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Toyota Coaster Motorhome Conversion – DIY Flyscreens

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Something we really wanted to make for our Toyota Coaster motorhome, was flyscreens! Our bus has so many windows, and with cats, the possibility of opening one without a flyscreen was never going to happen. So flyscreens were a must.  

This is something that had been on our list from the very beginning and was one of the final things that needed to be done before we could officially move into the bus with the cats.  

So the next step was to decide if we wanted to build them ourselves, or if there was a pre-built option, or if we were going to get someone like Crimsafe to make and install them for us.  

After looking into it a little, we decided Crimsafe was a bit out of our price range, and whilst great for security, was not something we could make happen. We were getting to the end of our build, and the end of our budget!  

So we opted on the DIY flyscreen option. Surely it couldn’t be that hard? Correct! It was not!  

Not only was it super simple to do, it looks great, and was budget friendly. Oh, and of course cat friendly!  

So, what type of flyscreen is available for DIY? 

Here is a handy table I have made up which lists all the current flyscreen options available at Bunnings for the people looking to make them themselves.  

Flyscreen TypeFeatures
Fibreglass Good for general purpose uses  
Good visibility and airflow through the screen  
Good flexibility for DIY  
UV stabilised  
Cheapest option available  
Multiple widths available  
Aluminium  Heavy duty 
Extra Strength than standard fibreglass 
Good visibility through the screen  
Ember protection 
Easy DIY install  
Multiple widths available 
Petmesh Approximately 6 times stronger than standard fibreglass screen  
Heavy gauge  
Good flexibility for easy DIY 
Resistance to damage caused by pets claws   
Multiple widths available  
Tufflite Thicker wire and increased gauge than standard aluminium  
Ember protection  
Good resistance to extreme weather conditions 
Resistance to damage caused by pets and children  
Multiple widths available 
Stainless Steel Marine grade stainless steel  
Ember protections 
Corrosion Resistant 
Ideal for coastal or bushfire prone areas  
Good visibility through the screen  
Limited widths available  
Polyethylene High density plastic  
Strong and durable  
Corrosion Resistant – ideal for coastal areas  
Good visibility through the screen  
Good flexibility for easy DIY install  
Multiple widths available 
UV Guard  UV fibreglass material  
Approximately 68% UV blockage  
Good visibility through the screen  
Good airflow  
Multiple widths available  

So which flyscreen did we choose for our Toyota Coaster motorhome? 

We ended up choosing the aluminium fly screen. The main reasons we chose this one were; price, visibility and strength.   

Initially we were going to buy the petmesh – for obvious reasons that we have cats living with us in our motorhome. However, the pet mesh is approximately 50% more expensive than the aluminium and as it has a higher gauge, the visibility is not as good as we wanted. So we opted for the cheaper option, the aluminium. It is still strong and durable, whilst having good visibility – not blocking off those amazing views we are building this home for!  

Toyota Coaster bus conversion - Motorhome flyscreen DIY

Are we happy with our decision?  

For the most part, yes.

The aluminium has been great. It had good flexibility when we were building our fly screens, and the install was easy. The screens have withstood travel without issues, and being in and around coastal areas without corrosion.  

The cats have not been able to get through them (thankfully!), however, we have got a few small tear marks where they have gotten their claws stuck. Who knows if the pet mesh option would have been more durable here.  

So, what items are required to make the flyscreens yourself? 

Toyota Coaster bus conversion - Motorhome flyscreen DIY

Tools required for DIY –  

  • Handsaw  
  • Mitre Box 
  • Measuring Tape 
  • Scissors or stanley knife 
  • Rubber Mallet  

What we needed to attach the flyscreen to our Toyota Coaster motorhome –  

  • Drill (and drill pieces) 
  • Stainless steel metal screws  

OR  

  • Drill (and drill pieces) 
  • Pop rivet gun 
  • Pop rivets  

Steps to make the flyscreen –  

  • Start by measuring your flyscreen frame to the size required for your motorhome.  

Note – make sure that the size required does not exceed the dimensions of your flyscreen of choice as you need to be able to do it in one piece.  

