New Alt Housing Nut

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Headache
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New Alt Housing Nut

Post by Headache »

Hello, I'm so amazed I ran into this site! Pardon what will just come pouring out but it's exciting seeing people around my age, thinking similar as I do. Even more exciting is seeing the very pioneers whose ideas planted the dreams in a little girls mind posting here!

I clicked here from a tiny house blog link and when I ran across the pics of housetrucks it shot me back in time growing up in So Cal and seeing news segments with "hippie buses" in the background and newspaper articles about flower children traveling in home built houses on wheels out of pretty much anything wheels could be attached to.

We moved from CA at the end of the 70's when I was still quite young, but I never forget those houses on wheels. They inspired me so much that I spent a great portion of my childhood drawing house plans and spending my allowance buying books of floor plans. My own first plans were of dome houses. Even at 10 I was drawing plans with windows, doors and electrical outlets.

A series of cruel and traumatic events delayed those plans and caused me to put those dreams aside when I became older, I wouldn't be able to realize them. Instead of an architect like I wanted to be, due to cognitive dysfunction that affected analytical abilities(like math and computer coding) I became a truck driver. I was going to save money and buy a land parcel to park an RV on and build a solar cabin, but cruel fate intervened again and I became disabled.

Then my dad became ill and I've decided that I need to get back and spend that remaining time with him, so he isn't alone. Being on disability barely pays the bills and my dad lives in a part of WA state that I could never afford traditional housing. It's my researching alternative housing which lead me to looking at tiny housing but it seemed too small to balance my needs and things to keep me busy while helping my dad out, so I kept looking and it lead me to here. I couldn't pass this up.

I'm here to learn as much as I can. When the weather gets better the cat and I are moving into my car or finding a shed or something to live in so I can save the money for a bigger set of wheels and fix it up to what I want from there. In a way it will be nice to know that I've put my 15 years experience of driving big rigs to use.

Mr. Sharkey thanks for putting up this site. It was guys like you that put dreams in my little head about living for me instead of someone else's dream.

I really hope you continue your story. It was reading it that brought all those memories back. Even if you weren't the guy I saw on the news you weren't far away so to me you're like a founding father of sorts. That may not be the correct term but it's all I can come up with right now.
Bob
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Post by Bob »

Welcome to the site! I also grew up in southern Ca ( Covina area) and couldnt wait to get out of there! When I was 18 I left in my car and ended up on the Oregon coast where I lived in a cabin with no electricity for a year and a half...I lOVED IT!
I wish you luck with your family and in fulfilling you dreams! This is a great site full of awesome people and I am certain it will be an inspiration for you!
Wherever I am...I am home.
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Re: New Alt Housing Nut

Post by Sharkey »

Headache wrote:Mr. Sharkey thanks for putting up this site....you're like a founding father of sorts
*Blush*, all I did was live in an old moving van... :oops:

Welcome to the site. Eventually a charitable organization will be formed to provide therapy for what you catch by hanging around here. :D
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Headache
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Post by Headache »

Thanks Bob! I'm still reading! lol

My "family" as of now is myself and the cat. Dad is on the other side of the US and it's my goal to get over there asap and have affordable housing in doing so.

I saw a couple of used bloodmobiles for sale and got all giddy! They have a sink and water storage tank, gen set and even the seats for patient blood draws were still in them. I'd have ripped out 2 of the seats and kept one in to sleep on since it's a mini adjustable hospital bed. Slapping on a memory foam would have made me feel like I was sleeping on a cloud.

Alas, I really don't care much for ignorance and the salesman showed his immediately. I sent an email asking for some measurements and in the body of the email said to contact me by email only. They even gave it as an option button to click, which I did choose. I hated that I was required to enter my phone number but being as I had put in TWICE to email only, I didn't think it would have been that hard to follow.

So when I heard, "Hey, this is <insert> from <some> and I didn't know if you wanted me to email or not...." on my voice mail it was all over for me. Sigh
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Dennis The Bus Dweller
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Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

Welcome to the neighborhood 8)
Peace along the way
Dennis the bus dweller N.Y.
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Headache
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Re: New Alt Housing Nut

Post by Headache »

Sharkey wrote:*Blush*, all I did was live in an old moving van... :oops:
That you lived in, in various incarnations for 30 years! I have done nothing but dream(since I was like 8 years old) of doing something similar since you guys started hitting the road! It should probably come as no surprise that one of my first words was "truck" but I couldn't quite say it properly so you can imagine what it sounded like.....from a little girl in pony tails and a dress...in a grocery store(Ralphs!) on a Wednesday afternoon(sales day) in LA suburbia. A rebel in tails!
Sharkey wrote:Welcome to the site. Eventually a charitable organization will be formed to provide therapy for what you catch by hanging around here. :D
LOL, I think it's going to be quite awhile for a cure but I certainly wouldn't mind waxing philosophical over the finer points of a Detroit or Cummins and how the hell am I going to power all the electrical appliances I want in my rig and being terrified of propane. lol
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Headache
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Post by Headache »

Dennis The Bus Dweller wrote:Welcome to the neighborhood 8)
Thank you Dennis! I've really been enjoying your posts! I love learning from the experienced crowd!
Mark R. Obtinario
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Post by Mark R. Obtinario »

Welcome to the sight. It is full of good info about things to do and some of the pitfalls to avoid.

If you are serious about considering living in a house truck or bus now is a good time to start.

Bus prices are about as low as I have ever seen them. Even for relatively new buses the asking prices are at the level of about what reasonable offers were five years ago.

