[tcb] Re: side bar on trip report
- From: sammie smith <bugcollections@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 19:36:36 -0700 (PDT)
Gotta be the same guy. Had gillions of pictures in the snowy north woods with
all kinds of captions. His name is John Lago and wrote his book under the
psuedonym John Bock. Had lots of pictures of the bus loaded with cases of beer
in the snow.
singlecabboy <sealingwaxred@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: If it's the guy I'm thinking
of , he's famous for his
Chistmas cards in Hot VW . Always in snow or ice
fishing and got some brand of beer that's big around
that area.
--- sammie smith wrote:
> It is mostly blue and white with a black trim mixed
> in. The description of the owner fits. Didn't
> notice pull out drawers where the rockers were so I
> don't know. Yes the bus did get pushed off the road
> and flipped but by a Ford pickup. That story is in
> the book and the current bus is a co-mingling of 2
> busses; the original and a donor that he cut lots of
> body parts off of to repair the original one. Did
> fail to mention that he has re-hinged all of the
> windows with piano type hinges so that the windows
> down the side open straight up at a 90 degree angle
> and has props to hold them in that position and he
> has screens similar to a westy on the inside to keep
> out the bugs. Also a lot of the body work panels
> have been fabricated and replaced with plywood and
> stainless steel. I have a neighbor who is a retired
> NASA engineer and I'll ask him if he has heard of
> him. However, I asked John, the owner, what his
> background was, was reading the book at the show and
> reads like
> written by someone with a background in philosophy
> or at least journalism or English. Told me that he
> only graduated from high school. Either he is very
> smart, was lying about his education, or someone
> helped him write the book.
>
> Mark Sawyer wrote: Sammie,
> Is this a blue and white bus with pull out drawers
> where the rocker panels use to be. If so, I met him
> many years ago at Buses Near the Arch. We called it
> the bondo condo. He had just gotten back on the road
> after being run off the road by an 18 wheeler some
> where up north. Tall, skinny guy that spoke very
> softly. Showed us an ID for Nasa where he was some
> kind of engineer.
>
> sammie smith wrote:
> Went to the Mtn View show. Saw the greatest bus
> ever, even better than Murray. Sorry that everyone
> on the TCB list did not get to see this bus.
> Driver/owner John Lago from Oshkosh WI. Quote from
> sign on windshield. "Daily Driver for 40+ years.
> Totaled twice, on fire 3 times, and dropped through
> the ice once. How many miles? Only the Shadow
> knows. From Florida to the Yukon, and close to both
> coasts. Been through 2 trannys, many motors.
> Recently a 2000 mile two-week trip to Georgia.
> Before that, a 5,000 mile ride to Newfoundland. Was
> there ever trouble? Sometimes you're the bug and
> sometimes you are the windshield."
>
> The bus is a 62 Kombi that the owner bought as a
> youngster in 1966. He has modified this bus for
> roughing it in the Yukon and ice fishing in
> Wisconsin. It has a wood stove made from stainless
> steel to heat the interior and cooking when camping.
> It has a stainless steel trap door in the cargo
> floor for drilling through the ice and ice fishing.
> There is no interior in the rear except for a home
> made bunk along the left rear wall of the bus.
> Front seats, driver and passenger, are aluminum and
> web lawn chairs. Interior toilet is a hardwood seat
> with hole that holds a zip lock baggy. Fishing rods
> are mounted on the interior roof. Roof rack for
> carrying canoe. No front bumper cept for spare tire
> that hangs on the nose. Rear bumper home made from
> heavy steel. Rope pull start mounted on crank
> pulley of engine as taken from a 4 cylinder snow
> mobile. Works like a charm and starts on first pull
> as demonstrated by the owner. Every nook and cranny
> of the interior of the
> bus is designed to hold something useful for the
> owner who takes extended trips and literally lives
> out of the bus and off of the land.
>
> Owner has also written a book about the bus,
> philosophy of life, and whatever else came to mind.
> Read it completely at almost one sitting. If you
> are interested it is $15 and available at Lunchbreak
> Press, PO Box 703, Oshkosh WI 54903. Appears to be
> a self published book and has no ISBN on the book.
> Worth the read for guys who like busses. Not sure
> about the gals. Book written under name of John
> Bock. According to John, because that's his
> favorite beer.
>
> He is supposed to be at the Funfest in Effington
> IL in a couple of weeks if anyone on the list is
> going and want to catch some interesting
> conversation with John, buy his book and look at his
> bus. Should have his traveling companion with him,
> very large brown Collie mix dog.
>
> Meeting John and the bus made the trip, even
> without all of the other things that you normally
> get traveling a long way in a VW and though the
> mountains of hillbilly hollow AR to a VW show.
>
>
>
>
>
Paul Smith
www.23window.com/thezone
T.C.B.
H.B.B.
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