This is a 2006 Freightliner FS65 school bus that has been comprehensively restored, and converted into an RV – with everything you need for life on the road.
Inside this unusual camper you’ll find a double bed, a toilet, a full shower with hot and cold running water, a kitchen with a two-burner cooktop, a sink with running water, two air conditioning units, and plenty of cupboards and storage space.
Fast Facts – A Freightliner FS65 School Bus RV
- This 2006 Freightliner FS65 school bus has been extensively restored and converted into a self-contained RV, featuring a full kitchen, bathroom with shower, double bed, and dual air conditioning. The compact length balances interior comfort with manageable road presence, making it ideal for extended road trips or full-time van life.
- Originally launched in 1997, the Freightliner FS65 became one of the most widely used school bus platforms in the US, with over 62,000 examples built. It was the first to offer standard hydraulic ABS and featured a sloped hood and elevated driver position to improve safety and visibility on the road.
- The FS65 offered flexibility with multiple wheelbase options and engines from Mercedes-Benz, Cummins, and Caterpillar. Most were paired with an Allison automatic transmission, though some came with a Fuller manual. It was eventually succeeded by the Freightliner C2, which remains in production today.
- The RV conversion includes a Mercedes-Benz MBE-900 4.8 liter turbodiesel engine, fitted with a new alternator and starter motor. The interior houses full living quarters, onboard battery power with external hookup support, and a rear-mounted electric bike rack, with the bus set to be auctioned by Mecum in mid-July.
The Freightliner FS65
The Freightliner FS65 was a cowled school bus chassis that was released in 1997, and would soon become ubiquitous on American roads from coast to coast. 62,764 units were produced in total by the time the production run ended in 2006, and a significant number remain in service today.
The Freightliner FS65 you see here is one of the shorter wheelbase versions, making it ideal for RV use as it still has plenty of space inside without being too long or heavy for practical travel use.
The FS65 could be ordered in a number of chassis lengths (from 150 to 276 inch wheelbases) and although it was mostly used for school buses, some operators did have it fitted with coachwork for standard commercial buses, and some cutaway-cab buses were also built.
Freightliner would build the cowled, powered chassis and then send it to have the coachwork fitted by other firms. The FS65 would be the first school bus that came as standard with hydraulic anti-lock brakes, two years before they were mandated by law. It was also given a sloped hood to improve driver visibility, and a higher driver seat for better overall visibility.
Over the course of its production run, the FS65 was offered with a number of engine options including Mercedes-Benz, Cummins, and Caterpillar turbodiesels, and most came with an Allison automatic transmission, although a smaller number did come with the Fuller 5-speed manual.
The Freightliner FS65 was succeeded by the Freightliner C2 which entered production in 2004, the C2 was very much an evolution of the FS65, and it remains in full production right through to the modern day.
Inside you’ll find sleeping accommodation for two courtesy of a double bed in the back.
The Freightliner School Bus RV Conversion Shown Here
The Freightliner FS65 you see here is one of the shorter wheelbase versions, making it ideal for RV use as it still has plenty of space inside without being too long or heavy for practical travel use.
The bus has been repainted in black, with black wheels, black bumpers, and a black A/C unit on the roof. The bus also has an electric bike with a hitch carrying rack on the rear. Inside you’ll find sleeping accommodation for two courtesy of a double bed in the back.
It also has a kitchenette with a sink and running water, a two burner gas stovetop, and plenty of counter and cupboard space. There is a toilet and a full shower with hot and cold running water, as well as dual air conditioning units, and a refrigerator.
Power is provided by a Mercedes-Benz MBE-900 4.8 liter inline 6-cylinder diesel engine that has a new alternator and starter motor fitted. This engine is known for its excellent torque output and reliability, making it a capable competitor to the similar engines from Caterpillar and Cummins.
Inside you’ll find a kitchenette with a sink and running water, a two burner gas stovetop, and plenty of counter and cupboard space. There is a toilet and a full shower with hot and cold running water, as well as dual air conditioning units, and a refrigerator.
The RV has its own onboard power supply courtesy of a battery system, and the system can be recharged from an external hookup when available. There is a captains-style drivers seat up front, and the vehicle has a patterned couch in the mid-section for passengers.
This unusual school bus RV is now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum in mid-July, you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.