The Bar, Volume #4

[trilobyte]

I vote for Elorrum as well!

When I get a little time, it might be fun to try and make an ePlaya bar in Second Life. Hmm, that might even make a fun project for Burn2...

[Captain Goddammit]

Well I'm looking at busses again... my camper looks ok, and the First Mate did a fantastic "Glam-per" remodel in the interior, but the truth is the structure of it is a rotted piece of crap like ALL stick'n'staple RVs of every type quickly become.

Anyone remember Jason LaPeer (I forget his eplaya name but it was at least part of his real name) and his four "Jacuzzi Busses"?
I followed all his documentation of his builds and trial & error with the intention of building a hot-tub-on-a-trailer setup. What the hell, I already own most of the large pieces necessary. I never did it because of the same reasons that kept me away from Burning Man the last five years (best forgotten I'd say).
Well now I'm thinking if I get a bus, maybe I should build the next incarnation of the Jacuzzi bus, shamelessly stealing as much of his existing research and experience for sorting out the logistics... I mean, that's half the work and it's already done.

As cool as this would be, I really need to be talked out of it!

[trilobyte]

Yeah, I remember lapeer, and really enjoyed getting to see his setup back in 2006 (I think that was bus #2). As awesome as that was, I'll tell you right now.. DON'T DO IT! There was a ridiculous amount of effort and expense involved.

[shroom]

I need a drink, so I'm passing some around. enjoy.

[Captain Goddammit]

Yeah, I remember lapeer, and really enjoyed getting to see his setup back in 2006 (I think that was bus #2). As awesome as that was, I'll tell you right now.. DON'T DO IT! There was a ridiculous amount of effort and expense involved.

Probably less than my goddamm mutant vehicle...

[Elliot]

Captain, Jason chronicled his builds on the Skoolie.net forum, of which you are a member. (Edit -- ah, that's what you are referring to.) He is a moderator there. His moniker there is lapeer20m. I believe he went to four burns before marriage made him a bit preoccupied. He's a firefighter in Michigan -- I believe our Sail Man knows him.

I also met him on Playa in 2006. The hydraulic arrangement to lift the filled hot tub to roof level was "too much"!

[graidawg]

Elliot, do you think it would be possible to buy and convert a school bus in less than 3 months? with no prior knowledge of "how to" or experience? it has been on my list of things to do since about 1985 or so. But we don't have school busses in england. not as such anyway. so i am thinking it may be a project for in the future.... say 2015

[Elliot]

Elliot, do you think it would be possible to buy and convert a school bus in less than 3 months? with no prior knowledge of "how to" or experience? ...

Absolutely not.

[graidawg]

Elliot, do you think it would be possible to buy and convert a school bus in less than 3 months? with no prior knowledge of "how to" or experience? ...

Absolutely not.

any suggestions on a less ambitious project?

[GreyCoyote]

Elliot, do you think it would be possible to buy and convert a school bus in less than 3 months? with no prior knowledge of "how to" or experience? ...

Absolutely not.

any suggestions on a less ambitious project?

Maybe...Knitting?

Sorry. Back to your regularly scheduled programming...

[Elorrum]

Elliot, do you think it would be possible to buy and convert a school bus in less than 3 months? with no prior knowledge of "how to" or experience? ...

Absolutely not.

any suggestions on a less ambitious project?

[graidawg]

Elliot, do you think it would be possible to buy and convert a school bus in less than 3 months? with no prior knowledge of "how to" or experience? ...

Absolutely not.

any suggestions ELLIOT on a less ambitious project?

[MikeGyver]

Elliot, do you think it would be possible to buy and convert a school bus in less than 3 months? with no prior knowledge of "how to" or experience? ...

Absolutely not.

any suggestions ELLIOT on a less ambitious project?

Save up a little more and find a already converted schoolbus that just needs a little TLC

[Captain Goddammit]

Save up a little more and find a already converted schoolbus that just needs a little TLC

Just remember that "TLC" stands for Tons of Loot and Cash

[Elliot]

Save up a little more and find a already converted schoolbus that just needs a little TLC

Actually, I would not recommend that. Because.... For every converted school bus that just needs a little TLC, there are 1,000 which are simply failed projects and must be avoided at all cost.

In fact, I would not want anyone to buy mine, because it is such a "one man horse" -- that is, I do everything according to my own whims, and normal people cannot be expected to maintain it and continue to convert it.

