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Git R Done

This is the place to discuss all your tricks and tips of bus life. From how to pack everything you need, to the best on the road recipes.
BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Git R Done

Post by BoxcarOkie »

Image

One good thing about having a bus in the shop, it gives you plenty of time for “other things.” Last week for instance, I built a whole bunch of bird houses, sank three poles in concrete, put up a flagpole, finished off the fake fuel stand. Here is a little background and some photo’s of it for your perusal.

Image

Originally the plumber said $1,200 to run a water line to the shop, $50 for a permit to hook up to my OWN septic system (Man, don’t that hack you off!), and I don’t even want to talk about the other associated problems the permit Nazi’s suggested to me.

Image

Anywho, after thinking it over ... That dog didn’t hunt.

So to get water for coffee and washing my hands etc, I built a fake fuel stand. Used a 65 gallon insecticide tank from Tractor Supply and a buddy gave me some decals. Fabricated the steel, welded it together, painted it (like I said “I paint everything”) .... and walla ... One handy dandy fuel stand ... It looks like the real deal, but it isn’t.

Image

And here is the “take away” as Dr. Phil is fond of saying ... I can wash my hands i’fn I want to now.

Just ended week number ten of a three week paint-job and overhaul, and still, the coach remains in the shop. I am almost certain that it will require copious amounts of money and the name of my first born male child to bail it out. It is hopeless. Oh well, just gives me even more time to work on my screenplay, sure aint going anywhere.

Here is a brief synopsis: Bus Shop Blues is writer/director BoxcarOkie’s adaptation of the popular book by Norma Jean, a non-fiction account of the post-body shop wanderings of an old Geezer, who divorces himself from his friends, family, and possessions in search of a greater spiritual knowledge and communion with nature.

Upon his 2010 final exit from Comprehensive Collision Specialists, Bait Shop, Video store and trauma center, Old Geezer (BoxcarOkie) walks away from a loving if dysfunctional family and spends his nearly $25,000-dollar life savings to make a trip to Kalifornia to commune with nature in the big trees.

Instead of the normal life he envisioned for himself, Boxcar rechristens himself "Macmillan Screaming Eagle" and heads west in his beaten-up freshly Bondo’ed 1983 Eagle until he is denied access to the Golden State, because he is not gay and his motor is a smoking Detroit V892T, at which point he takes up hitchhiking.

The new goal on the horizon? Alaska. By hook or by crook -- but without his beloved Eagle (now abandoned at the P.O.E. just down the hill from downtown Needles) Boxcar determinedly sets his sights on Anchorage or Juno via Reno or quite possibly, Spokane.

Late at night, he reminisces of his old bus, which he now discovers that someone has symbolically set aflame. Each night around a campfire strategically placed inside a truck tire rim, Boxcar determines to make it to his personal promised land, with stops along the way to experience America and its people.

These adventures will include a kayak trip down dangerous rapids, a gig working in a gin mill, extended stays with a ex-GM worker now a recycled new age hippie and a kindly old widower -- and also -- thrills, spills, a lot of over medicated excitement, enough cold, hunger, and exhaustion to leave him emotionally defeated more than once.


Meanwhile back in Oklahoma, his friends (played by William Hurt and Kristy Alley) and his illegitimate step-sister (Paula Abdul) haven't received so much as a postcard from him, and begin to fear the worst. Negotiations are now under way to get Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder to compose and score the contemplative soundtrack. Last, the ultimate goal will be to find a suitable player for the role of BoxcarOkie, which will really be hard, now that Dennis Hopper is no longer with us.

Opening at a theater near you this Christmas, a real tear jerker, it will have your heart down around your ankles, faster than a wet pair of pants. Tell all your friends ...

My,oh my, look at the time! It escapes me but once again. I need to make another trip to the Bondo Capital of Western Oklahoma. Maybe I can talk them into painting it “so it looks like a Newell.”

Image

Wouldn’t that be cool?

Watch those right-handers, see you in the fast lane.

