The converted double-decker bus residing in Whit Scott’s backyard doesn’t show its age.

“It’s as old as my mom,” he said.

The 70-year-old, once-operating vehicle turned tiny home, debuted as a fully functioning Airbnb in Scott’s Northeast Portland backyard in 2022, after spending about 10 months converting it into a livable space.

Now, it’s up for sale with a $92,000 price tag, according to the Facebook Marketplace listing.

This “whimsical chic” short-term rental, named “The Royal Scott,” has lived many lives. Just before Scott got his hands on it, it was home to a popular Portland food truck called The Grilled Cheese Grill, located in Southeast Portland.

Before that, the lore is lengthy.

Scott tells the tale as follows:

It started as a fully functioning bus in Manchester, England, in 1953.

“I really like this idea of this object that picked people up and took them to soccer games in Manchester,” Scott said of the bus’s history. “It probably had hundreds of thousands of people in it.”

After about 20 years of carting people around, it found its way to the States.

“I like to tell people that they transported it by hot air balloon,” Scott said, laughing.

It spent some time in San Francisco — Scott said the history there isn’t clear — before becoming a tour bus at Mount St. Helens in Washington. Then, the engine caught fire.

“Again, I like to say that that happened during the eruption,” Scott said.

That’s when Matt Breslow, owner of The Grilled Cheese Grill, found it in someone’s backyard, who claimed they were going to fix the engine, Scott said.

The Grill Cheese Grill crew rehabilitated the semi-dilapidated double-decker, installing stairs, adding a door and painting fresh murals.

“It started to get this Portland feel when Matt got his hands on it,” Scott said.

How did it end up in Scott’s backyard?

Scott was in Austin when the double-decker was plopped in his driveway.

“You’re gonna love this thing. You should put $1,000 down so he doesn’t buy it,” his at-the-time housemate advised him  on the phone, staring at the whopping red bus.

So, Scott listened. He put down $1,000 without even ever seeing it in person. Then, once he got a look for himself, the next $7,000 payment soon followed.

Now, it’s been in his backyard for about three years.

But why was he looking for a bus in the first place?

He wasn’t looking for a bus. Scott was looking for van.

His wife lives in Austin, and through the pandemic he could no longer fly to visit, so he traveled by van. Accidentally, he fell into van conversion work — his career was in video production.

Scott and his friend started building out vans in his driveway before deciding it was time to build their one.

There it was: A Craigslist listing for the old The Grill Cheese Grill double-decker bus.

Why turn it into a tiny house?

Though vans were a newer quest for Scott, tiny home weren’t.

Since about 2016, Scott has been building out tiny homes. The first was in his backyard, in the same spot the double-decker resides, and the same spot he met his wife. Yes, they met because she was renting his Airbnb.

The first build was called “The S’more,” which is why his Instagram handle is @smore.life. His second build, along with the first, were taken on by a couple at Truck Creek Wilderness Lodge in Molalla.

The S’more was on his property for just shy of six years.

He’s been building projects for about nine years now.

“It wasn’t supposed to be more than that first tiny house,” Scott said.

Why is he selling it?

It’s time for a new opportunity.

This iconic dwelling has earned millions of views online, TV and media attention, and brought Scott years of fun-filled family memories, but he’s looking for what the universe hands him next.

Scott is working toward shifting from being a builder, who’s constantly searching for the next project, to getting back into content creation. His goal is to help a brand grow and focus on storytelling.

“Part of that is trying to shed some of the other things that I’m still carrying right now, and the double-decker is a part of that” Scott explained.

But, he’s not pushing for it to go. It’s helping “keep the lights on” right now.

If someone does buy it, he said he plans to take some of the money and build something new in his backyard.

But, isn’t he going to miss it?

Sure, he’ll miss it, but he said he’s been practicing non-attachment to things.

His first build holds sentimental value of not only being the first, but being the place he met his wife. But, he’s since learned to let it go. If they end up selling it, then they end up selling it.

The same goes for the double-decker.

“It’s the memories more than anything,” Scott said when asked what he’ll miss most about the bus.

Find “The Royal Scott” on Airbnb here.