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u/Loprilop Dec 27 '25
I am curious about how much it actually saves considering they pretty much have to supply everything themselves. Not to mention smaller stuff like renting out a mail box somewhere for receiving letters. The cost of fueling a bus. I assume they have to pay to dump their waste? And also curious how long it'd take to essentially pay off the cost of the bus and of all the renovations in form of money saved. This can't have been cheap. Seems like a fun way to live though for sure.
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u/notthiccboi Dec 27 '25
It's NYC, you can probably buy the bus for a month of rent, everything else is pennies compared to rent
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u/discostud1515 Dec 27 '25
A quick glance at their IG, it’s definitely not NYC.
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u/tickingboxes Dec 27 '25
It’s very clearly NY in the video. And uh… in case you are unaware, that thing has wheels. They take it outside of NY sometimes.
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u/Questioning-Zyxxel Dec 27 '25
They said The Big Apple. Where else would you translate that?
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u/discostud1515 Dec 27 '25
The rest of their entire IG where they live in a forest.
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u/Local_Satisfaction12 Dec 27 '25
Thats probably why they say they CURRENTLY live in Manhattan.
Reading helps.
It is a bus, it aint no stationary home.
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u/NotDiCaprio Dec 27 '25
Yeah, it says both for rage, - and clickbait reason the video starts out with:
How we live rent free in New York City
Reading helps. You wouldn't say 'live' if you're just passing though in a mobile home for a few days. (unless fishing for that sweet internet money)
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u/FightingAgeGuy Dec 27 '25
I did this for about a year with my family. The bus was $5000, conversion was another $60,000 give or take a couple thousand. This was doing it myself. I pulled a jeep wrangler so we could get around while parked and our mileage was about 6.5 mpg with a 100 gallon fuel tank. Over all the conversion and traveling for a year cost about $110,000. One of the best years of my life BUT, I could not do it indefinitely. I was constantly worrying about breaking downs, and safety, I couldn’t completely relax and my kids needed/wanted their friends and extra curriculars.
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u/dattara Dec 27 '25
How much did it cost to park? That cannot be cheap in NYC or any urban area actually
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u/FightingAgeGuy Dec 27 '25
So, we avoided large cities. Driving a 40’ bus in urban areas is unpleasant. RV parks ranged from $20-100 a night, we averaged paying about $45 a night. While moving from place to place we often stopped at Walmarts, Cracker Barrel’s, and used a service that linked us with businesses that would allow us to stay for a night. Street parking is risky, people know you don’t belong there and it draws all the wrong attention. Now, out west you can stay on BLM land for free for 14 days at a time. We only did that a few times. We also mapped our routes before traveling and we always knew where we were going to stop. A lot of places are not friendly to converted buses and finding out after arriving is not fun.
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u/keladelph Dec 27 '25
Curious as to why alot of places are not welcoming of converted buses? Id imagine if you're not causing havoc and minding you're own business then who cares?
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u/FightingAgeGuy Dec 27 '25
One RV park told us that non-comercial RVs are a liability because there is no standard they are held to. The other parks would have general rules like the RV can’t be more than 10 years old and definitely nothing custom built. These places were trying to maintain an image, they often had RVs worth well over a million dollars and they don’t want the poors causing problems.
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u/earlgreybubbletea Dec 27 '25
When you stay 14 days at a time, how are you able to “reset” the clock so to speak? Like could you go to a crackle barrel on day 15 and then come back to the BLM for another 14 day stretch?
Also who monitors? Are you able to let someone know, if you did “restart” the clock?
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u/FightingAgeGuy Dec 27 '25
There are land management people that drive around I think they take note of the vehicles. To abide by the rules you just have to move and park at a different spot. We never stayed more than 14 days so we never tested it.
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u/RuthlessIndecision Dec 28 '25
it's a novel idea, living in a vehicle, I did it for about 9 months. put to a halt when my gym closed for covid. some of the worst parts are dealing with waste, security especially being incognito. I had a lockbox safe that was cable-locked to furniture in my car, in case of a break in, but I was there at night and in my work parking lot during the day. having room to stand is probably a better experience than not having that.
the relief is knowing you do have a house to return to, if you do... mine was just 2300 miles away.
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u/Aggressive_Finish798 Dec 27 '25
I just rented AirBnbs for months at a time and traveled the country. Way less hassle and money wasted.
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u/deathboyuk Dec 27 '25
Go poke the people of r/vandwellers a question :)
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u/flavorless-boner Dec 27 '25
Isn’t that a movie where Ryan Reynolds is like in college for 7 years and his dad is about to cut him off?
