One of my lifetime goals is to build a quirky and fun space I could live in! Better yet, something I could bring along with me on travels! I figure a converted bus can be the perfect thing for me. The challenge is that I know hardly a thing about vehicles, how they work, or even building a house out of them. I look forward to the challenges of creating this and making it the most livable cozy place I can make it.

First I needed to find the right bus. I had been window shopping buses obsessively on Craigslist for a few months until I saw an advertisement for a 1977 International Harvester Loadstar. The owner was very nice and willing to tell me anything he knew about the vehicle.

He explained that it was an air force shuttle that had gone into a museum for a short time after its Air Force days. It was in the International National Military Vehicle Museum for several months before the museum had closed down. They sold the vehicle to a person who began converting it to a living space. He sold it to another who continued to work on it to become a living space. Now, he is passing it on.

The first time seeing this 27 foot long monster, it’s unique rugged look caused me to fall in love! It had the original Air Force stickers on it‘s dark blue disguisable body color. It looks like it was a medical vehicle of some sort.

As I took the tour of the inside, I had a sense of history after museum life. The walls were covered with 1/8 inch of wood. There was a fuse box installed over the empty box (under the bus) that use to contain a generator. The fuse box looked like it ran an AC unit that was installed in the ceiling and florescent lighting on the ceiling also. Nothing was bolted to the floor, and it was all ready for the next owner to do any type or remodel they wished. It even came with a vehicle refrigerator, a table and a decorative mannequin head by the drivers seat, in case my crazy self needs to talk to somebody while driving.


The owner started it up, and we went on our way. We took a few rounds through the Seattle residential roads surprised we didn't graze any cars. Ha ha! Then it was my turn! I managed not to graze any cars either, what do ya know?! It ran nicely on the larger faster roads, too. It was exhilarating to drive this beast around!

After much discussion and detail picking the unique creature became mine. I can't wait to shape this into my own little traveling world!