Under 21 with Guardian

JASON WALSMITH STORYTELLER
ON THE ROAD IN FALKOR VAN
Hey there! We are Jason and Emma Walsmith - we call ourselves racontourists - and yes we made that word up, a beautiful mish mash of two words we are very fond of. First, "raconteur" is a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way. And of course, "tourist" - a person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure. 

 

Jason has spent the last 28 years living the racontourist lifestyle as the co-lead singer of his band, The Nadas. Throughout his music career he has been the proud owner of sixteen different tour vehicles - everything from a 77 Dodge Xplorer Van to an Eagle bus previously owned by Meatloaf. It wasn’t always paradise by the dashboard lights though - he’s seen it all.

The bus brakes started on fire while the band traveled over Rabbit Ears pass in Colorado. 

The bus engine gave up on them not once, but twice with catastrophic failures that required a full rebuild of a 6V-92ti Detroit Diesel motor.

The oil cooler hose popped off while we were driving down the highway in our 2004 Bornfree RV.  

The 1999 Fleetwood Jamboree caught fire as The Nadas left the RV Dealer parking lot, earning it’s name "Fox Smoulder."

Of course they’ve also owned a bakers dozen of Ford Econolines throughout the years.

 

Fast-forward and finally The Nadas landed in a McSweeney Designs sprinter van in 2019 - the best, most reliable vehicle The Nadas had owned to date. The sprinter boasted a spacious front lounge and five bunks. We had it outfitted with our trusty Aluma trailer and she drove to and from gigs like a dream.

https://jasonwalsmithstoryteller.com/