About to dive in head-first

Hi all. I'm in my mid 20's, and I've held van or trailer living as a goal for the future for many years, but recently a confluence of factors kind of dumped it right into my lap, so I have a lot to learn, and fast, I think.

I grew up in Idaho; still the only driver's license I've ever had, although I've been living in NYC for a couple of years. I'm kind of a woodworker by trade and I had the chance to make a living at luthiery here, which has been great, and I hate to leave my company, but I've had about all the city I can stomach, for now and forever, probably. Between that and the crushing cost of living, I've been getting frantic for a way to bail out. Not too long ago I was back in Washington state where I went to college visiting some friends, and I noticed a craigslist ad for a converted short bus- plumbing, shower, some kind of power system, incinerating toilet, wood stove, cabinetry, and testimonials from diesel mechanics. The price was right and in an uncharacteristic fit of impulse I just decided to buy it. To make things easy my friend agreed to buy it in his name with my money and transfer title over to me when I get back (he's a WA resident, lives in town, had access to a temp parking spot at work.) Maybe foolish to complicate things that way but at the time it was the only way to make it happen as far as I could tell.

I'm not sure where I want to set up shop yet, but I know I'll be living in the NW for the forseeable future- no nomad thing for me. I've been lurking in this forum for a while, and finally I just decided to make my own thread. I guess my plan at this point is roughly...
-Try to find a cheap (hopefully) parking spot around town that will be ready when I get back. I've made a "wanted" post on craigslist hoping to find something cheaper and more low-key than an actual RV spot, but I've seen a few of those for around $400 if need be.
-Move the bus there and get kind of settled.
-Exchange my ID license for WA.
-"Buy" the bus from my friend and get titled.
-Search for insurance. I gather this will be fun.
-Stay or go as I please? (As far as I can tell, the jurisdiction, Bellingham, is friendly to vehicle living, so it would be well worth it to just park around in streets and parking lots. There are also many state parks and dispersed camping opportunities nearby.)

If anyone can comment on my plan, give advice, or especially point me to any relevant books... please! And thank you! Nervous but happy

It sounds like you are off to a good start. We would like to see some interior pictures when your ready.

The Bellingham parking ordinance is. A bit tricky. You can sleep in your vehicle but you cannot use the vehicle while parked on a street or in a parking lot for camping including activities such as bathing, toilet use, cooking , etc.

So the city of Bellingham actually can fine you if you “camp” or “live” in your vehicle. Basically it is not a school bus living friendly place as there are ordinances specifically prohibiting that activity.

It is entirely your choice to risk it. I am just letting you know that there are ordinances prohibiting it. As always do your own verification by looking it upon a city’s official website where the parking ordinances are posted instead of believing everything you hear someone say or see posted online, including what I just posted. It is your responsibility, not mine.

There are some school bus groups and forums you should check out as well as insurance rules and availability. Escapee’s Club has some groups of younger people working on the road that might interest you. Also if wintering make sure the previous owner dealt with the condensation that often creates mold as it can be a health hazard. Welcome! Good Luck!

Welcome to the Van Living Forum


Congratulations. I'd suggest you move on this as fast as possible. If I were doing this and not wanting to Nomad, I think I'd look for a small parcel of land and build a garage building the bus would fit into so that you could build an upstairs "apartment" of sorts for storage. You would need to check the zoning codes first though. If you are just outside of city limits you may fare better.

This way you could travel whenever the urge hits you and still be in the sticks & bricks for employment. With a good Realtor you may even find a building that could house the rig and provide room for a shop where you could be self employed.

One church I attended had a nomad-minister who was a wood worker & painter. He would attend to the maintenance of the woodwork in the Church. He lived out of a big Class A with a small trailer he towed behind it. This maintenance that he provided was his stated "mission" as he didn't preach. I believe he was a small business with a 15501 c3 non profit corp. He tended to smaller Churches or older ones in decline who needed help. A contribution was made for his service that provided his living. But this is how he had figured out a path to the RV Life and an occupation.

I do remember when living in Seattle that the ordinance did allow that a “care taker/security person” employee could reside in a trailer on a commercial property. For a while I stored an RV at a storage yard that also included a warehouse building. There was a trailer there fulltime with a person legally living in it who held that security/ caretaker position. You could investigate that type of setup as a potential possibility. It would still allow you to take on other daytime work in a city while having a fixed place to park your bus. But every city has its own spin on ordinances and ordinances can be changed by the city councils. Which is a problem with here-say recommendations as things that might have been allowed in prior years could now be illegal.

Anyway some door knocking on storage yard facilities might land you a spot to live/ work on your school bus.

a)
Since about 2019, we workkamp a small organic teaching farm near the outskirts of Eugene Oregon.
We share the acreage with a couple-three dozen other workkampers in various versions of home-built HouseTrucks and RecreateVehicles.
.
Our gig furnishes income, plus grub and good water, plus our trusted little community.
In addition, this gives us a sense of continuity and purpose.
.
b)
We worked with local bureaucrats to modify the Building Code.
Folks in this area can park occupied RecreateVehicles in a driveway or side-yard.
A lot of folks are converting attics and basements for rentals.
.
How did we accomplish this?
It was pretty easy.
This area has more people than housing, so everybody realized we can cure a lot of ills by expanding the definition of 'housing'.
.
I wonder if folks around Bham could benefit from a similar attitude change?

