"BUSTER'S HOUSE"

[Buster]

<p>Hello, my username is Buster, this is basically my first post.<br><br>Please follow this interesting story and modifications of Buster's House (lots of pics)<br><br>I have been living in Canada in an RV for about a year now. Since 2008 I have been studying smaller living via the internet and media. The US economy was what got me paying attention to the expensive housing situation. I was brought up in a typical house with fairly typical parents. I have been a renter since I went off on my own. Some nice places, some dumpy places. It was always a struggle to pay bills and entertain myself. I have always had a good paying job. Yet, always struggling. Constant running in circles, as I have troubles saving money. YES, I admit it, lol. I have noticed over the years being a renter, the quality for money to rent a suite has drasically diminished. I soon realized I could not rent a nice looking place to entertain family and friends. But my income has basically stayed the same. Through my searching and reading peoples stories and watching informitive videos on youtube, I have found the same thing exists all over the planet. The masses living in poverty or just above poverty conditions. Hardworking and not so hardworking citizens, most of us are struggling with debt and housing expenses.<br><br>Here is where it gets interesting...<br><br>I was laid off in 2010, like alot of people were all over. I got hooked on smaller cheaper free living. I was going to disappear from society and live as free as I could. I started looking at vans and vandwelling itself. I was going to buy a $2500 van at first and do a conversion on it. Then I got a call, just before my unemployment checks were running out. It was&nbsp;from a very good employer offering very good money. An excellent opportunity. I took it. After working for about a year and having fair credit, I manged to save up alot of money for a down payment on a condo. So I thought!<br><br>I started in on the realestate game, looking around talking to realtors ect.. I managed to get pre approved and fell in love with a place, but the bank told me I had to buy something I didn't want. <br>At the&nbsp;same time that I was trying to do all of this I found myself immediately homeless. Without getting into too many details I was forced from my apartment due to a shooting, and I wasn't sticking around. At this time I was able to pack up alot of my stuff and go stay in a hotel for a few nights and live out of my car. The police failed to catch the shooter.<br><br>Having a few days to think of everything. I decided RIGHT NOW is the time.<br><br>to be continued....<br><br></p>

 

[Roniit]

...and then???

 

[Guest]

go on..listening..sounds good so far

 

[Buster]

Sorry for the glitch bk2valve. I figured it out now.<br><br>Here we go... and yes there will be pics, be patient!<br>&nbsp;<br>With the Hotel getting expensive. And me getting antsy.&nbsp;I decided this was my opportunity to try out what I had reasearched on this site and others for years. SCREW THE BANK, and MORGTAGE!! &nbsp;AND MY CRAPPY FUNITURE, that I was sick and tired of moving. My mind was set at that moment.&nbsp;I found an opportunity to get back to my place. I went in and grabbed my clothes and confection, plus anything of value to me. Then I left and didn't look back. I left the crappy furniture and damage deposit. I basically STIFFED the SLUMLORD. <br><br>I loaded everything into my car and took it to my family rec.&nbsp;property where I have a small shed to store things.<br>I came back to the city in my car with a bag of stuff. I bought a new laptop when I got back.<br>While all this is going on, I still have to work...lol...<br>I lived out of my car for 2 days, surfing the internet after work in a Tim Hortons parking lot,&nbsp;for a vehicle/dwelling/house to buy.<br>I felt a little pressured to find something. I quickly, and I mean quickly, looked at the older used market, vans, RV's, boxtrucks ect... <br>I found craigslist to be hit and miss. You need to be patient for good deals. I had no time. &nbsp;I decided to go to a local dealership and have a look, like I had soooo many times before. A salesman came over and showed me around. I immediatly gravitated towards Class C motorhomes on the lot. Remember I have resaerched alot in the past. It happened quickly, because I knew what I wanted, but just didn't really know it. Hard to explain.... <br>The salesman showed me RV's I had looked at before. He got to know me and what I wanted. We took a 2010 model out for a test.&nbsp;It had&nbsp;the layout I already knew would work for me. <br>I'm thinking to myself as I'm driving, "THEY ARE NEVER GONNA FINANCE ME FOR THIS THING" Who am I kidding right.<br><br>to be continued....

