What does it take for a family of four to transform a 1989 Safari motorhome into a fully functional tiny home? This conversion proves that with creativity and determination, even a decades-old motorhome can become a warm, inviting space for an entire family to live, work, and grow together.
The Safari motorhome platform offers a generous footprint compared to many tiny home options, and this family took full advantage of every square inch. Through a thoughtful renovation, they turned what was once an aging recreational vehicle into a permanent dwelling that reflects their values of simplicity, togetherness, and intentional living.
Images courtesy of Sara Miedema / @sarmiephoto
Exterior and First Impressions
From the outside, this 1989 Safari motorhome maintains much of its original profile while hinting at the transformation within. The exterior has been kept clean and functional, prioritizing reliability over flash. For a family living full-time in their home on wheels, a solid and dependable shell matters far more than cosmetic upgrades.
The motorhome’s generous window placement allows natural light to flood the interior, a critical design feature when raising a family in a compact space. Good natural lighting makes small spaces feel open and reduces the claustrophobic feeling that can sometimes accompany bus life.
Main Living Area
Stepping inside, the main living area sets the tone for the entire conversion. The family created a multi-purpose space that serves as a gathering spot, play area, and the heart of daily life. In a tiny home with children, flexibility is everything, and this living area delivers.
Soft furnishings and thoughtful color choices make the space feel welcoming rather than cramped. When four people share a home this size, every design decision impacts comfort. The family opted for warm tones and natural textures that create a cozy atmosphere.
Kitchen and Dining
Cooking for a family of four in a motorhome kitchen requires serious organization and smart layout choices. This conversion features a functional kitchen with enough counter space and storage to prepare real meals, not just heat up quick snacks.
Vertical storage plays a huge role in making a motorhome kitchen workable. Open shelving keeps everyday items within reach, while closed cabinets hide the less photogenic necessities of family life. The layout allows one person to cook comfortably while the rest of the family goes about their day.
Living and Lounging Spaces
Beyond the main kitchen and formal living area, the family carved out additional nooks for relaxation and everyday living. In a full-time motorhome home, having distinct zones helps create a sense of spaciousness even within tight quarters.
The family clearly understands that livability in a tiny home comes down to the small details: good lighting, comfortable seating, and surfaces that can handle the wear and tear of children. Every fabric, cushion, and fixture earns its place.
Sleeping Quarters
One of the biggest challenges in a family motorhome conversion is figuring out where everyone sleeps. This home solves the problem elegantly, with dedicated sleeping areas for both the parents and the children.
Privacy in a tiny home is a luxury, and this conversion makes the most of curtains, nooks, and smart layout choices to give each family member their own space to retreat to at the end of the day.
Bathroom and Utilities
The bathroom in a motorhome conversion needs to be compact yet fully functional. This family’s setup includes the essentials without wasting an inch of space, proving that a comfortable bathroom is possible even in the tightest footprint.
Keeping a bathroom organized with a family of four takes discipline and good design. This conversion uses wall-mounted storage, hooks, and baskets to keep towels, toiletries, and cleaning supplies accessible but tidy.
Details and Personal Touches
What transforms a motorhome from a vehicle into a home is the personal touches. This family filled their space with items that tell their story: artwork, photographs, handmade items, and carefully chosen decor that reflects who they are.
Children’s artwork, plants, and meaningful objects turn bare walls into a gallery of family life. These details are what visitors notice first and what the family treasures most. A tiny home is not about deprivation. It is about surrounding yourself only with what matters.
Final Views
This 1989 Safari motorhome conversion stands as proof that families can thrive in small spaces. The combination of smart renovation choices, personal style, and a commitment to living with less has created a home that is far more than the sum of its square footage.