Harlow's Bus Sales has one what I think is one of the AEC Gillig 10-wheelers for sale for $2K. It has the 855 Cummins and 5-speed. If it is an Atomic it is geared and governed to a top speed of 75 MPH. And with the 855 Cummins under the floor it would probably do that speed up almost every grade with a full load on board.

I know all of the Crown Atomic buses came with aluminum body panels. I don't know for sure but I would guess that the Gillig Atomic buses came with the extra cost aluminum body panels. The only way to know for sure would be to put a magnet on the body panels.

The one real problem of living in some sort of alternative form of habitation in the greater Seattle area is unless you live under a bridge the powers that be frown on anything that isn't "normal".

Good luck on your adventure.
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Headache
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Post by Headache »

Thanks Mark! I have no experience with buses at all and certainly want something that can pull it's weight. I can understand slowing some on steep grades but hitting the top of something like the Grapevine or even Cabbage at 15 mph when my gross is barely 15k and blowing steam out the cap isn't my idea of a good time.

I love my Detroits but with them being rather proprietary it's easier to get parts for Cummins. However, I haven't really done much around a Cummins since big cam 4's were "popular".

I was looking at short buses but they are too short, and a full size seems like it may be too big. I'm definitely all eyes and ears for whatever info you may have.

I'm unable to buy right now, but if anyone has links to some things of interest and wouldn't mind giving a description of pros and cons it would be greatly appreciated.

My "experience" if you want to call it that was upholstery in show cars and trucks, even did some charter bus armrests. I dabbled in auto restoration back in the day which included some motors. With my conditions now however, I'll be hiring out for the "heavy" work and I never did learn anything about electrical. I may be able to do some plumbing work now that PEX is widely available.

I hear you about parking in Seattle. My dad is in Snohomish County and I don't think it's going to be much different. Plus, with my ongoing studies I'd need to be able to get high speed internet that is reliable.
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ezrablu
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Post by ezrablu »

Very glad to have you here, Headache! Sounds like you have some interesting things to share with us, too.
ezrablu
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Headache
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Post by Headache »

Thanks Ezra! I've been reading your posts about your Bluebird with great interest! Definitely looking forward to your new ones when the weather gets better plus dog pics/stories are an appreciated bonus. :)
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Post by Rudy »

Howdy, Headache.

I lived in Ballard (part of Seattle) for a year in my 66 Chevy camper truck. It was lax back then (15 years ago). There were about twenty RVs parked on this street near a big marina. Perhaps the scene has changed by now.

There sure is a lot to read on Sharkey's site. Lots of photos as well.

Should you want to post photos on this site, refer to this article.
http://www.mrsharkey.com/forum/vwtp.php?t=1565


Rudy
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Post by Stealth Camper »

Welcome. We can always use more.

Cummins - I have only driven a little one (Dodge) but I am liking them a whole lot based on that limited experience. Drove Detroit for a while (Freightliner) and that seemed to be pretty good, too, but it only had about 500,000 when I got off that truck (half used?).

This is one very cool site, so hope you enjoy as much as we do.
Mark R. Obtinario
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Post by Mark R. Obtinario »

We live in Winlock, WA, about two hours south of Seattle and an hour north of Portland.

We use an air card and get relatively fast connection speed. It isn't as fast as fiber optics but it is a lot faster than dial up.

Snohomish County is getting about as bad as King County when it comes to rules about what you can and cannot do. The upside to Snohomish County is country isn't quite as far away as it is in King County. In King County, even the country isn't very country any longer. The suburbs have reached clear out to Duval, Fall City, and North Bend.

As far as buses are concerned, the 35' conventional school bus (known as a Type 'C') is the most common bus out there. As a consequence the price for one is usually considerably lower than for a transit style school bus (flat front Type 'D'--front engine, mid-engine, or rear engine). The advantage of the Type 'D' is all of the bus is inside--you don't have the length of the hood out front.

The short buses tend to ride really hard. And if they are a Type 'A1', Type 'A2', or Type 'B' bus there usually is a lot more bus than there is truck to carry it.

The heavy duty Type 'D' buses like the Crown, Gillig, Thomas Westcoaster Saf-T-Liner, and Blue Bird All American are more apt to have big HP engines with the capability of cruising at highway speeds.

And like I said before, the prices are way down currently. There is a 10-wheel Crown on ebay right now with the 855 Cummins and Road Ranger and the bid is still under $4K. It wasn't that long ago that you would see Crowns with 6-71's and 5-speeds for that price.

Good luck.
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Headache
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If I Only Had a Garage....

Post by Headache »

and a welder...an an electrician....lol

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1946-che ... 27b8c9ad24

Description:
1946 chevy school bus project. Motor is locked up. Make a neat camper or bike hauler. Will not fit in my garage. Also have a 1985 chevy heavy duty frame & suspension for it include in sale I have a clear South Dakota title & vin
Mr. Sharkey and/or anyone else that's lived in/among them...do communes still exist up in the Pac. NW? A living arrangement such as one similar to what Mr. Sharkey describes(not the slave camp!) may be a cost effective option. It would allow me to be about 2700 miles closer to my dad, live out of my blender without being chastised, I could work on my bus while doing so, and I have a car to cover any extra miles I may need to travel. Although I'm still a bit humiliated by it, having disability aka portable income does have it's perks.

While my dad is still here, I'm looking to for the most part be parked and slowly building my posh lodging on wheels. After my dad is gone the bus will be used quite a bit. I have aspirations of being a writer and much of it will be based in genealogical history, requiring quite a bit of travel throughout the east side of the states.
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