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Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy
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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 9:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

I’ve been taking the advice here and just driving the bus as much as possible. There are a few things that could use attention, but they will have to wait. Overall the bus is performing wonderfully.

Sturgis bike week has been looming and now it’s happening. The first 3 weeks in July have been amazing, with lots of great travel and experiences and now it’s nearly August and time to get back to work. This marks our 9th year at Black Hills Harley Davidson as the in house tattoo artists for the next three weeks. Today I was picking up great friend and colleague Tom from Florida at the airport and decided to take the bus. When I was getting it prepped and cleaned I noticed one of my Bostons, Tippy was already in the bus, so I decided to take her. She loves the bus.


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She’s totally road worthy and a total joy to have along. She likes looking out the back a lot, I guess more interesting that the front room window she sits at all day.

We needed some fuel and I know this may sound trivial, I noticed that the filler nozzle goes all the way into the fill neck of the bus and the splash plate sets flush with the body. Now remember, I went with my OG rubber neck and reused it in lieu of the WW replacement. Mine has a “beak” I guess it’s called and I can fill my bus up at a pretty good clip, so it’s venting correctly too. Nothing real big, but I haven’t had a nozzle fit this nice into any modern car or truck I own that I can remember.

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So we get Tom and it’s always cool to see him, it’s usually just this time of year we see each other unless there are lucky circumstances. His first time in my bus. he’s a gear head so of coarse he digs it.

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It’s a pretty casual day but we need to get some load in items moved up to the vender spot and prepped. With the shops all running full tilt, it just up to us to handle. We tossed our Rally copy machine in the bus for the first time. Went slick. Usually I use my Ford Transit, this was way more fun.

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The dealership is dog friendly and Tippy gets all the attention. A few annual reunion hugs in with folks we haven’t seen in a solid year and the first load up is in. Tippy got all the attention and she’s wiped out.

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So a bunch of tattooing and biker stuff goin on and the still I managed to get the bus involved. Great times ahead! Our first “schedualed” bus camping trip will be our post Rally recover days off. Looking forward to that already. Just one night is all I ask!


Last edited by WildIdea on Mon Sep 03, 2018 7:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 9:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

Got in a camper AND bus parking sign shot and evening sunset cruise with Cat. She got some driving in and getting more acquainted with the systems.

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Last edited by WildIdea on Mon Sep 03, 2018 7:46 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

looking good buddy Very Happy
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

What were the correct PN#s for the shocks? I want to order some from Summit! They look great.
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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:05 am    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

notchboy wrote:
What were the correct PN#s for the shocks? I want to order some from Summit! They look great.


Here they are

BSN-24-000321 front mono tube gas pres
BSN-24-010474 GM M van rear

We pulled the numbers off from a Builstein thread on the bay forum here and I think the numbers changed since then and these are the crossovers. With so many choices, I was leery of listing the numbers as I’m not absolutely positive they are the best options. I’m not studied enough on the subject to feel like an expert and after the Clatter chassis thread, I’m thinking there may be a simpler option.

Then I obsess about them a little. Although they do ride well, the bus is just a smidge low in the rear. I’m at about a 1/4 inch lower in the rear between jack points in the garage. Dang calibrated eye! Still, I’m always looking at it when I walk away from the bus when parked and sometimes it looks fine and other times a bit low. I imagine it is the incline it’s parked on and that there could probably be a break in period as well as other parts within my chassis that could be a bit worn in that has nothing to do with the shocks.
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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

We have been wanting to get into camping in the bus when the Rally was over and have been looking forward to that.

Besides our two permanent locations, we tattoo at BH Harley during the weeks of the Sturgis Rally. This was our 8th year at the dealership (my 21st rally tattooing) and for a few weeks we have three locations going until the peak days of Rally then we close one shop for about 10 days and just work the rally goers at the dealership and the shop by the interstate. Years ago I built some pretty neat panels out of wood and steel that are basically theatrical set type decorations that click together and break down tight for easy storage. It basically makes our pop up store at the dealership look like a permanent studio. There are signs that go in that need a scissor lift, tables and all the infrastructure effects that we call a "hard" set up followed by another day of a "soft" set up of digital set up etc. This was the 25th of July and from that point on it is up at 6am, ride to the dealership and tattoo entirely until close then bed by 10pm 18 some days in a row, followed by a repeat in reverse of all the breakdown, boxing and storing of the supply and cracking your knuckles before diving into the numbers and pay everyone. Quite grueling......but really happy work, mostly because we're into the biker culture ourselves. Everybody did great and I'm so proud of my crew, but now it is over and we all scatter for a few days to heal before getting back to the shops and giving them a deep cleaning before we set all our equipment back into the work stations. The summer isn't over yet!