  • Once your flyscreen frame is measured up, use your mitre box and saw to cut to a 45 degree angle on each end. Be mindful of your orientation and make sure they are cut in the right direction.  
  • Once all of your flyscreen frame is cut, insert a corner bracket into one of the ends and gently hit with the mallet until completely in place.  
Toyota Coaster bus conversion - Motorhome flyscreen DIY
  • Repeat on the rest of the frame until they are all joined together.  
  • Cut your flyscreen of choice to size, allowing approximately 10-15cm each side overhang and lay into place over the frame.  
  • Starting from one of the corners, lay the spline into place in the frame and gently push down and roll into position using the spline roller.
  • Ensure the flyscreen stays in position during this process.  
  • Continue all the way around the frame. Make sure the flyscreen is kept taut and in position (it’s easy to go crooked here!)  
  • Once complete, cut the spline and push the last bit into position. You can now trim any excess flyscreen using scissors or a stanley knife.  
  • Repeat steps on all other screens.  
Toyota Coaster bus conversion - Motorhome flyscreen DIY

How we attached the flyscreens to our Toyota Coaster motorhome –  

On our Toyota Coaster, there is a metal frame around the edges of our windows. We used this as a guide for how big we wanted to make our flyscreens as this was going to be the point of attachment.  

Attaching it was relatively simple.  

We held it into position and pre-drilled holes. With our Coaster, we were careful to not go too close to where the glass would be behind the metal frame, just in the off chance we may damage it.  

Once the holes were pre-drilled we used stainless steel metal screws, and simply screwed the frame to the bus. Screws are a good option as they can always be removed at a later date (particularly if you have cats that may damage the screens!).  

The reason we used stainless steel was to ensure there would be no weather corrosion. 

Another option could have been to use pop rivets here.  

Toyota Coaster bus conversion - Motorhome flyscreen DIY

So that is the process of the flyscreens we built for our Toyota Coaster.  

Are we happy with them? YES! They look amazing, stop the bugs getting in, and our cats getting out!  

Would we do it ourselves again? YES! It was so simple, cheap and a great DIY option.  

If you want to check out the video of us making our flyscreens and attaching them to our Toyota Coaster motorhome, click below –  

Want to read more about our Toyota Coaster conversion? Check out our other posts here – https://www.roamingonrubber.com/blog-conversion-how-to/

Claire signature

Can You Drive A Toyota Coaster On A Car Licence

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So you are wondering if you can drive a Toyota Coaster on a car licence. Short answer is yes. Long answer is… maybe?

The first step to knowing if you can drive a Toyota Coaster on a regular car licence (Class C) is understanding the Tare weight and Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of a vehicle.

Tare: This is the weight of the vehicle when empty, except for all of its fluids and 10L of fuel

GVM: This is the maximum your vehicle can weigh when fully loaded. This includes everything you want to carry, passengers and fluids/fuel.

All vehicles will have a GVM rating.

Exceeding a vehicles GVM can come with heavy fines and is the main dictator of what each licence class can drive. The GVM listed on the plate of the vehicle is the law on the maximum the vehicle can weigh and what licence class is required to drive it.

Licence Classes

There are 7 licence classes in total as detailed on the RMS website https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/licence/driver/licence-classes.html

The main ones we want to focus on for a Toyota Coaster are Class C (Car) and LR (Light Rigid). However, MR (Medium Rigid) and HR (Heavy Rigid) may be relevant if you are looking at a larger bus for your conversion.

C (Car): Vehicles up to 4.5 tonne Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM). Vehicles that seat up to 12 adults, including the driver.

LR (Light Rigid): Rigid vehicles with a GVM of more than 4.5 tonnes, but not more than 8 tonnes. Any towed trailer must not weigh more than 9 tonnes. Vehicles can carry more than 12 adults, including the driver.

Each state will have its own website with details on licence classes. It is always worth checking your own states website to ensure you have the most up-to-date and accurate information.

Toyota Coaster

Toyota Coaster vehicle plate identifier - help in understanding if you can drive a Toyota Coaster on a car licence.

A Toyota Coaster, by default, has a GVM of 4990 and Tare weight of around 3300kg (Although the tare weight can vary widely based on model, engine, seats, door type etc). This puts it in the range of requirements of a LR licence class. But I am sure you, like us, have seen lots of Coasters that claim to be drivable on a car licence.

