rollingstone

Hi Merman Dan, This is Jim Stone. I was curious about the whereabouts of the Flxible, and my search brought me back here. Chuck Gould got much of the history wrong. I’d be happy to talk with you and answer any questions that I might have answers to. My association with the bus spans about thirty years. When my father sold the bus to me for $1.00, he warned me that “it needed brakes when I bought it, so it probably still does”. Apparently, you found that out!

Hi Chris, I sent you a private message before I figured out how to respond to this posting. I'm Jim Stone, the #2 son of Bud and Audrey Stone - F3 (L3). I am still an active member (F3s) and these days I travel in my 2008 Winnebago View. I remember when your bus with the "Peterbilt" emblem on it was parked in our field for awhile. Those younger days were a lot of fun! Converted buses were a novelty back then and always drew a lot of attention wherever we traveled. I can't think of a better way to grow up than to be driven all over the country in a bus, actually seeing the things that your geography teacher would talk about in class, while the other students could only imagine them. Unfortunately, my children weren't interested in traveling by motor home unless they could do it with a television and a video game on board. Now that they're older, they're traveling by plane, but I still think that getting there is half the fun and they're missing out on a lot. Most people don't understand the kind of relationships we formed with those early members of the Northeastern Chapter and the TCW Chapter. I remember having dozens of "parents" and feeling right at home in whatever coach the kids decided to hang out in for the day. With lower fuel prices back then, on weekends it was not uncommon to travel to anywhere from all of the New England states, to New York, New jersey, or all the way to Canada. Of course, there were usually break downs along the way, but other members would never pass you by and leave you stranded. Everyone helped out everyone else, when needed, and we lived more like a "tribe" than individual families. I would love to be able to go back and relive those earlier days. With high fuel prices and campground rates, along with all the other stuff going on in the country, camping and traveling just has a whole different feeling to it today. It's still the only way to go, though. My siblings and I have lots of photo albums full of pictures from the old "bus meets", going all the way back to Hinckley School in 1963 where it all began. At some point, I hope to get them scanned and posted so other members can enjoy them. Thank you for seeking us out.