This interior has incredible craftsmanship.
Although it is not new to convert old buses into custom motorhomes or full-time tiny houses, it has become more popular in recent years. We’re not familiar with many DIY builds that make so creative use of wood to build the interior. You have to see it in person to appreciate the beauty.
Clint Lewing owns this 1977 MCI charter bus. Let’s take a minute to admire the classic aluminum exterior. According to FLORB, the owner bought the bus for $8,500. It already had a generator, power inverter, and a charger. It is a former charter bus with lots of windows and, unlike school buses that lack storage, has plenty of storage under. It’s an excellent candidate for an RV conversion.
This brings us to the incredible interior. Lewing admits that he isn’t a professional carpenter, but it’s clear from the video that the floor, ceiling and much of the furniture are made of different types of wood, which he cut, shaped and finished himself. You can see the wood trim high up in the living room. To create the abstract patterns, he used a wood-burning tool to make the cuts and then filled in the gaps with colored epoxy. The large walnut table has more epoxy and extends into the kitchen counter. The theme continues in the bedroom and bathroom. This is art that you can live in and we have never seen anything quite like it.
The aesthetics aside, the old bus is loaded with new technology. Not least, a 55-inch flat-screen TV with high definition that electrically rises from an entertainment cabinet. The bus is equipped with two 1,500-watt amplifiers, a host of speakers, and enough power to last for several months. Lewing claims that the generator can be connected to the bus’s fuel tank of 144 gallons. It can charge 10 deep-cycle battery packs. He went ten months without needing to recharge them.
This is quite remarkable considering that there are no solar panels on this roof. The upper deck is accessible via a ladder located near the back of the bus. It’s essentially a wooden deck that covers almost the entire roof. This is the perfect outdoor space to grill or soak up the sun. It’s also a fitting feature for this wood-adorned motoring marvel.
What was the total cost of the build? Lewing does not give a precise figure, but he states that it took three years to complete and that this is what he considers the primary investment. This beautiful bus is an investment in time and money, which is why it is so priceless.