I want to make a mutant vehicle for BM

[unjonharley]

FYI a lot of the not well decorated vehicles out there are approved and used by mobility impaired burners. A lot of times that's the only way they can get around the playa.

It take me all year to design and decorate a alter abled ride.. Mobility rides do not have to look like shit.. I feel a little offended by your post..

The DMV don't require decorations for mobility vehicles.. Just they must be safe..

[Bob]

Unjon, by "mobility impaired burners" I think he meant drunk DPWers and their staff vehicles, with everything chopped off that might damage their preciously coiffed & bejeweled heads.

[SnowBlind]

We saw a couple of barrel trains on the 3 o'clock keyhole but I do not know if they were ever out on the playa in operation. Anyone know anything about these or if they were approved because we had a similar idea for a mutant like this.

Was it these guys? http://www.formandreform.com/wordpress/?p=4803

If so, they were approved and driving around the playa.

[SnowBlind]

You will find that once you write up your proposal (and you need to do this typically by June 30 of the year of the event, and preferably sooner) you will get communication from DMV folks who will be looking at all the submissions.

It's worth pointing out that the sooner you send your stuff in, the better. The DMV applications are open for several months, yet most people wait till the last few days to send it in.

If you get rejected, you'll have more time to appeal and interact with them if you got a head start. If you submit on June 30, they will be swamped and you'll be running out of time to change your plans. So the earlier the better.

[CapSmashy]

Was it these guys? http://www.formandreform.com/wordpress/?p=4803

If so, they were approved and driving around the playa.

YES! Never got to see them moving, but I am glad they got approved because they were awesome.

[sawdustbear]

The DMV was AWESOME. Their efficiency actually sort of floored me because we went in on Monday with a mostly complete car expecting to do the small finishing touches in line...and there was no line.

"Go big OR go home" was our crew's motto this year(oh god, we just wanna go home). It took us 3 days, 3 AAA calls, and about 300 miles of total towing for the towing vehicle AND the art car on a trailer(the towing vehicle failed, finally dying 100 miles from home).

Advice on towing a large vehicle:

If you have AAA, upgrade to the RV towing package for $30 a year. We did not. It cost us a couple hundred dollars.

Max towing capacity of your towing vehicle is sort of a misnomer. It's pretty much what it CAN tow, not what it'll like towing. About half of max tow weight is what will likely be comfortable. Take your trailer through a weigh station. We rented a Uhaul after our towing vehicle stalled the first time to unload a lot of weight. If you do not have a beefy towing vehicle, the 14' Uhauls have a tow capacity of 15,000. It will cost you less than having your tow vehicle fail.

I loved building the thing, but crewing was actually the most exhausting part for me. We tried to get as many people on who either asked "do you have space?" or "permission to board?" but having to deal with the couple assholes that just jump on the sides(we have a retractable ladder, or people that would argue with me that the art car was empty and therefore not "at capacity"(well, true. our passengers got off to look at art, and they're coming back.). It was extremely disheartening since we were specifically trying to avoid being art car assholes, so being treated like we were doing private-party-sorry-hot-girls-only bullshit sucked. Next year, I'll crew during the day when people are mostly just cruising around looking at art and are totally awesome, and my big strong man crew can crew nights with the drunk ass holes. I'm too much of a sensitive flower for the night bullshit.

our car: http://www.sawdustbear.com/current-proj ... junk-boat/

Attached is a picture of our overloaded trailer with the car and all its walls(don't do this. we had to unload all those walls under a freeway overpass and rent a uhaul).

[sawdustbear]

er - link to picture of the goddamn trailer : http://www.sawdustbear.com/wp-content/g ... railer.jpg

[sawdustbear]

Oh, two more things- especially if as you said, you're not rich or know anything about automobiles -

Make your budget, and then triple it. If you come in under, it'll be a pleasant surprise.

Find someone to be your mechanic. Everything, even solidly running things, break on playa.

[MrMullen]

I loved building the thing, but crewing was actually the most exhausting part for me. We tried to get as many people on who either asked "do you have space?" or "permission to board?" but having to deal with the couple assholes that just jump on the sides(we have a retractable ladder, or people that would argue with me that the art car was empty and therefore not "at capacity"(well, true. our passengers got off to look at art, and they're coming back.). It was extremely disheartening since we were specifically trying to avoid being art car assholes, so being treated like we were doing private-party-sorry-hot-girls-only bullshit sucked. Next year, I'll crew during the day when people are mostly just cruising around looking at art and are totally awesome, and my big strong man crew can crew nights with the drunk ass holes. I'm too much of a sensitive flower for the night bullshit.

