The Submarine
"How did the bus come to be?"
View our short film below.
The Bus
In search of Nadine’s dream, she stumbled upon a big yellow bus; a retired ‘micro’ school bus from Valparaiso, Chile. Not the typical American “skoolie”... more unique, and built with Latino blood. It was love at first sight, or maybe ‘over excitement’ and SOLD! The Submarine With Wheels was born.
- Mercedes Benz OF 812.45
- 1994
- L 8.6m x W 2.3m x H 2.7m
- 29 passenger seats
To help out the buying process Nadine was joined by 2 mechanics. When they gave her the double thumbs up for a good motor – Nadine was like a fish swimming into a bright lure.
After the papers were signed the deal was sealed. The old owner chauffeured the bus to its new home because at his point, Nadine couldn’t drive manual or a bus. Crazy Huh?
This was just the beginning ....
Nadine - front of bus Juyri - back of bus
Stripped bare
Oh boy, didn’t she have character! Her fresh coat of yellow spray paint was dazzling and covered all her obvious warning signs of wear and tear.
When it came to getting into her birthday suit – she should have kept the layers on. She was oxidizing with rust inside and out. We found holes in the metal frame above both rear tires, mould in the side panels and a leaking roof due to poor hatch seals.
But she was family, and she got the tender loving care she needed. In preparation for her grand adventure we repaired / replaced:
- Alternator
- 12V battery
- Brakes
- 6 new wheels
- Suspension
Conversion
Did Nadine know how to renovate a bus? No. So she found a Finnish builder via a Facebook page to help out. Meet Juryi A.K.A ‘bus dad’ and mastermind behind the Submarine. Fueled by beer, coffee and more beer, he repaired, raised and remastered the bus from dawn to dusk for 3 1/2 months.
The plan was to create a travelling community to sleep up to 6 guests. Plywood of various thicknesses was used for the frames of the beds, kitchen, fold-out-sofa, floor and sealing. Wherever possible recycled materials were used to build and decorate the interior. Old palate crates were used for slates in the beds, bench tops, and window trims. 24 recycled fruit and vegetable boxes used as storage spaces under the beds and bench top. We have:
- 1 Bunk Bed
- Sofa
- 2 convertable double beds
- Kitchen
- Storage space
- Movie Projector
- USB ports
- 3000 Watt inverter
- LED interior lights
- 5 fuse power board
- 12V Battery second
- DVD/CD Radio
Budget
Buying a bus in a foreign country comes with alot of added costs, challenges and dis-advantages. When most people plan to convert a vehicle and cross multiple countries, they spend years or months of preparation and meticulous planning. Not us, Nadine's idea was thought of, purchased and converted in just 4.5 months. Learning how to speak spanish, drive manual, documentation and visa requirements have been the biggest challenges. We have been extremely lucky to have help from locals and travellers we met on the road which have allowed us to make our dreams possible.
Bus $6,115
International Bank transaction fee's $600
Mechanical repairs and replaced parts $2,000
Bus conversion costs; materials, tools, furniture & house set up $3,000
Total Conversion Cost $11,615 AUD
NOTE: Since being on the road since July 2017 has cost another $1,500 in replaced parts & mechanical repairs. The downsides of purchasing an old bus and parking as close to the ocean as possible.
