Elfie first camping trip

Elfie · 08-08-2016, 09:08 PM

Although not finished by any standard we felt adventures and took her out for a night at a close by campground.
My birthday was coming up also and we thought to celebrate in Elfie

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture13868.html

We arrived around 4 PM. Did not have a canopy yet so improvised a blue tarp and some repurposed tent sticks.

We named her Elfie but did not have time to properly identify her. To keep in line with PA law it is temporarily c-ool bus. Funny enough many people like that.

It was petty warm and i was nervous about not having an airco going but it turned out OK.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture13870.html

We had nice pre-prepped dinner.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture13868.html

Later J

milkmania · 08-08-2016, 09:19 PM

That right there folks.... Is what it's all about!!!

Only thing missing is the 5 gallon chandelier... I've been making them for years, and use one nightly with a brood lamp & LED bulb... Use paracord and hoist it up into a tree for bug free lighting!

https://www.google.com/search?safe=o...A1ivK010eGM%3A

Elfie · 08-08-2016, 09:58 PM

thanks for the link. Amazing what one can do with a bucket.
I love the old coleman lanterns, just found a nickel plated one in the trash, Having liquid high flammable fuel around with kids makes me a little nervous.
We are cooking on an induction stove so the lighting will go that route as well. First need to get those solar panels on top.

Later j

cadillackid · 08-09-2016, 07:24 AM

5 gallon buckets are useful for about everything... love the idea as a light spreader.. going to have to try that.. iver got a few white ones...

I use those buckets for all kifnds of stuff.. great for carrying tools upo a ladder, washing cars, as a sub-cooler for my HVAC recovery machine, a table, a stool, a christmas tree stand.... love it

great to take a trip too!!! ive been driving my bus as I build on it... i suppose there are thinbgs i shouldve done but I wanted to be out in my bus rather than have it in pieces in a garage for months and years...

-Christopher

bansil · 08-11-2016, 03:40 PM

great to see one in the wild..fun memories are made not bought

Carytowncat · 08-11-2016, 10:32 PM

Gosh it reminded me of being a kid. Looks fun.

milkmania · 08-11-2016, 10:34 PM

If you use a bucket for a light spreader... Drill a hole or two for rain drain, or it gets heavy

2kool4skool · 08-12-2016, 10:02 AM

But wait, there's more!

5 Gallon Bucket Articles, Videos and Community | Five Gallon Ideas

Elfie · 08-19-2016, 07:15 PM

The kids and I went for a day trip to Agricultural Progress Event at Penn state University.
We live close by so it would not really count but from the kids perspective it was a trip anyhow.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture14010.html

Do notice the doorknob / key aka the magic crystal .

Besides agricultural equipment and technology there was also a small scale bug fair.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture14009.html

Our youngest has not developed a fear of the obvious. Although this scorpion is not dangerous as i was told and guess I believed the guy

.

We had to drive some gravel and fields so it was a good test to see what would come loose.

later J

plfking · 08-19-2016, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfie

Although this scorpion is not dangerous as i was told and guess I believed the guy

I hate it when small girls are braver than I am.

Elfie · 08-20-2016, 12:45 PM

yeah. Me, her dad , was not to keen on it either. I almost could see it in the bug leader eyes. Parents are coward.
It is amazing what indoctrination and a little fear talk has done to us.
Back in the bus she sees and ant and scream BUUUuuuGgggg.
Amazing

later j

Elfie · 08-22-2016, 09:10 PM

So we wandered a little further from home. 4 Hours small roads to get to state line between Pennsylvania and New York .

A friend has a camp on the lake and invited us for a visit. We set up camp on his lot. It was pretty warm and humid

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture14012.html

I had found better tent poles and moved the tarp over the entrance. More shade and easier to get out of the bus.

We also were able to test our cooking set up.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture14011.html

As you can see I myself did not do a lot of testing, if I would try it it would not taste good even if the equipment was fine.

The gravitation drinking water tank worked fine. The gray water bucket worked fine. I like to make a solar still that makes drinking water out of gray water. There is a lot of info online.

