We quit the rat race & got a £5.5k school bus to convert into our dream 40ft home – we don’t pay for hotels or flights
A COUPLE have revealed how they quit the “rat race” to live in a £5,500 school bus and travel the world.
Josh, 27, and Emily Scherrer, 28, bought their 40ft long “skoolie” and have converted it into their dream pad on wheels – and no longer pay for plane tickets or hotels.
The adventurous couple, from Idaho, have been living in their portable tiny home for two years now and manage to work full-time from the road.
Josh and Emily had spoken about their love for travel when they started dating, and decided to take the plunge and buy the bus in January 2021.
They managed to pick it up from a company that sells used school buses ready for conversion.
While they had considered buying a camper van, they realised that the bus was more affordable upfront and also provided them with more space.
They then set about transforming it into a stylish living space, and quickly gave the bus the nickname “Aurora the Adventure Bus.”
Speaking to Business Insider, Josh said: “It fits us much better because we need two separate offices, and a 40-foot bus provides that space.”
The US-based couple have so far managed to visit four states: Alaska, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado.
Emily added: “We don’t have to pay for plane tickets or hotels, so we can experience more for our money.”
The couple live a frugal life, but do have a few expenses to fork out for.
This includes car insurance (about £1,466 a year), fuel, and £118-a-month satellite internet connection, which they need for their jobs.
To fill up Aurora it costs about £237, and they tend to do this once or twice a month.
They can save money on where they park though – and they typically try to find Forest Service land or BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, which is free on certain days.
Thankfully there is a toilet and shower on board, and the waste has to be dumped every two weeks or so.
We don’t have to pay for plane tickets or hotels, so we can experience more for our money
Emily Scherrer
And most of the service work for the school bus they do themselves.
Converting Aurora to be a chic home was their biggest expense, and took a year and a half to complete.
Josh said: “We didn’t hire anything out, and we did it all while still working full-time. Converting Aurora was our evenings and weekends project.”
In total, they spend £63,426 on the conversion, which Emily claims is “high end.”
The biggest expenses were the solar panels for the rood and the automotive paint.
They have a small emergency fund for mechanical issues, but he does most of the service himself.
The couple plan to live in the school bus for a few more years, before building a home on their land in Idaho.
However, they don’t plan on selling Aurora, and will keep her for trips to escape the winter months.