While I Am Away

Since my last post, I intended to blog like crazy before I left the cyber world behind for a month.  Instead, I have been busy planning and working to get ready for the upcoming trip.  If I forget something...too bad.

I don't want to leave my wise and dedicated followers without good reading material just because I will be temporarily absent.  So I would like you to check out a few of my personal favorite blogs.

Diary of a Midlife Cruiser -  This is the funniest blog I follow and I recommend that if you like to laugh to check it out too.  The first time I read one of the posts I didn't 'get it' because of the interesting use of sentence structure, different fonts and photos.  Then once I got it, I couldn't get enough.  It follows Nellie (the author) and her husband Jonathon as they full-time it in an RV.   And did I mention it's funny?

Alison Travels- This blog is one of my favorites because this girl (Alison) has traveled cross country with her dog, a tent and a camera for the past few years.  I seriously envy her photography skills and admire her blog. She is one to watch because her life is interesting and she makes it fun to follow along.  Alison is the most like me in spirit.

The Good Luck Duck - I like this blog because they mix in a good dash of humor into a nuts and bolts improvement project.  And like all my other favorite bloggers, they are animal lovers.  This blog would be best for RV owners, pet lovers or oxygen breathers.

VanTramps and Vansteaders - I put these two blogs together because they are a husband and wife team.  I like this blog because like myself they are not full-timing in the traditional motorhome.  They also met while individually traveling full-time and ended up getting married.  Great story.  They have tons of useful information on the full-timing lifestyle and have much less space to operate (I'm impressed).

So, that is my short list for now.  That should hold you over until I return.  If I can make the time I will try to post once more before I leave.

Plans for the Immediate Future

This past weekend I took a little road trip to do some work for Bryan, a friend of Dan's.  We were repairing water damage from a pipe that burst.  The house was over a 3 hour drive east from Denver in Yuma county.  So far east we were only 2 miles from the Colorado/Kansas border.  Following us were 4 other guys, Javier, Salvador, Jose and Ramone.
The house is located on 40 acres next to a wilderness area.  Wildlife is plentiful.  Even the drive provided unique glimpses of antelope, a cow giving birth to a calf in the field and herds of buffalo.

Our job at the house was to remove old, water damaged, sub-flooring and replace with new sub-flooring.  This was my first time installing sub-flooring but Javier did a good job explaining how to do it.

Hmmm...I always thought the boards would be closer to each other.

After a full day of work, Bryan brought home dinner

Actually, Bryan's hunting expedition consisted of running to the store for supplies when this wild turkey stepped in front of his truck.  There is an abundance of these birds in the area.  A couple of guys on the crew de-feathered the bird to cook up when they returned home.   I am glad the turkey was not wasted.

That night we sat around and socialized.  Bryan is a gregarious, happy person that reminds me a little bit of Robin Williams.  He has loads of personality and is an really good guy.

Sitting around our makeshift coffee table.

It snowed all day Sunday.  Very nice.

The view from the front porch.  The nearest neighbor can't be seen.  This is WAY out in the boonies.

Bryan offered to let me park my bus in the shop on his property until the real estate agent sells the house.  The shop is huge and empty.  This is a photo of pets inside the shop.  I saw two large (really big...Giagantic) owls in trees on the property.  The shop provided protection for cat.  Plus she helped keep the mouse population down.

I'll maintain Bryan's yard in exchange for covered parking, electricity and water.   I can work on improving my bus properly in the big fancy shop.   He even has a chicken coop and garden area he said I could use if I wanted.
I told him I would do it at least for a month.  I won't have access to the internet out there which is my main information resource and also means it may be awhile before my blog gets updated.  My cell phone barely gets a signal.  Here's the coverage map for my Virgin broadband2Go internet card.  The yellow push pin is where I will be.

