In April of 2018 we purchased Tío and over the next 4 months we turned this bus into our home. In August we decided to sell our home in Nashville and take off full-time. The next year meant traveling and living in new places at our own pace and bringing our home along with us at every stop.
Click here to visit our Amazon shop where we've created lists and curated the items used to build Tío!
Click here for information on CDL and Licensing regulations surrounding buses in your state.
Below are some of the details of the build and walkthroughs to inspire your build!
The Bus
2004 Thomas Saf-T-Liner MVP EF 84 Passenger Metropolitan Nashville School Bus
7.2L Caterpillar 3126 Inline 6 Diesel Engine with Allison MD3060 Automatic Transmission (6th Gear Unlock Approval)
Fuel Economy: 8-9MPG with vehicle in tow
Fuel Capacity: 100 Gallons
Length: 40'
Headroom: 6' 1 1/2" Interior (Thomas Standard Height)
Total Height: 10’ 8"
Exterior Storage: 2 Large Lockable Bins on Passenger Side
Interior Living Space: 280sqft Interior Living Space
Electrical
50 Amp Shore Power
800 Watts Renogy Mono-crystalline Solar Panels
500ah Vmaxx Tanks Deep Cycle Solar Batteries
2 Renogy Rover 40Amp Charge Controllers
4000 Watt Aims 12v/120v Pure Sine Inverter With Built in Transfer Switch
Secondary 3500 Watt Windy Nation 12v/120v Modified Sine Wave Inverter (When Driving)
10 110v Outlets 11 110v Light Fixtures
3500W Ultra Quiet Backup Generator/Inverter
Roof Mounted Digital Antenna Receiver
Blue 12V Under-carriage Safety Lighting
Marine Outdoor Speakers
WeBoost Cell Signal Booster
Plumbing
100 Gallon Fresh Water Tank 55 Gallon Grey Water Tank 65 Gallon Black Tank
Sureflo Eco 12v Water Pump
Suburban 6gal LP/Electric Water Heater
Exterior Shower
Standard RV Dump Valves
Thetford Aqua Magic RV Toilet
City Hookup & Gravity Water Fill
2 20 gallon Propane Tanks (Exterior Mounted)
Kitchen
19 CuFt Insignia Black Stainless Refrigerator
L Shaped Kitchen Countertop
Lower and Upper Cabinets
2 Burner Ramblewood LP Cooktop
Ikea Deep Stainless Steel Sink
Ikea Gooseneck Magnetic Faucet
Wall Mounted Baskets
Under Cabinet Storage Solutions
Wall Mounted Removable Kitchen Table
Keurig Coffee Maker
Living Room
Cubic Mini Grizzly Wood Stove (With Tools)
Identical 3 Person Sofas (Storage Beneath) Sofas combine into 2nd Queen Size Mattress
3 Arm Rests / 2 Cup Holders with Storage Cubby Under Armrest
Hammock Hooks (Eno Hammock Included)
Corner Entry Shelf
New Ikea Blackout Roller Blinds
Front Window Removable Wooden Shelf
2 Safety Seat Belts for Passengers
Bathroom
Lockable Door with Full Length Mirror
33"x33" Hand Tiled (Marble and Subway) Corner Shower With Curtain
Delta Nickel Finished Shower Fixtures
Small Space Vanity with Round Mirror
5'x6' Total Bathroom (LARGE)
Privacy Film on Windows
Bino Small Space Trash Can
Hallway
Smoke Detector
Carbon Monoxide Detector
4 Shelf Storage Cubby
3 Large Wardrobes
2 Shoe Storage Systems
Under Closet Storage
Hercules Guitar Wall Mount
Bedroom
9 Drawer Cabinet
Desk with Chair
LG Smart TV
Media Console Drawer + Cabinet
12" Multi-density Foam Mattress
Storage below bed
Wall Mounted Shelving
Storage in Back Wall Above "Garage"
Misc
Roadmaster Falcon Pro Tow Kit & Front Mount Hitch Receiver With Bike Rack
64sqft Roof Deck with Umbrella Mount (Umbrella Included)
Tie Hooks On Roof Deck for Storage Security
2 Reclinable Roof Chairs 2 Foldable Camping Chairs
9'x12' Outdoor Rug
Large Fire Extinguisher
25' Fresh Water Hose 2 Inline Water Filters
Thermal Blackout Curtains (Hand Sewn)
Interior Ladder For Roof Access
Henry's Tropi-cool Elastomeric Roof Coating
Haloview Wireless Rear View Camera + 7" HD Monitor