# New Bus Idea



## Matt Derrick (Nov 22, 2006)

well, ive become facinated with the idea, i wish i had thought of it when i still had money 

i think we should still try and do something like this... for example, if 3-4 people came up with 1,000 bucks each, we could all easily pitch in on a fullsize bus. ive decided to start saving as soon as i get a job 

im hoping ill have enough by the time the end of the summer rolls around, i just gotta find others willing to pitch in. also, im trying to figure out a way to 'incorporate' the bus, so it isn't in any particular person's name, kinda like a land trust association for a house. i can't go into why at the moment, but i can't have my name on the title. besides, it would be more 'anarchist' this way 

also, i think one of the most important parts would be making sure everyone can live together and get along, especially people putting in the money to buy the thing in the first place! so i guess anyone going in on this would have to meet up and hang out for a bit before committing to this project.

so my idea to make this project *somewhat* sustainable, is to of course run the bus on veggie oil, and then dumpster as much as possible to feed ourselves, and then do performance art/shows or something like that to subsist our living expenses. like a traveling circus or something like that.

i also already have ideas like for rooftop storage of veggie oil, and bikes so we can park in a town and hit up whatever needs hittin up without buring fuel everywhere. as well as setting up a computer with a powerful antenna so we can get free wifi. im a little sketchy about the details, but im fairly certain i can get a working setup with solar panels and batteries pretty easily for the most part. oh and bunk beds and other furniture that will have to be worked out later.

last, but not least, paint the whole damn thing black and call it the 'black pearl'... arg! haha...

okay, so post your ideas, or if you'd be interested in doing something like this with me, k?

(im working on putting together a huge anarchist conference in mid august, so im thinking after that would be when we would start trying to find a bus and whatnot, and hopefully ill have my grand saved up by then.)


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## Matt Derrick (Nov 22, 2006)

also, another idea i had was to do a 'mobile zine distro' out of the bus. this could easily be done with a website with an online catalog (i can set this up pretty easily), with payments going to a paypal account, and we can just drop off the zines in the mailbox we're nearest to. i already have a ridiculous amount of awesome zines (around 200+), and i know a bunch of different ways we can get free copies, so it would cost us little to nothing, and would help finance gas, repairs, and, well, prolly a bunch of beer too 

and another idea, would be that we should brew beer/wine/cider as much as possible, so we don't have to buy corporate booze.

oooh, and another idea... if we get a really good show together (ya know like a circus performance thingy) it's possible that we can hit up the college circuit to do shows, and get paid lotsa moola. it's pretty easy to do, but that'll have to be hashed out at a later time.

and yet another thing we might consider doing is having workshops on how to do various things and tour around the country doing workshops at events or whatever. so yeah, there's some more ideas. let me know what you think!

Post edited by: MattPist, at: 2006/11/22 10:01


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## Cush (Nov 23, 2006)

I definatly want in. when would this be happening? and matt, what time frame would you be thinking for that conference you were planning?


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## Matt Derrick (Nov 23, 2006)

well, im not sure how many people it would be realistic to fit in a fullsize bus, but money wise, we really only need 3-4 people to chip in. a 1000 bucks isn't tooooo bad, but it will definitely take me a bit to save up.

but everyone else (however many we can fit) can just chip in whatever they can weather it's cash, resources, labor, or whatever.

as for the conference, it'll be in mid august 2007. that's about all the details i have right now, but ill make a big ol post when shit gets more worked out.


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## Saentis (Nov 26, 2006)

I love this idea. I've thought of something along these lines for months now. I think there is a place up in New England where you can buy used buses cheap, they end up sending a bunch down to 3rd world countries as most of their buisness, but anyway .....

One good way to save money, and fuel the bus is to use VEGETABLE OIL! Yes, I'm not sure if I told you when I picked you up in Wilmington DE but I often times run my diesel car off off a Biodiesel mix or I've daringly a few times put straight used but filtered veg. oil or peanut oil in my car. Diesel engines were originally built and designed to run off peanut oil. And with a few simple mods I can do, or in some engines none at all .... you can run diesel vehicles off USED VEG OIL right out of the fry vats as resturants and dinners! It does not hinder performance of the engine and is actually better for it. I've researched the topic extensively. Places PAY to dispose of this stuff so if you roll up and are willing to take it from them FOR FREE and use it as fuel .... EUREKA! you've got it made.

Now granted buses do use alot more fuel then my little VW, so you'd prob still have to buy diesel fuel regularly but could deff. use alot less with doing a hybrid set up with this system and save money on fuel. The easiest way to do it is to install a 2nd gas tank and fuel line from it, then put a switch in the cab and when you start the Bus start it with the tank of diesel, and when the engine gets up to temp you switch over to the veg. oil tank and you're good to do.


