| Author | Message | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Hey everyone. I'm going up to Minn. to retrieve my bus, and insurance is already placed on it. Is there anything special I'll need to do in order to actually travel home with it besides insurance? I can't get registration for it yet, it's not titled in my name. I can't get it titled in my name, as it's still in Minn. What's the normal thing to do? Just drive it home and show the insurance/title if I get stopped? -Mac | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
Contact your local DMV and get what's known as a "trip permit". Also, a "bill of sale" from the seller. Might have to get a trip permit from MN DMV, not your home state, not sure. But bill of sale and insurance certificate should suffice for trip home. HTH, RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
yep...trip permit...= d.m.v.......some states won't issue it unless seats are out ...might even need a oversize permit...if so...you will have a specific route to take & there is NO driveing after dark ,or in bad weather...all states have different rules,.....some oversize permits,no travel on week-ends... | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A |
When I picked up my MC8, since the bus still had DOT numbers on the sides and no plates, I pulled out most of my seats to leave less than 15... because I don't have a Class B license nor the Pass. Endorsement. In the end, I went through six states w/o a plate or a trip permit (IA wanted it towed with "all wheels off the ground" Yeah, right!), in two diff. busses (LONG story). I must have passed 4 or 5 cops and no one even did a double take. At one point, right in front of the Corn Pallace in SD, I was looking out the front glass eyeball to eyeball with a trooper... he just waved at me. I hope your experience is as non-eventful. Now, be sure and read this recent post on "Equipment for Trip". Good luck! Brian "Six States/ Three Busses/ One Year" Brown | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/motorcarrier/mcr/IntroSection1-21_05.pdf That should explain how to get a temporary registration (license plate) to get that beast home....... Uhh..... but...... the driver's license that would usually be required to legally drive that thing, and the associated road/travel permits usually required to access certain roadways between there and back home..... might be a problem. If it were me.. I'd hire a trucking outfit to get it back and just pay their price. It'd include all necessary permits, etc and even a flatbed..... if the beast isn't fit for the road... | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
remember...we are talking about a 60 foot bus here | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
The majority of the seats will be out. The only seats I will leave in are the driver's and the 4 in the artic joint. I will also change the destination sign to "NOT FOR HIRE", as well as paint on the rear and by the doors the same. This way, at least I couldn't be cited for "driving" without a "commercial license". I'll talk to the DMV here before I go get it and see what, if anything, they would require for it. I'm thinking the same... just drive it home with proof of insurance and title/bill of sale. Can anyone think of anything else? -Mac | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A |
"even a flatbed..... if the beast isn't fit for the road..." Now, a 60' arty on a flatbed would be somethin' to see! If they charged admission, I'd pay it. Mac: So, how fast can your beast go? Is it transit geared? Be sure and take some pics along the way, because these sojourns make for interesting stories if you got some visuals to go along with it. BTDT. BB | ||
| R. Steve Nichol (N4rsn)
Rating: N/A |
Minnsota may not issue a trip permit, as you are not a Minnsota resident. Write "NOT FOR HIRE" on the right side door, and bring her on home. I have even been stopped, and just show them the insurance card, and a bill of sale, the officer will tell you to take it home. Good luck on your new project!!!!!!!! Steve | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
MAK brought a 60' articulated to one or two of the Laughlin Conventions. You might want to give him a call and see what he did. | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
MAK brought a 60' articulated to one or two of the Laughlin Conventions. You might want to give him a call and see what he did. | ||
| gillig-dan Rating: N/A |
Don't forget to get a RV road help service like AAA or Allstate. One tow would set you back about 20 years in club dues. And, it covers your cars too (at least my $90/year Allstate does). Good luck on your trip! Are you still heading to Iraq? Remember, sometimes it's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission. Gillig-Dan | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
