In addition to the freedom to travel that comes with living in an RV, there is another important benefit of choosing to build a conversion. You can fully design your rig. How cool is that? When decorating the vehicle, let your imagination run wild.
That’s what Matthew did with Lucy, a 1987 Bluebird S1700 school bus. He is a chef and since cooking is an important part of his life he had to design his bus in that direction. And that means a kitchen worthy of a chef.
The outside of the bus was painted white with blue brush strokes. Under the bus we find a 3,500 watt inverter generator, a 45 kg propane tank, a 26 liter water heater and 170 liters of fresh water. When he goes on board he also has a 30 amp outlet and a fresh water inlet to hook him up to shore power and water.
Starting from the driver’s cab, the owner usually designed this area as storage space. It holds a shoe rack and a large TV above the cabin. Behind the TV are two closets with more storage space for lots of books.
The front of the bus is designed as a living and dining area. The left side is the dining room while the right side is the living room/bedroom.
The living room consists of a sofa bed where he can hang out with friends and watch TV. The couch hides all the electronics, like 600-amp lithium batteries, a 2,500-watt inverter charger, a 12V fuse block, and the main switch panel.
On the other side, the dining area consists of a wall-mounted folding table and two bench seats. Under each seat is a small storage space filled with books and art supplies.
Of course, living in a Skoolie means getting plenty of natural light inside. But having so many windows could be an issue at times, like the lack of privacy. To solve the problem, Matthew used leftover fabric from the kitchen and cut up the older curtains to make them more stylish. This also saved him some money that he would otherwise have spent on new curtains.
There are two long LED strips on the left and right on the ceiling. A few hanging flowers complete the decor and make the night seem ethereal.
Continuing on the bus, we come to Matthew’s favorite spot, the kitchen. It has been arranged on either side of the bus and features two solid countertops with live edge slabs. The backsplash is made from leftover parts of the panels. The shelves also use oak edging boards with industrial plumbing piping to hold them in place.
It’s a functional kitchen with a stove, the biggest sink I’ve ever seen, and a full-sized fridge. The cupboards offer plenty of storage space, and there is also plenty of space for cooking. The pantry may seem quite small, but it comes with a couple of drawers, and it looks like there’s plenty of storage space.
The bathroom is tiny, but he’s somehow managed to fit all the basics into it and even make it look ultra modern. It features a metal-roofed shower stall, custom-made composting toilet, medicine cabinet and mirror.
What was supposed to be a pantry across the bathroom is now a closet with a sock stand. Matthew admits he had to get rid of a lot of his clothes since this closet is so tiny.
The back of the motorhome was designed as a bedroom but also as an office. He designed it with a one-person memory foam mattress and a small fold-out TV on the back. The office has a folding table with a small chair that fits under it.
Moving on to the PSU: It’s a very durable, if a bit lazy, International 420 cu. inch (6.9 liters) diesel V8. While this engine will get you anywhere without breaking a sweat, it won’t be fast as this bus has a top speed of 89-97 km/h.
It took Matthew and his dad about two years to fully convert this school bus into a working RV. He didn’t reveal the total cost, but if you opt for the same model, it could go for as little as $1,500.
This price is for the bus only, not including all the upgrades you would need to make to live or even travel on the bus. Depending on how much you are willing to invest in your rig, the total price can be as high as is allowed.
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