40ft bus conversion. It had a GVM of #55000. 4.3mtr high and we towed. I can tell you now very few campgrounds will fit you in. Lots of 'free' camping sites will also be a struggle. We spent way to many nights in rest areas and truck stops. With a towed vehicle you need to be sure your bus is safe if you go out for a day trip. Showgrounds will be your best bet.
-- Edited by bgt on Friday 9th of April 2021 03:53:37 PM
Whenarewethere said
04:05 PM Apr 9, 2021
At one camping ground we were at there was a large bus and a mechanic turned up to look at it. Probably a good idea to do an apprenticeship on bus mechanics.
Peter_n_Margaret said
04:46 PM Apr 9, 2021
The bigger they are, the fewer places you can go.
With unlimited time you need to be able to go to as many places as possible and to stay where and when you choose for as long as possible.
Faced with the same questions, we chose to go 4WD, as small as possible (6m), to carry maximum water (300L) and not to tow anything. We can go anywhere that any 4WD can go and stay for extended periods.
Any vehicle can break down (including caravans) but the problems suggested are overstated. There is always a simple solution, but the bigger a vehicle is, the more limited are the recovery options.
Are you intending to buy something or do your own conversion?
Cheers,
Peter
bgt said
05:04 PM Apr 9, 2021
Peter's right. The bigger you go the less options you have. But there are up sides. We carried 1000ltr of water and 1000ltr of waste. Lots of batteries and plenty if solar. Plug a big generator. But that only meant we are comfortable where we are. There were lots of places you can't park a 22ton bus towing a 4x4.
Decide what you want to do them pick the RV that suits that life style.
kdazz said
06:36 PM Apr 9, 2021
Thanks to all replies. Do most parks take 30 ft ?
48ft is a Scania for sale near Townsville.
Nice rig Guru, did you do the fitout yourself ?
kdazz said
06:47 PM Apr 9, 2021
Hi Peter, I would buy already done if I found the right one but could do the fitout myself if needed. Just need to choose the right setup.
Peter_n_Margaret said
07:07 PM Apr 9, 2021
I would never choose to convert a bus to a motorhome.
There are many aspects that are far from ideal like windows being the wrong type and in the wrong place, door likewise, walls that are not square to the floor or ceiling, floor complications, lousy or no insulation etc etc (they are all different of course). But the job can be much bigger and more complex than many expect. There are a lot of unfinished bus projects scattered around the country.
Our OKA was factory built as a 13 seat bus. The first thing I did was remove the bus body and start fresh from the chassis. That way it was the width and height I needed, it was built with good insulation and the windows and doors were all exactly where I wanted them and the type I wanted. Building the "box" is the easy part, but its design can make the rest very easy or very hard.
I would never choose a 2WD vehicle. A 4WD will take you to many more places and something on a light truck chassis will do so with plenty of ability to carry supplies and toys. www.gumtree.com.au/s-caravans-campervans/4x4+motorhome/k0c18374
Cheers,
Peter
bgt said
09:48 AM Apr 10, 2021
Kdaaz check the 48ft length. Things may have changed but it was 12mtr max then they changed it to 13mtr. Check that it's not a suburban bus that's been converted. They can be over width. They may also be speed limited, gears and diff, so limited to 80 kph.
We converted a bus. Under the skin was a LOT of rust. Lots of new framing. Has the roof been raised? Has it got all the engineering certificates? Be very skeptical. it may be a bargain. Then again....
Aus-Kiwi said
10:12 AM Apr 10, 2021
If want that size and luxury go for it . Your possibly not interested Going off the black road anyway ! Theres plenty to see and live on the way ! I had a concerted 9.5m Fuso . The bought Winnebago Explorer . In many ways the Fuso was a better vehicle . Buses are designed to be pretty much fixed on the road . The old bus was sold to friend who recently fitted all new double sided insulated sheeting on sides to replace windows . It didnt cost much . For an 1985 vehicle it was maintenance now will last another 20 -30 years .
Whenarewethere said
06:39 PM Apr 10, 2021
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
If want that size and luxury go for it.