A 60 footer on a flatbed... yea, that would be VERY interesting to see. I've never even SEEN a flatbed that long, though I'm sure they must exist. Marc... who's MAK? Dan... Yes, the plan is still to go to Iraq. Otherwise, I'd not be bringing the bus home, but instead making a new home in Minn.!  As long as everything sticks "according to plan", then I'll be going and plan to stay for AT LEAST two years, but I'd like to stay for a full 5 years. With that, I could easily retire working just part time and odd-jobs anywhere I could find them, but no longer need to work full-time. So yea, I'll probably just stick with the plan of getting my insurance and just driving it home without the seats, and with notices on the bus stating not for hire and in-transit and such... Brian... The bus is able to hit 60mph with no problem according to the guy I bought it from and maintain 8mpg. So, we'll see what happens. I'm guessing this would be "highway gearing"... It's a 4 speed. My only concern is coming down through Arkansas... those Ozarks can be a bitch for regular pickups towing a camper... what's it going to be like in a 60 foot rig that bends in the MIDDLE... ?! Anyone have any suggestions for me to get through or around the mountains unscathed? -Mac | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Hey guys: "The bus is able to hit 60mph with no problem according to the guy I bought it from and maintain 8mpg. " MMmmmphhhhhhhhhhh BWAAAAaaaaHAHAHAhahahaaa.. Hoooo boy. Bring cab fare, Mac, | ||
| DMDave Rating: N/A |
Sometimes its called a In Transit Certificate. I got mine in the state the vehicle was bought to get it home. Done it twice. Together they almost made 60 feet! | ||
| Robert Wood (Bobwoodsocal)
Rating: N/A |
8 MPG, maybe downhill! Figure 5- 6 MPG. And if it will HIT 60, your cruising speed is probably gonna be 55, unless you run it against the governor, which I would not do. Sounds like about the same gearing I have in my Transliner. Have a safe trip Kevin, Bob | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Mac- Forget the speed. Figure 3mpg to be safe and bring lotsa' oil. You're going to be driving an articulated vehicle on roads not designed for articulated vehicles. Just sit back, relax, and smile a lot. Know that every one of us out here are hoping you do well on this journey. (some have even got in the pool.... just to make it interesting) | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Well, with a 60 foot monster, 55 to 60 is plenty fast for me. I don't really WANT to go any faster than that in it! Worst case scenario is the middle tires break loose around a corner... Drive wheels are still in the back... so it'd bend right in on itself! So, 55, 60... that's fine by me. And, I did estimate my fuel bill at 5mpg. If it gets the 8mpg he says it should, then it'll be a nice bonus at the fuel stops. So.... barring anything going completely WRONG on the way back down... I should be OK. -Mac | ||
| Cable (Fe2_o3)
Rating: N/A |
Macgyver; I've been driving those Flyers down the freeways and country roads of Washington State for several years now, and I think 60 mph is doable. But I'm not too sure about the milage estimate. My guess is closer to 3-4mpg. As for the roads in Arkansas, remember your width as well as your length. Your front half is 8 1/2 feet wide and 30 feet long. Then you have a 8 1/2 by 30 foot trailer. Square corners are often the only way to get round some of the tight turns. Roll past the turn till your shoulder is parallel to the curb (or shoulder)of your destination then crank the wheels hard to your new direction. This must be done slowly or the coaches desire to go straight will take over. Remember that at about 35 mph there are hydraulic cylinders to dampen sway, and these want to keep the coach straight. Best of luck...Cable | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess)
Rating: N/A |
60 ft flatbed. Maybe a surpluss Soviet missle trailer. That would draw more attention than a 60 ft bus. | ||
| Rob King Rating: N/A |
Mac I live in Springfield Mo just north of Branson in those Ozark Moutains(???) you talk about. What is your planned route and I could maybe give you specific details as to alternate routes to consider. | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
I've seen MBTA artics (look like Flyers) running 62-65 on the highway with no apparrent strain. I've even seen a CNG artic run 70 (empty, level highway...scary part was the "INSTRUCTION BUS" on the destination sign). I don't think 7-8MPG is unreasonable. It's a 6V92TA, I'd expect a fairly mild state of tune. Look at it this way: it's less weight (probably, about a third the weight, if that) & less drag than a semi, and 7MPG from said semi wouldn't be unreasonable. ALWAYS, ALWAYS carry at least a gallon (2-3 is better) of SAE 40W oil. Also, it's winter and it's Minnesota...I'd keep a can of liquid wrench handy in case it needs help to light off. | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
