A Family Transforms a School Bus Into a House on Wheels to Embrace a Life of Adventure

From an unconventional meeting to an even more unconventional home project, Kim and Ethan Weiss have a love story worth reading. 

Kate and Ethan’s story began in January 2018. The pair had matched on the popular dating app Tinder and hit it off instantly. It’s common knowledge that the world of online dating can be somewhat of a trial-and-error-based venture. But for these two, their match was a home run right off the bat. 

The online ad in question was that of an old school bus. This bus had retired from its days toting students back and forth from school, but someone was hoping to sell it and give it a new life. Now a bus for sale might catch your eye, and you may even look twice, but odds are, you’d scroll on. After all, not many people have any practical need for an old bus.

By this point, the bus had been around the block quite a few times and was already 21 years old. Of course, any vehicle of that age will require some work, no matter how well-built. But Kim and Ethan had their vision and were prepared and eager for the challenge. So they put in an offer.

This was a period of big steps for Kim and Ethan. In addition to buying the bus, they were also in the midst of planning their wedding. So they certainly had a lot on their plates! But it was all part of their plan to create a dream life together.

The two were now husband and wife, and it was time for their priorities to switch back to that of the former school bus. Initially, they didn’t fear the enormity of the task at hand. On the contrary, they were more excited than anything. 

The first step in their bus-to-home conversion was to gut the insides. Just as every artist needs a blank canvas–Kim and Ethan needed an empty bus. So it was necessary to remove all the seats and the inner framework of the vehicle to clear the way for redesigning the interior. 

The feeling of accomplishment after gutting the bus was short-lived because the next step was to strip the walls and ceiling, which they later stated was the most challenging part of the project. 

Where the screws were removed, the holes remained. They filled them all and set their sights on the next stage–the flooring. Though the bus had changed a lot in appearance already, getting the floors in would be the first semblance of a “home” coming together. 

Working with a ground-up mentality, and with the floors now installed, it was time to move up to the windows. The existing windows had to be removed and replaced, but that couldn’t be done all in one go. So that meant, for a time, the bus would be windowless and exposed to the harsh and unpredictable Pittsburgh weather. 

The windows were out, but you may be wondering why that was necessary in the first place–was it just for aesthetics? The actual reasoning behind the window removal was practical. While Kim was the perfect size for their bus dwelling, Ethan could not stand up straight–and no one would want to hunch around in their own home.

It turns out that there was no reason to worry at all! They had enlisted the help of their fathers, and with their aid, the roof-raising went smoothly. All it took was a few farm jacks, and the team was able to cut off the roof and raise it to a height more befitting of Ethan’s size.

The roof was in place, but that obviously left a gap between the existing walls and the height of the new roof. It had crossed their minds to acquire and repurpose used RV windows, but in the end, they settled on using sheet metal.

As the core of the bus came together, attention was again redirected back to the bus’s floors. First, Kim and Ethan laid down foam boards and then covered these with a vapor barrier layer. Next, they laid plywood down. 

When it came time to insulate the walls, they decided to turn to professionals for the job. This task would include the use of spray foam, which is not easy to handle. With safety always in mind first, both Kim and Ethan knew when to take a step back and let a professional step in. 

Good lighting, especially natural lighting, can be a key element in creating a comfortable home setting. Kim and Ethan decided to expand on the theme of skylights since the bus already possessed one and fabricated two more. 

At last! The main components of the bus were finally finished. It was now time to tackle the interior and settle on a layout design for their home on wheels. Easy right? Nope, think again! 

The final design layout was set to have a number of small “rooms,” packing a lot into their small space. The front of the bus would act as the living room, with a seating area including two sofas. The living room would open up into the kitchen area, then lead to a hallway.

Before Kim and Ethan could implement their styling plan, they needed to tie up some loose ends regarding the bus’s main structure. Though the walls and ceiling were technically finished, they wanted to give the bus a more homey feel by installing some nice LED accent lighting and adding wood panels and paint.

One more structural matter to attend to was the reinforcement of the bus’s walls. This would be a home on the move, and things needed to remain steady no matter where the open road led them. They had prepared the bus to take on mother nature, but this time, they needed to prepare for something man-made–the American roadways. 

Now came the fun part. It was time to start adding some personal flair to the bus’s design. Kim was thrilled to begin work on her bedroom masterpiece–a headboard depicting a mountain scene. A scene they hoped to encounter in person someday from their home on wheels. 

When you plan on living on the road, storage space can be tricky, but it’s still a must. So the couple needed the perfect design for their closet. As luck would have it, Ethan’s father was a carpenter, so it was dad to the rescue again!

Ethan’s father also lent a hand in the window alterations after he finished with the closet and kitchen cabinets. Thanks, dad! This job required precision and ingenuity because they were repurposing former RV windows. 

We would never judge a book by its cover, but who wouldn’t want the outside of their home to look good? So it was time to do away with the bus’s signature yellow and opt for something a bit more subdued. 

But the exterior makeover wasn’t finished just yet. The roof was equipped with solar panels, which would give their new home a vital power source. This add-on would take care of all of their electricity needs in an eco-friendly way. 

Simultaneously, work was still being done on the interior of the bus. The kitchen needed some fine-tuning, and it took a bit of trial and error to get it to their liking. However, they had encountered a few bumps along the way and were well-prepared with the patience needed to see the kitchen renovation through.

By this time, it was on to the living room. This area played double, even triple duty. It consisted of two couches–one was allocated to act as a spare bed for future guests and the other boasted more hidden storage space. Kim and Ethan had really thought of it all.

The home’s custom shower fixture was quite an undertaking. Kim and Ethan estimate they spent nearly nine hours working on its installation. But nothing beats the perfect shower, so it was well worth it!

Dogs are man’s best friend, and Kim and Ethan were willing to pull out all the stops for their furry friends. So, with all the human needs sorted, it was time to consider what this mobile life would mean for their two rather giant pups. 

You may be wondering how long this ultimate DIY project took our newlywed couple. Well, they weren’t newlyweds anymore by the time all was said and done! This ended up being a two-year undertaking, but in Kim and Ethan’s eyes, it was worth every second.