Tiny House Bus conversions are simply amazing to behold! It’s almost impossible to believe that a bus that once conveyed school children or passengers could be converted into a Tiny home.
But such, as I like to say, is the Tiny Life. Seeing a Bus get transformed into a House is just another regular day in Tiny House Richee.
In this post we show you 10 regular Buses that got converted to breathtakingly amazing Tiny Homes worth living in.
What are Tiny House Bus conversions?
Tiny house bus conversions simply mean when a regular Bus (which can be a School bus or a short Bus) is reconstructed into a livable Tiny home (fondly called an RV).
This conversion would require extensive work to be carried out by a secondary manufacturer who would fit additional components to the Bus to make it look like a house for sale on the market.
Now depending on the design tastes of the owner, an RV can either be converted with the simplest of modifications or decked out exquisitely – everything depends on budget.
Don’t get too excited just yet, my Tiny House lovers. There’s a catch 😈.
Depending on what state in the United States of America you find yourself, there are varying rules and regulations regarding the conversion of a Bus into a Tiny Home.
Allow me to elaborate.
For instance, some states like California and Illinois mandate that if you convert a Bus to a Tiny House, especially a School Bus, then any signaling equipment (such as Stop Signs) that originally came with the Bus must be removed.
Some other states simply require that the “School Bus” signage be removed from the body of the Bus.
Nevertheless, the definition of what it means for a Bus to be retitled an RV defers from state to state. For some states, certain equipment like Stoves, water tanks, and toilet facilities must be present in the property for it to be rightly called a Tiny House Bus conversion.
To cut the long story short, make sure to always check with and abide by the local laws in your state and community before embarking on a Bus conversion project.
What is a house in a bus called?
The official term for a house in a Bus is called a “Skoolie” (otherwise spelled as Schoolie).
As weird as the name may sound, it’s obvious it was gotten from the School Bus it was made from.
How much does it cost to convert a Bus to a Tiny House?
So how much does a Skoolie conversion cost?
You want to jump straight into the money aspect. Perfect! Let’s get right to it then.
First of all, Skoolies aren’t as expensive to build as compared to a Tiny House built from scratch. This is because almost 50% of what you need (that is the external frame of the Bus) is already present.
According to several reputable authorities involved in Tiny Home development, it costs about $20,000 to $30,000 to convert a Bus into a Tiny House. This cost estimate takes into consideration costs of appliances, equipment, tools, and raw materials used in building the RV.
How do you turn a School Bus into a Tiny house?
There are essentially 3 major steps to turn a School Bus into a Tiny House on Wheels. Each of these steps can be broken down into smaller nitty gritty steps.
Step #1: Getting the Bus
It’s a no-brainer right? Without a School Bus you can’t convert a Bus to a Tiny home.
So you’d need to find out where you can buy a used School Bus. I’d suggest you check out Classifieds sites like Craigslist or eBay.
Don’t jump right on this in a hurry though. Just like buying a used Car, there are some important aspects of the vehicle you’d have to inspect to know if it’s worth your while.
Some of the points to note when buying a used School Bus are:
- Body work: Since the body of the vehicle is basically going to serve as the carcass of your house-to-be, it needs to be in sterling condition.
- Engine: Of course the whole point of having a School Bus Tiny House is so that it’s mobile. Hence, make sure the engine is alright before you buy.
- Bus size: School Buses come in varying sizes. You have to ask yourself if you wouldn’t mind pulling a huge long hunk of a Bus and all the disadvantages that come with such large vehicles.
It’s a good idea to bring your Mechanic along once you spot a few deals you’re interested in so that he can make the necessary inspections.
Step #2: Gutting the Bus
So you’ve gotten your Bus. Now it’s time for the gutting of the Bus (see what I did there? 😊).
In this stage, you empty out the Hall of the Bus by taking out all the seats.
Depending on how customized you need your Tiny house to be, you can go the extra mile by also removing the Bus windows and other parts of the interior.
Some people wouldn’t mind just removing the seats and building upon the existing floors and walls. However, the downsides to this is that you might not be able to execute certain key installations that could really make or break your Tiny Home.
In the end, it still comes down to a budget thing, so no judgement.
Step #3: Customizing the Bus
Now the real work is about to begin!
Here, you’ll need to get your hands on a Floor plan that will spell out what goes where to the exact letter. It’s time to install Tiny House furniture like Beds, storage, Heaters, Cookers and more.
It’s important that the house plan indicates where these appliances will be installed so the compartments are created along with the rest of the interior finishing.
The best Tiny House Bus conversions
Here are unbelievable before and after pictures that no doubt capture some of the best RV School Bus conversions known to Man:
School Bus conversion
Not only did they rip out the chairs for this School Bus conversion, they also changed the flooring to suit their wooden interior design finishing. Bravo!
UK Bus Conversion
This UK Bus conversion is just sick! Talk about a Tiny office on Wheels!
RV Bus conversion
Just look at the sheer width of this RV Bus. There’s more than enough space to convert it into your new Tiny Home!
School Bus conversion floor plans
Don’t want to seek the services of an Architect proper? Well you’re not the only one!
Here are some examples of School Bus conversion floor plans that will help you convert your RV into a Tiny House:
Plan #1
Plan #2
Plan #3
Tiny House Bus conversion companies
To find a Bus conversion company near you, simply search Google for these particular types of Tiny House development companies + your location.
For example, if you live in Texas, type “Bus conversion company in Texas” on Google. You’ll immediately see a bunch of different options.
Tiny House Bus Conversions: Conclusion
I hope you were able to find what you were looking for.
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