Flushing Man Works Magic to Transform Old Bus Into Luxurious Motorhome

Austin Brewington has a handful of items for sale but none are quite as interesting as his latest project, an old International school bus that he's transformed into a beautiful motorhome.

Inspired to Build Something Safe for the Family

Brewington told Townsquare Media in a phone interview he felt the need to take on this project after shopping for recreational vehicles for his family. He and his wife Emily were disappointed by the quality and safety they found in most RVs on the market, so they opted for a school bus.

"We started looking at a lot of motorhomes," Brewington said. "They're nice and everything but the quality wasn't what I was expecting for the price. I started looking at buses because they're structurally safe. They're designed to haul kids and the rigidity of buses is what sold me."

Brewington spent $3,500 on a bus with about 150,000 on it. He says he probably spent $5,000 in materials and put hundreds of hours of sweat equity into the project. The finished product sleeps.six and features a hookup for water, sewer and power.

The Flushing resident listed the vehicle on Facebook Marketplace, asking $30,000.

The Brewingtons reside in Flushing and have three boys who are 3, 6, and 7 years old. He says his family likes the idea of going on vacation but doesn't enjoy boring drives.

"My kids love it, we have a TV and game stations so they can play while we're going down the road," he says. "That's what I designed it for, so my kids would have a more enjoyable ride when we're going on vacation."

Brewington, who works as a supervisor for Knapheide in Flint did most of the inside work himself, adding that his wife often assisted and helped with the design.

After seeing a few amateur paint jobs, Brewington knew that transforming the bus from yellow to white was a task best left to the professionals. He called upon Tim Case and Joe Mathis, a couple of coworkers who he knew could give the bus a professional paint job.

A Couple More Trips

Although Austin has listed the 24-foot Skoolie for sale online, he admits he hopes he and the family can find time for a couple of summer vacations before it sells.

He's already thinking about his next project, a full-size, 36-foot bus so his family can really stretch out.