5 Skoolie Renovations with Amazing Results
Skoolies are creative, fun, and roomy. They’re stable homes on wheels that come in short or long versions. We’ve yet to see a Skoolie without character, which is all part of the charm. But some stand out in particular. Let’s look at these special Skoolies and some ways you can renovate your own vehicle.
What Is a Skoolie?
A Skoolie is a school bus converted into an RV. Owners typically add features like holding tanks, plumbing, and electrical hookups to the exterior structure and use the interior for living space. Skoolies come in all sorts of sizes and floor plans. People often renovate a bus on their own, but some companies provide professional customization services.
5 Skoolie Renovations with Amazing Results
Here are five Skoolie renovations that make a splash.
1. Backroads or Bust Incredible Skoolie
Backroads or Bust is a family of six, plus two dogs, who travel full-time in a Skoolie. As self-proclaimed hippies, having a life of freedom is vital to them, and the travel lifestyle helps promote that.
Their bus is a 1998 Blue Bird TC2000 that was an activity bus with a front diesel engine. They converted it into their home with a Wizard of Oz theme. The decor has a very natural and outdoorsy vibe.
The Skoolie has lots of living space. They’ve included innovative storage nooks. And their large L-shaped couch fits their entire family. The kitchen is massive. One of the best parts of their kitchen is a dish drying rack cabinet.
2. Incredible School Bus Conversion
The Davis’ converted a school bus for their home on wheels. They’re a family of four who wanted to travel and see what’s beyond their home state of Illinois. Today, they’re stationary in North Carolina and convert buses into Skoolies full time.
Their Skoolie is 220 square feet and has many distinct features. They included wood throughout and complemented that with light and airy colors. The tall ceiling adds a spacious feeling inside. They raised the roof 20 inches to open up the space.
3. The Most Cleverly Designed Skoolie Conversion
Danny moved from a life in New York City to living full-time in his Skoolie conversion. He was ready for a quieter life in nature. Danny designed the extremely clever build over two years. It’s loaded with innovative multi-use features.
His bus is a 2001 Thomas Freighliner with a 5.9 Cummins engine, and it’s 38 feet long. The roof has a sweet deck for doing yoga or hanging out. He also installed solar panels on the roof.
The interior features oak and cedar. It has an eight-foot-long couch and a generous bookshelf. A wood stove heats the bus. Again, Danny’s creativity shines through with a peek hole from the kitchen to the bedroom that he can close to hold heat in the main living area. The kitchen is large with ample counter space.
4. Beautiful Open Concept Skoolie Build
Adam and Rachel from Soulful Bus Life converted their 1999 Blue Bird All American School Bus into a Skoolie. It has an 8.3 Cummins engine in the rear and a flat front. They painted the exterior themselves to look similar to a Volkswagen bus.
Their open-concept Skoolie has a beachy theme with plenty of natural light. The only separation in the bus is the closet and bathroom. It separates the front workspace and driver’s seat from the rest of the living space. In the back of the bus are the kitchen, bedroom, and living room.
5. Amazing Short Skoolie Conversion
Tiphaine and Matt converted a 7.3 Powerstroke short school bus into a Skoolie. It has 400 watts of solar power on the roof and a 1,200-watt inverter. They painted the exterior themselves to match the vintage look that extends into the interior.
The interior has lots of creative decors. They incorporated some beautiful live edge wood throughout, which pops as a staple decor piece. And the curtain rods are made out of a copper pipe. One of our favorite distinctive touches is the tile design they added to the back of the entry steps.
They also have a wood-burning stove for heat and cooking. And a DIY bathroom that incorporates a ton of crafty storage space.
Did these conversions inspire you to transform a bus into a Skoolie? Either way, you’re likely to find some tips and hacks for tiny home living from these five renovations.
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