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Old 01-18-2009, 12:19 PM   #1
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The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Well, I handed over the cash today. Have got a RV storage place a 1/2 mile from the house. I can work on it there as long as I keep the mess cleaned up. I will break the wife to the idea slowly (as she dosn't know about this yet.) The feedback from friends and such is half give me that same look as my German shepard does and the other half think its a great idea. We'll see. I love to tinker and build things, and this is something I've never built before. Plus the education on diesel motors. (Did I just try to justify this to myself?) Anyway, follow along for the ride, but buckle up! It could get bumpy
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"So much style without substance, So much stuff without style. It's hard to recognize the real thing, but it comes along once in awhile."
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Old 01-18-2009, 12:34 PM   #2
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Got any interior shots of the cab area?
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Old 01-18-2009, 12:57 PM   #3
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

OK, Since you asked..........
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Old 01-18-2009, 03:18 PM   #4
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Papabear
I will break the wife to the idea slowly (as she dosn't know about this yet.)
You're a braver man than I! But if you need to break it to her easily here is how I'd do it!

First, start spending time away from home working on it. Act suspicious about it. Make her wonder. Have a close family friend talk with her about your strange behavior. Make her think you're sneaking off with another woman!! When she finally finds out your new "mistress" is an old school bus she'll be so relieved she wont mind about the bus!

-Ray

---------------------------------
<legal disclaimer> This is more my idea for a TV sitcom plot, not actual marital advice. Seek the advice of a professional before attempting this technique on an actual wife.</legal disclaimer>
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Old 01-18-2009, 06:25 PM   #5
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Dude---Quit---Your kill'in me Wait - that might work
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Old 01-18-2009, 07:25 PM   #6
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

I'm not killing you! But my advice might.... Or, it might just work! If it works I'll take full credit.... if it gets you killed, I'll point to the legal disclaimer above.

-Ray
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Old 01-18-2009, 08:19 PM   #7
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

I don't mean to insult you Ray_Wa but your sounding like a politician. Hey! The first Skoolie president. Since Papabear is probably kicked out of the house he'll have time to run the campaign. If we could just find a campaign bus.
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Old 01-18-2009, 11:07 PM   #8
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

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I don't mean to insult you Ray_Wa but your sounding like a politician.
Oh that hurts!! That hurts a LOT!!!

-Ray
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Old 01-19-2009, 06:29 AM   #9
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Papabear, you have air-assist brakes. This is good. You also have a factory stereo.

(You suck.)
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Old 01-19-2009, 09:45 AM   #10
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Thanks for all the replies and encouragement.
I've saved a lot of photos from all your convertions. When she sees how good they can look, I'll win her over. There are some great ideas on paint and interior to be had here. BIG SELLIG POINT... The money saved on the bus over a typical RV is astounding. It's safer for our grandbaby, and that leaves a few thousand left for that new "Blue Diamond" she's wanted. Anytime I start a new project or buy a bike, snowmobile Etc. I can figure a few thousand over to cost for "hush honey money" It's only fair as she also works to pay the bills.
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Old 01-28-2009, 09:38 AM   #11
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Well, the weather broke for a few days and I now have 1/2 the seats and rubber floor out. How bout them RIVETS - OMG. Everywhere, Rivets-Rivets-Rivets. I'm leaning towards leaving the lower inside panels on, just to eliminate hundreds of rivits to remove.
It seems once the seats start coming out and the bus starts opening up, the ideas really start flowing and changing and flowing. What have I started-I dont know-yes you do-shut up-your not the boss of me-MY Precious-Smeigel hates the fat hobbit!............
But really, These kind of rolling projects can showcase our individual and collective ideas and show our injenuity to overcome a lot of little problems no one ever sees. And still come out with a product that is cheaper, safer and better constructed that a lot of $100.000.00 plus RV's
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Old 01-28-2009, 10:03 AM   #12
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

a bus should make a good bug out vehicle. you can haul a lot of food, supplies, and people. A bus has pretty good zombie protection too! If you added an extra 100 gallon fuel tank you could have about a 2,000 mile range.
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Old 01-29-2009, 03:21 PM   #13
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Quote:
Originally Posted by lapeer20m
A bus has pretty good zombie protection too!
Wait, do I need to be prepared for that!?
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Old 01-29-2009, 07:11 PM   #14
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Quote:
Originally Posted by vanguy67
Quote:
Originally Posted by lapeer20m
A bus has pretty good zombie protection too!
Don't forget your tinfoil hat lapeer!!
SH-h-h-h! Not so LOUD Vanguy67! (*whispers* They'll hear you...)
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Old 01-29-2009, 07:51 PM   #15
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

in all seriousness, i think a bus is a great platform for a BOV. Just imagine escaping the path of the big hurricane and being able to provide your own food and shelter. Or being able to have food, shelter, and electricity after a week or two of power outages. It's fun during a couple day blackout to power your house with a skoolie. If the power outage lasted for a prolonged peried of time, you'd be glad that you have 200 gallons of diesel fuel to power that alternator which feeds power to the inverter.

