Frustrated with paying rising rent, South Carolina YouTuber Chay Denne, known online as President Chay, decided to take matters into his own hands.
He spent over a year and $57,000 transforming an old school bus into a two-story, two-bedroom mobile home. The ambitious project, which Denne documented on his YouTube channel, saw him purchase a functional school bus for $7,000 before investing an additional $50,000 into its renovation, the New York Post reported.
“I decided I’d had it with rent and bought a full-size school bus,” Denne explains in one of his videos.
The bus’s reliable engine provided the perfect base for his vision of a portable dream home. The transformation started with removing the 28 bus seats, opening up space for a spacious, tiny house on wheels.
Denne’s transformation process included significant modifications, such as cutting the roof off and raising it by four feet to create two full stories inside. This was an unprecedented move in bus renovations, as he worked to make the ceiling height tall enough for comfortable living. The roof lift required several attempts and the help of his father, girlfriend, and brother, who played crucial roles in securing the structure.
The first step in this extensive renovation was gutting the bus.
Denne ripped off the metal ceiling and removed the old insulation, revealing a clean slate for the new interior. He then cut the roof and carefully lifted it to the desired height using custom jacks designed by his father. Securing the roof was among the most challenging as the bus became increasingly top-heavy. Despite the hurdles, Denne secured the roof with steel tubing and welding, making it safe to handle strong winds.
With the roof now in place, the next phase of the build involved adding siding and constructing the interior. The space was divided into two full floors: two bedrooms, living areas, and a fully functional kitchen. Throughout the renovation, Denne shared the process in real time on his YouTube channel, allowing viewers to follow along and learn from his experience.
This massive renovation project, which went beyond just aesthetic changes to the bus, has inspired those interested in tiny living and DIY home builds. Denne’s decision to create a home that reflects his personality and avoids the burden of rent payments resonates with many, particularly in today’s housing market, where rent prices are skyrocketing.
The school bus turned home is now ready for use, showcasing the incredible transformation that Denne and his family accomplished. It serves as a reminder of the possibilities within the tiny home movement, where creativity, hard work, and determination can turn even a bus into a dream home.