LargeMarge said:

a)
Since about 2019, we workkamp a small organic teaching farm near the outskirts of Eugene Oregon.
We share the acreage with a couple-three dozen other workkampers in various versions of home-built HouseTrucks and RecreateVehicles.
.
Our gig furnishes income, plus grub and good water, plus our trusted little community.
In addition, this gives us a sense of continuity and purpose.
.
b)
We worked with local bureaucrats to modify the Building Code.
Folks in this area can park occupied RecreateVehicles in a driveway or side-yard.
A lot of folks are converting attics and basements for rentals.
.
How did we accomplish this?
It was pretty easy.
This area has more people than housing, so everybody realized we can cure a lot of ills by expanding the definition of 'housing'.
.
I wonder if folks around Bham could benefit from a similar attitude change?

Click to expand...

There is a lot of farm land around Bellingham. When living north of Seattle I used to, in the Craigslist rental section, see offers of “caretaking” available on farms in that area for someone living in an RV. That was all pre-Covid era stuff. I have no idea how many of those opportunities are still around. It seems like there would now be no shortage of friends and friends of friends and even family members known to the property owners hoping to find such situations. They were not exactly plentiful back then.

Thanks for the helpful replies everyone. I'm glad I found such a friendly and active forum.

maki2 said:

So the city of Bellingham actually can fine you if you “camp” or “live” in your vehicle. Basically it is not a school bus living friendly place as there are ordinances specifically prohibiting that activity.

Click to expand...

Very interesting. Thanks for the tip, I'll be trying to get my head around the actual code now. I went to school there, and I can think of a handful of out-of-the-way places where people are clearly living full-time on the street in vehicles- they give the impression of truce zones. Of course, I don't know what kinds of travails these people might have gone through with the city, nor do I really want to intrude on those places, and I'll leave it at that.

bullfrog ! said:

There are some school bus groups and forums you should check out as well as insurance rules and availability. Escapee’s Club has some groups of younger people working on the road that might interest you. Also if wintering make sure the previous owner dealt with the condensation that often creates mold as it can be a health hazard. Welcome! Good Luck!

Click to expand...

There has indeed been some minor condensation. It seems like dessicants have been enough so far although it's obviously something to be vigilant about. I'm hoping somewhat regular wood burning will dry things out a lot, although in the sound region that might be a touch optimistic. Thanks for the Escapee's Club tip; insurance certainly makes me nervous.

eDJ_ said:

If I were doing this and not wanting to Nomad, I think I'd look for a small parcel of land and build a garage building the bus would fit into so that you could build an upstairs "apartment" of sorts for storage. You would need to check the zoning codes first though. If you are just outside of city limits you may fare better.

Click to expand...

This is the (albeit vague at this point) end goal. Maybe I should do what you say and act sooner. I've been interested in alternative structures and land ownership for a long time and I'm kind of seeing the bus as a bridge. For a time I lived in Northern Vermont and got to know a few people who lived out of vans etc. while they built their cheap dream houses. Living in that area really emboldened me about this stuff; it was almost normal up there. Indecisiveness is really the biggest thing keeping me from buying- in my heart of hearts I'd like to be back in the Idaho panhandle, or at least NE Washington. Scanning prices on RV pads has really opened my eyes- for significantly less than an RV park spot I could be mortgaging beautiful acreage, even with a structure or two, in that area. Only having rented up to now, it's very daunting.

maki2 said:

I do remember when living in Seattle that the ordinance did allow that a “care taker/security person” employee could reside in a trailer on a commercial property...

Anyway some door knocking on storage yard facilities might land you a spot to live/ work on your school bus.

Click to expand...

I've read about arrangements like this in "Living Portably" as well as some other cheap living rags. I will most likely give it a shot, although it might have to be from afar since I don't want to be resting on my Bellingham friends' hospitality for too long once I get to town.

LargeMarge said:

a)
Since about 2019, we workkamp a small organic teaching farm near the outskirts of Eugene Oregon.
We share the acreage with a couple-three dozen other workkampers in various versions of home-built HouseTrucks and RecreateVehicles....
.
I wonder if folks around Bham could benefit from a similar attitude change?

Click to expand...

Sounds wonderful. I actually grew up in Eugene for a time although I can hardly remember it. I can't think of any such thing in Bellingham off the top of my head although I would be totally unsurprised if there is one, or people leaning that way. And funny enough, I do know of a shared tiny house project starting on the outskirts of my old hometown in Idaho, although not a farm per se. I just might end up there eventually if it seems right.

---

In other news, I made a Craigslist ad seeking a month-by-month spot and quickly got a response offering a wooded site, with hookups, "15 minutes south of town" for $175 plus "clearly defined" property help. So, depending on the meaning of 15 minutes south, I might have bagged a good one. Wish me luck?

BillyBob3000 said:

….
In other news, I made a Craigslist ad seeking a month-by-month spot and quickly got a response offering a wooded site, with hookups, "15 minutes south of town" for $175 plus "clearly defined" property help. So, depending on the meaning of 15 minutes south, I might have bagged a good one. Wish me luck?

Click to expand...

That is excellent news! I hope it is as great as it sounds!
Just remember since it has been a while, Bellingham seems to get the most snow of all of the Puget sound waterfront cities. It is right smack in what is known as the “convergence zone” meaning it gets plenty of snow events. Even the minor snow events cause havoc. So if you have to commute into town for work and supplies be sure by November 1 you have a set of studded tires or chains for your commuter vehicle. Those hills get icy and even all weather tires might not get you up and down them.