Burningman 06

[lapeer20m]

Who's going?

Where ya camping?

Bringing your bus?

Where are you from?

How many years have you attended?

 

[lapeer20m]

i'm bringing a large number of candians with me

driving from port huron michigan, caravaning with another bus from Ann Arbor Michigan.

I'll be camping with the C4 camp (crazy canadian cosmic cats) @ 4:30 in the keyhole

I have the jauzzi bus, and will be pulling a 16 foot enclosed trailer

This is year number 3 for me. It's 2,300 miles on way! eeek

 

[Elliot Naess]

First time to BM. 1981 IH/BB Conventional recently bought from First Student for $250. Will be in the group with the famous Kaz-bus. Look for white bus with red stripe. Coming from Clearlake, Northern California.

Now; what do we need to know about bringing a skoolie into BM? One concern might be the gasoline for the generator. There is info about fuel storage on the BM web site, requiring secondary containment for any fuel amount above 20 gallons. How about code compliance of sanitation plumbing and such? I hope to get it done right, but there is only three weeks left.

 

[lapeer20m]

as long as you don't make an obvious fuel storage site, you can get away with bringing larger quantities of fuel. I brought 25 gallons or so of gasoline in a 30 gallon plastic drum last year.

I didn't realize they had the fuel storage rule however...

there really is no code enforcement, unless there are gross violations. As far as spilling grey water on the playa, or throwing trash on the ground, it just doesn't happen, because it is so socially unneceptable. Some rules, like throwing trash on the ground you absolutely cannot break. Other rules are created to keep certian governing bodies happy (and also to keep people/the enviroment safe), the 20 gallon fuel containment rule is a good example.

how much fuel does your bus' fuel tank hold? Do you think everyone with a fuel tank larger than 20 gallons has a secondary contianment site?

i guess the tricky part is knowing what rules you need to follow, and what rules are really suggestions.

 

[Elliot Naess]

.

I guess the tricky part is knowing what rules you need to follow, and what rules are really suggestions.

This pretty much describes LIFE :wink: and I'm hoping this board can help us sort it out!

 

[elkoskoolie]

BM and a bus

This will be my 12th year, first w/ a bus. Conversion not done. Not sure where I'll camp. This will be my 4th year arriving early to help get things going.

The rules to follow are

Leave No Trace
No Spectators
No Commercialism

Be an active part of the Playa community, and you'll do fine! Leave No Trace includes drips etc from engine, trans and holding tanks! With such a huge, concentrated population the BLM is getting picky about such things. If you have a drip, bring some cardboard sheets etc to catch them. And some heavy items to keep the cardboard in place. To the uninitiated, the wind can be extremely strong....easily reaching gale force. Stake or tie everything securely!!!!!

 

[Elliot Naess]

.
Hello, Elko.

I'm pretty sure I can happily follow those basic rules. Thanks to having been brought up by a pretty good dad, I'm the kind who picks up trash in the street in front of my house every morning, so I think I can handle BRC.

I'm already involved with the Kamp Apokiliptika Theme Camp, but will be camping with the group that runs the famous Kaz-bus. My personal theme is Kinetic Sculpture Racing, so I'll be bringing at least three pedal-vehicles (like the one in my avatar) and giving rides etc. I can also do bicycle repair, which I understand is in some demand out there. Other volunteering may have to wait until next year so I know my way around a little.

Drips from the bus... good thought. Engine and tranny are impressively dry, but I might rig up a drip pan anyway. I'd be inclined to use plywood and bolt it to the underside of the bus -- angle iron brackets are quick and easy to make, and plywood will soak up an amazing amount of oil. Fresh water, grey and black... all that equipment is still on order -- sure hope I get it all installed in time. Aside from numerous bicycles, I don't think I'll have anything that isn't bolted to the bus or the trailer.
Unless I bring my 14 foot Ferris Wheel. But that can be secured also.

 

[lapeer20m]

say hi to jellyfish and the guys at Apokiliptika. Last year i stayed with the Black Rock Burner Hostel and apokiliptika and us had a bit of a war going on....it was good fun. They are are arch-enemy lol

elko...I assume you're from elko nevada? The other bus i caravaned with last year broke down and we spent a nite in elko...what a nice little town. I still can't get over the way cars stop on the road whenever a i (a pedestrian) was about to cross the road.

Do you drive all the way down towards reno (wadsworth is it?) and head back north, or do you take Jungo Road from winnemucca to gerlach?

 

[Elliot Naess]

Lapeer: This year the arch enemy of KA is a group of Norwegians who call themselves Camp Herring. Much good fun on the ePlaya message board -- with the serious Doomsday parody theme in the background.

I've ordered a 70 gallon black water tank. Think that will be large enough for three or four people staying in my bus? ;-)

 

[lapeer20m]

Black water tank....is this only for the potty? I've never utilized anything but the porta johns during the burn, so i don't know how much solid waste humans would tend to create in a week.

i find that most people at BM don't create a lot of grey water unless they are showering. Efficiency is key when it comes to showers. I can't remember if i posted this before or not......my mind is not functioning well today...

A typical low flow shower head on a conventional shower is rated at 2 gallons per minute.

lets assume 120 gallons of grey water storage...i think you mentioned before what your capicity was, but i forgot.

120 gallons would yield 60 minutes of shower time total.

