Anne Sperry was working as an interior designer and teacher before the pandemic. She now travels as a poet and artist, and has been on the road since the fall of 2020. Anne and her dog, Oliver, have traveled over 30,000 miles in two and a half years, meandering through twenty-two states.

“I chose my bus mainly because it was close to the farm where I lived.  I decided to build it out in Illinois. I contacted the local school, which told me about FirstStudent, which contracts transportation services in six states. They sent me a list of current buses for sale. All buses go offline at ten years and sell for $2,500. I bought my bus for $1,500, knowing the brakes would need to be rebuilt in a year or two.

Poets Journey, or PJ, is a 2007 International CE. She was delivered to my doorstep.

First on the long list of jobs, tapped to the inner windshield was the “strip down” of the bus. I listed the seats on Facebook Marketplace for FREE. Four farmers drove down from Wisconsin, removed the seats for me, put them on a trailer, and then reinstalled them on a wagon on their pumpkin farm. Four seats went to a neighbor who reused them around his backyard firepit and movie theater.

Publisher's Note: Removing seats, overhead racks, TVs, etc., can be a chore for many DIY people. Depending on your bus, some may agree to remove these items, and keep them, before you take delivery of your bus. This saves you the hassle of bruised knuckles and cut fingers. This could also save you a lot of frustration so you can move on to more fun projects, such as starting the buildout.

Because I planned to follow 75-degree weather throughout the year, I did not remove the floor, walls, or ceiling. I added a 2 x 2 grid and 1" pink board insulation to the floor and walls. I ran all wiring through the existing channels above the windows to make it easier to access for future changes.

Publishers Note:  The same wire chase method was used in one of my buses as you can read in this article.  You can never anticipate what wires you may want to add in the future and if you have to debug your wiring, this makes it much easier.

Clever Wire Chase

The build-out took three months, eight-hour days, and a lot of YouTube videos. Meredith and Paco from Gus the Struggle Bus and Bussy McBusface were the most helpful.

My pandemic baby was ready to roll in three months but it was not quite complete. Illinois was so cold that I was forced to head south to warmer weather. I had no plumbing or solar yet, but my arched metal tent was glamping indeed. Home Depot has been a great place to park overnight and work on small projects during the journey. 

My first Skoolie Swarm in Ocala was such a blessing. I learned about maintaining my engine and I could tour other builds to gather ideas. There were helpers to install plumbing and solar. It has been the best part of forming a community while on the road, as the Swarm meets several times a year in various locations around the country.

PJ’s solar power consists of four panels at 1,200kW total, a 4,000W inverter, and two Battleborn lithium batteries. I also have 50A shore power for those rainy days without sun.

There is a 100-gallon freshwater tank under the bed. A tank in the sun would grow mold and be susceptible to freezing, so I left room on each side of the bed for air circulation to avoid mold. I also chose an air mattress for its lightweight and easy access to the Shurflo water pump and storage under the bed.

There is a 50-gallon gray water tank (nonfood dishwater and shower only) under the bus near the kitchen sink, and the hot water on-demand unit mounted outside with access to propane under the bus.

For heating and cooling, the smallest of mini-splits is mounted in the back of the bus with a condenser under the bus. An MaxxAir fan is installed at the front of the bus to draw hot air out, while cool air sinks and is moved forward.

My window 'sandwiches' have been indispensable in the heat and cold. I layered a plastic poster board, Reflectix, black exterior fabric, and decorative interior fabric. They are stitched around the edges with binding tape. When not in use, they are stored until I need them on a hot day in the intense sun or on cold desert nights when I want the warm air in and the cold air out.

I have a large dorm fridge (by Hisensein) the hallway , 18" W x 45" H, 120 volts. It takes very little power to run off solar. Above and below, there is room for a toaster oven and dry food storage. Under the cabinet, I store a butane camp stove and a crock pot. This bus has unlimited solar power on a sunny day for heating meals.

The bathroom was built over the wheel well. I collected leftover tiles from ReStore and found the ¼ inch tile was great for getting around odd corners. The walls are covered with cement board and RedGard. The mosaic tiles are glued with Hard as Nails, and the mortar is a flexible vinyl and sand mortar. The composting toilet was originally an oak TV cabinet turned on its side. There are two compartments. One is for storing dry kitty litter, and the other is a pee bucket with a funnel. 

All furniture, flooring, and tile came from Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $650. I painted everything white and plugged it in. Don't listen to old guys who tell you that Hard as Nails is indestructible. Screw, glue, and dovetail, knowing you must withstand an earthquake and hurricane-force winds. Don't trust duct tape or peel-and-stick products. They do not stick after exposure to freezing and 100-degree temperatures.

Be mindful of how your bus is painted. Just like a house, your first impression makes friends or doesn't. Townships will see you as an asset or an eyesore. The friendlier, the more options you have for parking. Mine looks like an art studio/classroom. No one thinks someone is living inside, and I often park near schools and churches.

Editor's Note: You may want to read You just bought a Yellow School Bus. Now what. 

Bus Specifications

General

Solar Power

External Equipment

Internal Equipment

Interior

Misc.