Dave Yonce of Tulsa, Oklahoma did the renovations on this 1996 Carpenter school bus. His one prerequisite for starting the project? He needed to find an AC unit that would keep it cool enough to sleep in, even in summer heat, and without running the bus’s motor or using a traditional RV battery system.
School bus outside, RV inside.
The 325 square foot home on wheels was completely gutted internally, while the outside has remained substantially unchanged, including all of the wonderful natural light streaming in through the bus’s side windows. For potential owners from out-of-state, this will likely mean repainting, since most state’s that use yellow school buses prevent yellow buses being driven for other purposes.
The interior looks more like a lounge bar, with minimal knotty pine and stone-like tile flooring.
This back up monitor is mounted under the large flat screen Samsung TV up front.
The bus’s Spartan interior design starts at the front, where a small, stone-lined fireplace fills the dash. The lower part of the bus’s walls are lined with long grain knotty pine. Twelve inch square stone-look tiles cover the floor, while the sophisticated color palette features a creamy off white covering the bus’s ceiling.
There’s room to sleep six in the rear bunk room.
A bar style dining and kitchen area fills the mid section of the bus with a sink, refrigerator and microwave oven. Plenty of counter space makes room for bar stools, while maple cabinets line the underside of the counter for plenty of storage. A small seating area featuring appropriately scaled modern furniture fills the area between the galley and the driver’s cockpit.
The bus’s amenities include a toilet in the small, but adequate bath.
You’re probably wondering about the AC unit! The IcyBreeze cooler works on a cold water/ice system with a heat exchanger that can drop indoor air down to 35 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. Its integrated rechargeable battery drives the fan that can run for up to nine hours without recharging. This system works great for boon-docking and dry camping where electric hookups are not available.
Full tile walk-in shower.
In the rear of the bus, a full bunkhouse features six, full twin bunks for sleeping for up to six adults. The small toilet closet features an RV toilet, secluded behind a knotty pine stall door. A beautiful walk in shower features a molded shower tray and white tile walls for all the comforts of home.
Electric hookup and tow bar in rear bumper.
The Yonce’s have used the bus as a family camper and recently decided it was time to share the joy with another family by offering the bus for sale. Their asking price of $30,000 puts it well below less well equipped RVs in the motorhome class, plus buses are known to be rugged and long lasting.
Technology is not forgotten on board this rig, with a large, flat screen monitor connected to a back up camera that’s mounted above the driver’s seat.
Speaking of back up systems, you could also haul a trailer or a second vehicle via the bus’s tow bar and complete service is possible with both electric and water hookups.
There’s a compressor AC unit on the roof!
There isn’t a snowballs chance in hell that the IcyBreeze would ever cool down that bus.