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Hey All!

BusDigger

New member
Kind of a new member here, I was a member 2-3 years ago, but wasn't able to do much MDing for the past year or so, so the interest just kinda took a nap. I also lost my hunting buddy (moved, not deceased) which made it a little nicer to have someone to hunt with, share resources/research, etc. So....I have gotten some things squared-away and the interest is rekindling...so much in-fact I ordered a new ProPointer (which I got today) and am on the waiting list for the new Ace 350 (love my 250!)

I'm living in my converted bus now, and plan to winter somewhere where there isn't ice, snow, and sub-zero temps (arthritis sucks, as does my junkyard knee-replacement :rolleyes:) like it is here in central Indiana. Maybe along the road I'll make some new hunting buddies....so if you ever see me going down the road.........RUN!!! LOL, no...honk, wave, get my attention, and if you're on your way to hunt....I'd gladly follow :thumbup:. my detector goes where I go now.

Smitty

FYI- My bus is built to be self-contained, including 820 watts of solar, nearly 200 gallon water capacity, TV, internet, and the rest of the comforts of home (except air conditioning...I don't like it). The roof was raised 18", windows removed, and insulation added everywhere.

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n/t
 
Brian- Insurance is VERY adamant about not using it to haul passengers (since it's titled now as "RV")....otherwise I'd be in :cheers: Will do on the 350, I have a hunt planned with my former hunting partner sometime in November, and I've got a friend in GA I'm gonna swing down to see. I've put a bug in his ear (via email) about finding some places to hunt (he doesn't MD, but I told him I'd have a spare he could use). So that, coupled with the 350 has got the blood pumping again! :detecting:

Thanks Magyar! It was a lot of work, and a lot of $, but what I've invested in the bus wouldn't have got much in the way of a house....plus this way if I don't like the neighbors, I just leave :wave:

Vern- lol....been upwards of 95* here over the past couple weeks, 96* yesterday & today, but a cool down is on the way. It'll be better after August is behind us. Seriously, I don't like A/C (and I was an HVAC Contractor :shrug:)

More interior shots:

Yes, the head
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I didn't notice the cushions still had plastic on them in the 1st pics:
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PV Panels:
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Battery Bank (1020AH):
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Wood stove made from 100 pound LP cylinder
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Chest freezer converted to use as 'fridge (so the cold doesn't "spill" out when the door is opened)
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If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask, I'm more than willing to share any info I can. Old buses make inexpensive RVs (depending on how far you want to go).

Smitty
 
Phoenix Arizona. Well not downtown Pheonix....but west side of the valley. Great weather from December through April.....average temps are 75 days...50 nights. Seems to stay in the 90's through Thanskgiving but drop quickly in December. Actually the key is the nights....when they stay above 100 it is brutal. By November the nights quickly drop to the 60's and with the low humidity it is sweet...sweet.
Rv parks are cheap as compared to the rest of the counrty. Heck the one down the stret from us was like 400 a month depending.....like how much service. You don't have an AC so you draw is minimal.
Plus.....there is a ton of Boondocking going on. You are set for boondocking and I imagine that was your goal. There is alot of public land you can stay on for 15 days at a time...all you have to do is move somewhere else. People stay all winter that way.
My folks live in Havasu and people just boondock at a couple BLM spots. They runn into town to dump the black water and then back to boonies. Funny thing..the boonies are busy..alot of people doing it.
Now summer time..I hate Phoenix......but winter...ohhh gees...it is so nice!!!
By the way nice job! We planned on doing alot of boondocking with our Bounder and I was going to put a good size solar setup on it...but the tornado ended that idea...
Scott
 
And enjoyed them all.Great traveling when we had the kids.The thing you might run across in your travels is some camp grounds don't let home made R/V in the camp ground.Personally I think they are cool and I love to see the workmanship in them.I think camp grounds that don't want them has something to do with there Ins.Have fun in it my friend.:thumbup:
 
Thanks all!

azsh- I've heard it's not someplace you want to be in the summer :hot: I plan to winter in Quartzsite (BLM), and correct in the fact the bus was specifically built for boondocking. This is all new to me, and just finishing-up on the bus (still some odds & ends to do but figured I'd do them over the winter) so I'll be a greenhorn at "Q". Odds are good I'll meet-up with a couple "internet friends" there, both of which are old hands at spending the winters there, so hopefully I'll get some training along the way. Been living in the bus for about 6 weeks now, but have shore power & water on-site, so I haven't gotten into "conservation mode" regarding water & electric usage. As I understand, there are water delivery trucks which make the rounds, selling water to refill tanks.

I failed to mention earlier I also have a generator tucked under one of the benches on the rear deck:

IM003579.jpg


I also have 4 security cameras atop the bus.....with infrared :thumbup:

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It's been that hot here the past couple weeks....that's the good thing about living in something with an engine, if the temps get unpleasant...varoommmmm




Smitty
 
Ever watch the movie "The Gauntlet" :super: I've told the story of the 1st time I'd taken the bus out, went for fuel. As I was fueling-up I heard a couple voices at the rear of the bus, it was a couple guys looking it over. One hollered "Whaddya do with this thing"? .....to which I replied "SWAT Team". You shoulda seen the looks on their faces. Well, I was able to keep a straight face for all of about 10 seconds before I about split a side laughing. So I talked to them while I finished fueling, went in to pay for the fuel, and was stopped by a woman as I was heading back to the bus. She said "Did I hear you say you were with the SWAT Team"? I started laughing, and told her she did in fact hear that, but I was just joking with a couple guys :rofl:

Elson, sorry I'd missed your post. Yeah, many campgrounds have adopted a "10 year rule", as well as no converted school buses allowed.....fine by me since I wouldn't care to stay in an uppity place like that anyways. Now with the economy the way it is, lets see how many of them who cater to $125K + rigs go belly-up because they're losing income. I say serves 'em right if they do.

Smitty
 
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