This Charming Skoolie Is a Family-Friendly Home on Wheels With a Unique Nautical Theme

There's no right or wrong option here - each family does as it sees fit, raising its children differently. I've written many articles about families who live and travel full-time in mobile homes, and I believe that it not only can be done but it can also be a positive and fulfilling experience for all involved.

Meet John, Danielle, and their two kids, Abraham and Axel. They all live inside a self-converted skoolie based on a 2010 BlueBird All American bus sporting a famously reliable 6.7-liter Cummins engine.

This family has been on the road since 2018, starting in a Class A RV and traveling and selling nautically-themed jewelry. A few years ago, John and Danielle found this BlueBird bus on a military base in Alabama and bought it from a government auction when it had a mere 70,000 miles (112,654 km). Let me break down the costs involved with this conversion.

They purchased the bus for $7,500 (6,922) and paid about $1,200 (€1,107) for the brokerage fee. Then, they invested about $40,000 (€36,918) into its renovations (which took about two years to complete), $10,000 (€9,230) of which was the solar system. That brings the total cost of this tiny home on wheels to around $48,700 (€44,948).

Is that a lot? That's up to you to decide – my take is that their excellent setup (which you'll soon see) was worth it. By comparison, most of the skoolies I've written about were in the $30,000 to $40,000 (€27,689 to €36,918) range.

As usual, I'll start the tour with the exterior. There's no way you'll miss this bus on the road – not just because of its 40-foot (12.2-meter) length but also because it's covered in an eye-catching graphic depicting a giant octopus holding a treasure chest.

I love that John and Danielle gave their rig a distinctive look, as most bus dwellers opt for standard white paint. It's not like with vans, where you can keep the van stealthier if you go for a run-of-the-mill paint job. When it comes to converted buses, most people will instantly tell it's a tiny home on wheels and not a school bus due to the many common modifications, such as removing windows and raising the roof.

There are multiple exterior storage compartments housing propane canisters, a 60-gallon (227-liter) greywater tank connected to the composting toilet, and more.

Step inside, and you'll notice the exterior nautical theme continues on the inside. This family opted for an almost all-wood look, with a barn wood ceiling, white wood walls, and cabinetry with a natural wood finish. The look is completed by striped curtains that match the nautical vibe, many rope inserts, and brass fixtures.

Many windows were replaced with metal panels for better insulation. The couple left a few toward the front of the bus, and they use Reflectix window covers for those really hot or cold days.

Next, we have the kitchen on the interior's passenger side. It features, as Danielle described, "everything a normal house would." Notable details include a deep stainless steel sink, an 8-foot (2.4-meter) butcher block countertop, an oven/three-burner stove combo, and a massive fridge/freezer.

Storage space isn't an issue in this rig. You'll notice many places to store your stuff, such as drawers, cabinets (including overhead ones), cubbies, and more. This is one of the advantages of converting a school bus – you have a lot of room to devise as much storage as you like. And when you're traveling with two kids, you gotta have tons of room.

Opposite the kitchen, you'll discover a large seating area with a long mahogany bench and an enormous yet beautiful river table. A river table is a wood epoxy table made from two slabs of live-edge wood with epoxy poured down the middle, which looks like a river. Moreover, the space hides a heater and additional storage space.

Walk deeper inside the bus, and you'll find yourself in an open area that serves as a living room. On the driver's side, John and Danielle fitted a comfortable 8-foot couch that can be extended to serve as a sleeping spot for guests. Above it, you'll notice more storage spaces in the form of poplar wood overhead cabinets.

The couch is perfectly positioned for you to watch a movie or a series on the swivel-mounted TV on the other side of the living room. Next to it, in a corner, the couple installed a Cubic Mini wood stove. A striking aesthetic detail is the wall behind the stove, finished with shells the two found on the beaches. Above, they added an A/C unit.

To access the bedrooms and bathroom, you'll have to open a pink door with cute portholes. The bathroom boasts a stunning copper sink from Morocco, a Thinktank composting toilet, a cedar shower with a hammered copper ceiling, and a foldable tub for the kids.

Opposite the shower, John and Danielle devised a bunk bedroom for the children. Both beds offer more space than the kids currently need, and have storage spaces underneath.

The last part before we reach the bedroom is a utility closet hidden behind a cedar door. Among other things, it houses the rig's electrical system. Its highlights are a 3,000 W inverter/charger,600 Ah batteries, and charge controllers connected to the solar panels on the roof (we don't know their capacity).

Finally, the bedroom occupies the rear part of this skoolie's interior, like on many other rigs. It has a queen-size bed, an overhead bus-driven A/C unit above the rear emergency exit, storage nets, and a decorative metal grating trim. Furthermore, the couple installed a 100-gallon (378-liter) freshwater tank underneath the bed.

All in all, this skoolie is not only aesthetically pleasing inside and out but also offers many of the creature comforts you can find in a conventional home. With the large water system and the robust power system, this family can enjoy worry-free off-grid traveling.