Even the kids are acting different knowing their parents are through with the Rally and even the inner soldier within that drives my sense of responsibility is clocked out and I feel some real core subconscious relief. A kind of dope feeling that only comes from long hard work, a good feeling with an edge of irritably from an unmistakable hangover brought on by the dust, noise and lot food. With the prior notions of camping at the end of Rally we all just couldn't bear the idea of packing up anything.... hardly one single molecule of thought could be mustered to organize any such thing......yesterday, we layed in bed to day sleep and couldn't, just got up to eat something and we hatched a plan to go for a simple bus cruise up the build site and watch the current meteor shower from there....

The bus was ready to go and we just hopped in and pulled in for some fuel and treats before heading out. We took off about an hour before sunset and wanted to get up there with just enough light for my buddy Tom to see the place for the first time. There is a new forest fire here that started yesterday and just now getting smokey in town. Red flag warning, so no campfire planed.


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We had a nice time on the way up. The temps dropped down from 90 to a perfect 72 and the bus purred. Nobody really on the road and we all feel steadily better just pulling higher into the Hills towards the more remote areas and finer needled pines.

I haven't been here all year and I was wondering at what state the place was in. I worry that folks get up in there but there was no sign, just big weeds up to 5 feet tall that grew in the gravel road this year from high rain totals. I just bashed them over with the bus. Cat was like, jeeze, I wouldn't think you'd ever do that with your beloved bus and I replied that there was just too many to swerve and that it could take it. We all hop out and I get the top popped up and some shots before it got too dark.

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Such a cool feeling to have the bus at the site for the first time. We wander around some and pull some of the weeds then everybody starts doing their own thing. Cat getting the blankets and chairs out, kids get on the candy an Tom and I make a quick loop around the place on foot.

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Bear is out whipping his saber around and we finally settle into a circle with some meditation music playing and talk of sasquash and aliens and how humans got here until the first stars appear. It wasn't long before Tom says "theres goes one" and we all get to concentrating on the shooting starts. It's not long before we all see one and then a big one we all go OOOOHHHHH! I bet we all saw 20 or more in an hour. Three hours goes by in a snap and we finally decide to load us all up and drive back to the house for our own beds. I go through a little pre flight check and we cruise back to town without music, just the hum of the engine and its shifting with Tom helping on the deer sighting duty. Was a great time in the bus. Maybe next weekend, when I'm a little more healed, we can get that overnight in. Until then, she's still helping the family make memories.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 8:56 am    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

All i can say is Very Happy
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

Keep posting pics of your bus and your boston terriers. Our last boston terrier only got a few short rides in my bus before she passed away.
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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 9:34 am    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

With the schedualed Boy Scout camping outing foiled by forcasted rain, we all sat around and tried to come up with something fun to do instead while the weather was holding. My daughter just wanted to go back to bed, G man to hang with his neighborhood buds and that left Cat and I free for a little while.

She suggested we take the bus down to the hardware store parking lot drive in car show that was from 9-1 and get home before the rain. I thought that would be pretty cool. We have never attendend anything like it with anything we actually owned ourselves.

I started a quick wipe down and vacuumed job while she got ready and made some oatmeal for the road. In no time we were heading down to the show for the last few hours.

When we got there it was in full swing but there was attendants on hand to get us parked. I guess it’s a come and go at your leisure kind of thing. Put on by the hardware store with 50s music playing and free root beer floats etc. What happened to us I wasn’t really quite prepared for.

While the promoter was parking us I guess some folks stated to head our way and when I first turned off the engine and popped the top and jumped out I got an imidiate “Is the for sale sign coming out?” Ha, nah man.

A smalll crowd of people came over like they have never seen a Westy before. Lots of interest and heads poking around. We opened up all the doors and hatches, turned up the Dead and just kind of walked away and a watched.

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I pretty much knew that putting up the pop top was gonna make us stand out. I was pretty proud of the way she looked and after a quick walk around at everybody else’s cars, I went on back to the bus. This is where it got fun. I know you all know what this is like, but the list of questions and stories were fun, heck, I love to talk about the bus.