My route through the mountains... Whatever will be least likely to cause problems! Do ya have ideas on where I should enter and pass through in order to avoid possible problem areas? As for hydraulic dampening... I'm guessing that will be a GREAT thing on the open road once it's fully converted. I've also got a 35 ft school bus (bookmobile) I drive around... It's kindof fun to drive around... I have no problems navigating the corners in it as long as I swing wide for the turns... I'll practice in the Artic before I take it out if at all possible. It has half a tank of fuel, so I can burn a little tooling around his area (it's a farm) getting the hang of it if there's enough pavement around. And the mileage estimate comes from another bus that he sold to a fellow in New York identical to the one I bought from him. Stripped down AND towing a car behind it, it got an average 8mpg. I'm suspecting I might get about the same until I hit the mountains... then I'll notice a bit of a drop I'm guessing.... but yes, the engine is a 6v92 Turbo... It's set for 320HP and the guy I bought it from said he himself had it pushed to 63, but it wouldn't go any faster... but it would get there and hold it no problem. Governed at that speed? Maybe it's actuall 60 or 65 and the speedo is a little slow or a little fast? Who knows. Either way, I think I'm glad it WON'T go 70. I also won't be towing anything behind it... -Mac | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
so.......you are saying you don't know your route yet ??????...are you REALY going to move it...or just talking about it...when is this going to happen...this is all sounding suspicious | ||
| James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
Rating: N/A |
If u come back here and tell us u got any more than 4.5-5mpg on this trip then you're a bigger bs artist than the MN. farm boy selling u the bus. | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
this just doesn't add up...going to Minn. in the middle of winter to pick up a bus that he has never seen,that is parked on a farm,....doesn't know about I-35 south to I-20 east,before he goes to Iraq...what's wrong with this picture | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
I use Garmin's MapSource software on my laptop, in combination with a Garmin GPS unit... The route I plan to take is the one suggested by MapSource, unless someone comes up with a different route that would be better... My ticket is set for March 8th to fly up to St. Cloud, at which point I'll be picked up and on the 9th, I'll begin removal of the seats... so yes, the plan is to move it, barring any problems that prevent me from doing so. I've stated the dates previously... so you've known when it was going to happen. And, James... If I tell you I got 8mpg, it'll be because I DID get 8mpg. I have nothing to gain by lying to anyone here about anything. Why should I? I've told only what I've been told about the bus... I don't have it yet, I've not driven it yet... so how am I to give accurate information when I don't have personal experience of it? He said the last bus he sold got 8mpg, and it was identical to this one. I have no reason to distrust him or disbelieve him... That's what he was told by the guy that bought the other one from him... so he himself doesn't have personal knowledge of it either. I'll report what I get, believe it as you will, I honestly don't give a damn if you BELIEVE it or not. Your belief of the truth doesn't CHANGE the truth. And what's with your obvious hostility? What the hell have I done? I NEED to get this bus down here and put into storage so that I can leave on my next job out of the country. I hadn't PLANNED to leave the country, but a friend of mine talked me into going over to Iraq with him for Halliburton/KBR. There's a lot of money involved... Now, as for the route... My map software says I can hop down to I90 in Minn, dogleg that over to I35 south and take that down to Kansas City at which point I'll transfer over to 71 south and continue on that all the way back. That's what the map says... That's what I plan to take. Unless someone says that's a bad idea. -Mac | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Wow, you two are more paranoid than I am... and I thought I was about as paranoid as they came. TD, is there any obvious REASON I should just inherently KNOW about the route you just stated, or is there some magic to it that I don't know about? The speculation you two are contriving is close to the conspiracy theories I have about our own