Introducing... La Baja Bus

film842

Observer
Subscribed. I will follow this thread from up here in the rainy Northwest this winter wondering why the hell I'm not doing something like this myself.

Actually, I'm just green with envy. I think converting a bus would be absolutely too much fun.

Any idea what kind of mileage it gets?
 

Waltzing Matilda

Adventurer
Film842- Not sure of mileage- haven't driven it enough to measure. Just to/from Agile and other repair shops. It has a 60 gallon tank so... hard to track on these short trips.

Update: due to a death in the family, my sisters are here, and other relatives are on the way.
Managing the aftermath will require a lot of my time/attention in coming weeks, so... more delays on this project.

Sadly, it's a passing that's been anticipated for a while.

Circle of life...
 

Waltzing Matilda

Adventurer
Brief bus update: pack 'er up!

It's been quite a while since I checked in- nothing new to report on the bus remodel front.

My family is still sorting out the estate of the person who passed away in May. Since this may have required me to move, La Bus has been parked out front, potentially to be used as a moving van, while we have been sorting thru various options.

I have done no additional mechanical work on it, and I've only driven it in the 'hood to keep the parking police happy since a few neighbors still like to complain about it sitting in one place too long.

Some of the parking officers still don't realize it is compliance with new, stricter regulations prohibiting parking of "oversized" vehicles, RVs, boats and trailers. I came home after one weekend away and noticed the tires had been marked. I drove it the next day to pick up some used appliances, and while offloading them into the driveway, was approached by a different parking officer who told me a complaint had been filed, and insisted on marking the tire where it was parked- across the driveway.... what????

Well, at least she didn't cite me. But two days later, yet another officer cited a different Sprinter van we had borrowed, as we were loading a door for another project (happily- she rescinded it after a friend talked her out of it.)

Sigh... city life. I keep having to educate the officers: this is NOT an RV, it is NOT oversized (as defined by city ordinance...). And since it is designed with a wheelchair lift, it is specifically exempted from the new regs. But... they don't seem to be understanding all this. City life...

But good news is: I'm hopeful I will be able to stay at my current home, and use some inheritance funds to continue with the engine work (squeaky water pump belt etc.) that I'd like to get checked out before embarking on a long trip. Meanwhile, I've used the bus to haul a used washer/dryer set when my old ones both failed within a short time of one another: the hydraulic lift works wonders for these loads! Much easier than wrestling them into the back of a pickup.

Today, I once again put the bus and wheelchair lift to good work: helping a friend who is hosting a big weekend event on her ranch near Palomar Mountain (www.HarrisonSerenityRanch.com).

We spent a few hours and nearly $1000 getting enough food for 40-50 people at the CostCo near my house, and the young men who helped us load all the boxes were impressed with the versatility of La Bus. One even maneuvered the entire flat shopping cart onto the hydraulic wheelchair lift, so it could pick up the whole load at once, and be easily off-loaded into the bus. (Note to self: find out what the lift is rated to pick up...)

As we executed this maneuver, another of his parking lot loading assistant comrades came over to admire La Bus. When I told them of my Baja trips, they were clearly envious of our travel plans.

Good to know this loading option works so well, as we begin planning for our 2016 Baja whale-watching group travel in February. This year, I used my small 1/2 ton truck w/Callen camper to caravan with one other car, hauling camping gear for 6 people in the camper +using a rear rack, attached to the trailer hitch.

For 2016, I expect more people, and would love to haul everyone and our gear in one vehicle.

So.... the bus is in semi-hibernation, with periodic short trips to keep the tickets at bay and the engine in use. But I am keeping her busy, trying out the various options, and getting ready for annual spring whalewatching trips to Baja.
 

Waltzing Matilda

Adventurer
Final status report

Apologies for forgetting about this post for the past 24 months.
The good news: I didn't need to move, so the bus did not become a UHaul.
The bad news: the rainy 2016 winter weather in Baja was not conducive to travel, and neighbors continued complaining about the bus being parked near their homes, resulting in musical cars to avoid $55 tickets or having it towed.

The final straw: the realtor helping my neighbor sell her house asked me to park it out of sight to avoid scaring buyers away.
Clearly it was time for a change.

