Quite serious this, for me at least. I've been thinking of buying an old bus and turning it into a motorhome. It's been on my mind for a couple of years, and with the general skills I've got I reckon I could do a pretty decent job. I've even worked out which type of bus to get so that I can fit a bike inside without encroaching on space too much. But just lately I've been looking at my lifestyle, and wondering if I could live on a bus full time. I'm terminally single for one thing, don't have any ties other than work, I don't really earn a lot and I don't have a pension. So I'm gonna need to think seriously about saving money in the (fairly near) future - and not paying rent or a mortgage would save a serious amount of money. There are some things I haven't thought about yet, like where I can park it, composting toilet or black water system - and where do I get rid of the waste? Sensible solutions for heating, power, communication, somewhere to pick my post up... Just wondered if any of you own a motorhome and could offer any suggestions..?
Parking a bus anywhere is going to be an issue. You won't be able to register it without telling DVLA your fleet number and the associated over night parking location. It's the same reason I don't go for a over 3.5 Ton van.
It won't be a bus, it'll be a motorhome. Getting those details changed is relatively easy, if time-consuming.
Good luck with your endeavours, @figaro it sounds very exciting! @El Toro - if fig is successful, can you please ban him? We don't need his kind here on a Ducati Forum :Meh:
Fig I have some mates who are both alternative types, and have huge motorhomes, as well as normal type houses. They both rent their houses out most of the year which more than funds their exotic lifestyle. They are both motorcyclists. One of them tows a small car on a trailer behind the motorhome. They both spend most of the year travelling and live the life of Riley. One issue which would concern me though is security, as it's virtually impossible to prevent a determined thief breaking in! When they are back in the U.K they plot up on a beautiful camp site at the base of the South downs, and plug into mains lecky and water, I think it costs them about £10/day You would love it, especially the bare knuckle fighting.
My brother lived on a pair of narrowboats in Watford for years - they were always incredibly warm and had a log burner - Also had a mate who dug a home in the side of some random bank in the country side Anyway good luck / you may even make it into a series on Chanel 4
Some 'hippy type' friends of mine bought an old double decker bus that had been used for a children's charity............already painted bright yellow with large flowers all over it........... Stripped the insides and fitted a woodburner, toilet facilities and secure doors etc..........and off they went on a permanent venture to Wales to join a self sufficient community......... .....but withing a very short time they were back in the area parking up on side roads near supermarkets; always getting moved on and stopped by Plod........ ......as far as I am aware they haven't been seen in the last two years or more and I suspect they have given it up and are renting a flat somewhere......
a fella in the village bought one of these parked it next to his boundary with a holiday home after the owners of the holiday home made objections to him building a garage NEXT to his own house. that will learn em, no ware near as pretty as this one.
The last thing that is on Billy Burglars mind is "which diddycoy site shall I break into next?"...I wish they did as they'd be a lot less of them.
If you are looking for a driver @Chris has some experience. the 'Anyone going to Boxhill today?' thread | Page 267 | Ducati Forum
i bought my Blackbird off a bloke living in a camper, I think that's what got me thinking about it in the first place. He was forced into it after a messy divorce; by the time I met him he was 2 years into it and still loving it. He had a proper camper, but what put me off it was that he had to tow his bike behind him on a trailer - he tried to sell me the trailer as well as the bike cos he was sick to death of towing it everywhere, and was knocking bikes on the head - something I'm not prepared to do. My reasoning behind converting a bus is simple; big single-decker buses generally have double doors at the front, have lowering suspension and a ramp for loading old codgers, and are cheap - from as little as £2000. The idea is to ride the bike into the bus...no, wait...and onto an improvised dolly which can be used to manoeuvre the bike wherever. Trust me on this, it'll work. And even with a bike on board there's still loads of space to build comfy living quarters. The downsides to this type of bus is lack of storage space under the bus for tanks, compressor, aircon...I did mention the aircon didn't I..? Anyway, it's all a pipe dream at the moment cos I haven't got the money to buy a shit bus, never mind the materials to make it home. But it's coming; giving up smoking is finally starting to pay off and I find myself with money still in the bank at the end of the month (first time ever in my life), and I can get the bulk of the materials at cut prices cos I have trade accounts at loads of places. First thing to do is start looking at proper campers to see how they're laid out, and then start looking at buses to work out how much dosh will get me a decent one. No rush though, I've got a good few years to research and save.
A guy who owned a pub near us built one from a coach. He used the side luggage compartments to fit his fresh and waste water. The back of the bus was cut off and put on big hinges and the whole thing lifted up so he could get 2 bikes in and all the tools he needed. He got a cheap kitchen from B and Q and fitted that and at the back inside in front of the "garage" was the toilet and shower. The bed was between the kitchen and shower. He made the seating in the kitchen double up as extra beds. What he put in weighed half the weight of the seats and other stuff he took out