The vehicle it'self makes a great shelter, plus there is plenty of room for supplies including food and water. a bus is able to drive through at least as much snow as any common 4x4, it has higher than average ground clearance, can drive through fairly deep water (depending on the bus) My international had the air filter intake at least 4 feet off the ground. Mechanical injected diesel engines have several advantages over modern electronic engines, including suitability of running on non-standard fuels. ie: kerosene or veggie oil. After a big event when gas stations are all out of motor fuel there is a good chance that they will still have kerosene for a while. A minor auto accident or some such event that could cripple a normal vehicle during a mass evacuation wouldn't really bother a bus. There is plenty of room to cook, eat, sleep, entertain, etc.
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Old 01-29-2009, 08:59 PM   #16
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Hey Yall...

I am loving your pictures and tips/hints here. I am making a power point and paper drawing of what I want to do to my bus as this year I am going to get my first bus. Probably after the move and I am so excited to get started. What got me to post here now is about your BOV vehicle. Thats one of my 2 thoughts for my bus. See I am in Virginia right now but will be moving back to Florida in May. And we know about Florida's hurricanes. The other is for camping but I want to be able to fire it up and leave at the first sign of a much needed evacuation. I want to be able to split at any time for safer ground. I have built 1 and am going to build 2 more solar panels. The one I built now is small 18"w x 24"l and in partly sunny winter sky put out about 96.2vdc. Not too shabby. I also built a 600w, 120vdc portable wind turbine. I want to incorporate both into my bus so I could head anywhere without power and have all I need without a cord. Have you thought about creating your own power for you BOV??

Thanks for being here I love this site.

Scott
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Old 01-30-2009, 02:13 AM   #17
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Quote:
Mechanical injected diesel engines have several advantages over modern electronic engines, including suitability of running on non-standard fuels.
Since we're talking BOV here, the other advantage is the engine will still run in the (unlikely??) event of an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) that would accompany any nuke event and fry countless circuit boards, especially after a mid-air detonation as opposed to a ground detonation.

And talk about zombies, when your skoolie (and probably the ancient point-condenser gassers) are the only things still moving, expect the hordes rising up out of the graves, er, um, I mean dead cars, to want to be in your bus, whatever it takes. If you don't think it would happen, check the stories from New Hampshire about citizens attempting to commandeer power company trucks after last month's ice storm. Practice your driving on grass skills, 'cause the major pavement to GOOD (get out of Dodge) might be blocked with scrap metal.
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Old 01-30-2009, 09:44 AM   #18
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

WOW guys Zombies freak me out. I have a friend at Co. Road & Bridge with access to a v-nosed snowplow. Mount it on the bus and watch the zombies (and most sub-compacts)fly Ever seen that bus on Resident Evil- extinction?

I'm not a dooms day advocate, but i think a bus would fill the needs of many situations. Be it a weekend in the mountains with the kids or getting out of harms way in any different number of events that could happen in these strange times.
I have, at times, been called "one of those crazy survivalist" and sometimes just crazy, but those are the same people that might be scream'in "let me in".

I have changed layout plans again (only twice so far) I was going to cut off 8' from the rear and raise the roof 12" Now I think we'll keep the extra room for a "garage area" and put a ramp door in the rear. It could hold an ATV and a dirt or road bike. There would still be room for a fold up bunk on eack side back there.

As for the diesel: I just figured something with little or no electronics would be easier to diagnose and make repairs on. I'm not mechanically inept, but don't have a lot of experience on diesels. It's a learning curve I'll enjoy.

Alternative energy: Has anyone added a still in their bus? The finished product could have all kinds of useful benifits

P.S. Welcome scott! and yes wind and solar are in the plans.
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Old 01-30-2009, 11:35 AM   #19
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Papabear
Alternative energy: Has anyone added a still in their bus? The finished product could have all kinds of useful benifits
For legal reasons I don't think anyone would admit to doing so... and anyone who does admit to it is probably telling tall tales!

-Ray
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Old 01-30-2009, 11:56 AM   #20
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Re: The Bear Den (Bug Out Bus)

Thanks. The wind turbine I built is portable. I made the tower from black iron pipe. I enclosed a picture. Just remember it was a few days after I completed it. Did't have time to mount the support brackets to the roof to slide the tower into. I used a piece of cord I had to hold it up while I tool its first picture. I also made the base from black iron pipe so I can use the wheels to hold the tower down and allow it to swivel.
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