 

[Buster]

Cont'd<br><br>Like a typical salesman, he asked if I was interested in doing some paperwork? How much I had to put down ect...? I already knew this was a quality durable good looking rv. It was the right layout,size everything. It would work great for me. I told him how much I had to put down ect; but I insisted I'd be wasting his time, because of my average credit at best...lol...<br>He said, "if you're interested just try, you never know. I agreed and we proceeded on the deal. <br>After filling out all the stuff, it was gonna take a while so I left and spent another night in the car.<br>The next day I thought for sure that was it. I hadn't heard from them, so I figured that wasn't an option.<br>At 11;00am my phone rings, It's the dealership, with a different proposal. So out of curiousity, I went back there. They explained the same thing the bank had to me with the condo. I couldn't afford the one I wanted. But they have another one exactly the same, but a few years older and almost half the price. With plenty of doubt now, I agree to have a look. Upon approaching it, all appears well. I checked it out from top to bottom and didn't have any doubt. It was pretty simple. It was a greatt deal, exactly the same but different front end and a few more miles. We did up another deal that I think made both parties happy. I was approved and happy I had a new house. A new life. <br>With the dealership prepping my new house, I left to get a friend to drive my car back to town.<br><br>Tons of stuff was going through my mind, but all of it was good stuff, not like before. The negativity that being stuck paying some slum lord your whole check, was gone.<br><br>We arrived back to the dealership. The house was ready. A quick go over with the Tech and that was it.<br>I was outta there.<br>Here is a picture of the house, (not exact, but close enough)<br><br>

<br><br>Stay tuned. Next part of the story will include more pictures of the modifications I have done and am in the process of doing. Plus more of my new lifestyle,goals,expenses to date,resources,people along the way&nbsp;ect. I have been documenting it all.

 

[Buster]

Cont'd<br><br>While heading back to town in my new house. I felt very relieved in a strange way. I was so happy. This was like a dream coming true. I always wanted to do this DEEP DOWN... I knew it, I felt it. The house runs and drives very well. It was a great drive back to town. I left it in a parkinglot and dropped my buddy off in the car. I had some money and I was anxious, because it was also a long weekend for me. I went back to the house and moved all the stuff from my car in the house. I parked the car on some side street and jumped in the house and headed for the nearest WALMART(we'll talk more about this later). I had a full tank of gas and propane, that I demanded to finalize the deal. I loaded up on all sorts of stuff for the house, food,nick nacks,condiments,coffee ect;. I went to another food outlet for stuff wally world doesn't have or doesn't look worth buying. Meat veggies and milk. I also hit the liquor store and bought 24 Corona's and a mini me of Fireball. It was gonna be party time. Treat myself a little for once. <br>It all worked out like it was planned for months and months. Long weekend, full tanks, full fridge,food ect.. I was set, and I knew exactly where I was going....<br>

<br>Family Rec. Property<br><br>to be cont'd

 

[Buster]

Cont'd<br><br>Like I said, It all worked out like it was planned for months and months, but it all happened within a few days really.<br>I left the big city for the mountains, a 3.5 hr. journey away. To the rec property. It was an amazing drive. Very eye opening. We'll see what this thing does on fuel too...<br>

<br>The fire pit.<br>I enjoyed the long weekend up there. The first night in my new home was everything I expected. Peace and quiet and warm.<br>Most of the weekend was spent getting drunk and stuffing my face with sandwiches and BBQ. I also grabbed some more stuff from the storage shed, like cutlery,plates,bowls,cups,pot and pans. Plus other stuff I saved and didn't throw away. "I'M MOVED IN". The last day a went down to the lake on the little quad and did some fishing. No bites. Oh well. I had a camp fire and some BBQ wings on the last night and had a few Coronas too. I ended up only drinking 9 the whole time I was there and a couple of swigs off the Fireball. I woke up the&nbsp;last morning and cleaned up camp left the booze, secured everything in the house and off I went 3.5hrs back home. It was a great drive uneventful drive. The house has lots of power and runs strong. V10 baby. I was suprized to find out round trip was about&nbsp;$152. I am a little heavy footed, I have to stop that...lol...I believe the house takes about $200 in fuel, and I was left with 1/4 tank when I got back. <br>It was a great trip by myself and a well deserved holiday/celebration.<br><br>More soon....

 

[Guest]

Enjoying your story! please carry on!

 

[bk2valve]

Awesome Buster...sounds like a sweet new home for you....<br>Bri

 

[Harmony Rose]

Really enjoying your story <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[Buster]

