The Future of Skoolie Palooza

[johnbloem1974]

Originally Posted by TruBeliever

I couldn't believe you guys got so close last year, I had hoped y'all's schedule would let you come thru Arkansas in October. Are ya heading back to Montana next year?

We are going back to Montana this summer, and we should be doing the Montana Summer thing for the foreseeable future - really have good gigs up there!
Yea, bummed we couldn't make that meetup either...

[EastCoastCB]

Don- Who's this lady, and is she official?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Z126-Gav8

What happened where there's a need for "security"?

[joeblack5]

Last year there was a small problem with a knife threat and the cops were involved. Besides the hosts who helped with loosely organizing the activities there were some more people who were more active and interested in keeping things going. I do not think there is anyone in the organisation of skoolie palooza that is legit in meaning as has any decision power.
Don and Mary organised art event for the kids, Thank you both, kids had fun.
There was some dealing and wheeling on the side.. stuff/ labor/ money..


We felt that although the organisation and people setup evening fires and even a breakfast to mingle that it was still small clumps of people who knew each other already and stayed in their own group.


After the official ending of skoolie palooza we stayed for another week at the HAM radio camp 1/2 mile away. Many others reunited at the Ehrlich area. We went south to Yuma after the HAM event so I do not know that area.


My feeling is that last year skoolie palooza was already on the large size.



Later Johan

[EastCoastCB]

I see.
I wonder how many folks show up for free bus work. Several of those at the FL Swarm.

[2kool4skool]

Been gathering art supplies, got a bunch of juice pouches in the bus. Cookies and other treats right before we leave.
Good time to wish all our Skoolie friends a Merry Christmas, happy holidays and see you soon.

[2kool4skool]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Don- Who's this lady, and is she official?



What happened where there's a need for "security"?

"An Invitation to attend Skooliepalooza™ 2020 with an introduction by Stephanie Mathews of HomeSkoolie."

[EastCoastCB]

I"m not familiar with homeskoolie.

[dredman]

So, an update:

There appear to 2 major divisions, the original group, started by people attending the first event, and a spinoff series of groups started by an attendee of the 2nd event. Lots of miscommunication and hurt feelings along the way, egos, now there is a lawsuit.

I have sided with the original group, as they seem to be more legit, focused, and less shady.

I could be completely wrong?

I only know one person involved, I met him once and we talked for a few minutes - seems like a rational guy - he is on the original team, but talks to both sides. He seems to be hiding nothing, so I trust his judgement more than I do mine.

So here we are. I have asked that an advisory board be formed, and anyone that requests admission be allowed to join, voice their opinion, and helpfully get things moving once again in a unified fashion.

It would be ideal if there was a group-hug, everyone buried the hatchet, and songs were sung at the next event.

Stay tuned.

[EastCoastCB]

I'd be on whatever side you're on Don.

A lawsuit sounds extreme. What's up with that?

[cadillackid]

A lawsuit? Over what? This isn’t a commercial for profit entity I thought it was just a bunch of bus owners renting space and boondocking for fun in a desert.. so what if there’s 2 groups.. there’s lots of skoolie gatherings all over the country. People attend the ones they like and not the ones they don’t

[dredman]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I'd be on whatever side you're on Don.

A lawsuit sounds extreme. What's up with that?

I am on your team too brother!

Kinda vague on the lawsuit, so I will hold my remarks.

The lady in the video is speaking for skooliepalooza.com, and I have suggested she be a spokesperson, since it seems nobody else is showing their face (beside me & her?)

[dredman]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

A lawsuit? Over what? This isn’t a commercial for profit entity I thought it was just a bunch of bus owners renting space and boondocking for fun in a desert.. so what if there’s 2 groups.. there’s lots of skoolie gatherings all over the country. People attend the ones they like and not the ones they don’t

My original intent was to have multiple events, all over the country, like the rest of you fine folks do. Might be good to have some guidelines, so I am OK with some governing body - looks like there has been violence in the past?