government. I must congratulate you on the imagination it takes... But the simple fact is, you're both wrong. I rely on my computer to provide me with maps and routes... It's still over a week from when I'll be leaving, and I'm tying up loose ends at work today since it's my last day "on the job". I didn't want to rely on the route my computer showed me because it's an "autoroute" that isn't necessarily the best thing to use with a large bus like this... But I punched it in anyway and reported my findings above... of course, you were typing in your message and posted it before I finished with my post... Oh well. You and James can think what you wish, the simple fact is that my airline ticket is bought, paid for, and is non-refundable. It is a two way ticket just in case something happens and I can't drive it back... but I'm not forseeing an issue. I've never driven a bus like this... So I really don't know what to expect. If you and James want to go with your conspiracy theories, by all means, go ahead. It doesn't change the simple fact that I'm going and what I've reported here regarding the bus itself. I've only told what I've been told... I can't verify its validity until I get back with the bus. -Mac | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A |
Hey guys, maybe the mileage was just a matter of decimal places... not 8.0 MPG, but 0.8 MPG. Just kiddin'! Your fuel bill will be what your fuel bill will be. And it’ll be the least expen$ive part of your new hobby, believe me. Now, lets take it easy on old Mac. Speaking from experience, most of us neophyte busnuts get into this hobby wholly unprepared. If we knew beforehand all of the risks with our purchases, we'd likely never get into the bobby (obsession) in the first place. And anybody that takes on a 60’ arty transit sure ain’t used to conventionality, or "taking the easy road." Old Mac sounds like he has the gumption to do just fine. Happy trails, Mac! BB | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
don't think paranoid is the correct word...I have learned that REALITY is more my kinda word | ||
| Russell Barnes (Neoruss)
Rating: N/A |
Mac, Back in '88 I was living near Kennedy Space center. I wanted an old 544 series Volvo for a project. I found one in NM and I asked the guy selling it if it would make the trip to FL. He said "he'd do it". Well I bought it sight unseen and did just like you are. After taking an all night car-airplane-taxi-Greyhound ride I got to a small crossroad town in NM and called the guy. He drove up in the old '62 with a ding and dent on every panel. After a road test I found it had an engine rattle on decel (later found it was a cam thrust bearing) and the radio didn't work, but it didn't overheat, brakes stopped it and the tires held air. I drove it back, 2200 miles in 4 days after stopping at the closest NAPA store to get a fuse for the radio. I had a few minor problems and I had to adjust the carbs when I got into Texas (must have been the air polution from TD). One of the guys at work lost $20 because he bet with another that it'd never make it. I know that's not a 60' bus, but that's one of the fondest memories of a road trip I've taken. Good luck, have fun, keep safe and tell us all about it when you get home! | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
.............. | ||
| r e phillips Rating: N/A |
mac i wood think twice about geting rid of the seats just a weight thing a lot of wind in iowa have a good trip rep | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
take russell with you ...he can adjust the carb. on your 6v92.... | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
TD, the word "paranoid" came from the accusations that I wasn't actually going to make the trip, that somehow I started this thread just to gain attention, or something. I still haven't quite figured that one out... However, somehow, "reality" didn't seem to be anywhere listed in yours or James' replies... They quite clearly were personal attacks. Russel... That's a good story. I wish I'd been there for the bet, I'd hae done $100 that you'd make it just to be a smartass. ;) R E, unfortunately, in Louisiana, if you have seating for 15 or more people (including the driver), it's considered a commercial transport according to the folks at the DMV.... so I'll just play it "safe" with the DMV and eliminate that part of the equasion entirely and have seating for 5, including the driver, on the trip. I may eventually remove the seats I leave in the joint itself, but for now, I'd like to leave those where they are. At any rate, I'm still needing to know if my route above is the best for what I'm doing. Is there some major construction that would cause an issue that someone is aware of? Are there corners or towns I'd pass through that are simply not navigable with my bus along that route? Am I just intensely dumb for even wanting to attempt this? (don't answer that one)... I still need info. As of 3pm on the 8th, I will lose access to the iNet until I return. How long the trip will take is anyone's guess, even if all goes well. I'm expecting AT LEAST one major hiccup somewhere along the way that will cause delays... but, I'm not working on a tight time schedule. I have the freedom to take a few days, as I am, after today, out of a job. -Mac | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
