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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Introducing...La Baja Bus
So I did something crazy today- either inspired or insane, or a little of both- it remains to be seen: I bought a passenger bus, to be gradually
turned into a light-duty overlander for use in Baja.
Frankly, one reason I bought this vs. other options was to (hopefully!) avoid the new parking regulations in my city. Anyone with an RV or trailer
now is limited to how many days they can park in front of their house on the street, and have to purchase an overnight permit. Any oversize vehicle
longer than 27 feet and over 7 feet tall is likewise restricted.
But here's the key: She's a 1997 Ford E450 Powerstroke passenger bus, 24 feet long and impressively tall- but not over 27'. And the regs clearly
state BOTH: over 27' long AND over 7' tall. (if I lose this battle, I have other options)
She sports dualies in the rear, that I may need to swap out soon, and 7.3 liters of (soon to be) bio-diesel burning brute strength idling noisily
under the hood up front.
Starts easiy and runs like a champ. We rolled down the freeway today on the way home, using cruise control, like a small version of the big busses
rumbling past. Tall fiberglass body, no leaks after big rain storm (but in need of some scrubbing/oxidation removal).
Heavy duty hydraulic wheelchair lift in the rear to easily load ice chests, boats, bikes, people and camping gear. (So far the poodle prefers the
standard doorway.)
Inside: pretty bare bones. Eight passenger seats w/seatbelts, that fold up flat against the sides, out of the way, once our group has arrived. Any
more than that requires a commercial drivers license, which I've had before when I used to take groups out to Joshua Tree etc.- but it's lapsed.
After travel time, the bus can become base camp: kitchen, bar, living room, dining room and/or bunkhouse, depending on the elements and time of
day/night.
Over time I may add a basic bathroom/shower combo, though if the weather's warm an outdoor shower would be fine (and most places I plan to go have
bathrooms).
The goal: to take people into Baja to experience whales, wine and wilderness, and leave the driving to me (or others) so they can relax and enjoy the
scenery.
Our maiden Baja voyage: end of March, over spring recess, with family and friends travelling to the gray whale lagoons on the Pacific side. (I can
carry items back and forth if people need things delivered- lots of room!)
Intermediate plans: Add lightweight shelving/storage. Check out biodiesel conversion requirements.
Longterm plans: look for RVs/trailers being parted out for useful stuff to outfit the interior.
Possible fun stuff: Organize trips to Guadalupe Valley for wine tasting/food sampliing. Go kayaking with whale sharks in Bahia de Los Angeles. Other
Baja/Southwest US adventures TBD.
I may not have much to report on the remodel right away. I'd rather spend my time/money going places and enjoying time with friends, vs. turning this
into a thing of beauty. Function first, fashion later...
Any ideas, suggestions, recommendations on outfitting this beast appreciated! Or if you know of someone who might want to travel, but isn't
willing/able to drive themselves- put them in touch with me for a ride-along.
It may wind up parked on my lot in San Miguel as I look at clearing/rebuilding there. Or perhaps it has a future as a "Paradas Continuas" bus in
Ensenada... quien sabes? I didn't pay much for it, but I think it has great potential!
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
Member Is Offline
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I have a friend, who is currently camped at Los Cerritos, that has the very same bus, converted into a camper. I'll try and get over there in the next
few days and take some photos of his setup for you. Those are good dependable rigs.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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Great rig to build on....
What kind of insurance and business license will you need in the US as well as Mexico?
Best of luck.
Don't believe everything you think....
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BooJumMan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 889
Registered: 8-11-2007
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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So cool. Just read on ExPo too. I had just read about another guy taking the same platform, converting it to 4x4, making a camper as well. Sounds fun!
Now you've got me inspired. Seeing that it was on CL for only $4700.. WOW! That's awesome.
[Edited on 3-4-2015 by BooJumMan]
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willyAirstream
Super Nomad
Posts: 1786
Registered: 1-1-2010
Member Is Offline
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Very cool. The folding seat hardware could be used to make folding bunks/benches. Check out `garage cabinets`, they make some quality light weight
plastic units that you could use. Keeping it flexible and multiuse is a good idea. Looks like a fun project and almost perfect for Baja, as it is. (
not quite as good as the Airstream lol )
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6002
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retireded
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If it was mine, I would want dual fuel tanks. I would keep one filled with clean number one diesel for cold starts and just in case you get some bad
biofuel! Switching to regular diesel before shut down might help with keeping your injectors clean and also help with start up.
It doesn't sound like cold weather is going to be a problem for you, but where I would sometimes run that rig, I would provide some sort of heat trace
for the the bio lines and possibly the tank.
Happy trails!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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I'm getting RV insurance through my current company.
