Shuttle Bus Was Transformed Into a Rustic Cottage on Wheels With Storage Spaces Galore

Shuttle buses are closer in size and construction to school buses than camper vans. But why would you choose a shuttle bus over a school bus for a camper conversion? Shuttle buses have a higher interior height, a fiberglass body construction, better looks, and easier access to the engine (unless the school bus also has a dog nose).

Another important factor to consider is stealthiness. Most cities have many shuttle buses, so a shuttle bus will blend much easier than a school bus. Converted school buses are hardly stealthy, regardless of how you design them.

Anyway, let's take a look at this rig. What we have here is a 2001 Ford E-450 shuttle bus owned and converted by Raela and Tyler. As usual, I'll start the tour with the exterior. This bus will probably catch your eye if you drive by it, as it's finished in three pale colors: brown, orange, and green.

On the driver's side of the vehicle, Raela and Tyler installed two large storage boxes and a sizeable fold-down table. Moreover, the couple replaced the bus's original door with a glass one. It looks good, although it does concern me a bit regarding security.

Climb on the roof, and you'll find four solar panels and a wooden deck. These elements instantly give away the bus's "camper DNA," so stealth camping with it isn't possible.

Raela and Tyler had a clear design vision for the living space - they wanted it to feel like a cottage. The cozy, rustic-looking interior consists of wood all around, waterproof LVP flooring from Home Depot, and a stained tongue-and-groove pine ceiling that matches the rest of the look. Various decorative items, such as plants, old paintings, and more, complete the look.

This is the couple's second camper build, so they already had experience with building stuff. Their focus on this second rig was to add as many storage spaces as possible – and they did exactly that. What makes this project even more impressive is that it took Raela and Tyler a mere three months to complete the conversion.

The first area past the driver's cabin is the kitchen. It's located on the driver's side of the interior and features a spacious countertop, a deep stainless steel sink, a two-burner stove, and an apartment-size Frigidaire retro fridge.

For storage, they devised various drawers and cabinets (including two large overhead cabinets) and a pantry right behind the driver's seat, repurposed from an old dresser. What's more, two overhead cabinets in the driver's cabin house the couple's shoes.

When building any type of camper, it's important to create a comfortable dinette/lounge area setup, as it's probably where you'll spend most of the time. In this couple's case, they devised a dinette opposite the kitchen.

It comprises two benches with a large table in between - you can transform this spot into a guest bed by lowering the table. Above it, there's a long bookshelf with fairy lights.

This is also where you'll find what Raela describes as their favorite feature. The couple took the emergency exit windows and added them to the front part of the bus. Specifically, one is in the dinette area, and the other is in the kitchen. What makes them special is that two hydraulic arms support them. This allows you to open them upwards to let air inside while preventing rain from coming in.

Walk deeper into the bus, and you'll discover the bathroom on the driver's side. It boasts a DIY composting toilet, an instant water heater housed in a cabinet, a ceiling vent fan, and a shower. Across from the bathroom, the couple created a storage area consisting of a closet and a large shelf.

Finally, like in most bus campers, the bedroom occupies the rear part of the interior. It features a queen-size mattress, a window unit A/C, a vent fan, and a wall-mounted TV. As mentioned earlier, Raela and Tyler wanted to have as much storage space as possible inside their mobile abode.

So, of course, the bedroom offers many spots to store your belongings. Specifically, there are four overhead cabinets (two on each side), and the entire area underneath the bed, which we can call a garage, can also be used for storage.

The garage can be accessed from both inside and outside the bus (by opening the rear emergency door). In addition to offering extra room to store stuff, it houses the utility systems. Their highlights are a 65-gallon (245-liter) freshwater tank, 800 Ah lithium batteries, and a Renogy inverter.

Regarding heating, the couple equipped the bus with two systems: a diesel heater housed in one of the dinette benches and an electric heater that they use only when connected to shore power, as it uses too much battery juice. The diesel one should do the job just fine in most environments.

All in all, this self-converted shuttle bus makes for a fantastic tiny home on wheels. Raela and Tyler nailed the cottage-style design, making the interior warm and inviting. They also managed to fit many much-needed creature comforts while still devising countless storage spaces.