So- after using the bus for transporting everything from a washer/dryer (the wheelchair lift worked great!), event supplies for 100+ people, tree trimmings to the local green waste/compost facility, and other assorted tasks, a friend offered to buy it. She wanted to use it for transporting homeless families, and for storing food, bedding, clothing, furniture and other supplies donated for people who are waiting for housing and other assistance.

She makes many trips to various healthcare providers, public housing agencies, and laundromats, as people wait for their applications for assistance to be processed. We had done volunteer work to set up "cooling stations" to help homeless San Diegans last summer, and she decided to continue after I returned to teaching in the fall. Then- a family of 10 showed up on her doorstep.

FYI- we have a real humanitarian crisis here in San Diego. Thousands of people are surviving by living in their cars and RVs, or in canyons, riverbeds, and on public sidewalks, in tents, under tarps... it's really horrible. They are in every neighborhood in the city. It's gotten so bad that at least ten people have died from hepatitis in recent months, due to exposure, poor health, and a lack of bathrooms and basic sanitation.

After briefly considering a partnership, we realized the bus would be of more immediate and important use for her work than my long-term plans. And since she has a live/work arrangement in a light industrial area, no one cares about a large while passenger bus taking up space along with other large work vehicles.

So I sold La Bus to her business last year. It's been a great vehicle for her and others to use as they pick up donated food, clothing, bedding, furniture, toys, baby supplies etc, to assist families in crisis- along with a few rescued pets from high-kill animal shelters north of San Diego.

I'm glad La Bus is being put to good, humanitarian use, and helping people and pets in need.
 

Waltzing Matilda

Adventurer
Awesome story, with a happy... new beginning. ?

So what will you do for a "Baja Bus"?

Hey Scott- just saw your comment and thought it might be a good time to update this post.
Yes, in the end, it was awesome to see the bus help so many people living in desperate circumstances. And it has recently moved on to yet another life.

My friend bought the bus in late 2016, after we began putting it into "emergency humanitarian service" in San Diego. We had worked together to help people during what became the nation's worse hepatitis epidemic, from 2016-18. At least 20 people died, and over 600 were infected with HepA.

The photos show an example of the work being done on a wet, cold winter day 3 years ago, January 2017. Shelters would provide extra space for people who were homeless, for overnight sleeping during "inclement weather," and people slept on cots in the dining areas. This meant the staff kicked them out early in the morning, around 5 AM, so breakfast could be served.

Once outside, most had few options for getting out of the rain, finding a hot drink or a place to charge their cell phones etc. (Around this time, the downtown Starbucks began removing electrical outlets in their seating areas to discourage such behavior- even for paying customers.)

So that winter, my friend recruited volunteers and began driving the bus downtown to the shelters early in the morning, after cold/rainy nights, offering people a dry space to warm up, if they had been forced outside before breakfast. Volunteers helped as she idled the Diesel engine to warm up the interior, as charged people's electronics, and enjoyed coffee and hot water for tea/hot cocoa, soup, oatmeal etc.
Bus_aid2.jpg
Bus_Aid3.jpgBus_Aid4.jpg

She continued using the bus for similar activities until 2019, when she donated it to a non-profit organization: the "Voices of Our City" choir.
Choir members include many people seeking housing, and others who volunteer with housing agencies.
Since starting in 2016 nearly 50 people have found housing as the result of their efforts. (see: https://www.voicesofourcity.org)

At first, the Choir was allowed to rehearse in a local church, and several members sent up tents nearby to sleep overnight. But one night, after they had performed outside San Diego City Hall, the Mayor's office responded by sending police officers to the church, to issue citations and/or arrest people for camping on the sidewalk.

I still owned the bus at the time, and my friend called me at work to ask if I would "shuttle" people who had been threatened with arrest at the church downtown, and deliver them to her home/office a few miles away (a combination warehouse/performance space) so they could sleep indoors.

In 2018, a local producer created an award-winning documentary about the Choir- "“The Homeless Chorus Speaks.” They are still performing at events throughout San Diego, and working on an album. I heard recently that a donor gave them a newer 15-passenger van, so the bus has moved on once again- not sure of its current status.

