Introduction

[Taken from the original ‘The Alice Project’ bus conversion and motorhome website 2002-2003]

It is the dream of many Australians to one day travel this great country in a big old bus. Most people leave such plans until retirement, however almost all of the people we have met on the road wish that they had 'taken the plunge' years earlier. Being just under thirty years of age (in 2003), we have joined the world of travelling bus gypsies a little earlier than most - although the trend does seem to be slowly changing. More people are discovering that building your own 'house on wheels' can be relatively inexpensive and very possible - if you simply put your mind to it!

The Alice Project is far more than just a twelve month travelling holiday. We wanted something that we could live comfortably in for many years. We needed something that we could work from and study in. We wanted to be able to move when required or desired, with minimum effort and cost. For many years, we have been paying 'dead money' in the form of rent but are not ready to 'settle down' and commit to a large mortgage. We felt that the only way to gain some freedom and 'beat the rental game' (without committing to a lifetime of debt hanging over our heads) was to think differently.

We now own our very own house outright and are no longer stuck in the rental game. We can move as we please. We enjoy better views and positions at the beach than those in the penthouse apartments! We can follow opportunities for improved lifestyle and employment and take the house with us.

Our plan is to travel in our house from Queensland to the Northern Territory, where we plan to base ourselves for at least four years. There are employment opportunities and a more enjoyable lifestyle calling us there. If it doesn't work out, then it's not a problem. We simply drive the 'house' somewhere else. Our goal is to buy some property somewhere in a few more years, eventually parking the bus on it - until we build our own environmentally friendly house.

When we began this project, we did not have a clue what we were getting ourselves into. There was little information available on 'cheap' Australian bus conversions, except for a few bits and pieces on the internet. We had absolutely no prior experience in building, carpentry, metal work or diesel mechanics, nor do we possess any trade qualifications. My only related experience to bus conversions is a short eight year career driving public transport and tour coaches in various parts of Australia.

From the very beginning, we decided to document the entire project and to continuously take photographs of our work 'in progress'. The Alice Project website is based on our own experiences in converting our 1971 AEC Swift bus into a 'house on wheels'.

This website is not a definitive 'How to build your own motorhome' manual, but rather a site which documents our own experiences in converting a bus on a shoe-string budget. We do not pretend to be experts. This site does not contain technical information on alternative energy and power systems, or complicated toilet and shower plumbing. We have only included in this site information on the component contained in our bus conversion. There are plenty of other publications available on these subjects. The purpose of this site is to encourage and inspire others to tackle similar projects. If we can do it, then so too can you!

(Keiran Lusk 2003)

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