Where did you find this? A guy here in Rapid in 2016
Who did it for you? We did it, rolling preservation
How long did it take to get to this point? 2 years
Have you seen the stretch limo bus in town? Yes, that’s Kevin, they guy I bought this from. I met him renting the limo. It’s fun you should do that.
What year is it? 1977
I used to have one. Yes, they were everywhere once
I want one but my mom says they die all the time. Not necessarily
What does Westfalia mean? German conversion company
How is it on hills? Let me tell you about the engine and the heads
Is it for sale? No, but they are out there if you look
How much did it cost? As much as a new Ford Focus
Are you gonna fix the dent on the air intake? The bus has original paint
I want one of these and cruise the country with it! Ah, the dream

One guy said he though he owned it before until I told him it’s known history.

The best was a guy said he’d rather have the bus than anything on the lot, which I agreed with.

A few guys really wanted to know every little detail I could spit out and I walked them around the bus in a loop.

Cat said we should make up something for the window that answered a lot of the simple questions. Wait till we have an awning and some bitchen tie dye tapestries hanging off them. We’ll def be having the most fun!

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We stayed to the bitter end and just hung out. I had fun talking to folks and I really new quite a few already being it’s a local show. It was real hot and it was getting to us so we broke out some chairs and sat next to the shade the bus made. All in all, it was a blast and glad we went to show off the bus and get involved with it here classic automobile enthusiasts.

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We still had a bit of time to get a cruise in the bus and we went and checked out spring creek water levels and get a little nature in and headed out ahead of the rain clouds. What a great day for the bus. It seems my starter issues are way behind me, I’ve had hundreds of strong starts and I’m feeling like I don’t have to literally search out and park on a hill anymore.

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Last edited by WildIdea on Mon Aug 20, 2018 8:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 10:17 am    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

WildIdea wrote:

She suggested we take the bus down to the hardware store parking lot drive in car show that was from 9-1 and get home before the rain. I thought that would be pretty cool. We have never attendend anything like it with anything we actually owned ourselves.


When we got there it was in full swing but there was attendants on hand to get us parked. I guess it’s a come and go at your leisure kind of thing. Put on by the hardware store with 50s music playing and free root beer floats etc. What happened to us I wasn’t really quite prepared for.

While the promoter was parking us I guess some folks stated to head our way and when I first turned off the engine and popped the top and jumped out I got an imidiate “Is the for sale sign coming out?” Ha, nah man.

A smalll crowd of people came over like they have never seen a Westy before. Lots of interest and heads poking around. We opened up all the doors and hatches, turned up the Dead and just kind of walked away and a watched.

his is where it got fun. I know you all know what this is like, but the list of questions and stories were fun, heck, I love to talk about the bus.

Where did you find this? A guy here in Rapid in 2016
Who did it for you? We did it
How long did it take to get to this point? 2 years
Have you seen the stretch limo bus in town? Yes, that’s Kevin, they guy I bought this from. I met him renting the limo. It’s fun you should do that.
What year is it? 1977
I used to have one. Yes, they were everywhere once
I want one but my mom says they die all the time. Not necessarily
What does Westfalen mean? German conversion company
How is it on hills? Let me tell you about the engine and the heads
Is it for sale. No, but they are out there if you look
How much did it cost? As much as a new Ford Focus
Are you gonna fix the dent on the air intake? The bus has original paint
I want one of these and cruise the country with it! Ah, the dream



The questions get even more intense when it's a VW Pickup. My most common response is "no, I did not make this".
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

It is amazing the folks that come up to me when I'm out in my camper bus. Some pose in front of it and take pictures. I find that odd but it makes them happy I guess.

The other thing I find is how many teenage and early something women go crazy over it. "OMG, I so want one of them". I then tell them what a good one costs and the smile disappears rapidly.

Love to see you out enjoying the bus.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

Most common reaction I found was people trying to look inside and figure out the pop-top,
What's up there,
and how it works.
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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2018 9:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

The Bus has been getting driven pretty regular and I'm really starting trust her. I still check the oil every day and inspect her pretty closely when I clean her, but nothing of real concern. My fuel sender works but shows almost empty and only takes 6-7 gallons so a run dry test might be in order. There is a push rod tube leaks going on too that we've tried to fix with different seals and whatnot. Will keep at that one, but its not excessive enough to sideline the bus. Other than that nothing to really monitor.

final gauge set up and its wiring will go down in the winter months. My ERG light is on all the time and I haven't pulled the bulb. I need to clean up the speedo pod too and get the trip meter turning, I guess there is a plastic gear or something that breaks or sticks. Maybe doll up my buddy seat. Honestly, the split is front and center still.