Highlights
- Platform: 1989 Safari motorhome
- Residents: Family of four (two adults, two children)
- Living Style: Full-time residence
- Key Features: Multi-zone layout with distinct living, kitchen, sleeping, and bathroom areas
- Design Approach: Warm, family-friendly renovation with natural textures and soft tones
- Storage: Extensive vertical storage, built-in shelving, and hidden compartments throughout
- Photography: Sara Miedema (@sarmiephoto)
For families considering a motorhome conversion, this Safari build demonstrates that children do not have to mean you need a bigger space. They just mean you need a smarter one. With dedicated sleeping areas, a functional kitchen, and enough personal touches to make it truly feel like home, this 1989 Safari proves that thoughtful design can accommodate a family of any size.
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Alex
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This is an awesome design for a family! So much like a “regular” house inside! Lots more room than most THOW’s — just right for a small family!
I love this. I wanted to know if it’s still drivable.
It is! We are mostly stationary, but can move it from place to place if we want 🙂
Lovely renovation. Looks very comfy. The kids are adorable
This is lovely, really lovely. It looks very warm and inviting, and so wonderfully designed and decorated. The children are adorable!
Very homey like and has a comfortable feeling, plus looks well done and organized. Amazing what you can do with old campers or buses.
I am very curious how that master bedroom is situated. Is the bed above the drivers seat or does it get tucked away somewhere?
Hi Rosee!
This is our home 🙂 The bed is situated over the cab, where the seats are. We removed the passenger seat permanently and the driver’s seat is removed and stowed away when we’re parked. We take the whole bed apart when we move, it takes about 20 minutes. The space under the bed is our closet and extra storage, it works great!
Thank you Sara for replying. You and your family seem to have everything in order and well planned. Good job!
Fantastic design and execution. I wish I’d grown up like this!
Rosee, that was going to be my question, :). It looks like it is over the drivers seat, so they only have to move it when they move I guess. It is very well thought out to the final details. Love it.
I was loving the place already….but oh my gosh that last picture should be in a tiny home magazine! Way too cute!
THIS! I want to love like this. I am so envious lol And inspired – my kiddo would love this life 🙂 How expensive is it to drive and what would you do if the bus needed mechanical work? I wouldn’t mind sleeping in at the garage while the mechanics fix up our bus, but they probably have rules about that lol A bus is my dream home but I wonder – how do you insulate one?
We don’t plan on driving long distances, so we’re not too concerned about the cost of driving it. I think we get about 6mpg. We really lucked out with our RV, because it is old and gross no one wanted it, but it does have a relatively new engine! So hopefully we won’t need repairs! Our rig was already insulated but we did pull out some of the old stuff to replace it with new.
Thank you for your response. I wouldn’t care if we had to tow one to a little patch of land, although the ability to move from plot to plot without a tow would be great, so understand that just fine 6mpg. I was nosing around an old greyhound bus that is just way too cool to rust away in a field. The engine has been picked clean so I thought, hey, I could box that compartment in and stow my Christmas decorations in it lol. Do you face any restrictions etc when you’re parked up? I think you have a beautiful home and gorgeous kids who clearly have kickass parents 🙂
Thanks 🙂 I hope our kids look back at this and think we were kickass! We don’t have restrictions where we are, we’re way out in the country on 5 acres that our friend’s own. It’s really ideal. We really like having the option to roll out if we do run into trouble here, it makes it so simple!
Really great. This is the way to go if moving around a lot. A home meant to be home-on-the-road. So much safer than towing something unwieldy. And since it is a vehicle, you can park in in places that wouldn’t allow a tiny house. Memories are made of this…
Well done beautiful home great pics
This is a real home furnished sobriety and good taste, but traveling, to say goodbye to boredom, and live in ever-changing scenarios. The indispensable because ofter forget to buy things that are destined to be thrown away and that we will never give real happiness.
Normally, I’m not a fan of bus conversions, but I HAVE to say that this is AWESOME! You have done a stellar job with this. It is so homey, warm and inviting with all of the necessities plus comfortable relaxing areas… just everything. Two thumbs up! Great job!!!! 😀
this is a good house
Extraordinary, simply extraordinary……!
This makes me happy!
This is the nicest conversion I have ever seen. Well done indeed! Do you have solar? What do you do for power?