1 Year In A Bus

[Bloo Loo]

In the old days the gypsies would come round offering to sharpen your knives.

Now they come round to sharpen your PCs.

Brilliant.

ill take some lucky memory sticks please.

[ʎqɐqɹǝʞɐɥs]

Just for everyones curiosity can you detail all the expenses it cost you to set yourself up like this? I for one would love to know much much it cost to get bussing.

[RufflesTheGuineaPig]

Can you legally drive a Nissan Civilian with just a normal driving licence?(it looks big)

The limit is 3500kg if you passed your test after 2000.

[Bosh]

Well done acidrob...... Great thread.

Saw this and thought of you on holiday

[Methinkshe]

This is AWESOME -

Can you provide more pictures of the toilet and shower please?

Also can you indicate what type of van it is and where you bought it from?

Do you work in London? How do you find the nearest campsite to where you are?

We did the motorhome lark including all our children back in 1994. We used a marine toilet - flushing - and had a waste tank as well as clean water tank under the vehicle. It's a while back but as far as I remember we only needed to empty waste tank every 3 days, and top up clean water tank about the same. Had an electric shower and also carted around a generator so when we weren't on a campsite we could power the shower and the water to the kitchen sink. Also powered a microwave. And had batteries in reserve or when using a generator was too noisy.

Our motorhome slept 10 people! It was based on a Bedford ex county council library van. Cost 2k for vehicle and 6K to have conversion professionally done. Beds doubled as seats in the day and had bases that doubled as storage boxes for clothes. Then had roll out canvas beds above for younger kids.

It was really very comfortable. Kids loved it. We did home-schooling and travelled all around Ireland staying at lovely beaches and pub car parks and anywhere else we could. Often we'd start early in the morning and find public toilets close to the roadside where we could discharge waste tank down the toilet - had a very long connector pipe for the purpose. Could also connect to their water supply and fill clean water tanks. We bought bottled water for drinking, though, unless it was going to be boiled in which case used water from tank.

[durhamborn]

Well done acidrob...... Great thread.

Saw this and thought of you on holiday

Hahahaha ,,that photos mint,,,,hey i bet your favourite dvd is max and paddys road to knowhere lol,,really though fantastic ,no chains,freedom and wireless ps3 whats not to like:)

[BXLONDONMAN]

I have a p/o box for my mail - but also use my parents address as my address for my bank - I do all my banking online anyway - but means I can fill in billing address for visa card for online purchase easily

do you get any trouble drunks etc or the cops do you ever park in the streets?

[fearandloathing]

Congrats to the OP on his first year of full-timing. Cool truck.

I'm planning on doing this at some point, having realised that a boat would probably just be too much of a bottomless money-pit.

Everyone I mention it to thinks I'm mad. I'll now be able to refer them to this thread.

Well done, mate. More info & updates please.

[bear_in_mind]

Brilliant post. Good on you.

I like this kind of adventurous thinking-outside-the-box.

Problem I see is that, your clients probably get slightly surprised to hear that you are a traveller/gypsy and it leaves a bad impression.

[subspace]

What kind of licence do you need to drive something like this?

[dollybassett]

I live in a campervan, have done for the past 2yrs - just me and my small dog. I had a flat I rented but got sick of never having any money left once I had paid the bills. Bought a van and got my then bf to convert it for me - it's cosy but very cheap living. I have a piece of land which I park on when I am not at uni, and when at uni I just park on the street, all the locals know I am there never bother me and I feel very safe. I was never going to be in a position to buy a house, and I didn't want to rent for rest of my life - so this is a different way of living.

Dolly

[GrinAndBearIt]

That's a terrific wide screen telly you got there in the back! The program on looks a bit shit though, some cars in a field.

Oh hang on.... it's the back window.

/stageleft

[GrinAndBearIt]

Congrats to the OP on his first year of full-timing. Cool truck.

I'm planning on doing this at some point, having realised that a boat would probably just be too much of a bottomless money-pit.

You'd hope at least to get a boat with a bottom on it? Unless it's a dodgy deal.

/stageright

[acidrob]

Hmmm. Two downsides:

1. Motorhousepricecrash.com - I bet he's lost 6k on it this year; maybe I'm wrong, but most other second hand things seem to have done very badly over the period.

2. He's kept VERY quiet on the girlfriend front. How many children could you bring up in one of those?

while Motorhomes do depreciate - they don't depreciate as fast as a car - and they don't depreciate as fast as a house in this climate either! Since my motorhome is both my house and my car - I see this as an upside.

I'm not intending to bring up kids in this - its a good size for 2 people (the bed is queen size) , but have thought about putting some hooks up to support a hammock for emergency 3rd berth.

[acidrob]

What kind of licence do you need to drive something like this?

this size is fine with normal car licence.