It will cost a small fortune in diesel to get there and to eventually return to the Denver area.
But I believe it would be an incredible life experience and an excellent opportunity to view wildlife, practice being self sufficient and having vast amounts of room for my pets to roam.  I miss working in the yard and this will be a chance to get my fill of outdoor work.
My plans are to drive the bus out to Bryan's house this weekend and get settled into my new, temporary home.  Find out the details of the projects he needs done.  So this week will be busy getting ready.  I must download all relevant information I think I might need (how to fix bus stuff, basically).   I need to get a fishing license to take advantage of the stocked ponds in the area.  I want to obtain whatever things I will need for bus improvements (cabinets, PEX water lines, some waste water tanks to install, a water pump, etc)  I can unload the bus inside the shop and have my stuff stored safely from the rain.  
I will be taking lots of pictures and I will write blog entries while I am out there  (to post when I get back to civilization).

Roof Hatch Installation-Part Deux

Here is the what I accomplished today with the roof hatch.
Armed with Dan's Sawzall, I removed the inner roof skin.

It wasn't easy. The inner skin is slightly thinner metal than the outer skin.  The rapid sawing motion of the blade cause the metal to vibrate and flop around.  I used a bar to keep the shaking to a minimum so I cut the final portion.

Now I had a hole all the way through my roof.  (Gulp)
I test fitted the hatch frame.  I placed the inner skin temporarily over the top to keep some dust out.

After many different test fittings and micro adjustments I finally got to a position I felt was just right.  I pre-drilled all the holes for the hatch.  Then put down butyl tape around the perimeter of the hatch and over the pre-drilled holes.  I silicone caulked the inner corner of the frame. Then I put the frame down one final time and bolted it down.  You can clearly see grinder marks from when I removed hatch from the other bus.

After the screws went in I covered the outer seam and the screw heads with some butyl caulk.

This stuff is the best to use on RV roofs.  It is also the messiest caulk I have ever used.  It is rubbery and not easy to shape with your finger.   But it is more durable and flexible than silicone.  I really gobbed this stuff around the outside.
Here is a pick after I installed door to frame.  This is hatch door closed. (Cosmetic stuff like washing fingerprints off and fine tuning a few other things will happen later)

Hatch Door Open (driving height, not escape height)

Inside view of hatch before interior trim was added.

After some trial and error, I got the trim to fit the curve of the bus ceiling...pretty much.  Ignore the slight cracks in places between frame and trim.  Another cosmetic issue for later.

 I do believe the professional grade installation is pretty tight...and it really makes my curtains pop.

I have a few more things to do to fine tune it but I am really pleased with the finished product.   One more big project under my belt and checked off my list.

 I have to run now and put stuff away and pack.  I am going a few hours away for a job fixing up a house tomorrow morning.  Dan, you'll remember him from my free diesel post..he has been providing work for me all week.  Started out pulling Turbo chargers out of the buses that were salvaged and doing some other things.  Dan took me for a drive through, mini tour of downtown Denver last night.  Very cool downtown area, lots to do.  Anyhow, I will be gone for a few days.  I am leaving the bus here at the storage lot, but I get to bring Nala along with me.

Roof Hatch Installation-Part 1

I am finally getting to install a roof hatch onto the bus. This is a much needed addition. Besides giving me access to my roof (to clean solar panels and wash the roof) it provides critical ventilation throughout the bus. Crucial for summer day driving.

This is one hairy scary project. I can't stress enough how uncomfortable it makes me to cut a giant hole in my roof. Potential for leaks being my primary concern, especially since the hatch will be right over my bed. I purchased a voluminous amount of sealant. Butyl tape, Butyl caulk, rubber weatherstrip and 3 caulks of silicone. It may turn out to be the most weatherproof area of the bus when I am done.

Today I tackled the exterior skin.

Tracing of roof hatch frame

Tricky because my bus has an arched roof and the roof hatch I cut off the transit bus is flat.

So I drilled a hole to give my jig saw a starting point. The first hole is the deepest.

I found my first mistake after I had cut three quarters of the hatch. Seems cutting dead center of the rivets wasn't exactly the best way to go. Each beam has two rows of rivets (see first photos). One to fasten the sheet metal to the beam and the other to fasten the sheet metal to another piece of sheet metal. I ran into a beam with my jig saw. On the bright side, my guess that the roof was insulated was confirmed.

I removed insulation to view inner skin of the roof.

