The Fire Destroyed His Home To Ashes: But The Man Didn’t Lose His Spirit And Turned A Simple School Bus Into a Cozy Stylish Home!
In 2018, Theodore Zen’s residence in Malibu was ravaged by a wildfire, leaving him without insurance coverage. In response, he opted to inhabit a bus, a choice echoed by many Californians facing similar circumstances, a trend that further intensified during the Covid pandemic.
Preferring to avoid the expenses associated with traditional tent camping, Theodore began parking his van along Pacific Coast Highway, where he could stay for up to 72 hours at a stretch. Remarkably, law enforcement officials mostly understood his predicament.
Eventually, Theodore transitioned to a yard where individuals were converting old school buses into solar-powered mobile homes, a process he pursued affordably by sourcing materials from various sources, including used wooden pallets, Facebook marketplace finds, and surplus items from other projects.
For instance, the flooring was composed of mahogany planks procured from a marketplace shop, while tongue and groove pine connections were acquired at discounted rates. Additionally, he repurposed a stainless steel stall door from a public toilet refurbishment to fashion an apron for one of his buses.
Trading his 2006 Dodge van for an old school bus, Theodore undertook further modifications, including installing a used engine and applying a camouflage design to the exterior. The resulting 7-meter-long school bus became his new abode.
Today, Theodore rents out his renovated bus at various state parks, generating approximately $180 per day. He currently possesses four large Skoolies and several smaller vans, which he aims to officially list on Airbnb. Moreover, he envisions venturing into the desert with fully autonomous solar vehicles to bolster self-sufficiency.
With a keen eye toward disaster preparedness, Theodore has equipped each of his buses with composting toilets, recognizing their utility in mitigating risks associated with fires or natural calamities.
His aspiration is to create as many self-sufficient vehicles as possible, a vision underscored by the publication of a children’s book, ‘Hannah the Hummingbird Girl,’ authored by him and his girlfriend Jen.