The GVM of a vehicle is able to be downgraded by an engineer. This will reduce the maximum load it can take but allow it to be driven on a lower licence class. In the case of a Toyota Coaster and a Class C licence, this would be downgrading the GVM to 4.5 tonne.

A Toyota Coaster (when referring to a Toyota Coaster on this blog we are generally talking about a Long Wheel Base (LWB) model unless specified) with all its seats removed weighs around 3000kg. This gives you around 1500kg for your conversion if you want to downgrade or 1990kg if you leave it as is.

Remember: GVM includes the bus fully loaded with fuel, water, people and heavy fines can be incurred if you exceed this limit.

Downgrading Your Toyota Coaster

To downgrade a vehicle you must take it to an Engineer to make any modifications required and to have it certified at the new GVM. You will need to take the bus over a weighbridge and get a weighbridge certificate to bring along with you to the engineer.

The engineer will install a modification plate on the vehicle certifying the new GVM, and issue you a modification certificate. Once any modifications are made, the RMS will need to be updated and new registration papers issued.

Toyota Coaster modification plate - help in understanding if you can drive a Toyota Coaster on a car licence.

You should always speak to the engineer who you plan to do the work to get the exact information and requirements. Ultimately, they have the final say on whether they can or will downgrade it.

It is not rare for a seller to downgrade a Toyota Coaster prior to sale, so make sure you double check the GVM to make sure it is the weight you are after.

Downgrading Before Your Conversion

Downgrading the GVM before converting your Toyota Coaster is a bit of a trickier process. Because of the seat limits of a car license being 12, you need to remove some seats prior to downgrading.

Once the seats are removed and holes filled, you can also have your bus changed to a panel van, along with reducing the GVM.

The issue with doing this prior to changing to a motorhome is you will need to pay an engineering fee twice, once to downgrade and change to panel van, then again to change to a motorhome.

Did We Downgrade Our Toyota Coaster?

We mentioned in some early blog posts that we would be downgrading our Toyota Coaster to be driven on a car licence. This did not end up eventuating and Claire ended up upgrading her licence to LR.

When we weighed our bus on the way to the engineer, to be downgraded, it weighed in at around 4200kg. This was not quite finished and did not have any of our personal belongings in it. We also wanted to add a split system air conditioner and a bull bar, which would all need to fit within the remaining 300kgs!

That was a bit too close for comfort.

We didn’t want to wonder if every souvenir we bought would take us over the limit.

Tips For Keeping Your Toyota Coaster Under 4.5 Tonne

While we did have it tougher having a custom rear door and wheel chair lift, unfortunately we can’t blame not being able to downgrade solely on that.

We thought about weight with everything we did, but we also thought it would be so easy that we would never reach 4.5 tonne. It turns out were not as careful as we should have been.

We also wanted everything:

If your requirements aren’t as extensive as ours you are going to have a much easier time. We also wanted our bus to look as little like a motorhome as possible and as much like a ‘house’ as possible.

This means we used a lot of wood, which isn’t the lightest option.

Our pine roof, while beautiful, was probably the heaviest thing we could have done for a roof. There are much lighter options: Composite aluminum panel, 3mm plywood/mdf panel, vinyl etc. A lot of people leave the roof that is already in the Coaster. This would prevent you from changing out the insulation, but keeps the weight down.

Melamine/MDF is heavier then plywood. This means all of our Melamine walls could have been Plywood and that would have shaved off some weight. We also used 7mm Plywood for the walls of the Coaster. At the time we wanted 4-5mm but it only came in marine ply which is expensive. Lots of people use 3mm or composite aluminium again.

We framed our lounge, kitchen and bed with pine timber. This is another case where wood is not the lightest option. Framing using aluminium tube is a much lighter option. However, we have no skills when it comes to metal work so we disregarded this straight away. But is a good idea if it is something you are capable of.

Kits like those from Noq Noq forgo extra framing all together. They are just made out of stylelite laminated plywood, often keeping completed conversions to around 4000kg.

You can save a lot of weight by going with lithium batteries compared to AGM. A 100AH AGM battery weights ~25kg compared to a 100AH Lithium battery of ~10kg. Lithium batteries can also deplete to 80% capacity where AGM can only deplete down to 50%. So you need a smaller battery to achieve the same level of real world usage.

