By: The Lost Road Mag Team
These days, there are quite a few of us looking for a way to live a different, more mobile life. One that gives us the freedom to roam, while also having some semblance of roots. The history of mobile living isn't new to Americans. But the incredible amount of mobile living alternatives out there these days can make your head spin if you really take the time to jump online and do a google search of that exact thing.
As you can imagine, the skoolie lifestyle really took off during the 1970's when the hippie gypsy movement was in full-swing. At that time, skoolies were often seen as unique RVs, and were especially helpful for going across country to various music festivals (helloooo, Woodstock!), marches, and other forms of civil disobedience. Those were the days, am I right? Freedom of thought, deed, and the open road ahead. Early school bus conversions weren't quie what they are today, however, as Do It Yourself RV points out, many folks nowadays still want to hold on to that old, vintage feel.
These days, skoolies are decked out with so many features that unless you got off the bus and stepped outside, you'd hardly know you weren't in a single family house. You're likely to find a wood burning stove fireplace, sofa, a full-service kitchen (often complete with the finest fixtures - as many will tell you - when you go small, that frees the budget up to go BIG on the quality), full bathrooms complete with composting toilets, and a super cozy bedroom, some with beds right next to back doors that open, or with roof windows that open to the moon and stars at night.
Not too shabby, huh?
Some skoolies go even farther, with bunk beds for the kids, washing machines, and crates built into the side walls for dogs, bunnies, or whatever your heart's content. But skoolie conversions aren't just for the free-spirited gypsy anymore. These conversions have become a BIG business. Some of the more well-known conversion companies include Skoolie.Homes, Blue Ridge Conversions, Paved to Pines, and many more. If you're worried about finding a conversion company to do your build close to you, don't even sweat it -- most folks just go with who they love the most, and then buy a one-way ticket out to pick up their bus, and voila! Instant road trip home. But by that point, aren't you already home?
Of course, there are some grown-up logistics to consider before you go packing your backpack, putting on your Chacos, and filling up your Nalgene bottle. For instance, it's pretty tough to get proper insurance coverage on a skoolie. Is it a home, or is it an automobile? This is a pretty tricky distinction (as it's technically both) for an insurance company trying to determine a proper amount of coverage and what risk they're assuming through that coverage. But if you do your part on the front end by speaking to human insurance reps, explaining your school bus isn't actually a school bus, but a repurposed RV, then that can take care of any misunderstandings on the front end.
Will owning a skoolie save you money in the long run? That's yet to be determined, as it honestly depends on your lifestyle, as well as how much and how often you drive (the cost of diesel and gas is a HUGE variable - and one that's completely out of your control). Our best tip on the financial aspect of skoolie life is to take the time to reach out and speak to some skoolie veterans to get a real feel for the cost.
For what it's worth, considering that current state of this world and its affairs, this conversion trend - whether it's school buses, vans, or old mobile homes, isn't going anywhere any time soon.
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