The only way to do a school bus is to buy one fresh out of school service.

There is quite a bit of information about school buses in a thread I wrote a couple of years ago. It is called School Bus 101 or some such. It is probably rather buried by now, and I'm afraid I don't have a link to it. A Google search might turn it up.

[Martiansky]

I found the Bus thread, BUMPED it up!

[Martiansky]

Ellorum, that picture is just sweet!

I also vote for Ellorum!!

[Elorrum]

wah, I want a converted 50 gallon drum.... train.

I love you knuckleheads!

[Elliot]

wah, I want a converted 50 gallon drum.... train.

Been done; two of them. The "Twin Serpents".

[Elorrum]

wah, I want a converted 50 gallon drum.... train.

Been done; two of them. The "Twin Serpents".

yes, those are very cool. Can you ride in them?

[MikeGyver]

wah, I want a converted 50 gallon drum.... train.

Been done; two of them. The "Twin Serpents".

yes, those are very cool. Can you ride in them?

No. which is why I want to do yours, the "twin serpents" are just for show. a ride-able version would be awesome.

[Elorrum]

everyone make one! compatible bases, axles, and hitches, then a strong tow vehicle. I wonder if the sofa train ever got connected this year. Anybody see it?

[Captain Goddammit]

That idea comes up time after time and never works out.
Hell we can barely even get together for a party out there.
Getting a bunch of people to build compatible trailers for a mutant vehicle has several issuers. They each have to pass DMV licensing, they need adequate lighting (which presumably means a compatible way to connect to power at one end and pass it on out the other end) plus the impossibility of getting everyone together. Then what do you do? Leave your car attached to the train? Then how do you ever catch up with it again? Etc.
I'm going out on a short sturdy limb and sayin' the oft-whimsied train idea where random others build and add cars is never going to happen in BRC.

It IS a cool idea, but really someone's gotta bring the whole thing.

[Elorrum]

I was thinking it might be a close group of neighbors who bring the components, not unlike parts of a theme camp. It would only be dissassembled at the end of the event.

[gaminwench]

The couch train did happen, in some form. I've seen several photos (which I've failed to re-locate) from its maiden playa voyage.
If I'm not mistaken, this was facilitated by the Reno folks who brought us Pier 1/2 ...

[AntiM]

I saw a train which represented various rooms of a house. I really need to start taking pictures again.

[MyDearFriend]

Morning all.

Today is the day I stop whining about being Homesick.

Where is that NEB?

*crawls in*

[graidawg]

oh MDF, i complain of being homesick (mostly to myself) right up until i start setting up camp.

[trilobyte]

The serpents aren't a 50-gallon drum train, believe it or not. They're actually built on airport luggage cart bases, the 50 gallon drums are merely riding atop them. You're right though in that it's not a passenger vehicle, they're intended as mobile art installations more than anything else. I saw couch train parked a few times, I know it made it out there (there's a discussion about couch train, as well as the logistics and complexities involved of having multiple segments built by different people, elsewhere on the board).

I second Elliot's advice about buses. And for that matter, about MV's in general. Don't look for the best bargain you can get on a worn out thing that needs TLC, it will end in tears. When a seller says it needs TLC, that means it needs work and will likely continue to need work to function as intended for default world operation. Many MV builders fail to realize that making a mutant vehicle is, in and of itself, taking the vehicle way past what it was designed to do. It's going to put additional strain on the frame and suspension, the transmission, and all kinds of other internal parts which may or may not be really expensive to fix as you consider more exotic base vehicles, and which may or may not be very accessible once the vehicle starts getting mutated.

Anyhow, our weekend was nice. Took the new kitten in for her inaugural trip to the vet. She was good, but the poor girl had to get a shot. While the older cat still hisses and howls a bit, they're interacting a lot more, and both seem to be enjoying the way we're changing around stuff in the loft. I also discovered that Haagen Dazs has a limoncello gelato now... we had to get some, and found that it's even more wonderful if you drizzle a little limoncello on it.

As for homesickness, I don't get homesick anymore. Maybe it's the byproduct of having moved around a lot as a kit, but I have more of a mindset that home is wherever you are, so make the most of it. It could also be the playafied brain...

[bedlamdoll]

Morning all! Please tell me there is lots of coffee. I'm so dragging today.