Diesel's the fuel - truck or TDI is the question...

[AddamsonFlint]

Hello fellow burners,

I am Flint and I will be driving out to BRC this year from Columbus Ohio. Right now, I'm kicking around which vehicle I want to take. I have a diesel truck and a diesel Jetta TDI. One gets 15 mpg, and the other gets 50 mpg lol.

However, I also have a 40-foot gooseneck trailer that I could bring, if I were going to take my truck.  Naturally with the math, my fuel cost with the truck would be around three times as much. However, if others were going with me and splitting that cost, it makes that option quite a bit more feasible.

I also could possibly do some hauling for some people, if anyone was still in need. However, from what I've seen, the people that build larger camps and are usually the ones that have large stuff to haul, also usually have their shit together lol, and thus have that base covered this late in the summer.

That being said, if anyone is looking to ride-share, or is in need of logistical support, hit me back. I will attach a pic of my truck and trailer to this post, just so you can see what I'm working with.  I will likely be leaving Columbus on Thursday, arriving at BRC sometime on Saturday.

Flint

[The Rod]

Personally, I'd take the Ford and the trailer. Think of all the cool crap you can put on that trailer! Barbecue grills! Structures! Art!

Or maybe ditch the trailer and just drive the truck. Comfort is one thing I think about when deciding which vehicle to drive across the country, I'm tall and I like sitting upright in truck seats WAY more than reclined with my legs out in front (Jettas are great vehicles but touring cars they are not). If i could swing it, I'd drive the truck just cause its a way better ride on the open road for days on end.

I'd also think about an economy tune or tuner depending on which Powerstroke you have, could add a few MPGs for not that much $$. Hell, if it were me I'd throw a big exhaust and intake on that thing and a good tune, before I sold my 01 Excursion I'd hit 18-19 mpgs driving 80 MPH.

*edit: Yeah, after reading CGD's response I'm even more on the anti-Jetta train. How the hell could you fit everything you need to even just survive for a week in a Jetta? Much less all the cool shit you'll want to have. Couches! hadn't even thought of couches! You could bring like 6 couches and be coolest guy in the neighborhood by letting all of your neighboring camps borrow a couch for the week.

[Captain Goddammit]

A diesel pickup and a three axle gooseneck, or a Jetta for Burning Man?!!! There’s no question here at all!! You can carry anything and everything on that trailer.
Couches REALLY ROCK at Burning Man. You could throw on several free or dirt cheap garage sale couches... grill... shade structures... water, AND waste water barrels... bikes... trikes... Land Yachts... all sorts of stuff.
Jetta??!! HELL NO!!!

[AddamsonFlint]

Oh, if I simply had a choice...in a vacuum- sure, I'd take the truck and trailer cuz yeah, I could take anything and everything.

But if I'm going by myself? Um, $900 in diesel versus $300 in diesel. A-rock, I like being comfortable on a long drive too, but not $600 comfortable lol. I have a 6-position chip for tuning. I might get 16 mpg, if I slow cruise. But I'm not gonna re-do my rig just for that. And also, what did you have in your Excursion, 3.73 gears? I've got 4.10's. And I'm certainly not gonna do a total double differential gear swap just for a road trip either! lol That's madd cash.

And one carload with a roof rack is more than enough pack space for one person. Or at least it should be lol.

Believe me, if I had others in the mix, yeah, I could take all sorts of fun stuff. I have posts up here, Spark, Reddit, and Facebook. But as of right now, it's just me and myself only.

[Token]

I rarely disagree with the Cap’n but in this case ...

First BM journey, go small and self reliant, shave off a bit on the luxuries, spend as much time as possible not being in your camp.

Jetta is plenty big to bring a well designed shade, tent, camp chairs, couple coolers ...

Take care of the basics, then immerse yourself in the a-fucking-amazing engineering. You know you want to.

People keep going on about the art and shit, but for us gearheads it is all about the drunken engineering and “how the fuck” moments.

Yeah, it’s pretty too.

[Captain Goddammit]

If you bring the truck you can bring the Jetta too.

[Token]

Tooo funny

Why we love you so much !!!

