Living in a house on wheels is a dream come true for people with a knack for adventure. A shuttle bus can be converted into a tiny house and taken anywhere you want. What better way to travel in comfort with your loved ones than in a shuttle bus house? You get to travel different places and take your whole house with you.
Well, if you love adventure and travelling, you might have thought through the option of buying a shuttle bus and converting it into a house. However, this is a very lengthy task and not something you can accomplish without the right guidance. Here is a detailed guide to help you convert a shuttle bus into a house.
1. Buying the right shuttle bus
If you want to convert a bus into a house you need to buy a shuttle bus that suits your requirement. Buying a shuttle bus is never an easy task. Why? It requires lots of research and planning.
You need to be thoroughly prepared when you buy shuttle buses. These are the things that you need to keep in mind:
- Shuttle buses can be expensive. Yes, in order to buy buses, you require a heavy budget. If you want to save money then keep an eye out for advertisements on used shuttle buses for sale.
- Research on how and where you can buy shuttle busses. You may find an advertisement or the best way to find a resource is by searching online ‘Nationsbus.com’ and you will find a large number of buses for sale in Inventory section. You can also go to Auto Auctions as you may find a bus seller in such events.
- Ask yourself questions like:
- What size bus you require?
- Which manufacturer’s buses are most suitable for conversion?
- How much storage does the bus have?
- Is it currently registered or have penalties?
- If the bus is second hand, is the engine and transmission in good condition?
Bus buying process is the toughest and the most important of all. If you buy the wrong bus it can ruin your fun-filled travel and convert it into a stressful, frustration filled one.
2. Consider what you will require
You need to consider everything that you might require for converting your shuttle bus into a tiny house. This includes the money, time, tools, accessories and everything else you may need.
The best way to track your requirements is by making a list of items you need. Jot down all the things that will come in use while converting the bus, from a nail to a kitchen, everything.
The basic things you will need for the renovation are:
- Tools
- Paint and paint brushes
- Bus flooring
- Furniture
- Electricity or Generator
- Plumbing
- Kitchen accessories
- Some labour to help you in renovation
Making a list will prepare you to collect the things that you need and also help you in creating a budget which you need to put aside for this conversion.
3. Designing/Styling the exterior
Once you have bought the perfect shuttle bus and registered it as a RV, you can move on styling it. The first thing you need to do is design the exterior. Wash the bus thoroughly and remove any sticker or label which you do not need. You can paint the bus according to your taste if you want.
If you want to make a design on the bus, you can either draw it on your own or select a cool design from the internet and have a professional artist make it on the bus.
4. Interior conversion
Shuttle buses have bus seats which you need to get rid of to convert it into a house. Unbolt the seats from the bus floor but do not discard them. You can sell the seats that are in good condition as they can get reinstalled and you will get paid too. If you want, you can keep a seat or two as backup for your bus.
After the seats are removed, you have the entire bus at your disposal to renovate it the way you want. However, before getting to the designing process you need to replace any rusted or damaged parts of the bus like dirty windows of the shuttle bus. Once the interior of the bus is changed, clean the bus from the inside and make sure to remove unwanted things like poles or panels.
5. Install Flooring
The regular flooring of a shuttle bus is not ideal for a house as it does not give a home-like look. You need to change the flooring to make the bus look like a house. You can install carpet, tile, or vinyl flooring.
6. Create sections
In order to make space for separate rooms in the bus, you need to install a separation. Wooden or plastic walls can be installed in the bus to create these sections for separate rooms. If you have the right equipment and tools, you can do this on your own. If you do not have any idea on how to install these walls, it is advisable to take help from experts.
7. Creating and electric system
Your house needs to have electricity connection in order to look like a house, right? To create these electric connections you require the following things:
- Batteries to be connected to the main battery of the bus
- Electrical panel containing circuits and fuses
- Inverter chargers and exterior hook up
- Plugs and outlets
- A generator for when the engine is not running
When you have successfully established an electric connection you can install television, refrigerators, tube lights, fans and more such gadgets in your shuttle bus.
8. Install furniture
Next comes installing your furniture. You can fix your tables, chairs, sofas and beds into the bus such that they do not move when the bus jerks.
Make sure these furniture items are light in weight as you do not want you bus to get damaged due to overloading.
9. Build a kitchen
In order to install a kitchen, you do not need to get a regular kitchen which gets installed in houses. You can get a sink installed into a table cabinet and have a drain bag to collect waste water and another fresh water container to pump in water to the sink. Next you require some dishes, induction pads for cooking and some pans and containers.
Get all your kitchen necessities like salt, sugar, spices, bread, etc. and store them in cabinets.
10. Accessories
When you are done with the rest, it is time to decorate your living space. Add curtains, cushions, drawers, picture frames, flowers, etc. to decorate the shuttle bus and make it look more like home.
Do not forget to keep items like first aid kits and flash lights in your bus as they are very useful on the road.
Conclusion
After you are done with all the above steps, you will have a tiny house inside your shuttle bus. Check if the bus has all the required items and set off on a thrilling adventure. Make sure you inspect your bus from time to time to see if everything is working fine and keep your tiny shuttle bus house in good shape.
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