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Scania Double-Decker Bus Becomes Off-Grid House With a Secret Wardrobe and Rooftop Garden

Today’s vanlife inspiration (#vanlife #info, as the kids would say) comes from a couple in England, who have spent the past couple of years working on a bus conversion. It’s an old, public double-decker that they painstakingly turned into an elegant, spacious, and completely off-grid home.
Gareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budget 19 photos
Photo: Instagram / @we_bought_a_double_decker
Gareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budgetGareth and Lamorna converted a double-decker in an off-grid elegant home, on a budget
It packs a couple of awesome surprises, too!

This isn’t the first time we’ve covered this conversion, but it’s the first time it’s shown complete. Gareth and Lamorna are what you could call local celebrities, and it’s precisely because of this bus conversion, which they managed to keep on budget while still a dream mobile home: off-grid-capable, on a budget, but very elegant.

Gareth and Lamorna went traveling in a converted van in 2019, and what started as an experiment proved a suitable lifestyle for them. Upon their return to England, they decided that, if they wanted to continue living on the road in a mobile home, they needed something bigger, something they could stand up in. As Lamorna says on the latest episode of Channel 5’s Million Pound Motorhomes, at the time, she still had no idea whether you could convert a double-decker, but they decided to do it either way.

Gareth and Lamorna converted a double\-decker in an off\-grid elegant home, on a budget
Photo: Instagram / @we_bought_a_double_decker
This seems like the now-typical story of a DIY (do it yourself) project based on YouTube tutorials, with a minimal budget and zero experience, but the truth is far from that. Gareth makes a living installing solar panels, so he has experience with the wiring and electrics. Lamorna is a nutritionist by profession, but Instagram photos show that she’s also good with her hands.

It took them two full years to convert the double-decker, which they admit was a bigger challenge than they initially assumed. They’re yet to name it officially, though the LED display up front reads The Hollingsworth’s, but also displays their Instagram handle, @we_bought_a_double_decker. Sometimes, the direct approach is the best.

The two tell the producers on the show that the bus they chose was one that had been used by the city and had been retired from service. It’s a 1997 Scania double-decker from Orbit Coaches, from which they strove to keep certain trademark elements, for that quirky touch every conversion home needs: the handrail that leads upstairs, the stop buttons, the warning signs on the windows, and the plaque with the total passenger capacity of the vehicle are just a few of the examples.

That said, the interior was completely overhauled, once they stripped it off completely, removing the seats and panels. The first floor now holds a full kitchen and a gorgeous dining area, and a lounge with a fireplace, and plenty of rustic, handmade touches that add a cozy vibe to the place. The bedroom is hidden behind a bookcase (they call it their very own Narnia wardrobe), and it features two full-size wardrobes, the likes of which many city-dwellers can probably only dream of, on account of space.

Gareth and Lamorna converted a double\-decker in an off\-grid elegant home, on a budget
Photo: Instagram / @we_bought_a_double_decker
Upstairs is an office that faces the open road and offers the best views in the house. To further create the impression of no visual barriers, all the cabinets have hand-painted doors that are like pieces of a puzzle showing an image of an open road, with snowy mountain peaks in the distance. These same cabinets hide other stowaway stools and fold-down sections that can expand the desk to almost double its size.

The bus has air-conditioning and heating, a large bathroom with a walk-in shower and composting toilet, and plenty of room to lead a very comfortable, uncramped life. More importantly, though, it’s off-grid: Gareth made sure to install solar panels on the roof, and it sounds like they’re enough for extended autonomy. In a previous interview, he said they have almost one week of autonomy thanks to large battery banks and a large water tank. Next to the solar panel system on the roof is a small garden, complete with fake grass and just perfect for an afternoon tea.

Because they did the conversion themselves and weren’t in a hurry to finish it, since they lived in a trailer on site, the total budget for the build was of just £20,000 (roughly $23,000 at the current exchange rate), £4,000 ($4,600) of which was for the bus. At first, they focused on the conversion alone, but once that was done, they made sure to bring the engine in proper working order.

The double-decker has since been MOT-approved and has already undertaken its maiden journey. Gareth and Lamorna documented the entire conversion process and first journey on their social media, and they’re thrilled to be able to do so: the vanlife community was of great assistance to them, and they hope to be able to pay it forward this way.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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