Vintage Double Decker Bus Becomes a Perfect Home on Wheels

They don't make them like they used to. That cliche is so true, especially when it comes to beautiful old vehicles. And today we're about to tour an exquisite vintage bus from the 1960s that has been lovingly transformed into an incredible home on wheels. Hi Kim, it's lovely to meet you. Lovely to meet you, Bryce. Hey Ted, how's it going mate? Excellent, how are you? Very well, thank you. It is such a pleasure to be here and this is just so cool. I know, isn't it? What a bus! This thing just looks absolutely incredible. And just looking at this, you can tell this bus has a lot of history. Oh yeah, definitely. It's a 1966 Scottish-built Atlantean. We have all the tenders and all the stuff, how it was built. Incredible. How on earth did this end up in Australia? It was imported over here by a gentleman that lives in Nowra in 2014. And it was brought over on a ship and then it was parked up in his backyard for nine years with a tarp over it. Kim discovered it. On Gumtree. On Gumtree of all places. We decided we were going to go travelling and originally we bought just a normal bus and I decided it wasn't big enough so I said I'm going to go buy a double-decker bus. And I went on Gumtree and I found this. She was beautiful and amazing. I don't think any vehicles have the kind of character that these beautiful vintage vehicles do. There's just something about these kind of buses. The moment that you look at them, you know this is something special and it just carries that history and that vintage beauty. Yes, there are only 25 of this particular model made. Really? And this is the only working one left in the world. So it's really special. Yeah. And she drives beautifully. She only pots along at 80km an hour because she's beautiful. People don't always like us on the freeway. And what was it that inspired you to do all of this? Ted decided we wanted to go travelling. He said let's buy a bus. I said okay, let's do it. And she certainly came for challenges but we met all the challenges and we created a beautiful space. You certainly have. And you're no stranger to projects. Before this, you had built a beautiful shipping container home, hadn't you? We did. Three rusty old containers. Ted operated an amazing space. Yeah, we started from the ground. I cleared the area where we were going to build the home. Mixed all the concrete and a mixer. Nine and a half cubic metres of all the stumps that we had to set the containers on. And then processed the building, the whole thing. So he built it and designed it in five months. Wow. And it's 120 square metres. So not a small project. No. It's quite big. All recycled materials. Yeah, all recycled materials. The containers, people look at them and go, those rusty old bloody things. But they all had beautiful floorboards in the bottom, back from the 60s. So they were perfect. And all we had to do was lightly sand them and oil them. It was just brilliant. So you had beautiful timber floors. And then you've carried all of that experience into this project. And I can really see just how lovingly you have restored this bus. When we actually purchased it, half the paint was missing off the side of it. Every window, apart from the front window, was leaking. So we had to strip it all back to bare metal. Then replace all the rubbers. It was a full-on job. And the tricky part was sourcing the rubbers, because they don't make these old rubbers anymore. Of course. So then we had to find someone to make them for us. Wow. Unfortunately, it was cheaper for us to have them made in England and shipped here than to have them made in Australia. That somehow doesn't surprise me. So because the bus is so low, Ted designed and built stainless steel water tanks and fit them into the chassis. The standard ones you could buy wouldn't fit. And so he stripped it down, fitted the water tanks in, then put the floor on top. Yeah. And when you got the bus, it still had all of its original seats and everything in it. So you've had to fit out all of the interior as well, haven't you? Yes, upstairs and downstairs. And one of the things that I love about what you've done here is just how much of the original character that you've kept on the bus. You see at the front, it's still got its original signs and all of that. How special. Yes. We repainted her in the original colours. So this is her original Scottish colours. And then we also replicated all the decals. So everything on the bus is as it was originally. Because the history is important to us. It certainly is. And you have added some modern features, though. I see all the solar panels that you've added to the roof. Yes, they were all secured on the beams in the roof structure so that it's all solid there, never going to be blown off with the wind or whatever. All the solar panels, there's eight solar panels, which gives us about nine kilowatts of backup battery power that we've got. And it works brilliant. We've got air conditioning upstairs and downstairs, so recycle, and it runs that perfectly. And it was useful that they were secured properly because we were on the edge of a cyclone last year. Right. After 140km winds and nothing moved. Even the bus did not move. She's a 10-ton bus and she did not move. That's very reassuring. Well, that's a great test for her. And for us. Yeah, absolutely. And you've been travelling around in this, haven't you? Yes, about 2,500km we've done in the last 18 months. What's she like to travel in? Oh, great. I love it because, you know, you're cruising along and, you know, there's cars that line up behind you and then I get somewhere to pull over and then they all go past and they're all taking photos and doing all that stuff, you know. So, yeah, and tooting the horn. You know, the