Then I started cutting the other way, since the beam was stopping previous progress. I came across a hose carrying a golden liquid. I don't know what it is or what purpose it serves. I am just glad I didn't cut it.

Here is the semi-finished product with roof hatch installed. (You can notice the grinder marks around the rim where I used a grinder to remove the rivets that held it to the other bus)

Now the second issue arose...The depth of the hatch frame wasn't the same as the depth of my roof.

So now I have to figure out how to bend the frame to fit the curve and how to make it go deeper. A light snow shower brought my work today to a halt. I will finish up tomorrow. I broke 7 jig saw blades cutting the exterior skin. Dan has let me borrow a sawzall to cut the interior skin. Now if I can make it all fit.

Free Diesel

There are things that happen in my life that surprise even me. Not unbelievably surprised, because my whole mindset is that things like this happen. With the right attitude, some work, a little listening for opportunity knocking and with a smile from someone up above, incredible things keep happening. Today may go down as the best example yet of this.

It all started with this little ad in the Free section of Craigslist. (A section I don't check often because I usually can't respond fast enough or I am too unfamiliar with the area. Or simply I don't want to invest time and fuel to chase down a potentially false hope.)

OIL AND DIESEL (I/25 COUNTYLINE RD)
Date: 2011-03-19, 11:34PM MDT
Reply to: sale-sprdv-227542xxxx@craigslist.org
used engine oil and trans fluid appx 30 gallons and appx 100 gallons fuel u must siphon out of rig need to empty sunday. call dan 303-888-xxxx and be ready to drain the fuel or p/u the oil with you own container. oil is now in 5 gallon buckets.

As an expert interpreter of Craigslist ads, I first noticed the time it was posted, 11:34pm. It was probably still available. I then Google mapped the address of I/25 and Countyline Rd. It was less than 5 miles from where I was camping. Oh sweet mother of Moses!! I knew there would be some interest when people awoke the next morning and saw that post.

I was the first one there this morning! There were 3 buses at a RV storage lot where the bus owner had stopped paying the rent. The storage lot was selling the buses for scrap metal but was required to remove the oil and diesel first. They had already drained the oil but needed someone to empty the diesel tanks.
I am not making this up, while I am waiting outside the gate for Dan to meet me and let me in, I briefly ponder the possibility that I could just straight out trade my bus for one of those big buses and start a new bus conversion. (Third bus didn't make the picture.) My bus is made of old school, heavy steel. It would be a fair trade considering the scrap yard buys by the ton.

That was only a passing thought and such a swap had too many variables for me to consider. Besides I was uber-focused on my immediate task, getting the liquid gold in the bus bellies.

Dan met me and let me in. Then he led me to the back of the lot. He suggested siphoning it out which didn't appeal to me much. I felt sure that there was a plug I could unscrew and drain the diesel. I was wrong. I had to learn the art of the siphon. This was another case of me theoretically knowing the principle but never having actually applied this knowledge. First thing I did was to sacrifice the garden hose I carry with me. I cut off a 6 foot section to be a siphon hose. Then I dumped the contents out of one of my plastic totes so the tote would be freed up to hold diesel. I placed the hose into the tank until I felt it hit bottom. Then I sucked the diesel through the hose. This is fairly impossible to do without finding out the taste of diesel. If you haven't done so, I suggest you go out and gargle a few gallons. It has a complex and robust mineral bouquet with the lightest hint of sulfur. I liked it so much I did it another dozen times.
I had siphoned about 10 gallons, which was the capacity of my homemade diesel tote, before others started to arrive. I had to take the now full tote over to my bus and siphon it into my tanks. Then go back and siphon some more diesel out of the other buses fuel tanks. The whole situation had a surreal Mad Max feel about it. Although you wouldn't guess it from my goofy grin. (Next time I am sporting leather and a mohawk.)

Things to notice in the above pic: I had to 'elevate' my diesel tote to get the proper siphon flow. And the guy's pickup behind me with real 50 gallon drums and pump. This same guy was also thoughtful enough to let me use his clear hose to siphon with (the benefit is you can see the diesel coming so you don't swallow as much) and he also took this picture.