In the meantime, Cat set to planning a campout over the weekend and did all the prep that requires while I was working at the shop. We've really been busting it at work and cross training myself to some her duties as well as teaching others new stuff that has us really applying ourselves at the shops. We are also prepping our first ever pop up store for our tie dyes at the Custer State Park buffalo round up and arts fair. So we have a 20 foot area that the Westy will fit and we will be offering those up from beside it. Trying to get as much quality items ready for that as possible on top of it all. It's gonna be pretty sweet and were pushing for a fun three days just hanging out with everybody.

Anyway, on Sat, Cat heads up to the campsite in her car with the kids and I drive in with the bus from work. All I had to remember was a bag of clothes, the wood splitter and hatchet, weed killer and water, she took care of all the kids, dogs and food. Pretty cool to head out from the shop and show up to cheering kids and a smiling wife and the tent all set up.

The spot is up by Nemo SD and I usually take the very scenic Nemo Rd, but looking for a change, I decided on heading to Sturgis on service road and going up Vanocker Canyon Rd which Ts off on Nemo Rd a few miles before the site. Vanocker is a spectacular road that feels like Heaven and at points you feel like your flying as the aspen tree tops present just below your window among majestic yellow limestone cliffs. Nobody on it this time of year. After school starts things calm down tourist wise and I only pulled off once to let cars go by. Besides that, once, many years ago, I went to a place in the woods to hang with friends and after leaving their gathering I headed out at midnight on a forest service road covered in an easy foot of snow and crawled through the night in my 78 GMC Blazer, to arrive at Sturgis at daybreak for a mcmuffin and coffee. That road was eventually paved, then straightened out a few times before getting the name Vanocker Canyon Rd. I've been lucky to have grown up here and seen this place before it was "improved" and connected with it then. Never the less, it's pretty fun to share and introduce to my family and what a dream it feels like......old enough now to reflect a little.

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So my buddy Brian, you know, my buddy Brian that built the engine for this bus was in the neighborhood with his family for a family reunion I guess. This site is a possible build site for us and there are other primary residence near by that have already built. Some of them are his family and I asked him to come check us out. We're pretty stoked for him as he is on his maiden voyage on a bus he's been working on all year. And a welcome splash of color other than sage green for my thread.

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We hear him coming and get a shot of him putting up the drive. He has this bus he says for testing out and breaking in his bus engines, as well as his engineered lowering kits and break kits that run american components. And fun for his kids! We have a friendly discourse where he's always trying to get me to lower and I say I "get the conversion thing, but.." as I like tall bars on my bike. He laughs and says "you like tall bars and tall buses!" Mine was just found so dang stock to mess with. I say I need a beater bus I can just cut up and drive on salty roads and bang on and he's like, oh yeah!

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It's nice because we are into buses and share similar business philosophy and our families are around the same age, so a lot to relate with. They don't stay very long and we finish setting up before it gets dark. He says now there you go with your artsy photos. I think this one is cool. Anytime there is a few buses together in the woods you need to be taking pictures, right?! Thanks Brian, its only fitting your up here with us, as you've had such a big role on in the status of this Westy resurrection.

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The dogs actually prefer the bus to walking around outside. I think its pretty cute and sometimes at home when we can't find the dogs, they are in the bus sleeping as I will leave the slider open instead of closing it as its a bit loud at night. We just tuck then in instead of having them under foot and they seem to like it.

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Now I'm really starting to pinch myself, this is all starting to come together from the first notion, when we were buying the bus in the first place. From walking around it together on Kevs trailer to walking around it up here on our space. The trees and vegetation seem extra healthy to me and I study all the tree tops for sign of disease and find none and were rewarded with birdsong and chipmunk chatter. The spell is getting stronger. Nothing marries the desire for the outdoors in the hearts of children like a good strong fire pit, so I set to building one. A basic argue session from the kids on who gets to light it and were there.

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All the typical stuff in the darkness, stories and listening, I mean really listening to each other and studying faces of each other and with the soft light we all decide it's time to crawl in and try this sleeping in the bus thing. The girls head for the tent on cots with a dog, G Bear decides there are just too many moths in the pop top to sleep in and he's afraid its gonna close down on him. I don't make a big deal of it and invite him to be below with me and Tippy. Man, there is nothing better than cuddling with your son and a dog that likes to be under covers. He makes a joke about why they call it the headbanger after hitting his at least 3 times.