It's a computerized system... Fuel injected, ya know. -Mac | ||
| DMDave Rating: N/A |
im thinking you might want to keep it on major highways till you get it home. how bout 90/94 to 39 south then either 55 or 57 south to Memphis and bypass the ozarks. whats your final destination? midsouth route is doable in winter just watch the fronts. dave | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Hey Mac... Why don'tcha' check with a trucking or moving company and have them give you a route. They'll direct you around detours and paths not open to oversized or commercial vehicles. | ||
| bowlingshoegiverouter Rating: N/A |
or check with a trucker & he will tell you the same thing Two Dogs told you....I-35 south ...then I-20 east | ||
| Sojourner (Jjimage)
Rating: N/A |
Flyer 60-foot Articulated is interesting challenge to say the least. In extra cold climate, you may plan on frozen brake shoe to drum or whatever else to free up. Check chassis lube…..mainly U-joint and articulating mechanism for adequate supply of grease. Be sure air will bleed from tank drain cock, if not it probably frozen ice inside. If it was mine, I would try to get it in side of warm building for about four hours to be sure all moisture is cleared before driving home. Also while in shop, have them check DD computer code for OK condition to get home. Be sure driver’s heater & defroster, both wipers and mirrors is work in good order. I believe heat from 6-92 is not enough to keep driver warm. Usually it equip with diesel fuel heater to heat water for heat exchanger. So check to see if it need burner cleaning and running. That will use up fuel while driving for mileage. Have several gallon of straight 40 wt CF-2 motor oil on hand. Normal to use ½ gal per 1000 miles. This Flyer maybe less oil consumption then most. About loading onto special long low-boy trailer, bottom r-corner of page 4. http://www.google.com/search?q=prevost+60+foot+bus&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1 Bleed rear air bag and tires to reduce height. Wish you well. Keep us posted. FWIW Sojourn for Christ, Jerry | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
One more thing--block part of the radiator with cardboard, so the engine will run 170-180 degrees. Try not to block the tranny cooler. And expect major drafts from both (all 3?) entry doors. Maybe grab some 2" pipe insulation to stuff in the gaps to minimize the drafts? | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Good suggestions. I'll definitely keep it in mind. I've decided to take 2D's advice and take I35 to Dallas (or a reasonable cutoff) then I20 back into town. I've also confirmed with the DMV that I DO NOT need a trip permit of any kind for Louisiana's requirements. They told me that I only need the bill of sale notarized in Minn and insurance, and that if I get stopped, it'll be sufficient. I also ran across another fellow on another board that did exactly what I suggested could be done... He registered the front and back halves separately. The front is registered as a motorhome, and the back is registered as an RV Trailer.... He's been stopped, but because it's registered this way, there's nothing illegal about it anymore. So, I'll be doing the same thing when I eventually get my conversion ready to go on the road. In the meantime, I'll park it up at the shop until I return from Iraq. I am, of course, assuming my passport application goes through with no hitches! I'll get some foam or something at a local home depot or something up there before I take to the road to block off the doors, and possibly put a plastic curtain across behind the driver's area to make it easier to heat just that small area instead of the whole bus if possible... Either way, I'm getting quite excited! Only a week and a day left before I go get her. By the way, a couple of you know this through personal emails and such, but I've finally decided on a name for this beast. Since she's made by "New Flyer", I've decided the name "Freedom" would be quite fitting... "Freedom Flyer". Especially when it's taken into consideration that Freedom and Liberty are very important to me. Well, I have to go rest. Getting teeth pulled sucks. Especially when it's one of the front teeth. ugh. -Mac | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A |