I ended up getting about 40 gallons. Diesel is pushing $4/gallon here ($3.79/gal exactly). I got about $160 worth of fuel for a couple hours work. But the good times kept rolling...

I asked Dan if I could have a roof vent off one of the buses. He said I could. I have been looking for one of these for over a year! Now I can have easy access to my roof and ventilation for my pets on a hot day! It came out with a little grinding and drilling.

AND he gave me these!!

My regular blog followers will remember the untimely passing of my last 8D Battery. Not being a glutton, I only took one of the batteries.

But Dan wasn't done yet...He also gave me a 50+ gallon water tank. Now I can seriously start dreaming about indoor plumbing!

AND Dan gave me cabinets! Go figure! I have to measure to make sure they will fit, but they look good. No cabinet pictures yet.

AND Dan is allowing me to camp overnight at the storage lot.

With full 50 amp electricity! I haven't been plugged into anywhere since Texas.

Today was a good day.

I only wish I was more mechanically schooled in subjects like: Air Suspension Ride, Allison Transmission Installation, or even Diesel Engine Installation.

BUT Dan also said I could have whatever tires I wanted off the buses!! I have a leaky right rear tire and a spare tire in dire need of replacement. I just have to find someone to install them for me.

AND if that wasn't enough, Dan told me I could use the lot sometime to do bus work, like installing my new roof hatch. Finding a place to be able to work on the bus is wonderful. And so many goodies to work with. AND it all coming with a new friend in Dan.
I didn't get a picture of Dan but I did get one of his pups.

Estimated Values for my Free Finds: Diesel Fuel($160), Roof Hatch ($150), RV Water Tank($200), 8D Battery($300), Cabinets(>$500), Tires x2 ($300 x 2= $600), Camping with power and a place to attach it all to the bus (Priceless).
All from one little Craigslist post that I chased.

Movies worth seeing

I have decided to share a few of my latest favorite movies.  Movie watching is what I do late at night before going to bed.  I can't always be viewing incredible landscapes and hunting for large game.  Sure, I might rub dirt into my open wounds and I can fix the carburetor on my generator but I am multifaceted.  And yes, my travel videos won't win any awards...YET.
I do enjoy a really good movie and I would like to share a few with you that I have recently watched. Click the title to go to the corresponding IMDB (Internet Movie Database) page so you can get a little more background for yourself. (preferably open in a new tab).

    

The Next Three Days- Simply the best movie in months.  Super suspenseful, clever and thrilling.  Should be on your Must See movie list.

Let Me In - I really liked it.  Horror movie for the non-horror movie fan.  This one is really good, and it has an intriguing/strange underlying theme.  And kids as stars of scary movies freak me out.  Reminiscent of classics like The Exorcist and The Shining.  Fresh and Original.  Not gratuitously gory.

The Mechanic - Not brilliant but definitely fun.  I will call this my guilty pleasure action movie.  

Country Strong - I had high hopes for this film.  It is watchable, but if I hadn't been an extra in it I probably wouldn't include it here.  Don't look for me.  I ended up on the cutting room floor.  Curse my scene stealing movie star good looks.

Get Low - A little gem of a find. 

No Strings Attached - A surprisingly poignant comedy.  Demographic best for 18-39 year old.  Great, snappy dialogue.  Would make a fun date movie.  The premise is not for the conservative at heart. 

127 Hours - No Brainer.  Of course a guy like me would like a movie like this. 

Black Swan - If you are in a mood for a deep, dark movie, then this is the one for you.  Psychological thriller with ballet.   Not for all audiences...you are either interested or not.

Mr Nobody - A personal favorite of mine, but this is really deep, quantum physics deep.  A thought provoker for the cerebral.  Not recommended for everybody.  Fun to watch, just follow closely.  

Winter's Bone - The best movie of the past year.  Gritty and Original.  Just watch it.  Thank me later.

Call of the Wild

When hunting for predators in Colorado, one must be properly prepared.  Below are some of the informational brochures and animal calls I picked up during my travel into the state.

