Raising Kindness Is a School Bus Converted Into a Mobile Home for a Family of Three

Raising Kindness is a school bus converted into a mobile home for a family of three. Ian and Melissa have lived with their child inside this skoolie for over two years.

The name of the bus comes from their business in San Diego, where they did gymnastic classes for preschool kids. It went out of business when the pandemic hit. But this didn't put them down as they owned two school buses, and to have enough money to survive, they decided to move into one. This became their new full-time home as this lifestyle doesn't require much money for bills and other expenses. At the same time, they can enjoy incredible outdoor views and travel where they set their mind. Most people who choose this way of living are fond of traveling full-time and discovering new opportunities and traditions worldwide or in the country.

The entranceway is quite different from other skoolies. As in this area, we don't usually find a bedroom. But this side of the bus is also used as a living room. We can find a unique dining table made of a 96-year-old cedar tree turned into a tabletop. The dog lives in a tiny house carved inside this desk. Next to it is a custom-made couch that can transform into a full-size bed.

The front side of the bus is full of color, provided by a tapestry that is used as a cover for the windshield not to let the heat access the inside.

On the other side of the living/bedroom, the couple added a large wardrobe with many clothes, a battery, and a work office in the middle. The office area consists of an old dresser from their previous house separated into his and her compartments and two computers that can also be used as a TV.

The transition from the living room to the kitchen was made possible by adding a bar area. This is where all the food is served and where it is prepped.

We find the fully functional and roomy kitchen in the middle of the bus. One of Ian's main criteria was that the oven had to have enough room to fit a frozen pizza. For this reason, they acquired a full-size range combined with a farmhouse sink, a fan, and two refrigerators. There is plenty of storage provided by the kitchen cabinets and the custom-made cupboards on both sides.

The kid's room is right next to this area. It comes with a bunk bed with a twin XL mattress, a book nook, and a small space underneath the bed that acts as his room.

At the back of the RV, we find the bathroom. Surprisingly it is quite spacious and allows many people to access it and not bump into each other. We see a 4 by 6 ft (1.2 m by 1.8 m) waterproofed tiled shower pan on which both the shower and the toilet were placed, a vanity, a mirror, and a counter sink. A remarkable feature found in the bath is the flash water heater, which can change the temperature while in the shower.

While no price was mentioned, usually, these buses can be bought for as low as $3,000. The conversion to a house on wheels can be as inexpensive or expensive as you wish to be. Keep in mind that most of the skoolies come with an off-grid system to help you have all the electronics powered up even when on the road. This way, you don't need to be boondocked and keep traveling at all times.

As it is with most of the things in our lives, the skoolie lifestyle doesn't always come with only ups. A considerable downside of it is the fact that the vehicle is quite old and might require more maintenance than usual. People who do this way of living recommend traveling to locations that are somehow close to a repair center or learning yourself from YouTube videos and other online tutorials.

Something else to be mindful of is that you don't have as much space inside a mobile home as you do in a traditional one. But this is one of the things that the nomads love about on the road living. It's the simplicity of this lifestyle that attracts more and more people. The fewer things you have, the more you have freedom for yourself as you don't have to clean your house all day long.