Mini skoolie RV conversion for under $7K, including bus!

By Cheri Sicard
In today’s video, Patrick from New Jersey Outdoor Adventures interviews Rich, who shows us his budget, DIY mini skoolie RV conversion. It’s a great RV, but most surprising is that Rich spent just $7,000 on his DIY RV build, and that includes the price of the bus!

Rich’s skoolie RV conversion began life as a 2010 Chevy mini school bus that Rich bought at auction. Rich revamped both the interior and exterior of his bus with a custom paint job that his daughter pitched in on, and his first attempt at a custom wrap.

To save bucks, Rich repurposed as much of his build as possible including using found items and pallet wood. He even upcycled some of the upholstery materials and old seat belts to secure items in the bus when moving.

The back bed is especially clever as Rich can configure how he needs at any given time: bench seating, u-shaped seating, or a bed.

The rest of the inside is equally functional. For instance, the sink faucet can swing around out the window and turn into an outdoor shower. He uses a small 2-burner propane stove for cooking, and a small refrigerator runs off the 200 watts of rooftop solar and the 170-amp hour battery.

Rich’s bus carries 21 gallons of fresh water, but I do think he needs to rethink his lack of gray water tank.

Rich’s expenses for the DIY mini skoolie RV conversion:

• $2,116 in supplies
• $4,150 for the bus
• Total for the DIY mini skoolie RV conversion: $6,266!

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