Unbelievably Cheap Skoolie Camper Will Blow You Away With Its Splendid Woodwork

Meet Anna, Josh, and "The Haus," their DIY Bluebird bus conversion that serves as a full-time home. The rig is 30 feet (9 meters) long and offers about 225 square feet (21 square meters) of space. It took the couple four years to complete this conversion, which turned out fantastic. By the way, Josh has many years of experience with woodworking – that's how he managed to create a stunning custom interior.

Before we go into detail regarding what you can find on this bus, I'd like to mention the financial side of the build. Anna and Josh spent a mere $4,000 (€3,614) on the base vehicle and invested around $16,000 (€14,454) into the conversion. Keep in mind that because they were in the woodworking trade, they had access to leftover wood, which helped lower the costs.

The most significant expense was the solar panel system, which cost a whopping $8,000 (€7,227). Spending $20,000 (1€8,068) on a camper conversion is pretty good, but considering this rig's sheer size, extensive features, and beautiful aesthetic, I'd say it's a steal. The more considerable costs were the time and energy invested into building it out.

I'll start with the exterior features. At the front, you'll find a custom-made wooden fairing that trims out a roof deck. By the way, the deck spans across the entire roof, integrating solar panels and two skylights. There's enough space to comfortably fit a group of people on it, but there isn't a fixed ladder you can use to get up there.

On the side, you'll notice a battery compartment, a water heater compartment, and various other spaces for storage. Moreover, there's an under-mounted 115-gallon (435-liter) freshwater tank and two gray tanks. Open a door located in the middle of the driver's side, and you'll find the water fill for the fresh water.

At the rear, up above, there's a mini split with a wooden cover. Underneath, you'll notice a door that leads into a garage. My favorite exterior feature is a side door that opens to the bedroom – the couple can leave it open to enjoy the view and have additional ventilation.

The couple has a "home base" in Napa Valley, California, specifically built to park the bus next to it. It features an enormous awning covering an outdoor space. You'll discover a king-size bed, two small bars, and an armchair. This space is ideal for relaxing in the outdoors and having some friends over for a get-together.

The interior is, as expected, the most impressive part of this build. Step inside through the front door, and you'll be greeted by an expertly crafted interior with many custom design elements – it's definitely one of the best woodwork I've seen in campers so far.

Here's a really cool thing Anna and Josh did with the driver's cabin: they transformed it into a music studio. Because Josh is a sound engineer, he wanted his own space to produce and edit music. Up above, you'll notice a cabinet holding part of Josh's equipment, surrounded by speakers on both sides.

The duo added a large subwoofer inside a counter right by the entrance. Furthermore, even though there's a spacious countertop covering the dashboard, Josh usually places his laptop on the steering wheel and does his producing and editing there.

Moving further inside, you'll stumble upon a huge leather couch that can be extended into a double bed. Moreover, an access panel below allows the couple to get to the electrical system hidden underneath the couch. We don't know the components that make up the electrical system, but I'm willing to bet they're powerful enough to sustain off-grid travel for extended periods.

Opposite the couch, Anna and Josh devised a seating area with a custom dining table and custom seats made from solid mahogany. The seats look straight out of a design magazine, featuring an ergonomic position and storage spaces in the backrests and underneath them.

For storage, the duo fitted many overhead cabinets that run along the ceiling, from the couch and seating area to the end of the kitchen. They come with a soft close mechanism and can be locked to prevent things from falling out.

Next, we have the kitchen. It features a spacious quartzite countertop, an oven with a three-burner stove, a pull-out spice rack, and a flush insert apartment-size 12 V fridge.

I saved the best parts of this bus for last: the bathroom and the bedroom. The bathroom is impeccably finished, with a warm and sophisticated design. You'll find composite stone walls, a medicine cabinet, a shower with a stone shower pan, and a Nature's Head composting toilet.

When entering the bedroom, you'll walk past a large closet with hanging space and two colossal shoe drawers. The only appliance missing here that would've proven very useful is a washer/dryer combo, especially since the bus is equipped with sufficient power and water capacity to run it.

The bedroom is by far my favorite part of the bus because of the aesthetic Anna and Josh went for. It's dark and moody, featuring Bauwerk Limewash green paint, a walnut headboard, a mahogany crown, and nightstands upholstered in black leather. Moreover, there's a lot of storage space available underneath the bed. Other notable details are two hampers that serve as laundry baskets.

As I'm typing this, my mind can barely comprehend that everything I've talked about in this article was built/created for just $20K. It goes to show that you don't need to invest a mindblowing sum of money to make a deluxe, well-equipped, and aesthetically pleasing camper. This bus is truly spectacular, perfectly blending practicality and a refined design.