The bus before: 1998 Blue Bird All-American 40ft, purchased from a Montana school district for $8,400.
Why a Bus, Why a Family
Marco and Elena Rodriguez had been thinking about full-time travel for years. Two kids (ages 8 and 11), two dogs (large ones), and a dream of homeschooling on the road made a van impossible — not enough space for a family to actually live in. A 40-foot school bus gave them roughly 280 square feet — less than their Denver apartment, but enough for four people to have personal space.
They built entirely on weekends over 14 months while still living in their apartment. Total weekends spent building: 56. Marco is a contractor by trade, which helped enormously on the structural work (raised roof, floor restoration). Elena managed the interior design and project coordination.
The raised roof: 16" of additional headroom, framed in steel, welded seams, flashed and sealed. This alone took 6 weekends.
Phase 1: The Raised Roof (Months 1–4)
This is the most intimidating part of any serious skoolie build and the Rodriguez family did it themselves. Marco cut the entire roofline with a reciprocating saw, built a steel frame extension welded to the existing structural ribs, raised the original roof skin, and welded it back at the new height. Total raised height: 16 inches — enough for Marco (6'1") to stand fully upright anywhere on the bus.
The raised section was then insulated, framed, and finished identically to the rest of the bus. Skylights from the factory roof were reinstalled in the raised section. Exterior was sealed with polyurethane roof coating.
The kids' zone: two single bunks with privacy curtains, individual LED reading lights, and a small shared desk area. Full curtain wall closes it off from the adult living space.
The Layout — Front to Back
- Driver cab — original driver seat, one folding passenger seat for city navigation. Cab curtain separates it at night.
- Living room / school zone (84") — two bench sofas that fold flat for a secondary sleeping option, fold-down dining table, learning desk for homeschool with bookshelf. This doubles as the primary living space during the day.
- Kitchen (60") — full galley along driver's side: 3-burner propane range, 12V 45L compressor fridge, stainless sink with hot/cold water, upper and lower cabinets totaling 24 linear feet of storage.
- Full bathroom (48") — real room with a door that locks. Shower with fiberglass walls, Nature's Head composting toilet, vanity with sink, medicine cabinet. This took more engineering than any other room on the bus.
- Kids' zone (72") — two single bunks with privacy curtains per bunk, individual reading lights, shared desk area, storage drawers under each bunk. Full curtain wall closes off from adult space.
- Master bedroom (60") — queen bed, two bedside tables, wardrobe, under-bed storage drawers, its own curtain for total privacy from the kids' zone.
The kitchen: 3-burner propane, 45L compressor fridge, butcher block countertop with integrated sink, 24 linear feet of cabinet storage total.
Electrical: 800W Solar + 400Ah Lithium
A family of four has much higher power needs than a solo or couple build. The Rodriguez family calculated 1,200–1,800Wh/day depending on whether the kids are watching things on tablets and whether the adults are working. They sized the system to handle the high end without anxiety.
| Component | Spec | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Solar panels | Renogy 200W × 4 = 800W | $632 |
| Charge controller | Victron SmartSolar 150/60 | $388 |
| Battery bank | Epoch 100Ah × 4 = 400Ah LiFePO4 | $2,800 |
| Inverter/charger | Victron Multiplus 12/3000/120 | $920 |
| Battery monitor | Victron BMV-712 | $108 |
| Shore power inlet | 30A twist-lock | $48 |
| Wire, fuses, bus bars, misc | All AWG-correct | $320 |
| Electrical Total | $5,216 | |
The finished bus at their first campsite — White Sands, New Mexico, 3 weeks after moving in.
Full Cost Breakdown
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Bus purchase (1998 Blue Bird, Montana fleet) | $8,400 |
| Raised roof (steel, welding, sealing, labor) | $1,840 |
| Floor restoration (rust removal, POR-15, subfloor) | $1,380 |
| Insulation (spray foam + polyiso throughout) | $940 |
| Wall + ceiling finishing (birch ply, paint) | $680 |
| Electrical system (full itemized above) | $5,216 |
| Kitchen (stove, fridge, sink, plumbing, cabinets) | $2,140 |
| Full bathroom (shower, toilet, vanity, plumbing) | $1,680 |
| Kids' zone (bunks, desk, curtains, storage) | $820 |
| Master bedroom (bed platform, mattress, wardrobe) | $640 |
| Living/school area (sofas, table, bookshelf) | $480 |
| Diesel heater (Espar D5 + install) | $1,680 |
| Exterior (paint, sealing, steps) | $960 |
| Tools, consumables, misc | $744 |
| Total Build Cost | $27,600 |
| − Bus purchase price | −$8,400 |
| Build Only (excl. bus) | $19,200 |
The $24,800 headline figure includes the bus purchase. Build labor was entirely free — 56 weekends of Marco and Elena's own time, estimated at 900+ person-hours total.
One Year In: What They'd Change
- Add 200W more solar — 800W is enough 80% of the time, but cloudy stretches over 3 days create real anxiety with 4 people's power needs.
- Make the kids' zone 12" longer — the bunks fit the kids now but won't work in 3 years as they grow.
- Shore power from day one — they added a 30A inlet 4 months in. Should have been in the original build.
- Better soundproofing in the master — sound travels easily through the curtain dividers. Mass-loaded vinyl or solid doors would help.