[AddamsonFlint]

If you bring the truck you can bring the Jetta too.

One step ahead of you brother

[AddamsonFlint]

Or I could bring this guy

[Ratty]

Flint, Is that a Tonka?

[AddamsonFlint]

Flint, Is that a Tonka?

Ha ha. Well, it's technically called a crawler-loader-backhoe.

But sure as fuck play Tonka with it

[Token]

Now that there is a perfect platform for a mutant vehicle!

[AddamsonFlint]

But my TDI is bad as fuck. Plus I did a lower 5th gear mod, perfect for long-haul trips.

I'll be humming at 80mph getting 50mpg. All the while with 400 ft/bls of torque

[Traveller in Time]

Now that there is a perfect platform for a mutant vehicle!

Semi transparent blue scales all over it, some spherical screen from behind the big scoop showing projected eyes

Just don't dig with it

---------------------------------------------
Just don't bring anything fragile (TDI) to BRC

[Captain Goddammit]

The TDI is pretty badass, I love those, terffic cars.
But I’d bring the truck.

Oh and by the way, that TDI is gonna get fucking trashed in black rock desert, by corrosive pervasive dirty dust... another reason not to bring it.

[AddamsonFlint]

Now that there is a perfect platform for a mutant vehicle!

Ok, so I've been giving some serious thought to this. Not only would he look totally badass all decked out mutant-style (his name is Big Daddy Crawler btw), but dude...it would make building my camp next year that much easier to build. It's got a high-lift 13ft bucket reach, and I've got a pin-connect auger for the backhoe, which would make digging my holes a total cake job (yes, you can dig on the playa. The criteria, requirements, and limits are on the BM site if you feel a defiant reply-desire coming on).

But to also have my dude as a rescue repair rover to take out around the city would be cool as shit. The only thing I don't know is whether or not they'll allow a tank-treaded vehicle. It doesn't say anything about that specifically in the mutant vehicle section of the BM site, but maybe they'd have a concern over track marks? Maybe they would allow it but as a playa-only registration, not allowed on city streets, like some vehicles.

The BRC crew that comes in and builds the entire city, I've gotta think they have at least a few tracked construction units. But being my first year at BM, I don't know.

Any veteran input would be appreciated. Non-hater of course

Flint

[Captain Goddammit]

Tracked vehicles have been licensed before. They are a little iffy for mutant vehicles because they do tear up the playa when you turn (I’m a heavy equipment guy in the normal world).
To make it a mutant vehicle, it has to be entirely transformed, pretty much none of the “base vehicle” should be identifiable.

The best thing to do is email [email protected] to ask about the likelihood of a tracked vehicle like that being licensed.

[Token]

The mention I made is a seed for thought in September, when you get back.

Don’t jump the gun. Go see, smell, climb, and fall off some, dust yourself off then look at all that can be done.

You are still missing a big piece of what BM really is - A weird culture that takes some knowing before going big.

[The Rod]

I've always wanted to build a tracked MV...

I'm not that far from Columbus...

[Token]

I've always wanted to build a tracked MV...

I'm not that far from Columbus...

You moved to the Midwest! Darn vagabond!

At least there’s good hog there for bacon.

[The Rod]

You moved to the Midwest! Darn vagabond!

At least there’s good hog there for bacon.

Pennsylvania. Even worse!!

But hey, scrapple and taylor ham make a decent consolation.

[AddamsonFlint]

The mention I made is a seed for thought in September, when you get back.

Don’t jump the gun. Go see, smell, climb, and fall off some, dust yourself off then look at all that can be done.

You are still missing a big piece of what BM really is - A weird culture that takes some knowing before going big.

Me, jump the gun? Or bite off more than I can chew? Neeever....lol

Oh yeah, I'm gonna go get dusty first. And in addition to gaining some new ideas, I'm sure there will be some quality reflection of this years plans for what I was gonna do and some serious "holy shit, I'm not doing that- change of plans, change of plans!" type moments.

[AddamsonFlint]

The TDI is pretty badass, I love those, terffic cars.
But I’d bring the truck.