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## Kendall (Nov 26, 2006)

http://www.microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/1358/


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## Deleted member 20 (Nov 26, 2006)

Shit. I have been away from computers for awhile. I had wrote a big long reply to everything & then changed screens before submitting it. So here goes. I like the idea of pooling funds up to buy the/a bus & understand your time constraints over on the west coast. The blue bus is still avil in Boston I think(already converted to waste oil). Unsure of how many peeps could be on bus but think its many more then 4. with bunkbeds & stuff. The owners (INCUS) actually came back & said we could do the paint prep work on thier house for the bus without weather stopping us. To be honest I had put a lot of coal on the fire but ran out of steam just trying to figure the logistics of the whole idea with bartering for the bus.

My concerns have always been about actual ownership,reasponsibilty of the bus etc. My fears were that everyone would pitch in, but with only 1 name on the title,insurance, tax rolls etc; & say for reasons as a group decision or on his /her own accord said person no longer has interest in the bus. What stops them from legally selling the bus,reporting it stolen, not paying excise taxes on it annualy or whatever. I hope that such a thing wouldnt happen but what if. My vision was to have the bus kinda belong to the "Road" & all on it guests along for the ride for as long as they or the group wants. But eventually if this is long term opposed to say a summer, people will have to discuss rules & laws or something (& trust me hate both). I think that even though people put in cash/time/effort to initially buy/insure/fix that they couldnt expect any monetary return or rights to the bus. The 2 ideas I had would be 1. To have #1 person buy/own the bus & invite everyone aboard but still have like a group voting type deal/common rules or #2. To set up some sort of coop/nonprofit that could live on say if all origional people had to take a break/leave the bus. I have always thought that the "Real Road" will bring cool new riders to the bus & that "Real World " may take them away. My idea wasnt a small private clic that did this for a month or 2 with everyone being the same, more of a vibe that would always be changing so people can learn from eachother etc. The Nomadic bus Tribe on hip-forums.com & tribe.net has been around for years & although hippeeish,probably mostly vegan & nonviolent( I am none of those) etc have figured out how to live communaly on a bus. The thought of perhaps only sharing the lust for the road as the common denominator between bus riders was my vision. Anyhow these are some thoughts & hell this reply is long too, Sorry. Forgive me for sounding pessimistic but I put a lot of thought,research,time into the pros/cons of such a deal. I am also not trying to rain on any parades & hope that if anything I can make it to the west coast for the conf/conc. I am still open to the idea of buying a bus(sooner than this summer if poss) & glad this site gave me the avenue to find people who share some of the same desires as I do. Also I still have emails & contact s of people who were down for the other bus.

Post edited by: highwayman, at: 2006/11/26 16:41

Post edited by: highwayman, at: 2006/11/26 17:15


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## Matt Derrick (Dec 7, 2006)

yeah, i TOTALLY understand what your're saying... that's one of the first things ive thought about when it came to the idea of a collective bus. "who's gonna own it?"

i agree pretty much 100% with you about how everything should be run collectively, consensus-wise, and rule for the bus as well as agreeing where the bus should go should it all go to shit (between the ppl on the bus) for some reason.

what im wondering right now is, did you say the work trade for the fullsize bus is still available? because if it is, ill greyhound my ass over there right now... let me/us know what the situation is with the bus, k? cause if it's still available, fuck eugene, ill be there in a second.


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## Matt Derrick (Dec 7, 2006)

fuck yeah, that sounds cool. we really do need to do that. as for money, ya im totally broke right now, so im trying to get a job here in eugene...


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## Mouse (Jan 5, 2007)

I've been wanting to do this type of thing for a while but right now I've got other shit to work out in my life. I'm hell bent on getting a degree in something right now so until after I do that, my plans for more travel are on hold.

I'd love to have a bus and travel with my friends. it all sounds so poetic and charming. but all the details and problems are out of my grasp right now.

basically... I wish you luck. it's a great idea and hopefully it works out.

saveing money is the hard part. the rest is bullshit fun to be had.


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## danvan (Jan 15, 2007)

i wanna do a simmilar thing with a small bus and make it a pirate bus and traval around and make the money to survive by doing pirate street theater 

ther is more to my plan but i just had a sudden tiredness take me over


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## trangus (Jan 16, 2007)

