| Author |
Message |
Jim Shepherd (Rv_safetyman)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 2:04 pm: | |
The Eagle made it to San Diego on its maiden voyage!
Some of you have been following the progress on my Eagle bus project. Well, after a huge three week thrash we were able to get the interior to very functional level and tested the mechanical components via about 600 miles of short trips around Denver. This gave us enough confidence to set off on a 6 week journey (with quite a bit of fear and trepidation). Our first schedule stop was San Diego. My wife had earned a cruise to the Mexican Rivera which departed from San Diego (this post being written and posted from the ship).
The trip was fairly uneventful. We left about 2 ½ days later than we had hoped for, and as a result, had to put in a couple of 500 mile days to get back on schedule. The only real event occurred going up Raton Pass. We heard a very loud pop and lost almost all power. A quick look at the turbo gauge, showed that we lost all boost. We were able to pull into a weight station and determine that a turbo hose had blown off one of the tubes (I probably did not tighten the clamp). It took much less time to re-clamp the hose than it did to settle my nerves.
We did not encounter any other mechanical problems. The Series 60 was a dream to drive, and the 10 speed Eaton AutoShift functioned very well. As others have noted, the bus does not scream away from a traffic light. The issue is not so much that it has to go through so many shifts, as one of having to build boost in each gear, Still, the acceleration is reasonable and acceptable for me. The transmission computer chooses some strange times to shift, but that can all be controlled by the driver if he wants to. With the 3.73 gears, 11X24.5 and a .73 overdrive, I cruise along at 70 MPH at 1500 RPM (perfect for the engine). I set the cruise control for 70 most of the time and got about 7.3 MPG (computer number that seems to be dead on). For the rest of the trip, I will set is at about 65-67 and see what I get.
A fellow BNO poster (Jim Stewart, H3Jim) was kind enough to let us park the bus at his house while we are on the cruise. Jim is such a nice person/great host and I really appreciate his hospitality!! His post further down the board (low vs high profile ACs) was taken with our buses parked side by side. I told him it was quite an un-flattering picture of my bus – partly because of the butt ugly AC units and partly because you can see that I did not get a chance to finish the Kool Seal/enamel paint job on the roof.
Jim Shepherd
Evergreen, CO
’85 Eagle 10
http://www.rvsafetysystems.com/busproject.htm (updated 2/9/06) |
Phil Hendrix/Chicago
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 2:48 pm: | |
Congratulations Jim, all the labor is now producing fruit! Have a good trip.
Phil |
Gary LaBombard (Garylee)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 3:21 pm: | |
Phil,
See what you can look forward to doing, keep your project on your main priority and we can both meet up with Jim some place one day. Love Flea-Markets, Arizona sounds mighty nice!! I am much older and not ready to quit yet, I think!! I am just waiting to start up my engine again, it will be about Christmas time, again, I Think!! or I hope!!
Gary |
Geoff (Geoff)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 3:32 pm: | |
Jim-- good job! There is nothing like the feeling of driving a machine that you put together and works like you planned.
--Geoff
'82 RTS AZ |
Camill Paul Elbisser (Paul)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 5:02 pm: | |
Jim you are the IMPERIAL GURU of BUS CONVERSIONS.
I check out your web site often and enjoyed your seminar at BUSSIN 2006.
Congratulations
Happy & Safe Bussin
Paul |
david anderson (Davidanderson)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 7:13 pm: | |
Jim,
Give your wife a big hug. You know she has been very patient through all this. I think you've been at it for 5 years now, right? Getting her to the cruise port safely really helps to "forgive" all the $$$ you've spent on the coach.
David Anderson |
ED Hackenbruch (Shadowman)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 9:37 pm: | |
Jim, where are you going after the cruise? if you come thru Yuma i will show you where i got the flames for the fire extinguishers. Still lots of buses here although a few people have started leaving. |
Geoff (Geoff)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 7:40 am: | |
Jim
Yes, if you come through Arizona please stop and visit me in Prescott. I would love to see your bus, and I have plenty of room!
--Geoff
geoff_rts@yahoo.com |
Jim Shepherd (Rv_safetyman)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 9:35 am: | |
First of all, thank you all for the kind words. Our bus community is chock full of great folks.
David, Pat has been sooo supportive of our project. She took the first test ride after the conversion and burst into tears of joy (I am pretty sure <grin>) that we were getting close. She really enjoyed the great systems that the bus has (good inverter, Aqua-Hot etc) all of which were much better than the new motorhome we bought to get us to the trade shows and then put in a rental fleet. The bus is not nearly as fancy as the motorhome, but so much more user friendly and it is very comfortable.
Ed, we are sailing to the Mexican Rivera (Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas). So far it has been pretty relaxing and my hands are starting to look human again <grin>.
Ed and Geoff, we came through Yuma, and it would have been fun to stop, but we were behind schedule. After the cruise, we are heading to Pomona to be vendors at the FMCA event and then we will take our time going home (via Las Vegas and the drag races). We will be in your area next January (Eagle rally at Quartzsite and some LEISURELY travel in Arizona). Maybe we can take a raincheck?
Jim |
Jim Stewart (H3jim)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 5:57 pm: | |
Jim,
Thanks for the kind words, It was a delight to have you and Pat stay here. All the work you have done on the engine swap is extremely impressive. I must say it looks clean, neat and like the bus could have been delivered new with that engine in it. I bow to the master.
Hope the cruise is going well and you're not too bored without your bus "fix".
Now how long do I have to sell everything before you get back? |
ED Hackenbruch (Shadowman)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 11:57 pm: | |
Jim, no problem with the raincheck. If you are going to Busnusa again this year i will see you there. |