With the recent popularity of living “off the grid”, and the global excitement over the Tiny House Movement more and more people are searching for different kinds of alternative living. Living more simply, being more mobile, and downsizing their lives are the desires of these folks. The school bus has emerged as a favorite new option. You are able to have all the comforts of a small home and tour the country at the same time. And the cost of a school bus conversion is not prohibitive.
Some school buses and city buses as well have been turned into amazing dwellings and bus living can be a whole lot more than giving up space. Some people live very glamorous lives while living in a bus. You can have more than just basic needs, and you can either hire a contractor to refit your bus or make it a DIY project that you and your family can work on. A used bus can cost as little as $3000, and you can spend less than $15,000 to do the refit depending on what you want in the way of conveniences and what materials you choose to use.
A lot of people want to live “green” and put solar panels on the roof of their bus and compost their plumbing. This way they feel closer to the planet and a part of the climate crises’ solution as opposed to being a part of the problem. As with RV living, you can travel and have real adventures on the road all while taking your home with you. And families can also live in buses and other mobile dwellings with ease and fun.
In the UK a young couple bought one of those famous double-decker buses and converted it to a two story home for a community of professionals.
Just like the tiny house, you need not give up any creature comforts while living in a bus. You can have a full bathroom, more than one bedroom, a spacious kitchen with plenty of counter space, and lots of storage with your furniture doing double duty.
The images below are courtesy of Pinterest and are meant to spark your imagination, and show you that bus living is a wonderful experience. Living in a home on wheels is unique and not for everyone. But if you love to travel, see new sites, and meet new people, and want your home to travel with you, living on a bus could be just the thing for you.
You can also see John Bowden and Marleen Bowden-Schelvis 1976 double-decker bus and the MyVintageBus red classic RV one.