We get up a few times in the night to pee and just marvel at how bright the moon made it. The slider is loud and I bet that wouldn't make friends in a crowded campground. The weather was a still 70 degrees and a crisp morning air and gorgeous morning dew on the grass. G Bear and I hop out in the morning light to start the fire again.

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You know, the pop top is for playing silly, at least for now.

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There is a killer fire fried bacon breakfast and cowboy coffee. A great time to visit and just chill a little more. I get my road sprayed and head to the creek for more water to finish and really douse the fire before we all leave.

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None of the kids want to ride back with me because I'm stopping at one shop to spay its weeds and I get to drive home solo. Thats fine, just jamming and cruising the cool mountain air. For now, the beginning of Fall Season is the best temps of the year, but the tough stuff is coming and the trees are showing a yellow leaf or two. There is talks of similar trips! Nobody said that it was bad or anything and I give all the credit to Cat for building this all up to be an enjoyable outing and even the wether cooperated nicely. Not the best sleep or anything like on a real mattress, but we knew that and its just what we've been waiting for. Some experience points to build on.
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white74westy
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 7:41 am    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

Thank you WildIdea for the updates! I really look forward to hearing about your adventures and seeing the vast beauty of the wilderness. Its nice to see the family actively participating and being stoked about it.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 11:53 am    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

Your first camp out in the bus! Awesome! And what a great piece of land... I'm sure it won't be too long before the kids get used to the top staying up and look forward to sleeping up there. I sleep up there with our soon-to-be 6yr old (FYI - I sleep on a Thermarest on top of the mattress, especially because upstairs is thinner). I'm guessing I'll be booted out by younger brother next summer!

Enjoy! Hope you get some more nights out before frost descends...
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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:53 am    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

Thanks for the comments guys.

It was a fun weekend and it’s helping us want to keep going up and being there more often. Sometimes, Cat will comment about why do we even have it if we aren’t using it. It can be hard to pull away from the day to day and fit it in right now. The original plan was to get something nice before we needed it 10-15 years from now. Then the bus showed up and I started pouring my time into that and then we basically started waiting for that to be operational to get some time in there. So not only was that the first night in the bus, it was our first overnight at the property. We got the place in 2015 and the bus in 2016 and I suppose that’s pretty good progress for just a few years. A lot of things had to happen for that night to happen and open it up for more to come.

The ultimate plan is to build something smallish with quality materials when the kids are basically in high school or older and sell our house and move up there. I don’t want to be driving the kids to town an hour everyday and hopefully, my responsibilities will shrink to where I won't be needed in town more than 3 days a week. Just hermit out and do my other art endeavors in privacy. That’s the dream, we’ll see if the ground level steps will pay off there.

I know I’ve just been posting a bunch of tours I’ve been taking. My thread started out about revamping a bus and then it turned to me basically enjoying it. I plan on documenting any new services and projects, but the 77 is pretty much doing it’s job at this point, so off the radar. The 65 has been getting almost ALL of my available preservation time. I don’t really want to crush this 77 thread with a switch to talking about it, but I’ll add a footnote here as these two buses are closely linked together in my life. When one is offline, hopefully, the other is operational.

Yesterday, Kevin helped me get her back home with his tow bar. Following me home as we just ran it without tow lights, sneaking through town like that.

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The 65 went to his place a few weeks before Christmas and I started pulling out the front floor over New Years break. That was my goal for the year, to refresh the front floor and cockpit, but ended up reworking all the rusted metal all the way to the front of the rear wheel arches as the patch panels are all connected. Lower A Pilar to dogleg to about 6 pieces at B Pilar to cargo floor and inner outer cargo rocker to rear wheel arch. Paint blending happened and now she is back at my house still awaiting the front floor! But the metal beneath it is fresh and ready for the floor to drop in as one piece. Still refreshing steering box, and pedals, etc. 9 months at Kevin’s, Not to bad and I almost forgot what it’s like to huff cut off wheels, Kev says you naturally suppress negative feeling and will remind me when I say I feel like doing another one. At times I was really distraught about why I cut up the bus at all and he would talk me back off the cliff, reminding me I’m only filling the holes of air where metal should be, not doing a restoration or erasing the sweet patina. Working at his shop gave me a sense of urgency to use my time wisely there and it was fun, but now she’s at a point where I can take it from here at my place without the huge mess involved with metal work and paint with my attached garage. Maybe having it near will give me a bit more access to it and he def has projects of his own for the valuable bay at Dub Bus Hospital.

