The "Sun Chaser" Bus Is a Cozy and Modern Apartment on Wheels With a Walk-In Shower

I'm still working on my dream of building a tiny home on wheels – since I'm from Europe, my best bet would be making a camper van conversion. However, if I lived in the United States, I'd probably choose to create a mobile home out of an old school bus.

"Why is that?" you might wonder. To keep it short, skoolies are typically inexpensive to build (much cheaper than camper vans), offer a lot of real estate, and are durable. If you want to explore this topic in more detail, check out this article I wrote about what it takes to transform a school bus into a tiny home.

Now, back to the build – meet Tyme and Andy and the Sun Chaser skoolie. It's a 1999 International 3800 sporting a 7.3-liter diesel V8 engine. As usual, I'll start by discussing its exterior.

This tiny home on wheels measures 35 feet (10.7 meters) in length. One of its most significant modifications was a 19-inch (48-centimeter) roof raise. This upgrade is popular among bus dwellers and converters, as it enables you to stand up inside the rig – obviously, that's something people would like to do in their homes.

On the outside, it's finished in bronze and white paint. Just like on most buses, you'll discover multiple exterior storage compartments. There are two on the passenger side, which hold the vehicle's starter batteries and the rig's electrical system. The latter comprises a 200 Ah battery, a 3,000 W inverter, and a solar charge controller connected to a solar panel on the roof. What's more, the couple also has two portable power stations.

Behind the "power box," you'll find two under-mounted 20-gallon (76-liter) propane canisters, an outdoor unit for a mini-split, and a 5,000 W generator for emergencies. Moreover, at the bus's rear is an under-mounted 50-gallon (189-liter) freshwater tank. By the way, the rig also comes with a greywater tank and a 40-gallon (151-liter) black tank.

The last notable modification I'd like to talk about is the front door. Normally, buses have foldable doors. However, Tyme and Andy swapped theirs for a conventional one, complete with a sliding glass part.

Step inside, and you'll be surrounded by a spacious and beautifully designed interior that looks straight up out of a modern apartment. Unlike most school bus conversions, this one doesn't have overhead cabinets running along the ceiling – that's one of the reasons why it feels so spacious.

The coupe didn't make any major modifications to the driver's cabin. One cool thing is that the driver's seat can be folded out of the way to provide more walking space. There's also a small hammock hung from the ceiling, as well as an overhead mini-split unit.

Walk deeper inside the bus, and you'll be in an office/workspace. Tyme and Andy installed a desk that holds a monitor, a keyboard, two speakers, and an office chair. This is where the couple runs a media company from and edits videos for their YouTube vlog. On the opposite side, the duo added a vintage fan, but they plan on adding a couch in this spot.

Next, we have an L-shaped kitchen. It features a massive fridge/freezer with a microwave on top, an oven/stove combo, a large overhead cabinet, a washer/dryer, a good amount of counter space that can be extended via a flip-up table, and enough storage space in the form of cabinets and drawers.

The bedroom is separated from the rest of the living space because of the kitchen wall. It's a lovely spot, boasting a queen-size bed and a long shelf. The couple opted for a bunk-style bed, positioning it higher up to leave room underneath for three drawers and a hanging closet holding most of their clothes.

There's a large skylight above the bed, and Tyme and Andy added a small rope ladder that allows them to hop on top of the vehicle. Just imagine: you wake up, you prepare a hot cup of coffee, and then you climb on the roof to enjoy a few minutes of sunlight. That sounds lovely.

Tyme and Andy can also leave the skylight open for more air circulation. However, on really hot days, they have an EcoFlow Wave 2 A/C underneath the bed to keep them cool.

My favorite part of this mobile home is the bathroom, located at the very rear of the rig. It's separated by the bedroom via a door and features an L-shaped counter with a sink, a round mirror, an 18-liter (5-gallon) water heater, and a toilet connected to a black tank underneath.

The centerpiece of this space is the full-size walk-in shower with a brushed concrete finish. Moreover, the bathroom's look is completed by a black and white wall, as well as bronze and gold finishes.

All in all, this is a stunning and ultra-functional tiny home on wheels. It's simple yet well-equipped, and what makes it even more impressive is the budget it was built with. Tyme and Andy invested a mere $30,000 (€27,807) into the project, $5,000 (€4,634) of which was spent on the base vehicle. That's a fantastic deal.