[acidrob]

Just for everyones curiosity can you detail all the expenses it cost you to set yourself up like this? I for one would love to know much much it cost to get bussing.

I bought this already newly converted for £12K (after some haggling!). An unconverted bus could be bought a lot cheaper - and converting it yourself would be a great project - and suprisingly not too hard!

IF you were to convert yourself there are a couple of books on the subject

Basics you need:

2 internal deep cycle batteries to run all power from.

A large bladder to hold your water

a small water pump

wiring for 240V and plug adapter

battery charger unit

240V lighting

12V lighting

Whilst you could have all storage/kitchen units custom made, normal household cupboards can easily be used with minor customisation. Most of the stuff you needed could be bought secondhand.

Might be a good idea to rent something similar- and take a look how it has been designed.

[acidrob]

Brilliant post. Good on you.

I like this kind of adventurous thinking-outside-the-box.

Problem I see is that, your clients probably get slightly surprised to hear that you are a traveller/gypsy and it leaves a bad impression.

Im sure the impression I give my clients is exactly the same as everyone else at work - I'm 'judged' on the quality of my work - the hours I put in, how I dress, and how I get on with other staff. Sure they might be suprised to hear where I live - but when I explain all about it, they are usually a little jealous of my freedoms rather than thinking - oh he's a bloody gypsy!

[JoeDavola]

Fantastic topic - I have been thinking alot about doing the same thing, some of the nicer motorhomes out there are just as big as the average uk slave box, at a fraction of the cost.

The only thing I find a bit odd is that you are able to find places to stay for free, and the rest of the time you stay at campsites that work out at £20 a week? Could you give an example of one of these sites?

Keep us updated with how things go, and well done again!

[Vested Disinterest]

Here's a blog about living in a tent I heard about through the HPC forum

http://torminalis.blogspot.com/

How about you acidrob? Not felt the need to share every boring detail with the world?

Actually the tent blog is quite interesting.

[Bardon]

Nice one acidbob, a great adventure. Reminds me of my younger days when I used to travel around with no fixed abode and always managed to find somewhere to live at least for one night. A friend of mine his wife and two kids had a mid life crisis chucked the job bought a bus and converted it into a mobile home. They are travelling around oz right now self educating their kids have set up a blog and it looks like it is a great life experience for them all.

For those that cant afford a bus then here is a guideline for living in a car.

How to Live in Your Car

Living in a car isn't something that anyone would recommend. However, when you get laid off, your emergency fund runs out, your home is foreclosed (or you get an eviction notice) and there's nobody to help, living in your car might be the only choice, especially if you don't feel safe at a local shelter. Unfortunately, in many places, sleeping in your car is not only frowned upon, but also illegal. Here's how to get by until something better comes along.

Remember, you are not alone and you have a vehicle.

StepsFind a safe and inconspicuous place to park. First, check to see if there are any organizations in your area (or a nearby area) that designates parking lots specifically for people in situations like yours; it's not only legal, but the organization might screen the people who use the lot, or even designate a women-only lot.[1] If there are no such lots available, and you live in a city, look for streets with no sidewalks, no overlooking windows, and adjacent to woods; the area should be sparse enough to avoid nosy onlookers but populated enough that the car does not stand out.[2] Parking lots of big-box retailers (especially those that are open 24 hours and have restrooms, such as Wal-mart) are great to clean up in and have security. As long as you spend a couple of dollars there and don't park in one place too often.

Camp sites are another option, although they usually have time limits and are almost as expensive as a hotel room. Some offer a shower for a nominal fee.

National Forests have some free camping with a limit of 14 days.

If there's no restroom, having a creek nearby helps for rinsing purposes. Know how to safely defecate outdoors and make a poop tube.

Five gallon bucket with a lid and lye in for odor.

Once you find a spot, try to arrive late at night, and leave before 7am. This will draw as little attention as possible to yourself.

If you can establish rapport with the manager of a retail store or restaurant, they may not give you problems about staying overnight, especially if they see your presence as a form of overnight security.[3]

A free hospital parking lot is another option. If approached by a guard, you can say that you're waiting to visit a sick relative.[4]

Find a place to shower. The most logical place is a gym. This will help you keep your sanity and give you a purpose to your morning. Don't settle for the first gym you find. If you look around, you may find nearly deserted gyms in which you can shower and fully clean yourself without embarrassment.

The next best choice is to check into a cheap motel or hostel once or twice a week and clean up thoroughly there (if you can afford it).

Public pools tend to have showers, depending on whether they have private stalls or are set up gang style, they may provide a discrete place to shower.

At a truck stop, you can ask around for a shower coupon, if you feel safe allowing people to know that you're without a place to stay. Truck stops are good to sleep at too.

Some toll roads, especially state turnpikes, have large rest areas with free showers for truckers. Since these are usually open 24 hours, these plazas are also good places to sleep.