My animal call skills may rank as novice right now, but with a little practice I plan on becoming a Master Predator Whisperer.  Mountain Lions and Bears will bound toward me in slow motion with hearts in their eyes, just like in Disney cartoon.  That's how it works, right?   Maybe an open can of Friskies at my feet...and of course, I will be wearing my catnip teabag necklace.
Here Kitty, Kitty...

These are pics from a trip to Grandfather Mountain a few years ago with a photographer friend.  She had incredible access to areas I normally wouldn't be able to go.

 He was purring.  Trivia: The Mountain Lion (AKA Puma, Cougar) is the largest cat that is able to purr.

 It was a very cool experience to be this close.

Next goal, see one in the wild...from a distance.  And the only shooting I will be doing is with my camera.

Best Day Yet in Denver

Today was awesome!  I have just returned from Wash Park (officially Washington Park) and having a great day at playing volleyball.  My skills were a little rusty at first but then I starting to find my groove again.  I figure a few more days like today and I will be back to playing in my true form.
A wonderful girl, named Amanda, invited me out to play.  She shares my passion for the sport.  Very cool.  It was a beautiful sunny day and the quality of play was excellent.  I have been deprived from competitive play these past two years.  I've had to sacrifice my standards and play with groups that weren't as challenging.  The best thing for my game is to find a good group with a mix of people as good or better than me.  They raise the level of my play.  I met several cool people while playing.  I will take pictures next time.  I was loving the experience too much this time.
I can see that I will be a regular fixture at Wash Park.  It is dog friendly.  It has a path for bikes and a separate one for runners/walkers, both circle the park, which is huge.  I am still feeling the adrenaline pump from today's action...and it is addictive.  I can't wait to get my next fix.

My Attitude About the Altitude

I have commented before how the altitude has affected my trip.  I am not sure I impressed enough how it affects so many aspects of my life.  Although I am at a moderate altitude of about 6,000 feet, it keeps me busy figuring out 'work arounds' and adaptation.
Here is how Princeton classifies altitudes:  8,000-12,000 ft (High Altitude), 12,000-18,000 (Very High), 18,000+ (Extremely High).  These are numbers I am generally aware of since my first trips to Colorado.  Which is why I am mildly surprised at the degree of difficulty I have experienced at my moderate altitude of 6,000 ft.

That was until I was grilling out at my friend Ola's the other day.  It seem to take forever to cook chicken and burgers.  Initially, I figured the gas grill wasn't working correctly or my estimation was out of whack due to my prolonged absence from grilling.  Then the altitude issue occurred to me.  It seems that High Altitude has different definitions, especially pertaining to cooking.  Most cakes recipes will have adjustments for altitudes over 3,500 ft.  My propane heater defines high altitude somewhere between 5,000-7,000 ft.  

My overly generalized view about what constituted High Altitude needed overhauling.  I understood that the air was thinner and that caused oxygen levels to be less but I needed to know specifically how this affected my bus living lifestyle.  It was time for me to educate myself on the exact properties of altitude.

So this is the nerdy, science stuff; hopefully made interesting.
Why is the air thinner at higher altitudes?  Air has weight, specifically a square inch column weighs 14.7 pounds at sea level.  This is because all the layers of air above it.  The air at 5,000 ft per square inch weighs 12.3 pounds and at 10,000 feet it weighs 10.2 pounds.   With this thinner air comes less oxygen.  Although the percentage of oxygen in the air is the same as at sea level, 21%, there are less molecules of air.  So there is less oxygen.   Where I am currently at 6,000ft I get 81% of the oxygen that someone at sea level gets per breath.  Not terrible, nothing I notice on short walks.  At 12,000ft I would only have 65% oxygen available compared to my friends living at the beach.  You really start to notice your breathing at this altitude.

How this has affected me in the Denver area.

Cooking- I have mentioned before that I consume copious amounts of eggs.  Good protein, relatively cheap and readably accessible.  I noticed that my boiled eggs weren't cooking all the way through, even though I cooked them for the same amount of time once the water started boiling.  The problem is that water starts boiling at lower temperatures in higher altitudes.  At sea level, water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius, for my Canadian friends).  At my current altitude, water boils at 203 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is a subtle but noticeable number.  I can't simply turn up the heat.  The water can't get any hotter than that before it evaporates off as vapor.   This affects the cooking of pasta and rice as well.  The boiling point temperature drops 2 degrees for every thousand feet increase in altitude.  If you find yourself climbing Everest, remember water will boil at 168 degrees Fahrenheit at 26,000 feet.

