Living fulltime in your bus?

[harleyman_1000]

 I am wondering who lives fulltime in their bus, and if you travel while doing so? Also tell what kind of bus you are doing so in.
Scott

[bobofthenorth]

Depends what you call fulltime.  We live in the bus when we don't live on the boat.  1981 Prevost Bruce conversion.  Its got wheels under it - we like to use them.

[HighTechRedneck]

I've been living full time in mine for 5 1/2 years now.  In that time have only put 5000 miles on it because my budget doesn't cover much fuel and now the bus needs tires.  While we don't exercise the freedom much, we love the ability it gives to travel while still having our home with us.

[harleyman_1000]

 Thank you both for your responses. Can you please give me more details about your lifestyles either here or in private messages to me?

[bobofthenorth]

Maybe it would be better if you just spelled out exactly what it is that you want to know.  And I should warn you, I don't think Mike & I are a particularly representative sample of the universe of nuts who live in buses.

[harleyman_1000]

 You just hit the nail on the head without even knowing it and saying what I couldn't, because I didn't even know exactly how to  ask it.  If different people explain how they live fulltime, then I will get answers to questions that I hadn't even thought of. I hope that makes sense?

[Chuck Hancock]

I am not currently living in my bus but did for almost two years and loved it.  My wife was still working for IBM (from the bus) and one day when I was pestering her to go out and explore she told me to "get out" and not come back until after 5:00 PM (end of her work day).  I wondered up to the rangers office and found myself hired as a camphost.  Being a camphost can be great duty.  I was a meeter and greeter and loved it.  If you camp host generally the park gives you a free space for about 20 hours a week of volunteer time.  We stayed in that park 6 months and then traveled through Calif, Oregon and Washington for six months.  We went back to the same park for another six months and then traveled east to our home.  We were gone about 20 months and loved it.  I have driven from Connecticut to Calif and backk seven times and covered most of the main east / west highways.  Our style of travel is to use interstates and rest areas and Walmarts for overnite when traveling and stay in campgrounds and use little, side roads when wondering.  We have met great folks in both kinds of places.  If you have any interest in being a camphost there are lots of good publications out there (Worker / Camper  is one).  We  used the FMCA facility to forward our  mail which worked great.  Most of our bills are sent via email and we pay using the internet which makes it easy. 

If I were to give some general advice I would say 1.  pack light,  2. have a general plan of where you want to go and what you want to see  3.  give yourself plenty of time to travel (probably 50% more than you think you need) 4. and most importantly realize that there is no magic in traveling.   You have to enjoy who you are traveling with, your close so you need to give and take easily, you have to be curious or the fun will fade quickly, but with a smile, a good bottle of wine (or two) a great companion and an intellectual curiosity it can be wonderful   Have fun!!!!!!

[Dave5Cs]

We did it for 18 months until the wife got hurt and now we live on a ranch that I work on while be able to work on the bus. The 18 months of living in different areas of California and then 6 months of that time in a Sacramento area delta campground/ resort was really fun and met a lot of nice people. The bus always brough questions and curiosity from others. They wanted tours and walk arounds of the bus. Ours is a 5C Saudi and now it is up on blocks and I am almost done going over the whole air system. Next I will go in and sand a lot of wood panels and re stain the originals that I never had a chance to do before we left the House we sold.

The vinyl took a beating also when you have 3 cats that live inside the bus. Most campgrounds will let dogs out but not cats. so I will have to do some more vinyl work. The bus needs a full cleaning inside after just that short time. It got cleaned each week like a house but now has set outside for another 10 months and needs it bad. When I get done with all the work and the wife is healed we will probably go out at first for 3 months at a time to start and still work on the ranch when back and then out again depending on funds.

You do need a back up plan in case you have mechanical problems (coachnet or similar for sure), Back up fund that you might put money in and just leave it for problem times. Tire fund or fuel fund, etc.

We had a blast while we were out there. The management of the place we were at was not the best and you have to pick your places well. Make sure if you are going to work there and live that they offer you a spot and gas and a spot for your car at least for maybe 20 hours of work a week.

campgrounds in Oregon are a lot less than California so really check pricing in all states. check with Police Departments to see if a certain areas are ok or if you might want to stay out of that one etc.

Cook outside as much as we could to keep the heat down in the bus. If you cut up stuff in the bus like onions just keep a plastic zip lock there and as you peel and cut parts out put them in the bag and take it to the garbage so it does not leave bad smells in the coach. Fill voids in your freezer with ice in baggies so your freezer won't need to be de-iced as much.

Dave5Cs

[Dreamscape]

My wife and I have been living in our 1968 Silver Eagle 01 for almost 4 years. During that time while we were parked for extended periods of time we did most of the interior finish work in red oak, installed a new to us 8v71N along with an Allison 740 when we were in Vancouver, WA last year. I might add, the combo worked like a clock on our way to Texas last Thanksgiving.

We have also enjoyed Camp Hosting this past year and hope to do that again soon.

It was interesting at times, we are still married and enjoy the lifestyle.  Although my wife is hinting that we need a home base with a washer and dryer!

It has been an ongoing project since early 2004 and I'm still working on it! I don't think I'll ever get it finished!

We are now parked in New Braunfels, TX helping out a fellow busnut. A little house repair and hope to help him fix his bruised MC7!

You can find out more by going to our travel blog listed below!

Happy Trails and be safe!

[lostagain]

As much as we enjoy a road trip in the bus, it is nice to come back home. My wife likes her horses, and I like my shop, and all the other advantages of sedentary life. There is more to life than buses.

We have used the bus extensively for years for several reasons. Next winter will be the first time we can get away for several weeks at a time. Our youngest will be away at university, so we'll have the freedom to head South. Looking forward to that.

But sell everything and drive off in the bus for the rest of our lives, no, not for us.

My advice to you is: go away in the bus for a few months, but don't sell the house yet.

JC

[luvrbus]

If you are married you better be sure both parties are in sync and listen to each other, we tried it for a year neither of us really cared for the life style,women do miss a bathtub lol

Me I missed my surrounding like my bedroom and bed I think we could do 4 to 6 months I doubt we could do a year now

good luck

[Ed Hackenbruch]

 We are just starting our 10th year. We know people that have been doing it for over 20 years. Since i see you are going to Blytheville for the rally, look us up. We have a blue 68 MCI 5A. Much easier to talk to you than typing out our story! 

[technomadia]

We've been full time on the road in various RVs for going on 7 years now. The past year and half has been in our bus conversion (1961 GM 4106).

We work as we roam, remotely as software developers. Love having the flexibility to be where we want to be. Our bus is so comfortable for us, we look at it as our condo on wheels. My father is now in hospice, and being able to pull in near him and my family has been a true blessing. It's no disruption to our lifestyle... we can truly be there without needing the juggle vacation time, maintaining a home elsewhere, pet sitters, etc. 

More on our blog linked in the signature. We also have a fairly extensive series that answers a lot of the common questions people have about making a full time nomadic life sustainable (everything from money, family, pets, community, jobs, relationships, internet, healthcare, etc.) - http://www.technomadia.com/excuses .

  - Cherie

[sommersed]

I full time and have done so for about 10 years now.  Used to travel a lot but now have bought land in Elko, Nv, and Pahrump,  Nv, and also Alturas, Ca.  so I travel between them mostly.

I do it to get away from everyone else!

MCI 5A, 1200 watts of solar on the roof.  Maintain water needs with two 55 gallon barrells.

Ed

[harleyman_1000]

  I have been thinking about solar and boonedocking. Is 1200 enough to run everything except for microwave and ac?