4 people could each take 1 shower for 15 minutes

or they could take 2 showers during the week lasting 7 minutes each and you'd have a couple gallons left over for things like washing dishes.

 

[Elliot Naess]

.
Heh, heh... Yes, I don't have any numbers either, but I keep reading about stick-and-staple RVs with various tanks like 20 or 30 gallons and how they are always searching for a dump station. And I haven't heard much good about the JOTS. So into my $250,- bus I'm putting:

Thetford Aria toilet -- the Rolls Royce of RV toilets.
70 Gallon holding tank for said toilet.
98 gallon fresh water tank for the 30 x 30 shower and a sink.
24 gallon potable water tank for kitchen.
2x63 gallons = 126 gallons grey water tanks.

I'm thinking; lots of 1 minute showers.

Bad news, only the shower stall is in place yet. No doubt, there will be compromises made during the next two weeks.
Good news, I don't go back to work until September.

Yes, I'm nuts. :wink:

 

[the_experience03]

Get that shower installed quickly or it won't happen. My shower room has now turned into my onboard veggie oil filtering room, complete with stubbed in water lines. I figure I can find a place to get clean on the road, but in no way was I going to have room for enough WVO for 5000 miles.

I hope you guys have a blast. I know I'm jealous. We're taking LONG trip starting Monday in Havoc up to Banff, down Highway 101 into Oregon, to Yellowstone, to the Black Hills, etc, but I'd still like to have been able to go to Burningman. Maybe next year we can have our own post modern pupil transportation theme camp....

 

[lapeer20m]

perhaps we should make burningman the place for skoolies to meet. Weren't we talking about a skoolie gathering??

We could make a skoolie theme camp

 

[the_experience03]

I'm game for next year. Alas....with my fall class schedule as it is I'm simply unable. I would love to make some sort of skoolie based display though along with the obviousness of our buses themselves.

 

[Steve-SKO]

Jason, are going to be running veggie oil again on this trip?

 

[Elliot Naess]

We could make a skoolie theme camp

Not a bad idea. But I doubt I would be parking with the group as I am already involved with two other camps and have plans for a Kinetic Sculpture Racing Camp in some future year.

But how about a tour of the skoolies, where we gather at a predetermined time and place and then bicycle to each member's bus for a look-see to brag and admire and share ideas?

 

[elkoskoolie]

Elko aka Winnemucca

I'm now in Winnemucca, where I've lived most of the time since '89. It's the law to stop for pedestrians here, and it's still small enough that most everyone does it gladly!!! I plan on camping in the Blue Light District at 4:30-5:00 between Chance and Destiny, Grn-Blu-Wht striped Chevy/Carpenter.
I'm NOT driving Jungo Rd. Normally I do, but this is my first BM in the Skoolie, and my rear tires are a bit old. Jungo is NOTORIOUS for eating tires. Year to year it's condition is erratic. In 2000, I took my '52 M-37 that way, and had 2 flats before Trego. Fortunately I knew a burner from Gerlach with a '42 Dodge w/ the same wheels. The nearest truck/bus tires are either in Winnemucca or Reno; the gas station in Gerlach may or may not be able to help. And a tow from Jungo to anywhere will cost more than I care to think about.
I'm leaving for the Playa the 19th to work, so I won't be around to help anybody out.

If anyone wants to take Jungo, I recommend a partner vehicle, at least one spare, and a repair kit . There is a lot of traffic during BM time, BM people, hunters and campers. so you'll have some help if needed. Be patient. Drive very slow, intently watch the road. Watch your rear mirror, and pull over for crazy speeding traffic. Keep it slow, and like I said watch for rocks, esp the sharp variety. You'll prob be OK, but I warned Ya!!!
Welcome Home, have a good Burn!! Been there, Burned that! Including Myself in '96! Ouch.

 

[lapeer20m]

If i do run any veggie, it'll only be a max of 100 gallons.

I have enough people riding with me to cover my fuel costs.

 

[lapeer20m]

I currently have 12 people signed up to ride the bus from michigna to the burn, and 10 passengers for the ride home. I'm getting really excited. We leave a week from today. There are still projects i haven't finished, the roof is a good example. I really wanted to build the convertable roof before i left, but it looks like that'll get put on hold for a while longer. Financially the entire trip is going to be covered by the passengers which is a welcome relief from the $2,800 i spent out of my own pocket last year.

Everything else is pretty much ready to go. The trailer hitch is installed, trailer lights connected, new air and fuel filters installed, new steer tires, plus 2 spare bus tires, spare trialer tire, tire changing tools packed, jacuzzi cleaned out and refilled, I have more than 50 water filters to get me through the week, a small freezer, electric 12 volt cooler, super deluxo 5 burner 220 volt coffee maker is tested and ready to go, porta potty loaded, lots of chlorine and other jacuzzi chemicals including test strips, mig welder is packed, along with pretty much an entire workshop of power and hand tools, a gallon of oil, coolant level checked, good sam roadside assistance is renewed,

still need to do an oil change, and lube any greese zurks i can find, install large diameter 12 volt cables for the inverter to run off of starting batteries, fill and find a good home for 100 pound propane tank, i'd like to gather 100 gallons of veggie, and do a few other various things.....

I can't wait!

The man burns in 15 days!

 

[Steve-SKO]

You coming through Iowa again?