Hey Mac. Unless you come through at midnight, I'd avoid DFW by taking an alternate route way up north by Gainesville. Traffic in Big-D, esp. down I-35E is atrocious. I grew up there and have been away for about 12 years. I have to go back at least once or twice a year to visit my folks and HATE driving through it. In a 60' arty... Gawd! Now, ChuckMC9 don't you pipe up on my wussiness. When I met you at the bus auction last year and saw you head out in your five-speed 9'er during rush hour on a Friday right into the heart of downtown... well, he's not an ordinary man folks. Major huevos. BB | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
huh? "He registered the front and back halves separately." So the front without the engine is the vehicle and the back with the engine and drivetrain is the trailer? To get separate reggies and titles you'd need different VIDs. How'd he do that? You leave me typeless.. | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Brian, That's what I was talking about with the "reasonable cutoff". A way around the Dallas metro area over to I20. I'll punch your suggestion into the map and see how it looks. Like you, I'd prefer to avoid Dallas completely if possible, but at the same time I need to stick to big roads with this thing. John, I'm not sure how he did it, exactly. I'm trying to get in contact with him to find out exactly the process he went through, but what you describe is exactly what he said he did.... Here's his message: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Allbusconversions/message/64 Here's his thread: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Allbusconversions/message/27 Again, I'm only reporting what's being said by someone else with the same bus as me. If it works for him, it should work for me... I will find a way to do what I wish, no matter what. I'm good at making things work, one way or another. It's just something I have a nak at doing. I know here in Louisiana, I can have a trailer certified and a title issued for it if one doesn't exist for it... That's probably my ticket for this problem... I'm not worried one bit. -Mac | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
I would do 635 east when I hit Dallas...yeah it's a little busy... | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Mac- Clerks are clerks... sometimes they do things that defy gravity.. Usually, motor vehicle law of any state, will state that a trailer (no motor/designed to be towed) cannot be called a motor vehicle, or vice-versa. Sure, a clerk can process the paperwork and sure you'll likely get away with it... maybe forever.. maybe until the registering state finally catches it.. Or some hot-shot wants to make a name for himself ("Lookie what I caught, chief"). (Well.... they -are- supposed to do their job) You're going to be driving an eye-catcher, expect to be questioned. Personally, I'd find out what it takes to title and register it properly and according to the correct procedure and not take chances.. uhhh.... once I'm actually about to use it.... just getting it home... that's different... Just drive... Pray, do a mantra...just get it back.. | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A |
Clerk at Fla DMV tried to give me a license plate for my Hovercraft - I was tempted just to take it for the humor of it - but I explained to her why that would be ridiculous - Florida Statute 320.01(2)(b)(4) states that the 'trailer' can be towed OR COUPLED TO the towing vehicle - Mac I believe you should come to Florida and title the front of your flyer as a non motive trailer and the back of the bus as it is now titled with a shorter length - you would merely put the new license plate for the trailer on the front of the bus - As far as title and registration of the "new" trailer - simply follow the procedure for registering a home built trailer or add a letter to the existing VIN # - THERE APPEARS TO BE NO LAW AGAINST 'PUSHING' YOUR TRAILER - A loophole big enough to drive a 60' artic through - good luck - Niles | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Or just always go backwards... Down here in Flor-Uhh-Duhh you'd fit right in... just leave your left turn indicator on. | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A |
(((((( road sign at georgia border ))))) "YOU HAVE LEFT FLORIDA - YOU CAN TURN OFF YOUR BLINKERS NOW" | ||
| H3 (Ace)
Rating: N/A |
Hey Nilly Vanilly only sign I remember seeing there said "arrive alive" but everyone I see coming down appears to be already dead or close to it! Hey you still got your bus parked where you said? I might be needing some parts soon! Ace | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Rating: N/A |
