Shuttle Bus Was Creatively Converted Into a Unique Tiny Home With a Recirculating Shower

Meet Karson and Brendon, the owners and builders of this former Ford E-450 Super Duty shuttle bus. Their story follows a similar pattern to others who chose to adopt a mobile lifestyle – they felt they were missing out on so many experiences by working 40-50 hours each week.

So, they decided to set themselves a new challenge by converting a bus into a mobile home. I hope their journey will show you that even as a complete beginner, you can do something (seemingly) crazy, such as building a tiny home on wheels – they didn't have any relevant experience, but what they did have was a lot of ambition and thirst for new life experiences.

Let's take a look at their creation, starting with the exterior. Spoiler alert: it doesn't look like the work of beginners. On the outside, the rig is finished in an eye-catching white and blue paint. On the passenger's side, the couple fitted a small flip-up table, under which you'll notice two exterior compartments. They hold the bus's starter batteries, a propane canister, and other bits and bobs.

The vehicle's wheelchair-accessible exit is also located on the passenger side, toward the rear. The top part leads directly into the camper's bedroom, allowing you to let some fresh air inside. To make use of every single inch inside the rig, Karson and Brendon fitted shoe racks on the inner parts of the doors.

Underneath the bed, you'll notice the vehicle's electrical system. Its highlights are an MPPT charge controller connected to three 210 W solar panels, a 2,000 W inverter, two 12 V fuse panels, and four 100 Ah batteries.

At the rear, we have the emergency exit, which again leads to the bedroom, as well as the garage. The garage doesn't offer a ton of space, but it's enough to hold a spare tire, books, a telescopic ladder, and even a clothesline.

Since the bus didn't have a hitch, the couple couldn't mount a rack to hold their two bikes. Their solution was to attach it to the front – it makes accessing the engine more difficult, but it does the job.

That's it for the exterior, so let's enter the bus. The white and blue theme continues inside, where various blue details, such as the upholstery, are paired with white walls and a white ceiling. The look is completed by wood tones for the countertops, tabletop, and more.

One of the first things you'll notice as you step inside is a massive overhead storage section with multiple cabinets and a bookshelf.

The first area past the driver's cabin is the kitchen, located on the passenger side of the interior – it features a 6-foot (183-centimeter) butcher block countertop, which can be extended by 1.5 feet (46-centimeter) using a flip-up table, a small oven/two-burner-stove combo, and a deep stainless steel sink with an extra filtered water faucet. For storage, you can use multiple drawers and three overhead shelves.

Opposite the kitchen, you'll find the centerpiece of this bus, the living room. It boasts a U-shaped lounge with a massive table in the middle and overhead shelves that mirror the ones in the kitchen. Furthermore, the space can be transformed into an extra sleeping space for guests by dropping down the table and rearranging the cushions.

Step deeper inside the bus, and you'll notice the open space narrowing down into a hallway. On the driver's side, you'll discover the rig's bathroom. It measures 3 x 3 feet (91 x 91 centimeters) and has a shower, a pre-made shower pan, and a Porta Potti cassette toilet.

A door in the lower side of the bathroom hides the "bathroom guts," including a 7-gallon (26.5-liter) recirculating shower system. Long story short, this system allows you to reuse the water that pours down the drain after it sanitizes it through a 7-step process.

That means you can take half-hour-long showers while using the same water – that sounds like a van/bus dweller's dream, right? Of course, there are some cons to this type of system, such as the upfront cost and maintenance.

The other part of the hallway has a floor-to-ceiling unit holding a fridge/freezer with a storage space above and two drawers underneath.

And finally, we have the bedroom at the rear of the bus. A full-size bed occupies the entire room, and it's arranged so you can sleep on it widthwise. What's more, the bed can be lifted to reveal a storage spot, and you can also access the garage from there. Other notable features are two fans and a headboard with extra storage.

All in all, Karson and Brendon have done a great job with their first camper build. It's comfortable, well-equipped, and features a ton of storage space. I'm sure this project didn't break the bank. We don't know how much this all cost to build, but the couple shared that they managed to keep costs down by being on a constant lookout for deals and purchasing many things from Facebook Marketplace.

You can find excellent deals on many older buses. By the way, if you're interested in making such a conversion, take a look at an article I wrote about what it takes to transform a school bus into a tiny home.