First time caller....

[grimmwerks]

Hey all; 50 year old (today in fact) with wife, 4 kids (one going to college next year, 3 others 6 and under) considering jumping onto the bandwagon - or bus really - and making a go of it, but I've got a few questions being a complete newb.

I was considering this for a little while - my wife is from the UK, coming over here to meet and marry me; we've been thinking about moving back to Wales for her family and our boys but thought we should travel the US first for a year or so. Though I'm 50 (sheesh man I still feel 20 in my head) I've not had many adventures, having lived in NJ the first 40 years and now CT -- so thought I'd take the plunge, but had some trepidation about all sharing that small space. I'm a computer programmer and was trying to think how I could work while on the road, as well as starting our own first conversion.

Watching the GoodNewsBus and Treb Adventures I realized that a) it's possible with a larger family to live in a small space and b) seeing the welding / raising the roof episode on GoodNewsBus I thought 'yeah I can totally do that myself'.

The thing that most worries me is working while on the road, and I thought why not making an office trailer that we pull? Thinking it would be a small office-type that could also have a secondary toilet and bed just in case (in case my mother in law or college kid wants to come on the road, as well as offers a second toilet for the kids just in case).

So:
- It it realistic hauling an office space?
- Curious about any threads about high speed internet (though nowadays doubt that's too much of an issue in most places).
- Having seen too many cases of large families with kids and seat belts built in for travel? Can kids sleep in bunks if traveling overnight? Considering most schoolbuses don't even have seatbelts for school kids I wonder how much of an issue this is?
- Any issues with one small toilet and a large family? I guess having all boys and #1 can be taken care of easily outside...


Felt like I had a lot of other questions but I'm sure there's most of the common issues will be sussed out as I go; was most curious about a bus with a trailer....

 

[Robin97396]

Welcome

I think you've got a good argument for using an articulated bus with your space concerns. Talk about taking your work with you.
As far as mobile high speed internet, with your job you're more in a position to answer that question than most of us. I'm sure there will be someone along to address that issue.
Seat belts are common in buses these days. Some well placed cargo netting could make sleeping in bunks while traveling much safer.
Even with all boys, you will have a toilet of some sort for the Misses. Barbie toilet probably.

 

[o1marc]

Welcome to the addiction. Ct. is my home, what part are you in? I was one of 6 kids in 7 years. Your family seems like you did it backwards.Usually the family has a few and then no more until years later and Oops. You seem to have done it backwards. I learned a valuable lesson being the middle boy of 5 boys and a youngest sister. That lesson was I'm happy with the one daughter I have, I could never see myself raising 6 kids. Mom and Dad, rest their souls, both passing nth last 6 months, did a good job raising us, Dad used to always say he was successful because he raised 6 kids, none live at home, none are in jail and they don't borrow money. Mom was more generous and Dad didn't know.

Seat belt question is a good one for legality, they don't have them in school buses so are they required in our Skoolies? Of course morally, you want everyone belted. Belts are not hard to acquire and install. I would definitely be looking at a 72 passenger and leaving a couple rows of seats up front would work for your family. Haven't addressed the riding in back while moving issue yet, doesn't concern me yet. I know that you can not ride in the 5th wheel trailer while it it traveling.

 

[Twigg-SKO]

Welcome to the addiction. Ct. is my home, what part are you in? I was one of 6 kids in 7 years. Your family seems like you did it backwards.Usually the family has a few and then no more until years later and Oops. You seem to have done it backwards. I learned a valuable lesson being the middle boy of 5 boys and a youngest sister. That lesson was I'm happy with the one daughter I have, I could never see myself raising 6 kids. Mom and Dad, rest their souls, both passing nth last 6 months, did a good job raising us, Dad used to always say he was successful because he raised 6 kids, none live at home, none are in jail and they don't borrow money. Mom was more generous and Dad didn't know.

Seat belt question is a good one for legality, they don't have them in school buses so are they required in our Skoolies? Of course morally, you want everyone belted. Belts are not hard to acquire and install. I would definitely be looking at a 72 passenger and leaving a couple rows of seats up front would work for your family. Haven't addressed the riding in back while moving issue yet, doesn't concern me yet. I know that you can not ride in the 5th wheel trailer while it it traveling.

Seat belt laws for RVs vary by state, and there is no reciprocity. That means that you need seat belts for RV passengers or you risk a ticket in a seat belt state.