Bug Out Bus???

[idelphic]

good idea, thats the week point with a 53 footer i dont think you could get away with towing a car behind a atrailer being towed as well, unless you could find a wayto stow a car under the trlr,
(it'd have to be a real short car(height not length)

NASCAR and other Motor Sports don't bother with the towing - they haul it.  The Mechanics Trailer has a lift in it.  There is 'wasted' space above the vehicle, so they raise it.  While your cost is going to skyrocket, it's doable... 

[thezoo]

file this under an idea thats cool but I could never afford to do, I just love his bus gets the imagination goin

[Ms green eyes]

awesome--keep it up!

[statesofmind]

Update... 

Getting some interior work done over a rainy Maine weekend.  Finished walls in the bunk area (rear of bus) are covered with a nice fabric to help look decent, deaden sound and provide a nice lightweight and changeable look.


Here you can see a wide shot of the bunk area.  Still more to go.  I have fitted 2 fans in each of the roof portals.  This drastically cools the bus and can run off shore power or the inverter.  I have hung a couple cargo nets over the top bunk.  I'll probably install some shelving under this for more "stuff".  The nets will work for blankets/pillows and sleeping bags.  Anything lightweight.



The bunks are looking much better now.  Basically ready for the mattress and bedding.  The bottom bunk will be used more often.  The top bunk will double as a workbench as well. 


This gives a decent shot of how the fabric looks.  Basically I have covered each piece of foamboard in fabric, using an adhesive.  Then I simply screw the panel back in place.  This allows me to easily open the walls up to add future wiring, plumbing or whatever.  Plus, it's very easy to change the fabric down the road if it gets torn, dirty of I want a new look.    I'm very happy with how this turned out. 

Next up... exterior work if the weather every turns into summer here. 

[endurance]

love what you're doing to the place.  You're not only a very wise planner, your carpentry skills really make the place look good, too.

How thick of foam will you be going with for mattresses?

After we had some out of town guests for our wedding this month and had to borrow a trailer for a guest room, the wife has approved poking around to find a used trailer we can rehab.  Your pics are an inspiration to what can be done with the most raw of a start.

[TexDaddy]

Looks fantastic! +1

[d0j0w0]

Will the bus have any type of rain collection system?  Or is that a huge challenge for this project?

[statesofmind]

Thanks for the kind words.  I built the bunks and master bed to handle standard size mattresses.  2 singles and a queen.  I figure, if I'm gonna be camping long term... may as well be comfortable.  Bedding stuff will be much easier to deal with if they are all standard sizes. 

As far as rain collection, I have considered it due to the size of the roof.... maybe down the road I'll make some sort of gutter funnel to a holding tank.  But for now I will just continue to use my tarp 'n hose setup, real easy to hitch to the bus. 

[endurance]

Thanks for the kind words.  I built the bunks and master bed to handle standard size mattresses.  2 singles and a queen.  I figure, if I'm gonna be camping long term... may as well be comfortable.  Bedding stuff will be much easier to deal with if they are all standard sizes. 

As far as rain collection, I have considered it due to the size of the roof.... maybe down the road I'll make some sort of gutter funnel to a holding tank.  But for now I will just continue to use my tarp 'n hose setup, real easy to hitch to the bus.

Good thinking.  Just for the sake of finding sheets that fit, that makes a lot of sense.  I ended up modifying the trailer I had from 1989-1996 to hold a single queen sized futon and it worked well.  It gave me the flexibility to use it as a couch when I had company and also gave me my first piece of furnature when I moved back into a traditional house.

[statesofmind]

Yeah standard sizes makes it MUCH easier to deal with.  I will also have a queen size futon up front for an occasion guest or fishing/hunting buddy.   

[loyalty4eva]

This is a VERY cool project I love the work keep it up! My wifes dad has a RV and the thing is very nice but doing it this way looks like you save a lot of money if you can do it yourself makes me wanna start a project trailor to pull behind my truck I've had the idea for a while ill post picks if I ever end up buying one.

One question I had is if you used this as a BoV how whould you have enough gas or do you not plan to go further then a bus's tank can hold? Just wondering I know bug out place isnt to far and probebly could peddle bike their in day if I had to but everyones diffrent I guess. With this I guess its kinda nice because were ever you stoped that would be your bug out place awsome! Sorry sometimes I just write down what im thinking as I go curse being able to type faster then I can think sometimes.

[statesofmind]

That is a great question, but I keep a 65 gallons tank full, with a second 30 gallon tank being fitted in the fall for nearly 100 gallons... at 12 miles per gallon gives me over 1000 mile range.   My BOL land is only a 1 hr. drive to the mountains.  Thanks for the question and I would suggest anyone to do this type of BOV project.  It doesn't have to be to this scale, but a trailer is a great idea too. 

A bus or similar vehicle is MUCH better built than any RV bought commercially.

P.

[statesofmind]

Some of the more boring stuff getting done over the weekend.  I took apart the dash, which was in BAD shape.  I decided to re-vinyl part of it and re-paint other parts.  Here's a couple shots of the prep work, and then a few of the somewhat finished product.  it's actually VERY easy to do once I learned a few tricks about the corners and such. 