BCO
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
ldsrr91@gmail.com
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van
Club Member
Club Member
Posts: 1437
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:35 pm

Re: Git R Done

Post by van »

ME! LIKEY! :D :D
User avatar
Dreamscape
Posts: 3046
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:03 pm
FMCA #: F391238
Bus Model: 1968 Silver Eagle Model 01
Location: Full Timing - On The Road

Re: Git R Done

Post by Dreamscape »

I don't know where you come up with your stories, but I'll tell ya this. They are a good read and a good laugh (for those that are meant to be funny)! :lol:

Keep on keepin' on! I'm right behind you! ;)
Paul Lawry
Dreamscape
1968 Eagle 01 #7443
Silver 8V92 HT 740

Dreamscape Build Blog: https://dreamscapesilvereagle.wordpress.com/
User avatar
Boomer
Club Member
Club Member
Posts: 780
Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 12:26 am
FMCA #: F352905
Bus Model: 1981 Eagle M10. Stretched, widened, raised to M15/45 specs. Cummins ISM 450, Allison World transmission. Mid entry door.
Location: Southwest Washington

Re: Git R Done

Post by Boomer »

BCO, just go down to that paint shop and tell those punks that you are a Viet Nam vet with a metal plate in your head, post tramatic stress, agent orange afflicted, and Medicaid hasn't produced your Lithium prescription yet and because you have a loaded .357 in your arm pit it would be in they're best interest to show you a little love.
BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Re: Git R Done

Post by BoxcarOkie »

van wrote:ME! LIKEY! :D :D
Thanks man, see you in about a month.

BCO
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
ldsrr91@gmail.com
http://boxcarokie.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Re: Git R Done

Post by BoxcarOkie »

Dreamscape wrote:I don't know where you come up with your stories, but I'll tell ya this. They are a good read and a good laugh (for those that are meant to be funny)! :lol:

Keep on keepin' on! I'm right behind you! ;)

Uh, I dunno, they just come to me. Having been both blessed and cursed with an over-active imigination, when I think of something, I write it down. I am the curious type, cannot seem to help myself. Often the simple things in life, just amaze me.

As it did yesterday. I am at the bank, handing the teller a wad of $5 bills I have saved up for my fuel account, she starts to count thru them. Each time she hits one that is not “heads up” she will stop, reverse the bill, and then start counting over again. I wonder why they do that?

(Now I have something new to amuse myself on a slow day, I intentionally reverse every third one and watch them sort out what is not right in their world.)

Here is another one (this might hit close to the house for some of you). A guy has an Eagle in the shop or at his place of residence, so why do they still shop around on Ebay, Craigslist or numerous other places? I mean, “isn’t one enough?” I wonder why they do that.

The post office offers an “overnight letter” but it closes at 5:00 P.M. This very outfit cries foul and says give us more money, we cannot make it because of the Internet. But on the counter they have applications for A.O.L., like I said: I wonder why they do that?

Then you just write it down.

BCO
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
ldsrr91@gmail.com
http://boxcarokie.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Re: Git R Done

Post by BoxcarOkie »

BCO, just go down to that paint shop and tell those punks that you are a Viet Nam vet with a metal plate in your head, post tramatic stress, agent orange afflicted, and Medicaid hasn't produced your Lithium prescription yet and because you have a loaded .357 in your arm pit it would be in they're best interest to show you a little love.

I went down yesterday and we had an “understanding on all this.” Today a four PM me and the checkbook bailed it out, it was not a pleasent expeirience and neither of us came out of it with any satisfaction. I have had more fun at a root canal or tooth extraction, if you want to know the truth.

At the end of the day, the price for the work was run up considerably (almost to the point of being obscene) and the three week job came in at 11 weeks and 3 days. It kind of smacked of a prostrate exam that went terribly wrong or something like that.

Life, everything that happens when you are not paying attention.

Now it is back to the AC shop to finish up on the new roof airs (I pulled it off that in order to make the window at the paintshop which quickly vaporized) and get that back in order. We were in the process of installing two roof units, 15,000btu with heat pumps. After that it is install the rest of the new LED lites, fix the jake and perhaps air-bag and improve her posture.