men in trucks, they toot their horns when you're driving along. They just, yeah. I think the best thing driving along, you see the smiles on people's faces. Yeah. When you're driving and they just turn around and they're looking and they're just smiling. It's real pleasure. And right now you are parked up long term on a site as well though and this is a great parking spot you've found. We are a bit fortunate. We're on top of a hill with views of the mountains and a beautiful spot on the Sunshine Coast. And quiet. How did you find this place? We found it on Grey Nomad Caretakers on Facebook. It's a page that has over 80,000 members and there are people all over Australia doing the same things we are. So people put a little ad up and you respond and then you get incredible places to live like this. Wow. What a cool idea. Our previous spot was a rainforest. We lived in the rainforest for a few months this year and before that on the Whitsundays on a private beach. So life doesn't get much better. It's pretty good. I will say so. Yeah, that sounds incredible and what a cool idea for that website as well because as you say, there'd be so many people who have sold up their homes and they're travelling around as nomads in retirement. What a phenomenal website connecting people like that with landowners. Yeah, it's wonderful. It is wonderful. Yeah. And you get so much versatility of where you can stay. The options are endless really. So the bus is 10 tonne. What size is it? It's about 4.3 metres at the top of the solar panels and it's all built out of aluminium. Yep. The frame and all that but underneath obviously is a steel chassis and the engine's actually positioned in the back of the bus. Yeah. So you get all that space where a lot of buses have the engine in the front or they have them in the middle. Yeah, so this one's very unique. Yeah. And being made of aluminium as well that must give you a little bit of peace of mind as well especially when you're parking up next to beaches next to the ocean. Yeah. Oh yeah, definitely. Yeah, she doesn't rust. She won't rust. Yeah. They don't make them like they used to, do they? No. Oh no. No, she's a quality build. Yeah, absolutely. Cool to see that you've got the escape hatches and the extra doors as well. Yes. Wonderful for airflow. We open them up for airflow but also just a lovely feature. Yeah. Well already from the outside I think this could absolutely be the most charming bus I have ever laid my eyes on and I cannot wait to see how you fit it out on the inside. Can we take a look? Let's go. All right. This is just so cool. I love how you've packed this with just so much eclectic character. Yes, we have a passion for old furniture, antique furniture and also we wanted to show people that you don't have to do builds inside that you can actually put furniture into a bus and travel. Yeah. A lot of people said, no, you couldn't do it. Yeah, a lot of people actually. And I said, oh, where's everything go when you're traveling? I said, well, it's all bolted down. Yeah. And of course, with such a big bus you didn't have a weight issue, right? So it's not like you needed to build in a whole lot of lightweight furniture. You're able to use these beautiful big chunky timber pieces. I sort of calculated the weights if they had passengers in it. So we took all the seats out with the seats in it's around about eight ton and it's still under nine and a half ton. Yeah. With all our furniture and everything, you know. Yeah. And I think you're so right about that. It's great to know that you don't have to go to the extent of putting in all of the built-in furniture and everything and doing it this way as well has just allowed you to carry so much more of that feeling of history. It's almost like walking into an antique shop that's inside this beautiful vintage bus. It really fits the aesthetic of everything, doesn't it? It does. And it gives a beautiful feel to it as well. Yeah. It feels like home. Yeah. And I love the way that by doing this you've also been able to keep so much of the original character of the bus. The history is very important to us. So we wanted to keep as many features as possible. Even the bell when the bus is turned on works. Everything works. The signage rolls and changes. It works. And the ceiling is actually the original ceiling from the 60s. And the seats are the original? Original leather seats from the 60s as well. Because everything was quality back then. And we have the tender for the bus. So we have all the materials that was used. We have all the history for the bus, which is lovely. Yeah. And I love the way that you've done the kitchen in here as well. Again, using those beautiful chunky timbers. And that copper sink is absolutely exquisite. The cabinet is actually an antique Moroccan cabinet. And it fits all of Kim's cooking area. Things are in there perfectly. You know, the taps are all plumbed up. And it's all done professionally. Yeah. And it runs off a 12-volt pump. And we've got three tanks underneath. The two tanks fill up to about 240 litres. And it keeps us going. And we have a beautiful building stove. I chose this because it has a cast on top. So when you're not cooking, you have extra bench space, which is very important in the kitchen. And it's a double oven and works beautifully. Lovely. So I have everything you need in a small space. Yeah. The well pump is such a cool feature in there. Does that work? It doesn't work, unfortunately, because our plumber didn't want to cooperate with us on that. So we just added it as just a feature. Yeah. And it's from the 1890s. It used to be in our garden. Yes. So we wanted to bring part of our garden with us. This copper sink was also in our garden. It's an old Indian water pot. Wow. So those two pieces came from