Not 100% finished, but getting close.  I will be constructing a cabinet underneath to hold maps, jacks and roadside emergency stuff.





I also took the door apart and reconditioned it.  Repaint and general cleaning.   I love the look and feel of the old school bus door with a working step that goes in and out as the door opens and closes.  Just one of those cool things I want to keep.  Many folks remove the door to put in a more conventional door, I like the original stuff. 





I would love some ideas for exterior.  I am not there yet, but I want to start formulating my plans to paint/letter/decal/wrap.... whatever it is I will end up doing.  I am interested in keeping it somewhat discreet and subtle.... well as subtle as a freaking bus in the woods can be!  I want it to blend in when I'm camping or fishing, but not really interested in full cammo.... if you get my drift.  I'd love any ideas!!!!  Thanks again!!!!

[TexDaddy]

Great job on that dash!

Just to get the ball rolling on exterior suggestions. Maybe just a solid medium to dark blue or forest green?

[endurance]

I'd be partial to a light tan on the roof that's likely to match the color of the dirt roads in your area, plus be reflective to keep the temperature inside reasonable during the summer.  On the sides, a green, somewhere between forest and sage, whatever best fits in with your local landscapes.

You're not going to hide a big thing like that, but you can keep if from standing out like a school bus.

[Docwatmo]

Amazing work,  The door looks NEW and the dash is great.   Someday I will be following in your footsteps.

Since you can't know if your going to be forested or desert environment at any given time, its hard to pic a color.  So no help here.  Probably something that would work well at your primary BOL.

Man I love following this project.   Great Job

[statesofmind]

This vehicle will most likely NOT leave New England and will remain in Northwoods type setting.  I'll be using it for hunting/fishing, general RV use and at my BOL in North/Central Maine.  I am leaning towards the greens, dark browns, blacks.... I just want to come up with something unique.  Thanks for the ideas and comments. 

[Docwatmo]

You could always paint a phoenix <<<<<  on the top    That would be unique.  LOL

[Medicineball]

Man, that bus looks awesome! Good job!

[Dan]

If you want unique and have some artistic ability you could paint it as one big mural. Pick any subject but make it something that will allow you to stick with earth tones. If you like hunting and fishing, maybe you could use that as your inspiration. Seen on the street it's going to look like you are really into the subject you have chosen, out in the woods at any distance the multiple colors, heavy use of earth tones and random shapes will act as camouflage without looking like you did it intentionally.

I wouldn't call this unique but it is cheap and easy. Paint it a light gray to reflect heat and blend in when in traffic. It would also blend in a bit on gravel roads or if you make camp at a quarry. Get green and tan camo netting to put over it if you camp in terrain where it needs a little help. Throw in a couple poles to hold the net up and you get some shade without the bright colors and hard lines of an awning. Be the gray bus/man when on the road and when it comes time to set up camp become a chameleon, a really really big  chameleon.

[endurance]

I know it would cost a fortune and would be far from low profile, but how about a black and green marbled paint job with something like this:



From Alsa Corp

Everytime I see one of their "Crazer" paints, I just drewl.

[statesofmind]

Nice ideas.  Dan's idea is VERY close to my current state of mind.  My daughter is an accomplished artist and could certainly help me pull something like this off.  I have had a few other suggestions....
1) Tie Dye pattern... but us cammo colors.
2) Very busy pattern using Street Graffiti, but only using cammo colors only. 
3) Landscape painting  of the exact spot it is parked on pad at BOL... hence nearly invisible.   LOL.  I kind of liked this, my location is densely wooded.

Thanks again for the ideas.  Keep 'em coming.  Now I gotta get back to work.  I'd much rather be home working on the beast.

[Dan]

1) Tie Dye pattern... but us cammo colors.

I can see this working out quite well in the woods plus you could make a killing selling brownies out of it at the local saturday market. 

2) Very busy pattern using Street Graffiti, but only using cammo colors only.

I have a hard time picturing this without it looking like camo.

3) Landscape painting  of the exact spot it is parked on pad at BOL... hence nearly invisible.   LOL.  I kind of liked this, my location is densely wooded.

Star Trek cloaking device MK1.0

You get the idea. Earth tones, avoid straight lines, make it look like something other than an attempt to camouflage it when looked at out of context.

I know it would cost a fortune and would be far from low profile, but how about a black and green marbled paint job with something like this:



From Alsa Corp

Everytime I see one of their "Crazer" paints, I just drewl.

I would love to use that on my Jeep! 

[endurance]

I can see this working out quite well in the woods plus you could make a killing selling brownies out of it at the local saturday market. 

LMAO!

[PAGUY]

You are doing a great job.  Keep up the good work and keep the pics coming.

[Nicodemus]

The Bug out Bus is looking great!

[Mike123]

Fantastic job it is looking good.
Mike

[tomtom]

Keep up the good work, looks great!

[randelw]

  This is an awesome project. Keep the pics coming!

[Mr. Red Beard (UKtheBUNNY)]

Absolutely incredible!!! I'm wanting a bus now.