Olive Is an Ex-Transit Authority Shuttle Bus That Ultimately Became a Motorhome

With thorough research and a bit of creativity, a mobile home can seamlessly integrate everything the owner needs for a fulfilled life. Not to mention, they get to explore the world from the comfort of their home and change the scenery whenever they feel like it.

Donna is a brave woman who decided to adopt the nomadic lifestyle and embarked on the journey of a lifetime converting a shuttle bus into the home on wheels of her dreams. Her motorhome is a 2012 Chevy Express G4500 shuttle bus named Olive Roaming. Previously, the 15-seat bus was part of the Madison Illinois Transit Authority and catered to the needs of homebound people.

She chose to build a motorhome herself rather than going for an RV or prebuilt camper van because she wanted to make it her own and infuse it with her own style. The Chevy shuttle bus seemed just the right size for her needs, and she liked the fact that it had lots of windows that let natural light in and made the interior feel airy and spacious. She spent two and a half months converting the bus into the lovely motorhome it is today, and it cost her around $18,000, which is way less than what most converted buses sell for.

The main reason many people choose shuttle buses for this kind of conversion is their wider and longer interior compared to most vans. These vehicles also offer enough clearance for even tall people to stand, and the expansive space on the roof allows for the installation of solar panels, awnings, and vent fans.

The exterior of Olive looks like any other regular shuttle bus. It has a two-tone paint scheme combining white and bright green. Obviously, being a shuttle bus, Olive features an open space interior comprising a nice kitchen, a bench seat serving as lounging space, and a permanent queen-size bed.

This bus conversion seems to have struck that perfect balance between travel camper and calm abode. Everything is very well thought out to increase the motorhome’s functionality, and the owner even thought of situations when she needs to bring friends over and incorporated additional features to accommodate them, including an extra passenger seat and a long bench seat in the living room.

The kitchen is small but functional and sits right where the bus’s double doors are, so Donna can open them up when cooking and enjoy the scenery and the fresh air. It features decently-sized cabinets, a deep sink that doubles as an outdoor shower, and plenty of counter space for cooking. A nice feature in the kitchen is the touch-control lights above the cabinets.

There is no stove in sight, but Donna has a portable stovetop that she can use either inside or outside for alfresco meal prep. The fridge/freezer is hidden in a second cabinet on the other side of the bus, which also serves as a pantry, as this is where the owner keeps all her dry food.

The bench seat behind the driver is 72 inches (1.82 meters) long and serves as the living room of this bus conversion. Here is where Donna spends most of her evenings and where she works on her laptop. A small movable table serves as a desk. As in most bus conversions, the bench seat has integrated storage compartments, and this is where the electric components can be found.

The sleeping area is at the back of the bus and includes a large and comfortable-looking bed and a storage unit with plenty of compartments for Donna to store her clothes and other personal belongings.

Olive also has an emergency exit, so Donna uses a telescopic ladder to climb on the roof and stargaze at night or just enjoy the breeze outside.

The fact that this shuttle bus conversion also has off-grid capability is the proverbial cherry on top. Olive is equipped with 400 Watts of solar panels on the roof, four batteries, and a 3000 Watt inverter stowed away under the bench seat. A composting toilet and a 30-gallon water tank are hidden in the storage space underneath the bed. It is also equipped with an AC unit, but it only works when the engine is rolling. As an alternative for when it’s hot outside, the owner uses a box vent to suck the hot air from the inside.

The possibility to live off-the-grid gives any motorhome owner the freedom to roam wherever they choose and freely explore what our wonderful planet has to offer.