There’s a new cost-effective way to build your dream mobile home – the school bus conversion. Mobiles homes, or tiny homes on wheels, are becoming a marketable housing option in the United States. Due to its mobility and functionality, more and more people are choosing to live life in adventures and traveling. When it comes to mobile home options, people can opt for luxury RV or shipping container homes. Choosing a luxury RV is definitely the expensive option. But you’re sure to get the finest of things as you travel. More importantly, you don’t need to lift a finger because everything you need is provided to you.
However, if you’re tight on the budget, you may want to opt for a cheaper alternative. And this is to modify shipping containers into a trailer home. You can certainly save a lot of money in building a trailer home. But it would take a huge deal of DIY skills to create your own ideal mobile home. And if you prefer to build your own mobile home, shipping container is not the only choice you have. School buses can also be transformed into comfy habitats. The school bus conversion is the newest innovation in mobile homes that will surely become a hit.
A school bus can serve as the perfect medium for a mobile abode. Compared to other vehicles, school buses are constructed with steel frames and floors that can stand the test of time. Plus, these yellow buses are equipped with heavy-duty diesel engine that is built to last for over a million miles. To put it simply, no other vehicles can compare to the durability and sturdiness of a school bus. These features would make school bus conversion an efficient approach in mobile home construction.
In addition to these features, the interior of a school bus provides ample space for a homey shelter. By removing the seats, you can maximize the interior space in several ways according to your preference. A school bus that is transformed into an RV is called ‘skooly’. Another advantage of the school bus conversion is the cost. Compared to the price of brand new luxury RV, a school bus is a lot cheaper. Depending on the model and mileage, you can typically get one between $3000 and $7000. If you’re ready to have your own skooly then you may want to take a look at these impressive examples.
DIY school bus conversion
Here are two examples of how a school bus conversion has changed the lives of these two families.
The first one is this magnificent skooly by Will and Alyssa. It may look like a regular school bus from the outside. But wait till you take a step inside. The couple quit their jobs in Silicon Valley to embark on a new life of adventures. They converted a 37-foot school bus into a mobile home. Together with their two pet dogs, the couple has been on the road since 2015. Working as bloggers, they’re documenting their life as road wanderers. You can read their fun-filled adventures on their website Outside Found.
The couple bought the bus for $5,500 and took them months to transform it into a 200-square foot abode. After removing the passengers’ seats, they put their layout to work first by installing a couch behind the driver’s seat. Facing the couch is a dining table and moving further is the kitchen complete with a fridge and gas stove. Opposite the kitchen is the couple’s workspace and further beyond is the bedroom. But the most unique feature of the couple’s school bus conversion is its garage at the rear-end door. The garage contains some travel essentials such as backpacks, bikes, climbing equipment, and kayaking gear.
Will and Alyssa’s school bus conversion also includes a garage at the rear-end door
The second one is this posh-looking skooly by Luke and Rachel Davis. Just like the first couple, Luke and Rachel decided to trade their previous conventional home for a school bus conversion. They have been living a life of freedom in their 220-square-foot skooly together with their little girl and a dog.
Aspiring for a lifestyle of freedom, the couple bought a school bus for $4000. Transforming an empty bus into a stylish RV entails a lot of hard work. Conveniently, Luke has a knack in the trade and did all the construction, welding, assembling, and everything. Aside from that, Luke also learned how to install electrical components. Their skooly is using 100 watts of solar energy source supported by a four-battery pack.
Luke also decided to raise the roof by 20 inches to give the interior a more homey feeling. Stepping inside this school bus conversion makes you feel that you’re not in a bus but rather in a home. You can check the couple’s blog site Midwest Wanderers to read their exciting adventures on the road.
Here are more examples of a school bus conversion that might give you some inspirations:
Source: Hank Bought a Bus | Our Dharma Tribe | Jake von Slatt | wpi Creative