An Afternoon With: Will Sutherland from Willbillys

What started as a passion for school bus conversion, has now turned him into an author, an AirBNB host, and so much more. 

Will has always had a passion for school busses. As he told us, he once got banned from riding on the bus for a year after sneaking under a bus to see what made it run. Now, as an adult, he has had the freedom to turn that passion into something more. 

Years ago, Will bought a bus and converted it into what is known as a Skoolie – a bus you can live in while on the road, similar to an RV. After being coerced by friends, he decided to park the bus permanently and turn it into an AirBNB. For Will this was a great opportunity, because it meant he could buy another bus and convert that one as well. Soon, he and his Wife Sabrina found themselves working on a fourth bus, while their third bus was still under renovations. 

That fourth bus became something special though, it was the focus point and muse of Wills book “Skoolie: How to Convert a School Bus or Van into a Tiny Home or Recreational Vehicle” which has 700+ reviews on Amazon and 100+ reviews on Goodreads. This book allowed Will to pay off his student debts, and start thinking about his next projects. 

Wills property sits in a unique location, just 20 minutes away from the historic grounds of the Battle of Antietam, with lots of old growth trees and rocks that have pushed their way above ground.  This setting provided Will with opportunities to build lots of different structures around his property. 

He started off with building his shop, a carport type structure, big enough to fit vehicles and machines of all sizes. He uses this shop as a workspace, an event location and much more. Most importantly, its connected to his mill shed, where he houses his 2017 HM130 Portable Sawmill. The interior of the barn is all finished with wood from his mill, with the loft and the front porch all built with milled lumber. 

From there, Will went on to build his stunning Treehouse AirBNB (which we had the absolute pleasure of staying in) and his Dale Earnhardt themed saloon. The Treehouse AirBNB is perched between two old growth trees that have grown their way through large rocks on his property. When building the treehouse, Will found old pipes and other remnants of what could have been an old Civil War Moonshine site at the base of the rocks. The interior of the treehouse and all the furniture inside of it was milled by Will on his HM130 Portable Sawmill as well. It was such a unique stay, and definitely worth the trip to West Virginia! 

Making our way over to the saloon, Will pointed out his old pony stable that he converted into a wood drying kiln. With an elevated base, Will can dry wood year-round without worrying about any moisture from the ground. And the bonus to it all? Its connected to the back of the saloon. 

As we walked into the Saloon, Will flipped a switch and the whole place lit up. With signs and relics covering the walls, moonshine on the bar and a small radio in the back corner playing country classics, it was like walking into a time capsule. Complete with a dart board and open space in the back, it’s easy to see how you could spend a whole day there. 

It was a great day we got to spend with Will, and it was hard to leave, as we felt there was so much to see and do. If you are looking for a unique experience or stay, make sure to add Will and Sabrinas AirBNB to your checklist. He’ll even fire up the mill for you if you ask! Make sure you give them a follow on YouTube and Instagram @willbillys to follow along with their Skoolie and AirBNB adventures! 

Thanks for the visit, Will and Sabrina!