As more and more people have embraced the work-from-anywhere lifestyle in recent years, we’ve seen RV designs adapt to meet their needs. This is especially true with custom conversions, which give owners a chance to build a floorplan that efficiently utilizes the space available to create a creative and productive environment. Case in point, the colorful school bus highlighted in the video above, which not only serves as a tiny home on wheels but a full-fledged music and art studio.
The bus belongs to songwriter Cora Rose and visual artist Jose Luis Vilchez, who built it for an epic adventure. The duo hopes to drive the bus the length of the Pan-American Highway, which starts in Prudhoe Bay in Alaska and runs to the tip of South America in Argentina. The route passes through 14 countries and covers over 19,000 miles, making it the longest drivable road in the world.
Photo Credit: Floating Orb on YouTube
Naturally, anyone undertaking an adventure of this scope requires a vehicle that can accommodate their needs while on the road. For Cora and Jose, that includes being able to work from anywhere. To do that, they built custom work environments inside the vehicle that allow them to stay productive while on the road. For Vilchez, that meant creating a desk with a monitor that connects to a laptop and swivels out from the wall. This gives him the tools he needs to focus on his video and photography projects without taking up much space, especially since his workstation doubles as the RV’s dinette.
When building Cora’s work environment, the couple made a full music studio in the back of the bus. That space needed to be as quiet as possible, so they covered the walls in sound-dampening materials and added a thick wooden door. The small room—which also doubles as their bedroom—houses 11 instruments ranging from multiple guitars, a keyboard, a saxophone, an accordion, and a flute. This gives the musician the space to work on various projects while occasionally hosting guests from the countries they visit.
As far as living space goes, the bus also has a small kitchen that includes an oven, a four-burner stove, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a sink. The bathroom sits adjacent to the kitchen and has a shower and composting toilet. Wooden cabinets and closets provide ample storage throughout the vehicle, and a comfortable couch converts into a second bed when friends and family visit.
Photo Credit: Floating Orb on YouTube
The bus has a custom-built power system that includes ten solar panels mounted on the roof. The couple also installed a deck on the top of the vehicle and gave it a colorful custom paint job that helps it stand out on the road. It also features a Starlink satellite internet receiver to keep the couple connected while traveling.
Check out the video above to get the complete picture of this impressive custom-built skoolie. Then visit the Art We There Yet Instagram account to follow along with Cora and Jose’s adventures.