Rest areas on National highways are good for a few hours and most have security.

Keep an eye out for community college athletic field houses-- they don't always check IDs, and can be a good free shower option.

Be discreet. Keeping your situation under wraps minimizes the embarrassment and helps avoid becoming a target for police officers and criminals alike.

Rotate among several parking locations to avoid getting noticed.

When you move around in the parked car, move slowly to avoid rocking the car.

Consider using a car cover. Not only will it maintain privacy (especially since condensation on the windows will otherwise make it obvious that you're in there) but it will also keep the car warmer during winter. This is not a viable option, however, when it's hot outside.

When it's sunny in the daytime, use a sunshade for the windshield.

Keep the windows cracked open while you sleep, not wide enough for someone to reach in, but enough to allow fresh air and reduce condensation on the windows.

Get the things you'll need. The basic essentials for living in a car are a blanket, a pillow, and a mattress or some other padding. Due to the angles involved in the seating setup, you may develop dull back pain from the cramped quarters. Should this happen, be sure to have pain medication on hand. Once you have your sleeping gear, you'll want a blanket to place over the back seat, and draped over the two front seats. This will block light and people's views.

Find alternate ways of generating electricity. A cigarette lighter converter is one option. These are useful for powering low consuming devices (100 watts), but if you plan on using your vehicle for cooking, then you'll need to draw power more directly from your battery or you'll blow the fuse. You will also need a much more expensive converter, and need to idle the vehicle while drawing this power. An alternative is to use gas, but do not use this inside the vehicle for safety reasons.

Have a place to store items that is portable. Get bags you can fill with your soaps, clothes, cell phone, etc. Keeping things in order will save you a lot of hassle. A vehicle may seem like a small space, but losing things can be extremely easy. Also, keeping things neat inside the car will draw less attention from people passing by who happen to look in the windows. Hiding your bedding might be a good idea (consider the trunk). There's not a lot of extra room in a vehicle for a week's worth of clothes, so consider finding a hiding place to keep them. The laundromat is great, but don't waste a load by throwing in too much, or not diluting the soap first. When you're not in the car, leave windows cracked and dryer sheets scattered about to keep the interior smelling decent. Wash your sheets once a month, or else you risk smelling like a homeless person, which will blow your cover and get you treated like a homeless person.

Keep dirty clothes separate in plastic bags so they do not smell up all your clothing.

Evaluate your food options. Peanut butter, tuna and crackers are great staples. Have a box for food so it does not get smashed. Gallons of water are a necessity for a lot of things.They will be limited by the lack of refrigeration. Fast food is expensive when you're living off of it. With old fashioned (large flake) rolled oats, powdered milk, bottled water, plastic cups, and chocolate protein powder, you can ensure that you always have a nutritious snack to fall back on.[5]

Before you start living in your car, use your permanent address to:

Rent a P.O. Box or a Private Mail Box (PMB). Although PMBs tend to be more expensive, you can receive packages at them and some services will let you use a address format which makes it appear to be an apartment, which is useful for when someone requires a physical address.

Sign up for a gym membership. (This however, can be expensive, and if your resources are limited, you may find it to be a drain.)

Renew any paperwork that will require an address to process soon.

Put valuables in a safe deposit box at a bank.

If you have friends or family who can't (or refuse to) help you with your living situation (or you refuse to ask them for help) think about at least asking them if you can use their address.

Stay positive. Keep reminding yourself that the situation is only temporary. Spend each day hitting the pavement and looking for jobs. Use the local library and bookstore not only to search for jobs, but also to become more knowledgeable in ways that will help you get through this and find a job. Most importantly, talk to people like social workers and religious organization workers who will sympathize and understand, and try to help.

[edit] TipsIf your car has the capacity, install a hanging bar. This will provide a bit more storage space as well as keep clothes wrinkle-free for job interviews, etc.

Tint your windows for privacy; tinting works better than using barriers (blankets etc.) because it enables you to see out while others cannot see in. This could be helpful when trying to leave unnoticed. Barriers also attract attention and advertise what you are doing, while tinted windows are very common on many cars.

If you wear contact lenses you will need a disinfectant for your hands. Better yet, wear glasses.

Sleeping will likely be a challenge at first because there is a good chance that your vehicle is not large enough for you to fully stretch out your body. Find a position where you can comfortably sleep with your legs bent or against your chest. Alternatively, you can try sitting up in the back seat and propping a pillow against the wall of the car.

Get an automobile association membership. This will help you if you drain your battery, or break down.

Make sure you have vehicle documentation and insurance. Without them, your problems will increase.

Personal safety should always be your number-one priority. Knives used for food preparation and tire irons can be used as weapons. You may want to learn your state's gun laws and purchase a handgun or other firearm if you do not already own one. Criminals seek out people who appear vulnerable, or travel alone. Sometimes the sound of a cocked gun will be sufficient enough to deter a potential mugger.

