Kickin it- seeking similarities and encouragement

[Shadowmarque]

Hey everyone,
My name is Shadow, I'm 24 as of December (sheeeit yes, Sag!), I've been off and on (mostly on) traveling for the better part of decade. At the moment I'm housed at the madre's while I work production line pizza crustaceousness for new bus tires so I can finally travel with the comfort of shelter. It will be a right of passage in every way and I'm excited for it (hence ignoring the itch, taking responsibility waking up at 4am everyday and doing the damn thing to make it happen, lol).

 

[wildboy860]

right on. welcome to the STP. hope it all works out. look for my wild ass on the onramps and train yards. maybe i jump on ship with ya one day. YARGGHH...!!!

 

[Kim Chee]

I never rubbertramped, but I've purchased tires (ugh!). I'm sure you are going to feel a sense of accomplishment
when after all that hard toiling you get to head out on the road and your bus is running like the champ it is. Getting
up at 4am is something you aren't going to be doing when you ditch your job

 

[Shadowmarque]

Thanks Mmmmmmichael, that's some good shit that I think about on the regular. Believe me! I already feel accomplished in the discipline I'm exerting to work there (it's exhausting).
And Wild, you're more than welcome anytime our paths cross. I'll try not to bogart the booze next time lol

 

[wildboy860]

its all good, i still got schwilly

 

[scum]

I have never rumbertramp'd it either...I really like the part with the trains so I dont know...sometimes I have been really tired and would have loved to get in a vehicle, but then the situation changed....i wouldnt mind traveling that way if i was enjoying all the company and all that...i can understand and totally feel working towards a sick goal even though the process sucks. good luck with yer bus, it sounds pretty awesome.

 

[Shadowmarque]

Yeah, this is will be my first time. I usually just hoof it. I think it's been easier that way, not having to depend on anyone. I only recently started traveling with other people, probably the last two or three years. I love it outside. I hope it will be better, too, Scum, meaning I hope I enjoy it. Thanks for the luck, I need it, wanting to quit all the time and just bounce.

 

[AnthraxMatt]

Shadow? were you at nationals this year, at the pirate kitchen?

otherwise good luck and ill see you on the road soon

 

[bryanpaul]

fuck yeah.... good luck!...personally, i dont think i could handle travelin in a vehicle.....DUI's/missin ins. payments/accidents/findin spots to park and sleep....but i'm a fuck up ......but hey you should post some pics of yer ride if possible..is it a full size schoolbus orrrrr?........... but yeah

 

[Kim Chee]

second on the photos thingy ^what he said.

 

[Shadowmarque]

Hey, AnthraxMatt, yeah, that was me. Did you go by another name? I can't place this one. Alright, I will post some pictures but I can't say when, soon for sure. No, it's a smaller Ford. Here's a similar one:
http://www.imcdb.org/i017339.jpg (copy paste)

The grill on mine is more rugged and badass though, my favorite part, lol. I want to paint it green/blue/gold. I'll take pics of the inside too. I've got wood paneled walls, wood floors (carpet right now for the winter cold) and a lifted bedbox with storage beneath. All in all, I'm thrilled with it.

 

[FLoP]

Haha. I met you in LA in may-ish. I was friends with Aaron. Good luck.

 

[travelin]

am enjoying your entheusiasm!

thought about blocking off a little area in back and installing a porta potty? plenty of different ways to do it. its waaaaaaaaaaaaay nice to have an indoor toilet, especially on cold or wet mornings!

 

[AnthraxMatt]

its Jinx, with Atlas the big white dog... Randoms friend. good to see you again

 

[Shadowmarque]

Hey Jinx what's up! how are your travels and winter? Atlas? If you see Random tell him I say hello. What's up Flop, I don't remember you.. Powers? hmm, anyway hello.
Travelin, I would love to have some of your ideas. After I post some pics so you can see what kind of room I'm working with. I was thinking more like a bucket...lol, it works.

 

[AnthraxMatt]

travels were great after nationals and i actually got housed up for winter in AZ, i havent seen or heard from random lately but ill tell him you say hey next time. and yeah, my pup atlas:

so where do you plan on going first?

 

[Shadowmarque]

I'm not really following any sort of plan of action, really. But first, I want to hit up CO to see some fam. I'll probably hitch over there and head back through my thumb in case my bus isn't complete yet. I still need my homey to put in new glass for the windshield (it's tight, he's doing it FOR FREEEEE!) lol.

 

[travelin]

hey, there has to be websights out there on this kind of bus conversion.

rv fridges run on propane or electric but have to have an outside vent for the propane exhaust.

most rvs use a marine type toilet with a flapper valve at the bottom of the bowl that opens and empties into a tank. there are out there porta potties that use a removable cassette but they have little capacity. sort of an emergency use item.

rv stove/ovens are great to have, but just a two burner propane camp stove will work.

there is a drip type coffeepot coleman makes to put on the camp stove that works very well.

mr buddy propane heaters are great to have.

theres a million things that can be done to make life a little easier in a bus/van. many of them take considerable work though.

 

[Shadowmarque]

I just checked out mr buddy and he looks super nice. as for the coffee, I was just going to get a kettle and a french press (spoiled bc i only drink a cup a day, at most two). I have a double burner coleman and i would only use the toilet for emergency. since it's a smaller bus I didn't wan to crowd it with "necessities" like a fridge/toilet/stove. I like having the shelter of my bed in a type of room...with a couple rocking chairs and bookshelves, but I'm not trying to shove an entire house in such a small space, lol. That was the original idea, but after contemplation I decided against it. But the heater, and a mini bathroom would be nice, otherwise I would just kick it outside.
Thank you for the information, though, I really appreciate it. I'll think more about it once I have fully internalized that I won't have a close bathroom, fridge (the house my bus is next to, lol). and change my mind.
But...I never had all that shit when I lived in my pack...

 

[travelin]

understand that, its a big difference going from pack/car truck to the space of a bus/van.

for your purposes id agree that just the two burner camp stove will do the job well.

adding a couple of deep cycle batteries and wiring in a few 12vdc lights is not that hard.

there is coolers that plug into the cig lighter on vehicles that will keep stuff cold, they take a while to get things cold, but if you put cold stuff in them they will stay cold as long as the engine is running or you run em off a seperate battery bank charged by solar(takes quite a bit of solar capacity to do this and its expensive)

you dont have to spend a mint to make a space like this comfortable. hell there is toilet seats that fit right on top of a five gallon bucket for emergency use.
put in a trash bag, put the seat on, do your bidness, then dump it wherever.