≡ Menu

Man Converts 1948 Chevy Bus into Tiny Home


This post contains affiliate links.

Whether van dwelling and bus conversions are your thing or not I think you’ll still enjoy looking at Ryan Lovelace’s DIY 1948 Chevy bus to tiny home conversion.

He took this old funky bus and made it into a mobile micro home and you can see all of his personal touches inside.

With a tiny kitchen, a sleeping loft/pod and a small wood burning fireplace this is totally ready for full time simple living.

There are so many windows that bring in the natural sunlight and it looks like he even added an indoor gutter to hold various plants inside. Very creative.

Let’s take a look inside, shall we?

DIY Chevy Bus to Tiny Home Conversion

1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-00

Images: The Cosmic Collider

1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-01 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-02 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-03 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-04 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-05 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-06 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-07 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-08 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-09 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-10

 

1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-12 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-13 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-14 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-15 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-16 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-17 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-18 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-19 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-20 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-21 1948-chevy-bus-tranformation-22

Images: The Cosmic Collider

What a great job Ryan did with this bus conversion, don’t you think? But wait. What about the bathroom? Hmm…

Guess we won’t go there. Or maybe he just makes frequent pit-stops along the way? Well, if you are out in nature in the middle of no where you can get creative, right?

After seeing how simply he lives it shows you really don’t need much to be happy.

And as the great yogi Paramahansa Yogananda once said,”Be as SIMPLE as you can be; you will be astonished to see you how uncomplicated and HAPPY your life can become.”

Question: If you had this exact 1948 Chevy Bus what would you do with it: 

a) use it for full-time living

b) take it on road trips

c) use it for glamping

d) totally out of the question – not your style

Share your answer, thoughts and comments below.

Resources:

Related Posts:

If you enjoyed how this man converted his Chevy bus into a livable tiny home, you’ll LOVE our free daily tiny house newsletter with even more!

This post contains affiliate links.

The following two tabs change content below.
Andrea is a contributor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the Tiny House Newsletter! She has a passion for sharing tiny and small house stories and introducing you to new people, ideas, and homes.
{ 24 comments… add one }
  • Doris
    August 19, 2014, 1:53 pm

    Boy did this bring back some memories! Great to know there are still Children of the 70s with that creative mindset, even if they are born in the 90s 🙂 And what a great place for his visitors to rejuvenate from all their sheetrock sterility abounding in subdivisions. I’m sure it has great vibes. Love it. Thanks for a memory trip, and hope Ryan enjoys many good days in this funky home.

    • Alex
      August 19, 2014, 2:14 pm

      Thanks Doris!! Glad you enjoyed it 😀

  • Comet
    August 19, 2014, 6:28 pm

    I
    Want
    One

  • Sally Schrock
    August 19, 2014, 6:55 pm

    I love this bus! I would use it for full time living and road trips without question.

  • Kip
    August 19, 2014, 7:47 pm

    I’d live in it, of course. Is it for sale? Let’s talk!

    • Alex
      August 19, 2014, 9:16 pm

      Nope, not for sale, sorry Kip 😀

  • Kate
    August 19, 2014, 10:38 pm

    I like the bus and all the tiny homes on wheels. Tell me, Where do people park these without rents that are sky high?

    • Alex
      August 20, 2014, 10:53 am

      Very secretively Kate (kidding.. kinda) 😀

      But yeah- on privately owned land. Farm land. Situations like that. 🙂

  • LK
    August 20, 2014, 10:37 am

    I lived in a converted bus for about a year, until zoning laws took over and I was told that I had to build a permanent structure or move. I moved since I could not find a job to build (which would include plans, permits, materials, and labor costs). It did not matter that I was way back from the road and could not be seen, and I was on 28 acres, so I did not have a nearby neighbor.
    I loved living on the bus, I kept things in a storage shed that was left by the previous owner. The light from all of the windows was great. I had a few curtains, but most of the time I just left everything open to the light and the woods around me.

    • Alex
      August 20, 2014, 11:02 am

      I couldn’t agree more on the feeling of windows being so close by. I think that’s one of the best things about tiny living. You’re so close to your windows which makes you feel in tune with nature. In a big house, you gotta try. And you’re too busy working and paying bills to stop and try 🙁

  • pat
    August 20, 2014, 2:47 pm

    honestly, beauty must be in the eye of the beholder. there is a line on funky beyond which eyesore is a more accurate term. i dont think eyesore solutions encourage anyone to contemplate a smaller footprint and living simply…

    • Rebecca
      March 11, 2015, 11:38 pm

      A contraire… this bus with light and plants everywhere makes me realize that even I (the plant lady) could survive a tiny life and she happy.

  • Marsha Cowan
    September 5, 2014, 3:51 pm

    So totally cool! I love the wood on the inside and the shelf made by the upper part (a Volkswagen?), but the addition on the back was a stroke of genius. Is there a tiny porch out that back door?

  • Len Evans
    October 5, 2014, 1:21 pm

    I love it I want to build my own soon .and picked up s few ideas from this .they have done a couple of things I have never sesn before that I reslly like .I plan on living out my life in mine if and when I get it then build it.thank you for sherring this.

  • whitney
    October 27, 2014, 2:23 pm

    Fantastic job! Not entirely my style, but with some tweaks it could be. I applaud him for making something like this for himself, and living so simply. And bonus points for the cute dog!

  • Shelby
    November 1, 2014, 7:02 pm

    Just needs on the outside a couple bright flowers and a peace sign!!! I love it!

  • kid
    January 7, 2015, 6:23 pm

    What is the insulation like on that bus? I like the stairs idea and the camper he put on top. It just seems to me that it might get colder then I would care for in the winter, even with the wood burning stove, which by the way is really cool.

  • Lisa Marie
    January 7, 2015, 9:45 pm

    Man after my own heart! I love the fearless addition of the loft and the prevalence of plants throughout. I’d park my bus next to his and build an outhouse!

  • Linda
    January 7, 2015, 9:57 pm

    Groovy!

  • Liz
    January 8, 2015, 10:38 am

    Neat place but I think the gas can should probably remain outside.

  • Loki
    March 11, 2015, 3:08 pm

    …..with a toilet and shower or easy access to those, full-time living.

  • Morbious
    March 12, 2015, 7:36 am

    I know it would never be licensed in the state I live in. It’s structurally unsafe, dangerous and illegal, at least here.
    A trailer is one thing. But once you put it on a registered vehicle, you’re in a whole different ballpark. 2 x 4’s and pressboard won’t cut it.

  • March 12, 2015, 11:14 pm

    Wow! I lived 3 years in an old bus conversion. This one is way nicer. Love all the plants and the addition of a bed loft. Love the furbaby also.
    Good job Ryan!

  • moby4444
    March 13, 2015, 4:00 pm

    All they need now are a couple of goats to keep all the flora from taking over.

    It truly takes all kinds to make a world, and all kinds of homes to house them! I agree with the comment about the flower-children of the seventies. It looks like a revisiting of the dawning of the age of Aquarius all over for me! Just needs a psychedelic exterior paint job, Ala Peter Max, to complete the effect!
    Peace, Love and flower-power!

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.