One of the more fascinating design decisions to come out of the 1970s is the integration of a van body into the roof of an old school bus to create a more open-air experience in a homemade RV. It looks like a ton of work, all to create the perception of more space and maybe some better natural daylighting. To me, this is essentially the problem any number of Westfalia-bodied Vanagons and Buses tried to solve, but I guess it wasn’t good enough for some folks. This 1962 Chevrolet Bus has been converted (duh) with a Dodge A100 van sacrificing itself to create a two-story living experience on four wheels. Check it out here on craigslist with an asking price of $11,300.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Ian C. for the find. Curiously, the enhancements continued out back, and while I’m not sure exactly which of the interior photos lines up with the wood shed addition, I’m guessing it’s a bathroom or closer. Check out the bay window added to the rear of the Dodge – that’s classy! The whole thing had to have taken some serious time to construct, and while it looks fairly roughshod on the outside, the interior – shockingly – looks half decent. The original builder even made sure the paint job and striping on the Dodge and the Chevy matched, so they seemingly ironed out a lot of small details that most DIY RV builders ignore.
There’s the former interior of the Dodge, now featuring wood paneling and a book shelf. I’m having a hard time determining if this thing looks better than I expected, or it’s just looks that way because the outside is so jarring. Now, the seller does say it features “fine craftmanship,” and I don’t think he’s using those words in jest. It could look like an entirely different vehicle if the paint was freshened up, but I’d rather have a custom RV like this with a clean cabin and faded paint than a beautiful exterior and a former homeless encampment inside. Photos show a kitchen, shower, writing desk, sleeping quarters, and more.
The “upstairs” is equipped with what looks like a queen-sized bed, and while you’ll want to put fresh linens inside, there’s nothing here that’s too unsettling in terms of assessing the lifestyles of the previous occupants. Most of the flaws seem to be of the mechanical variety, with the seller noting that the fuel tank, fuel lines, and brakes all need work – those fixes are usually the hallmarks of a vehicle that’s been sitting for quite some time, with rust working its way into the gas tank and then gumming up the fuel lines and filters when it’s fired up. The asking price seems optimistic to me, but perhaps this is one of those vehicles that will look way better in person should you decide to check it out.
Wow, words can’t express…
Watch out for overpass clearance. Or low flying boids…
As for the craftmanship, maybe it’s “Larry Fine” craftmanship…
Lol…. Are you from Brooklyn ? My Grandfather used to say “boids” :) My main concern would be would this pass inspection?
At one point, a majority of Americans could trace their family back to BK.
Now, youse can find it on YouseTube.
I spent infancy, and later an early marriage (to 1.0) year in Brooklyn.
And as a yute, my pap kept boids on da roof of his jernt there, livin in da OG West Indies area in Flatlands.
These handmade contraptions were everywhere once upon a time. I even considered attempting one once myself, before laziness seized me. Lots of them in Colorado then. And I too trace my lineage to Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, Grandpa owned a bar……..lived upstairs made hooch in the basement during prohibition. I was there some thirty years ago for a wake for my Dad,,,,tile floors, stain glass saloon doors and stain glass coveirngs on the urinals!
We did things right once! :)
Boids. You used to be able to sit out on the stoop like a person. Not any more, no sir. Boids…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL6mTMShVyk
Com’mon fellas we got woik to do.
Looks top heavy, might roll over going around a corner.
I would rather have seen the Dodge get restored, and the bus scrapped.
10 foot ceilings are a sign of wealth and luxury.
And enough height for a ceiling fan!
I’ll just leave THIS here: http://11foot8.com/ LOL!! :-)
Wow, Red Green really outdid himself with this creation…
Yikes! Looks like one of our first tour
buses back in the early 70s. Although it looks like that bus, ours was longer and
could sleep four comfortably. We finally upgraded when our bandleader
bought a converted Flexible cross country bus in ’74 or ’75. I still have a
bunch of stories that I haven’t shared
about playing music on the road, but it
but I’ll get around to it someday.
That theirs an RV Clark !
This’ll get the gossip going back at the trailer park! YEE-HAW! Can’t wait for the infield at Daytona this summer y’all!!!
So it’s a old Chevy school bus with a Dodge van hatching out of the top. This must have been great in the ‘flower power’ days. Pass me some more of those magic mushrooms…….
‘Hello, police? Remember that theft report I filled out on my missing ’66 Dodge A100 van? I think I found it.’
Looks like the price has dropped. its on sale for $8300!!!
Once again, take 5 mins to clean up the vehicle before posting it online. Clean out the random bric-a’-brac. Make the bed or better yet throw out those blankets before you snap a pic. Its not like someone is going to want them!
Obviously I don’t expect the seller to paint, stain, and fix the rotting wood. That would cost quite a bit. But I can’t help but wonder what this would look like then.
I
Roll top desk! I mean where can you find that in an RV?
And yeah, roll over potential but there isn’t much up there besides the shell of the van. I’m more concerned about the tail down stance- is that storage closet on the back full of barbells?
Really hope someone decides to put this thing together for the Grateful Dead museum tour.
WHY. WHY. ???? They should pay someone dearly to take it. Mother in law suite ????
To me, this represents a part of Automotive Americana. Granted it is a small part of it but these things were built to serve a useful purpose while thumbing their noses at convention. They also did it without $100,000 to create custom fake patina.
The build represents more of a carpenter conversion than a body shop. I don’t doubt that a few plants were consumed while creating the ideas behind it.
Nowadays, we have a whole ‘Skoolie’ subset of tiny homes and the following is becoming quite extensive. These conversions include raised roof, two story homes that are built on any school bus that the builders can get their hands on.
There was a listing similar to this one here a couple years ago, except that one had one of those VW buses with more windows than metal, attached to it. Folks were wondering if it would be worth separating the two because some people have a Freudian connection with those vans…
Burning Man here we come!
The ad says 1962, but the nose says ’60-’61.
Burning Man here we come!
The ad says 1962, but the nose says ’60-’61.
Don’t get stuck parking behind this at a drive in movie!
Ah the Craigslist ad says $8300, not $11,300 but either way, someone smoking something good to think this would bring anywhere near either figure! Concept may be alright idea but the actual finished piece screams money pit, imo!
Why is there an outhouse screwed to the back of this contraption?
Hillbilly buggy.
Imagine this guy spending years building this for the ultimate road trip
He loads it up, says his farewell’s and then slams the brakes on when he gets to the 11 ft. overpass on the only road out of town.
Like the guy that builds a yacht in his yard and can’t get it out.
won’t fit through the tunnel………
With no title, that’s more hassle than it worth. It’s going to need the whole fuel system redone an brakes and God knows what else to make road worthy.
Getting a title for a vehicle is really not that big of a deal.
There are many, many projects listed on barn finds that need an awful lot more than what this vehicle requires and many find homes easily enough.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way, but I do think the reduced price is still too high.
First thought, man that’s ugly. Second thought, that’s even uglier than I thought.
Only one purpose for this unit; park it out front to piss off the HOA.
God bless America
Ah yes, a multi-bus. As Dad would say: hand-crafted = home made. I grew up trying to keep these old bus units running, er ole blue smokes. Oh, the stories. Like driving behind it in the car (for rescue purposes), gagging on the downhill oil burning smoke. Down to 20 MPH on the uphill leg. But we made it multiple times. Yeah, them old motors you could keep running.