Matias and his family considered living on a converted 1990 Bluebird Bus after he grew unhappy with his job.
After watching YouTube videos of converted school buses, Matias showed his partner, Austina, and proposed the idea.
“Life is short, right?” So, I try to convince her that way, that life is short, that let’s do this. Come on, don’t be afraid,” said Matias.
Despite initial doubts, Matias convinced Austina that it was worth trying for a better future.
“He said, ‘You know, I bet you wouldn’t do something like that.’ And I almost felt like, ‘Oh, you’re trying to challenge me here.’ So, I said, ‘Go ahead and let’s find one and we’ll get it.'” Austina recalls.
After discussions and eventually working on it, they are now content with living in their bus home and happy with their decision.
Going inside their meticulously crafted 1990 Bluebird Bus, you will be greeted by their charming kitchen, a space thoughtfully designed for culinary adventures and lively gatherings.
“What we love about this space is all of the areas that we have here to cook,” said Austina
The kitchen in their Bluebird Bus Conversion stands out for its ample counter space, which is carefully designed for cooking and entertaining.
Sunlight streaming through the original bus windows creates a welcoming ambiance.
Equipped with essentials for culinary adventures, including a mini-fridge, a five-burner cooktop, and a concealed 29-gallon propane tank.
Their sink serves not only for dishwashing but also as storage during travels, while an 80-gallon water tank ensures a steady water supply for their road adventures.
Their storage solutions extend beyond the kitchen, showcasing clever design elements like drawers, shelves, and wooden accents for organizing essentials like tea and herbs.
The dinette area adjacent to the kitchen provides a cozy spot for coffee breaks and casual meals.
The seating cleverly doubles as extra storage and can be transformed into a day bed when required.
When building the bus, they didn’t keep all the receipts as intended, finding it hard to track expenses with frequent trips to stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Despite this, they estimated the overall cost of getting the bus from $2,000 to $3,000.
With materials and additional purchases, the total amounted to approximately $15,000, surpassing their initial expectations.
Nonetheless, they believed the investment was worthwhile in the end.
The living room, situated across from the kitchen, offers both comfort and practicality.
A pull-out couch made from recycled memory foam serves as a flexible seating and sleeping solution, perfect for movie nights and relaxing moments enjoyed by both humans and pets alike.
In the driver’s area, thoughtful details are everywhere, like the mounted TV for entertainment and a clever cat lounging space placed over the engine compartment.
The dashboard, once plain, now boasts a charming look with wooden accents that beautifully blend the whole interior design together.
Their hallway has a unique feature—a reused rear-view bus mirror as a stylish decor piece.
Nearby is their cozy bathroom. Though small, it is well-equipped with a tiny sink, a custom-built storage cabinet, and a separate composting toilet that efficiently diverts waste to the gray water tank.
This eco-friendly setup has proven to be a worthwhile investment for them.
Moving on to the shower, it’s surprisingly spacious, boasting an 80-gallon fresh water tank and a 60-gallon tank for wastewater.
“We absolutely love our rainwater showerhead. It saves a lot of water, and it’s very low in pressure. But we don’t have to worry about that right now because we are hooked up. We absolutely love it,” said Austina.
Their master bedroom has a queen-size bed with storage underneath for essentials like the water tank and a cozy spot for their pet.
It’s a peaceful retreat with cabinets and a window AC unit.
Plus, the original side door is still there, offering easy access and letting in the fresh air.
Austina then shows the wood trimming that runs across the bus.
“We wanted to incorporate as much wood accents, and I think it ties the whole room together and it goes very well with gold and orange accents that we have throughout the bus,” Austina said.
Going further, you’ll find the bunk area where their daughter Carola sleeps and a snug spot for guests with twin beds with memory foam and a Maxx Air fan for added comfort.
Nearby is a roomy closet, uniquely handcrafted for ample storage.
In essence, their Bluebird Bus Conversion is more than just a way to travel—it embodies creativity, resourcefulness, and the pursuit of a dream.
The conversion of the Bluebird bus is not an easy feat for the couple.
But despite having no knowledge of how to do plumbing, electrical work, or set up solar power, they did it, taking one step at a time.
“Try not to overthink it, baby steps. Start with the decision. The first step is making the decision to buy the bus. Once you have the bus, it’s there; it’s not going anywhere. You can take time. I feel like if I’m able to do this, I can do anything else. I feel like I’m not scared of taking any risk anymore,” said Austina.
From its simple start to its current cozy and functional state, every part of this mobile home reflects their love for adventure and their desire to create a space that always feels like home, no matter where they roam.
“If you want to make it happen and you have your things, you’re going to do it; it’s going to work out naturally. You know exactly, it’s going to work out,” the couple said.
Have a tour inside the converted 1990 Bluebird Bus through the video below:
If you want to follow this family, check them out on Instagram. You can also follow Tiny Home Tours for more epic videos.
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