The best bus we saw was in Italy while we were camping in a Macpac tent.... the other end of the spectrum..... but the tent did cost us close to a $1k in the early 90s!
The owner of the bus returned in his Mini. With remote control in hand opened the garage door on the rear of the bus.
Another button raised the front of the bus about half a metre so the rear was low enough to winch the Mini into the back.
The only issue he had was when leaving the camp ground someone had to tie a rope to the boom gate to pull it back a bit further so the bus could get out.
Peter_n_Margaret said
07:34 PM Apr 10, 2021
Friends of ours owned this.
They lived in it full time with 2 sons who were both studying university on line at the time.
Once the boys had completed their uni studies and had become independent, they sold the bus and purchased this.
Here's our effort. 22 tons of tour bus designed for outback touring. We towed a Rodeo 4x4. The bus was so tall and so heavy that I could bog it anywhere. And I did! But it had a dual tag that could be lifted for tight turns and to put more weight on the drive wheels. Then into granny gear and it always walked/crawled out.
It was a great unit. But as I mentioned above finding a safe place to park was always an issue. We would phone a campground and they would say "yeah sure we can fit you in". Then when we turned up they changed their minds. Big is great but big can also be a PITA.
-- Edited by bgt on Saturday 10th of April 2021 08:21:24 PM
I've had an Iveco Daily 4 x4, a F350 with a large Bigfoot camper on the back, 3 different Class C motorhomes ranging from 6m to 7.5m, a 35 foot Class A motorhome, a 40 foot tag axle bus conversion and a 35 foot bus conversion and still have 4 of them.
Can't really say one is better than another because they are so different but in the end, big is better if you are going to be full time.
Currently in a 35 foot towing a gypsy trailer and while we prefer free camping, we also use campsites when the weather is hot and we need to run the air conditioners. In the last year, I don't recall one campground or caravan park in 4 states that we couldn't get into with the trailer still hooked up - but of course we would never go into a big 4 or similar with sardine-tin spacing
Tony LEE said
12:43 PM Apr 11, 2021
Be aware that many states require annual medicals to drive a heavy vehicle and that can mean anything over 4500kg.
SA starts at 70, NSW at 75, and there are also safety inspections required in quld and nsw
Peter_n_Margaret said
12:47 PM Apr 11, 2021
Tony LEE wrote:
Be aware that many states require annual medicals to drive a heavy vehicle and that can mean anything over 4500kg. SA starts at 70, NSW at 75, and there are also safety inspections required in quld and nsw
The extent of the medical in SA depends on the rating. HR is more extensive than MR which is more extensive than LR which is fairly simple and bulk billed by our GP.
Cheers,
Peter
bgt said
01:13 PM Apr 11, 2021
I just renewed my HR. I'm under 70 and in QLD. The only requirement over a normal license was a test for peripheral sight. But in 5 years will be over 70 and no idea if I will try to keep the HR license. But it's something many don't consider.
kdazz said
03:24 PM Apr 11, 2021
Thanks for all the advice. I think I will look at 30ft bus or large 5th wheel unit ???
Appreciate all the comments.
bgt said
03:50 PM Apr 11, 2021
kdazz 30ft is a good compromise. If we were to start over I would target 30ft as the sweet spot.
Aus-Kiwi said
07:35 PM Apr 11, 2021
Was ultra confused for a while !! I thought I read caption as bust size !!
Is it large enough ?? Like I said if you go large ? Make it worthwhile and go the whole hog !! lol is that hubbies quarters being towed ?? Lol
bgt said
04:21 PM Apr 13, 2021
We were large enough. On a narrow road in Tassie we encountered a low bridge. "Er folks just wait would you while I unhook the 4x4 and do a 99 point turn in the bus". Not funny.
Hi all, new to this but could someone please advise if there is a lot of difference between a 40 ft or a 48 ft bus for availability of camping sites around this great country. 2 of us want to live and travel full time
I think the least of your issues will be 8' of bus.
Watch, listen, learn and ask - living on the road can be a great lifestyle (2.5 years so far for me) but there are many ups and downs.
