Several years ago, Matthew Swezey bought himself a 1987 Bluebird S1700 bus with a 6.9L Navistar diesel engine. It may not be the fastest bus, but Matt loves it because it’s the place he calls home. It took a little over two years for Matt and his father to convert the bus, which he named “Lucy.” Years prior, he came across YouTube channels featuring van life, tiny houses on wheels, and airstreams!
Not wanting to make a big footprint, Matt was trying to find ways to live a little more affordably and sustainably. That’s when he came across school bus conversions, which were starting to take off at the time. Matt didn’t want to go the traditional route of getting a mortgage and settling in one area. He wanted to travel and explore as well as avoid debt, so converting a bus into a tiny home was the perfect option for his goals.
Matt works full-time as a cook at a restaurant, so a big kitchen was always a priority for him. He installed two large counters on both sides of his bus to have a nice cutting board area and a good amount of prep space.“I have a pet peeve of working in tiny kitchens because I’m used to working in restaurant kitchens, they’re so big,” he admitted.
The kitchen is also equipped with plenty of storage in the form of cabinets and drawers, a full-size fridge, and a stove with a huge 100-pound propane tank under the bus feeding it and the water heater. On the opposite side is a restaurant-style faucet with a large sink, which often gets filled up when Matt cooks. When driving, it serves as a storage spot for plants and anything loose so they don’t fall while he’s on the road.
A floating rack made of oak boards and industrial plumbing pipe floats above the basin. Matt usually naps on the sleek couch in the living room. On the other side is a dining table that also serves as a workstation. Under the couch is a massive storage area for his electronics, including his 600 amp-hour lithium batteries, a 2,500 inverter charger, a 12-volt fuse block, and the main breaker panel.
Once they decided where they wanted to put the bed, they built out the bathroom area. When it was designed, they kept functionality and ease of access in mind. It has a standard 3636 inch shower with metal roofing for the walls, a medicine cabinet, and a composting toilet, which Matt’s father gave him for his birthday. The bedroom has a 12-inch memory foam mattress, a wooden desk that folds down, and a TV attached to a wall mount.
“When you move into the bus, you start to realize just how much we naturally accumulate even when you’re not thinking about it,” Matt said. “I really wanted to get rid of a lot of my material possessions and focus on what I really needed, what was necessary.” Stop wasting money on things at the same time.” In the video below, you can take a look inside Matt’s incredible bus.