I bought a coach!

Resident said:
Not to blow my own trumpet but I sorta already had some skill in that.

I passed my PCV with 3 minors after only 12hrs of driver training (don't worry there was 3 weeks more afterwards)
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I passed mine in 2 weeks, also 3 minors :D 12 hours on the road as well, then 4 weeks route learning. I formerly passed my Driving Instructor Road Drive error free. Don't get me wrong, I think we are generally good drivers to start with, you cannot go into Bus Driving with bad habits or road rage, you wouldn't last a week (and many don't).
 
Latest update below, finally have the seats collected and started to get on with deconstruction, behind the scenes more tool purchases (heavy duty ratchet wire cutters, dremel kit, Pocket Hole jig, Soldering station) and Ordering Plumbing and wiring parts along with timber and 32x 280AH LiFePO4 prismatic cells (29kwh) on the slow train from China, other than the coach, the Battery Bank is the "single" most expensive part of the build.


 
Acme said:
Coach life eh.
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Confidence is a preference for the habitual converter of what is known as
(Coach live)
And morning soup can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as
(Coach live)
John's got brewer's droop he gets intimidated by the upset neighbours, they love a bit of coach parking
(Coach live)
Who's that gut lord marching, you should cut down on your porklife mate, get some exercise
All the coach seats
So many coach seats
And they all get removed hand-in-hand
Hand-in-hand through their coach life
Know what I mean?
I get up when I want except on Wednesdays when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen
(Coach live)
I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea and I think about leaving the house
(Coach live)
I feed the pigeons, I sometimes feed the sparrows too
It gives me a sense of enormous well-being…
 
Love this, subbed to your channel for updates. Since lockdown started last year the interest in alternative living has skyrocketed, you can see it on youtube channels about van conversions, canal boats, tiny off grid homes etc. Load of sudden interest and new channels popping up. Your coach conversion isn't much different to a canal boat interior, you might find some ideas from those as they've been working on maximising the space inside for a long time now. Some of them have done the projector idea as well, suits the narrow space and feels pretty cinematic.

What are the legalities of living on a bus then in the future? I take it you have to keep on moving from site to site, I know you said about travelling around Europe so guess they all have different rules. I think the UK is pretty strict on sleeping in vehicles in car parks / roadsides etc maybe other countries are more lenient. This could be a way to solve the housing crisis, buy a bit of land, stick a converted coach on it and when you get bored drive somewhere else. Or am I just describing travellers :p
 
Puzzled said:
Love this, subbed to your channel for updates. Since lockdown started last year the interest in alternative living has skyrocketed, you can see it on youtube channels about van conversions, canal boats, tiny off grid homes etc. Load of sudden interest and new channels popping up. Your coach conversion isn't much different to a canal boat interior, you might find some ideas from those as they've been working on maximising the space inside for a long time now. Some of them have done the projector idea as well, suits the narrow space and feels pretty cinematic.

What are the legalities of living on a bus then in the future? I take it you have to keep on moving from site to site, I know you said about travelling around Europe so guess they all have different rules. I think the UK is pretty strict on sleeping in vehicles in car parks / roadsides etc maybe other countries are more lenient. This could be a way to solve the housing crisis, buy a bit of land, stick a converted coach on it and when you get bored drive somewhere else. Or am I just describing travellers :p
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I saw the alternate living process start a while back and have been planning this build for more than 6 years, 1st job was getting my PSV licence which I did by joining First Bus, I could move on now but kinda enjoy the job apart from the odd stressy passenger. I watch as many Bus/Coach/Van/Boat conversion videos as I can, they are a wealth of useful information and ideas.

So far I have discovered that the insulation on the coach is way better than most, ie rather than glassfibre it is proper foam panels with a silver reflective side, so there will be no need to replace this, just add to it where needed like under the floor.

The basic layout will be very similar to a canal boat but definitely roomier and with huge amounts of locker space under it which can be used to good effect.


Datamonkey said:
Great work buddy, subbed.

Keep us updated, love builds like this.
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Thanks, appreciated.



Latest update.
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Keep screwing with my head this build seeing as Beestons are the local bsu company to me (do all the school runs etc).
I keep thinking this is in the local area and keep thinking to ask to come round for a brew and a proper look doh
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LMAO Yeah that must play havoc with your head :D Although lockdown innit!
 
Dr Who said:
I saw the alternate living process start a while back and have been planning this build for more than 6 years, 1st job was getting my PSV licence which I did by joining First Bus, I could move on now but kinda enjoy the job apart from the odd stressy passenger. I watch as many Bus/Coach/Van/Boat conversion videos as I can, they are a wealth of useful information and ideas.

So far I have discovered that the insulation on the coach is way better than most, ie rather than glassfibre it is proper foam panels with a silver reflective side, so there will be no need to replace this, just add to it where needed like under the floor.

The basic layout will be very similar to a canal boat but definitely roomier and with huge amounts of locker space under it which can be used to good effect.
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Size wise you are probably closer to a widebeam canal boat and some of those look stunning inside with some really clever storage ideas. Technology has also moved on a lot recently in terms of battery storage, more efficient electronics and different waste options for toilets so I'm in no doubt that you can make yourself a really nice living space. How is the head height inside, will you need to lower the floor to make it more comfortable?

