Hey all. Thanks for the great questions! I'll be working today and won't get to any additional questions for a bit but I will be back. Thanks! - GT

My short bio: Hello everyone! My name is GT and I own a Titan II nuclear missile complex. We (family, friends hired help) have been working on it for about 6 years now. Not full time; I have a job and such so it isn't like I've dedicated 6 full years to this thing. That would be crazy. :-)

For a bit of background watching feel free to check out a few of the videos on our YouTube Channel. I have it linked to www.dwbs.video. (I can't afford the .com)

If you need a quick fix of a crazy video, try this one. This is a short of when we opened the missile silo. This was one of three times I thought I was going to die messing with this thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCPmuA1v8qQ

My Proof: Here is my youtube channel where you can see me and videos of the missile silo. www.dwbs.video. Go to the "About" for the channel and you'll see where I give a shout out to Reddit.

Comments: 188 • Responses: 79  • Date: 

TheSporkening16 karma

Is this a vacation home, investment property, or are you planning on moving in permanently?

I am profoundly jealous. I'd hide the entrance, stock it up, and never come out.

DWBunnySlippers23 karma

I live on the property now but not IN it yet. My plan is to move in permanently but I will probably have a home (ish) above it too. Some people really like sunlight.

As far as an investment goes, I have dreams of it making money one day. But I think that may be crazy. However, I have thought about putting it on VRBO or AirBnB when its livable. Think anyone would pay to staying a former nuclear missile silo?

koalas_arent_bears13 karma

If I was traveling I'd pay to stay in that :)

Hypno-phile13 karma

I'd consider traveling just to pay money to stay there.

DWBunnySlippers7 karma

Nice. I need to get my ass in gear and get this done.

Infinite_Derp3 karma

You might consider having an interior decorator deck the place out like a more posh military installation/bunker (I.E. Like the vaults from fallout) so it doesn't disguise its charm as a novelty destination.

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

Everything that makes it a missile complex is still visible. That's one of the reasons I'm putting in minimal walls. Trust me, the first thing you see is 5' high x 3' diameter springs holding your ass up. :-)

DWBunnySlippers4 karma

Noted!

GildoFotzo10 karma

please please make a bar out of it and call it "the bunker" or something like that.

DWBunnySlippers6 karma

So funny you say that. I have seriously researched doing this. The main problem is safety in case of fire. Theres only one normal entrance / escape. There is a second, but it requires a bit of crawling and a 50' ladder. Fine for a family but harder to use with 100 or so people inside.

And I was going to call it "Nuclear".

GildoFotzo2 karma

Than make an Escape Room.

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

What I've really wanted to do is make a haunted house. How effing scary could that be? Especially since all three floors hang from the ceiling on big (BIG) springs. I could make it shake and all kinds of stuff.

airwalkerdnbmusic2 karma

What about creating a small craft beer brewery inside? Perfect place to install temperature control and plant equipment, protected from too much natural light, perfect shape for fermentation vessels...

Getting the gear in would be a nightmare though!

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

You sound like a volunteer to me! :-)

I can get stuff in and out without much problem now. Gantry crane and humans.

GT

losthalo76 karma

Regarding sunlight: you just need enough fiber optic cables to pipe some down! ;-)

DWBunnySlippers8 karma

That's true... although I won't be doing that. No easy way to pipe it down. I do plan on (when I can afford it) buying a bunch of large curved 4k TVs and putting them on the walls connected to 4k cameras outside. We'll call these "windows". :-)

_zarkon_2 karma

If you can't run fiber for sunlight how are you going wire the TVs with cameras?

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

I could run fiber but the conduit available to me (original to the site) wouldn't allow much light. But, I can run quite a few networking and TV cables.

Shisno_4 karma

I believe a better idea would be housing a data vault. Offer hosting services, with physical backup security on the side. Perhaps an idea for the silo area, as I would imagine it stays pretty cool in there.

