Alex Carson
Jessie Lipskin
For 27-year-old Jessie Lipskin, living in New York City was becoming too much. She lived in Manhattan most of her life. She lived in upstate New York briefly during college, and then went back to the Big Apple. During Jessie’s time upstate, she fell in love with nature. She loved the idea of opening her door and seeing grass and trees, rather than sidewalks and traffic lights. More and more, she wanted to be out in nature on a more regular basis.
Desire To Travel
Jessie started to have a strong desire to travel. She thought that it would be great to do so in a mobile home. When thinking about buying a brand new one, she thought that building one from scratch might be a better idea. To get some inspiration, she watched a documentary film, Garbage Warrior.
Options
Jessie was thinking about her options. She considered a classic RV, but after thinking a bit, she decided that it just didn’t appeal to someone. She wanted something that was more her. This was when she decided that a vintage bus would be great for her.
Searching eBay
When Jessie decided what she wanted, she started searching eBay for her new home. When she came across a 1966 Greyhound bus, she thought that it was great. It had 400 square feet of space, and the seller only wanted $7,000. After the issue of finding the bus was complete, she realized that getting it to her might not be as easy.
Driving
Jessie lived in New York, and the bus was in California. Most people would be able to drive the bus cross country home, but not Jessie. Growing up, she relied on Manhattan’s public transportation, like most people do who live in the city. Because of this, she never got a license, and she never learned to drive. To make things even more complicated, she had to learn to drive a stick shift if she was going to be able to drive the bus. Jessie took driving lessons and passed her driving test. Finally, she was a licensed driver.
Getting the Bus For A Dream Home
Jessie and her friends drove the bus from Perris, California to the East Coast. She rented a spot in upstate New York where she could park the bus, and start working on the updates. Shortly after renting the space, she decided to take the bus to professionals in New Jersey to get the remodeling project started.
Gutting
Jessie and her friends started by gutting the bus and removing the old seats. They were able to sell them to a restaurant, so Jessie put the money she made toward the renovation project. When the seats were removed, they put a coat of metallic white paint on the interior to cover the grime. Gutting the bus was easy, but Jessie was going to need help turning it into her new home. Even though she had a vision and a passion for DIY projects, she didn’t have the skill set to do the job herself.
Construction Experience
To turn the bus into a home, Jessie was going to need to install an electrical system, plumbing, and a self-powered air conditioner. The interior would also need to be reworked to make her new home look dozy and inviting. She had the layout in mind, but she needed a skilled carpenter to bring her vision to life. They also needed to make sure that everything built would remain sturdy while the bus was in motion.
The Interior Of Her Dream Home
Because of the high ceilings in the bus, they were able to install a stand-up shower. Mahogany slotted floors were used so the water could be channeled into a tank under the bus, to collect and recycle the water. She had a kitchen with a state-of-the-art stovetop. Her kitchen was larger than those in many Manhattan apartments. She put hardwood floors in the kitchen and bedroom areas and even had a room for a closet. She hired a professional organizer to help her make the most of the space that she had.
Parting Ways
After all of the work that Jessie put into the bus, she eventually realized that life on the road might not be for her. She ended up selling the bus on Craigslist for $149,000. At the time, the bus had 100,000 miles on it. Jessie works remotely, and when the bus was complete, she decided that she didn’t want to be weighed down caring for the bus. She wanted to travel. This woman turns a bus into a dream home, take a look inside. Unfortunately, the dream just wasn’t Jessie’s. Life on a bus may have been not for Jessie, but for the new owner in Joshua Tree, it is their dream come true.
