The Honey roads-it to Burning Man

Preparing and just getting TO Burning Man is a large part of the challenge!  This is true for both people and vehicles!

Your vehicle can be your motel at burning man.  Compared to staying in a tent, I prefer any vehicle that can be slept in, even a car.

It's the wind-storms, the dust, it's the noise, it's the heat and even at times, the cold!

A motor home is a luxurious amenity to have at burning man.  It can also be a liability if it's not prepared.

photo by http://campstella.wordpress.com

In the same way that a person gets rigorously tested for physical survival at Burning Man a vehicle gets challenged too.  People often load their vehicles up with more gear than seems reasonable.  It's fascinating to see the vehicles coming in, loaded up with things to build everything from domes, art-stuctures, play-grounds, igloo-yurts and art cars, to basic provisions of tents, food, water, bikes and other building materials.  Vehicles loaded up so high, some looks like the Grinches slay!

Savvy burners know if they don't use a dust-mask and protective eye-wear, it could ruin their experience.  Protecting ones physical self from the alkaline dust is a survival necessity.  In the same way, it's wise to pick up a new air-filter for your vehicle and keep it sealed in a plastic bag until you are out of the dust, or use it when your vehicle coughs and stalls on the way out.  It's also a good idea to seal off any open vents that dust would seep in through  and install reflective, insulate material on windows for the time there.

One of the most difficult things for a vintage vehicle like the Honey, is the drive getting there and getting through the ten mile line which could take up to 8 hours. Burning Man is always held the last week of August and in a remote part of blistering-hot Nevada!  It seems it is for this reason, that gates have traditionally opened later in the day.  Fortunately they stage the vehicle lines so you can turn off your engines between moves.

I have had more tires blow in the heat of the day than I can count fingers.  And going in and out of Black Rock City is no exception.

Though it seems there would be a million friendly hands to help, this is not so.  First of all there are not good pull-off areas, and one risks getting stuck in deep sand on the sides of the highway.  For two, people are exhausted on the drive out.  First timers are overwhelmed and sometimes ill.  Many are late getting back to work, the take-down of the projects is always more taxing and time consuming than expected.  I saw a single women change her own tire while three little kids stood and watched her on the side.  It bothered me, but I didn't stop either, the sand was deep there, and I was driving on my own dually flat.



One strategy when you have dually wheels (double wheels, six total, four on the back) is to cut the shredded pieces off of a blown tire because it's possible to drive on the other one.  Realistically, for me to change a tire, on a heavy motorhome with little crappy jacks and no real proper tools, could take half a day and be unsafe if I could even do it.  Instead, I've discovered cutting the loose pieces off with a heavy-duty scissors or knife and then driving to the nearest tire-shop is a far better option.



Something to be aware of regarding duallys is that they do need to line-up like puzzle pieces.  I learned this the hard way when the attendant at the gas station in Gerlach, the old mining town on the way in, did not know this and the tires wobbled when I drove away.

You might want to consider calling your insurance company ahead and add extra road-service assistance before heading to burning man --because it is truly in the middle of nowhere.  It won't add much to your policy if you have a newer vehicle then you can take it off again when you return home.  Vintage vehicles however, will cost a lot, unless they have other newer vehicles on the same policy.

Hopefully when you leave burning man, your feet will be in good shape as you have worn protective footwear to keep damage from the alkaline soil, at a minimimum.  However, your vehicle wasn't wearing boots like you.  To combat this, after a long pressure wash, hand spray the undersides and metal components with a mixture of vinegar/water to stop any corrosion that may have begun.  The Department of Public Works (DPW) for Black Rock City does this and their vehicles seem to last forever!

Well that's if for this post.  More about Burning Man coming soon...