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

I've thought about it but a lot of hosting firms have actually abandoned their underground facilities. In fact, if you search for them, you can find AT&T com vaults for sale. They are probably nicer than missile silos but not nearly as cool to talk about. :-)

TexasMaritime2 karma

Damn, I would love to stay in a former silo. Hopefully you give tours too and show where the control room/other rooms were originally located.

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

For sure!

PotatoFi10 karma

I checked, and the closest Titan II silo is less than 10 miles from where I'm located. There's recent activity on the surface according to Google Earth (cars, buildings, etc). It's down a gravel road that is gated. Is there a community of people who have these? Any chances that it's been opened up? Do people like to show them off when they own one?

DWBunnySlippers5 karma

Hmm. Well that means you are in either AZ, AR or KS.

I have people that come up to my place on occasion. Their survival rate is all dependent on what kind of a person they are. :-)

Can't say there is a community but many of us kind of know each other.

My guess is that you are in AZ... can you post a pic of the site or something? I may know the owner.

PotatoFi4 karma

I'm in Idaho. I was mistaken, it's a Titan I complex. http://www.themilitarystandard.com/missile/titan1/silo/569-c.php

DWBunnySlippers10 karma

A Titan I... now that is a BEAST. They are REALLY expensive though. And a lot of money to do anything with them b/c of their size. But I'd love to have one. :-)

PotatoFi5 karma

This Titan I complex is just a few hours away, and by the looks of the video is possible to get into (non-flooded section). Should I go check it out? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS45uvOvgic

DWBunnySlippers5 karma

That's completely up to you. The adventure is always fun but I don't know the situation. Insert disclaimer here. :-)

BkTrack8 karma

Do you have any photos of inside in its current state? I watched your videos and will be subscribing.

Congrats on an awesome project, If i'm ever around the area I fully expect a tour...and a beer...or just a tour, don't kidnap me and store me in your bunker though that'd be uncool.

DWBunnySlippers6 karma

I do have photos of the inside in its current state. But, you are going to have to wait for them. You see, when you own your own missile silo you can be EVIL... :-)

I do appreciate you watching the videos. That's where I'll be doing the public updates. Thanks!

BkTrack4 karma

I upvoted you, but you are EVIL. edit : it's my cakeday, you're even more evil.

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

Happy Birthday! And yeah, I'll buy a beer or two if you come by. And yes, I can add you to my collection of humans. LOL

I can't even type that with a straight face. :-)

BkTrack3 karma

Guys...GUYS....you saw that right? On a serious note, where did you end up buying? state wise?

I kinda want one, as an epic man cave, below a super nice house.

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

Mine is in Arkansas but you can find missile silos (of varying types) in many states. But, they are almost never close to a major city. For reasons you can imagine.

Borsenven8 karma

How much of it will make a descent living place ? Have you gotten inside already, seen blueprints ? How big is this thing ?

DWBunnySlippers10 karma

Great questions! Yeah, we opened it up October of 2010. You'll want to see the video of when we opened it. That was effing crazy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCPmuA1v8qQ

I do actually have the blueprints. Freedom of information act and all. :-)

Its hard to know how much money I'll have into it. I just don't keep track. LOTS of blood, sweat, tears, and money. If I was well funded I could have had it done in 6 months. But, when time and money intersect, I get something done on it.

How big... its about 4500 sq ft of livable space right now. It COULD be a lot larger if I worked on the silo itself. But, that is a HUGE project compared to the launch control center and other parts I'm working on. So far I'm happy with the amount of space it has. But I'm sure I'll want to open more up later.

Borsenven7 karma

Aw man that looks truly awesome ! Glad you made it alive after opening that door. Side question; Is any part of it radioactive ? Is that why they submerged it ?

DWBunnySlippers11 karma

Nothing radioactive. Keep in mind that men and women worked in the place for decades with an active nuclear warhead.