Cont'd<br><br>On my way&nbsp;back to the city,&nbsp;all kinds of things were running through my mind. Where was I gonna park, how was all this gonna work out? I already had a few places scouted out. I pressed on, down the highway. Then another thing dawned on me. What was I gonna do for mail ect;? It immediately came to me. The property. It has an adress, with a free PO box attached to it. About a week later I ended up getting that squared away, by transfering my mail to the PO box, and getting a key for the box as well. Easy as pie for me. Others may have more difficulty? Having to pay for it ect;.&nbsp;But, that covered my mail anyways. I also decided I would make the property my home base around the same time. It just made sense. With a little talking&nbsp;to family it was a go. With everyone I need on board, that's what came to be. I maybe go&nbsp;to home base&nbsp;once a month, to get mail and stay a nite or two.&nbsp;It's working out so far. The winter sucks because the mountain passes are full of snow, as well as home base. Oh well, its virtually free. I help pay the taxes in lieu of rent. Less then $500 yr.. <br><br>So my first night back in the city after my trial run of the new house. I ended up parking "by" Walmart. I stayed for a week, but it was noisy. I ended up moving. Nobody bothered me. Out in plain view. I moved to another spot, and have been here ever since.<br><br>Here's where the modding kinda starts.<br>&nbsp;I also bought a RCA LED TV/DVD combo 19" and a RCA amplifed indoor antenna. A friend told me about the antenna, and said it works. I got the TV for $144 and the antenna was like$38. I also bought a small 250watt sinewave inverter for about$40(el cheapo). But I hooked it all up and it works. I had to wire a 12V socket into my house because it didn't have one in the living area. I wanted one anyway. I also bought a TV wall mount swivel. That was about $60. For an additional $20, I bought an IHome personal speaker. I use it for my SURROUND SOUND! LOL! Seriously though, it's cheap and works great. That rounds out my TV issues. I get 13 over the air channels in my current area. It changes to less when I move. Keeps me out of a cable bill for now. That's all I care about. NO BILLS. The TV is annoying, as it cuts out and pixels frequently. Probably not a good enough antenna? RV Winegard Antenna&nbsp;would be better i'm sure. I will be upgrading this later. As for now the price suits me fine, and it doesn't annoy me that much, "YET"!<br>Here's the TV I went with.<br>

<br>I also went and got a new phone and internet stick along with a new phone number. Start fresh, right.<br>My phone and internet work out to about $100 mo.. <br>That first couple of weeks was expensive, let me tell you.<br>Within the first few nights I realized I'd have to go with LED lighting if I wanted light for long lengths of time. Lights were killing the 2&nbsp;junky batteries I had. The TV too.&nbsp;I got on EBAY and found 10 LEDs for like $12 with shipping. They arrived in 3 days. I immediatly installed them.<br>Here is the vanity light as an example. I also went to WALMART once again and bought a LED bar light for $20 and installed that as well. Now I can see when I'm shaving.<br>

<br>My goal is to make this like an off grid&nbsp;apartment on wheels. You'll see more of my mods and experiences in my next installment of "Buster's House"<br><br>stay tuned<br><br><br>

 

[Harmony Rose]

Thank you for your detailed explanation and story - it's all the things I want to know about - so again thank you <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[Cold Brian]

Enjoying your story so far, Buster. Good for you. Your rig looks sweet, too.

 

[JBO]

Loving this!&nbsp; More pictures please!<br><br>Your first trip took you ~7 hours of driving and cost $152... At an average of 60mph and $3.50 per gallon, I think that works out to around 10 miles per gallon?&nbsp; Like 8mpg if you averaged 50mph.&nbsp; Seems really good for a beast of that size!

 

[Buster]

Hey everyone, thank you for all comments. It's been a while. Life gets in the way. <br><br>Cont'd<br><br>After a few weeks of my new life. You start to get a feel for things. Things that you need! Things to make life more comfortable. My RV didn't come with a whole lot of add ons.&nbsp;Basically bare bones. Another reason for the good price. I started a list of things/mods to do. I gravited towards these RV's in the past as well, due to their constuction. They are built well, like a Bigfoot. The downside to having a basic RV is, I have to purchase and install the things I need. The upside is, I'm not getting things I'll never use.<br><br>I have been&nbsp;researching and purchasing things as I need them. Right down to small things like the&nbsp;LED's and a paper towel holder for the kitchen. I installed things where I want them, and how I want them. Saving me money as well.<br><br>Here is a pic of the kitchen<br>&nbsp;<br>

<br><br>WALMART is your best friend. That's for sure. The same paper towel holder and dish strainer were waaay cheaper at wally world than anywhere else.<br><br>Here's another pic of breakfast. I try to do this atleast once a week. Have a nice home made breaky.<br>You'll notice at the bottom left of the picture other small add ons, like hooks for the keys and above hooks for towels and such.

<br>I had a perkulator coffee maker, but I hated it, so I went with what I thought would work for me. I bought the Coleman stove top&nbsp;coffee maker. It works very well for me and is the closest thing to an on grid coffee maker you'll find. It was a hefty&nbsp;$65, but worth it IMHO. I also bought a re-useable filter for $8. So I never have to buy filters again. A quick rinse of everthing and youre ready for another pot. Usually ready in 10 min. for 10-12 cups between 7-High on the stove. I buy walmart brand coffee in the large tin for like $8, half the cost of other large tins like Folgers ect;. I also kept the perk maker for a back up. Because as rv dwellers we need back ups and options.<br>until next time...

 

[akblack10]

I am glad to see things coming together for you, it's fun isn't it! &nbsp;Can I recommend a Coffee Press. &nbsp;You simply add boiling water from a tea-kettle or pot to the coffee press with the coffee grounds in it and after a few mins you have GREAT coffee. &nbsp;Then put the coffee into an insulated thermos and you have great tasting hot coffee for hours! &nbsp;Low energy consumption and great tasting coffee....Best of luck.....<br>-AK