Shuttle bus conversions are becoming extremely popular among van lifers. Buses are easy to find and cheap to buy, so they offer the perfect vehicle for a DIY conversion.
The rectangular shape and decent headroom of a shuttle bus conversion provide great living space. Plus, there’s plenty of room for furniture.
This makes it extra easy to turn a bus into a mobile home. There are no awkward shapes to go around with the flooring or walls.
Looking for some shuttle bus conversion ideas? We have selected 7 rad builds to inspire your project.
Whether you’re just daydreaming, or you’ve already bought a vehicle, these conversions will help you come up with a solid plan. Here they are, in no particular order.
1) Savannah And Drew’s Shuttle Bus RV Conversion
Savannah and Drew have been living the van life for a few years. They are music artists who live on the road.
In 2020, with all their touring income gone because of the pandemic, they had to take a hard look at their finances.
This didn’t stop them from living their dream. They downsized from a 1987 Ford Coachman to a nimbler Ford E-450.
They converted the new-to-them shuttle bus over five months and recorded the whole build on YouTube.
Their shuttle bus conversion looks stunning.
It features teal furniture and wood paneling throughout. There’s even a standard kitchen.
This shuttle bus RV conversion has an oven cooker, sink, and various chopping surfaces. The couple built a generous couch to relax on, next to a lovely stove to use on those cold winter nights.
At the back of the bus, there’s a platform bed with lots of storage and shelves around.
Thanks to the Ford E-450’s huge windows, the interior is super bright.
The cute curtains installed by the couple make it easy to create some privacy, though. The floor and roof are lined with gorgeous wood.
The whole conversion looks extra cozy and modern and is packed with awesome shuttle bus conversion ideas. It really shows off the guys’ exceptional DIY skills, as well as their great taste.
The total cost of the bus purchase and conversion was $30,000.
To find out more, head over to Savannah and Drew’s Instagram account – Our Way To Roam.
Love buses? Check out these 10 amazing short bus conversions you have to see.
2) Big Blue Bertha, The Shuttle Bus Conversion
Carley loves big trucks and spending time outdoors. So much so, that she’s decided to convert a skoolie into an RV, all by herself.
Bertha is hefty and blue, as her nickname suggests.
The interior is a blend of rustic and modern details. Carley used different kinds and colors of wood to create a unique feel.
This shuttle bus conversion features a kitchen, a platform bed, a long couch, a table, a wet bath, and a full-size refrigerator.
Thanks to Bertha’s size, there’s plenty of storage space inside, which Carley filled with drawers, cabinets, and cupboards. This skoolie RV is super practical and the furniture she built is unique.
Check out the Instagram account Big Blue Bertha the Bus, which Carley set up to document the conversion and her travels.
Maybe a full length skoolie is more your speed? Learn how to Build a school bus camper with 10 simple tips.
3) Skyler and Ashley’s Shuttle Bus Conversion
Need shuttle bus conversion ideas to create a luxurious rig? Have a look at Skyler and Ashley’s shuttle bus conversion.
Their skoolie is simply magnificent. It looks like a professional build. The secret? They used pre-made, regular furniture.
If you’re in love with cabinets and surfaces you can buy in the stores and have the budget for it, get them.
It’s hard to beat the perfect finish of commercial fittings. As long as the furniture reflects your taste and personality, your bus will feel unique.
If you’re not confident with DIY, this approach pays off – there’s no risk of creating an ugly interior.
Inside this build, there’s a big kitchen, a platform bed, a couch, and a bath. On top of the platform bed, there’s an elevated single bed for the couple’s child.
The bed area closes off with a curtain to create privacy. White, gray, wood, and graphite are the dominant colors and they work very well together.
Skyler and Ashley travel on their skoolie with their kid part-time. They’re based in Nebraska and enjoy getting out of the country every now and then, while working online.
This is the perfect set-up for their family, as they need a permanent base, as well as a home-away-from-home.