If you own an art car, you must be an asshole on the Playa. I drove a friends a few years ago during night of the Burn (All of the seats were spoken for) and the amount of darktards and entitled assholes just floored me.

[illy dilly]

Penny is not the only one giving this some serious thought. A bunch of us are looking through the eplaya and other resources for tips, tricks, and advice of any kind.

Golf carts, either gas or electric are running about $1K on Craigslist here in Vegas...but is that enough? Should we "go big or go home" and look for something else? Choices, choices.

I don't know about Vegas.... But I know in Denver you can sometimes find "totaled" Hondas and Toyotas at the junk yard. I imagine that if it is mostly body damage you could start cutting stuff off tell it works. As long as the engine runs, you could make something out of it.

[essjay]

. . .

I don't know about Vegas.... But I know in Denver you can sometimes find "totaled" Hondas and Toyotas at the junk yard. I imagine that if it is mostly body damage you could start cutting stuff off tell it works. As long as the engine runs, you could make something out of it.

Good idea. With a golf cart, weight would be a serious issue and would limit your design and you would need to worry more about powering your electronics. A small car would have a much stronger frame and motor allowing you to hold much more people.

[Elderberry]

Hell, I want someone to make a mutant vehicle for me for BM.

[theCryptofishist]

Well, maybe you could hire someone...

[Elderberry]

Well, maybe you could hire someone...

I'm giving that serious thought. I know what I want to do, but have no clue as to how to go about doing it. I have no mechanical, electrical or welding skills. Anyway, now back to the originally scheduled thread.

[Recoil]

you really need to have thick skin if you are gonna own and drive a MV ive found as this was my first year with a MV

You have to deal with people a lot more then you would think and while 99% of the time i drove around was a blast and was a great time, there were a few instances that really got on my last nerv. One that i will never forget was during the man burn some random chick decided it would be a good idea to use the tail of my MV as a god damn coat hanger. It wouldn't have hurt my project but it was very disrespectful to me that i took the time and effort to bring this thing out and someone just hangs there shit on it.

A friend of mine went so far as to make a ''full'' sign for the out side of his MV that he could flip on and off to let people know that he was at capacity and i kind of liked that idea for the larger MV's, mine is small enough tho i dont really need it but its a good idea i would think if you are planing a larger size MV

Your first year out will be one of the worst because there is all ways going to be something breaking that will need to be fixed or ajusted or changed or removed or what ever so expect and plan ahead as best you can but don't get down when it happens. At one point half way threw the week i considered just parking it and leaving it till it was time to leave but some of my camp mates helped me out a ton in fixing a charging issue i was having and keeped it running till the burn, i love my camp mates lol

A pic of my MV
http://i55.tinypic.com/4ubg8w.jpg

all so i love your junk boat Sawdustbear, that thing looks like a lot of fun to ride on, sadly i never saw it out on the playa but the pics look rather great! My experience with the DMV was a lot better then what i was expecting going in from the storys others have told me.

[jannypan]

We saw a couple of barrel trains on the 3 o'clock keyhole but I do not know if they were ever out on the playa in operation. Anyone know anything about these or if they were approved because we had a similar idea for a mutant like this.

If you're referring to the Serpent Twins, yes, they were out and about every night until about 4 am.

http://www.formandreform.com/wordpress/?page_id=4444

[jannypan]

The DMV was AWESOME. Their efficiency actually sort of floored me because we went in on Monday with a mostly complete car expecting to do the small finishing touches in line...and there was no line.

Thanks, Sawdustbear! We worked super hard on all of our processes to improve our efficiency. It is nice to hear that it was appreciated.

[jannypan]

BTW, the whole Taxi idea is pretty lame. Go for a vehicle of DOOM AND DESTRUCTION!

[/quote][/quote]

Too much of that already. It's beginning to feel a little one-note, don't you think? I was thinking more along the lines of whimsical amusement park creepiness.[/quote]

Penny,

I work for the DMV, and while we obviously love when people want to design their vehicle around providing rides for other burners, I would just advise you that new and original is the way to go. Every year, we get 20 applications for "BRC taxi". Most get denied, because the applicant is simply planning to make some street vehicle look like a different type of street vehicle (i.e. painting your Ford Focus to look like a Yellow Cab is not a mutated vehicle). Occasionally one is either creative enough or just slips through.

