Skoolie Build Off Competition

[WesleyElder]

Hi everyone!

Really weird thing we're doing, but we're holding a festival called Gutted where 3 teams compete to renovate a van, an RV and a skoolie over 5 days in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. We have several travel creators who will be on the teams, holding panels and just attending, so I wanted to make sure I posted over here, too.

If it's something you want to come watch, go see the Dunes and meet up with other skoolies, then come on out! This is our first year doing it, so we're working through all sorts of things (especially post-covid), but it's looking to be a great event.

https://guttedevent.com/

Hope to see you there! Ask me any questions either here, or you can reach me directly at wesley@thejump.com.

Thanks!

Wesley

[musigenesis]

As someone on Year 3 of his skoolie build ... 5 days?

[peteg59]

Some "big" names in the nomad/youtube frenzy are prospective participants.
Looks interesting, and might have to eavesdrop on some of the event?

With the right amount of $$ in parts/accessories, and free labor? to get things moving, there's no reason a conversion can't happen in a week.
It's just that not many of us have all of the resources in one place to get the same results...

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

As someone on Year 3 of his skoolie build ... 5 days?

It’s the HGTV version of skoolie conversion. Those shows spend hundreds of hours planning, the materials are well-stocked and there’s a team to support the build team.

And yeah, my tile job took five days

Also, youd never expect to have a completed-completed conversion, right?

[Rwnielsen]

Originally Posted by Danjo

It’s the HGTV version of skoolie conversion. Those shows spend hundreds of hours planning, the materials are well-stocked and there’s a team to support the build team.

And yeah, my tile job took five days

Also, youd never expect to have a completed-completed conversion, right?

so far I've got 2 days in changing my driver's seat

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by Rwnielsen

so far I've got 2 days in changing my driver's seat

I know I have hundreds of hours into mine. My point was, it’s a whole different thing than most of us do. It’s an exercise in planning and organization to make it happen. Check out Tiny House Nation. They have a dozen people on site to get one of those over the finish line and they don’t show you the thousand hours of preparation that leads up to shooting the episode

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Danjo

Also, youd never expect to have a completed-completed conversion, right?

I don't expect to have one after three years.

[WesleyElder]

Yeah, it's crazy I know! Excited to see how it goes!

[WesleyElder]

Originally Posted by peteg59

Some "big" names in the nomad/youtube frenzy are prospective participants.
Looks interesting, and might have to eavesdrop on some of the event?

With the right amount of $$ in parts/accessories, and free labor? to get things moving, there's no reason a conversion can't happen in a week.
It's just that not many of us have all of the resources in one place to get the same results...

We'd love for you to come! Yeah, the trick will be having everything in one place. We should have some runners on standby to run and get any little things. Chris Penn from Tiny Home Tours is feeling confident!

[WesleyElder]

Originally Posted by Danjo

It’s the HGTV version of skoolie conversion. Those shows spend hundreds of hours planning, the materials are well-stocked and there’s a team to support the build team.

And yeah, my tile job took five days

Also, youd never expect to have a completed-completed conversion, right?

Yeah, there will be a decent amount of preparation. My hope is that if we're able to do it again next year, have less planning and people maybe have 1 day of planning, but then go for it after that.

We're anticipating being a few things not quite finished. It's less about being 100% and more about how far can they get.

We're not HGTV btw. We're independent. Haha.

[WesleyElder]

Originally Posted by Rwnielsen

so far I've got 2 days in changing my driver's seat

That's like me with most things. Haha.

[ewo1]

Originally Posted by WesleyElder

Hi everyone!

Really weird thing we're doing, but we're holding a festival called Gutted where 3 teams compete to renovate a van, an RV and a skoolie over 5 days in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. We have several travel creators who will be on the teams, holding panels and just attending, so I wanted to make sure I posted over here, too.

If it's something you want to come watch, go see the Dunes and meet up with other skoolies, then come on out! This is our first year doing it, so we're working through all sorts of things (especially post-covid), but it's looking to be a great event.

https://guttedevent.com/

Hope to see you there! Ask me any questions either here, or you can reach me directly at wesley@thejump.com.

Thanks!

Wesley

5 days .. uh huh…

Key word in the original post, RENOVATE not FRESH BUILD,

So what is renovate? New appliances and maybe a quick paint job?
I can see a “ freshening or renovation” in 5 Days but not a complete buildout, not in a full size bus that is!

I could be wrong though. Maybe with a team of 20, with experience and ALL the supplies and materials sitting at your feet but even then, a very tall order indeed,

[WesleyElder]

Originally Posted by ewo1

5 days .. uh huh…

Key word in the original post, RENOVATE not FRESH BUILD,

So what is renovate? New appliances and maybe a quick paint job?
I can see a “ freshening or renovation” in 5 Days but not a complete buildout, not in a full size bus that is!

I could be wrong though. Maybe with a team of 20, with experience and ALL the supplies and materials sitting at your feet but even then, a very tall order indeed,

Haha, here's the rundown. It's a shortbus, not a full bus. Probably a 5 window Blue Bird. So that should cut down on time.

Teams are 7, but there is also a "pit crew" that each team can use 3 time a day. There's 6 people on the pit crew for assistance.

All materials and supplies will be on hand. Anything that isn't completed, we will complete after the competition.

[Phatman]

You know it takes 3 days of doing drywall correctly.
1. Install drywall/ first coat skim
Let dry
2. Tape and skim your second coat.
Let dry
3. Properly float your final coat
Let dry then prime & paint

I realize that probably none of us uses drywall in our Skoolies, but I’m sure most of us that paint things, sand between at least a couple of coats to get the best finish that we can get. Painting everything in my rig probably has at least 1000 hours in it.

Good Luck !!

[EastCoastCB]

5 days... so the buses are still yellow? takes more than 5 days to paint one.

[musigenesis]

This sounds like a fun event. I've always thought it would be cool if skoolie builders were like the Amish and gang-tackled skoolie builds like they do barn-raisings.

[ewo1]

Originally Posted by WesleyElder

Haha, here's the rundown. It's a shortbus, not a full bus. Probably a 5 window Blue Bird. So that should cut down on time.

Teams are 7, but there is also a "pit crew" that each team can use 3 time a day. There's 6 people on the pit crew for assistance.

All materials and supplies will be on hand. Anything that isn't completed, we will complete after the competition.

Ok, I can envision major completion on a 5 window bus, with a crazy dedicated team willing to work 18 hour days, x5.

Simple conversions… I’ll admit, sounds interesting!

[Rwnielsen]

That being said.. .. I'm hoping to finish my driver's seat today

[WesleyElder]

Originally Posted by Phatman

You know it takes 3 days of doing drywall correctly.
1. Install drywall/ first coat skim
Let dry
2. Tape and skim your second coat.
Let dry
3. Properly float your final coat
Let dry then prime & paint

I realize that probably none of us uses drywall in our Skoolies, but I’m sure most of us that paint things, sand between at least a couple of coats to get the best finish that we can get. Painting everything in my rig probably has at least 1000 hours in it.

Good Luck !!

Omg, I am in love with your bus. If you decide to come, there is a community vehicle showcase that if you sign up, I'll DEFINITELY make sure we show it off! So cool!

[WesleyElder]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

5 days... so the buses are still yellow? takes more than 5 days to paint one.

It's an RV vs. a Van vs. a School Bus. Only 1 bus!

We're going to wrap them. We decided that painting wasn't feasible in the time frame.