Charter Bus Was Single-Handedly Transformed Into a Unique, Wood-Filled Tiny Home

Clint is the owner and builder of this 1977 MCI Crusader charter bus – it might not seem like much on the outside, but this bad boy features one of the most distinctive interiors you'll ever see in a tiny home on wheels. So, without further ado, let's get into it.

Clint used to live in a 1991 Chevy G20 camper van. After successfully converting it, he wanted to "go big or go home." Initially, he considered converting a school bus, but after seeing the potential of charter buses, he was determined to choose one as a base vehicle. Eventually, he had his eyes set on the rig I'm checking out today.

I didn't quite understand the financial side of his rig, so I reached out to Clint. He was kind enough to explain how he managed to get a once-in-a-lifetime deal on the bus. Long story short, the seller wanted to get rid of it quickly, so even though he listed the rig for $30,000 initially, Clint managed to negotiate it to around $8,500. As you'll soon see, some of the features on it, such as the generator and inverter, are by themselves worth more than what he paid for the vehicle.

What makes this conversion even more impressive is that Clint isn’t a carpenter by trade and didn't watch any YouTube videos to learn how to carry out the conversion process. He basically just picked up the necessary tools and tried his hand at it. Furthermore, he was also living in the bus while converting it. Like Clint says, this way, "you can't really escape the work."

This bus sports a 9.3-liter Detroit Diesel 8V71 two-stroke engine at the rear, fed by a gargantuan 545-liter (144-gallon) diesel tank. As you can imagine, there are many compartments on both sides of the bus, offering plenty of storage space and spots to fit all sorts of stuff, like tools and utilities.

The rif is equipped with 24 V starting batteries and a 7.7 kW Quiet Diesel Generator plumbed into the tank. This generator then charges the battery bank. This is where things get even more serious – one enormous compartment holds four propane bottles and ten deep-cycle batteries. Amazingly, he charges the batteries once for about ten months.

One cool thing about this bus is that you can lift its front bumper to reveal a spare tire, although there's no way you can change it by yourself.

Once you step inside, be prepared to be mindblown. I doubt you're ever going to see as much wood as you'll discover inside this rig. I find it hard to figure out which features to first explain, but let's take it step by step.

Clint wanted to keep things natural with the wood, so every wooden look inside was obtained via wood grain enhancement. You'll notice it on the floor, ceiling, walls, and pretty much anywhere you look. Many of the wooden elements feature beautiful epoxy inserts and coatings, but I'd say the most impressive detail is the Lichtenburg pattern board up above.

Lichtenburg burns are branching tree-line pictures created via the passage of voltage discharge throughout materials. What's even cooler is that Clint built a DIY machine to carry out this process – he spent $10 on a microwave from the Salvation Army, took out the transformer, and started burning away the wood. He then got the charcoal out and filled the holes with epoxy, creating a stunning design.

The driver's cabin doesn't come with many modifications. One thing that makes this rig even nicer is that it's equipped with an automatic transmission, making it way easier to drive than buses with manual shifters.

Go deeper into the interior, and you'll be in the lounge area. It boasts a couch with storage underneath on one side and a cabinet with a hidden 8k, 55-inch TV on the other, as well as a powerful sound system with two 1,500 W Hertz amps powering two 12-inch subwoofers and eight 6.5-inch round speakers – two are on the cabinet, while the other six are up top all around the living space. This is by far the best sound system I've ever seen in a camper.

Next, we have the kitchen area. The centerpiece is an enormous black walnut countertop, which offers a lot of counter space and integrates a tiny sink and a four-burner stove. For storage, there are many drawers and cabinets, both above and below the countertop. Other notable elements include a small fridge and an electric fireplace.

To step deeper into the interior, you'll have to slide open Clint's "absolute favorite part" of the bus: a custom-built cedar door, again with an epoxy insert – this piece alone took him three weeks to make.

Once you enter, you'll be in the bedroom. In the day setup, you'll notice a large couch, but it can be transformed into a king-size bed. Underneath, there are some drawers for storage.

The rear part of the bus is occupied by the bathroom and a vanity area with an olive wood countertop. What's more, the wall that integrated the vanity shelves is made from cedar wood that was in a fire, so you'll notice burned-in spots on it, offering a unique look.

The bathroom consists of, as you'd expect, all wood elements. It even comes with an olive wood toilet seat integrated into an epoxy-inlay board. At the time the video was filmed, Clint was planning on adding a sink into the vanity area countertop, as well as a shower in one corner of the bedroom. During my call with him, he told me that those features had been installed in the meanwhile.

And lastly, there's a ladder made from cedar beams that leads to the roof. That's where you'll find a huge deck spanning across the entire length of the roof. Because Clint has a generator and an extremely powerful battery bank, there was no need to fit solar panels.

All in all, it's incredible what Clint has managed to build all by himself. You can imagine the level of dedication needed to finish such a project. Clint told me that the total price of the rig (base vehicle included) added up to $30,000, which would've been considerably lower were it not for the expensive TV and sound system. This is a genuine masterpiece on wheels, one that would not have been possible without hours upon hours of work.