It’s time to have a bus parts fundraising sale. Here’s the story.
On Friday June 13th, I started towards my Socorro county property in the bus. Made it 36 miles from the ranch before having a sudden loss of power. I thought it was the transmission overheating. A known problem especially on hot days.
It’s Not the Transmission
I sat for about 20 minutes and waiting for the Allison AT 545 to cool down. Visited with an older passerby from Boise City OK, who was just out enjoying the back roads.
The AT 545 is an economy transmission that was a favorite of school districts because it was inexpensive. It works pretty well for the stop and go driving of school routes. It’s less desirable in a vehicle that will be driving long distances especially in mountains because of the overheating problem.
When the transmission was only warm to the touch, I tried again. Only got a few hundred more yards. I opened the hood and figured out pretty quick that it’s not the transmission.
Loss of Fuel Pressure
Turns out I lost fuel pressure. The fuel system was over pressuring and causing old seals and hoses in the injector return lines to leak and suck air into a closed system. After working through new fuel filters, a new lift pump, and an injector overhaul kit, (all of which needed replacing, it comes down to trash disintegrating out of the injection pump and clogging a check valve in the return line.
So had a week of camping in the bus on a county back road, enjoying sunrises and sunsets while simultaneously chasing parts and stressing about my life. We finally created an internal leak in the check valve in the injection pump return line. This kept the engine from over pressuring while limping it back to the ranch for further repairs.
The injection pump needs a rebuild or replacement. So I really need to sell some rocks, and maybe some other things for bus parts and to pay bills.
Reflecting and Making a Decision
This has been a tough event for me. I’m already ragged from the disease that eats my body and the mental health that comes with pain and high stress. I’m right in the middle of trying to find another attorney for my disability case. (progress today maybe.)
After taking a couple of days to do some research and reflect on my options, the bus is still the way forward. Even if I pay the high end for repairs, it’s still cheaper than a months rent in most places in the US.
I Even Considered Scrap Price
I considered scrap price, but it’s low at this time and wouldn’t provide enough resources for me to consider different housing options for more than a week or two.
For the cost of salvaging the situation and continuing this bus journey, it’s the best option. I have called around checking possible assistance programs, but that is mostly a circle jerk in New Mexico. And most programs don’t have the flexibility to consider a bus a home.
There are other issues that need to be resolved before the bus can travel much further than my acre down south. But those issues have been factored in. Would be nice if I can address them immediately, but not 100% necessary. The plus side will be the ability for me to travel further and make better New Mexico rockhounding content.
Injection Pump Possibilities
So I have an estimate from a reputable diesel shop that dad has a multi decade relationship with for $850 to $1200 to rebuild my current injection pump. And it’s likely on the higher end.
As I was writing this piece, a senior member of the Skoolie forums reached out to me with information about a new injection pump sitting on shelf in Kansas. It’s been listed for a year, is less expensive than the rebuild estimate. And I think it’s waiting for me to come along.
Sent a message and waiting to get additional pictures and information from the seller. Just to verify some info before 100% certain that it’s the correct pump for this application.
Bus Parts Fundraising Sale Details
I have whipped the pencil and paper on this. I’m not dropping the price for this sale. I have let it go out the door at great prices for awhile and made my living such as it was. However, if you follow my story, you probably know how much I really need this right now.
Goals, Pricing, and Incentives
Goals for this Sale
I’ve done the math, and at the bare minimum, I need to sell 240 pounds of rough material at $5/pound plus shipping. This is not impossible. I have had a few good weekend sales where these kind of weight numbers have been reached. Here’s a breakdown of what I need to sell.
240 Lbs =
- 6 Large flat rate boxes with 40 lbs ea or
- 12 Medium flat rate boxes with 20 lbs ea or
- 24 Padded flat rate envelopes with 10 lbs ea or
- Some combination of the above
Again this is a minimum. I will have to eat payment processor fees which will drop me slightly below my goal, but it’s doable. And anything above my goals over the next week only helps me improve my situation further.
Pricing: Bulk Rough for Lapidary & Specimen Display
- Rosebud Agate – Rough Bulk for tumbling, slabbing, cabbing, or specimen $5/pound
- Alibates Flint – Rough for lapidary, knapping, or specimen display(including with quartz druzy) $5/pound
- West Texas/Canadian River Plume/Other Agate – Lapidary and specimen pieces $5/pound
Petrified Wood Specimens & Gemstones
This weekend (June 27-29), I plan to auction at least a couple of larger specimen petrified wood pieces.
