A FAMILY-OF-SIX who converted a double-decker bus into a holiday home on wheels have decided to move into the motor full time.
Conrad Kirk, 31, and his partner, Nicole McCarthy, 31, modified the vehicle to avoid eye-watering hotel room fees during family getaways.
The duo had planned to use the luxury mobile home for summer holidays with their four daughters, but have instead decided to move out of their three-bedroom rental house in Rotherham, South Yorkshire and make the double-decker their new home instead.
The idea of leaving their £1,300-per-month rental property and moving into the bus initially started as “a joke”.
But it soon became a reality when the couple realised they could save around £1,000 monthly.
The bus is based in Rotherham where the kids attend school, but is always going around the area.
After the conversion – which cost them around £8,000 – the fully-refurbished bus now has a bathroom, a living area, separate kitchen, small garage and an open-plan bedroom with a double-bed and two bunk beds.
Conrad, a media business owner, said: “There was massive help from family and friends offering to support us with advice and knowledge.
“We sort of worked around what was disposable to us to keep costs down – like using recycled bits and reusing some items.
“Companies wanted an extra £6,000 to £7,000 to do our solar panels, but by watching videos and with the help of our electrician, we managed to get it done under £800.”
The couple’s little girls were a big part of the conversion as they helped their parents with tasks such as cutting wood and measuring.
Conrad added: “They’ve learned skills that normal kids wouldn’t get the opportunity to learn at school.”
The family now has more than 200k followers on TikTok – where they share their daily adventures and details about their life.
They are often asked how they fit six people in a bus.
However, the children are at school during the day, and they prefer being outdoors in their free time.
Conrad thinks of the bus as a base unit for their outdoorsy lifestyle.
He said: “We don’t lounge in front of the TV – we’re out and about doing things with the kids.
“This weekend, we went paddleboarding and rock climbing.”
The dad said that the kids have experienced many outdoor activities for the first time while living in the bus.
And they have also met lots of new people through their lifestyle and become more social.
“We have the freedom to actually go and experience things as a family that we didn’t get to do before,” Conrad said.
“It’s been great for us because we’ve been very antisocial before.”
We don’t lounge in front of the TV – we’re out and about doing things with the kids
Conrad Kirk
Conrad’s plan for the future is to save up to £10k in the next three to four years to be able to buy land and build a home for themselves.
He added: “We have the freedom to actually go and experience things as a family that we didn’t get to do before.
“Trying new things and spending time outdoors have become quite a big bit of our lifestyle now.”
Elsewhere, a group of campervan enthusiasts have revealed how they turned a £30,000 former military ambulance into a tiny home on wheels – complete with a full kitchen and bedroom.
The team from Roaming Ventures spent a year pouring “blood, sweat and tears” into the build.
After picking up the 1991 M997 FLA (better known as a Humvee) they “ended up breaking it all apart” to fully respray the massive motor in a sleek black finish.
Other additions to the exterior included a new set of chunky 37-inch tyres and LED light bars which effectively “create your own daylight” when driving after dark.
There was even a port to plug in a portable showerhead at the back, with access to hot water.
Inside, the design wouldn’t look out of place in a luxury home, with a classical black and white colour scheme.