So the buses are reunited and that feels good. The was a mini purge and organization to get her to fit in the garage and that’s never bad. Those things eat up time too and are part of the project. Good by Sleep, but they are both teaching me a ton and are connected in our lives. Cat is glad to see “her” bus back home.

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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 1:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

Cat and I have been pushing hard on the bus lately. Driving her almost daily and working hard to keep her clean. Lots of great feedback and love from folks as she cruises and sits at the shop all day.

We have a scheduled event coming up in a few weeks where we will be offering up some of our Tie Dye shirts and dyed fabrics at a 3 day outdoor art fair in Custer State Park. I plan on working the event till close and the then going for a hike till dark then just climbing into the bus and reading books till I crash and just skip driving back to town 25 miles each day. We've really been working our fingers to the bone never letting a min go to waste trying to produce as many articles as we can....and sleeping less, though its Fun Happy Work.

I knew I would be needing an awning and after running around all the local outlets I decided to try out the Bus Depot EZ awning because it attaches to your vehicle at the drip rail and supported by the jack points. It looked like there would be less for people to trip over and hold up well to a high wind. I could just imagine a free standing model with its tethers tripping up someones grandma or cloths lining a kid. Or worse yet, having the awning scratch up my bus and knowing my luck, having it take off in a wind and hitting some grumpy bikers chopper.

As always, ordering things from the Bus Depot is a snap and in 3 days I had a box sitting at my doorstep. Today I had the time to do a dry run assembling and see just how EZ this thing was to put up. My first mistake was thinking I could figure it out in my living room. We got the canopy built on the floor in the house and then barely got it out the front door to work on from there.


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Everything was going well up to this point. I did have a hang up on the jack point mounts. They wouldn't go in and required a bit of shaving on my bench grinder. Kind of lame, but typical. My jack points are clear of mud and rust so I don't believe that is the issue, just that the mount bars were just a bit wide. Pretty easy adjustment and they work really well. Nevertheless, the mounting pieces really saved me some valuable time I don't have right now.

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The other weird part was the drip rail mounts. It wasn't a huge surprise when the rubber inside the clamps crumbled. I understand that this can happen from items sitting on storage just waiting for some schlep like me to get around to calling cause of some urgent need they have next weekend. Good thing I have sheets of rubber roofing material around for just such a use. I'll cut some new ones soon.

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They mount pretty dang good without the rubber. There is a bar along the rear that drops into the rail and the clam squeezes them together nicely. Then the awning legs get the canopy hoisted and then mounted in a snap. Nice and clean.


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A little more adjustment here and there to get it leveled out and its pretty nice!
Really, for the 100 and whatever and 35 for the jack point mount kit, I think that's a real good value.

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I have this other cute laser cut lantern holder I bought in Denver and p[lan on hanging some shirts on it. I like the design and think I'll make a longer shirt rack that mounts about the same, but for now this is what I have.

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I get a tapestry out and one shirt to just mock up what is to come and get a few quick pics. I think this is gonna work out great. Imagine the bus popped up just puking out tons of tie dyes. I think were in for a great time at the show.

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59rusty
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 1:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

Awning looks great as do tye-dyes. How do you get colors to stay so vivid mine always end up much more muted. Have a ball at the park.
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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 1:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

59rusty wrote:
Awning looks great as do tye-dyes. How do you get colors to stay so vivid mine always end up much more muted. Have a ball at the park.


Lots of trial and error! You should see my first attempts Embarassed . I don't skimp on the die and don't wash them out until 24 hours has passed.
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WildIdea
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2018 11:07 am    Post subject: Re: Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy Reply with quote

I've been lurking a bit here and there and not commenting much on others threads, but I dig all the updates and love for your rides.

I've been working tirelessly on an event we signed up for that would involve my green Westy. Every year in the Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota they do a roundup of the Buffalo herd. They gather them all up with horses and run the group in front of spectators and decide what animals will stay in the park and what will be sold. There is only so much grass to eat without overgrazing and the surplus get auctioned off. The roundup is attended by thousands of people from all over the world and a general celebration ensues with a three day art festival.

