Getting the home of your dreams can be a long process and involve a lot of renovation that can take years to complete. That’s why homeowners are seeking unique alternatives to support their lifestyles with mobile homes rising in popularity over the last few years. We’re not talking about caravans here, although these are still a popular choice, the latest trend in mobile homes is renovating an old bus and turning it into a home that you can take anywhere.
In this guide, we will explore the essential steps that you need to take to convert a bus into a liveable home that you can use all year round. Continue reading to learn more.
Converting a Bus into a Home
Choosing Your Bus
Before you can start with your renovation, you need to choose the perfect bus for your needs. Make sure that you think about the size, engine condition and layout so that you can get the best bus that will allow you to feel most comfortable. You need enough space inside the vehicle so that you don’t feel restricted, all while still having everything you need. Some popular choices are old school and transit buses, as they have strong structural integrity and a lot of space in their interiors.
Before you make a final purchase, make sure to check if the bus has any structural damage, mechanical issues or corrosion, as the last thing you want is to splash out on a bus that’s on its last legs.
Preparation
To fully prepare yourself for the renovation, you need to have a good plan in place. Make sure to have a detailed floor plan for your bus, so you can make sure that everything you need is going to fit inside of it. You’ll need an area for your bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and living room, which can be very difficult in a bus since there’s not much space. The best way to make sure everything fits is to sketch out your bus interior on some paper, giving you a rough guide as to where each part will go.
Removing all of the existing material inside the bus will be the most difficult part of the preparation process. Make sure to dispose of any items you no longer need, such as the bus seats to maximise your space. The flooring might also need some care before you start putting furniture inside.
Insulation
If you want your new bus home to be liveable all year round, you’ll need it to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This means getting high-quality insulation is crucial to prevent your home from being unpleasant to live in once the winter hits. Using either spray foam or rigid foam insulation helps you create a thermal barrier and fill any voids inside the bus, stopping any cool breezes from breaking into your bus.
Since you can’t screw directly into the metal frame of the bus without causing thermal bridging and leaks, you will need to install thin strips of wood over the bus ribs to keep it protected from the outside climate.
Power Source
You can’t have a livable home without power. During your renovation you need to select a power source that is going to work best for you. Solar panels will work great for buses, as they’ll always be out in the open to generate power from the sun, which will be very eco-friendly. However, when you’re stationary, plugging into an external electrical grid is the fastest way to power everything.
A portable generator acts exactly like shore power. You plug it into your bus’s electrical inlet to run appliances and rapidly recharge your battery bank.
Cosy Additions
For your new bus home to be livable, you need it to be cosy and comfortable. This will make your bus feel homely with your designing your living space and bedroom to best make you feel as though you’re inside a regular home. Adding personalised touches to these parts of your bus will add to the cosiness, as it will make the space feel like your own. Think about placing pictures of you and loved ones around to feel good energy.
Having multi-functional furniture can be great for comfort while maximising your space. You can purchase really comfortable sofas that can easily convert into beds.
Transport Training
Once you’re done with the design of your new bus home, it’s important to get the proper training so that you can legally drive it from place to place. Companies like Lifft Group can get you road ready within a few days with their transport training, so you can live life properly in your new mobile home. After you’ve got this, you’re free to take your bus anywhere, whether that be stopping in the mountains, relaxing by a beach or parked up in the countryside.
Designing your new bus home is a fulfilling experience that will give you the most unique living arrangement. It’s much better than staying in a static home where you’re restricted to the area where you live.