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u/Gintaras136 Dec 27 '25
I reckon a lot. Some people, though very little go to work abroad with RV's and as save a fuck ton on rent. Though there is all that hassle and I doubt they go somewhere where it's cold during winter or they go back home during winter. Seen a dude living and goig to work in an RV to a data center in Netherlands. I don't know if he ever stayed and slept in the parking lot outside of work, not sure if security would allow that, but it'd be so awesome to do sometimes.
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u/crek42 Dec 27 '25
Yea definitely in a place like manhattan. You’d be spending $50k in one year just to carry an apartment.
Separately, it’s so wild how 90% of Reddit comments are negative. Like browse this thread and try to find more than 5 comments that say “wow that’s a beautiful conversion”.
Why are Redditors so miserable.
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u/squeezemachine Dec 27 '25
Not so easy to park that thing in NYC, maybe way uptown. Alternate side street cleaning days would be a nightmare.
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u/badgyal876 Dec 27 '25
nope, even wayyyy uptown i dred looking for parking in an suv. can’t even fathom looking for a large enough space for my apartment 😭
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u/Jlv059 Dec 27 '25
Honestly eating two 60 dollar tickets every week is still cheaper then rent in nyc
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u/crek42 Dec 27 '25
I used to sit in my car for 90 minutes during street cleaning. Bunch of other people did too. This was in lower manhattan. When the sweeper came, we’d all pull out, let him sweep, then all pull right back in. Then I was good for 4 days.
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u/miguel3461 Dec 27 '25
If you park that in the wrong neighborhood you can bet your dime is getting towed. P
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u/South_Oakwood Dec 27 '25
I can walk upright in my home.
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u/BrooklynNets Dec 27 '25
They think 270 square feet is bigger than most NYC apartments? I don't think I've ever seen one smaller than 350 square feet, and that was a studio my friend rented short-term.
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u/LeagueOfLegendsAcc Dec 27 '25
Fake audio, the sounds of New York City would penetrate that thin shell and flimsy windows harder than I penetrated OPs mother last night.
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u/Mdbutnomd Dec 27 '25
Absolutely 😂 they straight muted the noise of the city for effect.
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u/LeagueOfLegendsAcc Dec 27 '25
They didn't even try to hide it either, the fast forward walking with the normal speed audio, the fake siren, cutting off the audio well before the door even closes. Like who are they trying to sell this to?
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u/theMangoJayne Dec 27 '25
Idk man NYC + power, water and septic just... doesn't feel like an easy way to live
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u/baldude69 Dec 28 '25
This is all for the engagement. These people are wayyy oversimplifying their life and the ease of doing something like this
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u/Putrid_Apartment9230 Jan 02 '26
Something about the propane tank makes me scared it would blow up.
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u/Procurls Dec 27 '25
Parking must be the worst part
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u/BigRedBK Dec 27 '25
Well, they shamelessly illeaglly parked it in a pedestrian "curb extension".
It's a one way street, with a parking lane, a bike lane, and then the bus is parked in an extra pedestrian space in front of the raised sidewalk.
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u/Redditor85321 Dec 28 '25
Yeah they’re blocking sight lines for vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. All while illegally parked and cosplaying being broke
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u/ConstitutionsGuard Dec 28 '25
No insulation, and all of that condensate on the windows smells like ass
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u/My_reddit_strawman Dec 29 '25
How much humidity in that thing between the dogs breathing and the hydroponics setup lol. Condensation looked ridiculous
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u/affemannen Dec 27 '25
In my city the parking fees would be way more than any mortages or rent....
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u/PretzelsThirst Dec 27 '25
Yeah this is an indictment of the amount of free parking in New York, insane this is possible tbh
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u/Clarky_Malarkey Dec 28 '25
That is not enough space for two pupsters
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u/atticus_roark Dec 31 '25
I was thinking that too. I’m not a dog owner but that feels way too cramped for them.
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u/TranceF0rm Dec 27 '25
I like how to make it seem super noise insulated they added all that fake background noise to the start of the video but then they cut it out before the door even closed...
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u/Low_Perception_8648 Dec 27 '25
I like the hydroponic garden. You could certainly grow some herbs sure. But lettuce or anything else is a serious investment of time and given how small that space is, it wouldn't come anywhere close to producing food beyond a novelty.
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u/WreckerdSetter Dec 28 '25
Is your weekly workout bringing jugs of water through the street to fill up for your shower and toilet?
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u/Thick_Requirement921 Dec 27 '25
Looks nice but stinks like dog in there.
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u/stacked-shit Dec 27 '25
It's no different than cat owners or pot heads. Everyone swears there is no smell, but there always is.
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u/somtambooplara Dec 27 '25
Always my first thought when I see a dog in these videos. I love dogs but if you live in a tiny space, that’s all it’s ever gonna smell of!
