Clifford the Big Red Bus Is a Snug Tiny Home on Wheels With Apartment-Like Features

Meet Jessica and Ashley, also known online as the "Howling Wanderers." "Why Howling?" you might ask yourself. Well, it's because they travel with their four dogs in "Clifford the Big Red Bus," their converted school bus.

What we have here is a 1991 International 3700 sporting a 7.3-liter IDI, a diesel V8 engine without a turbo. In fact, the duo specifically searched for a bus without a turbo to avoid the hassle of carrying out repairs on it. What's more, they also wanted a rig with a "dog nose" instead of a "flat nose" for easier access in case of maintenance and repairs.

When dealing with older vehicles, it's essential to take all the necessary measures to avoid breakdowns. In this couple's case, they replaced all the lines in the engine, including the fuel injector lines.

The next step in the build was to outfit the vehicle's exterior. At the front, above the windshield, Jessica and Ashley added an LED bar. On the passenger side, you'll discover a fold-down table, perfect for enjoying a meal or a cup of coffee outside. On the opposite side, there are two compartments used for storage.

At the rear, underneath the rig, you'll find a custom-built spare tire holder next to a propane canister holder. To access the garage, you can open the rear door. That's where you'll discover a bunch of tools and gear and a massive 75-gallon (284-liter) freshwater tank. All the water used inside ends up in two under-mounted 10-gallon (38-liter) greywater tanks.

Step inside, and you'll be surrounded by a finely designed interior with a mainly dark aesthetic featuring black cabinetry paired with wooden elements. When the video tour was filmed, the driver's cabin was a work in progress, so I'll skip it.

Next, we have the seating area. It comprises two couches, an L-shaped one on the driver's side and a tinier one on the other side. The L-shaped one houses the electrical system underneath, boasting an MPPT solar charge controller connected to 400 W solar panels on the roof, a Renogy inverter, and 400 Ah batteries. It might not be the most powerful setup, but it does the job for the couple's needs.

The smaller couch can be extended for more sitting space, although I don't think it's big enough to serve as a sleeping space. You'll notrice lattices on both sides of the interior – the reason why the couple fitted them was because the dogs kept jumping over the nearby counters. Now, not only are the digs safer, but they also help separate the driver's cabin from the living space.

Walk deeper into the interior, and you'll be in the kitchen, which was divided into two parts. It features two sizeable butcher block countertops, a pull-out Dometic dual-zone refrigerator, a sink with an extendable faucet, a massive pull-out pantry, an oven/stove combo, and plenty of drawers and cabinets (both above and below) for storage.

There is one corner in this area that is used for something other than cooking. It's Ashley's workspace, with a tiny desk, a chair, a keyboard, a mouse, and a monitor.

The next part of this skoolie is where you'll discover a different layout than on most other rigs. Instead of devising the bathroom between the kitchen and the bedroom, Jessica and Ashley put the bedroom and the bathroom side by side.

The bedroom comes with a massive queen-size bed, a TV on a swivel mount, and a window on each side. What's more, the duo has a lot of storage space under the bed and can also access the garage by lifting the mattress and its frame.

One of the bed's corners was cut to leave enough room to walk into the wet bathroom. It's a straightforward space, complete with a Nature's Head composting toilet, towel holders, and a shower. By the way, the bathroom was custom-built using acrylic sheets.

All in all, Jessica and Ashley did an excellent job with this build, especially since it was their first one and they didn't have much relevant experience. As they said, Google and YouTube came in very handy.

You're probably curious about how much it cost to build this rig. Having covered many skoolie projects, I noticed that most budgets end up in similar ranges, around $30,000 to $35,000 (€27,496 to €32,078). This couple said they spent a bit more, about $40,000 (€36,661). Still, it's a good deal for what they have in it.