This is why I'm broke

A friend sent me this:
http://www.thisiswhyimbroke.com/volkswagen-bus-camping-tent

For that many simoleans, you can buy an original tent.

I take issue with the description line "It’s the ultimate outdoor hippie experience." Some the the people who read this blog WERE at woodstock, and did "the ultimate outdoor hippie experience" in that they don't remember it. :)

If you want some much better hippie busses, Tumblr will deliver.

101 posts

This is my 101st post. From a blogging standpoint, that's not that many. I started posting on this blog in April of 2009, after spending five months in Canada.

Since then I've:
- been on 26 group campouts, and 6 solo campouts.
- driven about 32000 miles


Much of this blog is linked to my flickr account which has it's own ranking - obviously pictures of cosplay chics at comiccon are the highest ranked. Everyone loves slave Leia.

But on the VW side, my most popular pics are this one:

Apparently everyone wants to know what those original rubber mounts looked like.

This one:


I'm sure this is due to a samba thread that discusses refinishing a pop top.

and this one consecutively.

(I'm sure its for the same reason.)


In the past five years, I have:
Replaced the engine.
Redone the entire brake system.
Recut the most of the wood panels.
Refinished the fiberglass top.
Replaced the canvas.
Recovered the front seats.
Built an outside-the-bus table.
Replaced the clutch.
Rewelded the passenger side shock absorber mount.

I've driven the bus through six western states. I say western because, let's face it, eastern states are just not that large.

During each drive, locally and far away, I lose count of the number of smiles, peace signs, "lookitthat"s, "nice bus", and "I used to have one- I never should have sold it"s.

I had three offers for purchase left on my windshield, and two "Wow your bus is really nice be good it it" notes. My favorite one was found in Yosemite while I was out hiking.

It occurs to me that I haven't posted enough, or driven enough. Time to fix that.

Happy driving.

Mark Merrill's Museum Redux

Mark Merrill is really a nice guy.  He helped build a ridiculously successful company and he has a strange compulsion for vintage VW's.

During the annual Aircooled parts Treffen, the garage got opened (again) to the public, and Mark provided coffee, donuts and fruit (yeah, we are Californians, there is always fruit) to everyone while the wandered through his wonder.

I've talked about his garage before.
Post 1
Post 2
and Post 3

I rode on the coattails of the Treffen to joing them for another round at the VW house of dreams.
I forgot my camera. So these are iphone pics.

The fireengine water pump is, of course, another vw engine.



I have a thing for teardrop trailers. This one especially.



This is a cutaway model to show people how the engine works. It has an eletrically powered slow movement so you can watch the cylinders and valves all move in time with each other.




Pretty.


The garage space is enviable.



One of the treffen drivers had this beauty behind it. I wonder how well it did going over some of the hills.



And there was this beauty.



Next time I head down there I'll take more detail pictures. In the meantime, feel free to read this post.

Or watch this video.