If you are going to *live* in it as opposed to holiday in it then I suggest a caravan every time, in a bus or the like you instantly become homeless if the (eg) oil pump fails. Consider carefully.
Where can you get a 48ft bus? My understanding is that longer suburban buses are over width. But that may have changed.
We had a 40ft bus conversion. It had a GVM of #55000. 4.3mtr high and we towed. I can tell you now very few campgrounds will fit you in. Lots of 'free' camping sites will also be a struggle. We spent way to many nights in rest areas and truck stops. With a towed vehicle you need to be sure your bus is safe if you go out for a day trip. Showgrounds will be your best bet.
-- Edited by bgt on Friday 9th of April 2021 03:53:37 PM
At one camping ground we were at there was a large bus and a mechanic turned up to look at it. Probably a good idea to do an apprenticeship on bus mechanics.
With unlimited time you need to be able to go to as many places as possible and to stay where and when you choose for as long as possible.
Faced with the same questions, we chose to go 4WD, as small as possible (6m), to carry maximum water (300L) and not to tow anything. We can go anywhere that any 4WD can go and stay for extended periods.
Any vehicle can break down (including caravans) but the problems suggested are overstated. There is always a simple solution, but the bigger a vehicle is, the more limited are the recovery options.
Are you intending to buy something or do your own conversion?
Cheers,
Peter
48ft is a Scania for sale near Townsville.
Nice rig Guru, did you do the fitout yourself ?
There are many aspects that are far from ideal like windows being the wrong type and in the wrong place, door likewise, walls that are not square to the floor or ceiling, floor complications, lousy or no insulation etc etc (they are all different of course). But the job can be much bigger and more complex than many expect. There are a lot of unfinished bus projects scattered around the country.
Our OKA was factory built as a 13 seat bus. The first thing I did was remove the bus body and start fresh from the chassis. That way it was the width and height I needed, it was built with good insulation and the windows and doors were all exactly where I wanted them and the type I wanted. Building the "box" is the easy part, but its design can make the rest very easy or very hard.
I would never choose a 2WD vehicle. A 4WD will take you to many more places and something on a light truck chassis will do so with plenty of ability to carry supplies and toys.
www.gumtree.com.au/s-caravans-campervans/4x4+motorhome/k0c18374
Cheers,
Peter
The best bus we saw was in Italy while we were camping in a Macpac tent.... the other end of the spectrum..... but the tent did cost us close to a $1k in the early 90s!
The owner of the bus returned in his Mini. With remote control in hand opened the garage door on the rear of the bus.
Another button raised the front of the bus about half a metre so the rear was low enough to winch the Mini into the back.
The only issue he had was when leaving the camp ground someone had to tie a rope to the boom gate to pull it back a bit further so the bus could get out.
Friends of ours owned this.
They lived in it full time with 2 sons who were both studying university on line at the time.
Once the boys had completed their uni studies and had become independent, they sold the bus and purchased this.
Cheers,
Peter
Here's our effort. 22 tons of tour bus designed for outback touring. We towed a Rodeo 4x4. The bus was so tall and so heavy that I could bog it anywhere. And I did! But it had a dual tag that could be lifted for tight turns and to put more weight on the drive wheels. Then into granny gear and it always walked/crawled out.
It was a great unit. But as I mentioned above finding a safe place to park was always an issue. We would phone a campground and they would say "yeah sure we can fit you in". Then when we turned up they changed their minds. Big is great but big can also be a PITA.
-- Edited by bgt on Saturday 10th of April 2021 08:21:24 PM
The extent of the medical in SA depends on the rating. HR is more extensive than MR which is more extensive than LR which is fairly simple and bulk billed by our GP.
Cheers,
Peter
Appreciate all the comments.
Let not muck about!
://www.doityourselfrv.com/derbus-largest-luxury-motorcoach/#:~:text=This%20double%20decker%2C%2028%20ton%20bus%20is%20officially,this%20bus%20remodel%20over%20the%20last%20several%20years.
This is a nice size