hey
so i said i would post new bus stories, but im fuckin lazy.one day, it shall come to pass, but i did just have another idea. so i remember in eugene, there were a few buses available, but some places in california, they just jump out at you. we were pretty specific about the diesel. veggie oil conversions r so easy to do, and making bio is way easier. im gonna look through all my puter stuff and see if i can find the schematics for veggie oil. im not sure where to really post it, so ill just reply to this forum. for making bio-diesel:
get yer oil, chinese food restaurants usually have good grease, filter that down to at least 30 microns.i found the easiest way to do this is to get a good 15 or 20 gallon barrel (we used a 15 gollon barrel from a lube shop, sometimes they got em, but u might need to ask around. get a rainfresh whater filter from like walmart or some better place, but rainfresh makes these filter cartridges that r white styro(i know! it sux ass) that get down to 30 microns. if u got a electronic fuel pump, hook it up to electricity(12 volt battery) have one end coming from the filter and the other going to a fresh tank. so u got: barrel full of oil, hose comin out to 30 micron filter, hose(i think it will probly be 3/8, fuel hoses usually r) rom filter to the pump, pump to 30 micron filter.(one thing to watch out for is on the pump, it will probably come with a 10 micron filter, we took ours off, but instead of 30 micron filter, we were using a 10{we were using an automotive spin on filter, like an oil filter. u can get all the hardware [adapter, filter element, and hoses] all at an auto or farm eqp. store.})
anyway after u got ur oil filtered down to 30 microns, take some sodium hydroxide[lye] and mix it with methanol[wood alcohol] both of which u can get at ace hardware. mix those two together and mix that stuff with ur oil, mix the fuck out of it, wait a couple hours, and take the top layer. if i remember right , the stuff on top is reddish and the bottom was black. use the red stuff. theres more technical stuff, like washing ur diesel to get all the water out. ill look up that info and post it. right now, time to toke.


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## Matt Derrick (Jan 16, 2007)

so wait... why bother making biodeisel when you can just take the filtered veggie oil and burn that?


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## trangus (Jan 16, 2007)

goin back to how many people
we started with 18 in montreal, but pulled outta there with only 13. thats how many of us lived in that sardine can all the way across canada in the middle of winter. it was kesl, but for me a collective is when everybody works together in some way. with that many people aboard, its nearly impossibe to coordinate that many people working together on anything. thats kewl, but for me it was just a bit too much, i think if there were less people on the bus, and more people wanting to take part of making the bus go, instead of just catchin a free ride, it woulda been much better for me. i think wed all like to catch a free ride, but its better if we find a free ride together instead of jumpin on someone elses back that found a free ride. it takes logistics to line up the free ride. but in spite of all that shit, it was a gr8 time. nothin cooler than a bus full of kids jumpin out and runnin half a dozen missions in a small town thats never seen nothin like ya. 
but yeah, if i was doin it again, i would make a cap at 10, but i think 8 would be better, or maybe 9, something about them threes


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## Bendixontherails (Mar 25, 2007)

This is awesome. I have helped remodel two full size busses into mobile housing, and one of them is now a mobile zine center, like Matt was talking about. This cool couple live in it and travel. 
The one they live in ( the Loss Leader ) just has three in it now, but we comfortably slept 11. It runs on biodiesel, which is made in a built in reactor in the back of the bus ( 62 cents a gallon average) and the roof is covered with solar panels for electricity. 
we also hooked up a really cool thing we took from the idea of hybrid cars. I welded a gear ( a balanced one) around the driveshaft and mounted an alternator under the bus next to it. hooked up a chain from a timing gear and adjusted the tension just right. the alternator runs to an extra battery. anytime you're driving, the battery is charging. weirdest part is it works...


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## jamessheaj (Mar 30, 2007)

soudns cool


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## trangus (Mar 31, 2007)

tslkin about incorporating the bus is brilliant. i got picked up by a bus one time. the leanto bus. well buddy just got a business license and registered the bus to the business.i thought it was brilliant. if only the booze didnt always get in the way of projects. oh well, yay buses


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## Deleted member 20 (Apr 20, 2007)

I found another Bus. Its $2,500 & again in New England, sorry but thats where I am. 

[email protected]


I am looking to trade my bus for a nice aluminum fishing boat, 12-14 foot or larger, with motor, trailer, motor must run great! Must be fairly clean, not looking for a junk but does not have to be perfect either. Just looking for an even trade, will except even trade or cash for my bus but not both. 

1993 Intnl. School bus, 175,000 miles on it. It is a diesel engine with an automatic transmission. The engine is a 3800 series turbo deisel. Runs unbeleivable. The bus has been partially converted to a camper, I removed all the seats, installed carpet on the floor and installed v-groove pine boards on walls and ceiling, 8 new Boston Acoustic speakers, bunks and benchs. The bus does not have any internal plumbing(bathroom), ran out of money before I got that far into the project. 

I am looking for cash-$2500.00 or will consider trading for a fishing boat worth the same $


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## Mouse (May 23, 2007)

holy shit that bus looks awesome. wish I had the money but right now I'm only up to like 700 bucks in my bank account. 

rocking bus though. 

what's the gas milage like? I'm always worried about gas (diesle in this case) prices when it comes to buses and vans.


