This Couple Transformed a School Bus Into an Off-Grid RV With Lots of Space

The more I get to see people do this, the more I want to do it myself. And this school bus called Irwin is just the cutest RV ever. If you only take a look at the front side of the bus, you are kind of giggling inside.

Those curtains that have big blue eyes on them make a perfect combo with the big sticker above the curtains with the bus’s name. Moreover, the mint exterior gives the bus quite a cute aesthetic. The curtains are also used to keep the interior cooler.

Mandi and Mike completely remodeled this 1991 school bus and turned it into what they thought would be the perfect way to live and travel.

The exterior has gotten a new custom door with many windows. They also added an outdoor table hooked on the side of the bus, perfect for enjoying meals outdoors under the sunlight. A gas grill was the perfect addition here, and it can be taken off whenever they have to travel.

Stargazing or sunbathing is no problem with this bus since it also has a rooftop deck. You can access the deck by climbing the custom-made ladder at the rear side.
Although it is an RV, it does not feel too cramped inside.

The kitchen and living room are in an open-concept design, with lots of cooking and storage space. The kitchen comes in an L-shape to separate the living room from the rest of the house. It is also fully functional, with a small sink, a stovetop, an oven, and a fridge. We can notice a tiny design detail in this area - the mint-colored honeycomb backsplash matches the color of the bus's exterior.

The living room offers enough room for visitors to come and have a chat or even sleep on the extensible sofa. A small swivel table was attached to the sofa, so the couple can either serve dinner on it or use it as a workspace. There is even more sitting space with the driver cabin swivel chairs.

The cushions and all the curtains are hand sewn, giving them a touch of uniqueness. Although there is plenty of natural light flooding the interior through the many windows on both sides, the couple also added a large skylight.

There is no TV in here, and that is for a good reason, since they do own a giant 6 ft projector screen. If only one word can be used to describe the interior of this RV, it would definitely be spacious.

The same is valid for the bathroom They even managed to fit a deep bathtub in there, which is a rare sight in motorhomes. It also comes with a little sink, a few cabinets with tons of storage, and a composting toilet. The door has an auto-lock feature, so it is safe when on the road.

Moving towards the rear of the bus, we are going into the office area. It was designed with French cleats on the wall, so it is quite modular. The desk can be moved up and down on those cleats, depending on if you want to be sitting or standing at the computer.

The electrical panel is right behind the office, and in order to access it, you would have to take everything down and install it back again later. The bus can be connected to shore power with the 30-amp connection, but it can also run fully off-grid. It comes with 1,600 watts of solar panels, four 10 kWh lithium-ion batteries, and a 300-watt inverter charger.

Right at the rear, we find a large bedroom, similar to those you find in conventional houses. They designed it with a queen-size bed placed on a lifting mechanism. This way, there isnt any unused space left, and since this is a considerable size bed, there is plenty of space underneath. For all their clothes, shoes, and miscellaneous, Mike designed a tall bedroom cabinet and a hanging closet.

One major caveat  of this build is the fuel economy, which is not just bad, it’s utterly atrocious. This school bus can achieve between five and six miles per gallon (39-47 l/100 km). To put that into perspective for Europeans, one liter of fuel will only take you two and a half kilometers.

Luckily, there is a redeeming feature, which comes in the shape of the fuel tank. It can hold up to 100 gallons (378 liters), so you only have to worry about the price of filling up and not the range.

The couple spent $12,000 (€11,032) on this specific bus and another $35,000-$40,000 (€32,177-€36,774) on building the interior and exterior and making it a lovely motorhome. You can watch them talking about the process in the video below.