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11-12-2015, 09:02 PM
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#1
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cookeville TN
Posts: 9
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Woohoo, I'm about to sell everything I own!
Heyo everyone! My name is Hunter, I'm 20 and living in eastern Tennessee. I'd been considering building a small off grid home for myself for a long time now so that I can save money, go back to school, and fund some long distance motorcycle trips I've been dreaming about. The original plan was to build into a 40' shipping container but then I realized that buses on Govdeals were going for less than the price of containers, and when it's time to move it will be a tremendously less difficult thing to do. The lease on my apartment is up soon so I'm currently in the process of Craigslisting off all of my non-essential junk and looking for a piece of land to rent that's remote enough to undertake this project. I should have the initial funds to get the bus in February and will most likely be living out of it as I work and build onto it. I put together a YouTube channel earlier today called Riverstone and will probably being doing an introductory video tomorrow with the floorplan and plans for the bus & channel. I'll make periodic updates with what I've learned through research and eventually through trial and error. But anyway, excited to be part of the site. I can't wait to hear what advice the wise old bearded bus builders have to offer!
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11-12-2015, 09:16 PM
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#2
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 11
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Hi,
Welcome to the forum. There is LOTS of info on this site for whatever project you want to start for four bus.
enjoy
and post pictures...
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11-12-2015, 09:51 PM
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#3
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Gainesville. Georgia
Posts: 544
Year: 1992
Coachwork: bluebird
Rated Cap: 72
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Welcome.....have you ever been over to Summertown, TN to the old "Steven Gaskins" farm. I know it has changed tremendously but there are still a few old hippies there that can probably share some of their trials & tribulations living full time in a bus. I doubt there are many buses remaining but who knows.
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11-12-2015, 10:05 PM
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#4
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 18
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what bus did you get?
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11-12-2015, 10:34 PM
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#5
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cookeville TN
Posts: 9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by megapiment
and post pictures...
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Of course, or "it didn't happen"!
Quote:
Originally Posted by The-Breeze
Welcome.....have you ever been over to Summertown, TN to the old "Steven Gaskins" farm. I know it has changed tremendously but there are still a few old hippies there that can probably share some of their trials & tribulations living full time in a bus. I doubt there are many buses remaining but who knows.
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I've never heard of a Stevens Gaskins farm but I pass through Summertown when I visit family that lives out that way. I'll look into it and check it out next time I go that way. Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by onemanarmy
what bus did you get?
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Haven't gotten my hands on one quite yet. Hoping for a rear-engined diesel with an emergency door on the side but I'm not so picky. It will probably come down mostly to what's up for auction and within my budget. Still, that being said, I need to do more research on what specific make/engine/transmission I should be shooting for.
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11-12-2015, 10:44 PM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Theres an old out of print book about converted bus living called "Roll Your Own". Written in the early 70's, it has lots of stories about the Gaskin family caravan.
Stephen Gaskin and his family and friends were legendary among the counter-culture. He also appeared in quite a few issues of high times. He was a great guy. He died last year, unfortunately.
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11-13-2015, 05:54 AM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MNT CITY TN
Posts: 5,158
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Welcome and when you say east TN, what are you referring to?
__________________
Our build La Tortuga
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton
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11-13-2015, 01:17 PM
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#8
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 36
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC/2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9TA
Rated Cap: 72
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great decision, respect.
__________________
"Gradually I came to realize that the process of saving the desert of the human heart and revegetating the actual desert is actually the same thing." -Masanobu Fukuoka
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11-13-2015, 05:47 PM
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#9
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cookeville TN
Posts: 9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
Welcome and when you say east TN, what are you referring to?
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I'm in the Cookeville area, so a bit of a drive but not too far.
I'm tempted to head closer to Knoxville when I start looking for land to rent though, I've got family that lives there also.
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11-13-2015, 05:55 PM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MNT CITY TN
Posts: 5,158
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Cookville is like 1/3 of the state WEST of me  ...one day I will share grill space and a few beers with another Skoolie owner 
again goodluck!
__________________
Our build La Tortuga
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton
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11-13-2015, 08:52 PM
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#11
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cookeville TN
Posts: 9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
Cookville is like 1/3 of the state WEST of me ...one day I will share grill space and a few beers with another Skoolie owner
again goodluck! |
I may have to come check it out in the spring. I'm always looking for excuses to get out, ride around and do some camping..especially when beers are involved 
And 1/3 of the state isn't all that far when the tiny bus gets 70mpg...
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11-14-2015, 04:00 AM
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#12
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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At 20, you've got to be the youngest BMW motorcycle owner/rider I've ever heard of!
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11-16-2015, 10:41 PM
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#13
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Gainesville. Georgia
Posts: 544
Year: 1992
Coachwork: bluebird
Rated Cap: 72
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CARAVAN is the name of the book that talks about the trip from San Fran to Summertown back in the 60's....fun reading.
I looked up the place a few years ago and the commune is now gone and various members bought parcels of land and still there.
Steven wife, shoots can't remember her name still lives there, not sure what Gaskin is up to. She is a midwife and teaches and still delivers I think. I plan to stop by once we get on the road. I had spent a week there back in the early 70's and liked what I saw.
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11-16-2015, 11:21 PM
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#14
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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11-17-2015, 10:10 AM
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#15
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cookeville TN
Posts: 9
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Oh wow! I just looked it up on Google maps, I've had to have driven within 3 miles of this place 100+ times in my life going from Knoxville/Cookeville to Savannah! I'm heading home for Thanksgiving soon so I may stop in on the way.
thefarm.org
I'll look up that book Caravan, that does sound like a good read.
And EastCoastCB, that picture of the beemer was taken on the way back from a Horizons Unlimited travellers meeting back in October. I was the youngest person there by about ten years!
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11-17-2015, 06:15 PM
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#16
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poznos
Oh wow! I just looked it up on Google maps, I've had to have driven within 3 miles of this place 100+ times in my life going from Knoxville/Cookeville to Savannah! I'm heading home for Thanksgiving soon so I may stop in on the way.
thefarm.org
I'll look up that book Caravan, that does sound like a good read.
And EastCoastCB, that picture of the beemer was taken on the way back from a Horizons Unlimited travellers meeting back in October. I was the youngest person there by about ten years!
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I'd imagine so! I used to ride a ZRX1200 and I went to a couple of meets and was always the youngin. By at least 10 years!
IF you can find a copy of Roll Your Own, its pretty cool to look through as well. Lots of early 70's "skoolie" goodness in there.
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11-26-2015, 01:08 AM
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#17
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NUNYA
Posts: 4,236
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: DT408, AT545
Rated Cap: 23 500 gvw
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Looks like a party.
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