We’re hanging around the amiable and hip Austin, Texas following an invite for a new product launch (more on that coming shortly) and took part of the afternoon to pay a visit to entrepreneur (more on his good work here ), part-time motoring gypsy, and NextAutos comrade, Ehren Foss.
In addition to being a fun guy to go run errands around Austin with, Ehren is the proud owner of a heavily modified 1984 Bluebird school bus, with which he has spent the past four years touring North America, altering the contour of his concrete driveway, and showing off to nosey and easily excited friends. Ehren’s first tour in his creation lasted nine months and spanned the better part of the borders of the U.S., costing he and his traveling companion only around $1000 per month ($500 in fuel) total in those halcyon days of sub-$2 diesel – even burning roughly one gallon of fuel every eight miles or so the Cummings B engine was remarkably reasonable to run.
From the exterior the most obvious modification to the Bluebird is the roughly two feet of additional head room that has been added to the space, enough to facilitate a raised sleeping compartment in the rear (that’s the queen size mattress between the two filing cabinets in the photos), as well as the distinctly more exciting skybox over the driver and passenger seat. The best seat in the house, the skybox affords a view of the road that can be matched by little traveling the highways today even from a seated position, but the daring quick-duckers among us can also remove a panel in the roof for a standing view of the changing landscape. It’s an experience that we wouldn’t soon forget, even if we hadn’t been meanly flicked by a largish maple branch while observing.
We took the Bluebird for a spin around the neighborhood, picked up the dry cleaning, and got several dozen thumbs up for our trouble. Fun times though nothing in comparison to the adventures Ehren has had and documented on his bus blog. Click through the link below for a wealth of adventures and images or check out the gallery of our day with Ehren above.
+ Vicaribus
In addition to being a fun guy to go run errands around Austin with, Ehren is the proud owner of a heavily modified 1984 Bluebird school bus, with which he has spent the past four years touring North America, altering the contour of his concrete driveway, and showing off to nosey and easily excited friends. Ehren’s first tour in his creation lasted nine months and spanned the better part of the borders of the U.S., costing he and his traveling companion only around $1000 per month ($500 in fuel) total in those halcyon days of sub-$2 diesel – even burning roughly one gallon of fuel every eight miles or so the Cummings B engine was remarkably reasonable to run.
From the exterior the most obvious modification to the Bluebird is the roughly two feet of additional head room that has been added to the space, enough to facilitate a raised sleeping compartment in the rear (that’s the queen size mattress between the two filing cabinets in the photos), as well as the distinctly more exciting skybox over the driver and passenger seat. The best seat in the house, the skybox affords a view of the road that can be matched by little traveling the highways today even from a seated position, but the daring quick-duckers among us can also remove a panel in the roof for a standing view of the changing landscape. It’s an experience that we wouldn’t soon forget, even if we hadn’t been meanly flicked by a largish maple branch while observing.
We took the Bluebird for a spin around the neighborhood, picked up the dry cleaning, and got several dozen thumbs up for our trouble. Fun times though nothing in comparison to the adventures Ehren has had and documented on his bus blog. Click through the link below for a wealth of adventures and images or check out the gallery of our day with Ehren above.
+ Vicaribus