154: Converting A School Bus To A Tiny Home And Travelling For 10 Years Straight – Chris Penn

Chris Penn from Off Grid Skoolie has been living and travelling in vehicles for over 10 years now. His journey started in a self-converted camper van, and today, he lives full time in a 2002 Blue Bird Skoolie. After spending 3 years in a Class A motorhome, he knew something had to change.  

WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THIS INTERVIEW:

• Listen in while Chris talks about the extensive renovations required after buying his 2002 Blue Bird Skoolie.
• What happens when you realize that you want something bigger and better…
• What life is really like living in a BlueBird Skoolie and travelling through Alaska, Canada and the entire USA for more than 10 years?
• Mikkel and Chris talk shop…1700w of solar, 900ah of lithium battery storage, 26quft. Of cold food storage and 200 gallons of fresh water capacity. Now that’s the way to travel!
• What does life look like after the culmination of lessons learned from hundreds of thousands of miles travelling in many different kinds of vehicles?
• Off-grid life and what features are important when you spend several months on the road. 
• Favourite quote of the day: Don’t talk about it, be about it
• Life can be absolutely amazing doing something that makes you happy, and driving coast to coast in a Skoolie is what does it for Chris. But what about money? Chris talks about earning a living, a good living. 
• Chris and Mikkel share travel stories, what living on the road can teach someone and is being a digital nomad and seeing the world really in your blood.

 

RELATED PODCAST EPISODES

143: Building A Business And Finding Romance In Brazil – Kevin Koskella 140: How To Live Your Life Unconstrained – Myles Wakeham 135: Living A Perpetual Traveller Lifestyle – Sergio Von Facchin  

HOW TO REACH CHRIS PENN

TheOffgridSkoolie.com Tinyhometour.com Zepplin travels.com  

CONCLUSION:

What a great life Chris has! He travels at his leisure, teaches people how to create a life like his, and works on projects that he loves to earn a great income for himself and his dog!  I’ve always wanted to rent an RV and travel through Europe or North America. It sounds better every day!

Mentioned in this episode:

No Plan-B Without the Language

If you’re planning to move overseas—or even just set up your offshore Plan-B—learning the local language isn’t optional. It’s protection. It’s access. It’s power. StoryLearning makes it easy to start today, from home, by immersing you in real stories—not grammar drills. Spanish, Portuguese, French, and more—learn the language the smart way before you land. Go to StoryLearningCourses.com.

Story Learning Courses

Join Me In Panama For Our Next Tour

I have great news. After many meetings and explanations, the Panamanian government has agreed to keep the Investors Visa at a $300k Real Estate investment instead of nearly doubling the amount required, as they said they would. This is a massive win for our community who wants to move to or invest in Panama, but I am not sure how long this will last… If you have been thinking about Panama, then I want to make an invitation to you today. Come join me for a special four-day tour to see if the country I call home is right for you and your family. We have just released the next set of trip dates. You can find out more at ExpatMoney.com/fly. Come visit me and the Expat Money team, get a feel for the country and see if Panama makes sense for investment or as a new home.

Panama Fly'n Buy Real Estate Tour

Gold in the Caribbean—No Bank Can Touch It

Fiat is failing. Banks are cracking. And smart investors are moving their gold offshore—outside the system. I’ve partnered with a fully insured private vault in the Caribbean where you can buy, store, and protect physical gold… legally and securely. The entire account opening is done online—fast, private, and no nonsense. If you’re serious about protecting your wealth, get the details now at ExpatMoney.com/gold

Offshore Gold & Silver

No Plan-B Without the Language

If you’re planning to move overseas—or even just set up your offshore Plan-B—learning the local language isn’t optional. It’s protection. It’s access. It’s power. StoryLearning makes it easy to start today, from home, by immersing you in real stories—not grammar drills. Spanish, Portuguese, French, and more—learn the language the smart way before you land. Go to StoryLearningCourses.com.

Story Learning Courses

Gold in the Caribbean—No Bank Can Touch It

Fiat is failing. Banks are cracking. And smart investors are moving their gold offshore—outside the system. I’ve partnered with a fully insured private vault in the Caribbean where you can buy, store, and protect physical gold… legally and securely. The entire account opening is done online—fast, private, and no nonsense. If you’re serious about protecting your wealth, get the details now at ExpatMoney.com/gold

Offshore Gold & Silver