Custom Timber Furniture Skills Applied: The Story Behind the Bus
Awisa Magazine, published by the Woodworking Industry Suppliers Association Limited, showcases industry-relevant products, machinery, innovations, and interesting editorials about those working in the industry. Each new edition is eagerly anticipated in our staff room. Rick Lee wrote an awesome article on Christian and our family’s bus conversion that we carried out several years ago.
To give you some background, six years ago we purchased a very large 40-foot school bus from a friend who owned Cooma Coaches. Trevor gave us the deal of the century. Our sole aim was to strip it internally and use Christian’s skills as a furniture maker to transform it into a luxury motor home. Decommissioned from ferrying students to and from school every day, it sat idle in the bus depot yard for many years. Trevor had actually set aside two buses because they had flat floors, making them perfect for conversion. Christian obtained his heavy rigid driving licence, we flew up to Cooma, and bought our big bus home. We parked it in the backyard of our Brunswick home.
Over the next two years, every spare moment was spent working on the bus. We gutted it, laid flooring (French Oak retrieved from disused imported wine bottles), and steam-bent American Walnut timber window frames. We also laid large sheets of copper and hand-studded to line the bus roof. The bus now includes a fully functional kitchen with a Smeg oven and fridge, microwave, gas cooktop, separate shower and toilet, double bunks, and a king-size bed in the rear of the bus. Many bespoke details feature throughout the motorhome, including handmade tiles for the kitchen splashback, handmade seagrass wallpaper, and premium brass light fixtures.
Experience Our Timber Craftsmanship Yourself
We’ve had several epic trips as a family in our special motorhome and look forward to many more in the future.