Cute and Cozy School Bus Conversion Serves as a Full-Time Home for a Couple and Their Baby

Morgan and Matt are true adventurers at heart – one year after they met in Australia, they bought a sailboat and lived full-time on it for about a year and a half. After scratching that itch, they moved to a remote area in Queensland, this time in an overlanding vehicle. So, they're no strangers to tiny living.

After Morgan got pregnant, they wanted to move back to her home country, the United States. Due to the high costs of buying and renting a conventional home, their only option was building a tiny home on wheels. The best choice for them was converting a school bus, as it provides the most real estate.

Of course, building a rig (of any kind) takes a bunch of time, so they moved in with Morgan's grandparents, where they had space to carry out the process. So, four months later, the bus was livable, and they made further modifications after moving into it.

You're probably curious about the costs. The couple invested around $40,000 (€36,408) in their rig, including the base vehicle price – I'd say that's around what most people invest in converting school buses, give and take $10,000 (€9,102). Of course, you can do it even cheaper, although it's much more challenging. Take this build as an example, which cost just $10K.

"The Green Bean" is a 2003 Thomas Built, a popular choice among bus dwellers. It measures 30 feet (9 meters) in length, 8 feet (2.4 meters) in width, and 12 feet (around 3.7 meters) in height. The rig gets its name from the bright green paint it's finished in. One of the reasons why the duo chose this short-wheelbase model is because they can travel with it inside National Parks.

This rig sports a 5.9-liter Cummins engine paired with a five-speed Allison transmission. Furthermore, it underwent several significant modifications. Morgan and Matt removed the original windows and emergency doors, raised the roof by 12 inches (30 centimeters), and added new sheets of metal and RV windows.

Other notable features on this bus's exterior are an instant water heater, various storage compartments, one of which holds two 20-lb. (9-kg) propane bottles, and an airline connected to the rig's air tank. At the rear, the couple mounted a mini-split right above the rear door.

Open the door, and you'll notice a spacious garage where the duo stores two mountain bikes, some tools, and an electrical system with three 200 Ah batteries and a 3,000 W inverter. Given they're traveling with a baby, they needed many appliances on board the rig, which require lots of power. That's why Morgan and Matt installed solar panels with a staggering 2,400 W total capacity. That's one of the perks of having a bus – two other vehicles offer that much space to fit solar panels.

Underneath, you'll discover a 50-gallon (189-liter) grey tank, which the couple explained gets filled up pretty quickly, so they should've mounted a larger one. Considering they have a 125-gallon (473-liter) freshwater tank, it would've made sense to fit a grey tank with more capacity.

Step inside, and the first thing you'll probably notice is the mountain-shaped shelf above the driver's cabin that Matt built himself. On the wall behind, Morgan painted a setting sun. At the rear, she painted a moon – she explained they wanted these symbols because Aupi's middle name is Luna.

Matt and Morgan wanted the interior to feel as open as possible, so they didn't devise any overhead storage spaces like most skoolie builders do. What's more, there's a pine tongue and groove ceiling, while the floor is made of laminate wood with a darker tint.

Step deeper into the interior, and you'll discover the seating area, consisting of a couch on one side and two benches with a dinette table in between on the other. Moreover, the couch can be pulled and transformed into a sleeping space for guests. Of course, given that Aupi is so young, she needs a special baby seat, which the couple can safely mount on one of the benches. One design touch I'm really fond of is the leather upholstery, which offers a pop of color for the seating area.

Next, we have the kitchen, which is divided into two parts, one on each side. It features two purple shelves that serve as a wine rack, spacious, live-edge countertops, and an enormous farmhouse sink, which is large enough for Aupi to bathe in. Moreover, you'll find an oven with a three-burner stove, beautiful greenish-blue cabinetry, and a huge fridge/freezer that stores about 1-2 weeks' worth of food for the family.

Opposite the fridge, you'll discover the bathroom. It comes with a purple door, a composting toilet, and a sizable shower with striking microcement walls.

And lastly, we have the bedroom, or better said, bedrooms. On the right side, you'll find Aupi's crib, which opens up into the couple's bed so Aupi can crawl there and sleep with them. Underneath this tiny bed, the duo devised two drawers. One really nice and cute touch is that they used rock climbing handles for the drawers so that when Aupi grows a bit more, she'll be able to climb into her bed.

Opposite the crib, Matt and Morgan created a closet space. But it's not only for storage, as it also houses a washer/dryer combo unit. What's more, part of the floor underneath the hallway can be raised to reveal an extra storage spot.

At the very end of the bus, you'll notice the queen-size bed. The area is quite simple, with a window on one side, two reading lights, and a mini-split above.

All in all, this couple has done an excellent job with this conversion. It's practical and spacious, and the pops of color all around the interior give it a unique and aesthetically pleasing look. It seems to be the perfect tiny home on wheels for the couple to raise their baby, and that's what matters in the end.