This won't be a formal business right away. I'll do the trip with friends and family in March and see if it's feasible to continue.
Quote: Originally posted by motoged  | Great rig to build on....
What kind of insurance and business license will you need in the US as well as Mexico?
Best of luck. |
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9009
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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It should be interesting getting that approved for commercial use in Mexico. Will you import it?
Keep us posted. Looks like a great rig to do what you plan.
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | If it was mine, I would want dual fuel tanks. I would keep one filled with clean number one diesel for cold starts and just in case you get some bad
biofuel! Switching to regular diesel before shut down might help with keeping your injectors clean and also help with start up.
It doesn't sound like cold weather is going to be a problem for you, but where I would sometimes run that rig, I would provide some sort of heat trace
for the the bio lines and possibly the tank.
Happy trails! |
I burned bio-diesel B-90, in my 7.3 liter for a while in Bend Or. (not exactly tropical) with
no problems and no modifications. One thing I did notice was a lot of buildup in the fuel filter, apparently, bio-diesel scrubs the fuel lines so you
will want to change your filters after running a couple of tanks through it.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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Wow, when did the new regulations take place in San Diego? I'm glad I no longer have my cab over camper. It was over 7' tall for sure and we parked
it in the street in front of our home for years.
Nice bus!
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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paranewbi
Senior Nomad
Posts: 913
Registered: 4-15-2011
Location: San diego
Member Is Offline
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Saw it on Craigslist whale-ista...made me drift off into some Baja dreams. Had to slap myself back into the real world and know that I already have a
small school bus that I do the same thing with. Porta Potty for the lady and outdoor shower for all. Nice roof area for a kayak or two also!
Enjoy!
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18100
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | I'm getting RV insurance through my current company.
This won't be a formal business right away. I'll do the trip with friends and family in March and see if it's feasible to continue.
| Quote: Originally posted by motoged | Great rig to build on....
What kind of insurance and business license will you need in the US as well as Mexico?
Best of luck. |
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Repaint it so it does not look like a transportation business. The Tijuana taxi and bus guys are pretty aggressive at showing their displeasure with
California-plated busses and taxis driving on their turf. Transportation biz in the border region of mexico can be a bit rough and tumble.
Whatever happened to the old hippie bus business that did trips up and down California and baja? What was it called? Green turtle?
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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[/rquote]
Whatever happened to the old hippie bus business that did trips up and down California and baja? What was it called? Green turtle?[/rquote]
Have seen The Turtle several times over the years. Seemed like just everyday Baja-lovers who are interested in adventure travel...like most of us on
this forum. Their website shows them still in business for 2015. Last time I saw the bus was in Agua Verde a few years ago where I snapped this
photo from the trail above.
Whale-ista, Good Luck with your RV modifications and plans. I helped a fellow with a Baja Adventure bus in the late 80's and it was a very worthwhile
project. That one was a full-size bus refit. I'll try to post some photos if I can find them. Just watch out for them Hippies!
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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BajaBreak
Nomad
Posts: 154
Registered: 12-20-2012
Member Is Offline
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+1 on the dual tanks. You may get away with it, but my brother ran pure strained veg oil for a while, until it ultimately gummed up in cold weather
and ruined the injectors. Some of the 7.3 injectors from CA models (around '95) had better injectors with more power and efficiency, don't let a shop
mix them up (or steal the good ones from you!).
Green Tortoise? Saw it high centered on the berm and blocking the road leaving Cabo Pulmo a few months ago. Hippie Bus! Looked new and huge, not sure
how they got it off the main road...
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Martyman
Super Nomad
Posts: 1904
Registered: 9-10-2004
Member Is Offline
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I rode the Green Tortoise from San Francisco to Seattle.
There was an older women riding along with us hippies. As soon as the bus got on the freeway a bunch of doobies (medicinal of course) were fired up.
The lady exclaimed "I thought this bus was non-smoking?"
The rest of the bus replied "no smoking tobacco!"
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Ha! Great stories and photos, thanks for the contributions, feedback, advice and cautionary tales.
No immediate plans to import. It's not officially a commercial vehicle, at this point passengers will be friends/family not paying clients.
Yeah, those dualies on sharp Baja rocks may be an issue. I will need to investigate the cost of tires- not cheap, I'm certain...
As for fuel: There are several bio-diesel stations in San Diego that seem good quality. I have 1 sixty gallon tank, which qualifies for "commercial"
status, acc to one I contacted that provides 99% biodiesel for fleets. In the warm weather, with new standards, I think mixing will be ok. But
biodiesel does act as a solvent to clean out old gunk, so a change of fuel filter is recommended, and starting slow as the engine etc. adjusts.