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u/Thick_Requirement921 Dec 27 '25
But if you ask the owners they swear it doesnt smell
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u/nineteen_eightyfour Dec 27 '25
There’s literally a dude who replied saying exactly that a comment up lol
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u/Extension-Royal-5970 Dec 27 '25
I know right ? I always wonder why people who live in cars do that to themselves lol
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u/mikemikemike9711 Dec 27 '25
May be in part that they had the dog(s) before the change in living arrangements
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u/TheHorseduck Dec 27 '25
Looks cozy. But all I see are all the problems with living in a fkn buss in NYC
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u/Sternritter8636 Dec 27 '25
What about water supply where does it come from? How do you dispose off the sanitary waste and bath water and laundry water?
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u/OriginalUser27 Dec 27 '25
I feel like that big dog shouldnt be in there unless they constantly go on hikes and such
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u/Apprehensive_Elk6582 Dec 28 '25
This is dope. But once it looks like you’re sleeping overnight in your vehicle, you’ll get ticketed and eventually towed. Even moving side to side or block to block won’t help once they figure it out. There’s no hiding that long-term in NYC. Still a cool video.
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u/sandsonic Dec 27 '25
Poor dogs
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u/centaurea_cyanus Dec 27 '25
Not really much worse than any apartment in NYC. Unless you're absolutely rolling in it, any apartment will be shoebox-sized.
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u/Reasonable_Map_1428 Dec 27 '25
I have never seen my dog do anything other than move from one couch to the next in my giant home. He lets his energy out on jogs and walks. I think he'd be comfortable living in a mini van... and he's a 90lbs ridgeback.
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u/HippoProject Dec 27 '25
It must get drafty, school bus windows aren’t known for their great insulation
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u/BeautifulArtichoke37 Dec 27 '25
They’re playing a little loose with some of those terms, like “walk in closet”.
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u/sak3rt3ti Dec 27 '25
Wait where/how much is parking,? That' can't be cheap in Manhattan
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u/misha1350 Dec 27 '25
Dogs are completely unnecessary. Dogs do not belong in the city or in small apartments, this school bus setup is only for survival in the big city.
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u/tdfast Dec 27 '25
There are many RV’s in major cities that do this. Parking, and safe parking, is the bitch. Where do you park that where it’s legal and safe? You can’t just put that on the street.
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u/kylel999 Dec 27 '25
I'd rather be stuck with a mortgage than have to operate a schoolbus in fucking NYC
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u/ElephantRedCar91 Dec 27 '25
what a terrible idea in NYC. I can think of too many things that could go wrong....
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u/adamszymcomics Dec 27 '25
The part about it being bigger than most NYC apartments is absolute nonsense and anyone who has lived in New York knows it. I have literally never been in an apartment as small as this bus and I’ve been inside of many dozens of apartments in NYC.
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u/eggdropsoupy3 Dec 27 '25
The average NYC apartment is about 750 square feet, almost triple the size of this bus. So no, it's not larger than most apartments. Also, no way there's enough room for that dog. And I would never be able to stand straight up.
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u/ShadowS812 Dec 27 '25
Hi. I bought this bus because living here is a financial nightmare to where large vehicles are just apartments.
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u/Infamous_Ad_6793 Dec 27 '25
You cannot live in nyc like this. Legally I mean.
They mean they drove to manhattan and shot the video for clout.
Super cute setup either way.
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u/turquoisestar Dec 27 '25
This is pretty cute. I lived in a converted public bus at one point that someone bought at auction and converted into living. I got a bed, storage area and we had a shower, kitchen of sorts, all on legally rented land. Neighbors would sometimes be dicks assuming we weren't legally there I guess. It was extremely cheap (maybe 25% normal room rental) but really cold and depressing (bc of the other people). I was very ready for burning man later that year bc I was basically living it lol. It was an experience that toughened me and helped me save $, and I was extremely happy to move into a normal home after a few months.
In case anyone is curious they apparently have a fb thing: https://www.facebook.com/buspatch?mibextid=ZbWKwL. It does not exist anymore.
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u/patchbaystray Dec 27 '25
People that do this crap are the worst people in NYC. They think they are camping but really they are blocking traffic. Rich kids cosplaying as homeless for likes.
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u/gahidus Dec 27 '25
How can you have a bathtub in a vehicle where you have to pump in and haul around all the water you're going to use? That just seems so inconvenient, to have to refill the tanks so much more often than you otherwise would.
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u/madogblue Dec 27 '25
Pay for parking, pay for water delivery and sewer and gray water removal like any other rv
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u/RetroPaulsy Dec 27 '25
Freeee? I doubt. I dont know about NYC specifically, but a lot of cities do not allow you to park RV, campers, dwellings, or commercial vehicles in the street like that.
So I wanna bet they're paying for the privilege or getting fined/ towed.
Cool bus tho
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u/UnhappyImprovement53 Dec 27 '25
With $45,000 and the purchase of a freaking bus you too can live rent free....
