Book - Freewheeling Homes -

Discussions about all things to do with buses, trucks, and the homes made within them.

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motthediesel
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Book - Freewheeling Homes -

Post by motthediesel »

Got a January catalog from Lee Valley Tools today. If you haven't heard of them, they are a small, high quality woodworking and gardening tool outlet based just north of me in Ottawa, Ontario. http://www.leevalley.com
They are listing a small (8"x8", 96 pgs.) book entitled "Freewheeling Homes" by David Pearson (not, I hope, the old stock car driver!). Mostly seens to be about homebuilt camping trailers. The two pictures shown are of a twin axle, clapboard sided, tin roofed, "Cabin on Wheels", and a classic Gypsy Caravan trailer, looks like interesting stuff! Blurb also mentions 75 color prints, including a bus conversion, so who knows?
Best of all, they are offering the tome for the princely sum of $5.95! I'm ordering one on the morrow, so I'll let you know what I think when I get it.
Cheers,
moT
Sharkey
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Post by Sharkey »

Well, I searched around on that site trying to find the book but couldn't, so then I searched around on the web and couldn't find it there either. David Pearson is also the author of Freewheeling Homes. Let us know what the book is like. For that price, I could afford to get a copy to review.
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dadeo
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Post by dadeo »

i've got that book, its pretty cool. mostly about trailers, like you say, and like 2 pages on busses and another 2 on school busses. It has a section in the back on how to make a gypsy-style wagon. Its definetly worth $5.95!!
motthediesel
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Post by motthediesel »

Sharkey,
Yah, that link you posted is for the same book, but $5.95 beats eleven pounds any day!
moT
Sharkey
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Post by Sharkey »

Oooh, I must have been really tired when I read that post. I spent all that time looking for "Cabin on Wheels" by David Pearson...
roasting8
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Book - Freewheeling Homes -

Post by roasting8 »

It looks like it was a book I couldn't do without, just ordered mine today. :)
motthediesel
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Post by motthediesel »

My friend the Fedex man delivered the book yesterday, the following is my first attempt at a book report in about 35 years. :)

As expected, it is mostly about traditional Romany style caravans from Britain, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! Almost all the featured homes show a very high degree of craft in their design and construction. There are some excellent photos of both interior and exterior details that are worth the $6 price alone. Anybody building any kind of rolling home is sure to get some ideas, or at least inspiration from those shots.
There are a few pages devoted to a nice Euro-bus conversion that is very well done, and a few Stateside projects are shown as well. There is a short section devoted to the construction of a traditional bow top wagon which might be of interest to any horsey types out there. (For myself, I make it a policy to avoid contact with any and all mamals more than twice my size) :lol:
The last section of the book is devoted to some v. nice pen and ink drawings of floor plans, construction details, and decorative carvings.
In total, I'd say that for less the the cost of a typical stop at Starbucks, "Freewheeling Homes" is well worthwhile.
Cheers,
moT
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dadeo
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Post by dadeo »

i agree, and thats a much better rewiew then i gave :)

dadeo
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