As for my current Baja travel: I use a B4000 with a Callen shell. While smaller than the bus, it's durable, and functional around the house for hauling kayaks, garden supplies etc. and doesn't attract the negative attention that La Bus did.

It also works well for short term adventures into California and Baja wilderness areas.
Truck_DeathValley2014.JPG

In the winter, I like to head south and meet with friends who live/work in Baja Sur, and guide whale watching trips in the winter. I hope to go later this winter. The friend who "adopted" La Bus travelled with me to the lagoons in 2015, and is encouraging me to plan another trip, and possibly caravan south with others who want to visit the lagoons.

BajaWhalesB.JPG BajaWhale2019C.JPG

As I get closer to retirement, I find myself looking at larger trucks & campers to use when I have more time to travel- perhaps as early as next year.
And I'll often post "for sale" notices for interesting items I find in/around San Diego that may appeal to other Portal readers. We seem to have a surplus of older vehicles in good condition, thanks to our mild weather.

So: that concludes the tale of La Baja Bus- but who knows where she may turn up next.
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
So I did something crazy today- either inspired or insane, or a little of both remains to be seen: I bought a small passenger bus, to be gradually turned into a light-duty overlander.

View attachment 273753

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' long, and the regs say 27' AND over 7' tall. So- I think I'm in the clear (or will be parking at a friends commercial space). And she can't appear too much like an RV.

View attachment 273755

So far- that's not an issue. 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. I've read it tows like a champ and has a hitch on the rear to do so if required.

Starts easiy and rumbles like a boss. We rolled down the freeway today on the way home, using cruise control- a small version of the big busses going past (I kept it under 65 for the shakedown ride).

Tall fiberglass body, no leaks after a big rain storm this weekend (but in need of some scrubbing/oxidation removal). Three of the windows pop out for emergency access- or to better catch a Pacific breeze on a warm Baja beach and pass cold cervezas out to friends.

Heavy duty hydraulic wheelchair lift in the rear to easily load Pelican ice chest, kayaks, bikes, people who don't like stairs, and camping gear.
View attachment 273754
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. (Conceivably I could add more, but then the commercial driver license becomes an issue. I used to have one, when guiding trips to Mt. Whitney, Joshua Tree etc., but it's lapsed.)
View attachment 273756 View attachment 273757

I figure, after arrival, the bus can become base camp: kitchen/bar, living room, dining room and/or bunkhouse, depending on the elements and travelers. 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 enjoy the scenery along the way. I've been doing these trips in Baja for 30 years, often several per year, and want to share it with others without them needing to drive if they aren't comfortable, at least for the first trip.
View attachment 273758

Our maiden voyage: end of March, over spring recess, with family and friends travelling to the gray whale lagoons on the Pacific side.

Initial plan: add simple, lightweight shelving/storage to interior. Check out biodiesel conversion requirements. Figure out which camping items will work well, inside & out (the lift will make moving things much simpler).

Intermediate: Look for RVs/trailers being parted out for useful items to build.

As for the fun stuff: Organize trips to Guadalupe Valley wine tasting. Go kayaking with whale sharks in Bahia de Los Angeles. Other Baja/Southwest US adventures TBD.

I will update periodically, but probably won't have a lot to report right away. I'd rather spend the money going places and having fun, vs. designing the perfect vehicle.

Your helpful suggestions, ideas, recommendations on biodiesel, interior design, general outfitting etc. welcome!
Is there bio in Baja?
 

Waltzing Matilda

Adventurer
Is there bio in Baja?
Good question. Not that I'm aware of. Even low-sulfur diesel is reportedly difficult to find, based on various forums/discussion. And there are still occasional shortages of gasoline & diesel in some areas, on busy holiday weekends, so biofuels are likely low on the list of priorities.

There are also long stretches, mid-peninsula, where no gas stations are available for 100+ miles, depending on which route you use.
Along Hwy. 1 (Pacific side) there is about a 220 mile gap between El Rosario and Villa Jesus Maria.
On Hwy. 5 (crossing from Sea of Cortez) it's about half that from Gonzaga Bay to Villa Jesus Maria.

+Some people sell gas from 50 gal. containers along the highway, for those who don't plan ahead.
 

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