Hello, it’s Jon; I’m reactivating soon and wanting to assemble a team for various “mobile contraption” projects. I’d like to spend the next few months converting my ideas into our plans and preparing ourselves to implement them!
Specifically, my limo-bus project has been paused, indefinitely, for many years and I’d like to get it rolling again, literally. Rather than farm people to work on my bus, for free, I would like to establish a small society, donate the bus to it, and work on our bus, together, also for free. The Bus is an El Dorado conversion, 1995ish model with flap doors, on a 1999ish Ford powertrain; the wheelchair lift was removed, but the door remains and would still be useful for loading/unloading, if we don’t decide to obstruct it.
Electricians drive vehicles specifically designed to help them do their job, with spools of wire, toolboxes, a vice on the rear bumper, flood lights, bucket cranes, etc… Many people that attend festivals don’t realize how much work it takes to make it happen. With 14+ hour shifts, for days at a time, hot or cold, food truck and hotel expenses, by the end of the first day, simply being there, and conscious, can seem like an achievement. Sometimes, the “booth” you rent is an invisible square; you have to transport and assemble your own booth. With those things in mind, our contraptions can get booth-renting creators to their weekend-long festivals with a climate-controlled living space, room for storage, and work-space to create.
A “gypsy wagon” is the same concept applied to a basic, towed, utility trailer. These are equally useful, but can be better suited for smaller ventures, like camping.
It’s not fancy; this is The Bus 1.0 and doesn’t have to be perfect. Scavenged, scrap, and left-over materials are fine. Whatever it takes, it only needs to look like a million bucks. We could make generic models, for rent, as well as, customer-specific models, to sell… Eventually. Let’s avoid scope-creep, for now, start and finish this one, then talk about how much better 2.0 will be.
Questions:
-Could we turn having a blast making these things into a new career?
-Could we own and operate a limousine, party-bus, and contraption fleet?
I have:
The Bus
Some budget
Not enough time
We’ll need:
Logistics - a social media pro to grow and maintain a presence, schedule, and talent pool
Mechanical - I drove the bus to its’ current hangout; it goes, and stops, but needs love
Electrical - I can handle the wiring and custom circuitry, some of which, is already fabbed
Carpentry - Bench seats, cabinets, routed LED paths, etc.
Upholstery - Foam-stretched cloth/vinyl seats, carpeting, etc.
Interior art - Resin-casted, 3D-printed, and foam-sculpted, bezels, features, and bling
Exterior art - Original designs, whether we paint or wrap