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## dirtysmellykid (Nov 27, 2007)

shit that big bus idea sounds awesome, like one of those tour buses tour guides use? awesome!!

and the Zine idea is sweet too!


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## finn (Nov 27, 2007)

The reason for biodiesel is that it requires no modification of the fuel line, veggie oil needs to be preheated in the tank to become nice and viscous, and also needs a switchable valve to cut the flow of diesel and open the flow of veggie oil to the engine. Generally, biodiesel is better for non-nomads, since the kit is separate from the vehicle and for smaller vehicles, that frees up space and keeps the weight a little lower. Something like a large bus should have a veggie oil system, since the lower miles per gallon and larger fuel tank would mean that the labor for the biodiesel would be much greater, and the weight and the space the system would take would not be significant.


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## bananathrash (Dec 13, 2007)

a thought on the ownership problem; im gonna bet there is some way you could have multiple names down for owners. now say someone turns into a douche and trys to just claim the bus as their own.. theyd probably have to pay you money. no body wants to get the law involved but if someones trying to use it to their advantage, they wont be able to. money that they probably dont, or wont have.

i dont know how much sense that makes but eh.


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## drunken marauder (Mar 16, 2008)

uummmm not sure if anyone still reads this thread... But non profit orginization or very easy to start and are fukken awsome... The bus would be owned by no one.. Also if the bus in held under a 501c3 it is much easier to get out of a lot of shit no one person is liable for anything unless you knowingly do some illegal shit.. You can accept tax deductible donations hold gambling nights in MI the liquor liscenses are really cheap after you have incorporated for I think one year may be 2.. It has been awhile.. Its just a matter of how you write everything up... Believe it or not the fukken Hells Angels are non profit so why cant we do something along those lines... The only thing you need for a 501c3 is a charitable idea or reason for the group... I.E the advancement of art and culture .. An office address and a president who is also not the secretary.. 2 people...
But you can have as many as you want on the board.. Also as a 501c3 you are able to get excess government property free or cheap..


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## sykgutt (Mar 16, 2008)

watch the movie "another state of mind"

social distortion and youth brigade trick out a school bus and go across the country for a bus tour. shows what the bus life would be like.


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## dharmabum (Mar 28, 2008)

Hey - I'm new here and want to revive this idea. I have been looking into a veggie oil bus touring around for quite a while now and am aware of the modifications needed and shops that perform them, both in Canada and the States. I really want to see who is still checking out this idea here. Let's see some activity! I don't have deep pockets but I have enough that I have been looking into doing this by myself. But efforts are always more fun when shared. Especially when the point is earth friendly transport - or just earth friendly. So who is still checkin it out?


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## sykgutt (May 11, 2008)

i'd be up for it. my brother actually is converting his jetta into biodiesel right now. i think he's got it all ready, he just needs to get the tank in his trunk. 

i've gotta start picking up some things from my dad and brother, they're both really good mechanics, and that would probably come in handy

i could also make money selling art (i'm an aspiring graff and stencil artist)

i haven't been on the road yet, but i have been out in the wilderness loads of times and have survival skills

it's hard to get out when you've got everyone breathing down your neck to go to school


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## Deleted member 20 (Jan 19, 2010)

I am glad to see this idea is still out there. I tried the bus route many times & it seems that it was just always out of budget & reach. I have aquired a 99vw beetle tdi(that was run on wvo/grease but never will be again). I hate grease so much know!!!. Its way too much fucking work & the$ you save per gallon you pay for in replacing injectors, & injection pumps. My friend is machining a simple centrifuge for sale to the public & until that is done I am all set with grease. (a centrifuge spins out contaminents & "water' that is your worst enemy in grease. Anyhow after my rant I can get back on track. I am still thinking along the same as before but on a smaller scale, & leading more to a caravan with multiple diesel vehicles & or bus etc. I plan to beg truck drivers for a few gallons at a time at large rest areas, in 5 gallon jugs. The car gets almost 50mpg anyway so it snot like you need that much fuel anyway. In a last resort I have my hand held drum pump that I will aquire free fuel from parked tractors,refer trailers, contruction equipment etc. I know some of you are against stealing, but this will be afew gallons per hit, not even enough to notcie on there guages. I am still without a drivers license but have got my best friend to register the car in NH with some barebones ins. & a permision slip allowing me to delegate on his behalf whom I allow to drive this vehicle until he returns to the trip. So I have solved a few of my origional bus issues & have a more realistic plan know.


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## Deleted member 20 (Jan 22, 2010)

I noticed a post on hitch for some hippy types that have a bus partially converted & is looking for people who want to travel. They are also offering a place to crash at their place if anyone is willing to help fix up the bus.


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