It wasn't submerged on purpose; water got in over time because of how the government destroyed it. I think I detailed that a bit in another answer. But heck if I can find it. :-)

DeepSeaDynamo7 karma

What was your purchase price? I would love to do this, but there are none in my area and all the ones I have seen are selling for insane money considering what needs to be done, or super crazy money for one that is done.

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

I paid $90k for the 9 acres and the silo. Cheaper by today's standards but the REAL money is in working on them. Its a tough renovation project but I think its worth it. Well, I'm too far along to stop now anyway.

DeepSeaDynamo5 karma

What is the ventalation system like? Can you still seal it up and not suffocate?

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

The original ventilation system was large and complex. I won't need all of that.

I can seal it up easily (just close the doors). I've never done the math, but I've been told by reliable sources that 4 people could be fine for 30 days inside without outside air.

The answer to that problem is a carbon scrubber. You can actually make one. CO2 poisoning will kill you so a scrubber will remove the CO2. That would be one project I'd like to do. Testing it sounds like less fun though. :-)

DeepSeaDynamo1 karma

Woth enough circulation, your indoor garden could take care of that for you. I would try and balance that. CO2 scrubbers are a pain to maintain and SodaSorb isn't cheep. As far as testing goes, they have sensors that measure parts per million of CO2 which is what we would use for SAT diving, scrubbers and sensors. The garden would be renewable and you get something more out of the work you put into it.

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

That would for sure be the long term plan. As you can tell I don't know much about carbon scrubbers. It would be interesting to see some math of plant to human ratios for symbiotic existence.

RadBadTad8 karma

1) What will be your super villain name?

2) What are you going with decor-wise inside? Normal house style? Upscale silo loft? Bare-bones true-to-the-form cold war era abandoned chic? Do you get a decorator?

DWBunnySlippers9 karma

1) Fatty Titan 2) I like what I can "warm modern" style. Clean lines but some soft fabrics and a bit of wood. I wouldn't call it normal house style... the living areas are circles. 37' diameter circle. Of the 3000 sq ft, the only "room" I'll build will be for the bathroom commode.

Yes, I actually did hire an interior decorator. She's been great to work with!

depleteduraniumftw8 karma

How big are you going to make the hot chicks room?

http://imgur.com/gallery/9YhiW8l

DWBunnySlippers15 karma

That implies that the entire thing won't be full of them. I'm disappointed in your question. :-)

PotatoFi7 karma

Have you considered a name for the complex? Black Mesa, for example?

DWBunnySlippers7 karma

We call it Titan Ranch.

TheWolphman7 karma

How much did it cost initially?

DWBunnySlippers10 karma

You can buy these kinda cheap (relatively). I paid about $90k (US) for the 9 acres. The property would have been worth about $60k on its own so I paid a $30k premium for the complex. Not too bad considering that in today's dollars it would cost like $100 million to build. :-)

TheWolphman5 karma

WoW! I wasn't expecting it to be that low. That's a steal!

How much do you estimate you'll be dropping in it to renovate and such?

DWBunnySlippers6 karma

Well I bought it 6 years ago so I HAVE dropped a bunch into it. I really don't know how much. That's part of the reason I can do a project like this. I live in uneducated bliss. :-)

I suspect that when done (fully livable) I'd have $350k into it. But, I'll never have to redo the floors (steel) or the roof (concrete under ground) so the maintenance should be pretty low.

ComeOnSans7 karma

What's been the hardest part about doing this all?

DWBunnySlippers12 karma

I wish I could name just one thing. :-)

They (the government) really made these tough to get into. Blew up parts of it up. Filled it with debris and concrete. Then it filled up with water. Really, that's the right answer. Dealing with the water coming in. Because of how they destroyed it, the water was a huge pain in the ass.

mcgrotts10 karma

Does the water cause any problems such as mold?

