This Renovated 1999 Winnebago Is Full of Charm, Brightly Colored, and Fully Functional

An RV can be created out of almost any vehicle. And many people do it out of old buses, trucks, and ambulances. It is much more complicated than buying an already prepared RV, but it is also more entertaining to DIY.

After discovering that everyday living in a traditional house was not for them, this family of five renovated a vintage 1999 Winnebago. They sold their typical house, bought an old RV, and started traveling around the U.S. Sandi and Jimmy took their kids out of school and are now homeschooling them while enjoying the wonders of life.

Before moving into the 350 sq ft (32.5 sq m) RV, they had to sell much of the stuff they owned to fit into their new home. It is pretty standard for many of us to accumulate many items during our lifetime that we either forget about, do not want to give away, or do not need at all. But since none of these items bother us, many only decide to get rid of them when or if they downsize to a tiny home. Many people discover how few things they need and how free life can be when they own only the most essential items. This is the usual realization of those who choose tiny living.

The first room accessible from the exterior of this mobile home is the living area. It features an open-space design, adjoined by a kitchen and dining room. The living room used to be brown before it was renovated. Now, it has different shades of gray and a bit of mint green. An oversized couch and three swivel chairs provide lots of seating space. This area is not used just to entertain the guests but also as a workspace and to homeschool the kids. Parents do their work at the desk located between two chairs. The kids have all their school items stacked in the upper cabinets on each side of the mobile home.

Since there is little space to sleep five persons, the couch is used as a queen-size bed for the parents. And while traveling, the kids watch the TV above the driver's cab while lying on the sofa. It might be hard to hear the TV while the RV's motor is on. For this reason, Jimmy installed a surround sound system and arranged all the speakers in a way to be able to hear it from far behind.

The kitchen is located in the middle of the vehicle. Just like the living room, this area was also plain brown. The couple wanted to have this side designed with bright and light colors. This way, it looks roomier and has a homey feeling. It is a small kitchen but quite functional. It comes with a three-burner stove, an oven, a microwave, a fridge, and a double-sided sink. A fan was installed on the ceiling to keep all the smell and fumes away when cooking.

On the other side, we find a dinette with lots of storage underneath the seat benches and the table. More storage space can be found in a closet in the hallway. Here all the clothes, shoes, and other appliances are stored. There is enough space to seat all five of them, but a small chair is needed, which is hidden beneath the table. The cabinets above the dinette are used as a secondary pantry that helps store all the food that does not fit in the pull-out pantry next to the fridge.

The entire front side of the bus is full of color and personalized touches, from wall artwork, stickers, and plaques to chalkboards with inspiring quotes.

The bathroom is relatively tiny, but it still fits a shower with a small bathtub, a bathroom vanity, a standard flush toilet, and a mirror.

At the very rear end, a kids' bedroom was placed. It comes with triple bunk beds that are custom-made to fit the room. Each bed has a small curtain for more privacy and LEDs to make it extra unique. The kids also painted the walls and decorated their room areas to match their personalities. There was enough space to fit a desk, a large TV, and a closet.

One of the pros of this traveling lifestyle is that you get to meet many people. At the same time, it is also a con since you do not get to have a community such as you would get with a conventional house. This might be an issue when you have little kids. However, the kids of this family are getting to know different traditions, learn history, and experience new adventures.