Rustic School Bus Conversion

Hi! I'm Chelle and this is the 97' International 7.3 school bus I spent a year converting and getting to the point I could re-register it as a motorhome in Texas. When possible I reused what I already had or could find on craigslist. I salvaged wood and other materials myself when I came across them and purchased everything else a little at a time as I needed and/or could afford.  

The bus is wired to run off either campground hook-ups or gas generator. It's set-up for boondocking without a generator as well. For camping off-grid I have solar lights, solar hot water, a propane cook burner, propane Mr Buddy heater, woodstove, Coleman outdoor oven and a BBQ grill. At campgrounds I plug into shore power, and only need 30 amps to run the large roof mounted a/c unit. I use my dorm refrigerator, crock pot, toaster oven, electric hot plate, coffee maker, lamps, fans, heated blanket, electric heater, and Coleman roof top air conditioner. 

The peace sign I painted on the storage box is symbolic of how long I've wanted to do this. I've been dreaming about traveling the country in a converted school bus since I was a kid and a magnificent smoke belching, monstrosity of crazy colors and peace signs pulled into the gas station next to us. I was fascinated both by the bus and the young people inside. A girl with flowers in her hair saw me gawking at her. She hopped out smiling and handed me me the biggest most perfect peach I had ever seen. I questioned Dad for the next few miles as I ate my peach. He said they were "hippies". From what I gathered 'hippies' didn't have real jobs or houses, preferring instead to live in a bus, like they were camping all the time, just going wherever they want. I doubt it was his intention but the whole lifestyle sounded 'right on' to me! I decided I wanted to be a hippie and live in a school bus! 

I wanted my bus to feel like a tiny home. I kept all the windows. The cuttains hang on cables the length of the bus, and I've sewn magnets into the sheers to easily toss them up and move around. I use a vintage potty I picked up at an antique fair, for midnight 'emergencies'. 

I picked up a used cabinet, replaced the damaged top with plywood, and covered the stains on the doors with color, then covered the whole thing a dark walnut to get a look liked. 

My carpentry skills matched my budget - both 'light', so I was mindful to keep my design simple, and serious carpentry work minimal. I used 3/4 insulation board and 1/2" construction grade plywood for the floors. The walls were insulated and finished with pine plank wainscoting. 

Awesome deck right? Well it was illegal. With some help I cut it down. It's safe, legal, and there is still enough room to swing the back door open all the way, store a generator, etc. The rails can be removed for loading, and gate drops down to use as steps.

  

The electrical was already done, which was the part of the conversion I had the most concern about. It had low miles, a new Coleman rv air conditioner insalled, all but 4 seats had been removed, it had a large rear deck, new tires, and string lights. The ceiling was spray painted black and a brand new refrigerator which reeked of cinnamon schnapps! I'm sure she was destined to be a party bus before I got her.  

The Essay House at Tiny Texas Houses

It felt strange to pack my truck for a week-long workshop at Tiny Texas Houses. It was the first time I've been anywhere alone in a long time. I looked forward to attending the building-with-salvage workshop in Luling by Tiny Texas Houses and also some time just for me.


Though I packed my tent prepared to camp, Brad offered me the little writer's cabin they call the Essay House for my stay. It's a sweet little cabin in the back and like all his tiny houses - it's built with love and 99% pure salvage.

I woke that first morning imagining this is what it must have felt like to be a settler on the Texas frontier. A fog had rolled in during the night, I could just make out the faint shape of deer taking advantage of the cover the fog offered. 

The cabin has no electricity or water right now, though it's fully equipped for it when it finds it's final resting place. I enjoyed sitting and napping on the porch. It feels especially remote tucked in among the Prickly Pear Cactus and Mesquite trees, shrouded in morning fog.

A ladder leads up to the loft and bed. Everything you could need packed into a tiny space that still managed plenty of room to move around.

It has a kitchen and a drop down table for writing or meals.

A shower and a tiny sink of course. There's a shuttered pocket door to hide the the bathroom while still allowing a sweet cross breeze thru the house.
It was very easy to imagine living in this tiny house. A simple life unburdened by all the non-essential 'crap'. A home like this would beg you spend time outside too.

The Hayloft - Guest Apt Over The Barn

My father helped me build this little guest apt over the barn, that he also helped us build. It's still needs some details finished. 

I tiled the counter-top need to finish trimming it out.

I turned this box found discarded on the side of the road into a vanity.

I cut out the doors, stained the top, set a sink in it.

The bathroom still needs paint or wall treatment, and I like the vanity and will find some doors or maybe I'll make curtains. I think it'll look pretty good. The mirror is from a vintage dresser owned by my late father-in-law.

The windows need sills and trim. 
I don't want to talk about the color.... but it's not quite what I had imagined....

 I just painted the plywood floors for now. Good enough.

 The back of the barn - upstairs entrance to loft. Need to get those 4x4's leaning on the landing moved.

This is from the barn looking back at toward my house.

Lol.  Barn Art from lawnmower blades!

View of the front of the barn. I'll add a pulley and rope system just like a real hayloft would have, and use it to haul up groceries!

Hammock and a fire pit

View from my house, of the barn in the back.