The Skoolies Are Here!

Above is a screen capture from Facebook.

In place of one grand gathering for the RTR, as in past years, it was my goal to check out other groups rather than just hang in one place.  Some groups were 30 miles apart so it involved some driving.

The skoolies were a group that somewhat collocated next to the RTR in the past.

They have grown each year and are a large group by themselves.

The Skoolie folks have always been welcoming and willing to share their designs

So, I headed over to Ehrenburg, AZ where their gathering was to see the Skoolies with a friend.  There was another friend met us there too.

Above is a screen capture from Facebook.

I don’t have a drone for capturing the group so I let the group speak for themselves with their photo above.

We have buses of all types at the gathering and many offer tours to show off their proud work.

This bus above was a book mobile in Japan.  With right hand drive and 4x4 and high clearance it stands out, not to mention the original colors.

I’m not about capturing the age, motor type and size.  I’m into the novelty aspect of each.  Color, modifications, and the stories that go with each to bring them back to life.

The one above was shipped from Japan to North America for the purpose of having a Skoolie.

Above is an interesting take on a bus modification, stacking a van on top of the bus.

The husband an wife team of the bus above pulled in as we were walking around and they were gracious enough to entertain some quick questions as they were setting up.  The woman of the bus did the paining.

If you zoom in closely enough you may see Wile E Coyote.

How about a bus with a rear porch and umbrella awning?

Or this very large bus

There are also buses that have roof patios.  Like this couple enjoying a conversation in the afternoon sun.

One thing about Skoolies is that you have lots of space.  This one guy had a mushroom and he installed this wood stove in his big bus.



He also has this mini washer and extractor for doing his laundry.  With plenty of roof space and lots of room there are opinions over my camper for amenities that I will never have.  Well, I wouldn’t want in my minimalist lifestyle.

I’ll leave you with the first vehicle we saw and owner i interviewed.

It was a class C camper on a good chassis.  He tore the camper off and built his own camper in its place.  Ok not technically a school buss conversion, but it goes to the acceptance that people receive in the different groups.  His build was very interesting,  he learned as he built it.  

He was more than a proud owner.  He was modest too. Very inviting and willing to share.  The vandwelling life has one theme to me and that is general acceptance of others even if they may not exactly fit.  

It’s a welcoming feeling that you can feel a kinship with others.

Don’t pass up the odd ones in a group as they may be the most interesting.

Many have Youtube links if you care to search.

Brent

macaliney@hotmail.com