This is the bus I bought — and I absolutely love it… mostly. When I came back to Australia after travelling Europe in a van, I knew I wanted something different, but I didn’t quite expect to end up with a bus. Specifically, a Toyota Coaster with some genuinely brilliant features and a few design choices that make me scratch my head every single day.

This video is a full tour of what I actually bought. Not the dream version, not the “after renovations” fantasy — but the real thing as it exists right now. There are things in this bus that surprised me in the best possible way (including one feature I didn’t even realise it had until we were driving to look at it), and there are other things that simply don’t work the way I thought they would.

Before I start ripping things out and changing everything, I wanted to document the bus exactly as it is: the good, the bad, and the very confusing. So come on in — I’ll show you around.

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🎥 Watch the Video

If you prefer watching rather than reading, the full video is her

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🗺️ What This Video Covers

• First full tour of my Toyota Coaster bus
• The layout: kitchen, dining, lounge, bed and bathroom
• A Murphy bed I didn’t know the bus had
• What works really well (storage, space, layout ideas)
• Power problems and solar limitations
• Why the bathroom absolutely has to change
• Leaks, plumbing quirks, and early problem-solving
• Renovation plans (and chaos to come)

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📍 The Story Behind the Scenes

Walking into this bus for the first time felt exciting and overwhelming all at once. There’s clearly been a lot of love and effort put into the build — curved cupboards, clever storage, and a layout that almost works beautifully. The kitchen is surprisingly good, with massive drawers, a metho stove, an induction cooker, and more storage than I’ve ever had before. I even have a microwave and an air fryer now, which feels wildly luxurious… until you realise they only work when plugged into mains power.

And that’s where the reality kicks in. The solar and electrical setup doesn’t currently support the way I actually travel. None of the power points run off solar, the induction cooker can’t be used unless I’m plugged in, and the hot water system only heats water while driving — meaning I’d need to drive 50 kilometres just to have a hot shower. Not ideal.

The most exciting discovery, though, was the bed. Completely unexpected. This bus has a Murphy bed that folds away, opening up the space during the day and making the whole bus feel far bigger than many Coasters with fixed beds. It’s easily my favourite feature and the reason this bus feels so liveable.

Then there’s the bathroom. On paper, it looks large. In reality, it’s badly laid out, awkward to move in, and wastes a huge amount of space. The toilet placement makes it genuinely difficult to use, the sink is unnecessary, and the shower layout doesn’t allow me to stand comfortably. Add a few leaks underneath the bus, and it became very clear that this would be my first renovation project.

Thankfully, I’ve got backup — my brother is helping me investigate leaks and problem-solve, and my mum is along for moral support. This bus is going to change… a lot.

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🧠 Things I Learned

• Clever features can completely change how spacious a bus feels
• Power systems matter more than appliances
• Murphy beds are underrated
• Just because something looks good doesn’t mean it works well
• Bathroom design in vans and buses is everything
• Renovations are inevitable — resisting them is pointless

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🔗 Related Videos / Posts

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💬 Over to You

Have you lived in a bus or renovated a van bathroom before?
Any hot tips before I start pulling things out? Let me know in the comments — I read every one.

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