Bus Barn Links

So far, I have only a few links to visit (I told you this was the net's largest resource for this kind of information). If you know of any other sites that would fit into the theme here, let me know about them, and I'll include them, given the site owner's permission. Note that these links are in no particular order and they all will open a new window in your browser when clicked.

Personal Pages:

Vandweller <www.vandweller.org>
Scott is the VanDweller, and he has written a book filled with the insights gained by life on the road. You can order his book Nomadic Notations from his web site.

Wayzalot <www.wayzalot.com>
Several places in my site, I mention that I sometimes wish that I had built a trailer instead of a housetruck. "Wayzalot" is the name of just the sort of trailer that I would have wanted. Terry and Hardy have hauled their creation all over the country and aren't stopping anytime soon! (footnote: Actually, that is now an incorrect statement, as the Wayzalot trailer was destroyed some time back in a disasterous traffic accident. No serious injuries, but all of the rolling stock was totalled.)

Good Clue Productions <www.goodclueproductions.com>
Some folks convert a truck or bus, live in it for a few years, then move on to something else. Doug did this, but then came back to live in the bus again while persuing new artistic interests. Many good photos of creative construction on his 1946 Chevrolet "shorty" school bus!

Bob Sokol's Bus Page <www.bobsokol.com/bus.html>
Bob shows you how to convert a school bus into a motor home. This was one of the few pages that came up in a search of "bus conversions" twelve years ago. Interestingly enough, it's still one of the most linked-to pages on the subject!

Wrybread <www.wrybread.com>
If your sense of humor is a slice or two short of a full loaf, you knead to give this site a visit. Some interesting live-aboard vehicles, including one very nice step van and a hot-rod '49 GMC transit bus! Also, some MPEG files of prank phone calls, and associations with Cyberbus and Burning Man. Lots more too!

HousetrucksNZ <www.htnz.co.nz>
For a taste of Housetrucking, Kiwi-style, Stu has collected a quite nice gallery of images, links and more, all for your enjoyment. This site has undergone a major overhaul, and Stu has added many new photos of trucks and buses, as well as the journal of his experiences revamping his own housetruck.

The Blackman Family Bus <busweb.freeservers.com/busweb.htm>
Todd rescued his bus from the clutches of a wrecking yard, where they would have probably used it as a storage shed for greasy auto parts. Another inspiring success story that illustrates that it is not necessary to spend as much on a bus as my folks did on the house I grew up in! I think this is the best series of pages illustrating the proper method of raising a bus roof intact that exists!!

Pardo.Net <www.pardo.net/bus-0035/buses.html>
How I managed to overlook this page in my statistics for so long is a mystery. If you are thinking of buying a bus or coach, or even a truck chassis to convert, this page should be required reading. Information overload, more than you will probably want to wade through, but one of the most comprehensive pages I've yet seen. (Wishing my own FAQ page was as complete).

Fool Bus <foolbus.galeon.com/journal.html>
Cole is (was) a high school student who pooled his money with his buddies to purchase a used bus to convert into the ultimate adolescent party pad. There are pages of journal entries, detailing their learning experiences as they explore the newly-purchased vehicle and get the "hard knocks" education of bus conversion. Most entertaining to watch someone else's foibles instead of my own! Be sure to check out his "Links" page, as it is much more complete than this one!

Solar Bus <www.solarbus.org>
Steve Beckwith has gone the extra mile in converting his 1982 Crown into a showpiece for renewable energy advocacy. His bus runs on Biodiesel and supports festival and events on the subject of renewable fuels, in part by supplying the stages with solar-generated power from the bus' own on-board photovoltaic panels. An inspirational message carried on an incomparable chassis!

Wothahellizat <www.robgray.com/graynomad/issues/index.php>
Now I know that there is someone out there more fanatical than myself! Rob Gray is a Australian photographer who decided to chuck it all, quit his job and built a truly huge motorhome that is capable of navigating any off-road track nearly anywhere in his expansive and beautiful country. Be sure to follow the "Construction Diary" link at the top of this page for an in-depth look at the three-year project as it begins with a used military vehicle and finishes with Rob and his wife Chris selling their home and moving into the WORT (Weird Off Road Truck). The diaries continue as Rob and Chris travel the huge continent down under and post their experiences and photographs. As if building such a huge project vehicle wasn't enough, Rob decided to cut the original WORT to pieces and spend 18 months rebuilding it into a smaller version! Quite enjoyable reading, this.

