Bristol couple Sam and Rachel Dix spent more than £35,000 and took more than 800 hours of labour to import and convert a big yellow American school bus into a new home - and finished it just in time for Rachel to give birth in it.
The massive 37ft long vehicle was shipped from New York to Southampton and then taken to a farm in the Somerset countryside near Bristol, where carpenter Sam got to work stripping it out and creating everything you need for a home on wheels, including bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and lounge.
And days after the job was done, heavily pregnant Rachel went into labour and gave birth to a baby boy - their second child - with ‘American school bus’ cited as his birthplace on the birth certificate.
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Rachel, 32, designed the layout, while self-employed carpenter Sam built it in his spare time, travelling from their Bristol home to the farm near Congresbury, where the bus was taking shape.
And with the birth approaching, Sam finished off the job by putting a big light on the roof of the bus, so the midwives travelling out from Bristol could see the bus in the dark when Rachel went into labour.
The bus, built in 2005, would once have taken up to 72 US children to school, but now it was the first thing seen by just one, the baby boy the couple named Bodhi. “It may seem a bit crazy to buy an American bus, but we knew it had potential to be an incredible home on wheels for our expanding family,” said Sam. “It looks like an ordinary bus from the outside, but inside it is a comfortable, fully functionable living space. We’ve turned heads when we’ve driven around in it and people have been surprised when they’ve come inside.”
After Rachel went into labour, the midwives were called. They arrived around 8pm and Rachel gave birth in the living room area of the bus three hours later. “Midwives visited us on board the bus in advance. They said they’d been to a range of home births, including on a barge, but that this was a first for them.
“They were impressed by how comfortable and spacious it is inside. It had been a mad rush to get the bus ready and on the farm in time for the baby’s arrival, but it worked out well and it’s brought us lots of happiness,” he added.
Rachel added: “Birthing Bodhi in the home we poured our hearts and souls into was incredible. After working so hard to create a beautiful and loving home, welcoming our son into our arms on the floor of the bus was a moment forever engrained into my soul. It was magical and I hope it inspires other women to explore home birthing.”
The bus was transformed over a six-month period, with the seats pulled out and wooden flooring, a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom fitted inside. Sam carried out most of the work by himself but a professional installed electrics – and his parents helped paint inside. The exterior is still the iconic yellow –with solar panels on top, which helped keep their electric bill down to a mere £20 over six months.
Sam’s renovation was inspired by Matt Sims, who runs the Motorhome Holiday Company in Hewish, near Weston. Matt does a podcast about living in mobile homes, and Sam and he became friends as the project developed.
“Matt has great ideas for making a passive income from your vehicle and guiding first time buyers on the right vehicle for their needs,” said Sam, 33.
Matt, who has 30 years of business experience, said: “There are many ways to make money from a motorhome – from impressive renovation work like Sam and Rachel carried out, to using a third party to do the hard work for you.
“It depends on your skillset, time and inclination but a motorhome can be a good investment for pretty much anyone if they do their research.”
The family now has plans to renovate a third vehicle, to go travelling in, and have put the bus up for sale. Sam has changed the layout and refurbished inside the bus. “This has been a project of love and we’ve enjoyed our time on the bus,” he said. “I think it would suit an individual or couple, possibly with young children, looking to set off on an adventure.
“Or it could work as a business venture, if they have land, to rent it out. It is an interesting and comfy space for anyone wanting to experience a luxury, skoolie stay,” he added.
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