Unsupportive family/friends

[Mamabird34]

Did anyone else's family and friends completely freak out over your decision to live this lifestyle? Maybe its just because we have children? Feeling like its making it hard to be excited for this new adventure when we are constantly having to defend our decision.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

No,mam.
My mom and dad raised there children to camp.
My wife and children were already used to tent camping through scouting and wanted a little better when we camped as a family.
The only advice I have is I built a family camper that did its job well for the years we have used it.
My issue now is that I built permanent beds/structures for my children and now they are heading to college.
Now I have to figure out how(more momma room) to repurpose under bead storage over the wheel wells and over bead storage that is still needed but once again I have to deal with the wheel wells.
I built permanent structurally for traveling for my kids beds in that area?
At least I know where every bolt,nut,screw is?

[CaptSquid]

My youngest brother did. Following my father's death, I took my share and purchased Brunhilde. Said brother said that he was going to find me a mobile home for $20K. In this neck of the woods, $20K won't get you a cracker box. At least Brunhilde hasn't lost me anything except time. And, as an added attraction, if I decide to move, all I have to do is turn the key

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

Capt. squid.Keep her/him running
If you do need to run I can get you a decent spot with no worries.
No Amenities? But I can get you a dump spot and water if you have tanks.
He is a submariner and a real good friend.
And then some good spots with all hookups but 17$ a day and move in 17 days but you just gotta change spots .

[david.dgeorge07]

Originally Posted by Mamabird34

Did anyone else's family and friends completely freak out over your decision to live this lifestyle? Maybe its just because we have children? Feeling like its making it hard to be excited for this new adventure when we are constantly having to defend our decision.

If people who truly love you have a concern you owe it to them to listen to them and hear them out. If they have a point of valid concern maybe you’re better off to have addressed them. If you think they’re wrong after listening you can use that as fuel to motivate you.

I think some people avoid doing things like this because they can’t put their finger on it but they’re pretty sure there is a catch.

Having been a fair distance down the path I can tell you it is a lot of work and it is genuinely a difficult task to do well. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.

At the end of the day you’re the one who will have to live with your choices. And while it is nice to have people’s approval ultimately that’s not what’s going to determine whether or not it was the right choice. Some might say it better to play it safe. Some might say it’s better not to live in regret of not knowing what would’ve happened if you tried something crazy.

[cadillackid]

my dad "forbid!" me from ever owning a school bus .. that eventually made me want one even more... so much that i have 2 and an eye on a 3rd..

some people seem to think all others must conform to society's "supposed perfect life"... do what you enjoy.. its your life and not theirs.. and chances are they are jealous because you are embarking on living a dream and they dont have the guts to live their own dreams..
-Christopher

[Jdawgsfanasty]

Originally Posted by Mamabird34

Did anyone else's family and friends completely freak out over your decision to live this lifestyle? Maybe its just because we have children? Feeling like its making it hard to be excited for this new adventure when we are constantly having to defend our decision.

If there's a strong family bond they will probably just shake their head and say, "whatever floats your boat"...fix it up and when they are crying their mortgage you can cry about your weak-ass tranny while sitting in your mortgage-less bus...[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

Sent from my VS500PP using Tapatalk

[Twigg]

My family think it's a great idea.

What has surprised me the most is that folk at work, my school and Jodie's, have really taken a shine to the project and wished they had either the skills or determination to do it themselves.

[Tango]

Most Americans seem to want to escape "the system" these days so I can see how Skoolies would fit into lots of folks whole gypsy, run-a-way and join the circus fantasy.

But I guess it's really nothing new...

"Tune in, turn on, drop out."
--- Timothy Leary, 1966

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by Tango

Most Americans seem to want to escape "the system" these days so I can see how Skoolies would fit into lots of folks whole gypsy, run-a-way and join the circus fantasy.

But I guess it's really nothing new...

"Tune in, turn on, drop out."
--- Timothy Leary, 1966

For decades, the only way into the RV lifestyle was to spend tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It made the whole enterprise one for the wealthy, and I am detecting a little displeasure that people of more modest means have found a way to "join in".

Must be very hard for the owners of a million dollar Prevost to see a happy family in a Skoolie enjoying doing exactly what they are doing.

I'm fresh out of sympathy.

[jjhwick119]

Originally Posted by Twigg

What has surprised me the most is that folk at work, my school and Jodie's, have really taken a shine to the project and wished they had either the skills or determination to do it themselves.

this is what ive experienced. every day i have coworkers asking me how my bus search is going, and i work with one girl that also has dreams of a skoolie, whos dating another coworker who wants a boat. had a lot of people interested today as i was bidding on 2 buses that closed this morning (didnt get em)

my mother was all for it when i mentioned a tiny house on a trailer, but when i told her i was looking for buses (living with her right now saving up for the build ever since me and my wife split) and about theyll be structurally stronger than most rvs and cheaper to build myself, she was just like yeah...well maybe youll find something else better, like how you think the bus is better than the trailer. she wasnt outright against it, but definitely seems like she questions the bus.

i think most people dont picture the same thing in their heads that we imagine for ourselves. i think people still assume a stereotypical hippie bus and dont realize the lengths people go through on some skoolies to make them livable

[Robin97396]

Your mother will adapt to the bus. Just fix it so she does a little nesting in there, like stringing up curtains. Before you know it she'll start getting ideas about how it should be fixed up. Besides, she gets her house back if you move into the bus.

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Your mother will adapt to the bus. Just fix it so she does a little nesting in there, like stringing up curtains. Before you know it she'll start getting ideas about how it should be fixed up. Besides, she gets her house back if you move into the bus.

Smart.

