Skoolie Conversion to Holistic Office on Wheels

Here’s a concise account of the Skoolie Conversion:

We acquired a short school bus, affectionately known as a “skoolie,” from Massachusetts. Skoolies are frequently transformed into recreational areas or tiny homes, so we felt fortunate to discover valuable resources on skoolie.net to help us create something unique.

The physical transformation took eight months, spearheaded by Mike, while DD crafted the artistic design with fine details influenced by Nancy and Jenn.

Converting a skoolie is quite a challenge. First, we had to gut the entire interior from top to bottom to address rust and rebuild from the bottom up.

We secured vehicle insurance through Hartford Insurance, researched extensively, and tapped into our creative side. We sought valuable resources from Mike’s colleagues at the Fire Academy, especially Ignited WoodWorking, and were fortunate to connect with some fantastic people. The bus also required mechanical repairs at TMS Diesel in Weare, NH, to ensure it ran smoothly, and electrical troubleshooting by First Alarm Mobile Mechanics.

Since it would no longer serve as a school bus, we had to complete a salvage inspection to update the title. The yellow school bus color was unacceptable, so we arranged a vehicle wrap beforehand. We had to go from city hall to DMV to figure out how to get temporary plates.

DD created a vector of her art design using Adobe Illustrator and collaborated with LifeSizeWrap in Manchester to bring it to life. They did an outstanding job. Before the inspection, we also had to get the somatic bus weighed at a trucker’s stop and use the Pilot Dealer in Bow, NH.

Unfortunately, we did not pass the initial salvage inspection because, as we had been advised, the top flashing lights needed to be removed rather than painted. After removing them, we scheduled another salvage inspection a month later, and the title was finally updated. Next, we visited the town hall for plates and underwent regular inspections before final registration.

Although the renovation was time-consuming and challenging, we embraced the journey, resulting in a beautiful transformation. We converted the bus into an inviting space for our support services, which we proudly named the “somatic bus.”

Our grand opening occurred at Massebesic Lake, where we celebrated with incredible supporters.

Our ability to offer these services would not have been possible without the invaluable support of our dedicated team, including Alexandra, Liz, Mike Jr., Nancy, Erik, Shideh, Gwen, Paul, Danielle, Andrew, and our curious neighbors.

Please look at some pictures of our journey below taken by DD. Danielle is credited for the professional bus photos on the website.