Building a bug-out truck can get expensive quickly, especially if your starting point is a brand-new consumer-grade truck or SUV. On the low end, a decked-out truck can be tens of thousands of dollars, and on the high end it can reach several million. It goes without saying that most of us don't have that kind of money to throw around, so the challenge is to find vehicles that are affordable, reliable, and spacious enough to live and travel in.

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A school bus can provide an inexpensive DIY RV platform, though we wouldn't suggest painting it like this.

One option for an affordable bug-out RV is to purchase an anonymous-looking box truck, and outfit the interior with the comforts of home. Another option is to do what many traveling hippies did in the 1960s: retrofit an old school bus. These vehicles can be found at auction for as little as $2000, and are typically powered by diesel engines designed for long-term reliability.

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The host of YouTube channel Adrenaline Addiction purchased an inexpensive used school bus from a dealer in the Philadelphia area, and set a goal to build it into a road trip adventure vehicle in less than two weeks. With a few basic appliances he purchased and the aid of his dad's carpentry experience, he says he completed the build in just 11 days.

The retrofitted bus features a sink, two-burner propane stove, solar panels connected to a bank of batteries, electrical outlets, and a plug-in heater. There's also laminate flooring, a hinged folding desk, and an elevated bed platform with storage cabinets underneath.

While the host seems more like an adventure-junkie bro than a prepper, the video shows that a project like this can be done with a relatively low cost and short time frame. You could easily tailor a school bus DIY RV build to any gear you need to carry, or any environment you plan to travel through. For another in-depth example of a school bus bug-out vehicle build, check out this build album from Reddit user Intalleyvision.


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