I may do a livestream or two as well with personal collection small gemstones, crystals, and more. Those may wait until the following Boneyard Freedom Weekend. Stay tuned.
Ordering, Payment, & Shipping
Rosebud agate is all I have in the shop online at the moment(cost cutting). I answer questions and take orders for rosebud agate and everything else, on social media, by phone, or email. You can find all of my . I’m most active on Instagram and Facebook currently.
Shipping
I generally ship in the US only using USPS priority flat rate shipping or USPS ground/ground advantage to ship orders. For most orders priority flat rate is generally the most cost effective option. Ground works for smaller weight orders but is also dependent on your location. All are orders include tracking and insurance.
For this bus fund sale, I will invoice shipping at my cost instead of USPS retail. https://www.usps.com/ship/priority-mail.htm (scroll to bottom of page for current priority mail commercial/retail rates)
Payment
I generally accept payment by PayPal invoice, and this offers a variety of ways to pay. I can also accept Cash App and Venmo. I am starting to accept cryptocurrency payments now. Details below.
Cryptocurrency *
I know that most of my followers and readers are probably not in tune with crypto and maybe even opposed. I have been learning, watching and dabbling in cryptocurrency for almost eight years.
I’ve made a bit of money in learning earning programs watching videos and taking quizzes about the different tokens and protocols. I then have used these funds to learn more and make a bit more money and survive at times.The technology of decentralized currency is sound, however it definitely needs a bit of regulation, but I digress.
I will now accept payments in Bitcoin(BTC), US Dollar Coin(USDC), and Ethereum(Eth). I will consider other tokens on a case by case basis as well. This is not available on the website so please contact me. Please Read Cryptocurrency Disclaimer.
Rockhounding Tours Off the Beaten Path
I know it’s into monsoon season now, and often quite hot, but if you are traveling through or near northeastern New Mexico, I’m cutting the guided rockhounding tours access fee by 20% until the bus is ready to roll south to the new property.
I know it’s a long way out here to the middle of nowhere. However I promise you will be awed by the amount of agate available for you to pick up. The admission fee and a full five gallon bucket at a dollar a pound is about $3/lb for the material on average. And honestly a day disconnecting in nature visiting and rockhounding is a good day.
Rosebud Agate Festival
Two years ago, I hosted rosebud agate festival for a small group who spent the weekend hiking, picking up pretty rocks, and making new friends. It didn’t work out last year, though in hindsight….
I have been thinking on reviving rosebud agate festival for 2025. I’m working through final thoughts, and need to have a couple of discussions before I make a final decision. If I ultimately make the decision to do this, I will be announcing ticket details soon. So keep your Labor day weekend open for just a bit.
Website and Buy Me a Coffee Update Coming Soon
Very soon I will be reworking my page on Buy Me a Coffee to be just a simple donation page. I have been evaluating a membership plugin for the website in my secret WordPress lab. By moving membership off of a third party platform and integrating it into this site, gives me flexibility to manage and offer a variety of incentives and rewards to this amazing community.
Anybody who makes a purchase of $50 or more during this sale will receive a one year or more membership when I roll this out in the next few weeks. Benefits of membership include access to exclusive content, special member only deals, giveaways, and more.
Gratitude
Thank you to this community for your support. It means the world to me as I continue this journey. I hope you have a great day. Happy rockhounding!!
* Cryptocurrency DISCLAIMER
If you use cryptocurrency, you likely already know this, but here goes anyway.
- Buying, selling, or trading in cryptocurrency are sometimes taxable events. You should contact a tax professional for a better understanding of your situation.
- Failure to send payment to the exact wallet address I provide may result in losing your cryptocurrency. There may be no way to recover it. Wallets are specific to the type of token being sent. Orders are not shipped until payment is received in the wallet address specified.
- When we discuss price, the amount will be set. However payment in BTC, ETH and other potentially volatile tokens must be made as soon as possible. Large price swings on a token before payment is sent can call for reopening discussion of price either way to minimize risk.
- There are no buyer or seller protections with crypto. This works on the honor system. I will send a screenshot to confirm payment received. Further I will send tracking info when your order ships and follow it to your door. All other sales terms and policies apply.
- Coinbase is one of the exchanges I use to trade in cryptocurrency. You can learn more, set up an account and start trading at https://coinbase.com/join/GYWNXSB?src=referral-link. When you open an account and make your first trade of $20, we will both receive a deposit of BTC. Terms and limitations apply. There is risk in trading many cryptocurrencies. I’m always happy to answer questions based on my experience, but I am strictly amateur.