In the afternoon the kids and dogs played like crazy and in the evening we went for the sunset.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture14013.html

Altogether a nice time.
Found all my diesel receipts back and we are doing 13 Mpg.
( see for more technical details the Elf bus E350 Corbeil thread)

later J

joeblack5 · 12-04-2016, 10:00 PM

Had to make a business trip to West jefferson NC and deliver equipment to GE aviation. Decided to use the bus and camp while installing the equipment

Bansil thank you for the Walmart recommendation. That is what I did for three nights. Little rowdy with local kids using the walmart parking lot as their pickup truck meeting spot. It was a super-center and they had no problems.

It was not to cold and with two sleeping bags I was able to stay warm. Better that way because I did not finish my solar PV or webasto yet.

Just before I left I fixed the heater flap so that I actually had engine heat. Traced it back to the actuator. Took it apart and cleaned it out reassembled and it worked.

On the way down from PA to NC I drove at night and did about 50 -55 mph with about 1200lbs equipment loaded in the bus. Back to PA , empty same speed.

Total trip 982 miles and 62 gallons averaging 15.5 MPG.
Not bad

Later J

bansil · 12-08-2016, 05:44 AM

Joe,Glad to hear your trip went good, I wish we didnt have prior plans or we would of met for a beverage...maybe next time

Elfie more great pictures, any adventures planned for 2017?

joeblack5 · 12-08-2016, 06:34 AM

Morning Bansil,

yes that would have been nice. I left there at 11 PM and believed the gps that I should drive all the way around taking the larger road. I could have stayed for the night but my work was done and it was getting colder and my heater was not hooked up yet so......

Either way now working on my webasto thermotop and 3500 watt sine wave inverter to get further ahead. We have loose plans to go to skooliepalooza but it is along drive and we have only three weeks assuming I can get all these mods finished in the next 10 days.
We will see

Later J

Scott Marcano · 12-22-2016, 06:03 AM

does look like fun, bet the girls love it. mine always loved camping but we didn't have a cool school bus to camp in at that time.

Elfie · 03-12-2017, 09:28 AM

We originally had planned to go to skoolie Palooza but could not get Elfie far enough along. Also to leave our house in deep winter did not seem smart and we planned to travel for three weeks. That meant pulling the kids out of school for two weeks + . Altogether a no go.

So we worked long and hard to make the same trip for spring break.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15369.html

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15370.html

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15371.html

Much better shape but still not great for such a long trip.

Elfie · 03-12-2017, 09:41 AM

Then we had some misfortune with our youngest teeth and we decided that a long trip was out of the question.

That weeks was exceptionally nice at the Outer Banks. We had been there before and decided that it was a nice winter break with 65F.
We stopped at a Oral surgeon on the road and had 6 teeth removed and continued our trip to Harrisburg and spend some time at the large outdoor store with the huge aquarium. After that we drove thru the night, slept at a rest area beyond Washington and arrived next day in hatteras at Kitty Hawk info center.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15372.html

The solar panels were not completely fastened and the thrird one is not on yet but it did not come off.

Moved on to a random day use area to check the sand.
First thing we noticed,.. nobody around it felt we had the place to ourselves.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15373.html

In the evening we moved on the ferry.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15374.html

When we got married we saved for a boat and this is how it looks like. GPS screen shot

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15375.html

Elfie · 03-12-2017, 10:46 AM

We arrived at Ocracoke at night and camped at the first rest area of the boat.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15379.html

Next morning we had breakfast at the pony restaurant.
When it is this empty you actually feel appreciated as a tourist.

Then we hit the beach again.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15376.html
The kids observe the enemy and the battle terrain.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15377.html

The kids attempt a last stand before....

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...ture15378.html

They retreat.

The next day the wind picked up and the beach was a sandblast.
Took the ferry back and spend an hour at the Hatteras museum and had coffee at the local coffee shop.

It is amazing how our youngest recovered from the surgery besides some eating difficulties every thing is good.

Drove back and had some fun in the thrift stores and then decides to start the journey back.

Stopped at our favorite live music restaurant Sunset Grill at the marina in Norfolk, exit 272 of highway 64. Took a nap in their parking lot and drove thru the night to get to other side of Washington Dc.
As you can tell I do not like driving in congested area's but with Elfie you can stop and adjust your driving as you please.

Over and out.
later J

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