Traveller Vehicles <www.travellerhomes.co.uk>
I've always heard that living in a vehicle in the UK was made difficult by the authorities, but had never seen any examples of house trucks or house buses in the British Isles. This site will take the interested viewer to a treasure trove of photos of all manner of home-built mobile homes and their owners.

Organization Sites - Is 'commercial' a dirty word?

Housetrucks.com <www.housetrucks.com>
I'm a little annoyed that I didn't think to register this domain name myself. As you may have gathered elsewhere in the site, Roger Beck published a new book about house trucks and buses (see the Book Reviews section of this site), and he has also launched this web site to provide more information about the book. His site also features a gallery of images of trucks, buses and several series of construction photos.

Tiny House Blog <www.tinyhouseblog.com>
There exists a cross-over between House Trucks and Buses and the increasingly popular "tiny house" genre of building. Both emphasize quality construction, with fine surfaces and furnishings, frequently built and occupied by the owner. The Tiny House Blog reveals that small structures can be artful as well as practical. Well worth a look for interest's sake and as a canvas on which to paint the dreams of a compact dwelling.

Camping-Cars Insolites <perso.orange.fr/pl65/insolite/insolite.htm>
I'm not exactly sure where to include this link, as I don't read French and haven't decided if it's a hobbyist site or a commercial page, but the site includes this gallery of house truck, bus and camper photographs. Some are familiar, being either local rigs, or images that have been circulating the 'net for some time. Others are unique and present a new international flavor to the art. Worth a visit even if you don't use Babelfish to translate the text.

Housetrucks mailing list service <groups.yahoo.com/group/housetrucks>
This mailing list is specifically directed at those of us who are interested in house trucks and buses. Yuri has started this list , which promises to be quite useful in promoting communications among our community of road-wandering folk.

Shoestring Bus Conversion <www.rv-busconversions.com>
Most likely the best and most well-stocked online bookstore for publications catering to bus and truck conversion. Pages and pages of book, pamphlets and CD-ROM's you can order to read up on that big project you've been considering!

Vintage Vacations <www.vintage-vacations.com>
A special site for those of you who are interested in classic pre-1960's travel trailers. This site includes a large archive section. Lots of .gif images, so have a fast connection and allow ample time for image downloading, it's worth it!

Henry Ford Estate <www.henryfordestate.org/vagabonds.htm>
For several years before and after 1920, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs participated in a series of motor camping caravans, which have been described as the first notable linking of the automobile with out-door recreation.

Bernie's Model & Classic Bus Depot <www.classicbusdepot.com>
I have a few model buses, but don't consider myself a collector. Bernie must have a few hundred model buses, and he doesn't consider himself a collector, either! For visitors who enjoy classic bus photos, this site has a wealth of images, particularly of 'old style' GM coaches.

RV Coach OnLine <www.rv-coach.com>
This professional-looking site may succeed in bridging the gap between 'straight' RV'ers and 'those dirty hippie buses'. Look for the school bus Fireside Chat section, where you can find some familiar characters conversing online.

The Bus Station <www.busstation.net>
Britons take their buses seriously, and this fine site provides links to about 2600 bus-related web sites. I found out that Steve drives a Citroen, let's hope it's not a 2CV!

Other Sites - 'Other' than what?

Zenzibar Alternative Directory <www.zenzibar.com>
Looking for sites that discuss the paths less traveled? Zenzibar is a directory of sites which include a range of subjects including alternative lifestyles, naturopathy, sustainable living and much more. Very well put together, searchable, and informative.

That's all I have for the moment, several other links to sites are pending approval by the owners. These sites have links as well, and last time I searched Google (search string= bus+conversion), I got 645,000 matches, although many of them were for computer bus conversion. A fair number of the matches were also for commercial or 'straight' coach conversions, but you might be interested in that sort of thing anyway.