DWBunnySlippers4 karma

It could... and I have had a bit. But not really much and its easy to deal with. Until I get a lot of nice stuff in there I can just pressure wash when it gets dirty. :-)

El_Chubacabra8 karma

This is probably a daft question, but why did they fill it with water (I'm gonna make a wild guess that they'd already taken out the missiles)?

Also, what's the final plan? Luxury underground home or militaristic wonderland invisible from the surface? How environmentally friendly will the finished result be?

DWBunnySlippers12 karma

Not a bad question at all.

They had to destroy part of the complex due to treaty regulations. They blew off about 20 feet of the missile silo. The water table is so high that it would flow in from underground. It would come down the tunnel slowly but surely. We eventually had to make a bulkhead to hold back the water (upcoming video).

Yeah, the missile (just one BIG bastard) was taken out and reused to launch satellites into space.

Final plan is just a nice underground home. I would say that the place is very environmentally friendly. Really, its like a huge recycling project.

Its naturally about 60 degrees in there if you add no outside air or heat. So I'll only need to heat it a bit and if there was no heat, it would be plenty bearable.

Its kind of neat, when its summer or winter, as you walk down the stairs (35 foot spiral) you can feel the dramatic temperature change. No matter what time of year, its always welcomed. :-)

gimp2x3 karma

should probably consider a high end wine storage service

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

Funny, we are thinking the same thing. I would love to find a way to make some money off this thing since its been such a drain but really haven't pursued much. Is there much of a demand for high end wine storage?

gimp2x2 karma

After the Napa earthquake lots of people started looking for more reliable storage locations, your facility is also a bit cheaper real estate than that area

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

That's a very interesting point. If you know anyone I'm open to a discussion!

PotatoFi5 karma

This is probably a daft question, but why did they fill it with water (I'm gonna make a wild guess that they'd already taken out the missiles)?

Not sure, but it's likely below the water table, so it probably filled itself up with water on it's own. This could just be because of time, or because the government (intentionally) compromised the structural integrity of the silo when they decommissioned it. Obviously, DWBunnySlippers could confirm or deny this.

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

Yep!

PotatoFi5 karma

How do you keep water out now?

DWBunnySlippers4 karma

The areas where water came in have all been sealed. So don't really need to do much water-wise now.

PotatoFi6 karma

What was it like going in for the first time? I would assume the first step was getting a trash pump in there and starting to pump water out? Was it hazardous at first?

DWBunnySlippers6 karma

MOTHER EFFFING SCARY. I can't really even describe it. There will be a video of it released in the next few months. I've already edited it and I get scared watching it. It isn't "startle" scary... its just REALLY creepy when you first go in. The best I can describe it is imagine walking through a shipwreck. Dark, smelly, weird noises, wading through water, falling through holes and... well... lets just say that I encountered a VERY dangerous situation in there. You'll have to wait for the video. :-)

For the first year or so we had to have pumps running all the time. The bulkhead fixed that but still had to run some pumps. Now I don't really need pumps. I have them for a few maintenance things but nothing really critical.

PotatoFi6 karma

Have you found anything interesting inside the complex? Old equipment, things left behind, etc?

DWBunnySlippers6 karma

Yeah, we've found some neat stuff but a lot was ruined from being under water for 30 years. I've salvaged quite a few explosion proof lights, the toilet, urinal (no idea why) and various other trinkets. We found a 1960 dime and a sealed (although only half full) old Coke bottle.

PotatoFi5 karma

What parts of the complex have you been into? Are there challenges getting to specific parts of it?

DWBunnySlippers7 karma

We are in everywhere except the silo itself. They (government) messed it up pretty good. And as neat as it would be to do something with the silo, it would be A LOT of money. It has 9 floors but the way its configured it wouldn't be a lot of useable space unless you did some major demo work.

So, that means we are in the LCC (launch control center) which has 3, 1000 sq ft floors. Oh. And they are all suspended on big ass springs. Which is cool.

There are three other rooms and a long 10' diameter tunnel. Thinking about putting a greenhouse in there.

