With the rising cost of living across the world, many home-shoppers are looking for alternative homes and dwellings. But this man from Colorado may have found one of the coolest alternative places to live.
Meet Erik Gordon
Erik Gordon is a Colorado resident who owns a coffee shop run out of his ’71 VW van. His coffee shop is intended to be a great place for a Colorado roast for climbers, hikers, bikers, and other outdoorsmen from the state. Erik has always believed in finding his own path to happiness and bucks the normal traditions of success and prosperity..
There is no better example of Erik’s beliefs on finding his own life, then with a unique home situation he’s found. In this video, he tells the story of how he’s come to live inside of a school bus and what he’s done to make it the best possible home it can be.
Now I drive the school bus
The video opens with Erik introducing himself and his 40-foot school bus home. Erik says that he’s always trying to live as minimally as possible and be cost-effective even before this home. It’s part of how he lives since he lives part-time and works from his VW van. Since he wanted to find a home to fit his minimalist needs, he headed to craigslist.
“Craigslist seems to be how I find all things.”
As luck would have it, craigslist helped him find his soon-to-be bus home. He found a listing for an easy, cost-efficient, minimalist bus and discovered it was made by a high school shop class. The students were selling it to fund the school’s art programs.
Erik was more than happy to lend his support, even if it meant driving a large school bus and sneaking it back onto his property so he didn’t wake the neighbors.
Home wasn’t built in a day
The school bus home wasn’t fully ready for home living right off the lot. There were several things that had to be done to make it a strong fit for Erik. He talks about how he installed a wood-burning stove with a $6 chimney jury-rigged and installed. Blankets pressed to the windows keep the bedroom space nice and warm through the winter.
Erik later shows off that he uses solar panels to charge his home. He mentions preferring ground-based panels since it offers the easiest access, especially during more inclement weather patterns. The home is also ready for the winter, with exterior compartments full of winter coats and padding.
What counts is on the inside
Erik then takes viewers on a tour of the inside of his home. The bus driver’s seat has been transformed into a closet, with room for winter coats and boots neatly arranged. Of course there’s room for his skateboard since Erik is a man who enjoys a good ride down a Colorado street.
But talk about space-saving measures. Wait until you see the next room he shows off. He counts off and describes it as:
“The living room, kitchen, and writing table.”
You can see his dedication to minimal living since his home doesn’t use traditional plumbing. Instead of a traditional sink, he washes his plates in a catch sink beneath a 3-gallon jug. In fact, nearly all of the appliances are repurposed camping gear. Erik and his wife screws the appliances into place when they’re home and unscrew to take with them when they go camping.
Erik’s awesome life hacks
Some of the last items we see in the video are examples of life-hacks to save money and space. Many of the chairs are sturdy coolers covered with blankets for a classy feel. His toilet uses a large water jug, funnel, and golfball for clean and odor-free containment. His bed is a cozy twin-sized bed built above a pet door and pet room, in case they get a bus dog.
Everything inside of Erik’s home is designed to make the most use of life. Erik knows that living on a bus isn’t for everyone, but he encourages everyone to find their line to happiness. Erik says it best when he says:
“When you find the one that feels right and you know it feels right, don’t hesitate, Go!”
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