Ultimately it will all come down to what you want and need to make your Toyota Coaster feel like your home.

There is certainly value in keeping a higher GVM and upgrading your licence to a LR. However, with careful consideration, driving a Toyota Coaster on a car licence absolutely can be done!

Toyota Coaster Bus Conversion – Flooring

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The flooring for your bus conversion is not a hard job, however deciding on what you want to use can be.

There are many flooring options available, so we have compiled a list of available choices for you to compare. After this, we discuss the flooring option we chose, why we chose it, and how to install.

Flooring Options –  

ProsCons
CarpetCost 
Availability (so many options!) 
Easy installation 
Soft/warm underfoot   		Hotter during Summer  
More clean-up/vacuuming required  
Higher maintenance 
Vinyl Sheeting  Cost 
Waterproof 
Lightweight 
Easy installation 
Easy maintenance 
Availability/product range  
Thin  		Must be installed directly on the sub-floor; cannot have underlay or insulation underneath 
Doesn’t look ‘real’  
Vinyl Planks  Cost 
Most varieties waterproof 
Lightweight 
Easy installation 
Easy maintenance 
Hardwearing and durable  
‘Real’ wood look without the cost 
Thin 
Self-adhesive   		Possible heat shrink over time  
Must be installed directly on the sub-floor; cannot have underlay or insulation underneath 
LaminateCost 
Water resistant  
Hardwearing 
Availability/product range  
Easy installation  		Thicker than vinyl planks 
May not look ‘real’ 
TilesPhysically attractive 
Easy maintenance  		Cost 
Weight 
Harder installation 
Longer installation 
Fragile
Hardwood FlooringLooks amazing! 
Relatively easy maintenance   		Cost!  
Weight 
Installation harder and longer 
No FlooringCost  
Easiest option available 
Can just cover with mats/carpet/desired flooring 
No installation required  		May not be as physically nice as other options  
Unable to check sub-floor status 
Unable to lay underlay/insulation 

What flooring did we choose for our bus conversion?

Self adhesive vinyl planks from Bunnings.

Why? Cost, availability, look, ease, reviews!

A lot of people warned us against the vinyl planks, and said we will need to be careful; “They lift, they shrink, they don’t last!”. Gerflor even recommend not using the 2mm Senso Rustic product line in a caravan or motorhome for that reason. We of course learnt this after purchasing our floor boards.

However after speaking to a lovely lady at Choices flooring, she suggested we get around this by using a vinyl adhesive, and not just relying on the adhesive on the planks themselves.

The floor boards were cheap enough to risk giving it a go, so that’s exactly what we did.  

Guide to installing vinyl planks –  

Step 1 –  

Make sure your current sub floor is clean! That means no debris, nothing sticky, and no holes, or bumps. Try and fill any holes prior to putting the floor planks on, and if there are any raised bits, try and sand them down.  

If you haven’t read it already, and need to, we have another blog post here where we replace some of our damaged sub-floor.

Step 2 –  

Time to measure your planks. We strongly recommend measuring and cutting your planks prior to permanently sticking them down. This ensures there are no errors with measurements.

With these particular floor boards, the grain is directional. This means that they need to be laid and cut in a certain direction to make sure the pattern lines up. This helps to create the natural and ”life like” look. There were arrows on the underside of our planks to make sure we followed this direction.

It is up to you how many planks you want to cut in advance. We cut the whole floor to measure, and just sat them in place. They are easy to cut being so thin and can just be done by scoring with a Stanley knife, then “snapping” the plank.

Cutting and installing our rv floor - Toyota Coaster motorhome conversion

Step 3 –  

It’s time to apply the adhesive. Make sure you read your instructions as they may all differ.  

The one we used is a Dunlop vinyl adhesive from Bunnings. 

Move a couple of pieces of your floor planks at a time, starting from a straight edge. It is important to not do the entire floor in one go as the adhesive will dry too quickly before you have time to put them in place.  

We began ours from the edges of our wall and shower. This meant we started with the boards straight, and hopefully would finish with them straight!

For the adhesive we used, you need to apply an even coat using a ‘V’ notched trowel. You don’t need a lot, however make sure there is enough that it gets a good even coat. Allow this to sit for approximately 10 minutes, or until it becomes tacky.