PotatoFi7 karma

What's blocking you from getting into the silo itself? Have you ever stepped foot in there at all?

DWBunnySlippers6 karma

Hard to explain over text. They blew up the top 25 feet or so. Then they filled the inner silo (where the missile was) with debris and gravel. Well, since they blew up what they did, that debris also filled up level 2 of the silo. So when we got to the end of the tunnel, all we saw was gravel.

I did the math and while I could have cleaned out level 2, it would have been like a mining operation. Moving hundreds of cubic yards of material out through the tunnel and up 35'. Doable, but cost prohibitive at that point in the project.

Pentosin7 karma

Put down a hammer, chisel and a slingshot in the silo. So everyone who comes visit etc will have to take a small piece and fling it out of the silo. Gradually it will empty :p

DWBunnySlippers6 karma

Great idea! Or tell them there could be treasure behind it. :-)

ccgarnaal3 karma

Are we talking sand and small stones or building rubble debree? If small sand you could dredge it. (flush water on it and pump up the sand water emulsion) I work on a dredging ship and we move 11 000m³ of sand an hour using a 16 000kW pump.

Thus if you have a cheap supply of rainwater and a 1-5Kw rotating pump you could empty it out this way.

If you setup you dump area properly you can reuse the water.

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

They used SB2 to fill it in. However, if its like everything else, they threw large chunks of junk and concrete in it too.

There are many ways to get it out but all of the require time and money. Right now I'm focusing on the LCC.

Zahne19772 karma

Although I understand the significant difference, my family has a 1800's era grain silo that's been converted into a 4 floor living space with spiral staircase.

I can confirm it's pretty awesome, and having a larger version would be even better.

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

That is an awesome project! You are right, very different, but I love the repurposing of different things into homes.

dfnkt2 karma

It has 9 floors but the way its configured it wouldn't be a lot of useable space unless you did some major demo work.

Needs a giant circular disc on an elevator and then you can park on it and store the cars down there. Every morning when it's time to go to work you walk into the lowest floor and onto the disc pad, get into the car, ride the elevator to the top of the silo and drive off to work or to get groceries, in style.

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

We are thinking the same. :-)

I have early drawings (somewhere) where I wanted to do it very similar to what you said. I was going to have an elevator for one car and a rotating "parking" disc underground. And hell yes I want that. MASSIVE amount of time and money but effing cool for sure.

PotatoFi5 karma

Which entrances have you opened up?

DWBunnySlippers6 karma

There is really only one "real" entrance. There is an escape and ventilation shaft that we opened up for both of those reasons.

dicks1jo3 karma

Does that become an issue with fire code regulations regarding multiple egress routes from dwelling spaces?

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

I'm so far in the country we really don't have codes like that. Weird I know.

djjerdog5 karma

How's the Wi-Fi? ;)

DWBunnySlippers4 karma

Bad ass of course. Dual Internet link topside; one hop mesh to an eMAP to another meshed AP. I've been on Verizon Wi-Fi calls inside and roamed all the way to the surface. :-)

PotatoFi4 karma

What is the current state of the complex?

DWBunnySlippers4 karma

Current state: Clean, painted, well lit. Almost have perm electric and plumbing. That's the next two projects.

Its also nice and safe. The kids go in and play and we sometimes watch movies in there.

And sometimes when they are bad I shut the door. :-)

PotatoFi3 karma

Were you able to reuse any of the existing electrical and plumbing? Electrical is a long, long, long shot, I know.

DWBunnySlippers4 karma

Nothing electrical. The complex has its own internal sewer tank with two LARGE pumps on it. The pump motors were shot being under water (plus they were three phase power and I only have single phase) so I had to put new motors on them. But they work great! Will empty 1000 gallon tank in a hurry.

