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…
Misfire Mayhem: How I fixed our 2005 GMC Savana skoolie’s soupy fuel injectors
Sunny sat stable in launch mode, up on ramps, pointed at the sky for a long time. Some might say too long. So after we stabilized the cabinet and counter, it was time to give her a little run around town to blow out the cobwebs. The worst thing you can do to a vehicle, especially one of this vintage, is let it sit. And we let it sit.
How we started our skoolie kitchen and scored a Big Box deal
Allrighty, now that we’re back from the tour down Memory Lane, let’s build some things that don’t require curves, like walls and a kitchen!
The dawn of building a DIY camper
Photo by Ihor Malytskyi on Unsplash We're taking a little detour from the how-to this week. Everyone needs a break every now