What we'd much rather see is that you came up with a concept (i.e. a praying mantis or dead cow or corporate boardroom), and that you completely thought out your design, and told us in your application exactly how you were going to build this *thing*, and how you were going to light it at night (we prefer not just lighting to be visible, bu lighting to enhance your design). Having a carrying capacity of more than 2-4 helps your cause, but doesn't guarantee approval.

As someone else said in this thread, applications open mid-February every year. Apply early! We start processing usually around the end of March. If we have questions, we can usually have some email dialog with you, and it makes evaluating your vehicle easier. If you apply late, we don't have time to do that, and you don't have time to get the work done (after our closing deadline of June 30, we are usually having 4-6 processing meetings a week for about a month. We're all volunteers, so this means that sometimes as many as 20 people are giving up 8-12 hours a week of their free time, two months before the event, so that you can bring your mutant vehicle!)

[Bob]

Please go to your prefs to enable BBcode, which shows quoting properly.

[Ugly Dougly]

I know enough about cars to know that I couldn't work with a car, so I am considering modifying a golf cart, primarily because I don't know anything about golf carts.

[sawdustbear]

Thanks, Recoil! The Dusty Junk is super comfortable to ride around in, and is really chill(I declared an oontz music ban...you can't stand up to dance in the car anyway; the roof's really low.) I saw your car! It was really gorgeous lit up at night!

I'm definitely making a "at capacity" sign next year. And drinking more whiskey, so I'll get a lot crankier(I'm not usually the driver) at entitled assholes.

Jannypan - Thanks again to the DMV for being awesome! Everyone seemed pretty gleeful about the new ipad systems.

re: unfinished cars - Technically, ours was not finished to the sketch and scale model I provided the DMV(we had sail rigging issues, so we never flew the 10' junk sail), but I think the definition of "unfinished" is a bit pliable. We were still a wooden boat, and I got a shit ton of detail into the part we did finish, so I think they let us by. I wouldn't call boats particularly original either, but I think ours looked pretty rad anyway.

Next year, if I can figure out the health code issues, we may convert the small top deck into a dumpling steamer kitchen(electric steamers, yay!) and park out on deep playa handing people hot dumplings and green tea.

[unjonharley]

I know enough about cars to know that I couldn't work with a car, so I am considering modifying a golf cart, primarily because I don't know anything about golf carts.

Did a Craig's List look see.. Golf cart.. One fair to good gas rig at 600..A electric needs batteries 750.. These were in hauling range of me.. So they are out there.. Just keep looking.. Thinking gas would be the best bet for BM..

I know, flying carpet has been done to death but that's what comes to mind with golf cart frame..

[jannypan]

Please go to your prefs to enable BBcode, which shows quoting properly.

Thanks, Bob, but BBCode is already on. I just trimmed out one of the end quotes by accident (forgot it was an embedded quote, and I needed two).

Jannypan

[Lassen Forge]

I have 3 ideas, none of which are flying carpets/tounges/penises/etc... Think WAY outside the box.

(Oh, hell, if I had a garage!!!)

I like the gas over the Electric, tho they are a little louder, you don't have that nagging "Damn, I need to charge it all day" jones going on.

[Ugly Dougly]

Yeah, I gotta build a garage first!
Maybe an electric golf cart with a generator onboard to charge the battery. It's a hybrid!
Just head scratchin and brain stormin.

[theCryptofishist]

Go for gas over electric and do something about the key issue--all golf carts have the same key, so any bozoid can come and use yours...

[Recoil]

Go for gas over electric and do something about the key issue--all golf carts have the same key, so any bozoid can come and use yours...

I solved this with my MV by removing the steering wheel when not in use lol

[unjonharley]

Go for gas over electric and do something about the key issue--all golf carts have the same key, so any bozoid can come and use yours...

I solved this with my MV by removing the steering wheel when not in use lol

Had to do that with the VW bus, back in the day..

Those were not all Love Children..

[Dr Helix]

The DMV was AWESOME. Their efficiency actually sort of floored me because we went in on Monday with a mostly complete car expecting to do the small finishing touches in line...and there was no line.

Thanks, Sawdustbear! We worked super hard on all of our processes to improve our efficiency. It is nice to hear that it was appreciated.

I have to echo that. I rolled up on Saturday afternoon to check in, expecting an hour or two to get registered. Voila!!!! In 20 minutes I was done and on my way. And it was even easier at night. Thanks for making that easy and quick DMV!

[Ugly Dougly]

Well, maybe you could hire someone...

I'm giving that serious thought. I know what I want to do, but have no clue as to how to go about doing it. I have no mechanical, electrical or welding skills. Anyway, now back to the originally scheduled thread.

Do you have storage space? That's more than some people have!