We weren’t exactly looking for a Skoolie
Hey, we’re Steph & Kris. We graduated from a 25-year-old tent to the glamping world. Well, sort of. We started out with a vintage 1973 Starcraft Starflite 6 popup that we restored, but it wasn’t quite what we needed for two pups, one of which has anxiety issues.
So we started looking at campers, like the towable kind, and determined that they were either too big to tow with my aging, lifted Xterra, or they were far too expensive. We were also a little concerned over pandemic-era rush-build quality. So we started looking at drivers and figured out that the ones we wanted were too old to be reliable and the new ones were too expensive for my rally habit. Not long after, we started settling into the Skoolie nest, specifically looking for a mini-bus. I wanted the big, honkin’ 7.3 Powerstroke, but she wanted the odor-free — quiet — gas version (for whatever reason). As luck would have it, we found a nice 6.0 gas LS, which is a touch more campground friendly.
This is the one that has the anxiety issue, barks and chases everything whether it’s a squirrel, coyote, or a ‘Squatch. So think 14 pounds of ‘fury’ coming from this badass:
IS IT FRIDAY YET?
Get the scoop on the latest shenanigans
We both have bus history in our families. Steph’s mom was a bus driver back in the 70s. Our brother-in-law is a current bus driver in Newport, RI. My grandfather drove a bus back in the day and my father, at 18, filled in for him when he couldn’t get away from the farm. So now we have a bus of our own to continue the legacy — but instead of haulin’ kids, we hope to haul adventures.
Hop on the bus…
How we replaced a rusty beam in the bus
Every vehicle needs a good backbone and in this case, our rig has two: One for the truck itself, the factory frame, and two,
Rusty Beam Tetris: Like Operation, but with a Skoolie
Under bus rust busting begins. Steph jumps in with the wire wheel. I’m not particularly fond of – or good at –
Rust, crust, and dust: Excavating Sunny’s undercarriage
Fighting claustrophobia in a HAZ-MAT suit whilst wielding a grinder. One of my favorite books/movies of all time is Stephen King’s Christine,