Oh and by the way, that TDI is gonna get fucking trashed in black rock desert, by corrosive pervasive dirty dust... another reason not to bring it.

Yeah, but my truck is nice too. Rare 6-spd manual with the 7.3L International. Don't get me wrong, I don't baby it. But it would take the same abuse as my TDI. I'll just have to make sure to remember to bring my car cover. And besides, those Germans build some hearty shit. So he'll be fine.

[Ratty]

NO CAR COVER. That thing will beat against your baby till It's just primer.

[Captain Goddammit]

Oh man... yeah you’re gonna learn a few things about black rock desert.
Car cover won’t save it, playa dust will blow up in there anyway and Ratty is right, the wind will blow and that cover with that playa will chafe the hell out of it. Look at photos of BRC... it’s not like no one has thought of car covers. There’s a reason you don’t see any. The car’s gonna get trashed. Probably inside and out. You have no idea...
There’s a reason most RV rental places and even truck rental places forbid rentals going to Burning Man.

[Token]

Second and third on that sage advice.

“No Capes” on the car.

Now, there are many of us that look at the car/truck forever playa-fied as a right of passage and a good thing.

357 days of the year you can turn on the AC on recirculate and the smell of Playa hits your face full on.

I personally have a silly grin all day when that happens.

[AddamsonFlint]

Ok...so let me get this straight-

Everyone who drives to BM is by default either knowingly taking a disposable vehicle, or knowingly choosing to gift themselves a several hundred to several thousand dollar paint job when they get back?

Sorry guys, love ya, but this makes no sense. My cover will not be a cape. I'll throw some additional grommets on the bottom, some bungies across the belly underneath...and be just fine.

I did tours in the desert, Arabia and the Sahara. Wind storms were certainly "a thing." We tarped our equipment and rode it out A-ok.

I know I'm a BM newbie, but sorry...this is just crazy talk lol.

[Captain Goddammit]

Dude. I’ve built cars all my life and I’ve been going to the playa since ‘00. I’m tellin’ ya, the cover is a mistake.
No your car won’t be ruined in the way you’re taking it, but it’ll be a lot more trashed than you think.
What you might not know is playa dust is corrosive. And it will be on every bit of the car.
I’ve rusted up several nice trucks. The one I’m using now gets a ridiculous treatment, I spray the whole underside with oil, and upon return it gets a thorough bath of about $75 worth of Simple Green in a garden sprayer and a few weekends in a row of pressure washing. Then it gets all that again. I have to actually pull the dash apart to get it right again.
Playa dust is not good for machinery of any kind.
And car covers are a really bad plan on Black Rock Desert.

You seem like a really cool guy and I’m telling you this stuff to help you decide which rig with real accurate info. I have cool cars at home and I’d never take them there.

[gaminwench]

Simple Green or Vinegar bath for the outside; air compressor, then Armour All for the interior.

Whatever the Cap'n and the other gearheads say about the engine.

Put the air on recirculate before leaving the pavement; replace air filter(s) immediately after leaving the dust.

You will come to love the residual patina, which will be insubstantial and mostly in the upholstery/window recesses.

No cover, the dust will get under there (seriously, the dust permeates everything) and the first good blow will cause it to rub/scratch. The dust is so fine that it won't impact your paint job, unless *you* cause friction points.

You *are* talking to crusty old burners, but we do tend to know what we're talking about. These are not 'scare tactics', they're words of wisdom.

[AddamsonFlint]

Ok...I will trust and put faith in the veteran'ness

I'm still taking the TDI, as I'm rolling solo. It's $300 in diesel or close to a grand, for a massive amount of capacity and a slower transit, both that I certainly won't need. And I really feel Token's sentiments on the matter of "first BM journey, go small and self reliant."

VW undercoats are amazing polymers, it's a '99.5 with zero rust for a reason. I won't bring my car cover. Hell...I needed a reason to shoot some good new paint anyways lol. Gawd, I just pray I won't need to pull my dash cuz of the trip- that's a epic headache on German auto, one I certainly don't need.

Besides, if I get a nose-full of playa memories every time I turn on the air for the coming months, I'll be more than alright with that...