Photo: East Coast Campers
There are many vehicles suitable for camper conversions. Vans are by far the most popular, but school buses are also great options. Today, I'm taking a look at a school bus that was converted into a fantastic tiny house on wheels for a young couple.
Why would someone choose to make a home out of a school bus? Long story short, they are widely available, affordable, and offer plenty of space to design your dream interior design. Of course, school buses come in many shapes and sizes. If the 40-foot (12.2-meter) ones seem too complicated to drive or convert, consider a shorter bus.
The vehicle I'm testing today is also based on a small school bus. Here's Steve, Alana, and their mobile home, a 2008 Chevy Express 3500 with a 6.0-liter V8. They've been living there for six months.
The duo didn't make any drastic changes to the vehicle's exterior. They painted it dark green and installed two 200W solar panels on the roof.
You’ll find the biggest transformation inside. The couple wanted an open, spacious interior, and that’s exactly what they created. Well, not them; they paid East Coast Campers, a company specializing in camper conversions, to bring their vision to life.
Photo: East Coast Campers
As for the aesthetics, Steve and Alana went with a modern look that consists mostly of black and white accents. They also did something different than most other bus dwellers: They kept the original walls and ceiling instead of covering them with wood.
A significant advantage of this configuration is that the metal panels of the bus can support magnetic accessories. This bus has a lot of magnetic objects, including racks, towel racks, spice jars, and more. The two have also retained the original emergency hatches, through which they can climb to get on the roof.
If you choose items with strong enough magnets, you can be sure that they will not come off even while driving, at least on asphalt. It may be a different story if you plan to go off the beaten path.
The upper part of the cockpit is covered with stickers from the couple's travels. You will also notice an overhead door that hides an electrical panel. Also, on the left, there is a large overhead compartment.
Photo: East Coast Campers
Behind the driver's seat, Steve and Alana have designed a seating area. It consists of an L-shaped sofa with a table stand, three cup holders, and storage underneath. It also doubles as a workspace, as there are four USB ports and two 110V outlets where you can plug in your laptop.
On the opposite side, you’ll find the galley. It features a huge, deep sink with a cutting board cover, decent counter space, a 12V refrigerator/freezer, and a two-burner propane stove that’s hooked up to a tank in a booth below. Additionally, the sink faucet can be rotated out through a window and converted into an outdoor shower.
For storage, the duo can use four lockable drawers and two cabinets, including the one I just mentioned. The other houses a fresh water tank connected to a water pump. However, the largest storage space in this setup is a huge pantry in front of the refrigerator. Additionally, magnetic accessories have allowed the duo to increase the available storage space.
Like many other rigs, the bedroom occupies the rear of this skoolie's interior. It boasts a queen-sized bed with a comfortable 10-inch memory foam mattress, a sizeable bookcase with two large drawers underneath, and a storage cabinet under the bed.
Photo: East Coast Campers
How about a bathroom? Clearly, there isn't one in this skoolie, which could be a problem for many adventurers. Steve and Alana said they usually use public bathrooms or facilities provided by the campsites they park at. However, in an emergency, Steve and Alana use a Trelino composting toilet.
The last remaining area I want to talk about is the under-bed garage, accessible after opening the vehicle’s rear emergency door. It offers plenty of storage space and also houses a diesel heater and the bus’s electrical system. The highlights of the latter are two 100Ah batteries, a 2,000W inverter, a DC-DC charger that charges the batteries from the vehicle’s alternator, and a charge controller that connects to the 400W solar panels on the roof.
All in all, this skoolie is a great tiny house on wheels with plenty of creature comforts. The only thing I personally would have added to this build is an indoor shower, at least a hidden one. However, Steve and Alana prefer to use public restrooms or gyms, like many other bus and van dwellers, so not having a shower isn't a problem.
You’re probably curious, as I was, about the costs. I reached out to Steve and he told me that the total cost of the project was $30,000 (€27,466) – a great deal considering all that the platform has inside.
