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House Feature

Skoolie Life: On Tour in "Willbillys" the Converted Bus

By Camille LeFevre, Home Feature Editor
Last Updated: Apr 13, 2025

In February, road trippers and residents of the Southwest might have been surprised to see a wood-paneled, bright-yellow school bus - emblazoned front and back with the clever name Willbillys—tootling alongside them on desert byways. The bus's owners, Will Sutherland and Sabrina Hartley, who had converted the short bus into their home away from home, were on a combination vacation and book tour.

Table of Contents

  1. Get Schooled in Skoolies 
  2. Bus Life X 4  
  3. At Home in the Willbilly 
Skoolie Life

 They'd been stopping at various locations to sign copies of their new book, Skoolie!: How to Convert a School Bus or Van into a Tiny Home or Recreational Vehicle, and meet with locals interested in learning more about skoolies and how to make one. One of Willbillys' last stops was in a high-desert tourist town, where Sutherland and Hartley pulled up next to the public library and a curious crowd. 

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Skoolie Woodstove

Sutherland also made a wood drawer for firewood, which the couple can slide out for refilling. A Cubic Mini wood stove heats the interior during chilly nights. Cognizant of never transporting wood, which could be diseased or infected with beetles, from one place to another, they burn all of the wood they collect before moving to their next location.  

Willybillys also includes a stove and sink. A cooler packed with ice keeps food refrigerated. The skoolie doesn't have a bathroom, so the couple plans their overnight stops to coincide with state and national parks, where they can camp and use shower and restroom facilities.  

Skoolie Couch Area

"We could talk about our skoolie all day," says Sutherland, who relishes the difficult physical work and creative acumen required to transform an old school bus into a comfy tiny home on wheels. He also loves the name they came up with for their current bus, which he says reflects not only his name but also the couple's playful, West Virginia "hillbilly-like" way of life.

All photos courtesy of Camille LeFevre

Article By

Camille LeFevre

Camille LeFevre is an architecture and design writer based in the Twin Cities.

Camille LeFevre