Theodore Zen’s Malibu home was destroyed by a wildfire in 2018, leaving him without insurance coverage. He responded by choosing to live on a bus, a decision that was repeated by several Californians in similar situations and that became even more prevalent during the COVID epidemic.
Choosing not to incur the costs related to conventional tent camping, Theodore started parking his van along the Pacific Coast Highway, allowing him to remain there for up to 72 hours at a time. Surprisingly, most law enforcement officers were aware of his situation.
Theodore eventually moved to a yard where people were transforming abandoned school buses into solar-powered mobile homes. He was able to do this on a budget by obtaining materials from a variety of sources, such as secondhand wooden pallets, items he found on Facebook Marketplace, and extras from other projects.
For example, the floor was made of mahogany boards that were purchased at a market store, and tongue and groove pine joints were purchased at a reduced price. He also made an apron for one of his buses out of a stainless steel stall door that was salvaged from a renovation project involving public restrooms.
Theodore traded in his 2006 Dodge van for an old school bus. He modified it even further by adding a used engine and covering the outside with a camouflage pattern. His new home was a 7-meter-long school bus. That was the outcome.
These days, Theodore makes around $180 a day by renting out his refurbished bus at several state parks. Right now, he has many smaller vans and four huge Skoolies, which he intends to formally offer on Airbnb.
In order to increase self-sufficiency, he also plans to drive completely autonomous solar cars over the desert.
Theodore has installed composting toilets on every one of his buses out of a great sense of readiness for natural disasters. He understands the value of these facilities in reducing the danger of fires and other disasters.
His goal of building as many self-sufficient cars as he can is demonstrated by the release of “Hannah the Hummingbird Girl,” a children’s book that he and his partner Jen wrote.