By Cheri Sicard
In the video at the end of this post, we meet Dianna Nicole, a woman who turned a retired shuttle bus into a cozy camper in just three weeks, without traditional building skills or a big budget. Dianna, a singer, speaker, coach, author, and mom of four, named her bus Pete, and turned it into a rolling tiny home that feels warm, simple, and doable for everyday people.
By 36, Dianna had flipped the homes she lived in and became mortgage-free while raising a family of six. Off the stage, she loves flipping houses and furniture, and even helping people flip their relationships and lives.
For Pete’s tour, she parks at a quiet spot so the light hits just right. The outside of the bus still needs paint, thanks to a lot of rain, but she jokes that Pete will get “cute” later. For now, the focus stays on the finished interior.
What no-build means here
This shuttle bus is a no-build project, which means Dianna skipped most traditional carpentry. She leaned on ready-made pieces, smart storage, Velcro, and magnets.
Key ideas behind her no-build approach:
- Affordable, off-the-shelf pieces that almost anyone can order
- Simple tools like Velcro, magnets, and pre-cut wood
- A fast timeline—about three weeks from empty bus to camper
The goal is clear: Show a setup that regular people can copy without a workshop.
The transformation
Pete has two sets of side doors. At the main entry, Dianna hung magnetic bug screens that close themselves once someone walks through. Fresh air comes in, bugs stay out, and nobody has to fuss with zippers.
Right inside the side doors sits the little office and front sitting area. Two seats face a compact desk with a slot to hold a tablet or phone for Zoom calls, movies, or work on the road. Bins under both seats hold extra gear. The desk folds flat with two buttons under the tabletop. When it is down, the passenger can just relax and enjoy the view while riding.
Up front, there are hooks for jackets and towels, plus smaller hooks for keys. A storage basket sits by the passenger side, while a wooden storage box above looks custom but is actually another no-build piece that anyone can add.
Beside the front seats is a simple shoe rack to keep dirt off the floor. On top, it doubles as a small table between the seats for snacks and drinks. Lift the lid, and it becomes a power hub. Inside sits a Jackery-style solar battery, extra string lights for the ceiling, a jump starter for the bus, and a portable solar panel that charges the battery.
Living room
Along the side of the bus, Dianna set up a small living room. Every window has Velcro strips so fabric shades can pop on and off. For the tour, she shows one shade, while the rest are stored behind the couch.
The couch itself is a futon that folds flat for sleeping. Underneath, there is a decorative basket and a Rubbermaid bin over the wheel well for more storage. Behind the couch, she tucks slim wooden tray tables from Walmart or Amazon, perfect for eating or using a laptop.
Bedroom
In the back is a calm, little bedroom. On one side are modular storage units that hold clothes, books, or even CDs and merch for shows. A color-changing light, plus another light in the corner, add a soft glow at night. Wall decor and more Velcro-lined windows keep it cozy and flexible.
The bed is a memory foam mattress on a wooden platform. The boards were cut at Home Depot, then attached using Velcro instead of heavy construction. It looks built-in, but it can come apart if needed.
To the left, rear doors open to a screen of netting. With those doors open, someone can sleep with a beach view or forest breeze while the magnetic screen keeps bugs out.
A white wood strip near the ceiling marks a future upgrade. Dianna plans to hang a projector screen from Amazon there, with a small projector across from it, so the bedroom can turn into a movie room.
Kitchen
The kitchen looks like a custom build, but it is actually a compact kitchenette unit. Dianna uses the SUNNERSTA kitchenette from IKEA.
Under the sink doors, a Yeti 45 cooler acts as the refrigerator. Beside it, there is storage for snacks like fruit bars and chips, plus more space to the left.
The stove is a portable butane burner stored away when not in use. She keeps two of them, so cooking with two pots is easy. The burner can sit right on the kitchenette or on one of the wooden tray tables outside for open-air cooking.
Bath closet
Near the kitchen is what Dianna calls the bath closet. She kept the whole bus no-build except for these short walls. She did build those, although she explains there are ways to do this with simple frame systems instead.
Inside, the bath closet serves three jobs:
- A waterproof storage closet for clothes or gear
- A bathroom with a dry toilet, chosen after trying other RV toilet styles
- A shower space with a shower pan in the base
She hints at many ways to set up a toilet and shower in a bus and repeats that people should choose whatever makes them feel most comfortable.
Outside the bus
Outside, the handicap access door reveals the real star of the storage show. The bed inside the bus is 18 inches high, then raised another 6 inches, which creates a huge “garage” under it. The space runs almost the full width of the bus.
In this area, Dianna fits two 38-gallon bins, two 5-gallon water jugs, folding chairs, chair covers, and boards for her concert cheese trays, with room to spare. She plans to add a rack on the back of Pete for even more storage, plus mount the solar panel on the roof.
For those who want to copy her setup, she shares a supply list in her description, which she calls her shuttle bus Amazon supply list.
Dianna chose this shuttle bus build as her 40th birthday gift to herself, a dream she had held for years. Instead of repeating “I can’t,” she suggests asking, “How can I?”—whether the dream is a bus, a trip, a house, a partner, or a book.
She closes her tour with the same energy she brings to the build. She reminds viewers that they are amazing, that they have dignity, and that they look beautiful when they are happy.
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RVDT2794
I assume the furniture is fastened with the Velcro, which might be strong enough to hold it in a panic stop but probably not in an actual crash, and there is still enough loose stuff that will wind up in a pile in a sudden stop or sharp turn, or worst case under the brake pedal.
Where does the gray water go? It is illegal to dump grat water on the ground in several states. And it certainly would be illegal at every Walmart, Cracker Barrel, and state or national park. Self-contained does not just mean a dry toilet!