What's Your Story?

[Bob]

Living in housetrucks, busses, rv's or tents is not considered the "norm" by your average folks, so i thought a little backgroung might be interesting. I think I was born with gypsy blood in my veins. My Grandparents took me on a 3-month camping trip when I was 8 years old and i have never been the same since. I never had a problem with just going in my car...it had a nice back seat to sleep in..and trunk for my stuff. I was always ready to go.
When I made the transition to mobile living full-time over 25 years ago I had been living in Los Angeles working for Fed Ex. Rudy and I were hanging out a lot playing guitar and he was living in a van. I thought that was a great thing and was going to move into my VW van...but wanted to raise the roof so that I could stand up..until I found a very cool vintage 1963 Chevy class C motorhome. I bought that..moved in and left my job and the rest of the world behind.
Playing pool and music is a great way to make $ on the road and I have no plans to stop anytime soon...I just love it too much! Ive gone through several rolling homes since then..for the last 8 years I have been living in a custom made diesel pusher.
Everyone I meet always says "I wish I could do that" but it takes unique characters to live this way...so whats your story?

[Sharkey]

Why be "normal"?

[Rudy]

OK. I had to make a list to remember all the machines I have lived in. I started quite a few years before Bob did. Here goes.

1947 aluminum teardrop trailer towed by my 1963 Chevy station wagon.

1958 Ford pickup with home made camper on the back.

1972 International ex-mail van with right hand drive.

1964 International school bus.

1980 Chevy van.

1972 Dodge bubble-top van.

1964 Ford van.

1966 Chevy camper.

1953 Schiebout trailer.

1988 Chevy camper van.

1972 Chevy van.

1972 Yellowstone trailer.

1979 Dodge class C motorhome.

1973 BlueBird bus.

These are in the order of when I got them.

I drove across the country with the 1947 teardrop, 1958 Ford pickup, 1980 Chevy van, 1966 Chevy camper, 1979 Dodge class C.

If you want any details as to how long I lived in any of these, please ask.

Bob found a few of these vehicles for me. 1966 Chevy camper. 1972 Dodge bubble-top. I bought the 1964 Ford van and the 1979 Dodge class C from him.

That makes almost 35 years of "abnormality".

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

It's only been about 7 years for me and it's all Rogers fault I was closing down my millworks place. I was all stressed out about what I was going to do, where I was going to live " I had very little money left and I was just spent and one night I was sitting in my office surfin around the web and came across housetrucks.com and I just couldn’t believe my eyes. While I was still looking through Rogers site I went on ebay and bought a full size school bus, fridge, toilet, furnace and everything else I thought I might need ( and of course a copy of Some turtles have nice shells ) to build the kid and I a rolling home and 6 weeks after I closed my shop I was living in a farm field about ten miles from where I was sucking the life out of myself and the rest is just another story You've really help me turn my life around Roger The only thing that could make it better is in Rogers book there’s a number of photos of all those folks circling there incredible custom made wagons for a wonderful "pot Luck meals" Some how we need to do that. Some day, some how we need to circle our wagons and get some food and music on and meet each other in person I love the new life of mine. Money, a little, no money, I got a home and a bunch of oddball friends who think the same way

[graydawg]

Dennis you really hurt my feelings and now I know the truth, so you think we are oddballs haha, but if I remember you have 2 buses, don't you? I really enjoy my life choice, of not paying a huge house note, insurance, upkeep and the list goes on, and so does the money, especially if you don't have a pocketful, I guess most of us are living the best we can afford, some by choice, some not. overall I love the lifestyle myself and allot of my friends always ask if I get claustrophobic, my answer is always that if I do I open a window or go outside. I think allot of people are not ready to sacrifice to get out of debt and so they keep paying that note to live in a castle with a whole lot more space than they need and waste the rest. I have been living in RV's since I got out of the military in 1984, I spent 4 years living out of a suitcase (constant back to back temporary duty assignments) now instead I got a big suitcase to live in, no packing and unpacking.

[Patrick46]

When my wife met me back in 1984, I was living in a stepvan parked in the back of a junkyard. (I was a live-in watchdog). This was my 2nd steppie.
Had a PO Box, joined a healthclub to take showers, had my first signshop in my buddy's taxidermy studio, and rode with an outlaw m/c club. Life was simple...I LOVED IT!!
People often asked me how I could live in a little stepvan like this?? Well, seeing as I used to live in a cab-over semi tractor...this place was HUGE by comparison!!!! Why...I can stand up and put my pants on!
I'm now prepairing to buy stepvan #7 in my fleet.

[Bob]

1966 VW van camper
1967 VW van camper
1964 Ford van camper
1963 Chevy class C
1969 Chevy class C
1978 Dodge Beaver class C
some class A that I dont remember
1969 Ford class C
1989 Hawkins diesel pusher
I am beyond the thought of even thinking living in a non-mobile home again.

[47 REO]

For me. there's only one place that feels like home:

1947 Reo Safety Schoolbus Conversion

Lived in it since I was six! (Now I'm 26) This is it, no more buses for me, I'll just keep sinking all my money into this one inanimate object until someday it's perfect. My four year old son loves it, someday it'll be his.

[rlaggren]

No trail of years and models here.

Just been on the 32' Westsail for the last 10 years. Might try a bus or truck in the next few years, though.

Rufus

[teamgreen]

Well I moved alot as a kid. Then after high school came a couple years of grateful dead tour where I figured out it may be possible to travel year around through some sort of vending. Loved vending and then was really inspired by Rogers book and the group he did craft shows with. That is still ultimately what I want to do(probably nuts). Anyway then I moved to Ca Bay area to work for an Uncle and it is CRAZY expensive. So I bought a bus ;
59 Ford skoolie
72 Ford skoolie
56 Ford bread van
truck camper
69 dodge motorhome
79 Winnebago (hated that styrofoam nightmare, no offence to whoever I just offended.sorry)
Just bought a converted 71 Ford Bus
Hoping this will be the last,Pictures soon

[stuartcnz]

Grew up living on yachts.

35 ft Wharram catamaran
25 ft Spencer Stiletto
26 ft Athol Burns motor sailor
29 ft 6 inch Compass H28 (Herreshof H28 derivative)

Which corrupted me for ever.

Spent time on various other boats and now own a 27 ft 4 inch Hartley Tasman motor sailor.

Currently living in a house, otherwise known as a boat but so poorly built that it will not float.

My ambition is to alternate between living in my house, a house truck and a boat.

[Jones'n4chrome]

My ambition is to alternate between living in my house, a house truck and a boat.

Stuart,

Try not to limit yourself so much, I think you could fit an airplane in that lineup somewhere.

Chuck

[stuartcnz]

Chuck, now that you mention it, I always thought that a Zepplin would make a cool mobile home.

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

A zep is a great idea

[teamgreen]

I wouldn't count out treehouses, teepees, or submarines .