Exercise- I have started hitting the gym to start getting back in shape.  I focus mainly on anaerobic activities, weight lifting instead of aerobic activities, like running or jazzercise.   In order to maximize my time and get the most of my workout I do what I call circuit training.  This means that I might do a set of bench press and instead of resting between sets, I will hit a muscle group not used in the bench press, like bicep curls.  So I don't have any down time wasted resting.  Lately, this has kicked my butt.  I am used to feeling the discomfort of resuming a long forgotten workout but this was different.  I was breathing like I had just done a 50 Yd sprint.  That might be normal.  What was unusual is that it took a long time to get my breathing back down to normal. In fact it wasn't until 30 minutes after my workout that my breathing resembled being at rest.  I was forced to take breaks between sets, just to get the sound of my pulse to stop pounding on my ear drums.
 
Bus Operation- I have been battling a leaking tire since last August.  I bought an air compressor to fill it up when it got low.  I noticed that when I drove it around the Denver area (with elevation changes of about 1000 feet) that my tire seemed to go down from 100 psi to 50-40 psi in one trip.  If I didn't change elevation it would only go down to 90 or 80 psi.  It is a slight hassle to drag the cumbersome air compressor off the bus to inflate the tire.  I am holding out on buying another tire until I find a good deal on one.
My air brakes take a much longer time to fill up when I start the bus.  When I crank the bus, I have to wait for my air tanks to fill.  This usually takes 3 minutes, a long time when compared to turning the key to a car and driving off.  Now it takes about 5 minutes.  Presumably, because the engine compressor needs longer to pump 120 psi of thinner air into the tanks.
My bus is fairly respectable with concerns of MPG for a 10+ton vehicle.  It averages out to 10 mpg on the interstate.  In town driving drops that number to about 5 mpg.  And in town driving is all I have been doing lately.  This isn't really altitude related but is something I have to adjust to.

Propane Heater- My Lil' Buddy, the propane heater that keeps me warm when boondocking, whether in the wild or blacktop camping, is very altitude sensitive.  Originally, I thought it was just dirty from my trip to the grasslands.  After some experimenting, I found that it is most probably due to the altitude and is particularly sensitive when there is a change in the weather.  I attribute this to low pressure systems compounding the altitude issue.  The heater has a safety shut off when it detects low levels of oxygen.  For awhile, it was a real problem.  Not so much lately.

My Water Jug-  My 7 gallon water jug has been affected by the elevation.  I seal it up tight when driving to reduce spillage.  I believe that the air pressure inside expanded and blew out the seal on the cap, causing it to leak when turned on it side (the position I use to operate the spigot on it).  I lost about 5 gallons one night.

Despite all these new developments, my positive attitude about being here has only increased.  There truly is no place I would rather be right now.   If it weren't for the fact that I need to have access to the mass transit systems in order to find work, I would be camping out in the jagged mountains that beckon to me from the horizon everyday.

Pics of the Author

Whenever I read someone else's blog I like to see the person who is doing the writing.  Some authors prefer to remain anonymous and don't show their face.  I am the opposite.

So for those interested in seeing who this crazy guy is that has embarked on this adventure, here are a few shots.  The first set consists of pictures of me before I ever thought of buying a bus.  The last set shows a few since I bought the bus.
If you find them interesting, follow my blog.

These are pics from before buying the bus:

Climbing Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina (2008)

Hiking (2008)

Is this what it means to get back to your roots? (2008)

Furry Tiara + Summertime Disney World= Sweaty Diva work (2007)

It's medicinal. (2007)

And these are Pics since the Bus Adventure began...

Tending Fire (2009)

Swingblade (2009)

Driving (2010)

I entertain myself.  This was Halloween... (2010)

Gravity defying 'do (2011)

Just me. (2011)