As for appearances: It is all white, no obvious "public bus" signage or colors to make the locals nervous. Standard license plate. Maybe I should
remove the CA #s (public utility leftovers)?
I will definitely NOT hang a "Paradas Continuas" sign in the back window... maybe "Paradas Misteriosas" instead?  That will keep them guessing...
As for onboard consumables... we will conform with all local requirements, of course!
Hmmm.... maybe I should offer to be a "sag wagon" for some of those pesky Baja Bikers people keep complaining about? Carry cold drinks, hot food, and
soft sleeping pads that don't fit on bike racks?
[Edited on 3-4-2015 by Whale-ista]
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
Member Is Offline
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Viva Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test!
Best of luck with your project!
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
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The green thing is still around.
http://www.greentortoise.com/adventures/baja-mexico-whales-b...
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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You have the advantage by starting from scratch.
When custom building, you're only limited by your imagination.
This rig showed up in Mulege a couple times and so naturally I have this photo, plus I've spotted it in California and Arizona. It's noticeable, to
say the least...and funky. I suspect Li'l Abner and Daisy Mae would have had one for camping near Dogpatch.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | So I did something crazy today- either inspired or insane, or a little of both- it remains to be seen: I bought a passenger bus, to be gradually
turned into a light-duty overlander for use in Baja.
Frankly, one reason I bought this vs. other options was to (hopefully!) avoid the new parking regulations in my city. Anyone with an RV or trailer
now is limited to how many days they can park in front of their house on the street, and have to purchase an overnight permit. Any oversize vehicle
longer than 27 feet and over 7 feet tall is likewise restricted.
But here's the key: She's a 1997 Ford E450 Powerstroke passenger bus, 24 feet long and impressively tall- but not over 27'. And the regs clearly
state BOTH: over 27' long AND over 7' tall. (if I lose this battle, I have other options)
She sports dualies in the rear, that I may need to swap out soon, and 7.3 liters of (soon to be) bio-diesel burning brute strength idling noisily
under the hood up front.
Starts easiy and runs like a champ. We rolled down the freeway today on the way home, using cruise control, like a small version of the big busses
rumbling past. Tall fiberglass body, no leaks after big rain storm (but in need of some scrubbing/oxidation removal).
Heavy duty hydraulic wheelchair lift in the rear to easily load ice chests, boats, bikes, people and camping gear. (So far the poodle prefers the
standard doorway.)
Inside: pretty bare bones. Eight passenger seats w/seatbelts, that fold up flat against the sides, out of the way, once our group has arrived. Any
more than that requires a commercial drivers license, which I've had before when I used to take groups out to Joshua Tree etc.- but it's lapsed.
After travel time, the bus can become base camp: kitchen, bar, living room, dining room and/or bunkhouse, depending on the elements and time of
day/night.
Over time I may add a basic bathroom/shower combo, though if the weather's warm an outdoor shower would be fine (and most places I plan to go have
bathrooms).
The goal: to take people into Baja to experience whales, wine and wilderness, and leave the driving to me (or others) so they can relax and enjoy the
scenery.
Our maiden Baja voyage: end of March, over spring recess, with family and friends travelling to the gray whale lagoons on the Pacific side. (I can
carry items back and forth if people need things delivered- lots of room!)
Intermediate plans: Add lightweight shelving/storage. Check out biodiesel conversion requirements.
Longterm plans: look for RVs/trailers being parted out for useful stuff to outfit the interior.
Possible fun stuff: Organize trips to Guadalupe Valley for wine tasting/food sampliing. Go kayaking with whale sharks in Bahia de Los Angeles. Other
Baja/Southwest US adventures TBD.
I may not have much to report on the remodel right away. I'd rather spend my time/money going places and enjoying time with friends, vs. turning this
into a thing of beauty. Function first, fashion later...
Any ideas, suggestions, recommendations on outfitting this beast appreciated! Or if you know of someone who might want to travel, but isn't
willing/able to drive themselves- put them in touch with me for a ride-along.
It may wind up parked on my lot in San Miguel as I look at clearing/rebuilding there. Or perhaps it has a future as a "Paradas Continuas" bus in
Ensenada... quien sabes? I didn't pay much for it, but I think it has great potential!
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The "Schoolies" group on Yahoo has about the best info for conversions I have ever used. Been there for years. Lot's of good dope.
Should have been noted on the "Decisions" thread also if you wanted a large yet inexpensive unit. School districts across the U.S. have a sale website
that will feature those that have reached their service limit. The buses of course have had to be maintained well and safety certified for carrying
kids.
That E-450 should be perfect for your needs residing in San Diego area and will be palatial once you trick it out. Don't really need more bus than
that.
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