Abba Is a Shuttle Bus Tiny House With a Country Home Aesthetic and Lots of Natural Light

As is often the case, the exterior is rather mundane, with a plain white paint job and the mandatory array of solar panels on top. One thing is, however, special here, as this 1997 Ford E-350 Econoline shuttle bus can generate up to 1500W of electricity since the entire roof is covered with solar panels.

That rather large amount of electricity is managed through a 3,000W inverter as well as a 100A charge controller. The juice is stored in a chunky 450Ah battery pack, meaning that running out of power is something the inhabitants of this shuttle bus definitely do not have to worry about.

One other great aspect that can be noticed by just looking from the outside is the separation between compartments. This is normal for a shuttle bus, but it just feels right to have the driver’s cabin separated from the living area.

Getting inside the tiny/mobile home section of this shuttle bus is done through the powered doors that are operated by a switch. Once there, the cottage/country home aesthetic is immediately apparent. Everything feels welcoming as soon as the arched entryway is cleared, with the minimalist décor and abundance of natural light flowing through the many large windows playing a big role in creating that vibe.

At least, that is what greets guests to the left of the entrance. On the opposite side, there is an access door that allows free movement between the driver’s cabin and the tiny home, even on the move when opened. This is also where a calendar hangs, which does an adequate job of covering a couple of storage shelves.

Right in front of the archway, the bathroom is tastefully hidden behind a sliding door made out of wood slats. Inside, a rainfall shower head can be found, as well as a DIY composting toilet. One interesting element that sets this wet bath apart from others is that there is enough room to separate the shower from the composting toilet via the use of a curtain.

The first area to the left is the kitchen, which really amplifies the serene cottage aesthetic through the use of Portland cement-covered plywood countertops. The added texture and light color seem to work great, making the kitchen feel more natural, airy, and roomy.

Underneath, an array of storage cabinets can be found. These are all dressed in light-beige wood slats that look really good and compliment the entire aesthetic of this kitchen, along with the vintage propane-powered stove and oven.

Even so, a couple of things are able to disrupt this, like the slide-out fridge (actually a temperature-controlled freezer) and the stainless steel deep sink underneath, which sits above a 5-gallon (19-liter) gray-water tank. Granted, some compromises must be made for the sake of functionality, but it is just a shame that solutions were not available to prevent this.

Regardless of that small inconvenience, everything in this kitchen just works well together. All the elements fit together in a coherent manner, adding to the homey feeling of this shuttle bus and being a testimony to the thought that went into making it look this good.

On the wall opposite the kitchen, the pantry can be found, situated conveniently within reach when cooking. And it is sizeable, consisting of a large cabinet on which a spice rack that would make any amateur cook jealous sits.

Just below the pantry, there is a propane-powered heater hooked directly into the supply of the motorhome. It is also connected to and controlled by a thermostat, allowing the owners to maintain the temperature throughout the night carefree.

Up against the cabinet, there is a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe with lots of carefully organized space, which is a theme throughout this entire mobile home. From clothes to toiletries, everything is easily accessible from the living area.

Speaking of which, it mostly consists of a couch, under which even more storage was organized. But there is one additional design element here that makes this mobile home really cool. That is the projector screen, which can be rolled out from the side to provide a great movie night experience.

The projector that works in conjunction with that screen sits right above the bed, which is at the very back of the shuttle bus, along with a big window that can surely provide some nice views to wake up to. Another closet can also be found here, placed at one end of the bed and looking like a headboard, painted in lively olive green.

As this is a mobile home, the bed can obviously be lifted up to serve as additional storage for clothes and food. This is achieved through the use of hydraulic arms, making the job a lot easier and keeping the bed upright when needed. This is also where the electric stuff has been integrated, along with a rather sizeable 55-gallon (208-liter) freshwater tank and the water heater.

Overall, this shuttle bus is a tastefully designed and built tiny home. It feels surprisingly roomy due to the light color palette and great flow of natural light and is very cozy, thanks to the driver’s compartment being separated. As previously mentioned, it seems closer to a small country home than a mobile one, and that is a big compliment.