Just about there
Things were progressing, but we still had a way to go, so we thought it best at this stage not to put ourselves under added pressure and gave up on a leave date, instead deciding that when we are ready we will just go. But we didn’t let up, and by this stage I found myself working on the bus 6 days a week, and up to 14 hours a day, stopping for dinner and going back out till about 10pm at night.
We were on a mission to have the bus drivable by the 28th August so we could get it to Brisbane to have the tow bar fitted and the cabinets installed by our friend Geoff, the best cabinet maker in the business, had to give him a plug.
Ready for the cabinets to go in
The first drive
With the seats now all in place, we were off to Brissy, but not far from home the break alarm started going off. Lights and buzzer. Luckily we were able to divert and drop in to see Bob at the Bus Depot. Turns out we had quite a major tear in the main airline to the breaks, hence the reason the break alarm was going off. And, also there was no brake fluid in the reservoir, lucky it was nothing major.
In the end, we made it to Brisbane, I was a bit nervous as it was my first major drive, but we did well and booked the bus in to get the tow bar fitted. With the tow bar fitted, we got onto installing the cabinets. This turned out to be a three day project, but well worth it. Honky was looking great and almost ready to hit the road full time.
Some of the finishing touches were added, with Michelle and Nona making the curtains.
The plumbing and gas lines were the next major bit of work, it all went well except for the leaks. Lucky they were easy to find. By this stage it was August and we were nearing completion. We also got the Air-Conditioner hooked up.
Hot water, Gas & Air Con
The solar system was in place and we we were now running on free power. Everything was working, so it was time to pack up and go.
Running on the sun
Well there we have it, nearly a year after we bought Honky we now have a fully functioning motorhome. It’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea, and more like Glamping than Camping. But, this is going to be long term, with two kids. So we want to be comfortable. With room to seat 7 and sleep 5 we had all the mod cons, including a split system air conditioner, front load washing machine, coffee machine, full size oven and stove, a shower you could actually swing a cat in, and a separate toilet. We were happy with the way it all turned out, only one thing left to do and that was try it out to see how functional it all was.
And so right there in our driveway, we moved in. Had no choice really, we had to pack the house, so we packed it into the bus. The instructions to my crew were pretty clear. We only take the necessities.
‘Yes Dad’
Off they went, slowly packing, stashing and hiding anything they they could in places they thought I would not find it. And off I went, slowing following behind them, sneaking things back off, just to keep us under tare weight. Eventually after two garage sales the rest was put into a shipping container, we were all packed and excited about leaving. Saying goodbye to all our family and friends was going to be a mammoth effort, so we decided on a farewell party. It was a great day and we got to say goodbye to everyone at one place which was handy.
We were now ready to hit the road.
The Finished Product
AND NOW, WE HIT THE ROAD…….
The Whole Honky Story
1. THE BEGINNING WITH HONKY THE BUS
Gotta love Qld Transport!!!!
Hi there! What a mammoth effort. Looks terrific!
Thank you. It was, but it was worth it in the end.