This 1988 Ford Econoline 350 Short Bus Conversion is a guest post by Lacey Leonard
My name is Lacey Leonard and I am an undergraduate Sculpture Student. This was my tiny house project and I am very excited to share it with you!
The bus is a 1988 Ford Econoline 350 with Short Thomas Bus Chassis. This bus was an undergraduate research project in sustainability, mid-century design, and woodworking. The entire interior is hand built with Virginia barn wood dating 150 years back (some of the pieces go back even further).
The project took about one year to complete and was a collaboration between art students. We designed and executed the bus to be functional and ergonomically through mid-century design. The bus is completely off-grid but has room for personal modifications.
There is a composting toilet, fold-out kitchen counter, stainless steel protected space for the heat source, AC unit, tiny closet, bench storage, sink, and red oak wood floor.
The wood used in the bus is red oak, white oak, chestnut, poplar, pine, birch, walnut, and redwood.
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Students design and build short school bus conversion/rolling tiny home
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Related: Adventurous Couple’s DIY School Bus Motorhome
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Images © Lacey Leonard
Video: Students Convert Short Bus to DIY Motorhome
Our big thanks to Lacey Leonard for sharing with us!🙏
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Related: Meet Kelly Patton the Traveling Artist and Tiny Dweller
Alex
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Wow! You guys did a great job converting this bus into a motorhome . What a clever idea! This would be great to use if you wanted to travel across the country.
Hopefully you will get the price your asking. Good Luck!! Carol
Beautiful.
I love all the flowery prose in the description, but this is pretty much a very simple bus conversion. Not special, beyond the fact that’s it’s a school project. I too would have done a lot more research. Live and learn.
So please, show us your project, Sandra. I’m sure there are many who would love to see how well all of your research turned out!
Sure. Mine is featured in Tiny House Talk under the byline “could you live in this tiny designer inspired home”
Btw. Not a designer.
And my comment was pretty benign. The outside was neat, inside was not that great.
A lot of people commented on mine. Some positive and others negative. Didn’t bother me at all
It’s a beautiful and cleverly done tiny bus. It About the same size as mine, 71/2 feet wide and 10 long feet up to the back of the driver’s seat. That makes about 75 square feet of living space, so they must be including the area from the back of the driver’s seat to the front of the hood. No matter, beautifully done!
What class driver’s license (CA) do you need to drive this shuttle bus?
Hi Lacey. love your little bus. also love the banjo music you used in the background. is there any way I can get that banjo music?
Hi Lacy,
Love your little bus. Anyone who actually starts….. and finishes a creative project of any kind has achieved a lot and more than anyone who has just talked about something, never started, or not finished. It takes guts. Good on you! I’m living in a bus and traveling around NZ – I can only imagine the amount of work that went into building my bus so I could live in it. Congratulations.
I just love to look at these tiny houses. Put it behind you whene people are rude. I am 80yrs young and believe me if I were younger I would be on the project .Great looking tiny houses and keep it up. If nothing else you can intertainment me with the photos and stories. God love you Marion
I too wish I were young enough to do this. Arthritis keeps me from this type of heavy physical labor, otherwise I’d give it a try. I often wish tiny homes were a thing when I was in college. I would have gone for it for sure.
I love seeing the creativity put into each personal bus and van conversion. People design what works for them. Most people who live in them learn over time what they’d do differently and what they’d keep the same.
Hey ,what great idea. Turning a small school bus into a home. I would change the roof line into a cape cod. Just to have more room I would put the bed up their ….If anyone is interested in this idea befun to chat away.
[email protected] shoot me a email and lets chat way.
“Can’t wait for some grand Ideas.s ” LOL
Hello, how are you. Having a small place would be fun …I have read part of you writings and thrills me to know people have great ideas. I personally come up with this idea the other day. Take a small bus and turn it into a cape cod home on wheels. I think it is a cool idea. So many pluses ….but one would get countless looks. Driving down the e-way in a cape cod bus funny………
I am learning how to make chicken wire furniture this is fun and I would of course use my same ideas in the bus. The cape cod roof would hold my bed and for storage …
Hey have fun with your new idea of a home. [email protected] if you you feel like writing .
Keep warm, DEB
I’m not seeing the mid-century interior – am I missing something?
I applaud the thought and effort that was put into this idea. Unfortunately, it looks dreadful. poor taste, poor quality, poor design, and it appears to have used materials that came from a junkyard.
Thank you Lisa Marie. I found this little bus to be cute and functional, without all the extra fluff I neither need or want. I so appreciate all the planning, hard work and time that went into this project. I was truly enjoying this article until I read some of the negative comments.
Indeed there are way more critics in the world than there are doers.
Thank you Lisa! I love this newsletter, but find so many of the comments frustrating and rude. Thanks for sharing your observations.
A huge high five to undergrad students for bravely taking on a project of this magnitude. Would love to do something similar but have to remind myself that single pane windows and sparse insulation would become rather uncomfortable in the midst of a Canadian winter. So alas more is involved in repurposing a vehicle for full time living here. Love the creativity and originality of the many creations on this site. Hats off to all of you brace enough to dive in and do it for real.
I like it. You did good. If I had the cash right now, I would purchase it. If it runs. I think its like what I want to start. Just add my own personnal touches. I plan to make my own next spring. Thanks for showing me to try.
Hi Lisa,
Great Post!!!, First paragraph, this stirred me up so before I read the rest of your post so I went off on a bit of a rant but come back and edited this and it is exactly why I read but don’t make any comments.
I am just so happy for the owners of these “Tiny Homes”. Its what they want!!!
They seam to be so heavily criticized by people who just sit on the fence!!!
If they don’t like the colors its painted, the style of the doors or the color of the curtains, TOUGH. Build YOUR home the way YOU want it and be happy for the owners of these TINY HOMES!!!
These people are happy to invite us into “THERE HOMES and THERE STYLE” and its great for ideas!!!
BE HAPPY FOR THEM!!!
Regards David
If I only had the money…100+ year old barn wood?! *Drool*
Is it still available? Where is it located, in what state? What is the mechanical condition? What is your current asking price?
I seen your post in 2015 & again now in 2019. I responded in July 2018, never got a response. I’m interested in obtaining information. Is your bus still available & what is the current asking price since the last post stated reduced price. What are the inside dimensions side to side & from behind the driver seat to the back door? What is the mechanical condition? Does it have any bathroom facilities in it? I live in California so it is very important that it is mechanically sound, if you are located out of state. Please respond & let me know if available or not. Otherwise please answer questions. I don’t want to pester you if sold. I have been looking for several years for this small size of bus, it looked to be in good condition. You can email me directly at [email protected]. Thank you advance. Debbie
Hi Debbie, I’m sorry but the bus has long been sold. I’ve updated the page to reflect that. My apologies…
I love seeing everything that “students” create!
Me too. It’s great to see students building real things like this.
It’s driving me sane that I can’t figure out where those cute little animals are on the bus. I absolutely love them 😍 and your bus is adorable wish I had your talent