Build Thread For Haulin' Oats (and goats)

[BusFiend]

Nice! Hope you bought your dad a six-pack.

 

[onenationundergoat]

I'm working on updating my blog so I just compiled a list of everywhere we've taken the bus!
2015:
3/18 Bought bus
6/15 start conversion contruction
8/3 paint bus
9/4 finish engine rebuild
9/6 first camping trip in bus, Mount Pisgah, Blue Ridge Pkwy, NC
9/23 leave NC
drove 1500 miles in 38 hours
9/25 sugar beet harvest, Drayton, ND
10/21 traveling south, saw animatronic cowboy town, corn palace
10/25 Byer Lake, SD
10/26 North Platte, NE
10/27 crossed Rockies in CO, stayed at rest areas, passed Parachute, CO
10/28 UT sign, Green River, UT truck stop
10/29 Moab, Utah
11/5 Canyonlands NP, Utah
11/6 Kane Canyon and Zion NP, Utah
11/7 Valley of Fire NP, Nevada
11/8 Lake Mead, Nevada
11/20 Death Valley NP, CA
11/26 Bakersfield, CA
11/27 Arden, CA
11/28 Casino, San Diego, CA
11/29 Ocean Beach, Paw Beach, San Diego, CA
12/1 Anza Borrego State Park, CA
12/3 Casino, Yuma, AZ
12/4 Walked to Mexico
12/7 Mittry Lake, Yuma, AZ
12/15 Whitewater Draw, AZ
12/16 Tombstone, AZ
12/17 NM border, TX border, El Paso
12/20 Carlsbad Caverns, NM
12/22 Junction, TX
12/25 saw Star Wars in TX
12/27 crossed Mississippi River
12/28 rest stop in LA with live tiger
12/31 Gainesville, FL

2016:
1/15 Apopka, FL to see charles_m
1/31 Greenville, FL
3/01 Statesville, NC
6/04 Blacksburg, VA
6/06 Wickerman Burn, PA
6/14 Iowa state line
6/16 Salt Lake City, Utah
6/17 Rockies, Rock Springs, WY
6/18 Lake Pillsbury, Potter Valley, CA

Upcoming:
9/12 leave Lake Pillsbury
9/22 Drayton, ND sugar beet harvest
10/? NC, then FL
1/10-22 SKOOLIEPALOOZA

 

[onenationundergoat]

We're back in NC doing upgrades...

While we were in California campground hosting we installed a new fridge/freezer and about a thousand watts of solar panels. There's another 500w waiting on us when we get back in March. Just bought three more deep cycle batteries to add to our single house battery. Working on hooking up my car to tow behind the bus and adding a battery box.

I'm selling the back deck since we aren't going to leave it on while we tow the car. I'll post an ad in the classified section.

 

[onenationundergoat]

We are currently in New Orleans, heading toward Quartzsite for SkooliePalooza!

The car (Honda Element) is towing nicely, and once we're up to speed the bus doesn't even know it's there. Getting up to speed and going up hills takes quite a bit longer, though. We don't mind too much. It's already super convenient for scouting out dirt roads ahead of the bus.

The solar panels are freakin' awesome. We can even run an electric hot plate or electric ceramic heater for a few hours! A window AC in the summer should be no problem. We had a few cloudy days where the panels didn't charge much and got to test out our new to us Honda 2000 generator. It cost $1 to run it for about six hours and the tank wasn't even close to empty! Our old 5000w Briggs/Stratton used 1 gallon every half hour!!! Our 5 gallon a week gas allowance at the camp hosting job will give us enough excess gas to use for the car on weekly grocery store trips.

I need to take some updated pics to upload on here!

 

[WanderWoman-SKO]

Have fun at skooliepalooza!!!

Sandi

 

[EastCoastCB]

We are currently in New Orleans, heading toward Quartzsite for SkooliePalooza!

The car (Honda Element) is towing nicely, and once we're up to speed the bus doesn't even know it's there. Getting up to speed and going up hills takes quite a bit longer, though. We don't mind too much. It's already super convenient for scouting out dirt roads ahead of the bus.

The solar panels are freakin' awesome. We can even run an electric hot plate or electric ceramic heater for a few hours! A window AC in the summer should be no problem. We had a few cloudy days where the panels didn't charge much and got to test out our new to us Honda 2000 generator. It cost $1 to run it for about six hours and the tank wasn't even close to empty! Our old 5000w Briggs/Stratton used 1 gallon every half hour!!! Our 5 gallon a week gas allowance at the camp hosting job will give us enough excess gas to use for the car on weekly grocery store trips.

I need to take some updated pics to upload on here!

Congrats on the genny upgrade! I'm using the same model as you guys were using- only I'm using it simply to power tools at the bus during the build. Guess what? The first week I had it in the bus, that damned pos rubber bung in the fuel tank started leaking. Leaked the entire tank in my bus!

 

[onenationundergoat]

Congrats on the genny upgrade! I'm using the same model as you guys were using- only I'm using it simply to power tools at the bus during the build. Guess what? The first week I had it in the bus, that damned pos rubber bung in the fuel tank started leaking. Leaked the entire tank in my bus!

Luckily you knew where to go to get a new one then! Haha. Our old genny's pull starter came off, so we re-riveted it back on and it shook those rivets loose too, so then we had to have one person hold the pull starter on while it was being pulled and then take it off after it was running. The Honda is so easy to pull, I love it! Got a great deal on Craigslist for $625.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I'm hoping Merv at the mower shop still has a few from when he ordered yours. Even if he has them, the chance of him finding them is probably slim!

 

[terfos]

I need to take some updated pics to upload on here!

Here you go. New Year's Eve in Breaux Bridge, LA

 

[EastCoastCB]

Nice to see the ONUG bus on the road!

 

[cadillackid]

I love seeing people enjoyiong ll the hard work into their busses!!! to me thats what its all about regardless your build!!
-Christopher

 

[onenationundergoat]

Hey thanks Terfos! You gonna build a bus now too? Join the club! I think you are our first fan to post a spotting photo! Thanks for the burger and recommendation too. Gonna tell everybody I know who passed through Texas to stop there.

 

[EastCoastCB]

Hey thanks Terfos! You gonna build a bus now too? Join the club! I think you are our first fan to post a spotting photo! Thanks for the burger and recommendation too. Gonna tell everybody I know who passed through Texas to stop there.

I think I posted a pic, and am definitely a fan! :wink1:

 

[GreenThunder]

Tight build, awesome goat. Do you know the width of the passenger chair when it is folded up in its upright position? I am looking to copy your chair, in my bus a Ford E450, it looks like I have about 14 inches give or take to cram a folded upright tilted chair into so it doesn't impede the stairway too bad. I am searching junkyards for the right one.

 

[onenationundergoat]

I'll measure it and get back to you when I can.

 

[GreenThunder]

No worries my cousin and I welded a chair in place similar to yours this weekend. Mine just barely didnt have to cross the steps which was nice

 

[1olfart]

Bus Nut, I Have followed you build, and adventures, since I 1st saw your Passenger seat, last year. I'm wondering if you have been pleased with the Vista. I like the style, and want to hear thoughts of those who have them. Some say that the position of the motor is loud, and some have said they ride really rough.
I have noticed that there have been a few Vistas acquired by other forum members, and without high jacking your thread, would love some feedback about them.
Thanks and happy trails