1985 Bluebird International Bus S 1700 Series
6.9l, 8 cyl. International Harvester Diesel
170.400 original km
11.5 m/37'6" long
2.4m/8' wide
GVWR(GrossVehicleWeightRating) 13.200 kgs
galvanized steel body!!
Toyota Four Runner Drivers Seat
CB Radio and Car Stereo
brandnew brake calipers, hydr. disk brakes front and rear
lots of good rubber, Michelin in front, regrooveable dual wheels rear.
5 Speed Spicer Manual transmission
xtra Vormax, coolant heatable, 2 stage filter w/Racor 5 micron cartridge for Waste Vegetable Oil Use
1000 W Electrical Engine Block Heater Plug for Cold Weather Starts
Large Steel Roofrack
powerfull 520 Watt Solar System on roof, enough power to run electric waffle iron, water kettle, power tools in summer and have full batteries in the evening, in a moderately sunny spot it even got me through the whole winter, using lights, laptop and grain mill whenever needed.
Panels cost $3000
Morningstar 30 A charge controller
brandnew 242 Ah 4 x 6 Volt Deep cycle Battery bank in under floor bay with easy outside access ($600 VALUE)
1000W and 300W Inverters
Dickinson diesel stove and wood stove
aswell as two burner propane stove. (Dickinson Diesel Stove with oven, not hooked up yet, that could be run on Waste vegetable oil just like the bus)
Wood Stove, solid welded steel, glass door, stainless single and insulated pipes and cap, copper flashing
1.86m/6'2" standing headroom
One Main room, for spacious unobstructed uncluttered cozy wooden cabin feel
Walls insulated and covered with cedar and Doug Fir wood paneling for total thickness of @ 4 1/2"
Natural durable bright redorangeish Linoleum Flooring(from cork, wood, linseedoil, resin)
Floors insulated where standing headroom wouldn't have mattered anyhow
Lg Stainless Sink, drain through floor, no stinky tanks or pipes to freeze, Simplicity!!
Uniquely Suspended integrated 5 gal Water Dispenser Unit above sink, using polycarbonate carboysbookshelves above windows
8 Foot workshop space in rear, with workbench and tool storage space
Lots of wooden integrated shelf space overhead for books and stuff,
apple and herb drying racks
Big Bed platform that would sleep 4 when connected across the isle,
Van Seat Sofa next to woodstove and cot near the door on other side of Stove, for additional sleeping and sitting space
Mousefree, Clean, Well organized spaciousness; light, natural earth pigment stained, waxfinished, wooden surfaces
w/Complete Set of original International Harvester Repair and Service Manuals, Electrical Wiring Handbook, as well as performed services book from School District No. 10 Arrow Lakes Bus Maintenance Yard, the previous owner!
more pictures of my Bus-stead http://birchbarkbobananda.blogspot.com
drivers throne and speaker system
details, shelf above windshield, speaker/seat details
stovepipe and hood custom work with copper and stainless
fir ceiling with hatch/skylight
woodstove and stovepipejack
on the right preparing for insulating the floor on the sides only, so as to not loose headroom
6 Volt Batteries and charge controller for home battery bank /Bus starting batteries
Apple drying rack around stovepipe
kitchen counter and sink
view back and forward
complete with 520 Watt Solar System and manual wheeled solar tracking unit to get max output on those days when it matters, enough power to run electric waffle irons and water kettles and power tools in the summer and have full batteries in the evening, in a moderately sunny spot it even got me through the whole winter, using lights, laptop and electric grain mill whenever needed. Unless you are heading to Arizona, you could sell of half the solar panels!
Bus has been used as a home, more than anything else, conversion has been in cozy warm cabin style. Natural Wooden surfaces everywhere, lots of windows for max light, one skylight-vent hatch. Simple and effective for Lasqueti Island off the grid living.
Perfect for anyone wanting to live on the island not ready to buy land yet, but unwilling to pay rent and deal with funky cabins, or someone who has bought land and wants an instant starter place that can be moved to a nice sunny location on it's own wheels and be used to build the dream place from. plus as a bonus: Lots of adventure miles still in this fresh rig.
Mousefree!!! Knock on Wood!
Solid built interior, the beds feel like they have substance and thermal mass, lots of storage space, underneath beds or in workshop at rear end.
No pipes than can freeze, no watertanks that get foul, no stinkin' toilets or leaky showers and their holding tank troubles....
Power is produced on said panels on roof rack
indoor Morningstar 30 A charge controller does the trick of filling
the brandnew 4 x 6 Volt Deep cycle Battery bank in under floor bay with easy outside access and venting
One Main room, to give spacious unobstructed uncluttered cozy wooden cabin feel
Walls insulated and covered with cedar and Doug Fir wood paneling for total thickness of @ 4 1/2"
Standing headroom approx 186 cm/6'2"
Natural durable bright red-orangeish Linoleum Flooring(from cork, wood, linseedoil, resin)
Floors insulated where standing headroom wouldn't have mattered anyhow
Wood Stove, heavy duty welded steel, glass door, stainless single and insulated pipes and cap, copper flashing
2 Burner propane Cooker, and a Stainless Steel Dickinson Diesel Stove, that could be run on Waste vegetable oil just like the bus
Large Stainless Sink
Suspended integrated 5 gal Water Dispenser Unit above sink
8 Foot workshop space in rear, with workbench and tool storage space
Lots of shelf space overhead for books and stuff, apple and herb drying racks
Big Bed platform that would sleep 4 when connected across the walkway, otherwise sleep one each on each side of walkway before arched doorway into workshop.
Radio and CB radio
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OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Birchbarkbobananda's Yellow 1985 Bluebird International 6.9l Diesel (170.000 original km) 12m "Sourdough Waffle Pallace" is now
for Sale
let me share with you the "short" of the story why:
"Birchbarkbobananda's-1985-Bluebird-International-6.9l-Diesel-Sourdough-Waffle Pallace" for Sale or not for Sale? that is the question!
Alright folks, for those who don't know yet, it's time to make this announcement, before i will be accused for just dissapearing without a trace!
I'm leaving the island for Europe for a while, again, this time it's a bigger move than just going on a bike trip, like last time, where 3 months turned into 18, and people thought I'd never come back. Still I don't want you to think i won't come back to this cool island with the best beach-combing ever, which I stumbled across 10 years ago in February, because i wanted to meet Allen Farrell.
On the crest of the mentioned Biketrip which i started out with Swiss Dave in 2009 from Switzerland to Finland via Slovakia, I met a very special woman, named Åsa, with 10 year old twin girls and a 5 year old boy, who some of you have met when she came here in miserable November for a couple of weeks.
She continues to amaze me and i would like to try teaming up with her, which is a real big shift for me.
Unfortuanately she cannot take all her children here at this point, so it is me who finds it easier to move about.
AM very much looking forward to doing that as soon as possible, so Åsa, Lucy, Zoe and Charlie and I can fully enjoy adventures in the light nordic summer together at the 60th parallel!
Also i would be closer to aging parents in Germany, my "litlle" brother and my young nieces in south-western Norway, and my European set of friends, plus some of the best bicycling countries and beer in the world.
On the Åland Islands there are lots of bike paths, and all the inter-island car ferries are free for pedestrians and bicycles, almost paradise!
Åland is (pronounced Oland), it is also where the oldest champagne in the world was found last summer by local divers in an old sunken ship (200 y plus, you might have read about it) just a few kms from where my friend Åsa lives.