our garden. Brilliant. And how are you going for storage in here? Brilliant, because the cabinet is a Tibetan cabinet. And it's all original, antique. No nails. It's just a beautiful piece. And it fits all our plates and bowls and stuff like that. And then there's drawer space down the bottom as well. And then on this side is a full-size fridge. And then behind me is the pantry. And that's where we put all our food. Yeah. And behind you is actually your shower, isn't it? Yes. Behind those beautiful antique Indian doors, Ted created the shower space out of pressed metal from an old home in Bendigo. Right. Yeah. And we used an antique copper Indian base for the pan. Very clever how you've done that. It looks really nice. I absolutely love the way that you have done the dining table in this bus. Situating it right at the back of the bus, keeping the original leather chairs and everything just looks so good. Yeah. It sort of wasn't a part of the plan. I thought, I might as well have a dining room there. Why not? Anyway, and built the table. It was out of an old Indian doors that we turned upside down and made a dining table. And it's a beautiful dining area. Yeah. What an incredible space. The lighting in here is really beautiful as well. You've got some really, really nice pieces. Yes. The one that's just behind you there is from an old ship from the 1860s. And we had converted to the whole power. Used to have a little gas lamp in there. So turned it into a light that's at our entrance. This is an antique Chinese piece. Lights up the kitchen. And we also have the original lights. We wired. So they don't have to run when the bus is running. They just run off power. Great. So it gives us extra lighting when we need it. Most of the time we just light the lamps. Keep it atmospheric. Yes, exactly. Yeah. Very nice. And the old luggage storage area has been given a much more modern purpose, hasn't it? Oh yeah, definitely. And as you can see, it's our batteries and solar system all compacted in a little space underneath there. And then the inverters are actually on the wall behind it. So yeah, so it just fitted perfectly. The driver area up front just looks so cool. Again, you've just kept all of those original features. But it really does look like a bus from the 60s. What's the practicality of driving this like? Is it comfortable to drive? Yes. The original seat is just really comfortable. The steering wheel is nice and big. So you've got plenty of control. It's a semi-automatic four-speed and it has a power-assisted steering. It drives really nicely. And you've got control of the whole time. And it's all air-assisted braking. So you get warmer up in the morning, build the air up, and away you go. Yeah. I think the only modern feature there is that you've added the reversing camera. Yes. Yeah. So I can see who's coming behind me. And also then I can see where I'm going when I'm backing up. Yeah. So is the arguments as well. Oh yeah. And Kim, is this where you sit when the bus is moving? We are in the portrait position. We can sit in any of the seats. Yes, upstairs we have left-hand seat and also downstairs. Great. Well, I'm already just so enamored with what you've done down here. And I cannot wait to see what you've done on the second level. Can we have a look up there? Let's go. Cool. This is just so cool. I love that you've kept the original seat there as well. I think when this bus is moving, that's where I'd want to be seated. Yeah. Well, probably the best seat in the bus. Yeah. Yes, definitely. Yeah. It was important for us to keep that seat. We've wanted to fit more furniture and we'll put an extra fridge in there. We'll keep the seat. And perfect for someone to have the experience of traveling up the front. Yeah. Great choice. I know we don't really have many double-decker buses in New Zealand, but whenever I get the chance to go on one, I'm always trying to get exactly that seat. Because there's just something about being on the road and sitting so high up and looking down on everything that's going on around you. It's just really special, isn't it? And it also gives you that feeling that you're going to be there first before everybody else. Yeah. You don't have quite as much headroom up here, do you? No, but how many tiny homes have a lot of headroom upstairs? Because most people come up here to either sit on the lounge or to sleep. So we don't need to be standing up. Yeah, fair enough too. And behind me here, this is your toilet, isn't it? Yes, that's an electric toilet and it burns all the waste. So we didn't have to install any plumbing. And you can imagine how hard it would have been to try and get plumbing from upstairs to downstairs. Absolutely. Yeah. And I like that you've added that in the upstairs area as well, because it means if you need to use the restroom at night, it's a really easy access, which is a... That was part of the idea as well. Yeah. Lovely, very comfortable looking bed there as well. Yes, it's a beautiful deluxe queen mattress, which we managed to fit. Through the back window. Because it wasn't coming in any other way. Yeah, so we had about 50mm over the side of the bed, and it just slid straight in the back. And then you've got the very plush looking leather sofa too. Yes, well, we had to have some sort of comfort up here, and we had to actually pull out the side of the bus, the window out and a panel to get all the furniture up here. Yeah. One thing that I noticed about this is I don't see any window furnishings. You don't have any curtains or anything. No, we've decided that, you know, how can we actually fit curtains? Not really, and it's going to take away the character. Yeah. We got the windows tinted. Right. Yeah, so it's a 5% upstairs and 20% downstairs. Yeah, so it keeps the heat out and it