Family of 7 lives in a converted bus with a loft, Dad gives a tour of their incredible home

A couple took this skoolie conversion to the next level by adding a loft. It was challenging to build a skoolie spacious enough to fit their family of seven but Jeff and Ann made it possible.

In 2017, after they had their fourth child, they bought the school bus and 6 years later, they got to enjoy a comfortable and functional mobile home.

The family’s skoolie is more than meets the eye. It looks small outside but the space they have inside is unbelievably perfect for their big family.

It is equipped with everything any traditional home can boast of. For one, they have a washer dryer, and a 120-volt fridge which both work adequately. They also have a big sink, butcher block countertops, storage for pans and pots, and a 24-inch propane stove.

Initially, they built the main level and after three years, they drove around and moved on to the next phase of their project.

After they looked back on the things they wished they had done differently, they were able to plan and execute the second phase more efficiently.

One of the things they had to work on during the second phase was moving things such as the entry door, countertop, and washer. They also had to build new cabinets and storage.

On the other hand, they were glad to fit in Jeff’s workspace where he works without distractions as a remote software designer.

They also managed to equip their mobile home with safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide, and smoke detectors.

The couple made sure there was lots of hidden storage all over their mobile home. They have a couch with pull-out cushions and storage on the sides.

It also transforms into a table where they can eat or do crafts. Above the couch is a bookcase, and mini split climate control systems for heating and cooling, which run on solar power.

In their master’s bedroom, there’s a king-sized bed with storage underneath. Their skoolie bathroom has a composting toilet, a sink and a cabinet set from Ikea, and a full ceramic tile shower with a nine-foot ceiling.

They kept the bus’s original mirror as a joke but ended up admiring it after they realized it added a nice touch to the overall look of the bathroom.

Another amazing thing about this skoolie conversion is the space devoted to the kids. Their room has three bunk beds so each child can have a space of their own.

Jeff and Ann both loved traveling as kids and because Ann grew up in Bakersfield, California, they used to go to the beach to get out of the desert climate.

“It was a wonderful memory. It was like something that I really held onto and I knew that we wanted something like that with our kids,” Ann said.

Another important part of the family’s adventure is the tow jeep behind their bus. They have to bring it everywhere because the size of their skoolie can be a hassle when moving from one place to another. It became one of their biggest problems when they were just starting their adventure.

“Driving any large vehicle can be a challenge especially when you add to the top of your large vehicle to make it even larger,” Jeff shared.

“From the beginning, we were conditioned to watch for bridge signs for height and weight restrictions but we use an RV-specific GPS app that takes in all of our weight, height, and length and it will plan our routes accordingly and that’s never caused us any problems.”

The total cost of their skoolie conversion reached $50,000. They bought the bus for $4,000 and they spent $35,000 in the initial phase while they poured in $15,000 on the second phase of the construction.

Though building a mobile home can be costly and challenging, Jeff’s advice is simply to do it. “Don’t let anything stand in the way. It’s going to be extremely hard but if you push through your dream, it is so worth it.”

Watch the family’s amazing skoolie conversion in this video:

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