This Skoolie Is a Breathtaking, Off-Grid Home on Wheels With a Cleverly Arranged Interior

Class A motorhomes cost anywhere from $60,000 to $2M (€55,961 to €1.8M ) depending on the brand and features. Regardless of how you put it, that's a lot of money.

Skoolies are on the opposite end of the spectrum – they're affordable if you convert them yourself. Most skoolies I've covered here on autoevolution cost $30,000 to $40,000 (€27,979 to €37,305), although you can easily go higher or lower than that.

Meet Rachel and Luke, the owners and builders of this tiny home on wheels. The couple moved pretty quickly – they found out about the concept of a "skoolie" from a friend, and two months later, they purchased this 1992 Genesis school bus. However, since they did the conversion all by themselves, the process took about a year and a half.

Regarding the financial side of this skoolie project, Rachel and Luke didn't keep track of all the expenses. They estimate a total investment of $30,000 into this mobile home.

However, keep in mind that this is an older build – the presentation video you can find at the end of this article is from 2017, and the couple started the build back in 2015 when just a few dozen folks were "bus lifers." That means the same build will cost more than $30K nowadays due to the significant price increases. Usually, I don't write about rigs this old, but this one was so good that I had to share it with you.

As usual, I'll start the tour with the bus's exterior. It's finished in a dual color scheme: white for the roof and lower part of the body, while the middle area is covered with metal panels. At the front, you'll discover a bumper-mounted rack holding two bikes.

The most notable modification is a 20-inch (51-centimeter) roof raise. What's more, like most buses, this one boasts exterior storage compartments. One of them holds a large battery bank with four batteries. Finally, Rachel and Luke fitted 900 W solar panels and an awning on the roof.

Enter, and you'll be greeted by a finely designed interior. To be frank, it looks just like a high-end apartment with an open, spacious feel. The high ceiling is the main detail that almost makes you forget you're inside a bus. Rachel and Jake painted it light blue and added wood beams across it.

The raised part of the roof starts just behind the driver's cabin and goes to the rear of the bus. What's more, the couple added three portholes at the front part of the roof raise, which let natural light shine inside.

Next, we have the kitchen, which is split into two parts. It features an oven/four-burner stove combo with a vent hood above, a deep stainless steel sink, and a ton of counter space. There are many cabinets, drawers, and a large pantry for storage. In fact, they didn't even get to fill all of them.

Step deeper inside the bus, and you'll be in the seating/dining area. It consists of a fold-up table with two stackable chairs on one side and an enormous couch on the other. Just like in many other campers, the couch doubles as a sleeping spot, as it can be extended into a bed. You'll also notice a huge wood stove surrounded by copper panels for heat protection.

Various striking design touches complete this space's aesthetic. For instance, there are two custom-made light fittings, as well as a barnwood wall right by the couch.

Opposite the wood stove, you'll discover the rig's bathroom. It's spacious and boasts a sink with a cabinet underneath, a full shower, and a composting toilet.

Finally, the bedroom occupies the rearmost part of the interior. It has an arrangement I haven't seen before on any bus - normally, families devise two different sleeping rooms: one for the kids and one for the parents. However, Rachel and Luke combined two bedrooms into one.

A small staircase leads to a lofted bed where Rachel and Luke sleep. Below, the couple devised a small space for their kids, consisting of a crib-size mattress with a tiny storage spot for toys and books underneath.

Other notable features in this space are a cabinet and a cubby. This setup works for a while, but, of course, a change needs to be made when the kid grows up. Moreover, this is the only part of the bus that doesn't get a ton of natural light, as there's only a single small window near the lofted bed.

All in all, this is a fantastic off-grid mobile home. Its interior is not only aesthetically pleasing but packs many of the features you'd expect to find in a conventional home.

People were so impressed with their build that they started asking Rachel and Luke to build skoolies. And that's what they did – they bought the skoolie.com domain, and now, years later, the business is still running and the couple are still doing what they love: converting school buses into awesome abodes.