In 2018, Caleb Nelson and his wife Emilie decided to sell their Toyota FJ Cruiser that they lived out of for 10 months. That vehicle took them 45,000 miles across 44 states, but it was time for bigger and better things. The couple wanted to buy and convert a school bus into a tiny home so they could travel around the country with their son, Milo (1). Eventually, a daughter, Ella Rose, would also come along.
Rather than the bus-to-home conversion taking the expected three months, it took two years. Caleb said the extended timeline had a great deal to do with Emilie’s perfectionism and love of interior design. While the delays might have been frustrating at the time, they paid off. Caleb and Emilie entered their bus in the United Tiny House Festival, winning Best Bus Build. While Caleb thought it was the craftsmanship that secured the win, it was actually Emilie’s attention to detail. The judges loved the thought that went into every single feature.
Alongside building the bus for their pleasure and comfort, the couple also intended to create content for watchers and document their story. After all, who doesn’t want to see how they can live the life of freedom on the road? Their content was a hit, and people started reaching out and asking for help.
One project led to another… then another. Eventually, Caleb and Emilie had an entire school bus conversion shop in Wilmington, North Carolina.
After living in the bus for two years, the couple is proud to say it has more than served its purpose. Now, it’s time for them to hand over the keys to a new owner and continue trying to achieve their future goals.
These goals include building another bus, buying land, and hosting other Skoolie families in their travels. They also intended to create an area for people to work on their buses on a short-term basis.
Caleb and Emilie’s school bus that they turned into a house on wheels is a 2005 International Fe 300. It has a DT566e, an Allison standard transmission, and 198,000 miles on the clock. The bus travels up to 65 miles an hour and averages around seven miles to the gallon.
Caleb and Emilie’s bus is a traditional 35-foot length. However, they opted for one foot of overhang with the ladder. Technically speaking, it’s 36 feet – the perfect length to fit in two parking spots front to back.
Caleb and Emilie also decided to add an attic, putting its height at 11.3 feet. However, it’s well below the typical RV camper height. Their bus also comes kitted out with a 100-gallon fresh water tank, a 60-gallon grey water tank, a seven-gallon electric water heater, and a propane tankless water heater with a 20-pound propane bottle. Essentially, it has everything you need for comfortable off-the-grid living!
The rear of the bus is practically the ‘garage’. It’s home to the propane water heater and a conveniently placed jerry can to fill their generator. It also has water pump filters, a seven-gallon water tank, solar electrical system equipment, and plenty of space for a bicycle, strollers, and beach wagons.
The biggest surprise, though, is the outdoor shower. There’s an outdoor spigot you can hook up to a garden hose for showering, cleaning cars, and more.
Living off-the-grid is easy in Caleb and Emilie’s bus. It comes equipped with a 2,040-watt solar system, 600aH lithium batteries, an MPP solar all-in-one system, a charge controller and battery monitor, and 30-amp shore power with AC-to-DC charging. Essentially, the bus has everything you need to live off the grid for an extended period of time.
If there’s one thing you don’t see on the average bus, it’s a Dutch door with double panes. Caleb and Emilie spent a great deal of time perfecting this door. It stands out with its white oak trim, residential latch, double panes, and inlay. The couple says you open, lock, and unlock this door like a residential one.
The Interior
The couch in the family’s bus is an engineering masterpiece. However, they describe it as one of the most difficult parts of the process. They wanted to ensure that enjoying a relaxing and lazy weekend would be comfortable when the weather isn’t suitable for adventuring. That led them to create a lazy boy sectional – of sorts.
At first glance, the couch may seem like a regular sofa, but it offers a hidden feature – it can be effortlessly extended into two chaise seats, providing extra space whenever needed.
Storage is important in any tiny house, and a converted bus is not an exception to the rule. The storage unit under the TV hides the wheel well and the diesel heater. The top is also a folding module that turns the couch into a bed.
Once the folding module is turned over, it can be used to transform the sofa into a full-sized bed. With a few extra cushions in place, it becomes a luxurious spare bed for guests
The Kitchen
How many tiny homes do you see with a kitchen island? This bus would have to be one of the first. Caleb built everything in the kitchen himself except for the island. Emilie purchased that at Hobby Lobby. When they need extra space in the kitchen for family activities, they just wheel it to the side.
The kitchen in this bus is a significant upgrade on their last one when they were living in their Toyota FJ. It was only after living a much simpler life did they realize how much they love to cook! However, when they did cook, they only ever used a two-burner propane stove top. So, they decided that was all they needed in the bus.
Both Caleb and Emilie love the open shelving for convenience in grabbing everything they need. All kitchen necessities are close at hand. However, their thoughtful design means the kitchen doesn’t look cramped, crowded, or cluttered. In fact, it’s beautiful in its simplicity, with all the natural materials making the area feel warm and homely.
With a love for cookies and pizza, Caleb and Emilie knew they needed an appliance that could help them prepare both. They settled on a Ninja toaster that runs off solar power. Adjacent is a 7.7-cubic-foot fridge-freezer with plenty of space for all their everyday ingredients.
Most traditional homes have a pantry. But a pantry in a bus? Caleb and Emilie salvaged a 1920 door from an old house in Nashville and gave it two purposes in their home. It provides privacy for people in the bathroom, but when not in use, it covers the pantry.
The pantry has an abundance of shelves for all essentials like canned goods and cereal. It’s the perfect pantry size for a family of four.
The bathroom has a wet bath, ceramic tiles, a custom shower pan, and a composting toilet they describe as the ’Taj Mahal’ of composting toilets. It’s a Separett Villa that promotes a worry-free, hassle-free, and smell-free toileting experience. They take out the bag every two to three weeks, and it’s job done!
Their bathroom also has a Delta showerhead that uses 1.3 gallons of water per minute. With 107 gallons of water to use, they can comfortably take 10-minute showers. Generally, they refill their tank water every week and a half.
The Sleeping Area
The ’The World Needs Who You Were Made To Be’ mural wall works as a divider between the communal areas and the bedrooms in the bus. It’s a great reminder for Caleb and Emilie as they achieve all their life goals.
When Caleb and Emilie built their bus, they knew they would be living in it for three to five years. Five years was the maximum amount of time they wanted to be in it. That’s why they decided to opt for toddler beds for their two children, Milo and Ella Rose. At four years old, Milo has no problems sleeping in the toddler bed.
The children’s bedroom area even has a dedicated storage area for Ella Rose’s bows, socks, and shoes, as well as a top storage area. A diesel heater keeps the bedroom areas toasty and warm year-round.
While Caleb and Emilie’s storage space is smaller than their children’s, it’s still generous for tiny home living. Caleb said it has plenty of space for hanging dresses and even had up to 18 pairs of Emilie’s shoes and six pairs of his own within it.
Having personal space in a bus can be challenging, but Caleb and Emilie make it work. They installed doors on their master bedroom adjacent to the children’s bedroom nook to ensure they had all the privacy they needed.
The master bedroom is akin to most others in buses. The large bed runs from side to side with windows on each side for a wonderful cross breeze in summer. There is plenty of ceiling height for them to stand up and put things in storage under the bed.
However, there’s more to this bedroom than meets the eye. It has a small laundry chute situated under one of the bedroom lights. Rather than having a cumbersome washing basket taking up space, they pop their clothing into the laundry chute that delivers the clothing to a basket in the bus’s ’garage’.
Their bedroom also has a 12,000 BTU mini split they run off their solar power. They bring in plenty of power to run this while still having leftover power to charge their batteries.