Insanely Cheap Minibus Skoolie Has a Homey Design, Is Up to Par With Much Pricier Rigs

A few days ago, I wrote an article about why skoolies and ambulances make for fantastic camper conversions – one of the perks of both these vehicles is that they're typically much cheaper to convert than the popular cargo vans.

What we have here is an awesome, affordable DIY conversion based on a 2005 GMC Savana 3500. According to Stephanie, its owner and builder, it gets about 15 MPG (almost 19 L/100km).

Stephanie, like many other people, experienced some difficulties during the pandemic. She found herself in a tough spot, about to lose her job and her apartment. Her solution was to convert a mini school bus into a full-time tiny home on wheels.

Given her situation, she tried to find the most affordable way to embark on this mobile lifestyle. That meant finding and building a rig herself, as employing a specialized conversion company would've significantly increased the conversion cost. One advantage she had was that she was a woodworker by trade, an instrumental skill to have if you plan on converting pretty much any type of vehicle into a camper. Together with her mom, who is also a woodworker, they built the rig in just three months.

Stephanie bought the vehicle for a mere $3,500 (€3,239) from Facebook Marketplace. Then, she invested about $4,500 (€4,164) into the conversion, bringing the total cost of the rig to just $8,000 (€7,403) - believe it or not, that's how much some van dwellers pay for the utility system on their camper vans. Just like on many other budget-friendly projects I have covered before, Stephanie managed to keep costs to a minimum by using salvaged materials and shopping for deals.

On the outside, the minibus is finished in white paint paired with wood siding boasting a wood-burned accent depicting dandelions. Another notable detail is a wood deck on the roof. To get up there, Stephanie uses a telescopic ladder.

Like most of the features and materials in this bus, the ladder was purchased for a lower-than-average price. While most telescopic ladders are in the $200 range, she bought this one for just $44 because it had a damaged box; that's why it's so important to constantly research deals if you want your budget to be as low as possible.

When you hear a camper was built for $8K, you might expect to find a not-so-cozy interior. Well, Stephanie managed to make the interior not only comfortable but also aesthetically pleasing. Yes, it's a no-frills conversion, but that doesn't mean you can't make your living space look and feel good, provided you use some creativity.

The interior is finished with light wood all around. Its open layout means no room inside is separated from the entire living space. The driver's cabin underwent no significant modifications, so I'll skip that part.

The first area in this minibus is the kitchen, located on the passenger side of the interior. It features light green cabinetry, a huge butcher block countertop made from 100-year-old hard pine, a dual-burner stove, a fridge/freezer box on a drawer slide, a long shelf with mason jars attached underneath, and a round stainless-steel sink.

The plumbing system is installed in the cabinet underneath the sink. It consists of a 12-gallon (45-liter) freshwater tank and a 7-gallon (26-liter) greywater tank, both removable for convenience.

Opposite the kitchen, you'll discover the seating area. It's got a long couch with a table in the middle. There's a cabinet with a beautiful rattan insert nearby. Stephanie devised a tiny crib inside and under it for her pet rabbits - I've seen cats and dogs live in campers, but never rabbits. Moreover, their crib extends underneath the couch, and the rest of the space is meant for storage.

If Stephanie wants to accommodate a guest overnight, she can remove the couch's backboard and attach it to the side, thus creating a cozy twin-size sleeping space. Another notable element in the seating area is a long overhead shelf that mirrors the one above the kitchen. Furthermore, the table can be slid out and used as a footrest – a simple yet very useful feature.

And finally, we have the bedroom at the rear of the interior, just like on most skoolie builds. By its entrance, you'll notice two storage spaces: one's a closet, while the other is a pantry. In the closet, Stephanie housed the rig's electrical system, a Yeti 1500X portable power station connected to two solar panels on the roof.

Other notable features in the bedroom are a full-size mattress, two spacious shelves, two nightstands, and the bus's original A/C, which is housed inside a wooden cover with a rattan insert. For heating, Stephanie uses the propane stove.

The vast space underneath the bed is used as a garage, accessible from both inside and outside the rig. That's where Stephanie stores bulkier items, such as a portable toilet.

All in all, it's fantastic what Stephanie managed to build, considering the extremely low budget. Her rig's interior looks just as good as those of pricier builds, and it provides all the functionalities you need to enjoy comfortable mobile living.