Why in the world would anyone want to live in a school bus?
Hi! We're Jeff & Elle Ivy, a newlywed couple from Texas. We are about to embark on the adventure that some only consider to be a daydream. A spontaneous 1000-mile move took us to Denver, and a few unforgettable day hikes in Colorado had gotten our wheels spinning, we would ask "How can we make this our everyday life?" After feeling the serenity and the beauty of the outside world, that seemed like something that had to be done. It didn’t make sense to continue to struggle and stress over paying rent, utilities, and other pointless bills when there was such a majestic part of life that was waiting. So the ideas began.
Jeff happens to be a skilled carpenter and just about everything else that he 'tries' at, turns out pretty good. A lot of the new and used RV's on the market were way too expensive, so building an RV became the only answer. A school bus has an awesome sturdy frame, (once gutted) lots of space, and is meant to cart kids around all day, so of course, it's reliable. You can usually find school districts auctioning off school buses for pretty cheap, but we happened to find ours on good ole Craigslist. We haggled, bought one new tire for her, and drove her home.
The conversion has been a learning process for us in many ways, but nothing will compare to learning to live on the bus. The bus will not only transport us to remote locations but will serve as a sustainable life source. Solar panels will power our electric needs, and a composting toilet will keep extra duties simple. Keeping warm will be easy with a wood-burning stove, and a Yeti cooler will act as our refrigerator (for now). Simple upgrades may come with time and experience. The bus will be considered our home for as long as we want, and will also assist us while we build a more permanent home. We are both excited to live simply, hike constantly and have the opportunity to see it all.
You can follow Elle and Jeff's Journey as they convert their School Bus into an Adventure Mobile on Instagram.
You might also enjoy our article about why you should give van life a shot.
8 comments
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How do you put on the ceiling in a school bus and the shelves to place dishes in? Do you screw wood to the ceiling of the bus into the sheet metal roof? But then you’d put a hole in the roof of the bus! So, I’m confused as to what to do when it comes to putting up a ceiling and the kitchen shelves! Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
It’s awesome that you are ‘living out loud’ , be blessed in your journey :)
Such an exciting adventure!
So proud of you guys! Keeping you in my prayers and can’t wait to hear how your dream is coming to light.“Keep on keeping on”!!