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Old School Bus Becomes Dream Home on Wheels for Californian Couple

The need to cut down expenses in order to save for their wedding and the future led a Californian couple to discover a new way of life – the bus life. They decided to buy a vintage school bus and turn it into their dream apartment on wheels.
1988 Crown Coach school bus was transformed into an apartment on wheels 10 photos
Photo: Christine & Kathy/ Instagram
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Christine Saldana and Kathy Mariscal, who used to live in LA where life can be quite expensive, realized rent was their largest monthly expense, especially since they were living in separate apartments. They decided to go down the minimalism route, leave the conventional apartment life behind, and build their own unconventional dream home.

The couple purchased a 298-square-foot (59.2-square-meter) Crown Coach school bus from 1988 for only $7,500 and embarked on a new adventure to convert it into a house on wheels. They named the bus “Adelita” and spent about five months working on renovating it and turning it into a mid-century modern tiny house on wheels.

At first, they wanted to do the job themselves but eventually decided to secure the services of experienced contractors to help them transform the school bus into a liveable home. The couple contributed with lots of ideas, as their new home was basically designed from scratch. After pulling out the bus’s chairs, they had a clean slate to build on.

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Their aim was to make the schoolie feel like an actual home, so all necessary facilities and amenities to make life confortable had to be added. Professionals added new wall framing, AC, plumbing, and electrical systems. Most of the furniture pieces now sitting in Adelita are custom-built for the school bus by a family member.

On the exterior, the yellow school bus color was replaced by a charming coral that is very easy on the eyes and matches the mid-century style sofa they installed in the living area.

The interior was designed, first and foremost, with functionality in mind. They had to make the most out of just 298 square feet of space, after all. But this doesn’t mean they compromised on style. With some mid-century styling touches here and there, their tiny house on wheels looks chic and stylish.

Crown Coach school bus turned into house on wheels
Photo: Christine & Kathy/ Instagram
The bus features an open living room, a kitchen area, a bedroom with closet, and a bathroom. Just as you enter the bus, you step into the living room area, where the coral-pink L-shaped sofa is the focal point. A yellow corduroy co-captain chair and some bookshelves complete the image.

The kitchen are is positioned behind the sofa and boasts wood countertops, teal cabinets, as well as a leather dinette that seats four. It is equipped with a full-sized refrigerator, sink, a hotplate, and a Crockpot, which the couple uses to cook most of their meals.

As for the bedroom, this is located in the rear of the bus and occupies an area of around 59 square feet (5.5 square meters). It features a
queen-sized mattress and a nightstand, all placed in a well-lit corner thanks to the large windows and the white color scheme.

Crown Coach school bus turned into house on wheels
Photo: Christine & Kathy/ Instagram
Finally, the bathroom is towards the back of the bus, next to the bedroom area and includes a compost toilet, showerhead, and sink. The entire room is waterproof and covered in colar-pink tiles.

At the moment, Christine and Kathy and their dog live full time in the vintage school bus-turned-apartment-on-wheels in an RV park in Houston, Texas. A new job opportunity was the perfect occasion to take Adelita on her maiden trip from LA to Texas and explore other parts of the country in the process.

They estimate the cost of their home on wheels at around $50,000. But don’t get overexcited, they have no plans to put it on the market.
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About the author: Ancuta Iosub
Ancuta Iosub profile photo

After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors.
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