To jump or not to jump?....There is NO question!
In this day and age of public liability or any liabilty for that matter, hand sanitizers, antibiotic pushers, and 'political correctness' and regulations for EVERYTHING, is it any wonder that the perceived 'risk' of buying and living on a bus is terrifying for the average person?....but Ive never been one to strive to be 'the average person'.
My general rule of life is that there are NO RULES. I decided long ago-to the furrowed brows of my parents- that rules werent for me. I figured if some other person made up the rules then why cant I just make my own? Naive as a 9 yr old perhaps but entirely reasonable. Dont get me wrong, Im not saying everyone shouldnt have rules- your general 'joe shmoe' NEEDS guidance and boundaries to keep them in check but for those of us that CAN think FOR ourselves but NOT OF ourselves, have the common sense to know what is innately 'right' or 'wrong' and where that line wavers, have respect for others to have that same right, and compassion and empathy enough to 'feel' our way through life without hurting or compromising other beings....Ive totally forgotten where i was going with that but....ahhh...so long story short- I BOUGHT MYSELF some FREEDOM. A mortgage free, mode of transportation and a forever home for myself and my family. The offspring are super enthused about the idea of inheriting a bus instead of a mansion i must say! hahaha! ;-) Im sure when they realise that a mobile, self reliant, mortgage free,and bill free,off grid home that can be in the mountains, on a farm, in a rainforest, on a beach, in the desert or a city backyard is actually a pretty awesome thing to 'have'. I think giving my kid the know how to build and maintain and repair their own anything and the desire to learn more and pass that 'freedom' onto their own kids is an awesome gift that I know they'll appreciate one day.
Having set it all in motion, been lucky enough to buy a bus from a friend who will let me pay off- the ONLY way i would be able to do this even!- and have finally got the old girl- a 1965-66? Bedford Comair Bus VP3- to her new resting and makeover spot in melbourne, we are ready to start her makeover...whilst living aboard. :-)
oh yeah...why i started this rant... Ive been reading forum after forum on the subject of bus conversions and RV living and even the tiny House phenomenon that is taking over an ever increasingly aware population who has realised that they are being duped by the 'people in charge' and are using these modes of housing to get around and jump over rules,permits and regulations set up to make the rich,richer and for ONLY that reason and am surprised at how many 'people' tend to 'poo poo' the idea of starting from scratch and renovating old busses to RV/mobile home standards. I dont know for sure but assume that these posts are written by RV companies or bus conversion businesses that want you to cheat and buy a ready made piece of their work, layed out the way THEY think you want to live so THEY can make money money mo-nayyy! Dont believe the hype!!
YES- its hard work..but its satisfying and YOUR WORK FOR YOURSELF and family.
YES-it can be costly...but there are always ways to do things for less..In this disposable society of ours, there are PLENTY of ways to get good to re-purpose, recycle, save from land fill, swap with others, barter and buy for cheap. That in itself can be work but worth it when you find the treasure you seek...usually in the most unsuspecting places!
YES- it is difficult to find out information from authorities regarding your build and the regulations to do with motorhomes in particular- BECAUSE alot of it doesnt exist....YET. I have always lived by the motto- " If you don't want 'them' to say no to your requests.....DONT ASK PERMISSION".
It has worked for the few small businesses i started and ran until i got bored of them or felt like they'd lost their soul or were at risk of losing their integrity due to other partners involved losing interest, sabotage or greed changing the initial feel and tainting the reason they were started in the first place. Before I did every single one, people told me they couldn't be done without this or that...mainly money...even having my offspring i was told that!! I understand people feel the need to feel 'secure' but money wont do that for you..its a false sense of security money gives you...its got nothing on a few encouraging words and a pep talk and good ol motivational "good on ya" every once in a while!
turnnoffyourmind
theartofmadeline
areudirty
blakekathryn
stormborns