Motorhome Features

The Bus in General

The bus is a Domino bodied Leyland Swift with an AEC AH760 engine and a 5 speed pre-select box, all coupled up to a highway diff.

This old girl apparently is good for just over the 100 kph, so it shouldn't be holding up too much traffic as we travel the Australian highways.

The 5 speed pre-selector box has a low 1st gear, so climbing up Mt. Everest should also be a snap.

Here are the main essentials that we wanted before buying our bus

FRONT ACCESS - LOW ROOF PROFILE - STORAGE BINS - GROUND CLEARANCE - REAR ENGINE

The Swift Bus in the original Mt. Gravatt Bus Services livery

We particularly looked for a front access doorway, as this would maximize the amount of "Build" room available!

In addition, it provides direct access to the drivers position for a disabled driver, and it has a good storage spot between the driver and the door for a folding wheelchair!

As you can see there is a good entry and exit angle with ample road ground clearance, and a lower roof profile to clear low tree canopies.

Overall the bus is quite streamlined without a lot of protruding features to get broken by trees on outback country roads.

CENTER AISLE - TOP SLIDING WINDOWS - ROOF HATCHES - CEILING HEIGHT

Leyland Swift interior view - rear to front

Leyland Swift interior view - front to rear

Having a sunken aisle down the center creates a perfect "runway" for easy access up and down the entire length of the motorhome.

This type of access was an essential feature for me in light of my mobility disabilities, and a flat floor would have resulted in a more offset build design and I would have needed my larger wheelchair to get around the motorhome.

Ceiling height is not an issue for me, however the 190cm clearance is more than enough for a 6 foot tall bloke to stand in

The windows were of more interest as we particularly wanted ventilation and lighting in every room, and the best way to achieve this is with the smaller sliding top window sections

VENTILATION - LIGHTING - INSULATION - STORAGE BINS

Domino Under Floor Storage Bins

Inside Storage Bins

We also include the windows here in the access section as we are talking about the access of light and air as well! It is essential that you can open all windows unless you want to live in an airconditioned environment all the time.

Airconditioning is fine, but remember airconditioning requires lots of electrical power, so unless you want to run a noisy generator all day, you will need an extra kilowatt of solar panels and another 1000 ah of storage batteries, plus a 4800 watt inverter. Our design allows for the use of aircon when there is no breeze blowing in the windows.

Storage bins below were a must in our search for a suitable vehicle. This ruled out ex-council and a lot of school buses for a start. There could be nothing worse than trying to store items for outdoor use inside the living area of the bus.

Remember - Your house batteries are heavy and cumbersome as are the water supply and waste tanks, and all these items require sturdy storage somewhere.

REAR ENGINE - GEARING - HI-SPEED DIFF - EXIT ANGLES

AEC AH760 13 litre Diesel Engine

We also looked for a rear-mount engine, as a front mount usually has a "dead area" between the windscreen and the doorway, and mid-mounts tend to be too damned low with little ground clearance, and no storage bins!

Engine accessibility is very important. If something goes wrong with a front mount engine then you are going to have greasy mechanics working inside your motorhome. Our rear mount is fully accessible from the rear and the sides, and for simplicity we can lift a hatch inside to easily access the injector pump should we run out of fuel and need to prime it. Handy if it's pissing down with rain.