Rex

The Rex is the largest member of the Disorient Express, Disorient's Mutant Vehicles. The base of the Rex is an articulated M.A.N. bus. The Rex is registered as a mutant vehicle with the BM DMV and will be premiered at Burning Man 2007.

General Rex Information

Name: Disorient Rex
February 2007: Geo purchases
Make: M.A.N.
Model: SG310-Type293
Year: 1983
VIN: 13M293020DC020531

Design Ideas

The Garden of Lights.

The Rex will carry several letters of the Disorient Sign on one side and will have speakers mounted on the other side. The front vehicle will be a lounge and the back will be for the DJ and the amp racks. The outside will be peppered with hundreds of LED fixtures sequenced by Leo creating a bright and colorful 60 ft. long moving object at night. The top will have a strong roof rack which will become the main anchor point for roof and sides installations.

Outside art by Archer (Playa photo courtesy of Junko).
Roof sculpture proposal by AKAirways
Disorient Sign on one side
add your idea here
Inspirations: Large BM Art Cars

Rex Task List (Jul-Aug 2007)

Links to Rex Google Calendar: HTML iCalendar XML (Atom - like RSS)

Rex Outfitting

- Build roof rack metal structure (cell leader: Matt) (2%)
- Build side speaker supports metal structure (no lowering option this year) (cell leader: Matt) (2%)
- Cover roof rack with plywood (cell leader: Matt) (1%)
- Build DJ booth including floating DJ table and amps cooling system (cell leader: Lowroad) (2%)
- Cover inside with mylar (cell leader: Big Dawg) (0%)
- Create net storage on the ceiling (like DEX) (cell leader: Big Dawg) (0%)
- Paint outside (cell leader: Archer) (2%)
- Fabricate and install Sign Mounts (cell leader: Matt) (2%)
- Open front on each side of speakers (cell leader: Matt) (1%)
- Opening in front of DJ (cell leader: Matt) (1%)
- Create storage space on (on the ceiling?) for spare windows (cell leader: Lowroad) (0%)

Wish List (things we need at the Rex)

- Milk crates

Rex Repairs

- Replace thermostat (0%)
- Check cylinder compression (0%)
- Check battery-charge problem. possibly replace batteries. (0%)

Sound System

- Pick-up from Virginia (cell leader: Rumble) (100%)
- Test at Geo's (cell leader: Rumble) (70%)

Cross-Country Trip (Aug 11-25th)

Cell

Big Dawg (lead), Junko, Friar Tuck, Deepness, KY, Niki Hermes, Jester Jaimi, Jamie Slater

Rex Departure

- The Rex leaves New York City around Saturday August 11th to arrive on the Playa on Saturday August 25th after 12:01 am. (Rex crewmates have been included on Disorient's weekend arrival list -- submitted to Burning Man on July 19.)

Driver License

Rex is registered as an RV but is more than 40' long so a special driver license is required. Info on NYS driver's licenses:
http://www.nysdmv.com/ncdlc.htm Non-commercial driver's licenses
http://www.nysdmv.com/dmanual/chapter01-manual.htm Types of licenses (incl. "R" endorsement)
NOTE: Obtaining an "R" endorsement requires a road test IN the "size and type" of vehicle being driven, with the presence of someone who ALREADY HAS an R endorsement or commercial driver's license appropriate for the vehicle also present.

Driver Training

(add detail when training will be scheduled)

Budget

- Fuel
- Crew Food
- Emergency Repairs
- RV Roadside repair coverage

Cargo

- Rex will carry only essential items for Playa operation
- Rex will carry only personal items of the Rex Driving Crew. No other personal items will be allowed on Rex.
- Rex will not be transporting the new Disorient Sound System

Rex Cross-Country Route

- Determine Route and Sites (Jester Jaimi)
- Spare Parts/Service Sations (Jester Jaimi via Cory)

Rex transformation

July 17, 2007 First meeting at the Rex at the Navy Yard

by Lowroad

Went really well.

Turnout: Eye, Hotsauce, Biddog, Garrison and Ray, their vinyl guy who's name I cant remember, Archer, Matt the welder and Dave his buddy welder, JesterJaimie, Udi, and Sam-a guy who works at at big metal shop in NJ. Doh came out later to drop off the shade.

Painters seem to have made a paint plan and some materials estimates which archer will post to the puddle later. Udi and Eye worked out speaker placement. Matt and Dave have two plans for the roof deck/speaker mounts- one failsafe, one alternate idea that sam is making a sample bracket for today. Matt and Sam will meet at the bus late in the afternoon and Matt is picking up the bus manual at the bus today.

Udi Eye and I worked out an Amp rack plan/cooling cabinet. Hotsauce is trying to secure nearby electricity and water supply, bathroom usage.

Many good plans laid last night, but the big trick now is getting others on board to commit to sticking with projects and seeing them through to the end. It is a task that takes constant puddle care. There is a sizable work load ahead.

Navy Yard is in many ways a dream location- remote enough for what we are doing but not terribly hard to get to- security seems better than we could have wished, the view can't be beat! Food is perhaps the only missing link. It is hard to schedule an all day work call without a way for everyone to easily step out for food- need to explore delivery options, etc. This was a bigger issue than we might have expected during Dex workcalls...

July 12, 2007 Staging

- Find staging space Brooklyn Navy Yard (100%)
- Negotiate Insurance (100%)
- Transport Rex to Navy Yard JJ's pictures (100%)

May 16 2007 Rex in NJ

Teagan, Hot Sauce and The Eye visit the Rex in New Jersey

April 2007

The bus, soon to be named Rex, is driven from Denver to New Jersey by Ben Sparks sparkyrobot-at-gmail-dot-com.

Ben's recommendations:
The night after his return he handed me (Lowroad) a list of 11 items that he suspects will need attention. I have included it here in its entirety:

1) COOLING SYSTEM AND RADIATOR NEEDS FIXED. He said that he "removed the valves from the thermostat" and explained that the valves are somehow involved in telling the radiator when to turn on and off. By removing the valves he was able to keep the engine cooling system running constantly with out risk of the thermostat shutting it off. What exactly Ben did to the engine should be looked at... and a better solution should be found
2) MIRROR ON PASSENGER SIDE IS MISSING. We found this mirror during clean up of the bus on tuesday. a bracket must be built for it.
3) SEAT FOR DRIVER. apparently the seat is very uncomfortable for long drives.
4) NOTE: ON THE PANEL BEHIND THE DRIVER IS A BATTERY ON/OFF SWITCH
5) THE BUS GETS ABOUT 6 MPG. TANK IS 150 GALLONS
6) BUS SHOULD CARRY AT LEAST ONE SPARE TIRE AT ALL TIMES
7) WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK
8) THE BUS USED 1 and 1/2 GALLONS of OIL ON THE TRIP FROM DENVER
9) THERE IS A RETARD SWITCH FOR ADDED DOWNHILL BREAKING- THIS SWITCH NEEDS FIXED
10) RIGHT SIDE BLINKERS DO NOT WORK
11) BRAKE LIGHTS MAY NOT WORK PROPERLY!

February 2007

Geo purchases an articulated bus from Denver, CO.