Sarah dreamed of a nomadic lifestyle since she was 14 years old, but it took crashing her beloved Jeep to push her into making it a reality. With the insurance money from the accident, she was able to jumpstart her school bus conversion.
Originally she considered dealing with the lower bus height, but then had the brilliant idea to attach a jon boat to the roof to gain headroom. After generous applications of putty and FlexSeal, her “Adobe Casita” tiny home came together with unique character.
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Cozy Interior with Mediterranean Tile Backsplash
Images by Tiny Home Tours
Record Player and Thrifted Records Collection
Images by Tiny Home Tours
Jon Boat Mounted as Roof Raise
Images by Tiny Home Tours
Video Tour: Unique Roof Raise Using a Jon Boat
Design Details
- Vehicle: School bus conversion
- Name: Adobe Casita
- Roof Raise Method: Jon boat mounted upside-down, sealed with putty and FlexSeal
- Kitchen: Peel-and-stick Mediterranean tile backsplash
- Heating: Mini wood stove
- Bathroom: Bucket toilet system in closet
- Entertainment: Record player with thrifted vinyl collection
- Build Type: Solo female DIY build
Lessons from This Build
- Creative Solutions for Headroom: Using a jon boat for a roof raise is an unconventional but effective way to add standing height without traditional metal fabrication
- Insurance Money Can Jumpstart Dreams: An unexpected setback (crashed vehicle) provided the funds to pursue a long-held dream
- Peel-and-Stick Materials Work: Mediterranean tile backsplash using peel-and-stick products adds style without the weight and complexity of real tile
- Keep What You Love: Making space for a record player and vinyl collection shows that tiny living doesn’t mean giving up beloved hobbies
- Simple Bathroom Solutions: A bucket toilet system in a closet is a practical, low-cost bathroom solution for mobile living
Learn More
Related Stories
- The Bibia Bus: DIY Short Bus Conversion w/ Shower
- From High Maintenance to Minimalism: Short Bus Life
- Short School Bus With Raised Roof
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Alex
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Great thinking out of the box. Headroom where needed. I see you even spaced it fore/aft to gain some overhead storage as well. Nice!
Fisher Price toys had a camper van with an upside down boat on its top that my kids played with for many years in the 1980’s!
Love your bus; how it’s designed. Cactus bones? Tiles! Records. And of course, Bo!