Should you convert a bus: 5 things to ask yourself before living in a skoolie

If you’re here it must mean that you’re interested in bus life. Everywhere you look you have seen beautifully built bus conversions and you find yourself daydreaming if this life is for you and your family.  Maybe you have even found yourself researching “if this bus life really is for you” or “how to live full time in a skoolie with kids”. This is just my best guess based on my own experience, and google search, during our own bus conversion.  

We have spent the past year living and traveling full time in our self converted bus. I really can’t believe it’s been a year! It sounds so cliche to say, but it really has gone by so fast! While we are in no way “bus life” experts, we do know a thing or two about what it takes to live full time in such a small space as a family of five. I would say, we have become experts at making tiny living work for us. This lifestyle can look very different for each person depending on their wants and needs. 

When you think about living in a bus, what are your first thoughts? Be honest. There are no right or wrong answer here. Beautiful builds and instagram worthy pictures aside, when you think about living in a tiny space what are the first things that pop into your head. I’ll go first. My first thoughts were that, “this is so cool”, “wow it must be crowded”, “sounds a little stressful”, “what an amazing adventure”. 

Would you believe me if I told you that living in a school bus is all of those things all rolled into one big amazingly beautiful adventure? It’s definitely not all instagram worthy photos, adventures and relaxation. Although, I must admit, that it is the most alluring part of bus life.  The reality is that tiny living offers up just as many amazing pros as it does frustrating cons.

This lifestyle comes with quite a bit of sacrifice and frustration. It’s a lot of dang work (sigh). I know, I knowwwww! I was surprised by this too. I mean, how can such a small space be so much work?!  After one full year of full time bus life I can say that, in some ways, bus life is a lot harder than we were expecting, or used to, in our conventional home. Nothing is easy. The messes are bigger, and there is no instant gratification when living this lifestyle. There are plenty of moments when we miss having our own space and more things, especially when I go to put the dishes in our non-existent dishwasher! 

But, would you also believe me if I told you that all of the things that make living the tiny life so hard are also the same things that make it such a fun adventure. Working through the challenges of living with less has brought us closer together as a family and has made us stronger. It’s not always an easy lifestyle, but there is a sense of freedom that comes with having your home with you wherever you roam. 

If you have made it this far and you’re eager to see if living in a school bus really is for you, you should ask yourself these five questions before making the big leap into tiny living. 

Why?

The first question we asked ourselves was why we wanted to live in a tiny home. Are you looking for a way out of a life you feel stuck in? Do you crave more time together? More simplicity? More financial freedom? Maybe the savings from not paying for a mortgage or rent will set you up for future success? There are so many different reasons why people choose to live the tiny home lifestyle. Now it’s your turn to find your reason why! And then share it with all of us!

Maybe your reason is that you crave simplicity, financial freedom, more time with your family, or maybe you want to have a flexible and mobile living situation and live minimally? 

If you’re anything like me then you just read that sentence above thinking: “I want all of it. I want everything you just said!” And without giving much more thought to any other questions, you might already have your whole bus conversion, and bus life, already planned out. Because, all of those sound like good enough reasons to  live in a skoolie, right? I agree! 

Write your “why” statement down somewhere that you can come back to. We have had to return to our reasoning for wanting this lifestyle when challenges seem insurmountable. When your annoyed at washing the same glass for the 50th time, because, you know, no dishwasher, or your home is in the shop for routine maintenance (or unfortunately, non routine work) it is important to be able to come back to a strong reason why. We have found that our “why” has helped us climb out of some dark “why are we doing this” moments. 

Can you simplify to just the essentials?  

For us, simplifying to the essentials has been one of the most freeing experiences. Getting rid of all the “stuff” and only holding on to the things that have a purpose has been the best feeling. That may or may not be the case for you. While you can certainly downsize and live simply in a conventional setting, it is most definitely a requirement of living the tiny life in a bus. 

