Mande and Ben Tucker’s 1992 International school bus had everything they were looking for when they bought it—low mileage; little rust on the body; and a powerful, 7.3-liter engine. The latter would be especially useful considering the couple wanted to use their skoolie for epic outdoor adventures, whether that be tooling along the Icefields Parkway in Canada or staying closer to home at Michigan’s Lake Macatawa.

Since its makeover, the bus has been dubbed Fern, in honor of the main character in Charlotte’s Web (Mande is a second grade teacher). Follow along with Fern’s transformation below.

Before: Exterior

After: Exterior

Before: The Interior

After: The Interior

Shop the Look

Related Reading: A Couple Convert an Old School Bus Into a Light and Efficient Family Home

Project Credits:

Design and Construction: Mande and Ben Tucker (@fernthebus)

Also Appears In

Before & After: A Michigan Couple Turn a School Bus Into an Adventure Mobile