Our New Skoolie Adventure

Last month, April '23, Joseph brought home a school bus.  It was a surprise, and one I didn't notice for several days.  There is an ever revolving roster of vehicles here that they're working on in the shop... tractors, trailers, manure spreaders, dump trucks, etc., so a bus didn't stand out immediately.  In all honesty, I wasn't pleased when I first realized it.  Though it's the sort of thing that's right up my alley, having a great love of good adventures, and a bit of hippy in me, I felt the timing could have been better.  Both of us have plates that are overflowing, jobs that are unfinished on the homestead, and we have differing opinions on debt.  But, after a couple of days, my excitement won out, and now I'm fully on board.  

So, let's tell you a little about the bus.  It's a '98 Thomas MVP, with a 3126 Caterpillar engine, and a 4 speed automatic transmission.  The engine is in the rear, so it is a "pusher".  The bus is 32' long.  It has 177,000 miles on it, runs on diesel, and is in good mechanical shape, except for some minor issues.

I love seeing all the signs of the previous students, like their assigned seats.

Our plan is to create a comfortable living space for the two of us and our dogs, so we can see more of this beautiful country.  For those new to this concept, they're frequently called skoolies, when turned into living quarters.

We expect it may take a couple of years before the bus is far enough along to travel in.  We plan to finish it as frugally as possible, and have already found some good deals.  We're making slow but steady progress.  I'll share about both of these in the next post.  Thanks for coming along for the ride.  The adventure begins!