Katy…I agree totally that there are certain ‘positive’ aspects to using Rainbow paint jobs on a Schoolie…it definitely makes a statement on what a person stands for.
(I’m an old Peacenik and Save the Planet sort of guy from way back when…so I do relate)
But at the same time, doing something like that limits where you can take a rig that looks that way.
If your intent is to only visit Barter fairs, Alternative Energy Fairs, Rainbow Gatherings, Blue Grass or Reggae Concerts and any other place(s) that ‘Alternative types’ hang-out…then a rainbow colored bus is going to receive plenty of ‘Positive attention’.
Nobody there is going to have a problem with it….
But if you intend to live in that bus fulltime and travel through some of the “Schoolie” unfriendly states …then you’re going to run into problems.
For instance… California & Oregon.
Even though historically both of those States have a long history of folks living in House Trucks & Schoolies…and have very large groups of ‘Alternative Types’…they’re also places where you’ll find incredible restrictions and a definite Anti-Folks living in Alternative RV’s viewpoint/stance.
It’s really not coming from a distaste of the rigs …its more an anti-hippy attitude that’s the primary motivator here.
So…any of the ‘Mecca’s’ (Santa Cruz, Garberville, Eugene, Ashland etc.) that tend to draw folks living in Schoolies & Such, also have some very hardcore restrictions on living in rigs.
In those areas you can forget about Boondocking or slipping down some back alley to get some sleep. The powers that be, very seriously watch out for that, and when you’re caught you’ll be told to move on and very likely ticketed.
This is why you see the majority of ‘Alternative RV’s’ in those states secretly parked behind friend’s houses or up some Forest Service logging road.
I know parking your rig behind a friends house sounds like fun…but it really isn’t fun to be in a situation where you know, not only you can get into trouble for doing something like this …your ‘Friend ‘ can too, because almost all city’s have restrictions and rules against people living in vehicles in your yard.
But…unfortunately you’re stuck with having to stay at friend’s houses & such if your rig implies ‘Hippy’ in those areas.
Campgrounds are NOT going to let you stay …even really sleazy Trailer Trash type mobile Home Parks will turn you away.
Case in point:
We have a very good friend called RomTom who lived in an old Schoolie since the early seventies. This guy is very nice!
I lived on his bus back in 74 as we traveled up & down the west coast hitting the ‘Hippy Trails’…his idea of being a ‘Positive’ sort of person, was to buy old bikes, repair them and then give them away to poor kids who didn’t have a bike. (Like I said…this guy is a very decent human being)
Eventually he settled down with his Schoolie in Eugene Oregon (Hippy Central)…After many years of years of being told to ‘move along’ and ‘you can’t stay here’ …he decides to move into a mobile home park in Eugene.
Not a single one would rent him a spot (even the ones that allowed incredibly trashed looking RV’s to stay).
So he wound up giving his Bus away and buying a used Motor Home…just so he & Ellie would have a rig that was allowed (accepted) in campgrounds & Trailer Parks.
By the way…this is the primary reason you see so many converted & partially converted Hippy looking Schoolies for sale on the West Coast.
Tons of happy & well-meaning folks bought a Schoolie with thoughts of living a free & nomadic lifestyle only to find out that very few & sometimes only the most out of the way campgrounds would let them stay.
(Out of the way campgrounds sound Cool…but they’re not much of a help if you need to find a job in a Town or city)
You run into some of the same stuff in the South West States and Texas & Florida can be a problem too. (Any place that has good weather and has a huge influx of the RV ‘Snowbirds’ are not very friendly when it comes to Schoolies , especially Hippy looking ones)
Please…I don’t want anyone to think I’m Anti-Schoolie . I love these things (I’m on my 3rd.)
Even though, I’m going to most likely sell our Bus and build a big trailer … that only has to do with needing more space than our bus has ….it has Nothing to do with some Anti-Schoolie viewpoint or looking for a rig more acceptable to this society.
All I’m trying to do in my feeble & tired way is to try to explain what’s going to eventually happen to anyone if they Hippy-Out their Bus.
It’s fun and all that. You get a bit of positive reinforcement from a small segment of this society …but after awhile (unless you’re completely dense that is) having most of the rest of society treat you with distaste & total distrust gets very old.
This is why you see so few ‘Old-School’ hippies living in Buses anymore…they got Tired of Bucking the system and eventually realized that their choice of lifestyle wasn’t fun anymore and had become more of an endless search for a place where they could stay without being hassled versus any altruistic stuff… So they did what any halfway intelligent being should & got off the road.
So, if your Bus is your Home…ours always are, so anything I have to say only relates to Full time living and not for Schoolies that only are used for camping trips or for going to Sports venues & such. There’s a BIG difference in Living 365 days a year in a Bus versus just camping out in one occasionally …then you want that ‘Home’ accepted just about everywhere.
It makes no sense in having a rig (home) that can only be used in the most out of the way spots (IE.Forest Service Roads, Deserts etc.). You need to have a rig that doesn’t force you to hide out or forces you to hang out with only one small segment of this society just for a little camaraderie.
I think if you want to be really happy in your rig …everyone should take a look at Verns Bus.
It’s the ‘Perfect’ Schoolie…
I can’t think of any campground that would turn his bus away. And if one does…he wont have to drive very far to find one that will.
That paint job is Wonderful …I think he got the idea from a link that Steve posted that showed this Hippy couples bus that they moved down to Belize or somewhere like that in. (very-smart Hippies who realized that Hippy paint jobs wasn’t going to accepted in most Central American Countries
)
He’s designed a rig that doesn’t limit him in his choices, he could travel just about anywhere in this country with few problems…and even the most bigoted Anti-Schoolie type of person would be hard pressed to find something wrong with his bus.
I love his Bus !
Even if you’ve got Hippy Leanings’ it’s the Perfect Camouflage Bus. With a Bus like Vern’s you can go everywhere …stay at most campgrounds…etc.etc.etc.
Then when you visit the Barter fair , Rainbow Gathering or whatever…just whip out your Earth flag and Rainbow banners , pop on a tie-dyed shirt and you’re ready to go.
You’ve got the Best of Both world’s sort of rig…. Very Cool Vern.
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