Do you remember that tub of clothes you have in the basement? You know the one I am talking about, the one all the way to the back, the one you told yourself you would keep, “just in case”. I had forgotten about it too, so you’re welcome for the reminder. But, here’s the thing, you’re going to have to say goodbye to that tub of “one day ill need these” clothes. They just won’t have a place in your new tiny digs. 

I absolutely understand the anxiety around having to give up your possessions. Downsizing our kitchen items was ridiculously hard for me. I use the word ridiculous because I have one mode of cooking, the airfryer. But dang if it wasn’t the hardest thing to part with all of my kitchenware. So, if you’re someone who is going to be truly unhappy sacrificing that porcelain mixing bowl you only use for decoration then you may want to keep that in mind when moving forward with this lifestyle. 

Are you someone who needs a lot of space? 

We would be remiss if we didn’t reiterate the obvious, that bus living means close living. There is not a lot of space. Literally. The average bus conversion gives you about 250 sq. feet of living space depending on the layout you choose and depending on how many people you need to accommodate in your small home. 

You might find yourself sharing a closet with your significant other, or going from an industrial fridge to a mini fridge to store all your food. How are you going to feel when you meet your house mates for the 1,876 time in the same 2ft. Hallway?  Or, what are you going to do when you feel overstimulated by all the people in your kitchen/living room/dining room (because, you know, they are all one room). 

If you are someone who really needs your own space, you might find bus life quite stressful. That is not to say that there are no ways to find space, such as taking walks outside, going to the library, going to the back half of the bus while your housemates stay at the front (Spoken like someone who has used all of those techniques when needing some “me” time).  But you definitely need to think about these things as you move forward with your tiny living plans.

Ask yourself what you do when you want to be alone. How often do you like to be alone? Do you like to entertain a lot of guests? Are you someone who has to have her whole family of 20 over for Thanksgiving dinner?  These issues could potentially, at the very least, keep you from enjoying your tiny house. And what fun would that be to have a beautifully built bus that your not able to enjoy. 

If bus living truly is for you, you will have to thoughtfully plan your design to suit your needs and have a plan in place when space is needed. 

How do you handle stress?

As mentioned before, bus life is not all instagram worthy pictures and one neverending vacation (although I will continue to wish for that every day). The reality is, that It is all too easy to romanticize this lifestyle when you’re scrolling through the endless reels of  bus lifers frolicking through fields and waking up to the sound of the ocean right outside their door. Don’t get me wrong, this is a beautiful part of bus life. It is a beautiful and exciting adventure, for sure. But it does have its challenges. And with that, it is important for you to know how you will personally handle challenges on the road.

One hour into our first adventure in our newly converted skoolie we blew a hydraulic hose. After two hours, we had a roadside mechanic tell us it would have to wait until the next day to get a new hose made. That next day, another hour into our grand adventure we blew the same hydraulic hose (installation problems). We had to find a place to pull off a very busy highway and make arrangements for another day. I tell you this, not to scare you, but to point out that stress can be a part of this journey as well as segway into our next point…. Costs of maintaining your home. 

Have you thought about the costs?

One of the best things about converting a skoolie into the home of your dreams is that you can spend as much or as little as you want/need to make this place your own. But, have you thought about the budget after the build? Have you thought about your budget for maintenance costs, registration fees, insurance, and fuel? Or, where you are going to stay in the bus. Will you be an avid boondocker? Or, will you need to stay in campgrounds with full hook up? 

Here is the thing, you are going to be living and driving in your vehicle, that is not very fuel efficient. We know, we chug along at 6-9mpg. So, before you invest too much time and money into building your bus home, it is important to think about your budget for your bus life after the build. Will you be able to manage the costs of maintaining your home on wheels? 

After living in our skoolie for the past year, these are the questions we would tell our friends to ask themselves before selling it all and heading out on the road. But, I am also a big believer in, “if you don’t try it, how will you know?” So, if after answering all these questions you’re still unsure but also still dreaming about tiny living in a bus, then maybe it’s time to just go for it!