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Off Grid Bus Motorhome to Take Your Vacation on the Road


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Right now I’m showing you an off grid bus motorhome that was rebuilt from scratch which took about 9 months to do according to this article. It was built for people who crave adventure. Whether you crave the thrill of extreme sports, capturing the perfect photograph, hiking to a summit at sunrise, or even playing tourist for a day, the La Chanchita bus will not only get you there, but serve as your personal “hotel on wheels”.

Imagine traveling in a lovingly restored 1966 Mercedes-Benz bus. Before its transformation, La Chanchita was a city bus in Buenos Aires in the 1960s. Manu Fombeurre, the brainchild behind La Chanchita, dreamt of “being able to take the world on the discovery of the continent”.

La Chanchita now serves as a home away from home with amenities that include sleeping for up to five, a fully equipped kitchen, a shower and toilet, water, electricity, and a cozy wood burning stove.

Your adventure begins in San Carlos de Bariloche, Patagonia Argentina with complimentary airport or bus station pick up. With La Chanchita, you’ll be able to access those out of the way spots in comfort.

This is not your typical vacation – expect a life changing journey with La Chanchita!

Off Grid Bus Motorhome to Take Your Vacation on the Road

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Images © Chanchita Bus

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Images © Chanchita Bus

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 31 comments… add one }
  • CathyAnn
    January 24, 2015, 5:22 pm

    This is the best looking bus conversion I’ve seen.

    • Alex
      January 26, 2015, 5:12 pm

      Thanks CathyAnn I’m glad you enjoyed it too!

  • kid
    January 25, 2015, 10:55 am

    Whoa! That’s a nice bus. I like everything about it.

  • native
    February 4, 2015, 5:55 am

    i really like this one

  • Missouri Bus
    February 5, 2015, 11:09 pm

    What a great space, it’s amazing it is a bus. I really like the paneling.

  • Lori Malander
    March 8, 2015, 10:03 pm

    Love, love, love it. So glad I found this site. Now if I could just get the courage to just go!

    • Alex
      March 10, 2015, 3:17 pm

      Thanks Lori! You’ll get there, don’t worry! Going slow is better than fast most of the time. You’ll still get there. 🙂

  • March 9, 2015, 5:32 pm

    Neat. I’m in the midst of building my own motorhome from a schoolbus.

    • March 10, 2015, 10:16 am

      Let us know how your project goes 🙂

      • March 10, 2015, 10:54 am

        Well, the potted story… I bought somebody else’s half-baked conversion, stripped it out and am mid way through construction. I painted her grey and yesterday painted my cb call sign of nsa2011 on the side. I’m hoping to be moved in and living in her by May. The kitchen has a skeleton cabinet at the moment. The shower and toilet floors have been done. Some interior walls have been erected and redundant windows have been painted black. The bedroom is my main preoccupation right now because I need to move in. The dining area doesn’t exist yet. She drives beautifully, has 100k miles on her and is a 20 year old school bus.

        • Toasterz1201
          March 10, 2015, 3:13 pm

          Yes, please keep us posted!

        • Alex
          March 10, 2015, 3:16 pm

          Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to more 🙂

  • Karen R
    March 11, 2015, 4:03 pm

    I almost never like bus conversions, but this is NICE!

  • jayjay
    March 11, 2015, 4:10 pm

    This is really cool. Aesthetically pleasing, otherwise I think she is pretty! But is it just me, I hate the bench sofa seats. They are not comfortable. And the are well, they are ugly. Why don’t we see more comfort. Like a oversized recliner or two. I get the need for storage but not at the expense of sacrificing comfort.

    • Leigh
      April 27, 2015, 10:27 am

      I agree. I have to have width and comfort….*no equilibrium, and disabilities which require COMFORT when sitting or laying down*

      Give me a soft spot to lay down on and watch some tellie, or a great chair to read in.

      Was it me, or did I miss a shower facility in the bus?

      LOADS of work, and ya’ll should be very proud of what you did. Just like the above poster, there would have been PERSONAL changes I would have made. Still AWESOME!

    • Leigh
      April 27, 2015, 10:38 am

      Upon making my comments, I went over the printed material above the pics, and noticed there IS a shower, and then connected to another link to see more of the bus, and now I realize why they made the bench seating.

      They are using the bus to help tourists get to spots for Winter sports, that aren’t offered. Pretty kewl! They sound like not only kind people, but ADVENTUROUS ONES as well! Ahhh… to be young and able to do all that fun AND WORK! lol 😉

      Good on ya, both of you!!!!! xoxo

  • Gabriele Napier
    March 11, 2015, 8:14 pm

    Totally Awesome! Best Bus Conversion I have seen! Would love to travel and live in this!

  • Susanne
    March 12, 2015, 11:05 pm

    What would the approximate cost be for this?

    • March 12, 2015, 11:17 pm

      Well, my costs…

      The school bus $4200. Stuff I’ve put in so far could be up to $1000 so far.

  • Joanna chanin
    April 26, 2015, 9:58 am

    Very cool.

  • dee
    April 26, 2015, 10:38 am

    how much does the bus weigh? and fuel cost?

    • January 21, 2016, 12:23 pm

      My bus has a GVWR of 27,000lbs. That means that with all 59 seats occupied, it should not exceed that. I’m guessing 19,000lbs empty without seats.

      Fuel – mine takes diesel, gives me 8mpg and diesel is $2 a gallon

  • April 26, 2015, 10:51 am

    I have just moved into my motorhome. It needs to be completed but its cheaper living in it than payingvrent

    • Ynot
      January 19, 2016, 5:48 pm

      Any new updates? Would love to see pictures….

      • January 21, 2016, 12:25 pm

        Try viewing my blog. I’m moved in – just not actually living there at the moment. I’ve just completed v1 of the plumbing. It’s al but ready to register as a motorhome. At the moment it is still registered as a bus.

  • Lisa E.
    April 26, 2015, 11:18 am

    This is a really nice conversion. Lots of work, but the results are well worth it. Love the puck lights; look like stars scattered all over the ceiling; really nice 😀

  • Dave R.
    April 26, 2015, 12:22 pm

    You’re right a luxury hotel on wheels. I will put one on my Christmas list!!!

  • Pops
    April 27, 2015, 4:40 am

    So koooool ! I need something like that !

  • Carol Nix
    May 2, 2016, 5:09 pm

    FANTASTIC!!! I love all the wood interior and the White is so outstanding!!! LOVE every thing about it! So clean and refreshing…. I would very HAPPILY live in it!!

  • August 8, 2016, 9:31 am

    My school bus conversion is almost done. I’ve got solar powered ventilation at the back. It’s two CPU fans connected directly to solar panels. Nice and simple!

    There are a couple of things left to do. I’m probably going to put spray insulation in the 8 way light compartments as that’s where the heat comes from. There’s a hole left by the hillbillies that had the bus before me, in the bedroom floor. That’s almost an easy fix. It’s made harder by wasp nests under the bus. And more solar panels to charge the bus battery when stationary, power another extraction fan and charge my cellphone etc.

    Other than that, it’s done aside from retitling as a motor home.

  • Marsha Cowan
    June 27, 2018, 7:25 am

    I love buses! This one is wonderful. Where does that table hide when not is use? The whole bus is beautiful. Can’t wait to see more pictures.

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