Besides my day job we have been making tie dyes endlessly with our after hours time. Really pushing ourselves tying up as many garments as possible to be ready. I do all the tying and whatnot and Cat comes is as a real asset to the dye room. She has a great hand in there and she can get some real nice effects I don't seem to get. Towards the end of the prep time we put a post announcing our attendance at the Round Up and we got so much chatter we got nervous and made one last push to make another quick batch staying up late into the night. I was also getting the bus ready to camp in as I planned on staying in the bus for the three day show. I had cleaned her up, bought some stores of food and packed up all my clothes and effects I thought I could be needing to not only sell but to survive over the weekend. My fist attempt at a working van-cation. Mostly I was just stoked to finally put myself and my garments out there for the first time and celebrate life and freedom with fellow artisans, to meet people I would meet otherwise and talk art and buses.

This is our first year at the vendor park so we went up the day before to get the bus in place before the big convergence of vendors. The State Game Lodge has some large meadows that make for a fair grounds and we just weren't sure what we would find so we thought getting there early would be prudent. The area is probably 30 miles from my house, so we dropped off the bus and went home for the night.

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What a beautiful back drop to the scene. The crisp fall air smells so clean and pure. There was a fire in this area this year that did some damage but you can still feel and smell the power of the pine and cool creek water. Cat is a little bummed she won't be staying with me as its still school week and needs to be at home. She will be running up for part of each day but going home at night.

The first day of the show is Thursday and after the kids go to school on the bus, we head up to the park to get set up for the first day. I bring some boards along to level the bus first and then get the Bus Depot EZ awning assembled.


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The forecast is pretty poor and it's really cold out. Usually in September here there can be some really nice days. Last year the event had high 80s, but this year they're talking rain and even snow! Its probably 45 degrees and a little mist and rain supposed to come at 2-3 pm. Everybody seems committed though as we've all been getting ready for months. The show must go on!


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We don't really spread out past the awning because of the rain. The garments are born in water, so that won't hurt them, it's just I can't let my stacks of shirts get soaked and we keep them under the cover. Kind of hard to sell tank tops in 40 degrees and rain! We do sell our hats and socks though. Several of my friends and clients have come up to get first pick on my collection and fill their christmas lists and we make some decent sales that day despite the poor weather.


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The Round up is Friday and folks are expecting the big crowds then anyway. Most of the other vendors are Ranch related. Horseshoe art, homemade paper, jewelry, painters, photographers, furniture from twisted wood, buffalo leather wallets and parcel bags, native ledger art to name a few. Spices, craft beer and food and a music tent complete with period dressed any marching band playing Americana music and other performers. Great atmosphere.

I bought an adaptor that charges my phone for 7 bucks and plug my car charger into it. Problem is, its so cold out it doesn't charge my phone very fast. I end up roasting my phone over a Coleman flame and she warms up and charged in about a half hour. I need to route one of these into the cabin soon so I don't have to set out under the deckled to get a charge.

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We get interviewed my the local news and they want to talk about the tie dye as well as the bus. They wondered why we thought we would fit in with the western theme and we simply said we are artist and feel like the area will appreciate the freedom and self thinking the bus and tie dye broadcasts. That our area could always use a little more of that and believe that it will appeal to folks from all over.

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It started raining on cue and after the day was through and our products packed up, cat kissed me goodnight and headed out. I thought that he best way to ensure a restful nights sleep in the bus was to go for a long walk. What an interesting hike that was in the light rain. Although I live near, there is no way I would be able to see it all and it's always a big hit for me to get into the wilderness. I have some killer shots of the scenery but I want to keep this as VW related as possible, but it was fun to walk back to the deserted vendor grounds in the dark and crawl into the bus for the night.


I text my buddy "I'm alone in a bus in the Hills, it's 40 degrees and I'm munching granola, loving it"

It's raining pretty hard now and I just hate the thought of the bus in the elements but I figure its not gonna are the end of the world. She'll dry out eventually. A few days a year won't rust her out overnight. I just love my baby! Anyway, it was so cool just hunkered in alone reading a book with the gentle tapping of rain hitting the pop top. I fall asleep around 9-10 pm and wake up at probably 1 am to the change in sound from a wet rain to a tapping of frozen water. It's too dark to see out and I just fade off again. I wake again at around 3am to a big Whoomp that shakes the bus! Startled, my heart races and wonder who could be messing with me, but too tired, I decide it's not worth crawling out of my warm bag to investigate.

