Couple who lives in school bus gets real about the struggles

Couple who live in a 230 sq ft SCHOOL BUS get real about the brutal struggles of life on the road – from having to take ‘cold showers’ to conserve water to worrying about winds TIPPING over their tiny home

• Charlie and Nicole Jones bought a Thomas HDX bus for $3,500 in June 2020 
• It took the couple just nine months to completely renovate it inside and out
• But Nicole has now laid bare the struggles that come with the compact space 

A couple who lives in a 230-square-foot school bus has candidly revealed the struggles of living on the road.

Charlie and Nicole Jones had no prior DIY experience before deciding to buy a Thomas HDX bus for $3,500 in June 2020.

It took the couple just nine months to completely renovate the rundown 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 their water supply to worrying about winds tipping over the tiny home.

Charlie and Nicole Jones had no prior DIY experience before deciding to buy a Thomas HDX bus for $3,500 in June 2020

It took the couple just nine months to completely renovate the rundown vehicle and they have been traveling in it for the past two years (kitchen and living area pictured)

The couple, who met on the Las Vegas strip in 2015, have previously spoken about their motivations for moving into the compact home (bedroom pictured)

Nicole, from Chicago, Illinois, told Insider that their experience had been fraught from the start.

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 and cracked it.’

The keen traveler adds that the bus only achieves eight miles per gallon and so ‘high fuel prices have made travel expensive.’

The 32-foot-long vehicle is also difficult to maneuver with finding safe places to park being a particular struggle.

The couple, who travel with cat Baby, regularly visit stunning destinations but admitted that they often have to ‘sleep in parking lots’ rather than out 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 waste out of the water tank and changing the composting toilet.

‘The small space can get disorganized, so we have to clean our home almost every day. Dishes seem to pile up on the limited counter space, no matter how often we clean them.’

And, as if that wasn’t enough, Charlie, who is originally from Brisbane, Australia, and Nicole also have to be wary of their surroundings.

Nicole has said that the 32-foot-long vehicle is also difficult to maneuver with finding safe places to park being a particular struggle

Nicole has laid bare the struggles that come with the compact space including having to conserve their water supply (bathroom pictured)

‘Weather can cause messes, like the dust storm that coated the entire bus in red sand. If it rains several days in a row, we can feel stuck inside our 230-square-foot space,’ she said.

‘We once stayed up all night because we thought 60-mile-per-hour winds would tip our bus over.’

Nicole admitted that she also struggled being away from her friends and family for a prolonged period of time – despite meeting new people on the road.

She concluded: ‘Regardless of the challenges, I’m still so glad we took a risk and moved into our school bus. With proper research and expectations, I think life on the road can lead to the best adventures and memories.’

The couple, who met on the Las Vegas strip in 2015, have previously spoken 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 home almost every day’

The couple, who met on the Las Vegas strip in 2015, have previously spoken about their motivations for moving into the compact home

A post shared by Charlie & Nicole Jones | outback DIY & travel (@outbackskoolie)

Speaking to Tiny Home Tours previously, Nicole said that Charlie’s ‘outlook on life is that you live life to the fullest and don’t regret a single day.’

‘I wasn’t that way until my mom passed away… and then my whole perspective on life changed,’ she continued.

‘So since then, we’ve been trying to take advantage of life to live everyday to the fullest – Charlie really brings that out in me and I appreciate it. 

‘We saved up money for a long time and then decided that we wanted to give up most of our things and travel internationally.’

Their adventure began with backpacking but they later decided to make the leap more permanent while still working full-time jobs – Nicole for a healthcare technology company and Charlie for a real estate agent – and haven’t looked back since.

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