Over the years we’ve seen all kinds of do-it-yourself camper builds using buses, but most start out with a large bus. Lately we’ve seen more people jumping into the smaller scene, and this former school bus featured recently on Tiny Home Tours caught our attention. On the outside, it looks pretty tame. Step inside, however, and this becomes the dream of any vanlifer who loves to cook.
There’s a good reason for that. This 2011 Chevrolet was built by Racey and Zack, who evolved their van-building skill into a business but before that, Zack was a cook. As such, this small skoolie features walnut butcher blocks for countertops, and there’s a three-burner propane stove with an oven tucked between the sink and large wardrobe. All total, there’s probably more counter space here than in many apartments, and it’s supplemented with plenty of storage. A 21-gallon water tank feeds the faucet, and across from the kitchen is a small dining area that converts to a large bench or a second bed.
The primary bed is a queen, mounted sideways at the back of the bus. It fits neatly, with room enough for extra storage on the headboard. It’s positioned high up to leave room for a garage underneath, which is command central for the van’s power and climate control systems. 400 watts of solar are mounted on the roof; there’s a 200 amp-hour battery and a 50-amp charge controller under the bed, and tucked in the middle is a 75-liter refrigerator/freezer that slides out for easy access.
Peruse the spacious interior and you’ll find all kinds of interesting, bespoke touches. A skylight cut into the bus roof and creates considerable natural light for the interior. Copper pipes are used to help secure shelves and keep items in place. Racey designed and created the wood patterns on the back doors in the bedroom area, and she also made the curtains that cover the windows in the kitchen.
One feature notably absent from this build is a bathroom, but there is an outdoor shower setup available when temperatures are too cold. The video states this bus was built to handle four seasons, and last winter this camping couple did just that by spending a few months buried in snow. It wasn’t by accident either – in the video, Zack says the dual rear wheels coupled with the weight of the bus and its torquey diesel V8 got them through the white stuff with no problem. They just wanted winter, and this camper delivered.
The video concludes with a heads-up that this bus is for sale, but a quick look at the comments shows it’s now officially sold. We can’t wait to see what this camping power couple has in store for their next skoolie build.