You guessed it, I woke to snow. And the big whoomp and shake was the awning imploding from the weight of the snow.

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Now, I like a challenge and things that are a little harder than normal, builds character, but I never thought I'd be winter camping already. A guy walking by asks if I wanted my picture taken with the bus and I said not dressed like this and he replied, thats why I offered! I'm all in plaid PJs, biker boots and bedhead trying to right my awning.

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Some vendors head out for good and I have all this space between be, I joke that I must be the stinky hippy or something. It's not too long and Cat shows up with my daughter and helps me set back up. The snow melts off by noon and the forecast is dry, although cold and everyone agrees, it could have been worse.

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The Buffalo get rounded up Friday morn and after that a huge convergence of folks come through the grounds. It seems there are people interested in buying tie dyes directly from the folks that made them and not from Walmart. Obviously people want to talk buses and I'm happy to do so. I heard from so may that they had one and sold it because it died all the time or they couldn't keep it alive. So may people said that, it was crazy. I spent as much time talking dyes as buses and giving tours of the interior and the engine. I got a few parts leads too! One lady said I should win the best booth ribbon if there was one, haha. Whenever someone would say this set up really brings them back, or it reminds me of the day, I would say I could put you back there for 40 bucks! Or I could have made money giving rides. Over all it just made people smile and we felt so lucky to own the bus.

Again, Cat heads back to town and I get set to spend the night. The sun goes down around 6:30 here now so I had a short hour and a half to get a hike in. I head off the other direction and catch a trail head. A few hundred yards in I meet hikers coming down and they say it's a big loop that took them two hours, I decide I can make it if I step on it. Most of the area shows the years burn and kind of interesting seeing how things burnt. Some trees completely burnt, others halfway and still alive. I decide too go off trail a piece to crest a rocky point and look into the distance. I can see the prairie from there through the clouds and just sit a min. Just then, I hear an elk bugle. If you have ever heard this you would agree it is a beautiful sound. I can't compare it to anything really. There is some elk bugling in the beginning of the movie The Revenant that reminds me of this scene and then I hear another bugle, and another....I sit for about 15 min frozen to the rock with my eyes closed listening to these creatures talk to each other. I know I must go soon as I'm losing light but I sit another 10 min or so, feeling so blessed. I pry myself for the perch and continue on. I wander along the top of the ridge that overlooks the vendor meadow and snap a few pics of the bus.

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This trail goes on and on and I start picking up my pace. I have no light save my phone and I don't want to use it and break up my night vision, but I'm on this trail that I with I could see for the beauty. I crossed about 10 log bridges that crossed the creek and could just see shadows of killer cool rock formations. I'm getting a little worried though and try not to panic. I'm a no BS woodsman and strong enough to handle the situation but literally cheer when I come into sight of my first street light! I made it and came out into a campground about a mile upstream of the vendor park. Complete darkness with the clouds covering the moon and stars I could't see my hand in front of my face.

I get back to the bus perfectly exhaust, grab some wet wipes, lantern and enjoy a porta potty in private. So this is #vanlife.

It was actually warmer in the night for some reason and I enjoy some soup with the cargo door open and have a great night sleep. The first time I spun around and put my pillow on the ice box and my feet towards the rear hatch. I think it fits me better! Usually, when the sun comes in a window to wake me I'm bummed, but sleeping in the bus I was like "I made it!" and crawl out to make some cowboy coffee in my enameled percolator.

Now that Saturday has arrived and we have survived most of the worst of the weather, everyone is poised for one more day of sales.

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Cat drives in at noon with G man and I'm so happy to see them. I'm busy and need their help.

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What a blast. This was 2 years in the making on the bus and a hard 4 months on dying to get a body of work ready for the show. Although the weather was poor and made the ordeal tough, it added a survival element to the situation that made it a unique weekend. We sold several pieces to people from all over the country and world. When it was through, we packed up, removed the awning, pulled in the pop top and drove away before others had half their booths taken down. On top of that, I got to drive my bus again which is always a great feeling.

So the bus got pressed into service selling tie dyes. It was never my intention, it's just working out that way. Red will be helping soon too. The positive feedback I received really motivates me to continue the services and upkeep. The bus has really added a huge positive element to my life. Staying in the bus wasn't easy, but facilitated a fun weekend that wouldn't have been possible otherwise.
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