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The Angry Bird Hotel Is a Vintage Bus-Conversion Mobile Home Towed by a Rat Rod

Tiny homes are usually the domain of young people, eager to explore the world and willing to trade comfort and material possessions for new experiences. But every rule has its exceptions, and this mobile home built by an elderly gentleman named Rickey out of an old bus perfectly illustrates why it’s never too late to follow your dreams.
Rat-Rod Bus Conversion Mobile Home 23 photos
Photo: Youtube / Tiny Home Tours
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This mobile home is impressive for quite a few reasons, but probably the best thing about it is how it looks from the outside. It’s quirky, unique, and creative, and goes against the status quo of mobile home building.

The bus has been cut, chopped, and turned into a trailer with a pair of angry bird eyes where the windshield should have been. There is no longer an engine or driver compartment, with the bus instead being pulled by a Frankensteinian-looking hot rod.

This weird creation was achieved by mating a 1929 Ford Model A body to a 90’s Ford heavy-duty chassis and a small-block Chevy 307 engine. And while that might be a bit underpowered for the job, those engines can be found cheap, and that is a theme throughout this mobile home.

The main focus when converting this bus was doing it on a budget, with most of the work MacGyvered by Rickey himself. The back of the bus was rusted, so it got replaced by a cozy porch made from reclaimed wood, which is perfect for getting a breath of fresh air on a sunny day or having friends over for a chat.

Rat\-Rod Bus Conversion Mobile Home Porch
Photo: Youtube / Tiny Home Tours
But there’s one more modification that this bus has suffered, and that’s a 12-inch (30cm) roof raise, making the interior feel roomier. Tying together the entire hot-rod aesthetic of this mobile home is the orange paint, covered in an airbrushed rusty patina.

One downside of such a unique and interesting exterior is that it can make the interior feel like a bit of a letdown. But it does make up for it with a charm that can take everyone back to the days of childhood and the joy of visiting our grandparents.

The extensive use of wood is one of the things that brings back those old memories, along with an antique-looking ceiling fan and, of course, the ever-present rocking chair. There’s even an old rotating-dial landline phone that will give young kids some trouble. All of these details, along with a wall-mounted TV, are situated at the back of the bus, which serves as the living room area, albeit a relatively small one.

The bright blue walls and neon lights might, however, be slightly disruptive to the overall vibe of this home, but they do somehow fit along with everything else. The wood slats that cover the ceiling work well with the kitchen backsplash to complement the choice of color and unify the build.

Rat\-Rod Bus Conversion Mobile Home Kitchen and Living Room
Photo: Youtube / Tiny Home Tours
The kitchen itself is surprisingly spacious, with plenty of workspace provided by the countertops. That also means there are more than enough cupboards to store pretty much anything one would need, especially with the addition of a row of wall-mounted cabinets. Granted, the place can look a bit crowded with all the things stored here but it does the job.

When it comes to appliances, there aren’t many, with the most visible being a coffee maker, a microwave oven, a sink, and an electric kettle. Cooking is then mostly relegated to a mobile two-burner propane-powered cooktop, which can be taken outside to avoid making the entire house smell.

Since I mentioned that a common theme throughout this home is keeping things cheap, the kitchen is no exception. The countertops used here were free as they were initially cut wrong, and Rickey fixed them. There is also a cheap solution to keep the cabinets closed while on the move, which implies drilling a hole at a 45-degree angle and using a nail as a pin to keep them from opening.

As this is a mobile home and rooms have to serve multiple purposes, there are a couple more things of note situated here. Opposite the counters, there is a washer-dryer combo, with a vintage-looking fridge sat on top.

Rat\-Rod Bus Conversion Mobile Home Kitchen
Photo: Youtube / Tiny Home Tours
There is also an air-conditioning unit mounted on the wall, which is made more efficient by a fan that can move the air around the entire home. Of course, that draws a lot of power and the 340W of solar panels cannot provide the juice for everything to run at once.

That is where two 300Ah batteries and a 3000W inverter come in, serving as the solution for the electric needs of this home. This is a good choice, as even when the sun is not out, there is still enough juice in reserve to keep the necessities running, like the water pump and heater, or the fridge.

Moving to the front of the bus, the bed resides where the driver’s comportment would have been when this bus was new. The side door can still open, allowing fresh air to come in the angry bird eyes on the windshield serve as a pair of sun blinds.

This is also where the bathroom is located. There is not much to see here, as it only really consists of a toilet, with no mention of the shower, meaning that is it most likely a wet bath, especially considering there is a 40-gallon (151-liter) freshwater tank. Overall, the build showcases what can be achieved with a young spirit and some creativity.

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About the author: Bogdan Bebeselea
Bogdan Bebeselea profile photo

As a kid, Bogdan grew up handing his dad the tools needed to work on his old Citroen and asking one too many questions about everything happening inside the engine bay. Naturally, this upbringing led Bogdan to become an engineer, but thanks to Top Gear, The Fast and the Furious series, and racing video games, a passion for automotive entertainment was ignited.
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