Veteran Couple Converted a Short Bus Into a Striking, Off-Grid Tiny Home on Wheels

Short buses are typically around 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7.6 meters) long. A smaller bus is more maneuverable than lengthier variants and can fit into most parking spots. Moreover, they're a good choice if you don't need the extra power to tow an additional vehicle, and they also enable you to explore harder-to-reach places.

On the other hand, even though they usually offer more space than camper vans, short buses don't get close to the amount of real estate you get in longer buses. So, depending on your requirements for utilities and appliances, you might not have space to fit other critical stuff like a bathroom.

Today, we're checking out Melvin and Emily's converted bus, which serves as a full-time, off-grid home. It's a Chevy Express 3500 short bus with six windows. The duo started traveling in a Toyota 4Runner and soon realized this slow life on the road was suitable for them. So, after serving in the military, they decided to do it full-time, and that's how this Chevy short bus conversion came to life.

Starting off with its exterior, the most distinctive detail you'll notice is a beautiful custom cedar door Melvin built himself. He even said that it's the main thing people talk about when discussing their bus. It might not be that obvious, but Melvin had no prior experience with woodworking – he just taught himself off of YouTube.

Right next to the door, you'll find a flip-up cedar table, complete with a sealant so it can withstand the weather elements. I love how these two cedar features give a pop of color to the exterior, especially when paired with the vehicle's pale green paint.

Below the table, the couple fitted a sizeable storage box. On the same side of the bus, toward the rear, you'll discover what used to be a wheelchair door. Open it, and you'll find a massive storage compartment, one end of a 90-gallon (341-liter) freshwater tank, and the laundry compartment connected to a chute above, which is accessible from the interior.

On the opposite side, you'll find an under-mounted 30-gallon (114-liter) gray water rank, a Fogatti water heater, a gravity fill, and a shore power connection.

As I mentioned earlier, one benefit of converting a short bus is the amount of space you get. In this unit, the couple has an enormous space at the rear that serves as a garage. On the left side, Melvin and Emily devised the electrical system. It consists of two 200 Ah lithium batteries, an alternator charger, and a 3,000 W inverter, among other components.

On the roof, the couple installed a spacious wooden deck mounted on a sturdy metal frame. In the middle, they left space to fit a Dometic 12 V A/C. Moreover, you'll also notice two 200 W solar panels toward the front of the roof.

Things get even better when you step inside the bus. You'll discover a clean and well-decorated interior with walls covered in a matching pale green color. This bus offers 200 square feet (18.6 square meters) of interior space, and Melvin and Emily used every inch inside.

In the driver's cabin, the duo installed a plant shelf and added a frame right above the door with some decorations. There's also a curtain that blocks off the light coming through the windshield and a hook right by the door for hanging clothes.

One nice touch I haven't ever seen in campers is a pull-out mirror. Other notable elements in this space include an overhead storage space above the driver's seat and additional hooks for clothes.

Move deeper inside, and you'll have the bathroom on your right. It features waterproof Palisades tiles that imitate white marble, a window, a shower, a tiny shelf, and a cassette toilet. The floor is made of real tiles, while the ceiling was built using leftover cedar wood from the door.

Opposite the bathroom, you'll find the dinette area. It consists of two tiny benches with a table in between. They opted for a dinette area instead of a couch to be able to enjoy a nice meal or work at the table. However, whenever they want some extra seating spots, they can turn it into a full-length couch by lowering the table and rearranging the cushions.

Of course, just like in most campers, the space underneath the benches can be used for storage. Moreover, one of the benches comes with a bolted seatbelt system because this is where Emily sits when Melvin is behind the wheel. Behind the dinette area, the couple devised a small shelf for storage, which houses a charging station.

It's safe to assume that this couple is into cooking, given how large their kitchen is. On the driver's side of the interior, there's an enormous white countertop integrating a farmhouse-style sink, a drinking water faucet, and a dual-burner propane stove. Storage isn't an issue either, as there are many cabinets and drawers underneath the countertop, offering plenty of space to store everything they need. Furthermore, you'll also find two sizeable overhead cabinets.

On the opposite side, the couple integrated an apartment-size fridge/freezer and a toaster oven above it. Although it's nice to have a fridge that's as large as possible, you must factor in its electrical consumption. In this couple's case, they soon figured out that the fridge was gulping too much energy, and they plan on changing it soon to a 12 V fridge. But besides that, this bus's off-grid capabilities are good, especially since they have 90 gallons of water onboard.

Next to the fridge, Melvin and Emily fitted a decently sized closet consisting of two parts: a hanging closet and four drawers underneath it.

And finally, we have the bedroom right at the rear of the bus, just like in most other bus conversions. Because they wanted to have a larger kitchen, they only managed to get a full-size mattress instead of a queen-size one. Emily explained it's a little small for them, but you gotta make some sacrifices and prioritize the utilities you want most.

The bedroom is quite straightforward. Because it's positioned relatively high, the couple installed a little step to get into the bed. What's more, there's an A/C above and a fan in the corner for adequate air circulation. A window at the rear also lets some light shine inside, but that's about it regarding the bedroom.

You're probably curious to know how much all this costs. Melvin and Emily lost track of how much they had spent at some point, but they estimate it to be somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000 (€36,272 and €45,340), which I'd say is good value considering what they have on this bus and how good it looks.

If you're interested in making your own bus conversion, don't be discouraged by these figures. You can build one even with a significantly lower budget. For instance, this awesome skoolie conversion cost just $10K to make, and that's including the cost of the base vehicle.