NOMADICISTA

Hello all, I'm new to Mr. Sharkey's site but have had a bus since the early 70s ... been a real trip ... and I still have miles to go. Still needs lots of work but functional both as a home and as a driven vehicle. Tho it's been in storage the last 10 years relationship changes made me shake out the mouse pellets and dust and make it function as planned again. I actually missed her.

Feel free to visit my web page: http://www.goodclueproductions.com with more images.
I'd be happy to discuss the bus, my archaeology, snake oil shows or whatever. I have plenty of questions myself and hope to be asking soon.
Thanks, Doug, portflo3@aol.com

Two words:

"Simply Beautiful!"

Welcome to the Forum!

Griff

Wow, that interior is beautiful!

Oooooooooooooooh Booooooy, Sweeeeeet

A++ I was just recently trying to explain to my wife how I like the interior parallel wood paneling, and I looked at your bus, and there it is!!

Hello to all, and thanks for the welcome and positive comments on the bus. I get mixed reactiions when driving it, from cheers to the bird ...
It's always been a lot of fun ... and practical. I hope to take it to another level with bodywork, paint, etc soon. I have some small mining town lots west of where I'm currently living, want to build a geodesic growing dome and have an acoustic cafe, using the bus for local events and craft fairs ... it's a great mobile studio ... and with my '73 BMW/sidehack, put on some kind of music or performances in the area ... moved to Colorado when I was 10, keep comming back, time to build a studio homebase. All will be welcome, it's an excellent part of the state. Thanks again, Doug.

Doug, I hope you keep us posted on what you do to the outside of your bus, I want to see the paint job when it is done. I went to your site and saw the inside, I really like it! DB

I really like all the wood in the inside. It looks very homey. I bet your cat comes a runnin' when it hears the engine start up. "Oh boy, we are going for a ride".

Thanks DB, Rudy,
Tho small, it's been a joy to live and travel in ... sure is me personified.
I'm in the process of skirting the bus for the winter, got lucky and found 2" scrap foam board for free ... along with brand new Atwood propane/electric 6gal waterheater, Atwood 12Volt/propane furnace, 27gal. water tank, shower floor pan, and a staniless steel sink for $125. Been waiting years for a deal like this.
Also am investing in an Incinolet 115Volt electric toilet before winter.
Am designing the rear deck now ... want it to be multi-purpose, possibly with a sliding extension. I've been studying Sharkey's site and links most of the year looking for ideas ... also searching the web for Gypsy wagons ... I've got plans to build an elaborate Reading style wagon but need to get my shop up and running for such a project. Means I have to get serious and survey my old mining town claims, get ready to build ... with all the hassles, may just stay mobile, but do need a shop, even if it's in another trailer.
Yes, it desperatley needs bodywork ... rust over the windshield ... thinking of using spray foam and carving feather relief on the wings ... supposed to look like a hawk in a dive, wings folded. Pondering the color scheme ... dark forest green, gold highlights, black fenders ... using Photopaint to test ideas ... and am serious about a travelling snake oil/theatrical show ... turning 60 tomorrow, 9-11 ... tired of politics, religion, working for others ... want to enjoy life and bring some entertainment and education to the mix. Have done some theater, play fiddle, mando and guitar, time to follow the heart ... maybe even find a like-minded, talented lady out there ... used to know one, years ago, before I got too serious and bought into the hype ... oops, careful Doug ...

Hi Doug

When you get it and put it through a bunch of tests I'd like a real report about the electric toilet. I hear all kinds of stuff about them but nothing from anyone I know is for real. Im really wondering if I could run it on an inverter powered through batteries, charged by solar full time. So let me know if you don't mind.

Hi Dennis, about 20 years ago when I was doing microwave radio work at AT&T, we had an Incinolet toilet at one of our repeater locations. It operated on 240 volts and drew either 3 or 5 kilowatts of power (I don't remember which). I used to use it as a load for our diesel generator when running routine maintenance. For the most part, it was an unpleasant device. I could go into more detail but that would be inappropriate for this forum. At one of our other locations we used an Envirolet composting toilet. It was much more pleasant with the main drawback that you would need to put a gallon or two of water in it after use (we were there about once a week, if the toilet were used more, less water was needed). It had a small fan built into it which if I remember correctly, ran 24/7.

TMAX

Hmm, Thats what I've been hearing

I have a friend who has two composting toilets in his house. They are big. You have to step up to sit on them. They are expensive. I used one once. I believe that you have to put some sawdust in them once you do your duty. They are very happy with them.

Hello fellow sojourners,
I will still invest in the Incinolet and keep everyone updated.
Principle reason, at 8,000' altitude those I've known with composting toilets have nothing but problems ... temperature, depleted oxygen, etc., and the stories are not pretty.
The RV Incinolet system I'm looking at costs as much as a bottom of the line compostiing system, $1,775, runs off any 115 power source, uses a draw equivilant to a 100 Watt lightbulb, is portable ... can be moved from vehicle to house to boat ... fits perfectly in the bathroom space I've alloted.
After using many forms of toilets, I'll go ahead and deal with whatever issues arise with the incinolet.
I admit, my favorite is still a decently designed outhouse ... usually the only functioning toilet on the ranches I've worked on ... the strangest outhouse I've seen is in Silver City, Montana ... a two story unit for when the snow drifted over the first floor ... it had a second chute behind the wall of the first floor and functional from a second floor balcony.
Again, I will keep all posted with my experience with the incinolet.
Doug

Hi Doug, I'm curious as to how an Incinolet can work using only about a 100 watts. The one that was at the old microwave site that I worked at contained a large heating coil (about the size of a one gallon paint can) which would glow dark to medium red after being in operation about 20 minutes. For complete operation, the Incinolet would run about an hour for one cycle.

On the Envirolet, it's location was at an altitude of about 5200 feet and it's environment was never allowed to reach freezing temperatures. Also, about every 6 to 8 weeks, we would put in it about 8 ounces of enzyme material (looked just like sawdust). I found out Natures Miracle (liquid available at almost all pet stores) worked just as well.

TMAX