Well, took the bus on her maiden voyage!
Myself and 8 other paintballer put 300 miles round trip on her!
Rocked out on the trip there. The weather was great heading out.
We found some "far away" spot to park the bus and setup our canpoies and tarps.
There was 800 people at this event! It was crazy! Friday evening the rain rolled in.
Saturday the rain got worse and worse..70 plus mph winds,rain drops the size of ping pong balls,wind driven sideways rain.
A branch from a tree fell on one paintballer but he was ok after walking off the field with abit of help.
Our camp was blown apart... we had a creek in the middle of camp... 4 of the guys even got wet sleeping in
tents.. Myself and my 3 other teammates slept great in the back of the bus with GI style cots. I kept the original
heating system intact, It manages to warm up in 15 or so minutes of idle... So after 20 or 30 minutes it was toasty and dry!
Woke up in the morning with a knock on the bus door.... I got up and opend the door to
greet my soaking wet friend and he lookup and said, can I come in the bus.... I told him to take his muddy shoes off first.
After raining all saturday and saturday night things were a sloppy mess. The camping for the paintball event was around a filbert orchard, the soil
swelled with all the moisture. At the events end as folks were leaving , everyone was having problems getting out of the orchard even the trucks.
The access roads were weaving left and right and uphill and down .... I was sweating bullets on how to get the bus out .. fortunatly all this time the nice little "high ground"
I choose to park the bus on was still dry and holding up firm! But it was 1/2 mile of mud bog to the street! The fellow who put on the paintball event came up to us as we were packing
up to head out ... he said, guess what? I said what's that? He says I bought a school bus Saturday! I said Sweet! Went on discussing the deal he got and the
mechanical challanges and how he was so interested only because I rolled in with mine on Friday ... as the opprotunity arose on Saturday he jumped on it!
I told him about Skoolie.net and all the great info to be found, he was excited... Next year Event producer said... lets camp next to eachother! I said sure!
This guy owns a couple of paintball fields, paintball stores, even has a line of paintball guns! My team was so excited.. we already have a local sponsor here in Bend Oregon.
The hopes of picking up a national sponsor made me forget about the bus stuck on a small grass island sourround by a mud highway!
Heading out!
So as the time comes for the inevitable, must fire up the bus to leave ( she is loaded up with gear, leftover supplies - no beer left though!, paintball team.)
The event producer says, we'll follow you when you get stuck, we'll go get help .....
I slowly just beyond idel speed head out.. so far so good.... up to the first corner... slowly and easily .. I cant go to wide because the mud bog is nasty from others going
thru already.... just as I am about to come out of the corner... the back slide 2 or 3 feet... and I'm done! I try rocking her back and forth for some "traction" but to no avail.
The event producer says I'll be right back.... and indeed he comes back with 20+ kids who volunteered to referee the event ... coming to the rescue...
At first I was hesitant to think these kids could help move a school bus... Believe it or not... the did .. with my help a the wheel and gas!
We ( myself steering and applying minimal gas) and the kids began to power slide/steer/push the bus about 1/10th of a mile untill we hit a small uphill....
It was the funniest sight ever! I was using the PA to jokingly tell them to push harder and stuff... the kids got tired my friends took some pictures .. it was funny as hell!
As we contemplate how to get up the small incline... low and behold the filbert orchard owner come out with a rather large john deer tractor, the tires were as tall
as the nose on the bus... he chained me up and slowly he pulled the bus the rest of the way to better ground....my friend video taped this event as it was also truely funnier than hell.
The farmer was cool and told us how to easily get out from this point on out to the street, I thanked him many .. many times.. and off he went ....
We drove home safely, everone basically slept as I drove my bus home in the dark and rain for the first time.... I took it easy , no rush.
Dropped my friends off and unloaded gear... Then I drove off to head home myself...
On the drive I thought ... A lot of first times happened..
First time I drove my bus on a road trip
First time I drove my bus at night
First time I drove my bus in the rain.
First time I slept in the bus.
First time I power slid the bus.
First time I went mudding in the bus.
First time I got pushed by a bunch of 17 year old kids in the bus.
First time I got towed by a John Deer Tractor thru the mud in the bus....
Hopefully the next trip is much less exciting!
I will put up pics and video of this ... I sure some here will find amusement in it!