CanSeeYou2 karma

I only have single phase

why? how?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

Single phase is all the electric company has in that area. I have no idea what the government used for 3 phase 30 years ago but I checked and it isn't available now. It isn't a huge deal because I don't need it. I don't have to power the original system. Heck, my iPhone is more powerful than the entire 3rd floor of the place (comms etc). :-)

CanSeeYou2 karma

is it common for electric companys to only 'give' away one phase?

Iam certain they have 3 phases, only one would't make sense.

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

Single phase is by far the most common. I don't know of any (many) houses that would have three phase. The only time its needed is with large industrial equipment. For example, my friend has a machine shop but there isn't three phase to his house. So he has a phase converter for his lathe and milling machine.

Toastburger4 karma

Have you read Command and Control? It's about the incident in the Titan II silo near Damascus. If not, definitely give it a try, the book would be even better with a detailed understanding of the layout.

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

I have read it! LOVED that book. Its very well written. There is a movie about it coming out any day now. They are doing some screenings and I've even heard rumor that they are doing a screening in Damascus. I actually have been in contact with one of the director's assistant about visiting my site.

PotatoFi3 karma

Are you hoping to make it a self-sufficient home, or just a normal home?

DWBunnySlippers5 karma

If I can afford it I'd love to make it self-sufficient. But my priority now is making it really comfortable and nice. And a bad ass party area. :-)

CardboardSoyuz3 karma

Will you make it so you have to have two keys to open the front door?

"Honey, turn the key!" "I can't open the door unless I have proper authorization." "Honey. Turn the key. Honey. TURN. THE. KEY!"

(Seriously, I love this!)

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

That's a hilarious idea! :-)

Picture_is_fake3 karma

Will you be going to WWE Raw in 2 weeks in Cincinatti, OH?

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

This is quite a random question. :-)

Maybe you are commenting on my size? What?? LOL

PotatoFi3 karma

Have you used the museum Titan II complex in Arizona to better understand your complex? "How does this door open", "What's behind this door" for example.

DWBunnySlippers4 karma

Yeah, I visited it before opening mine. But its really a crapshoot because we didn't know how they locked the place up. Every site is just a bit different.

PotatoFi3 karma

Is the silo close to town, or in the middle of nowhere? Close to where you currently live, or far from where you live?

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

I'm and easy drive from a good sized town but I'm still really in the country (which I like). I actually live here!

Rapturesjoy2 karma

o.O if there's ever an apocalypse I'm coming to your place, how much did it cost you?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

Everyone says they are coming to my place. I HIGHLY recommend you watch the old Twilight Zone episode "The Shelter". Very interesting...

It cost $90k but I have to make sure that people understand that this is a MAJOR undertaking of a project. The only reason I've done it is because I didn't know what I was getting myself into. :-)

ausxin2 karma

Do you know how many more of them there are in Arkansas? I live here and am really interested in exploring one. This fascinates me, I had no idea these existed.

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

If you are in the area I'm more than happy to give you a tour. However, you can't just drive up to one and explore it. It takes a LOT of effort to get into one for the first time. Took me about 3 days with heavy equipment.

Yuri_Kircovich2 karma

Just want to let you know that this is inspirational. Ever since childhood I've dreamed of taking an old relic and making it new again. I've looked so much into purchasing, but the values are much too high for my current situation.

What made you want to do this? For me, it's my interest in history and technology, and hating to see it become abandoned.

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

That's very kind of you to say. I did a video on why I did this but to sum it up, its something I've always wanted... it makes me feel safe and its a huge challenge. Its been painful in more than one way but the adventure has been a lot of fun.

PotatoFi2 karma

Have you watched "Lost"? If so, I think you need a mysterious timer and button in there.

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

I have... and great idea! :-)

farmerdave332 karma

So, what will the surface home be like? Are you going to integrate your existing home or build new? Will there be any signs that it's not a "Normal" house?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

I've had a bunch of ideas on an above ground house. Everything from a tiny home (the irony seems fun) to something unique on the surface. But, my goals are to finish the underground portion and then figure out the topside from there. I need more money! :-)

Hueycopter1 karma

How about a tiny shed like the one at the end of Portal 2, with this huge underground facility beneath... :D

Sorry for those deleted comments, I had an issue with the app..

