27-Foot School Bus Is a Couple's Dream Off-Grid Home With a Unique and Tasteful Interior

Recently, I wrote an article on why ambulances and skoolies are worthy of camper conversions. Although there are multiple advantages, most bus dwellers I've written about chose to convert a school bus for two significant reasons: affordability and interior size.

The latter reason is why the young couple I'll be talking about today chose to convert a school – Christian and Kelsey travel together with their two large dogs, so they needed as much real estate as possible.

What we have here is a 2004 Thomas Built school bus measuring 27 feet (8.2 meters) in length. On the outside, the couple didn't make any significant modifications – they painted it blue, added a motorcycle carrier at the rear, and installed solar panels on the roof.

As I mentioned above, one of the perks of making a tiny home on wheels out of a school bus is affordability. Christian and Kelsey bought the base vehicle for $13,000 (€12,013). They invested around $40,000 to $45,000 (€36,964 to €41,585) into the conversion, bringing the total price to about $53,000 to $58,000 (€48,977 to €53,598).

That's more than most of the bus conversions I've written about, which were in the $30K- $40K range. Of course, you can go even lower than that. In fact, you can go super low with some creativity and help from friends and family – take this build as an example, which cost a mere $12K to build.

Anyway, let's take a look inside and see how this couple built their dream interior. Regarding design, Christian and Kelsey opted for a warm look, blending white and black for the cabinetry and adding various design touches, such as rattan inserts. Moreover, the interior is very well-lit due to the many windows.

Starting from the front, you'll notice the couple made some changes to the driver's cabin by adding an overhead shelf with a rattan insert, a cover above the engine (which is next to the driver's seat) where the dogs can rest, and a new dashboard counter where you can place stuff.

Step deeper inside, and you'll be in the lounge area. On the driver's side, the duo fitted a long bench that can be turned into a bed by pulling out two 500-lb. (227 kg) drawer slides. Above it, there's a shelf holding various decorative items.

On the opposite side, you'll notice a dinette area consisting of two small benches with a table in between. Moreover, you can attach the tabletop between the benches, rearrange the cushions, and turn this spot into a small lounge.

The best part about this part of the bus is that it can be turned into a tiny home cinema. To do that, you need to lower the table, pull down a huge projector screen, and turn on the projector on the shelf above the couch. I love that there are three different ways to arrange this part of the bus.

Next, we have an L-shaped kitchen located on the driver's side of the interior. It features a lot of counter space, an enormous sink, a two-burner stove, a hexagon tiled backsplash, and various appliances. Moreover, a hidden spot underneath the countertop in the corner holds a toaster oven.

For storage, you can use many drawers and cabinets underneath the countertop, as well as three overhead cabinets. On the opposite side, the couple added a large counter integrating an apartment-size fridge/freezer. According to Kelsey, it can hold about ten days worth of food for them. Above it, you'll notice a mini-split that provides heating and cooling for this rig.

Unlike in most other skoolies, the next part of the bus is separated from the rest of the living space. Christian and Kelsey chose this layout for more privacy and a more homey feel, with rooms feeling separated.

Since a school bus offers more space than many other types of campers, you can enjoy the luxury of a more spacious bathroom. This rig's bathroom boasts a gold frame mirror, a tiny sink, a sizeable shower with a massive skylight above that can be fully opened, a cubby, a window, and a composting toilet.

The bathroom's design is quite funky. It's got two types of walls: white tiled ones and one finished with a wavy blue graphic. What's more, the floor is finished in burgundy hexagon tiles.

By the bedroom entrance, you'll discover a large pink closet with rattan inserts. And finally, we have the bedroom – it has a long overhead closet, two side windows, and a rear window. Furthermore, it's positioned relatively high up to leave room underneath for the garage, where the couple holds a bunch of stuff, including a freshwater tank.

By the way, the electrical system runs on 24 V, and it's made using Victron components. Its highlights are a 3,000 W MultiPlus inverter/charger, solar charge controllers connected to the 2,000 W solar panels, and a 300 Ah battery system. With 2,000 W of solar capacity, the couple can rest assured that they have enough power to go off-grid for more extended periods.

All in all, this bus is a superb mobile home, boasting beautiful aesthetics and impressive off-grid capabilities. The home cinema and the funky bathroom are my favorite parts. What are yours?