When you first started learning about nomadic vehicle living, did you think that you had to learn a new language? I know that I was surprised by the words that I had to ask “Siri” to define. Skoolie, Van, and RV owners toss around this lingo like a foreign language. Don’t you know what a “Skoolie” is? So you know what the term “Vandwelling” means? Have you heard the word “mooshdocking” before? Keep reading to catch the meaning of these words and many others.
Here you will find commonly used words that fly off the tongue of many nomadic vehicle living owners. How many of these words do you know? Keep a tally and let me know in the comments.
Skoolie, Van, and RV Vocabulary
Awning – A retractable structure that attaches to the outside of your bus to give you shade and overhead protection from the rain.
Back-In – A site that requires the bus to be backed in.
Basement – The storage under the vehicle. Also referred to as the undercarriage or underbelly.
Black Water – The water, toilet paper, urine, and poop that comes from the toilet.
Black Water Tank – A tank under the bus that holds the black water.
Blue Tank – (Or blue-boy) is a portable waste water tank. The black/gray water is emptied into this tank and then towed to the dump station.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN BOONDOCKING? BEEN WHERE? KEEP READING TO FIND OUT.
Boondocking – Described as free camping, camping without hook-ups (power and water), or dry-camping.
Bunkhouse – An RV with bunk beds.
Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC) – maximum weight you can bring into the rv in personal belongings and items you need to store.
Cargo Van – A van with only a driver and passenger seat. Behind the driver’s seat is all open.
Charter Bus – A bus that a person hires to transport them or an organization to an event.
Chassis – The frame of the bus.
Coach bus – A bus that carries passengers on long excursions. A tour bus.
Condensation – A result of warm moisture laden air hitting cold glass.
Conventional bus- A dog-nose bus.
Converter – An electrical device that converts 120-volt power from AC to 12-volt DC power.
DC Power – Direct current power usually produced by batteries.
Dog House – The engine compartment in a front engine bus.
IF YOU THOUGHT A DOG HOUSE WAS ONLY FOR DOGS, YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THE NEXT DEFINITION EITHER.
Dog-Nose – The engine compartment is in front of the driver.
Domicile – Residence. It is the state that you are going to ‘reside’ in.
Dry Camping – camping without hookup. Also known as boondocking.
Dump Station – A place to safely dump black and grey water tanks.
Flat-Nose – The engine compartment is beside the driver.
Fresh Water Tank – Tank that holds clean water that can be used for drinking.
Full Hook-Ups – Sewer, power, and water hookups.
Full-Timing – Living in an RV.
Galley – another word for kitchen
Generator – Provides 120 volt AC power via a machine that is powered by gas or diesel fuel.
Grey Water – Used water that comes from your sink, shower, and washer.
Grey Water Tank- Holds the used water from the sink, shower, and washer.
Heat Strip – A heating element found in the AC unit that provides heat to the bus.
High Top – Means a vehicle that has higher floor to ceiling clearance.
THE STANDARD SCHOOL BUS HAS A FLOOR TO CEILING CLEARANCE OF 6 FEET 2 INCHES. A HIGH TOP BUS CAN HAVE A CLEARANCE OF 6’3” TO 6’7”.
Holding Tanks – Refers to the gray and black water tanks.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE NEXT WORD. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HONEY LET ME TELL YOU!
Honey-Wagon – A service vehicle that will empty your waste tanks while you are parked at a campground or RV park.
Hook-Ups – Connecting your bus to the campground or RV park’s power, sewer, or water.
House Battery – refers to the battery used to operate the 12 volt system.
Inverter – Changes 12-volt battery power to 120 volt AC power.
LED – Light emitting diode. LED lights emit light in a specific direction.
Leveling Jacks – equipment used to level the RV or skoolie.
Moosh Docking – means camping without hookup in someone’s yard or driveway.
Would you allow another nomadic living vehicle in your driveway?
Passenger Van – a vehicle designed to transport people. Usually seats between 8-15 passengers.
Park Model – An RV that is designed to be permanently parked.
Pop-up – The roof of the van or camper pops up by raising it up. Some pop up at an angle and some pop up straight across.
Propane – Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Puller – School bus or RV with a diesel engine in the front.
Pull-Through – A site that you do not have to back the bus into. You can pull in one side and out the other.
Pusher – School bus or RV with a diesel engine in the rear.
Push Out – Kick out window.
Rig- Another name for your vehicle.
Roof Hatch – Provides access to the roof. Often there is the emergency exit on the bus.
Self-Contained – A bus that does not need any external power, water, or sewer hook-ups. It can have the ability to hook-up.
Sewer Donut- A rubber ring that provides an airtight seal between the sewer hose on the bus to the external sewer connection.
Shore-Power – Power provided by an external source that you can hook your bus up to.
Skoolie- A school bus that has been converted into a home on wheels or RV.
Slide Outs – part of the vehicle extends outward to give additional space inside the vehicle.
Sticks and Bricks – a term used to refer to a traditional house.
Would you like to get started on your nomadic living adventure out of your stick and brick house into the right vehicle for you? Schedule a call with Missy.
Thermocouple – A safety device that monitors the pilot flame on a propane appliance.
Toad – A vehicle that is towed behind your bus. Also known as a dinghy.
Transit Bus – A city or town bus. A bus for public transportation.
Underbelly – Storage under the RV or bus. Also known as Under Carriage or Storage Bay.
Weekender – Someone who travels or camps primarily on the weekends.
Workamper – A person who volunteers their time in exchange for a free camping site.