looks nice. You know, you can look out and still see the view and not be blocked out by curtains. Yeah, and especially when you keep parking up in such beautiful private spaces. What do you want curtains for? Exactly. What is this thing here? That looks like an absolute treasure. That amazing piece is an antique Chinese picnic basket. Right. It has four levels and a pole would fit through the top, and the servants carry your very light picnic basket, the solid wood, incredibly heavy. Yeah, I have never seen one of those before. That's really cool. And I love that you've also been able to add these beautiful statues as well. Yes, that is a goddess Lakshmi. She's a bronze. She's a special piece to us that we just managed to find a little nook to fit her in. She is bolted down and doesn't move either. Great. Was it difficult to bolt all the furniture down and not get too much movement? No, not at all. I just made up some angles and then just bolted it to the floor and into the piece of furniture, and it still didn't take the character away from the furniture because it's down low and out of sight. Yeah. And again, all of this beautiful vintage furniture just gives you so much storage for all of your clothing and everything. It does. This lovely Chinese cabinet next to me is where we keep most of our clothing. Then we have a lot of space under the bed as well, so we put vacuum bags underneath there for any extra clothing. Yeah. And I love that you've got some of the original posters and advertising up here as well. That's so special. Yes, it was important to leave anything that was original and the signage was already here, so we left it as part of the history of the bus. Yeah, magic. And you've been living and traveling in this bus now for about two years, haven't you? Yes, that's correct. We just love it. It's been a wonderful adventure. And we can just pull up where we want, and if we don't like it there, we just move on. So it's really, really good. Yeah. And what's the practicality of this as a full-time home life? We haven't found any difficulties at all. We adjusted very quickly to living in the smaller space, and now we absolutely love it. And of course, being based here in Queensland as well, you've also got this wonderful weather and fantastic climate. I mean, this is really the perfect climate to be doing a project like this and to be living in a home like this, where you've also got such a wonderful connection to the outdoors. Yes, it really doesn't get much better than this part of Queensland. It has everything. Warm winters, slightly warm summers. But that's why we have air conditioning upstairs and downstairs. It works perfectly. Yeah. We love objects that have history. And when we saw this bus, we just instantly fell in love with her. And we were having her right or wrong, and we were just going to make it work. So we made it work. So we like a challenge and also an opportunity to create something that's already beautiful and making it more beautiful. So yeah, that's what inspires us. And I think the love that we put into it shows as well. This is such a unique project, and you've poured so much love into restoring the bus and then adding your wonderful collection of furniture. I cannot imagine that this would have been a cheap project. Not really, because we had a lot of furniture that came from our original home. Right. And we just sourced everything that we could to put this project together. And yes, as you can see, it's worked out beautiful. And it wasn't that expensive. Yeah. So what did this project actually cost to achieve? Originally, we purchased the bus for $65,000. Probably put $35,000 worth of furniture and fittings. And then also painting, solar system, all that. Yeah, probably another $30,000. So about $125,000 all up there. Wow. What an absolutely phenomenal result for that. Yes, definitely. And of course, all the love and care that we put into it, and that's paid off. Absolutely. But now, after two years living and travelling in your gorgeous bus, you're ready for a new adventure, aren't you? You want to build something new. Oh yeah, definitely. You know, we're not really sure yet, but we have got a few ideas in our portfolio that we want to achieve, yes. So we're ready to pass this beautiful project on to somebody else. Yeah. And to let somebody else enjoy this beautiful bus at home. Yeah. We are itching to do a new project. Yeah, sourcing the materials and everything. Again, it's just an adventure that we want to take on this. Yeah. Well, after the amazing shipping container home, after building this beautiful bus, I am very excited to see what you do next. We've got a few things in our portfolio that we want to achieve. So yeah, we were looking at train carriages and maybe doing one of those up. But we'll just see what comes along. Great. So do you just both love projects? You love the building of it more than the living in it? We love both. We love the creativity. We love enjoying the space. Yeah, love to create something that we can enjoy ourselves. And then later on down the track, we can pass it on to someone else who can enjoy it. Yeah. And look and see what we've done to make this a beautiful home. Yeah, absolutely. Well, I'm sure the next owners will absolutely love this because what you've created here is very special. Thank you both so much for sharing your wonderful home with me. Pleasure. Absolute pleasure. What Kim and Ted have created here is absolutely spectacular. This is a bus that just has so much history. And I love that while giving this bus a brand new life as a mobile home, they have just maintained so much of the history and the character and all of the stories that are in this beautiful vehicle. This really is just such a magical project that has been brilliantly executed.