I never intended for money to change hands, but if the event winds up incurring expenses, it seems only fair that the leaders pass the expense on to the group. Porty-pots, insurance, permits, etc.

The original event was held on BLM land, and no event permit was required. The larger the event gets, the more regulation, and expense, apparently.

The event was inspired by the RTR - Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, and they have grown so large, the BLM has priced them out of the desert, and they are now renting private space.

Last event, there were over 100 buses, crazy huh?

[johnbloem1974]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I'd be on whatever side you're on Don.

A lawsuit sounds extreme. What's up with that?

Yea, I'm with you too, Don. All this infighting seems silly. To quote a cheesy line "Can't we all just get along!!"

We all have the same goal: hang out and do Skoolie stuff and meet neat people!

My .02

John

[dredman]

Originally Posted by johnbloem1974

Yea, I'm with you too, Don. All this infighting seems silly. To quote a cheesy line "Can't we all just get along!!"

We all have the same goal: hang out and do Skoolie stuff and meet neat people!

My .02

John

Sounds like you should get in there and make sure things are done right? I just thought it might be me, and about 4 other buses, hanging out, looking up at the stars, telling stories around a campfire.

If you think about it, it should be REALLY simple: Pic a spot - pick a date - Post a pin on a map - take some pictures - maybe get some food, firewood, and a few beers and some good weed..... then SHOW UP!

The showing up got me the first TWO times...dammit!

[johnbloem1974]

Originally Posted by dredman

Sounds like you should get in there and make sure things are done right? I just thought it might be me, and about 4 other buses, hanging out, looking up at the stars, telling stories around a campfire.



If you think about it, it should be REALLY simple: Pic a spot - pick a date - Post a pin on a map - take some pictures - maybe get some food, firewood, and a few beers and some good weed..... then SHOW UP!



The showing up got me the first TWO times...dammit!

I said it earlier, I'll say it again... hope to see/meet you in January in Ehrenberg?

But, yea. I'm a big subscriber to "keep it simple, stupid." Give me some chill folks, a place, a fire, and some great stories. That's all we need. Screw the drama.

I've also been a big fan of the "drama-free zone". That's what this group is all about.

John

[joeblack5]

There are way more skoolies outside skoolie.net. the only time I was at skoolie palooza I had the impression that very fee people there were involved with or in skoolie.net. a lot of people spilled over after rtr.

For me it was a very long family cross country trip with a lot of breakdowns. That gave it a bit of an " epic" taste
You and John were on the unfortunate side of breakdowns so that you did not make it.

I had the feeling that most people there were from the area.. A days drive, others driving by in the right time frame and decided to make a detour to quartzite and hang at skoolie palooza.

There are thousands and thousands of people in the desert in that area all benefitting or realred to the rv events in quartzite.

Dredman because you coined the name skoolie palooza on skoolie.net that does not mean that there were not a bunch of skoolies meeting there already. I realize it is nice to brand your name to the skoolie palooza event but besides that there is a lot going on in the desert in January that attracts people. This event is not more interesting and probably less personal then any other local meetup with 10 - 20 buses.

If there are two skoolie paloozas in the desert then that would be better. Two flavors to taste. What is not to like about that?

A law suit... Haha...only in the good ol USA.

Johan

[cadillackid]

some of the bus groups im in outside of skoolie . net. talked about that quartzite was a big gathering. (i know there was a bunch of guys with converted coaches that have been going for many years).. I really have no understanding of infighting for social events.. I do agreee if costs are involved then attendees should be responsible.. and maybe thats where the issues arise? some are self contained and dont need porta-toilets, others arent and want them.. who should pay? i get that kind of stuff but just fighting over 2 groups being in the same space at the same or different times.. that I dont understand..



