From Nostalgia to Nomadic: Couple Turns 1950s School Bus Into a Stunning Tiny Home on Wheels
I never imagined a school bus interior could be transformed into something so extraordinary.
The concept of van life and mobile renovations isn’t a recent phenomenon. Adventurous souls were crafting homes on wheels long before it captured the internet’s attention.
Josh Jackling’s grandparents had started living the van life in the ’70s.
They poured their energy into reviving a 1954 vintage school bus. Once the transformation was complete, they hit the open road traversing over 275,000 miles and crossing two continents. Their journey even carried them all the way to the southernmost reaches of Argentina.
He was just 16 years old then. For two years, that old bus served as his home, parked quietly in his grandmother’s backyard.
Josh confesses he’s always felt a deep pull toward the bus.
As a kid, he would clamber over every inch of it, eager to inspect its many parts. The mechanics, the shape, the mystery it utterly captivated him.
Now that he’s married, he’s set on following in his grandparents’ footsteps building a life on the road, one mile at a time.
But times have changed, and the world he lives in now is nothing like the one before. So, he made the choice to breathe new life into the vintage bus. A decade ago, he began the restoration yet somewhere along the way, the project was left unfinished, quietly waiting for its moment.
After taking a development class, he felt reinvigorated.
He returned to revisit what he had once begun, determined to see it through. Over the next three years, he poured himself into completing the long-forgotten project. By the end, the vintage bus had undergone a breathtaking transformation.
Josh isn’t a fan of small living spaces.
They gave him a sense of claustrophobia, like the walls were closing in. To remedy it, he took a bold step slicing off the bus’s original roof and elevating it by nearly 13 inches. He also removed the bulky overhead cabinets, reclaiming every inch of vertical space to create a more open, breathable interior.
Living in a bus means not having enough space.
Josh understood the importance of smart planning, so he placed storage at the top of his priority list. He carved out ample space to house a hefty battery system and generous water reserves. And it paid off these essentials keep them comfortably off-grid for up to two weeks. No urgent need to hook up to power or refill water. Even waste disposal can wait, giving them true freedom to roam untethered.
The bus looks more modern.
The couple managed to incorporate a full-sized tiled shower, a queen bed fit for sprawling comfort, and a proper couch for lounging. As a finishing touch, they added a charming wood-fired stove bringing warmth and rustic elegance to their rolling sanctuary.
Their kitchen is equipped with a deep basin sink, a microwave, and a sleek oven-grill combo for cooking on the go. A striking 9-foot bar, handcrafted from reclaimed pine, anchors the space doubling as both their culinary workspace and cozy dining nook.
The process of renovating the bus wasn’t easy.
The journey was paved with trial and error. Yet, one glance at the final result makes it clear—their dedication paid off in full.
They took a hard look at their finances, reevaluating what truly mattered. To make room for the life they envisioned, they let go of many possessions and even leased out their home.
Speaking with Fox News, Josh reflected on the transformation:
“We stripped it down completely. The sides gone. We removed the roof and elevated it. Honestly, there’s barely anything left of the original bus. I replaced the front axle, rear axle, even overhauled the entire suspension system.”
The couple launched a social media presence under the name Crowned in Style to document their life on the road. Their TikTok bio reads: “Passionately creating our dreams of traveling the country in our 1954 Crown bus.” A digital journal of wanderlust, grit, and vintage wheels in motion.
Watch the video below to get a tour of this amazing house on wheels!
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Article Sources: Mobile Dwellings/Gilligan Phantom Fox News TikTok – @crownedinstyle