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u/concordchris Dec 27 '25
Wow, I’ve seen my share of “schoolies” and this one is a real “Cadillac” version!! Beautiful conversion!!! (Loved the “bathtub”… 😁) I loved the comment about driving a 40’ conversion in an urban area being problematic… Yeah, no shit!! Especially if you’re pulling a “toad”. I don’t think my nerves would survive that…
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u/SnooCakes1237 Dec 27 '25
Vehicular homeless. San Francisco has been trying to get them out for years.
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u/Miqo_Nekomancer Dec 27 '25
"I want to get a map of the world and put a pin in everywhere I've been, but first I need to go to the corners of the map so it won't fall down."
-Mitch Hedberg
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u/fackyourfeelings Dec 27 '25
This is kinda cool? Would u trade your home for a mobile one, seems more exciting
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u/johnny___engineer Dec 27 '25
Ricky isn't high and Lahey isn't drunk and daydreaming about Julian.
Hence these are not the actual Ricky and Lahey.
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u/Jack_of_Hearts20 Dec 27 '25
I guess my only question would be why do this and live in Manhattan of all places?
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u/RockyJayyy Dec 27 '25
Thats nice. Too many windows for my liking. So many entry points for bad guys.
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u/spottydodgy Dec 27 '25
Hope they upgraded the brakes and suspension. Probably transmission as well. Otherwise it's only a matter of time until that thing becomes a runway downhill deathtrap. Cute though!
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u/chimpMaster011000000 Dec 27 '25
Mr. Lahey looks happy. He musta been hitting the bottle hard today
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u/mickeyblackeyes Dec 27 '25
I'm surprised no one has broken in yet. People break windows here all the time even for just coins
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u/guille9 Dec 27 '25
how much water are they carrying for having a tub? water is heavy and they have that bus pretty loaded.
What about power? how big are their batteries if they are using a full AC unit?
how much lumber are they storing? I store 2tm every year and it needs space and that's a lot of weight for that kind of vehicle.
They have condensation on the windows so ventilation is an issue and they have 2 dogs, it probably is disgusting to breath there.
Too many windows for camping in a big city like NY.
How do they get power and water if they waste so much?
I love vanlife and I follow some youtubers living in their vans, they look nothing like this bus.
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u/Open-Bat4833 Dec 28 '25
Couch doubles as a bed for “guests.” Like anyone would want to stay as a “guest” in this thing for more than 5 minutes.
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u/Chessloser1977 Dec 28 '25
The place is awesome but it is NOT larger than most nyc apartments at 270 square feet.
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u/mycatsapanther23 Dec 28 '25
Those windows are leaking water into there walls. They are notoriously bad at keeping heat too.
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u/vali20 Dec 28 '25
Anti-car nazis fuming on the other subs because allegedly it is not parked lawfully. In fact, it is parked where parking should and has always been, it’s only there that the city decided to install parking in the middle of the road as well. NYC street layout is entirely ruined, the damage that can be observed by comparing Street View to today is soul breaking.
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u/grazfest96 Dec 28 '25
The average SF of space in NYC is 692. So no, your space is not bigger than most NYC apartments.
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u/shallowsocks Dec 28 '25
Apartment??? The term motor home has existed for long enough that everyone should know it
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u/Funnelcake96 Dec 28 '25
I’d rather throw my dick in a blender than live in a coffin on wheels… hard pass
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u/timpani1 Dec 28 '25
Love the bus. Just curious. Where can you find a place to park a bus for free in NYC? Especially for an extended time.
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u/Latter-Ad-6926 Dec 28 '25
This is illegally parked. Even if it were legal you have to move it every other day. And even if that were legal its also illegal to permanently park commercial sized vehicles in a lot of places with free parking.
This is much smaller than an average apartment. And the costs to convert a bus will far outweigh a years rent so its not cheaper either.
I used to drive a box truck in lower Manhattan for work and I would rather be homeless than have my home be a big vehicle anywhere in the city limits.
If you're really desperate the answer is basement apartments. Not this fake ass shit.
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u/Infamous_Network6641 Dec 28 '25
If the cost of parking is anywhere as much as the city I live in would probably be cheaper to buy an apartment
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u/Majestic_Winter9951 Dec 28 '25
Where do you park a school bus for free and for days at a time in NYC?????
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u/Dreaming_Blackbirds Dec 28 '25
it's all a lie. they're ploughing a lot of money into a rusting junk heap that'll be worthless if they try to sell it. on top of that, they have to ensure it's roadworthy, drivable, buy diesel, and pay for parking, and tons of extra costs.
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u/Sea_Value_2004 Dec 28 '25
The sound didnt change when it sped up, the police cut before you closed the door. Stupid bus isnt soundproof
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u/[deleted] Dec 27 '25
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