Blast from the past

[Mickldo]

G'day

I first got the travelling bug when my parents took me and my brother for a five month long trip around Australia in 1978. They converted an old Toyota Coaster school bus to a camper. They ripped out all of the school bus seats, chopped a hole in the roof for the pop top, fitted out all of the camper conversion and replaced the motor with a Holden 186ci red motor.

I was going through some old photos and found these.

 

[Mickldo]

I have been looking at various camper designs recently for something a bit more comfortable than my Land Cruiser for extended trips. I have been looking at all the usual suspects, you know, Unimogs, OKAs, FGs, NPS 300s, and Hinos, but I am currently leaning towards a Coaster with a 4wd conversion.

I have been looking at the Coasters and there seem to be a lot of already "camperised" Coasters for sale around $20,000. I've spent more than double that on my 80 and it doesn't even have a bed in it.

 

[Mickldo]

BTW, that was me sitting on the left in that first photo, with my little brother next to me and Dad standing behind.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Old pics

Pretty cool. Those old coasters were just unbreakable. I had diesel coaster motor in my old FJ40. Way better than the petrol one your dad pulled out.

Highway wouldn't have been all sealed back then either. Can you remember much of it?

 

[whatcharterboat]

4x4 Coaster

Have a look at the thread I posted on a 4x4 Coaster in the ExPo camper general discussion and modification forum. I suppose was a month ago. Let me know if you can't find it

 

[Mickldo]

Pretty cool. Those old coasters were just unbreakable. I had diesel coaster motor in my old FJ40. Way better than the petrol one your dad pulled out.

Highway wouldn't have been all sealed back then either. Can you remember much of it?

Most of it was dirt back then. With the 186 and the 7.50 x 16s it used to go really well.

Even though I was only four years old I still remember a lot from the trip.

I am pretty sure the old bus is still going. We recently saw it travelling up the highway near Gympie. It is a relatively easy one to spot, it was a pre dual rear wheels model and that bullbar stands out. It's been repainted (probably a couple of times) but still travelling.

I wonder how many laps of OZ she has done now. Hmmmm...........

 

[Mickldo]

Have a look at the thread I posted on a 4x4 Coaster in the ExPo camper general discussion and modification forum. I suppose was a month ago. Let me know if you can't find it

The one with the 350 in it?

 

[whatcharterboat]

4x4 Coaster

That coaster in the thread was $13k only a couple of months ago. ARB diff locks, 350 chev/turbo 400, F250 diffs and transfer, dual fuel, fridge, heaps of solar, big amped audio, longrange tanks, good seats, big muddies. Very basic cabinets but still someone had spent big bucks in the past. Comes from Lake Cootharabah.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Sorry getting out of phase with my replies

Yeah that's the one.

 

[Mickldo]

That coaster in the thread was $13k only a couple of months ago. ARB diff locks, 350 chev/turbo 400, F250 diffs and transfer, dual fuel, fridge, heaps of solar, big amped audio, longrange tanks, good seats, big muddies. Very basic cabinets but still someone had spent big bucks in the past. Comes from Lake Cootharabah.

Even though the price of diesel has gone stupid recently I still prefer a diesel to a petrol. The rest of it sounds perfect for me though. I suppose I could always swap in a 1HD-FTE and it would still be a cheap bus.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Coasters

Yeah a cruiser donk would be fine. There is a few getting around on Farser now as Tour Buses but I don't think they would last too long. Have you seen the the really wild looking flouro Red bus that runs up from Brisbane. Must be an adventure travel company. Biggest tyres ever. Looks like you could sit underneath it and have your smoko. Only seen it on the road so I don't know any more.

and that bullbar stands out.

Never seen a 7poster before. Is that something your dad made for NT buffalo?

 

[Mickldo]

Yeah a cruiser donk would be fine. There is a few getting around on Farser now as Tour Buses but I don't think they would last too long. Have you seen the the really wild looking flouro Red bus that runs up from Brisbane. Must be an adventure travel company. Biggest tyres ever. Looks like you could sit underneath it and have your smoko. Only seen it on the road so I don't know any more.


Never seen a 7poster before. Is that something your dad made for NT buffalo?

I used to do recoveries over on Fraser. There are some cool trucks working over there but they don't last too long with the salt.

I haven't seen the red one. I'll have to keep my eyes open for it.

My Dad sure didn't want it to break, LOL

 

[whatcharterboat]

T

There are some cool trucks working over there but they don't last too long with the salt.

The FGs we build go for about 4 years before the cab/chassis get sold off but the coasters have too much sheet and light chassis and rust quick.

Also don't know if you've seen the pic I posted up of a factory 4x4 Mitsubishi Rosa. A Jap import similiar to a Coaster but with mainly the same running gear as a Canter. Same deal. Good for a cheap camper but rust quick. The pic was on the beach at Red Canyon just South of Double Island Point a couple of months ago. They tell me that heaps of them made there way to Kiwi land. If you really want to see it and can't find it I'll try and repost.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Found em. Not sure how they are for size. As you can see they are only running single rear wheels. I think they came out as a dual rear wheel.

 

[Mickldo]

Yeah they look like pretty much the same style as the Coaster.

I am looking at this style of camper rather than an FG or NPS as my wife isn't as agile as me to be constantly climbing up into the cab. This way we get the full size camper with acceptable off road performance but still have reasonably good access to the camper and cab. With the arrival of my baby daughter and the possibility in the near future of another that rules out single cab trucks and by the time you go for a DOKA you start losing space for the camper. Whereas with the Coaster the seating can be utilised as part of the living space.

Even though I build trucks and trailers and boats like this all day at work and I did want to build my own camper shell on some really cool truck platform I think that this might be my best option.