This Posh Raised-Roof Motorhome Used to Be a Boring School Bus

Vanlife really picked up steam during the COVID pandemic, during which time we saw some impressive do-it-yourself skoolie conversions. That’s when Jonathan Perera started this ambitious build, and he didn’t hold back. Building a nice interior is one thing, but he sliced off the roof and raised it nearly two feet before doing anything else. Looking at it now, you’d never know this clean RV was once a yellow Bluebird school bus.

A recent video posted by Mobile Dwellings takes us on a tour, starting with the outside. The roof was raised by 20 inches, which required new sides to complete. That allowed him to remove all those windows we often see in other bus builds. Exterior storage bins at the bottom hold his power inverter and bank of lithium batteries. They hold 1,200 amp hours, charged in part by 1,200 watts of solar power on the custom roof. In addition to raising the body structure, Perera installed aluminum braces to support an upper deck. The solar panels are mounted at the front, leaving the rest for relaxation or off-the-ground parties.

Not that the RV’s interior is a bad place to be. He designed the layout starting with a series of shelves on the passenger side strategically placed to function as an entertainment center and a stand-up desk. It’s directly across from a folding table that can accommodate six people for meals. The kitchen looks bigger than some apartment setups, decked out with full-size appliances and plenty of counter space. And yes, there’s a functional wood stove in there for heating. Perera says it served him well for an entire winter spent in the mountains at 10,000 feet.

The bathroom sits between the kitchen and bedroom, split by the hallway. The stand-up shower is simple yet elegant, while the composting toilet is in a separate space. The bus only has gray water and freshwater tanks, the latter of which holds 100 gallons.

The bedroom is part of the reason for the raised roof. A queen bed is mounted up high, allowing for storage underneath. It’s positioned at the very back of the bus, and Perera utilized the existing emergency back door to create exterior access to the under-bed storage. It looks simple enough, but it was a very complex aspect of the build.

In all, Perera has $175,000 invested into the conversion. The bus was only a fraction of that cost, and he admits that nice conversions can be done for significantly less money. But, this was his first home and he very much wanted to make it feel like a proper house. To that point, we’d say mission accomplished.