Book Review - Rolling Homes
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Sharkey's Book Review of... Rolling
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My main purpose of including this review is for those few viewers who somehow escaped purchasing their own copy back in '79. The overwhelming majority of respondents to this site have had the book since the ink was still wet on the pages and none of them will agree to let go of their copy. So, if you see this book at a garage sale, or on the shelf at some used book store, snatch it up! It is already some kind of out-of-print cult classic collectors item. Paperback copies in good condition go for $125-150 and the rare hardcover editions sell for $500 !
Rolling Homes is obviously about House Buses and House Trucks. As far as I can tell, nearly all of the vehicles featured were photographed in or near Eugene, Oregon. I am personally familiar with five or six of them, and those rigs were constructed here as well. An interesting aside is that while E.G. was living in the University neighborhood in the Grace bus, he came home one night to find a note from Jane Lidz tucked in his door, asking if she could photograph his bus. "Oh great another person 'doing a book'." was his comment, and tossed the note into the stove. We now know how that one turned out, his bus wasn't included in the book.
The book makes full use of color photography in its 96 pages. Line drawings of selected homes, along with tables of 'facts and figures' fill out the profiles of some buses and trucks. Brief descriptions of the interiors, the owners or some construction technique are presented, but the majority of the information is contained in the photos.
Rolling Homes is a very good idea book for collecting ideas in the construction of a craftsman-style motor home. The photos are very expressive and give the reader a good feel for the spirit and atmosphere of a well-built House Truck or Bus.
What the book is not is a step-by-step 'how-to' manual on do-it-yourself conversions.
The table of contents divides the book into four sections, Buses, Small Rigs, Trucks, and Cost/Construction.
Following is an abridged sample from pages 60 through 67.
Note: The following text and photos are Copyrighted Material. Please respect the author's rights.
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With the spirit of yesterday's covered wagon and the mobility of today's recreational vehicle, these individually crafted houses on wheels form an original artistic and cultural movement. They combine the do-it-yourself- tradition with the American faith that "you can take it with you." Blending art with technology and economy with style, they satisfy the desire for freedom, simplicity and self-expression. |
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Michael began building his home on the truck bed after apprenticing to a carpenter who had converted a school bus into a rolling home. Finding carpentry jobs is easy because his home is a mobile display of his craftsmanship. Michael also works closely with other housetruckers in an informal owner/builder network. His cabinets and stained-glass windows appear in many of his friends' homes as well. |
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"As an artist I wanted to create an inspiring and supportive place to draw or play music. |
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Jane Lidz has lived in New York, Colorado, Wisconsin and Oregon. After graduation from Sarah Lawerence College, she taught art, studied film, and worked as a film animator and professional photographer. When Rolling Homes was written, she was a graduate teaching fellow at the University of Oregon. She is currently a professional architect in the San Fransisco bay area.
Original material ©1996-2024 Mr. Sharkey | All rights reserved