Need more inspiration to hit the road? Check out Man runs business while living in gorgeous custom school bus.
4) Brittany’s Self-Converted Shuttle Bus
Brittany decided to make her four-year dream of turning a bus into a home on wheels come true by herself. It took her months and many hours of research and hard work to complete the build.
Now she couldn’t be happier – she has a shuttle bus RV she can live and adventure on.
Brittany is based in Colorado and travels with her dog, so there’s plenty of amazing places where she can go and camp.
The interior of her build is extra bright, thanks to the white furniture and roof. The wooden floor adds some coziness.
The vehicle is quite wide, so the living space is ample. Brittany built a modern kitchen, a bathroom, a fold-out table, and a platform bed.
In front of the kitchen, she placed some cushions, which she uses as a couch. She can easily rearrange them to make a bed, if she has guests on board.
If you’d like to find out more, head over to Brittany’s Girl With A Bus Instagram account.
5) Victoria and Bryce’s Shuttle Bus RV Conversion
Victoria and Bryce’s Ford E-350 shuttle bus immediately stands out, thanks to its vintage mint green exterior. The wooden trim adds a cool extra layer to it.
The couple spent four months converting the vehicle into an RV DIY, learning along the way.
The interior features beautiful cedar planks and white and black furniture. There’s a wet bath, a kitchen with a stove and oven, a table, and a platform bed.
Victoria and Bryce added a fan to the roof. Inside the wet bath, there’s a composting toilet, which they remove when they shower.
All in all, this conversion is incredibly cute inside and out.
If you’d like to find out more, check out Victoria’s YouTube channel. The couple is from Canada, but they have traveled all over the world.
6) Ms. Simplicity The Shuttle Bus Conversion
Brock and Anna are new to the van life and aren’t experts at DIY, so they chose to convert their 2004 Ford E-450 as simply as they could. If you’re not super confident using tools, this build makes for great inspiration.
The couple’s conversion shows that there’s no need to buy expensive or trendy pieces to make a bus feel homely.
The interior of Ms Simplicity is functional and modern. There’s all you need to live life on the road – a platform bed, a kitchen, a couch, and a bathroom.
Everything is simple, but nothing about this conversion looks scruffy.
Brock and Anna tour Ms. Simplicity in the US, together with their two pooches and they couldn’t look happier.
You don’t need your dream conversion to set off – get out there and try the van life out. There’s always time to upgrade your gear.
If you’d like to find out more, head over to the Mrs Simplicity The Bus Instagram account.
7) Connor And Kesley’s Shuttle Bus Conversion, Sunny
After backpacking around the world together, Connor and Kesley had planned to get married in 2020. Then, Covid happened.
Instead of mourning their loss, they decided to buy a van and travel around the US.
The couple purchased Sunny in 2020 and quickly set to work to convert it into an RV.
They’re still refining their work, but they’re getting there. Their aim is to visit every national park on American soil with their dog Charlie. An ambitious but extra fun plan.
Sunny features a platform double bed, a kitchen with a camping stove, a wet bath, and a camping table. They can easily use it inside or outside.
The interior is minimalistic but rustic, with plenty of wooden details. The couple will add to the build with time, but, as you can see, they can start adventuring now.
There’s no doubt that Sunny will take them onto new, exciting adventures.
For more information, check out Find Your Something on Instagram.
Conclusion On Shuttle Bus Conversion Campers
Ready to hit the road? A shuttle bus conversion is a great rig to take you on van life adventures.
Thanks to their rectangular shape, building the interior isn’t very challenging. Plus, you’ll have plenty of living space and headroom. Skoolies are great for long-term travels.
If you’re worried a shuttle bus may be too cumbersome for the trips you are planning, opt for a Sprinter or one of these tiny vans.
You’ll be able to sneak into narrower or smaller boondocking spots and you’ll feel more agile on the road.
Check out more awesome conversions:
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