Then it is time to do a little wash, buff & shine.

In all honesty, it won’t take much, the old girl is looking pretty smart after her face life. I will carefully back it in the shop and give it a little TLC. Get her ready to head out and do a little styling on the boulevard in the smart-aleck lane and burn some fuel. The Grand Canyon and soaking my toes in Lake Mead in thirty-nine days!

Like they say, “Life is not about the storms we face, but learning how to dance in the rain.”

BCO
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
ldsrr91@gmail.com
http://boxcarokie.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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van
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Posts: 1437
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:35 pm

Re: Git R Done

Post by van »

Air Bags already? :lol: :lol: O.K. :D This ought to be good. ;) LOL!
Glad that you got your bird back...at least long enough to bring it to the ac shop :D
Last edited by van on Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Dreamscape
Posts: 3046
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:03 pm
FMCA #: F391238
Bus Model: 1968 Silver Eagle Model 01
Location: Full Timing - On The Road

Re: Git R Done

Post by Dreamscape »

Did they finish the work they promised?

Enquiring minds want to know! :shock:
Paul Lawry
Dreamscape
1968 Eagle 01 #7443
Silver 8V92 HT 740

Dreamscape Build Blog: https://dreamscapesilvereagle.wordpress.com/
BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Re: Git R Done

Post by BoxcarOkie »

Dreamscape wrote:Did they finish the work they promised?

Enquiring minds want to know! :shock:
Elvis Has Left The Building ....

They say it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but that isn’t always true. I learned a trick or two this week, and some of it came from this source (board). I found out that I am not THE ONLY ONE who manages to get moused around on this bus work, and that was somewhat comforting to know (the post about the grease work).

A few nuggets of truth sprinkled here and there, sort of opened my eyes. I see other folks having vendor problems and I know that I am not alone. I still maintain however, that not identifying these bozo’s does everyone a disservice, but then again, this is not my board, I have no control over that.

The nightmare has finally reached its eventual end, the old hoopie is now painted and back in my possession. In answer to your question, they completed about 95% of what was requested of them.

Some of the items worked on the past three months were:

Everything was broke down and removed, from the roof to the windshield wipers. The only area’s actually masked off were the alum skin on the side, all exterior doors, shades, body trim were removed completely. The only items not painted on the roof were the sat. reciever & TV antenna’s etc, etc.

Some kind of rubber coating on the roof was removed and all the seams filled with sealer after painting. All screws securing the body panels were removed and replaced with pop rivets. All the old bondo removed, in some cases over 1.5 inches thick! All new body work was done with high-dollar epoxy plastic resin, very little bondo was re-applied. Front door was removed and interior was blocked off, sanded and painted.

Two coats of primer, polyurethane two step Imron applied, and then clear coated with two coats. All exterior grill work along the sides of the coach, painted to match the coach. No murals, no pinstripe, nice clean lines and nothing out of the ordinary, just alum. trim pieces and new paint. It was in all respects a “major undertaking” and the end result was nice. It is always pleasing to ride around in a “head turner” be it an automobile, motorcycle or in this case, a big bus.

That is a plus.

The work in my opinion was exceptional (definitely top drawer) but overpriced, completely out of line with the original estimate or proposal. Looking at it in financial terms, we got hosed on the deal. There seems to be no honor among thieves any more. Our only saving grace was we had enough discretionary income available to cover it.

Live and learn.

This took a big chunk of our bus fund, it was totally unexpected and was far from being a pleasant surprise. We are now fairly confident that this nightmare is behind us. Sure hope so.

It would be real nice, at the end of the day, to have a little something left over for say ... a tank of fuel ... Yeah, that would be nice. No more on this .... Like they say ... That’s the way it goes .... First yo’ muny and then yo’ clothes.

Elvis has left the building …

BCO
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
ldsrr91@gmail.com
http://boxcarokie.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://boxcarokie.com/eagle-bus-life/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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