scorecardMy family of 3 lives in a 300-square-foot converted school bus. Here are 10 things that make our space unique.
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My family of 3 lives in a 300-square-foot converted school bus. Here are 10 things that make our space unique.

Kristin Reid   

My family of 3 lives in a 300-square-foot converted school bus. Here are 10 things that make our space unique.
My family of three travels around the US in our 300-square-foot converted school bus.Kristin Reid
  • My family and I live in a 300-square-foot converted school bus and travel across the United States.
  • It has one-of-a-kind features I haven't seen in other skoolies, a term for renovated school buses.

The exterior paint job turns heads everywhere we go.

The exterior paint job turns heads everywhere we go.
The Butter Bus is painted blue and white and has a mural of mountains on the side.      Kristin Reid

The exterior paint job is the first thing people notice when they see the Butter Bus — the official name of the 300-square-foot converted school bus I live in with my partner Kyle, our 1-year-old daughter Peyton, and our dog Hudson.

The two-tone blue-and-white design is one of our favorite aspects of the bus, and there's also a large black mural on the side that was inspired by Wyoming's Teton Range.

The painting of the mountains serves as a reminder of why we chose a lifestyle filled with exploration and nature, and it encourages us to continue traveling through this beautiful country.

The front door is made out of wood, so it doesn't look like most buses' entrances.

The front door is made out of wood, so it doesn
Matching wood trim runs along the side of the bus.      Kristin Reid

Whenever inquisitive onlookers approach us at gas stations or other stops, the Butter Bus' front door is almost always a topic of conversation.

Against the bright paint job, the wood door pops and adds character to the bus. Every time my family walks through it, it gives us a distinct feeling of coming home.

The two interior doors on the bus create separate living spaces.

The two interior doors on the bus create separate living spaces.
The interior door separates the living area from the master bedroom.      Kristin Reid

The Butter Bus has two interior doors, which is unlike any other "skoolie" (school buses converted into living spaces), I've seen.

Most buses only have one door in the front, but ours also has a middle door separating the back half of the bus from the front half and a bathroom door.

The two interior doors have eye-catching, fun designs. The first is hand-painted and depicts a sun setting over a mountain range, bringing a rainbow of colors to our kitchen.

On a more practical level, the doors give us a much-needed sound barrier between the front living area and the back bedroom area, where Peyton sleeps.

Three skylights stream natural light into our tiny home.

Three skylights stream natural light into our tiny home.
There are three skylights in our bus that allow for plenty of natural light.      Kristin Reid

Natural light visually enlarges your space, so it's especially important in a tiny space.

The Butter Bus has three skylights — one in the kitchen, one in the master bedroom, and one in the shower — and I can't imagine how tight our space would feel without them.

The skylight in our master bedroom is my favorite because after the sun goes down, my family can lie in bed and stargaze throughout the night.

Our shower is uniquely designed to feel extra spacious.

Our shower is uniquely designed to feel extra spacious.
Our shower is 8 feet tall.      Kristin Reid

The roof of our skoolie's shower stands at 8 feet tall, slightly higher than the ceiling on the rest of the bus.

With a dome skylight, a rain-shower head, floor-to-ceiling tile, and brass fixtures, it's easy to forget that you're showering in a bus.

We have to limit the duration of our showers while we're boondocking (parked somewhere without a water hookup), but other than that, we don't feel like we're sacrificing much.

Our toilet, shower, and vanity all have their own separate spaces.

Our toilet, shower, and vanity all have their own separate spaces.
Our skoolie has a separate vanity area in the bathroom, which is rare.      Kristin Reid

Our shower, vanity, and toilet areas are all in separate areas, which is a rare setup for a skoolie.

Most tiny homes cram all the bathroom amenities into one small space. When we spoke with several friends who also live in converted school buses, their biggest complaint was having to constantly wait for their partner to finish in the bathroom.

Another uncommon but coveted feature in the Butter Bus is our second sink, which is located in the bathroom area. It's nice to be able to wash my hands and brush my teeth away from the kitchen sink, where I wash dishes and cook.

Our large pantry allows us to store up to two weeks of groceries.

Our large pantry allows us to store up to two weeks of groceries.
The kitchen pantry fits everything my family of three needs.      Kristin Reid

We're not pressed for space in our kitchen pantry, which allows us to store up to two weeks' worth of dried goods and groceries.

The large pull-out cabinet is 5 feet tall, 1-and-a-half feet wide, and 2 feet deep.

There's additional pantry storage above the refrigerator, where we keep our bulky kitchen appliances, bread, and baked goods. We also put Peyton's goodies on the pantry's bottom shelf, a convenient location for her to grab a snack.

We love our massive king-size bed.

We love our massive king-size bed.
My family — including our dog — can comfortably fit in the king-size bed.      Kristin Reid

When we decided to start our life on the bus, we were prepared to downsize to a queen-size bed, which seemed like a more practical option.

But we were pleasantly surprised to learn that the Butter Bus fits a king.

Between raising a toddler and going on adventures during the day, it's vital that my family gets enough sleep. Luckily, the larger bed helps us rest and doesn't feel like a tight squeeze.

In fact, the master bedroom has more than enough space for family movie nights and even gives our dog plenty of room to sprawl out.

Our daughter has her own play area that fits all of her toys.

Our daughter has her own play area that fits all of her toys.
We keep Peyton's toys in the bus' designated play area.      Kristin Reid

Peyton has her own mini playroom on the bus, and it has plenty of space to store all of her toys.

This might not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference for three people (and a dog) living in a 300-square-foot home.

The play area is positioned slightly outside of the walkway, meaning we can move freely around the bus while she enjoys her toys.

The bus' large windows give us the most spectacular views.

The bus
We prop open the bus' windows to look out at the scenery.      Krisin Reid

Just like many other nomadic travelers, my family is constantly chasing good weather.

There's nothing better than pulling up to a gorgeous camping spot on a beautiful day and opening our large windows to the sight of an epic mountain range.

Because the Butter Bus was originally used for transit, the windows are equipped with emergency exits that allow us to individually prop each one up.

When the windows are lifted, we look out onto spectacular views and get great airflow, especially during the warmer months.

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