Argentine mechanic converts school bus into solar-powered motorhome

Pablo Molina, a 51-year-old mechanic from Las Toninas, has completed the transformation of a 2007 Mercedes-Benz school bus into a fully functional, autonomous motorhome named ‘El Rutero’.

To fund the project, Molina and his wife, Marisa Ardisana, traded a 2016 Fiat and sold a 4x4 vehicle. The conversion, which began in December 2025, involved stripping the 40-seat bus and redesigning the interior to include a living room, dining area, kitchen, bathroom with a shower, and a bedroom.

The vehicle is equipped with solar panels and batteries to provide hot water and power for appliances, including a heating system controllable via mobile phone. For connectivity, the couple installed a Starlink antenna. The motorhome, measuring approximately 10.6 meters long and 2.4 meters wide, received official homologation in January 2026.