Lauren and Van Jones and their daughters Piper, age three, and Heidi, age one, are living their best lives in a 1999 Thomas MVP transit bus they converted into a bright and cozy home on wheels. “We wanted to be able to move our home anywhere a job was available,” Lauren says. “We love to learn to adapt to whatever situation we’re living in, chosen or not.”

The 280-square-foot skoolie previously transported students to after-school activities, and Lauren and Van purchased it online after discovering it had only 51,000 miles. “We found it on eBay and realized it was just 45 minutes from where we were living,” Lauren says.

It took the couple almost nine months to convert the school bus, which they parked outside a warehouse owned by friends while they worked. “Ninety-five percent of the remodel was done by Van,” Lauren says. A close friend helped build the kitchen cabinetry, and Lauren’s mom and aunt tiled the shower.

While Van studied building science in college and has worked in construction for 10 years, he still found himself consulting the internet during the remodel. “He learned a lot from YouTube because buses are super unique and not square,” Lauren says. “Van is a perfectionist, so every detail was carefully built, and if something didn’t meet his standards, he redid it.”

The family named the skoolie The Butter Bus. “After we bought it, we were driving home and asked our three-year-old what we should name it,” Lauren explains. “She quickly replied, ‘butter bus.’” We tried to think of other names because we thought it was so random, but it caught on! She’s so proud.”

The couple collaborated with Transportation South, who painted the bus white and pale blue with craggy scenery along the side. “I designed the mountain graphic, which depicts the Grand Tetons,” Lauren says. “It’s a meaningful place to us, and we wanted the bus to be representative of the adventures we knew we’d go on. It was our dream to drive her out west and stand in front of the Tetons.”

They outfitted the interior with stain-and-water-resistant vinyl flooring, hardwood kitchen cabinetry, and butcher-block kitchen counters. Tile covers the kitchen backsplash and the surround for the tiny wood-burning stove, which helps to heat the bus in the winter.

Lauren and Van’s main priorities were space for a washer/dryer, a separate room for a composting toilet, long sofas that would let them host friends, and comfortable bedrooms. “We’re two very tall people, so it was important to have a king bed,” Lauren says. “We put the bed right on top of the rear engine, and it fit like a glove. We added sconces so we can stay up and read after the girls go to sleep.”

To ensure that one-year-old Heidi would sleep undisturbed, Van built a bunk-bed system with a crib on the top. “We went back and forth about whether we should put her crib on the top or the bottom, and decided we didn’t want her to be right where we walked,” Lauren says. “I hand-sewed curtains for their bunks to offer privacy and darkness for when they sleep.”

Van outfitted the bathroom with an open shower and a raised ceiling, and opted to put the vanity in the hallway. “It had to go in the hall because the hall is the tallest area in the bus, and therefore the only place Van can stand without hunching to look in the mirror and trim his mustache,” Lauren explains.

Storage compartments pull out from beneath the beds and the sofas, and there’s a hidden closet in the bathroom. “We also included storage at the end of the shorter sofa for the girls’ books and toys,” Lauren says.

So far, the family has traveled to Jackson, Wyoming, North Carolina, and throughout Alabama. “Our favorite place was just outside Grand Teton National Park,” says Lauren, who enjoys the ability to travel, but loves the minimalist lifestyle the bus facilitates. “The best thing about the bus is how it helps us control our consumerist mindset,” she says. “If we want to buy something, we’ve got to get rid of something else. The bus perfectly suits our family of four, because it was built for us.”

Related Reading:

7 Skillful School Bus Conversions That Get an A-Plus in Our Book

A 1980s School Bus Becomes a Tiny Home With Scandinavian Vibes for a Family of Five

Project Credits:

Design and Construction: Lauren and Van Jones, The Arrow Anglers / @thearrowanglers, @the.butter.bus

Cabinetry: Will Baxter, Works Reclaimed

A Family of Four Lives Large in a Renovated Skoolie Named The Butter Bus