A couple who live in a 230-square-foot school bus have been candid about the difficulties of living on the road.
Charlie and Nicole Jones had no prior DIY experience before deciding to purchase a $3,500 Thomas HDX bus in June 2020.
It took the couple just nine months to completely revamp the dilapidated vehicle and they have been traveling in it for the past two years.
But Nicole has now laid bare the struggles that come with the compact space, from having to conserve her water supply to worrying about the winds blowing the tiny house down.
Charlie and Nicole Jones had no prior DIY experience before they decided to purchase a Thomas HDX bus for $3,500 in June 2020.
It took the couple just nine months to completely renovate the dilapidated vehicle and they have been traveling in it for the past two years (pictured kitchen and living room)
The couple, who met on the Las Vegas Strip in 2015, previously spoke about their motivations for moving into the compact home (bedroom pictured).
Nicole, from Chicago, Illinois, said Well-informed person that his experience had been tense from the beginning.
She revealed: ‘Within two weeks of hitting the road, our bus broke down three times [and] During our third week on the road, a rock smashed into our windshield, cracking it.’
The enthusiastic traveler adds that the bus only gets eight miles per gallon and therefore “high fuel prices have made travel more expensive.”
The 32-foot-long vehicle is also difficult to maneuver, and finding safe parking spots is a particular struggle.
The couple, who travel with Cat Baby, regularly visit stunning destinations, but admitted they often have to “sleep in parking lots” instead of being in nature and “prioritize cell service and Wi-Fi over beauty.”
Nicole continued: ‘We often take short, cold showers to conserve our 100-gallon water supply. My least favorite chores are emptying the waste from the water tank and changing the composting toilet.
‘The small space can get disorganized, so we have to clean our house almost every day. Dishes seem to clutter up on limited counter space no matter how often we wash them.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Charlie, who is originally from Brisbane, Australia, and Nicole must also be careful around their surroundings.
Nicole has said the 32-foot-long vehicle is also difficult to maneuver and finding safe parking spots is a particular struggle.
Nicole has laid bare the difficulties that come with compact space, including the need to conserve your water supply (bathroom pictured)
‘The weather can cause problems, like the dust storm that covered the whole bus in red sand. If it rains multiple days in a row, we can feel trapped within our 230-square-foot space,” she said.
“One time we stayed up all night because we thought 60 mph winds would capsize our bus.”
Nicole admitted that she also had trouble being away from her friends and family for an extended period of time, despite meeting new people along the way.
She concluded: ‘Regardless of the challenges, I’m still so glad we took the risk and moved onto our school bus. With the right research and expectations, I believe that life on the road can lead to the best adventures and memories.”
The couple, who met on the Las Vegas Strip in 2015, previously spoke about their motivations for moving into the compact home.
Nicole, who works for a healthcare technology company, said: “The small space can get disorganized, so we have to clean our house almost every day.”
The couple, who met on the Las Vegas Strip in 2015, previously spoke about their motivations for moving into the compact home.
speaking to Tiny House Tours previously, Nicole said that Charlie’s “view of life is that you live life to the fullest and don’t regret a single day.”
“It wasn’t like that until my mom passed away…and then my whole outlook on life changed,” he continued.
“So ever since, we’ve been trying to take advantage of life to live every day to the fullest. Charlie really brings that out of me and I appreciate it.
“We saved money for a long time and then decided we wanted to give up most of our stuff and travel internationally.”
Their adventure began as backpackers, but they later decided to take the leap more permanently while continuing to work full time (Nicole for a healthcare tech company and Charlie for a real estate agent) and have not looked back since.
