Unschooled Bus Is a Brightly-Colored Off-Grid Motorhome That Is Also Functional

Franko is the owner of this 36 ft (11 m) wonderful home on wheels, ironically called Unschooled. Besides owning the school bus, he is also the founder of a tiny home community in Kaipara Harbour, New Zeeland. This area of 340 acres is a place for all people who want to adopt the tiny and simple living by going off-grid and growing their own food. Lots of events are organized in this community, such as outdoor yoga classes and festivals.

The bus has a large roof deck and three solar panels that power up the entire home. Each side of the bus has a different shade of purple and lots of stickers with the bus name, socials, and more. In the nighttime, the bus transforms into an enchanted mobile home with the help of a few RGB LED strips placed on the outside. The same vibe continues inside, since the lights here are also colorful.

The interior design is quite simple but gives off a homey feeling with all the woodworking. Franko customized the whole bus with the help of a friend, and he admits that it was the first time he ever did this.

Even the driver’s cabin has amazing wood features all around with an epoxy resin finish to give it a glowing look. Behind this area is the living room. It consists of two long bench couches that come together and transform into a huge bed. Franko can enjoy a few good movies provided by the projector screen that was attached to the wall right at the entrance. There is plenty of room in here and tons of storage underneath both couches.

The kitchen is truly unique and fully functional. It is custom-made with macrocarpa live edge wood countertops. The cabinets were created by using pallet wood for the structure and copper tubes for the handles. The pipes have an interesting background story. Back when this vehicle was used as a school bus, they were air conditioning piping that got snipped and clamped. Talking about functionality, this kitchen comes with a three-burner stove, an oven, a deep sink that can be covered with a cutting board, and a tiny fridge and freezer.

On the other side of the kitchen, we find a long table mounted on the wall. Just like the kitchen countertops, it is also made of live edge wood, but this time with a twist. The legs are made of tree branches coated in a shiny epoxy finish.

Moving towards the rear of the motorhome, Franko added a bathroom with a separate shower. The half bathroom is on the right side. It has an amazing design and although it is quite a tiny space, the angled wall mirror makes it look much roomier with the outdoor reflection. There is also a bathroom vanity and a Nature’s Head composting toilet. The full-size shower cabin was placed on the left side. It was made of galvanized steel, and contrary to what we usually find in tiny homes, it is quite large.

Both bedrooms were placed at the back of the bus. The first one is the daughters’ bedroom with just a bunk bed. Next to it is the master bedroom with a queen-size bed. The bed has lots of storage underneath that hides the engine but also two drawers for clothing. The drawers are also made of pallet wood and have copper handles. More storage space is provided by the two wardrobes in the hallway between the bedrooms.

Although it is a small space, it feels quite spacious with all the large windows. When privacy is needed, the curtains are here to help and can also offer a bit of shading that can cool down the bus, which is quite important given that the bus is made of metal. The ceiling has a teensy-weensy round skylight that could give amazing views of the night sky.

The bus is not quite finished yet, and the owner plans to add a foldable deck that attaches to the back door. Franko and his family are not living full-time in the school bus, but it is their home away from home while touring since he is a musician. While it might be a fun way of living, the school bus is not always a good fit for a family with kids.

He bought the bus for around $6,100 and spent another $61,000 transforming it into a mobile home. For this price, he got quite a spacious place to live and travel, which is rarely the case with conventional houses.