Step 4 –  

Remove the paper on the back of your vinyl floor plank, and piece by piece lay into position and press firmly. You may even want to use a rolling pin or similar to roll over it so that you can ensure everywhere is pushed down firmly.  

Installing RV flooring - Toyota Coaster motorhome conversion

Step 5 –  

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the floor is complete.  

Step 6 –  

Leave the floor to sit for approximately 24 hours prior to walking on it. This will allow the adhesion to set, and completely cure.

The planks will move under foot before they are fully cured, trust us we know!

And you are done!  

So while installing flooring into your bus conversion is not a hard process, it is a little time consuming, however 100% worth it.  

We have been living in out Toyota Coaster for a year now, and have not had any issues with our vinyl floor option. The planks have not had any shrinking, lifting or any other movement. Recently we decided to replace two of the boards due to some scratches we had made. The effort it took to remove the old boards confirms our belief that if you use vinyl adhesive you will definitely not have any issues with shrinking or lifting!

It is a good idea to have a few boards spare just in case.  

This small thing made such a huge difference and really made it start to feel like our home!  

Check out the video of us laying our flooring here ?:

4 Reasons Why You Must Consider a Toyota Coaster For Your New Bus Conversion

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Are you looking to convert a school bus into a motorhome? Wanting to get escape the 9-5 daily grind and explore everything around you? Not sure what is the best vehicle for your bus conversion?

Yep, it’s a hard decision, but we’re here to tell you why you should consider a Toyota Coaster for your conversion.

We undertook a lot of research before deciding on a Toyota Coaster for our school bus conversion; our home. There are so many things to consider – like what sort of layout is it going to have? Am I going to be able to fit everything that I want and need? Am I going to be able to drive it? Is it reliable? The list goes on and on…

The good news is, you will get there; a decision will be made. After all our research it became clear to us that the Toyota Coaster was everything we were after, and more. And, with helpful posts like this, it makes it that little bit easier to compare, and get information for your decision as well.

Shane and Claires Toyota Coaster chosen for their school bus conversion - best bus for conversion

Why choose a Toyota Coaster?

Reliability – 

Arguably the most important factor when considering a vehicle to be your new home is reliability. You don’t want to have it fail and leave you stranded. Where will you stay if it needs to be at the mechanics for weeks?

The Toyota Coaster is a popular minibus available locally in Australia, Japan and China, but imported all over the world. They have been driving on our roads for almost 40 years with over 20,000 of them being sold locally in Australia, and many more being imported.

Toyota Coaster’s (Primarily models between 1993 and 2003) have the same engine as the Toyota Landcruiser, the Toyota 1HZ. This well respected engine has been found to be extremely reliable, with some coasters lasting well over 600,000 kms.

The coaster is famous and well known worldwide, for its strong body and large seating capacity. The internal floor of the Toyota Coaster is made up of a durable and high-quality vinyl-covered timber. The coaster has been so popular that many companies have tried to replicate it, however none have been able to come up with a design that has been as durable.

There is a reason it has a reputation for a bus that won’t fail you!

Easy to service – 

Because Toyota in general is such a well-known brand Australia wide, almost any mechanic can perform services and minor repairs on a Toyota Coaster if required. Parts are easy to come by, with most local places stocking Toyota parts or being able to order them in, relatively easy and inexpensive. This is a huge reason why the Toyota Coasters are popular for a bus conversion.

Size – 

Due to being a minibus we found the Toyota Coaster to be the perfect size for what we were looking for. It is large enough that we could comfortably have a queen bed, shower/toilet, kitchen and lounge area with space to store everything we require. Yet, it is also small enough, at around 6.8m long and 2m wide, that it would not be a major inconvenience driving to and around national parks, a big win since this is one of the reasons we wanted to do this. It also fits into two car spaces, and is not much wider than a 4WD, which makes it easier to drive around town and park when required.

In Australia, it can be small and light enough to be driven under a standard car licence, which allows you to drive a vehicle up to 4.5 tonne and with a maximum of 12 seats.

The next licence up is an LR licence, or light rigid truck licence, which is designed for vehicles above 4.5 tonne and up to 8 tonnes, that carry more than 12 passengers.

