Why A Shuttle Bus Is The Best Vehicle For A Tiny House On Wheels
If you’re here, it seems like a safe bet that you’re considering trying out the nomadic lifestyle - and the first start of testing those waters is making a plan. One of the biggest parts of that plan is figuring out exactly what you’re going to both live and travel in throughout your journey. While there are many different types of vehicles that can be used as a base for a tiny house on wheels, in this blog post, we're going to make the case for why a shuttle bus is the best vehicle for a tiny house on wheels.
Shuttle Buses Are Reliable
First and foremost, shuttle buses are designed for heavy use and built to last. They are manufactured to transport large groups of people daily, meaning they are constructed with durability and longevity in mind. As a result, they can easily withstand the weight and demands of a tiny house conversion, making them a reliable and sturdy base for your mobile living space. School buses also thrive in this particular category, but in many states there are a lot more hoops to jump through in order to get one registered as a personal vehicle.
There’s More Room in a Bus than in a Van
Shuttle buses are spacious and provide ample room for living, storage, and design customization. With an average length of 30 feet and a width of 8 feet, shuttle buses offer much more space than many other popular tiny house vehicles like sprinter vans. This extra space means you'll have more freedom to customize and design your living area to meet your specific needs and preferences. We lived in a small box van for the first three years of our nomadic travels, and the bus upgrade was a 100% improvement on our comfort levels.
Shuttles are More Readily Available
In addition, shuttle buses are relatively easy to find and purchase in comparison to other popular conversion platforms. Many organizations and schools retire their buses after a certain amount of years, and they often sell them at reasonable prices. This means that you can get a high-quality base vehicle for your tiny house without breaking the bank. While the price component will always be changing, when compared to a fully-built RV or a sprinter chassis, the shuttle bus will no doubt come out on top.
Born To DRIVE
Another advantage of using a shuttle bus for your tiny house is that they are built to be driven long distances, meaning you can truly take your house on wheels anywhere you’d like. This is especially beneficial for those looking to full-time in their rigs and complete cross country trips. Shuttle buses are made for comfortable passenger transportation, and you’ll feel that in the suspension and interior components of your bus.
Give an Old Shuttle Bus New Life
There’s something to be said about the van/bus conversion community in general that doesn’t get mentioned enough - these camper conversions give life to vehicles that may have otherwise been scrapped; not because they don’t work, but because there is no more work for them. By converting a shuttle bus into a tiny house, you are repurposing a used vehicle and giving it a new life, rather than contributing to the production of new vehicles as you would if you purchased a new RV. And in that very same vein, since shuttle buses are designed for efficiency, they are oftentimes more fuel-efficient than larger vehicles like RVs.
Don’t Forget About The Conversion Process
Not everyone wants to convert a vehicle to travel in; some would rather purchase a fully-furnished RV and be on their way. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there’s a whole lot more adventure in building that space for yourself. It’s a challenge, no doubt, but an extremely rewarding one. You'll have the opportunity to design and customize your living space to your liking, and you'll get to see your hard work come to life as you work on this project day by day.
Shuttle buses are durable, spacious, easy to find and purchase, great for travel and sustainable living, and offer a fun and rewarding DIY project. Are we biased? Probably. Do we think you should come join the ranks of proud shuttle bus to RV owners anyways? Absolutely!