Mrs Twigg isn't interested in removing rivets, but she has been busy on Pinterest looking at interiors

[david.dgeorge07]

Originally Posted by Twigg

Smart.



Mrs Twigg isn't interested in removing rivets, but she has been busy on Pinterest looking at interiors

^ A familiar phenomenon.

It’s a little frustrating at times but can also be quite helpful. Sometimes you need somebody who isn’t so intimately involved in how everything has to physically be done to help you remember that there are certain design cues and elements that, while not the easiest way to do things are probably the best way to do things in the long term.

[marrrrrrrk]

Reading this made me laugh, but not at you; I went through the same thing. I had that reaction from family, friends, and randos when I decided to build a tiny house on wheels. Everyone knew I had no experience building anything except for a few bird houses with my uncle and a treacherous lofted bed in college (more room for activities!!!).

I remember sitting at a bar with my cousin in her early 40s (I was 26) telling her the idea of the tiny house. She was super supportive and thought it was such a great idea. I talked about my ideas for the interior and what my plan was to do with it: I wouldn't necessarily travel full time, but I would sort of...migrate. Essentially traveling full time, but much slower. She was so supportive. Until the day I purchased a trailer. She was LIVID! Well, maybe livid is not the right description--but filled with shock and uncertainty, thinking I was insane. Fast forward 6-8 months and she was shocked at the progress I made, how it looked at the time, and went back to being supportive.

Surprisingly my parents were supportive even though they didn't totally understand exactly what I was doing. They're typically supportive of my choices because I have always showed I can take projects to completion. My one aunt especially took interest in it and began binge watching the tiny house shows to talk to me about them.

I befriended a middle aged lady at work and we became close. She said I could build on her 7 acres and told her husband that I was going to build a house in their backyard (she owns the house/land). He didn't believe her and instantly called her when I pulled up to their house with my trailer. To this day, he still calls it "the death trap."

I'm looking to buy a bus within the next month or two if I can find one to my liking and I'm sitting here chuckling at the backlash I'm going to get. "But what is wrong with your house!? I know you put a lot of work into it!" Ugh, here he goes again building random things--joining "another fad." Meh. Who cares.

Nothing. Nothing is wrong. I like to call this the continuation of a quarter-life crisis.

[2martins]

Originally Posted by Mamabird34

Did anyone else's family and friends completely freak out over your decision to live this lifestyle? Maybe its just because we have children? Feeling like its making it hard to be excited for this new adventure when we are constantly having to defend our decision.

It was my son's idea and my husband and I thought it was a great idea. So much so, that I went to go look at the bus he found online, bought it, and am going to let him park it in the driveway while I help him fix is this summer. He hopes to be able to live in it for a semester or two while he isn't in the dorms. It's bigger than a dorm!

If he just wanted to wander around it I would probably be less than enthusiastic, but I took off for Europe for 3 months when I was 20 and my parents didn't like it one bit. I did it anyway and I have never regretted it.

[GypsySkool]

My mother was actually more excited when I told her we were camping forever on a bus then when I moved out of her house into an apartment. But people react differently. I definitely have a lot of support from my coworkers who wish they had a bus . And since my fiance and I have always been around camping it was only natural to us. His family lives full time in a BP trailer out on the lake.

Best thing to do is listen to concerns posed by others. They may not change your mind but sometimes those questions can help you find solutions to problems you didn't even realized you had. My mothers first question though after hearing about the bus was how will my son get to school... I really had to laugh at this one cause obviously he will ride the BUS! but informing her that I will be homeschooling made a difference. I also had to prepare myself on how to go about that.
My fiance is my "What if?" man. He asks all the questions that I haven't thought about yet and again it helps me find solutions.

But don't let people change your plans for you. Make every decision based on what is good for you and your family. I asked my kids what they thought about living this way before ever taking them to see a bus. I involved my family in the planning of owning a school bus and now shortly we will be living in it.

[jonb8]

Me and the wife will be empty nesters in less then 2 years and have been looking at property to buy so we can build a tiny house in the woods. I was thinking one day that building a new house was going to cut into are traveling and adventure time/money. When it's done we'll just go back to taking off every chance we get to go away for the weekend....That's when I decided are tiny house should be mobile because that's what we REALLY want to do...
My wife has already told her mom and my family know's I'm nuts so were actually in good shape...Good luck with your family, once the bus starts coming together they will warm up to it.

[Miles O Roads]

As said,most of my friends allready knew I was nuts. As for family opinion not worried about it. I want my kids to see things and enjoy new places. I was in a semi from time I was in diapers till I was around 10 on summer breaks. Seen alot of cool things met alot of neat people. As messed up as it is I set a goal a few weeks ago to be homeless by the time I turn 40 and I just turned 36. So 4 years to get everything in line and move forward. As for anyone that knocks the lifestyle you choose that makes you happy,well........... They may be a little toxic in your life. Im trying to get to a lifestyle that when my health gets bad I dont have alot of I wishes,I will have do you remember times.

[Thomas1985]

Originally Posted by Miles O Roads

As said,most of my friends allready knew I was nuts. As for family opinion not worried about it. I want my kids to see things and enjoy new places. I was in a semi from time I was in diapers till I was around 10 on summer breaks. Seen alot of cool things met alot of neat people. As messed up as it is I set a goal a few weeks ago to be homeless by the time I turn 40 and I just turned 36. So 4 years to get everything in line and move forward. As for anyone that knocks the lifestyle you choose that makes you happy,well........... They may be a little toxic in your life. Im trying to get to a lifestyle that when my health gets bad I dont have alot of I wishes,I will have do you remember times.

I agree with this. Namaste Miles.

"Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin.. into the future.."