Brian and Rhyllis George want to create their dream rig
Every grey nomad Big Lap starts with a dream. Sometimes the dream can be sparked by a TV show highlighting the beauty of the Outback, sometimes it can be sparked by a cold, rainy spell of weather, and sometimes it can be sparked by a particularly bad day at work.
In Brian George’s case, it was sparked by his job. As a professional coach driver, Brian was keenly aware of the various sorts of buses on the road … and then he started to fantasise about what his dream rig would be if he were ever in a position to join the ranks of the lucky long-term travellers he passed on the roads every day.
That germ of an idea has since grown and flourished as Brian and his wife Rhyllis move closer to retirement. Indeed, the Tasmanian couple are now on the verge of buying a used tour coach with the idea of slowly converting it into a recreational vehicle that will enable them to live the dream.
“We are at this point reasonably sure of the vehicle we will purchase,” said Brian. “It will have a car carrier trailer which will become an additional living area.”
The Georges estimate they will spend a minimum of two years converting the coach before spending a year or two taking shorter trips and then heading off on the ‘big one’ after retirement.
Brian is looking for a secondhand tour coach as opposed to a school bus as it has space for underfloor luggage storage that can be converted into black and grey water tanks and hold things like pumps.
“If we can get it right we will have a liveable space of 36’x7.5’, plus an additional 12’x7’ as the trailer will be used for additional space when not travelling,” he said. “We plan to complete most of the work ourselves as a labour of love, but will call in a gas fitter, plumber, electrician and solar fitter when needed.”
Brian says most older used coaches will have done well in excess of 500,000 kilometres and will require some reconditioning work.
“We have not put a limit on a budget as my research tells me that meeting a budget with such a project is nigh on impossible,” he said. “We are aware it’s a massive job but we are confident we will get there … and that it will be worth it!”
Wishing you both all the best with achieving your dream. I wish I had the guts to take on something like this earlier in our life before all the ailments etc set in.
Thanks Bob. It’s been a back of mind thing for a long time. Been planning now for a couple of years. You are correct it is a big step. But…….
Just meant a bloke in Peterborough SA….. took him 4 years to renovate his Mercedes coach….
If you are not in a hurry – keep an eye out you can pick a coach up already fitted for around $60 to$80k it will save you heaps and just alter it to fit you ? thats what I did 23 yrs ago and have no regrets — been travelling for over 20 yrs and still haven.t seen it all — look on Face book quit often some on there or Gumtree –good luck and safe travels
Thanks Len. We are not in a hurry. We have given ourselves plenty of time prior to retirement. That is why we are doing it ourselves
Not including our labor costs we will convert much cheaper than buying one already done. Who knows? We might see you on the road somewhere, some time, some place.Cheers
Hey guys, good luck with your massive project. Hubby and I have been on the road since October 2017, built our first Campervan, Ford Econovan Maxi, sold that now we have a Ford Transit LWB, currently turning this into a campervan.
So many new things have come out that we were unable to get on our first van. All appliances except for the stove and 500w microwave is 12V. Have 2 250w solar panels and 300Ah Lithium battery. This is fun, exhausting just can’t wait to hit the road in a couple of months. Dislike being in a house.