Little Groundhog: An Introduction
Hi my name is Annie and I live in a skoolie called "Little Groundhog".
Now I know what most of you are asking, what the frick is a skoolie?! Well simply put, it's a school bus that has been converted into a tiny house on wheels! Wait... that sounds like an RV though?! Well, it's really similar to an RV, but skoolies are more designed for off-grid living, or boondocking as it is called. Skoolies are commonly equipped with large clean water tanks and solar panels for a longer time boondocking than an RV, which is set up for a campground hook up.
So technically I live in an old school bus. I am currently sitting right where most of you dreaded to sit twice a day for 13 years.
And you know what?
I LOVE IT.
So why live in a skoolie? Why not live in an RV or a typical Tiny House?
Well with a skoolie, we had more control over the layout of our home. You don't get to choose where the walls go in an RV. When buying an RV, it's like buying a car. You only get to choose small things like fabric colors and even then your choices are very limited. Even in a Tiny House, there's only so many ways you can layout walls where it actually makes sense.
I have seen skoolies with hallways, doors, hammocks, outdoor kitchens, murphy beds, and so much more. Literally no two skoolies are the same. I haven't even seen another skoolie with our colors and style!
That's not even talking about the cost! RVs commonly start at $30,000 and can go up into the millions. Tiny houses run about the same unless you build them yourself. With our skoolie, we spent more than average for the bus at $5,000. Then we put about $8,000 into the build. That means we spend $13,000 TOTAL! A fraction of what a RV or tiny house cost! Plus we had full control over build. Sounds like a win-win to me.
The most common question we get is how long did it take us to convert our skoolie? Technically we owned our bus for a year before we moved into it, but we didn't build on it all the time. There were several months we were to busy to build on it at all. In total working days, we only spent 5 months converting a school bus into our home. It helps that my boyfriend used to work construction and his dad is a master electrician. The big thing to note with our build timeline, not everything was 100% complete when we moved in. We've changed some minor things like adding the closet doors and some pretty major things like completely replacing the front door.
Our last big project is the solar panels! We have almost everything we need to instal them. We can't wait to have them up. With them powered up, we are no longer limited to staying in campgrounds and taking short trips. Whoo-hoo!
Now you're all caught up! Feel free to ask any questions. I'm here as a source for those already in the skoolie community and those thinking about choosing this amazing lifestyle.
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| Little Groundhog Exterior |
Now I know what most of you are asking, what the frick is a skoolie?! Well simply put, it's a school bus that has been converted into a tiny house on wheels! Wait... that sounds like an RV though?! Well, it's really similar to an RV, but skoolies are more designed for off-grid living, or boondocking as it is called. Skoolies are commonly equipped with large clean water tanks and solar panels for a longer time boondocking than an RV, which is set up for a campground hook up.
So technically I live in an old school bus. I am currently sitting right where most of you dreaded to sit twice a day for 13 years.
And you know what?
I LOVE IT.
 |
| Little Groundhog Interior |
So why live in a skoolie? Why not live in an RV or a typical Tiny House?
Well with a skoolie, we had more control over the layout of our home. You don't get to choose where the walls go in an RV. When buying an RV, it's like buying a car. You only get to choose small things like fabric colors and even then your choices are very limited. Even in a Tiny House, there's only so many ways you can layout walls where it actually makes sense.
I have seen skoolies with hallways, doors, hammocks, outdoor kitchens, murphy beds, and so much more. Literally no two skoolies are the same. I haven't even seen another skoolie with our colors and style!
That's not even talking about the cost! RVs commonly start at $30,000 and can go up into the millions. Tiny houses run about the same unless you build them yourself. With our skoolie, we spent more than average for the bus at $5,000. Then we put about $8,000 into the build. That means we spend $13,000 TOTAL! A fraction of what a RV or tiny house cost! Plus we had full control over build. Sounds like a win-win to me.
 |
| Little Groundhog Bedroom |
The most common question we get is how long did it take us to convert our skoolie? Technically we owned our bus for a year before we moved into it, but we didn't build on it all the time. There were several months we were to busy to build on it at all. In total working days, we only spent 5 months converting a school bus into our home. It helps that my boyfriend used to work construction and his dad is a master electrician. The big thing to note with our build timeline, not everything was 100% complete when we moved in. We've changed some minor things like adding the closet doors and some pretty major things like completely replacing the front door.
Our last big project is the solar panels! We have almost everything we need to instal them. We can't wait to have them up. With them powered up, we are no longer limited to staying in campgrounds and taking short trips. Whoo-hoo!
What is the one thing you wish you had known before living in a skoolie?
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I will soon be empty nesters and will be having someone build us a s koolie to start our new adventure! We just can't wait :)
Hi Angie!
DeleteI really wish I knew the importance of parking locations! We stayed at my grandmother's property for a while so we didn't have our 'front porch' space and we were parked next to a garage. It really made the inside of the bus feel cramped and made my boyfriend stir crazy! Now we have moved on and really appreciate the ability to have the awning out and the fact there's nothing up close next to the bus. Having the curtains open with a distant pleasant view opens up the entire skoolie.
Great blog. We don't have school busses like that in Australia so they are not a "thing" here. Some people convert old greyhound busses but they are expensive to buy and run. There are also public transport busses sold off from time to time and some people convert them but mostly people use smaller mini busses like Toyota Coasters. I have one and I love it but it's much smaller than a "schoolie".
ReplyDeleteSo I am curious about a lot of things: Do you need to get a truck license to drive it? If so is it hard to get?
How fast does a schoolie go? Could you drive it at 110 km/h (just under 70 mph) on the highway?
It looks very long How about corners - can you take it on small winding back roads?
It's such a pity we don't have these busses here. The bureaucracy here would probably make it impossible though.
Hey Don,
DeleteI Love our skoolie, it has been a real pleasure to have. As far as your questions go:
We do 70 mph on the highway without any issue. Our bus is 37 feet and we have no problems driving it it tight areas. I am always reminded that it is a school bus and it was meant to go wherever there are children. So all of the back roads and rural areas are no problem at all. I have even turned our bus around in the end of a coldesac with out having to back up. Our wheel base is only 16 feet so it makes a tight turn.
I have heard of people purchasing them from the US and then shipping them over to other countries. That might be an option.
Good luck with your adventures.