If you are spending the night in your car and you have been drinking alcohol, do not have the keys in the ignition, If it is winter and you need to run the car for heat, move over to the passenger or back seat. Otherwise, you could get a DUI/DWI just for being in your car.

The garbage truck or other neighborhood noises can wake you up. Consider earplugs.

Pay attention to your instincts. If a parking spot feels weird for any reason, find yourself a new one.

If you are on food stamps, and can't afford deodorant or car deodorizer, baking soda is really good substitute that food stamps can buy. Also cheap dollar store hydrogen peroxide along with baking soda, are a phenomenal toothpaste. If for some reason you cannot bath for a day or two, baking soda will make your hair clean and grease free.

Apply for HUD Housing in remote areas of the country where there is no waiting list.

[edit] WarningsNever sleep in the driver seat if you can avoid it. Your body will quickly associate that seat with sleeping, creating risks when you are driving - especially when you're tired. Recline the passenger seat or lie down in the back if there is room.

If you are sleeping in the car on a regular basis, do as few other things in the car as possible. Don't eat, read, or anything else that will cause you to spend more time than necessary in the car. The more time you spend in it, the more smells will accumulate.

If you use a car cover, never run the car or smoke while it is on. You could easily suffocate or get carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, do not use it on a warm day without adequate ventilation.

Be careful who you tell about your living in a car. If they're not likely to provide assistance, then don't bother, because you might end up endangering yourself.

Be aware that having a gun in the car carries its risks. If you are startled awake and point the gun at the wrong person (i.e. a cop tapping on the window), you can wind up being shot yourself.

Don't drink alcohol. Don't even bring any alcohol into your car. If cops find you with alcohol in your blood or in your car, you could get in serious trouble, even if you're not driving at the time.

[edit] Things You'll NeedCar with insurance and license

Blankets and pillows

Towels and wash cloths

Water

Gas

Food

Gym membership (you will stay clean and work off stress)

Automobile association membership (if your car insurance doesn't include Roadside Assistance)

[Miserable Barsteward]

Well done for having the courage to put your ideas into practice.....I had the same idea in 2004 and again in 2007..but despite having an offer on my property I backed out both times...It takes alot to make that leap of faith....needless to say I am locked in now to the treadmill....Hope you enjoy your freedom.

[Smith]

IF you were to convert yourself there are a couple of books on the subject

Hi, I'm Louis McClure, you may remember me from such books as...

Nice.

Done it myself. In summary: nice in Summer, not so good in winter. And don't fight too hard with the prejudice about 'gypsies'; it's precisely because of that that so few people do it. If loads of people started doing it then it'd start getting much harder: new laws, taxes, Daily Mail campaigns etc. to stop it.

That said, it's certainly not for everyone. We're talking about a lifestyle choice here, not a straight alternative for a flat.

Smith

[Austin Allegro]

I think there is a lot of discreet living in vans going on. In London streets I often see minibuses with curtains covering all the windows. I think people are more sensible and discreet about it now than they were in the 'hippy convoy' days of the 1980s.

On the subject of women, I cautiously sounded out the young lady I'm 'courting' at the moment about how she would feel if I lived in a houseboat. She didn't quite 'get' it, sadly, and said 'if you want to save money why not just live in a tent'.

[bomberbrown]

Acid Bob.

I forgot to say initially, hats off to you mate! If I wasn't lucky enough to be in a HA flat in a nice area in London, I'd seriously consider joining you.

One thing that would make me think twice is security. Are you never worried that someone might break in whilst you're away at work when its parked in either a campsite, carpark, where-ever? Also, what if you want to go abroad on holiday for a fortnight, who looks after the camper?

[Smith]

I think there is a lot of discreet living in vans going on. In London streets I often see minibuses with curtains covering all the windows. I think people are more sensible and discreet about it now than they were in the 'hippy convoy' days of the 1980s.

On the subject of women, I cautiously sounded out the young lady I'm 'courting' at the moment about how she would feel if I lived in a houseboat. She didn't quite 'get' it, sadly, and said 'if you want to save money why not just live in a tent'.

Hi Austin, I've done both the houseboat thing and the lorry thing and I'd plump for the latter any day. The canal boat fraternity are in the main a rich and snobby lot and the cost of buying, maintaining, licencing, storing etc. reflects that. Also, in winter you have the added discomofort of living so close to water: cold and damp.

For some reason there's a certain romance attached to living in a boat and the contrary to living in a lorry. The young ladies tend to like the idea of the former but not the latter, IME. When it comes to the crunch (eg staying over, coming round for dinner etc.) though they soom discover the reality! Luckily I don't have to worry about that anymore as my other half is very understanding of my 'pikey tenedencies'. ;-)

Smith