Hello, Lloyd.
I’ve just finished reading your lovely new book Rolling Homes and I thought I would send you some photos of our little bus from here in Richmond / El Cerrito.
I bought the carcass (see blue bus photo) of this 1972 Mercedes 306d bus from a young fellow who was riding his bicycle across the country. The bus was in a storage yard in Vallejo where it had been sitting for decades. The wheels were frozen in place as was the engine but the $500 price tag was an encouragement.
I was originally building a Moto Guzzi motorcycle to ride when I had the epiphany that building a rolling cabin and clubhouse would be more fun and would invite new friendships. Several years of effort but not too many dollars later this bus was the result. Its name is Hanuman after the monkey god … which is also a play on words because these little diesel busses are re-badged Hanomags.
It has a 4-cylinder OM615 diesel engine that purrs nicely and front-wheel drive. It gets 20 mpg. We have taken it to many festivals such as Earthdance, Raindance, Burning Man, and on kayaking/fishing trips to Mendocino, etc.
The bus turns 50 this year.… I plan to continue to drive it to all of the wonderful places that we enjoy here in California.… I am sixth-generation Californian with many wonderful photo albums full of Santa Cruz area historic photos passed along from my grandmother along with so many written stories and memories of our history here so far.
Read More …
Advanced Search (single or combined)
Archives
Recent Posts
- Backcountry Yurt Snow Storm, Three Feet of Snow February 1, 2023
- Houseboats on Frozen Canal in UK January 26, 2023
- Photo from Yogan Carpenter’s New Book January 24, 2023
- Atmospheric River in Our Garden Last Week January 23, 2023
- Greg Ryan’s Tiny Home on Wheels January 18, 2023
- Tattoo Based on My Dad’s 1917 Drawing January 16, 2023
- Shorty’s Bunkhouse Music Program January 13, 2023
- Next Storm Brings High Surf Advisory with It to Santa Cruz Waters January 13, 2023
- Going Down the San Lorenzo River on Surfboards During the Great Flood of 1955 January 12, 2023
- Yogan Builds On January 9, 2023
- Glowing Anemone on Reef at Low King Tide January 2, 2023
- RIP Lloyd House December 30, 2022
- The Utopian Power of Do-It-Yourself Architecture December 29, 2022
- Shelter’s First Five Books December 23, 2022
- Grey Wolves Singing at the Moon December 21, 2022
- I Spent 3 Years Alone Building a Log Cabin December 19, 2022
- Warmest Tent on Earth – Pitching in the Siberian Arctic Winter December 15, 2022
- Exhibition of Shelter Books in Berlin Now December 14, 2022
- Your Computer Is Not Going to Build a House for You December 5, 2022
- Tricked-Out Mercedes 306d Bus November 21, 2022
- A Great Bookstore in Berlin November 14, 2022
- Stax Volt Tour 1967 feat. Otis Redding, Booker T. & The MGs, Sam & Dave November 13, 2022
- Is This Cosmic or What? November 5, 2022
- Ich bin ein Berliner November 2, 2022
- Transformation of Berlin Templehof Airport to Community Space October 30, 2022
Recent Comments
- Richard Teague on Backcountry Yurt Snow Storm, Three Feet of Snow
- Rick Teague on Houseboats on Frozen Canal in UK
- Rick Teague on Houseboats on Frozen Canal in UK
- A Wish on SunRay Kelley’s Latest Treehouse
- kel mur on RIP Lloyd House
- Richard Teague on Connectors for Geodesic (and other) Domes
- PHIL CLARK on Greg Ryan’s Tiny Home on Wheels
- Lloyd Kahn on Tattoo Based on My Dad’s 1917 Drawing
- Colin on Tattoo Based on My Dad’s 1917 Drawing
- Lloyd Kahn on Going Down the San Lorenzo River on Surfboards During the Great Flood of 1955
- Rick Gordon on RIP Lloyd House
- Paul Jensen on Going Down the San Lorenzo River on Surfboards During the Great Flood of 1955
- Roland on RIP Lloyd House
- Jeffrey Sinder on Tattoo Based on My Dad’s 1917 Drawing
- Donna on Tattoo Based on My Dad’s 1917 Drawing
- Phil Clark on Tattoo Based on My Dad’s 1917 Drawing