This Bus Turned Tiny Home Features a Luggage Compartment Bedroom and a Pet Snake

Meet the Evans family, made up of Tessa and Matt, their four youngest kids, Sam, Lucas, Quinn, and Hudson, their two dogs, and Sam's pet snake, Doug – that's such a funny name for a snake. They all live in "Gus Gus the Bus Bus," a 1986 MCI MC9 Crusader II bus.

Tessa and Matt's motivation to switch to a mobile lifestyle started when they started homeschooling their children. They saw how much freedom they could have and decided to escape from the demands of a traditional lifestyle. The purpose of all this was to capitalize on the time they had with their children by traveling and making memories. So, let's take a look at the "tool," as Tessa described it, that allows them to have these special experiences.

This MCI bus sports an eight-cylinder Detroit Diesel 8v92 engine with no turbo – it outputs a maximum of 388 hp (289 kW) at 2,300 RPM. As Matt described, the rig is super slow. Moreover, the drive axle is a dually, meaning it has two side-by-side wheels.

The Evans spent $8,000 (€7,373) on the base vehicle and invested $21,000 (€19,354) into its renovation, bringing the total cost to $29,000 (€26,726). Most converted buses I've written about are in the $30,000 to $40,000 (€27,648 to €36,864) range, but I feel this is a good deal given so many people live inside. Naturally, the more people live inside a camper, the more/better features you need.

Gus Gus measures 40 feet (12.2 meters) in length, and it tows a dolly and a Toyota Sienna minivan, which increase the length to about 58 feet (17.7 meters). On the passenger side of the bus, you'll discover three storage bays that go all the way through to the other side.

All of the exterior compartments I've seen on any camper are used for storage or to house utility systems. Well, this is the first time I've seen a storage bay turned into a bedroom. The storage bay in the middle of this rig is where Sam sleeps - I'll talk about it later in this article.

The other two exterior compartments are used for storage. One of them holds a 100-gallon (378-liter) freshwater tank, a 100-gallon greywater rank, and three propane tanks.

On the roof, you'll find six 300 W solar panels for a total capacity of 1,800 W. The battery bank is housed on the opposite side of one of the compartments I just described – it's made up of six 6 V golf cart batteries.

Step inside, and you'll discover a beautifully designed interior that offers about 280 square feet (26 square meters) of space. It features a striking pattern floor paired with green kitchen cabinetry, white walls, and a white ceiling.

Starting from the front, the driver's cabin didn't suffer many changes – the family kept the original dashboard but added a shoe storage spot and hooks above the driver's seat to hang clothes.

Walk deeper inside the bus, and you'll be in the lounge area. It boasts two spacious couches. What's more, behind each couch, huge dining tables can be pulled out and over the couch to connect in the middle. They create a perfect place to eat, work on laptops, or play board games.

This rig's interior is very well-lit due to the large windows on the side. What's more, above them, you'll find long shelves holding various decorations.

The next area of the interior is the kitchen, which is split into two parts. It features butcher block countertops, custom-built green cabinetry, an oven with a four-burner stove, a white tiled backsplash, and a full-size residential fridge/freezer. For storage, the family can use the many cabinets and drawers underneath the countertops, as well as three overhead cabinets.

Then, you'll discover a closet area with a door that helps separate the kitchen from the rear of the interior, where the bedrooms and the bathroom are.

Integrated into the closet's floor is a hatch, which is the entrance to Sam's luggage compartment bedroom. Sam has more bedroom space than his siblings, as he's the tallest, measuring 6'1" (185 centimeters) in height.

Go down the hatch, and you'll find an awesome bedroom. It features a full mattress, shelves holding toy cars and books, a fake grass wall, and various other decorations. There's even a glass tank in a corner where Doug the snake sleeps.

Let's continue the tour upstairs. As I mentioned, you'll notice the bunk bedroom next, complete with four beds, each measuring 6 feet (1.82 meters) in length. I love that Tessa and Matt gave each of the kids a budget and let them decide how their bedroom wanted to look – and so, the bedroom came out looking a bit different, each reflecting the kids' different personalities.

Next, we have a vanity area and a laundry room. The latter boasts a washer/dryer, a drawer for dirty laundry, and a pull-out closet. On the opposite side, the vanity area comprises a mirror, a small sink, storage spots, and a pull-down stool. Moreover, the wall next to the laundry room is occupied by organizational tools – the family has all sorts of boards to keep track of their goals, where they've traveled, and more.

The final area until we reach the bedroom is the bathroom, split into two parts. One houses a shower made out of a whisky barrel, copper piping, and a curtain. The other houses a custom-made composting toilet with a 5-gallon (19.9-liter) bucket and a 3D-printed urine diverter. Instead of spending more than $1,000 (€922) on a composting toilet, they spent under $50 (€46) to build it themselves. A cute detail in the hallway between these two bathroom parts is a growth chart for the kids.

And finally, we have the master bedroom, separated from the rest of the bus by a beautiful sliding barn door. I love its simple yet aesthetically pleasing design, with a black headboard and white ceiling, two large windows, and two side lights. Furthermore, it has an iMac attached to a swivel mount and two shelves.

All in all, the Evans family has done a fantastic job with this bus conversion. It's got so many useful systems, proper off-grid capabilities, a clever layout, and a beautiful design. Sam's cool bedroom is definitely the highlight of this build. To top it all off, it cost under $30K to build.