tumbleweed the extended australia trip

[Trev]

Only these vic.

[diggerdickson]

fong, you crack me up mate, I will have to send some more photos to you trev. Ive laid vinyl tiles throughout the bus now, all frames for the shelves and false backs in the cupboards are in. I was up till 2.30 last night working on the bus, so close. The kitchen is now fully attached to the bus as well.

Work to go on the bus includes adding runners to the cupboards so that the shelves will sit on them. Thats it, nothing more, the bus is going to be very bare, no tv, no technology at all truth to be told. Just basic, getting back to basic, buying a few board games for the family and going backwards in attitude to tv by 30 years to when I grew up, we will have a lot more to do than sit around watching the idiot box.

I had a problem with rego, surprise surprise. The bus passed the roadworthy very easy. On advice from others got a modification plate to turn the bus into a 4 seat bus. Got the 3rd party insurance done, turn up to register the bus and they claim that its now a bloody truck, lol. How the f$ck can a leyland tiger be anything but a bus, but I suppose if they class it as a truck they can charge me 2200 to register it for a year, bastards........

So next trick is, move to yandina caravan park, which has a pool, add seatbelts at one a week, need 5 seatbelts, the thing is turning into a money pit, but once done its completed. Then screw camp stove to kitchen bench to make it permanent cooking facitlity ( or buy a electric oven from the tip and get another modification plate ( more money again), take it back to register it as a motorhome, drops price to 800 bucks.

Its a right royal pain in the arse, all this red tape, but no more stress, no more late nights. Im tired and need a holiday so garage sale tommorow then move out next week.

[still here]

Nice progress ..... Must be fully exciting if you keep focussed on the lifestyle coming up ! ( shame about the blooming red tape hurdles , but hope you work through them one step at a time )

Damn fine adventure .....

[diggerdickson]

Nice progress ..... Must be fully exciting if you keep focussed on the lifestyle coming up ! ( shame about the blooming red tape hurdles , but hope you work through them one step at a time )

Damn fine adventure .....

Thanks still here, just shared this with my wife and it makes a lot of sence, trying to just switch off as it will be all worth it in six months wont even remember the stress of trying to get ready, thanks mate, great advice.

[chrisb]

If another state charges less rego fees is it possible to save money by registering it there and claim an altered domicile as your excuse

[diggerdickson]

Cheapest place to register a bus is south australia, though you need a permanent address to do that, and it will take me nearly a year once I hit the road to get close to the south oz border, im going slowly

[ric_vidal]

the thing is turning into a money pit, but once done its completed.

You know what they say digger, 'if it ain't one thing it's your mother"

Coming along just fine and dandy by the look of things, be good to be at your first set-down (Yandina?) to get things more sorted. Not as though you have schedule, eh?

Keep it happening and keep the story and photos coming.

[Trev]

Yandina's a nice little place Digger. We often go up there and wander around the markets on a Saturday morning.

[OddaP]

That bus is looking good Digger. Good work! You should be proud of your hard work!

[Rustt]

Good job Digger, wish I had as much energy as you have.

[diggerdickson]

I was up on the roof of the bus the other day pouring silicon all over the hatches on the roof to try to waterproof it, the good news is after the storms we had just today and last night there was not a touch of leaking, a success indeed

[swvic]

Haven't been on net since Friday so it's good to see more progress. Doing an amazing job on that bus digger. Being down here makes me jealous of a holiday at Yandina in a bus, truck, motorhome or whatever the fcuk it ends up as. I suppose once you get to Yandina it's arse down and feet up for a little while and just get things done without any time pressures

[diggerdickson]

thats the idea mate, arse down and feet up Its looking like ive got a buyer for the car, which is great news, wont sell it yet but it will cover whats left on the loan plus a full tank of diesel, laughing I say

[Quangers]

^^^Nice.

[alakaboo]

hey digger, well done on the waterproofing, sounds like you're more waterproof than my house at the moment!

Do you still have the storage area under the bus, where the bags used to go? Could you rig up some sort of multiple battery setup under there for power when you are somewhere away from facilities?

Must feel good to have finished work, take a load off your mind.

[diggerdickson]

no storage underneath, just under the bed and thats it. We have decided to pack really really lite, 2 off everything and nothing else, need to find space for my shaping stuff like my templates, but packing really light to uncomplicate everything.

Feels awesome to be off work as couldnt face it anymore So now its just recovery time and permanent holidays. I may weld up a bay underneath for batteries, as staying at yandina for a while to get the bus perfect for travelling without adding stress to the family, so that is a option we will think about, cant afford the solar panels so will work something out, not really thinking about it at the moment. One task at a time, shelving next, once thats done we can pack the bus to be ready to move.

[diggerdickson]

The bus is registered, so close to completion, one more set of curtians to keep heat out, set the sink in, jerry cans needed to hold water, a bar fridge which I may or may not be able to get from my old work. A major fix needed in that the coolant is leaking out of one hose, will try to correct that tommorow. We are packing the bus tommorow to move, then sat and sun work on the house, then leave sunday night or monday morning.

[crabmeat thompson]

any-time Digger.I've got a smartphone now, PM me and i'll give u the number.

I knew you'd fold and get one.