This is the story of a family who turned a school bus, short-bus, and a shipping container into their tiny homes.
Seven years ago, Jeremy and Mira Thompson quit their jobs and sold their suburban home to hit the road in a short-bus they’d converted into a mobile home. After a year on the road, they’d gone through their savings and were thinking about starting a family.1
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Family’s School Bus, Short-Bus, and Whimsical Shipping Container Tiny Homes
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
They quit they jobs 7 years ago and sold their home to hit the road in a short-bus they converted, which you’ll get to see, too!
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
The video at the bottom of this post, truly tells you the entire story.
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
But after a year on the road, they’d gone through their savings and wanted to start a family.
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
Now they live on a family property in Washington
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
Here’s a look at the old short skoolie they traveled in.
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
They bought a full-sized school bus at an auction and turned it into a mobile cottage.
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
Jeremy used to be an auto body mechanic.
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
He also recently studied architectural drafting
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
He found an affordable shipping container and turned it into an office with a green roof using recycled materials
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
Now they’re living a one-of-a-kind life! And it all started with a tiny skoolie conversion. I hope this little story goes to show you, that you can always find a way, even if it’s different.
Images © Faircompanies.com via YouTube
Video Tour: WA Maker Turns Skoolie, Short-bus, and Container into their Family Home
Highlights
- They quit they jobs 7 years ago and sold their home to hit the road in a short-bus they converted
- After a year on the road, they’d gone through their savings and wanted to start a family
- Now they live on a family property in Washington
- They bought a full-sized school bus at an auction and turned it into a mobile cottage
- Jeremy used to be an auto body mechanic
- He also recently studied architectural drafting
- He found an affordable shipping container and turned it into an office with a green roof using recycled materials
Learn more using the links below. Thanks!
Sources
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODDhG2OqC5A
- https://faircompanies.com/videos/wa-maker-turns-skoolie-short-bus-container-into-home-office/
- https://www.facebook.com/theVonThompsonCreative/
Our big thanks to Faircompanies and the Thompson family for sharing their story🙏
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Alex
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Thank you so much for sharing your story and lovely family. Your home is beautiful
Wow! The architectural challenges there were huge, and you did an amazing job. It’s beautiful, unique, and charming all at once. The arches for interior entryways are so pretty, and I love the exteriors. You are quite the designer. Keep up the good work!
I am so glad I opened this today. I am a designer and really appreciated your unique use of elements. Repurposing is so rewarding when it all comes together like a story unfolding through design and living. Loved it.
that is the first school bus that I truly love. Great amazing job.
Amazing. Problem solved! By using the container as the superstructure and simply attaching a veneer with an air gap for insulation the sweating of a metal box I think is either gone or irrelevant! The container providing the strength, security and simplicity!! Fast, attractive and can be veneered in many many ways. Great post.
I love what you’ve done with your skoolie. My next birthday (#70!) is looming large and I wish I’d thought to do a tiny conversion when I was younger and stronger, braver, maybe?
Beautifully done! Stay safe, enjoy your space with your darling family.
You can do it Anne! Look at this lady >>> https://tinyhousetalk.com/she-sold-her-home-in-her-60s-to-travel-in-a-van/
Just wondering – many of these reviews feature comments like .
Located on a “family property “. Or currrently staying a “friends yard” . Or
Xyz let’s them”boondock” on his land .
Is there a greeloadingvtrend going on here ? People chucking in jobs , having children and playing living cheap and clamping or glamping or squatting ?
How’s about keep job , save to buy land , build a hut , play at adulting . ? I sound rude but I am a boomer and grew up with no trust find but lots of ambition .
I think that the dream of owning land is hard to come by for many people — even those with good jobs. Land and homes keep getting more expensive, which is why people are often turning to tiny living in the first place. Even if they buy land, they probably would need to build at least “small” to meet with codes. In many cases, people who choose busses like this aren’t planning to live that way forever, but as a stepping stone to allow them to save and eventually reach that goal of owning land and a home. But for example, where I am I am paying less for my mortgage by far than if I rented the same space. If I hadn’t spent a year “squatting” on family land for the cost of utilities, I wouldn’t have been able to save enough to purchase a land/home because it all went to rent payments.