This magnificent bus was created by some lovely folks in the Pacific Northwest, and has exactly the aesthetic I’m aiming for. One quality I can’t stand in most RV and Skoolie floor-plans is the claustrophobic feeling that comes from narrow walkways and floor to ceiling walls. In an effort to cram as many household conveniences as they possibly can into a small space, they lose any sense of place it may have had. It just becomes a collection of rooms in a box, none large enough to hold their own. That is not for me.

This open layout does accommodate less stuff than traditional RV designs, but in exchange there are breath-taking views each and every direction you look. The full length of windows are open for viewing, which makes the space feel that much larger. And the bus itself can be seen and admired. Though it gives up a fair amount of storage space, all the essentials are there.

I’m not looking to sacrifice much, either. Through careful planning and clever engineering, I’m looking to have a full functioning sink/tub with hot and cold water, a two burner stove, 12V and normal AC house power, a composting toilet, and a woodstove to keep things toasty in the winter months. Ideally, the final layout will be able to sleep six comfortably, and even more less comfortably.

I’ll get into the nitty gritty later, but the above image really helped to focus my thoughts on the project, and it seemed an appropriate note to start on. There are even more pictures of this bus here, though sadly I haven’t been successful in contacting either the creators or the present owners.