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

No problem. :-)

I can't think much about the house above right now. I REALLY want a bathroom underground for now. :-)

Ed982082 karma

As a real estate appraiser, the idea of trying to put a value on this property after conversion to a residence makes me shudder, hah. Do you have, or have you tried to get, a mortgage? Is it even possible?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

If you check out the "how to buy your own missile silo" video you'll see what I said about financing. But, yeah, I got financing on it. And I'm the only one that anyone knows that's ever made it happen. And while I can't complain about the money I make I'm far from rich. I'm just persistent. :)

Dick_Size_Inquirer2 karma

I mean the most obvious question would be,

What lead you to try and do this?

DWBunnySlippers5 karma

I have a (kinda sad) video on the channel about it. Many reasons but I've always had a fascination with living under ground. Feels safe. And, well... it was there and I wanted in. :-)

kokberg2 karma

have you tested the area with a geiger counter at all? i would assume the nuclear materials would have been sealed in a warhead. but you gotta wonder.

looks awesome! i have been interested since seeing 20th century castle site many years ago though i don't know if it is still updated.

i think someone turned a silo into a scuba training center somewhere, too.

DWBunnySlippers3 karma

No, I didn't test it but I'm not worried about that. Titan IIs were shut down in the 80s and there was a lot done to make sure they didn't hurt the environment.

I also saw 20th Century Castles a while back. Now I chat with Ed on occasion.

I did see where there was a silo used as a scuba training center. Technically, with a bit of work, a person could SCUBA in my silo. But that would be hella dangerous. Scares me to even think about it.

OfficerBlkIronTarkus2 karma

That looks awesome! I was wondering why they would flood missile bases? I know nothing about Titan II Nuclear Missile bases or standard procedure when abandoning them, but flooding them seems to be deliberate and important.

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

They weren't flooded on purpose. In fact, the Arizona Titan II sites are dry as a bone (and I'm jealous). Other states have a lot higher water table and the water got in that way after the government blew the top of the access portal and silo off in the 80s.

_Tix_2 karma

Yes, but we have LOTS and LOTS of rattlers that are all over the place. The only Silo I know of requires you to enter through the escape hatch. Once inside, you typically find 20+ snakes just chilling, but ready to bite.

I too, would love to follow in your footsteps. I have no idea where to begin looking for property. Any pointers? How did you find it, etc?

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

Not to keep pimping my own YouTube channel... but I will. If you go to www.dwbs.video that will link to the channel. There is a video on exactly what you are asking for. If you still have questions about it I'd be happy to answer them.

pueblokc2 karma

I've explored a vacant one here many times. It's so full of chemicals I'd be afraid to spend too long in it. How bad will/was remediation?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

Since these were sealed in the 80's the government had to adhere to a lot stricter environmental standards than they did with most other missile sites (Atlas E, Atlas F, Titan I etc) in the 60's. So there wasn't badness like one would assume.

823642 karma

Did it come with a missile and Gemini payload?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

That's classified. Your IP has been noted. Expect a visit.

Kidding... no, no missile. I was as bummed to find that out as you are. :-)

sparkchaser2 karma

I haven't watched your videos so maybe it was explained there, but how did you locate the ones for sale?

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

That is in the "How to find and buy your own missile silo" video but really, all missile site coordinates are easy to find on the Internet. Or you can google "missile silos for sale" (for real) and you'll find plenty.

I know a few guys that buy and sell them as an investment. I am not one of those guys. :-)

Hypohamish2 karma

Why are you holding back all the pictures and videos?

