A YOUNG couple has transformed an unconventional space into a tiny home for just $3,700, enjoying their rooftop deck for sunset views as well as their full-size amenities.
Their hand-built home and adventure wrapped up in one was made from a 40-foot school bus, making their unusual living situation a major money saver.
Megan and Landon Price (@thepricefamadventures) from Texas met in college as captains of the cross-country team and tied the knot in 2016, bound by their love of adventure.
The 30-year-old professional photographers agreed that traditional living was not for them, opting instead to live and travel full-time in a 40-foot school bus they purchased.
The couple bought their home on wheels back in December 2019 for just $3,700, building it out themselves to be their dream tiny home in just 18 months.
“This is literally the hardest and most rewarding thing that I think either of us have ever done outside of marriage and parenting,” said Megan.
Read More on Tiny Homes
The Prices have traveled over 30,000 miles across the country in the last three years with their little family, including their four-year-old son Liam, one-year-old daughter Indie, and their toy poodle Oakley.
While their bus only averages about six miles per gallon, “it’s still cheaper than rent,” said Landon.
TINY HOME TOUR
On the outside, the Prices’ tiny home on wheels features a full roof raise that provided eight feet of standing height, a towing system strong enough to pull their Ford F150, and of course, a rooftop deck for watching the sunset each evening.
When you walk into the unconventional living space, it is unexpectedly homey.
Most read in Money
“We have basically everything that’s in a full-size home,” said Megan, including a kitchen equipped with a farmhouse sink, propane stove and oven, microwave, coffee area, and cabinets featuring clever hidden storage.
“Up top we have most of our dishes, pantry storage, and the rest is in kick drawers down below,” she said.
Over in the living room, guests can find a sofa that unfolds into a queen-size bed as well as a mounted TV.
The children’s area is one of the Prices’ proudest achievements, with Liam sleeping up top in a crib-sized bunk and Indie below her brother, each with their own pull-out wardrobe that is built for the future.
“We know our kids are going to grow, so those closets can come out really easy and it actually extends to a twin-size length,” said the parents.
Across from the children’s bunks is a refrigerator, microwave, and two pull-out pantry areas, while further inside the bus is the family’s washer–dryer combo and a sliding door that doubles as privacy for the bathroom.
What is a tiny home?
Technically, a tiny home is any house measuring under 400 square feet.
Many tiny homes are built on trailers so they can be towed anywhere, and some are converted from old school buses or vans.
Each state has its own rules about tiny homes, but, generally, they are not subject to the same taxes as regular homes.
However, Alaska, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin, and West Virginia have made tiny homes illegal as permanent dwellings.
“The very back of the bus consists of our bedroom,” said Megan, with the couple’s bed lifting to reveal the 100-gallon water tank and heating systems.
Out back is the Prices’ “garage” containing tools, storage space, and the solar system – 800-amp hours of battery and 2,040 watts of solar on top – allowing them to run off-grid.
THE HARDSHIPS AND JOYS OF BUS LIFE
While critics of the Prices’ lifestyle occasionally comment that it must be tough on their kids, the couple disagrees.
“Most of our life is spent outside. Our toddler literally asks, ‘Where are we at today?’ when we wake up,” said the Prices, explaining that for Liam, each morning is a new destination playground.
Although the parents admitted that bad weather can make days in the bus tough, they insisted that the joys of their tiny home on wheels outweigh the challenges.
“The good days that you normally have, bus life makes those days better,” they said, noting that their lifestyle – although much cheaper than traditional housing – comes with some added expenses.
They have spent roughly $8,400 to $10,500 on fixing mechanical issues such as for new fuel injectors and a turbo, and with all their upgrades to the school bus considered, the Prices’ total investment in their tiny home stands at about $42,000.
Living life on the road continues to be a dream for the Prices with the parents working wherever they park, shooting weddings across the US and doing content creation and tiny house video tours on the side – although they don’t plan on living in a bus indefinitely.
“Bus life isn’t forever for us. We’ve owned three homes in the past and we definitely plan on moving into a home again another day,” said Megan, noting that the couple hopes to grow their family further.
They have considered selling the bus or even listing it on Airbnb in the future, but until then, the Prices do not plan on slowing down their life on wheels.
Each night, the family falls asleep in a different corner of America, and each morning, they wake up to a new horizon – an adventure that has raked in 1.6 million likes and counting on TikTok.
Story idea?
If you have an exclusive idea or story tip for The U.S. Sun, feel free to reach out to me at maya.lanzone@the-sun.com!