I guess the big difference between this and a canal boat is the logistics of where you can keep it. What are the legalities of parking up a coach, are you limited to parking on camping / caravan sites?
 
Puzzled said:
Size wise you are probably closer to a widebeam canal boat and some of those look stunning inside with some really clever storage ideas. Technology has also moved on a lot recently in terms of battery storage, more efficient electronics and different waste options for toilets so I'm in no doubt that you can make yourself a really nice living space. How is the head height inside, will you need to lower the floor to make it more comfortable?

I guess the big difference between this and a canal boat is the logistics of where you can keep it. What are the legalities of parking up a coach, are you limited to parking on camping / caravan sites?
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My power system is insane, 29KWH is more than enough for a small house, but in reality it will mean as they degrade (which will happen more slowly based on the size of their cycle window and the fact I can keep them between 20 and 80% charged) they will have plenty of headroom left. Power is going to be so important it is one area I refused to cheap out. Top quality Victron inverter and all other associated electrics the only exception being I am building my own battery with highly rated cells from a repeatedly good supplier. A composting toilet is definitely going to be infinitely nicer to live with than black tanks, it is akin to emptying cat litter only less smelly, specially with my cat! I was going to spray foam insulate the whole bus, but now I am going to leave the walls and roof as they are, as the existing insulation is very high quality and is silver foil coated (30mm thick as well), so I will just be using a vapour barrier on that and use spray foam only on the floor (of which I am currently deciding on whether I keep the cargo area ambient or heated/temperature controlled (spray under the cabin floor or inside all the locker doors and partitions) That will be decided once I have made the final decision on where I site the fresh water and batteries.

At the moment all I can really focus on is deconstruction, once I have decided what is staying and what is going then I can make proper plans, well that and buying more tools as I go on.

I am 6'5" so I could raise it up, but in reality, other than when cooking, you're rarely on your feet inside, so I will manage with the inch less than I actually need. I can park and stay overnight in a layby, in many public spaces, but abroad the situation is slightly better, so will be looking to take advantage of the EU as much as possible, plus many places in the EU are cheaper for many things.
 
Dr Who said:
I am 6'5" so I could raise it up, but in reality, other than when cooking, you're rarely on your feet inside, so I will manage with the inch less than I actually need.
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This would worry me a bit - if your going to be staying in there long term not being able to stand up fully would get annoying, as you say especially when your cooking. No option of dropping the floor an inch or two, or even having some lower sections in the bathroom & kitchen say? Now is the easiest point to fix that problem...
 
Sounds good, looking forward to future updates.

I would seriously think about the height though, being able to stand up straight does make quite a difference when you are staying somewhere for a while. I was far more comfortable in a canal boat with a bit of extra height so I wasn't constantly having to duck or have a kinked neck. After a few days I was pretty tired of it, next one had ample head room to spare and it made a big difference.
 
Siliconslave said:
This would worry me a bit - if your going to be staying in there long term not being able to stand up fully would get annoying, as you say especially when your cooking. No option of dropping the floor an inch or two, or even having some lower sections in the bathroom & kitchen say? Now is the easiest point to fix that problem...
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The only option is roof raise as the floor is mounted on the main chassis structure which would require even more surgery. I am pretty used to stooping so it won't bother me, it is only 1 inch too low in outdoor shoes . Because the ceiling is flush, no beams or anything lower than the ceiling, it is not like I am banging my head, just a slight brush of the hair. The work involved with gaining a few inches and the extra costs just make it pointless imho, and compromise the structural strength.
 
Another productive day, overhead lockers are now all out and it was a total ***** of a job.

Have got myself some new Projector beam headlights and clear indicators for collection tomorrow.





Also need to organise a Skip tomorrow to dump all my junk in. Just a few panels inside to come out then on with the build.


 
Great work so far. Any plans to put solar panels n the roof? It has a massive area so perfect for it?
 
Hades said:
Great work so far. Any plans to put solar panels n the roof? It has a massive area so perfect for it?
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Absolutely, 6x 495w Mono Perc Panels 1.13x2.1m each, so nearly 3kw in total. Battery Bank is 32x 280AH Eve LiFePO4 cells wired 4p8s for a total of 1120AH at 25.6v nominal or 29kwh. Plenty of headroom for charging on sunny days and plenty of power for a few days without sun.
 
Dr Who said:
I saw the alternate living process start a while back and have been planning this build for more than 6 years, 1st job was getting my PSV licence which I did by joining First Bus, I could move on now but kinda enjoy the job apart from the odd stressy passenger. I watch as many Bus/Coach/Van/Boat conversion videos as I can, they are a wealth of useful information and ideas.

So far I have discovered that the insulation on the coach is way better than most, ie rather than glassfibre it is proper foam panels with a silver reflective side, so there will be no need to replace this, just add to it where needed like under the floor.

The basic layout will be very similar to a canal boat but definitely roomier and with huge amounts of locker space under it which can be used to good effect.




Thanks, appreciated.



Latest update.
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Impressive progress clearing out the upper deck.

Those seating rail systems - do you really have to grind out what must be hundreds of rivets, or could those rails be of use for securing future things in the bus? Seems like an enormous amount of work to get rid of, and then need to find another method of securing things?
 
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