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This Couple Self-Converted a School Bus Into a Homey Motorhome With a Baby Bedroom

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Couple self-converted an old bus into a lovely motorhome 25 photos
Photo: Tiny Home Tours / YouTube
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Living in a motorhome can be the ideal solution if you want to escape the concrete jungle. Most of the people who decide to travel and/or live full-time in an RV are mostly either single or in  a couple. It is quite astonishing when a family with kids does it, especially if they manage to fit a personal space for everyone like this couple did. 
Megan and Landon are traveling and living full-time in a 40-ft (12-m) self-converted bus alongside their 1-year-old son, Liam, and dog Oakley. They have been living in a conventional house for a few years and decided that, with the birth of their kid, they should travel together more often.

The exterior of the bus has been changed from the boring yellow color and now boasts a white finish with a few wood accents. The old school bus door was replaced by a normal house door to make it feel homier. They also added two 6-ft (1.8-m) storage cubbies underneath the bus, the lids are also used as outdoor tables.

The backside of the school bus has a deck area on which they can secure their Honda motorcycle and Liam’s toy car. The backdoors can be opened and reveal a garage-like space that stores all their tools and solar components.

Traveling to many places can mean that you might not have access to shore power. For this reason, many motorhomes have an off-grid system. This bus comes with 1,000 watts solar panels on the roof, 600-amp lithium batteries, and a 12V inverter.

Couple self\-converted an old bus into a lovely motorhome
Photo: Tiny Home Tours / YouTube
Stargazing or sunbathing is a no-stress for them since they also installed a large rooftop deck and LED light strips all around the bus.

Stepping inside, we are greeted by a cozy and welcoming living room. The bus's roof has been raised by 18 inches (45.7 cm). This way, they could add a few upper cabinets on the side. There is plenty of space for guests to come over and even stay overnight since there are two couches, one on each side of the bus. These couches can be connected and transformed into a queen-size bed.

Next to the living room, we find a large kitchen equipped with everything someone would need. That includes a stove, an oven, a deep farmhouse sink, a microwave, and a fridge. There is more than enough storage in this kitchen, with plenty of base and upper cabinets and a few large drawers that serve as a pantry.

You might think that, since this is a motorhome, there might not be enough space for everything, like a dinette. But the couple came up with a clever idea - a pop-up bar and stools. The tables are folded when not in use so they do not take up any space, while the bar stools are stored in a long and thin cabinet next to the fridge.

Couple self\-converted an old bus into a lovely motorhome
Photo: Tiny Home Tours / YouTube
The laundry room and bathroom are separate rooms but share the same door. When one is closed the other one opens. The laundry room has a combo washer and dryer machine, and a small closet.

The bathroom is also separated into two parts. On the right, we have the Nature’s Head composting toilet, a bathroom vanity with a sink, a few built-in shelves, and a medicine cabinet. The walk-in shower is located on the left side and comes with a Nebula showerhead.

It could not be a functional home without a bedroom and perhaps a tiny space for their son. Liam’s bedroom is located in the hallway between the kitchen and the parent’s bedroom. The bed can be transformed into a crib, and underneath it, there are plenty of drawers and cubbies for all the baby stuff.

Couple self\-converted an old bus into a lovely motorhome
Photo: Tiny Home Tours / YouTube
The last room in this RV is a not-so-large master bedroom. It comes with a queen-size bed, a few clothing cabinets above the bed and behind the headboard part of the bed, and a bookshelf. The bed can also be lifted and reveal even more storage. The 100-gallon freshwater tank, a water pump, and more are stored in this space.

This bus is a 2007 International School bus powered by the mammoth 7.6L DT466, although it’s unclear exactly which version of this legendary engine can be found here. But with a cast iron block, forged steel rods, and crankshaft, this bulletproof power unit will definitely be able to take the skoolie anywhere.

The couple also gave us some insight into their traveling adventure. Hitting the road in an old vehicle means it can break at any time and you must be prepared in case that ever happens. For this reason, they are planning their trips so that the bus is never too far from a city where they can get help in repairing it.

Couple self\-converted an old bus into a lovely motorhome
Photo: Tiny Home Tours / YouTube
They did not state the price of their school bus conversionn, but you can get a similar bus for around $10,000 (€9,235). This price only includes the bus, without any customizations. You would have to first take all the chairs out, perhaps paint the exterior, and then start your dream home journey. If you want to transform it into an RV, you might end up spending a lot more.

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About the author: Angela Balaciu
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Angela has always been attracted to the artsy and quirky sides of the world. When she discovered the automotive world is filled with all kinds of wonders, a new passion was born.
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