it is definitely easy to outgrow space when an event gets popular.. the vintage christmas club im a member of has gone through that growing pain.. 30 years ago being a few people getting together in someone;s home on a saturday to swap and share displays of 20s and depression era Christmas decor.. to now being so big it takes over a whole hotel and more than 700 attendees and a cost of over $350 per attendee and lasts a week and expanded to anything through 1980.. so I get it.. first year is a few guys in lawn chairs sharing conversion ideas. to now being 100 busses... lots of logistics to make work and some type of rule enforcement to make sure people dont trash the land..
-Christopher

[dredman]

I attended the 2016 RTR in Quartzite - it was amazing - a couple hundred people living in something other than a house - 3 people gave presentations on living in a hybrid - Prius - and a larger SUV - they were living in style.

They had classes on cooking & baking over a fire, how to live a van-life, and the mantra was "Thriving not just surviving". Most of the classes were how to THRIVE, and live well - I learned a good bit.

It was mostly van dwellers, but regular RVs, utility-trailers-turned-campers, a few tents even, and one other bus from Ohio.

It was really nice, everyone I met was cool, and there was a very diverse group of people and interests, yet everyone got along?

Some folks needed help with installations of fans and solar, and we got on it.

Since then I have seen some seriously ill people out there. I attended the van-build last year, and witnessed so many episodes I swore off the event forever.

Maybe it comes with the territory?

I am certainly not normal, but if I try hard, I can pass for normal weeks & even months at a time? The people I am talking about have some SERIOUS issues - days without conflict are probably really difficult for them, and may only be achieved by hiding in the desert?

Some of the reactions I have had so far make me think it is better that I simply delete the video, and slip back into the shadows. Seems pretty extreme when the pitch-fork crowd comes for the guy with the fire-extinguisher, accusing him of starting the fire?

[banman]

Originally Posted by dredman

[B][I]SNIP...

Some of the reactions I have had so far make me think it is better that I simply delete the video, and slip back into the shadows. Seems pretty extreme when the pitch-fork crowd comes for the guy with the fire-extinguisher, accusing him of starting the fire?

I'm so not a skoolie in the here and now -- I just happened here needing a little help with a bus that came my way -- But this site has been so, soo, helpful to making the 'Murder Bus' a viable asset instead of 15k of scrap metal...

It's just a coinkydink that in the late '90s I lived in my 14' RV for 14 months with a wife and a cat... So while not choosing to live that way now I can relate to all the folks here that do...

Folklore I learned doing time in your neck of the woods (Alabama)...

Seems Lazarus was a bad man, and when the law finally caught him, and hung him, he went to hell. But the devil found him too much to handle and kicked him out of hell so he wandered the bottoms...

So you know when you're in the woods at night and you see a flickering light in the distance...?
That's ol' Lazarus trying to start his own hell...

Have your own event -- those that know and love (or just the timings right) will attend and have a great time. "The movement" is clearly already out there and the sub-groups will find there way to where they will...

Time for me is short -- I'm not fully retired yet -- I've got 3 project cars to build and now a bus...

I think smaller regional get-together's would be the only thing I could squeeze time (and fuel burn!) to get to.

[dredman]

Originally Posted by banman

I think smaller regional get-together's would be the only thing I could squeeze time (and fuel burn!) to get to.

I think if I ever got back into creating and having events, it would most likely be quiet, invite-only, and SMALL. From what I have seen in the last year, there is no quicker way to ruin a great time hanging out with friends than to invite the unknown: meth-heads, thieves, rapists, and child-molesters. They are out there living in vehicles right now, and I would assume a few of them have bought a skoolie.

Imagine if you had children, showing up to an unknown like that?

I say all of this after meeting some of the most amazing and interesting people I have ever met in my life - Skoolie Folk. We are different, full-timers, weekend warriors, and artists, wanting to make something unique, and maybe go camping on occasion. 99% of us are magical - then we read another headline of the 1% 'ers


https://patch.com/florida/gulfport/f...alone-mini-bus