You've hinted several times you have the pictures & some videos edited, yet you're being an absolute tease by not releasing them? :(

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

Not trying to be a tease. I'm trying to build a YouTube channel and there are a few factors. One, I want to release a video every week or so. Two, I haven't had the time to edit all of the footage and do it all at once so this gives me time to shoot new informational footage then blend it with old stuff. I'm not a professional video guy so that takes time.

And it isn't like I have a hundred videos. There are probably going to be 10 or so that bring you guys current. So its not like you'll have to wait long. I do appreciate your patience! I'm hoping it will be worth it.

tehtonym2 karma

You probably should have waited until you had content to do this ama then. You have tons of people interested right now... who are going to forget about you in 20 minutes

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

Sorry... for sure wasn't my intent to tease. The truth is... this thing won't be done for a long while. So I wanted to get out what I had. And hopefully the videos up and coming will be worth it.

Geologistguy6782 karma

How many people will live in this home? And what do you think was the hardest thing about the converting it to a home?

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

While it is a decent number of square feet (4500) its laid out really weird. I didn't want to put a bunch of walls up because it really loses what the place looks like when you do that. So it will probably end up being one bedroom 1.5 bath when done. I'll have beds that easily come out to sleep more people when they come over.

The "hardest thing" has changed over time. For the first 3 years it was water coming in. That's been a real bitch. And in fact, the place flooded about 2 years into it. We didn't lose much but it was a real blow to the project. I don't think we drained it for about a year.

The pain for a while was during scrapping. Its like unbuilding a ship in a bottle. You have a door that is 4' wide x 6.5' tall. And you have to get everything in and out through that. Not the hardest thing in the world but does take time and thought. Plus, that door is 35' below ground so getting stuff up and down from there can be a pain.

Totes_Police2 karma

What is the internet signal like out there? Do you have one yet? If not, is it even possible?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

No signals will go down there naturally but I'm a Wi-Fi guy by profession so I have Internet and cellular signal down there. It really isn't that hard or expensive these days.

Totes_Police2 karma

What do you expect, on a normal day, for the speeds to be?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

The Wi-Fi isn't the bottleneck. Living in the country gives me limited Internet options. But, I can watch Netflix. So that's good. :-)

ironman822 karma

If you come across any forgotten missles what will be your plans for them? Sell to NK? Take over the world?

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

Its funny.... one of the most common questions I get is if the missile is still there. I'm FAIRLY certain the missile isn't in there any more. But who knows. The government forgets stuff all the time.

Fytt1 karma

Is there anything at all left in it?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

There definitely was a lot still left in it but not really anything of value. All of it was under water for 30 years so it was pretty well nasty.

Vikind76671 karma

Keeping it clean must be a bitch, right?

DWBunnySlippers2 karma

Funny question :-)

Since we are still working on it, it for sure gets dirty from that. But once all of that is done I think it may stay cleaner than a normal home. Most homes "leak". This one doesn't. So I can perfectly clean and control the incoming air. And oddly enough, I think I'll ask guests to take their shoes off when its done. Maybe I'll issue bunny slippers for when they are inside. :-)

WabiSabiWill1 karma

How much did you pay for it? How much have you put into it total so far? What prompted you to purchase it?

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

$90k purchase. I haven't kept track of how much I've spent... $250k ish. What prompted to purchase it... If you don't mind me answering with a video, you can see it at www.dwbs.video. There is a video titled "Why I bought a missile silo".

Thanks for the questions!

4rkless1 karma

Watched the videos, they don't show the interior....soooo uhhhh

pics????

Also, my vote is for you to turn that into a hobbit house. Do me proud, Bilbo had a sweet pad.

DWBunnySlippers1 karma

Have you ever watched Gold Rush? Well, by the time you see the first episode all of the other episodes have already been shot. Well, this is the same way. Except we've been working on this for 6 years. :-) Every episode will show more progress. Plus, if I showed you guys the way it looks now you wouldn't see or feel the pain of what it took to get it there. I hope the wait is worth it. :-)