Cool! Camper/bus/little house on Craigslist

[Gardenarian]

I thought this was pretty neat! Not for me right now...someday? It's in San Francisco.
They are asking $13,000.00
Custom Craftsman Bus, 38k miles: Make it your Home! (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/rvs/4231023665.html)

[pcooley]

I lived in a similar bus for three years in my twenties. I still regret giving it up and still have dreams about it.

[Tussiemussies]

Really nice on the inside! Thanks for sharing!

[Spartana]

The link expired so I missed it. But I do love campers except for the fuel costs - YIKES! So I guess the only affordable way would be to have some land to put it on or live in a RV park. Although I'm still a small house person myself but can see the advantages of having a movable home.

[shadowmoss]

I've been looking at camper vans like Roadtrek or LeisureWay. Smaller than a class C, but basically the same price. Better fuel mileage and more discreet. Some day.

[CathyA]

My brother is thinking of retiring in the near future and considering selling his house and buying a truck and a camper to live in. I think he shouldn't sell his house just yet. What if he doesn't like the nomad's life? Then again, he might not want to stay in MN, once he gets to experience warmer climes.
Help me understand this.........do you just look for campgrounds to "recharge" and empty things?

[Alan]

Help me understand this.........do you just look for campgrounds to "recharge" and empty things?
That's one way to do it, but you don't actually need campgrounds to do those things. The on-board generator will recharge the batteries and many rest areas and truck stops have dump stations for your black and grey water tanks.

[CathyA]

Thanks Alan.

[simplelife4me]

www.cheaprvliving.com

[CeciliaW]

Very interesting site. Thanks simplelife4me.

[Spartana]

www.cheaprvliving.com Cool website! Thanks for posting that. Do you live like this yourself? Like Shadowmoss I occasionally look at some of the smaller Van-based RVs to travel in. I have done a few months full time thing in a regular van with 2 larger dogs and it was pretty much hell-0n-wheels :-)! Never again! But now with just one small dog I have often thought of doing it again. However I know I like to have a a bit more luxury and space if I'm staying in one area longer term so look more at off season low cost rental houses now than I do RVing. For the price to purchase an RV, nightly RV Park fees (which can be very high), fuel, insurance, maintenance, storage fees when you aren't using it, hassle to drive it, etc... I can rent various vacation houses for a long, long time. So now I'm more into just driving a compact and fuel efficient car, staying at a vacation rental for a month or so, and tent camping or staying at budget motels during the "travel" part of travelling. But I still like to look and dream!

[Spartana]

My brother is thinking of retiring in the near future and considering selling his house and buying a truck and a camper to live in. I think he shouldn't sell his house just yet. What if he doesn't like the nomad's life? ?I'd definitely encourage him to give it a try for at least a month before he sells everything. Many people I know dream of doing something like this (or a life of sailing the world in a boat or living on a desert isle, etc...) and get rid of everything - job, home, spouse :-) - to do it and end up hating it. So unless he has had the opportunity to actually try it long term, then he's be wise to wait until he can give it a try before selling off everything. There is an old movies starring Albert Brooks called "Lost in America" about an LA couple who quit their jobs, sell off everything, buy a giant RV and want to travel around the USA. About 15 minutes after driving off for their new adventure they hate it and regret their choice. Anyways, it's funny and I always tell people who want to get rid of it all and do the RV thing to watch it first.

[Teacher Terry]

My hubby & I bought a used 27 ft. motor home because we thought it would be great to take vacations in & then eventually travel a year or so after retiring. That was 7 years ago. We took it on a 2 week vacation with 4 small dogs & I hated it. He did not. Right after we bought it gas prices skyrocketed so we spent almost 1.5 k in gas alone. We did stay in lots of truck stops so didn't have to pay on the way to our destination but once there stayed at RV parks which are not cheap. Then the next 2 summers we took a few camping weekends to state parks but because there was never any grass the dogs & us came home very dirty-they would all need baths because they have hair not fur. Fast forward the thing has sat in the driveway for the last 4 years. I took insurance/plates off ,etc but it just sits there because DH does not want to sell so we just watch it decline in value. I think someone should rent one & travel to see how they like it. Even though it was used it was an expensive mistake.

[simplelife4me]

I don't live like that, but would want to try it when I do not work anylonger.

[Spartana]

My hubby & I bought a used 27 ft. motor home because we thought it would be great to take vacations in & then eventually travel a year or so after retiring. That was 7 years ago. We took it on a 2 week vacation with 4 small dogs & I hated it. He did not. Right after we bought it gas prices skyrocketed so we spent almost 1.5 k in gas alone. We did stay in lots of truck stops so didn't have to pay on the way to our destination but once there stayed at RV parks which are not cheap. Then the next 2 summers we took a few camping weekends to state parks but because there was never any grass the dogs & us came home very dirty-they would all need baths because they have hair not fur. Fast forward the thing has sat in the driveway for the last 4 years. I took insurance/plates off ,etc but it just sits there because DH does not want to sell so we just watch it decline in value. I think someone should rent one & travel to see how they like it. Even though it was used it was an expensive mistake.That is similar to what my Dad did. He was always buying, and then selling at a big loss, RV's and fifth wheel trailers/trucks with the idea that he and his wife would go run off and travel the country in them. They did it once for a couple of weeks and they both hated it. But he kept thinking if he had just the "right" RV they might like it. So kept buying them but never really using them. So the RV's or trailer would just sit and rot. The last one he bought - a giant behemoth used 42 foot RV - cured him of that though. He bought it for $45K and it sat there unused until he sold it for $11K a few years later. He finally realized how much money he had lost on his various RVs and swore never again! He was true to his word.

[Teacher Terry]

I would never buy another one. My hubby is still hoping we will take a trip in it but the price of gas makes is too expensive. Of course gas skyrocketed right after we bought it. This summer we will drive 4,000 miles but mostly will stay with family/friends for free so will not have lots of motel rooms. The one nice thing is that we did not have to stop to use the bathroom (dogs are pad trained).