The Toyota Coaster has a GVM of 4.99 tonne, this includes seats and 22 passengers. Once the seats are removed, the coaster will be reduced in weight enough to be reclassified to a class C, or car licence. If you keep the converted weight under 4.5 tonne gross, then you will not require a LR licence.

This was not something we did, however can be very handy.

To get an LR licence in NSW you must undertake a truck driving course and pass a computer test. This makes it a much more convenient and cost-effective method as the LR courses can be pricey.

Read more about driving a Toyota Coaster on a car licence.

Availability and Pricing - 

The cost of the Toyota Coaster itself is reasonable. After researching many different models that ranged from around AUD $10,000 to $25,000, we found that the coaster was a very viable option to transform into a motorhome.

We also learnt that once coasters were converted, hold their value extremely well. For the initial cost you get great benefits including excellent reliability and lifespan, a good amount of space for something that can only require a car licence (once converted), large windows, rear doors, and wheelchair lifts in some models.

Toyota Coaster buses are fairly easy to come across. They have been around for a long time, so you can imagine there are a fair few of them out there. We searched Australia wide and ended up finding one in our own suburb . It had everything we were after and more – what are the chances!

Not only is the bus itself readily available, but because it is such a popular choice for a motorhome conversion, so are the parts to do it. Companies such as DIY RV Solutions and Noq Noq RV fitouts provide flat pack options already cut and ready to fit into a Toyota Coaster. This can be helpful to look at if you are not sure where to start and to get some ideas.

Final thoughts

Shane and Claire standing in front of their Toyota Coaster - best bus for conversionEven after re-reading what we have just written, it solidifies that we have made the right decision in choosing a Toyota Coaster.

It feels like the best bus for our conversion. Our coaster feels like home already, and it has only just had the seats pulled out. And that’s how it should be, it should feel like home.

When we decided that this was going to be our adventure, and we told our family and friends, so many of them laughed. Who ups and leaves to live in a bus on the road?

Well we say to anyone looking to do this, or even just interested, if you can, go for it. Just do it. So far, the sense of freedom it has made us feel, and the sense that we are going to achieve what we want out of life, is so exhilarating.

We hope this post helped with your decision to convert a bus into a motorhome, and if you have any other questions, feel free to contact us ?

Welcome to Roaming on Rubber – School Bus Conversion Blog!

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Hello and welcome to our school bus conversion blog!

We struggled with how to start this blog and what would be an exciting first post, and in the end we decided we would introduce you to who we are, why we are here and to use this post to serve as our ‘About us’.

So who are we…

We are a couple from Newcastle, Australia. We are childhood sweethearts who after many years apart have reunited for an exciting journey together.

I am Claire, who along with my day job as a Customer Service Representative, am an artist at www.facebook.com/claireedwardsart. My partner Shane has a day job as a IT Operations Analyst and is a photographer at  www.shanepatmorephotography.com.au. We are busy people who just don’t have the time to do all the things we love.

After spending two weeks in Japan in 2017, we decided that working 9-5 wasn’t enough for us, that the world has so much to offer, and we wanted to do everything we could to experience it. Within a week of returning home we had booked two more trips away, one to Bali and one to China, but this still wasn’t enough.

Shane in Japan - Beginners guide to Japan - school bus conversion blog

After wondering how/where to start we concluded that there was so much to see and do right here in Australia and that we should start here and try to see it all.

To do this, we have decided to buy and do a school bus conversion and take our lives on the road. This is so that we have the best chance to go where we want and not be restricted by time or work. We are going to document our process along the way for the many like minded people out there hoping to escape the daily grind as well. By no means are we experts… in fact we have little to no experience in this kind of field at all. However, we are excellent at researching and are more than willing just to give things a go.

We forgot to mention as well that it is not just us…. it is also our beautiful fur friends and a bird. Things will get very interesting!

We wanted to start a bus conversion blog to be able to track our progress towards our goal of location independence and to chronicle all our adventures with our bus conversion. We hope that in doing this, we may be able to make things just a little easier for anyone hoping to embark on a similar adventure. This is a huge personal journey for both of us, and we want to be able to share it with you.

In saying that, I will leave it there.

Shane and Claire at the airport, bound for Japan - school bus conversion