Niles, Time for an MCI. Ace has already taken the parts he needed. He's just a good sport, worrying you enough so you'll go find what's left before someone else takes some more. Take two of those little blue ones and post in the morning... happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A |
Hell - the last time I saw it - it was up on blocks and somebody had painted Rican graffiti all over it - about the only 'parts' left are some ceiling mirrors and disco lights - but hey - your welcome to them - When your "borrowing" some parts - could you please take a look at my cable-master that won't retract - I look awful funny runnin down the road w/ a 50' extension cord following me - hell - just take that too - BW - aren't the blue ones Viagra? - I already got a swelled head - I could use somethin to STOP THE VOICES though - Niles | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
The blue ones (at least for me) are Hydrocodone. The brand name (Loritab) is usually a bright pink though... So, it doesn't matter if you take the red pill, or the blue pill. It's a trick, they both do the same thing. The only choice you have is no choice at all! Muhahahaha!!! Ok, now that Mr. Twiggy has spoken, let me speak. No!! Not you! Go away! Aren't you supposed to be getting a pathetic bus, anyway? Go away! Um, no, that's 4 days from now... on the 8th, remember? Oh yea. Go away. Hey, I got an idea... go make a 7-Up yours! Hrmph, fine. Alright, now that Mr. Twiggy has left the building... Woot! 4 days until I go to Minnesota! Of course, it'll actually be 5 days before I can see it. I arrive in St. Cloud at 10:30pm... so I'll have to sleep the excitement off and get to work on the thing the next day. But, it's getting closer... and I'm getting excited! So far, with suggestions from various people, I've decided most of my route. I-35 south to Texas, then bypass Dallas (I forget the road, it's in my email), then I-20 east back into town. So far, no one's piped up that's close enough to stop off for a visit, so my trip will otherwise (hopefully) be uneventful. Have to go for now, but I'll be back sometime later.... Keep on Bussin'! -Mac | ||
| H3 (Ace)
Rating: N/A |
Niles, by the way... can I get my blocks back? I need them to install the parts I took off your bus! Ace... on his way to Illinois | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Alright. I'm home. I arrived at 11pm CST Friday Night 3/11/2005.... and do I have some stories. First, I think I can now officially be called a NUT. Not your average, everyday Bus Nut... no, a CERTIFIED *NUT*. As in, just plain insane. I travelled in this thing from Raymond, MN to Bossier City, LA... About 1300 miles. I blew by all but one weigh station that flashed that I was required to pull through. It was actually the very last station on my route, coming into Louisiana and was a "Weigh in Motion"... I fully expected sirens to go off and lights to flash and be stopped... But.... nothing so interesting, or scary. The officer waved me through, the lights said "Pull Ahead", so I did as told and was on my way with only a couple of minutes inconvenience. Anyway, I've gotten way ahead of myself... Let me start back on the 8th. The night I arrived. I arrived at just before 11pm, got my bags, loaded up in the car... and Rich (that's his name) said that the hospital called and scheduled his dad for a medical appointment the next morning. This kindof interfered with the plans to get the bus going and everything... So... What do we do? We go to the bus! The plan was, to start her up, travel to his place and plug in a heater or two and sleep in the bus so that I could get an early start on pulling the seats, 'cuz I figured to be up at the crack 'o dawn... What are plans good for, anyway? I can tell you. They're good for making sure the PLAN fails... utterly. He showed me the switches and controls in the engine compartment... he didn't know much more than how to start it, check the oil/tranny fluid, and move it. That's it. That's all he knew. So.. He flips the switch to REAR run, hits START.... Click. Nothing more. Click. Click. Fine... so he starts up this MC7 he had just bought, pulls it alongside and throws the jumper cables underneath and hooks up, lets his bus idle for 5 minutes or so... Hit start... CLICK. CLICK. Nothing more, she said! At this time, we'd already been screwing around with it for 30 to 45 minutes... so, he gets the idea that maybe the oil is too cold... Hey, it is only like 12 degrees out... so, hey... could be. But, how to heat the system up without a block heater? Well, turns out, my bus has this REALLY NIFTY thing called a Booster Heater... Basically, an inline water heater that's diesel fired! How sweet is that? Only catch is, that it still requires battery juice. So... we're jumped over to his bus anyway... no problem... He hits the booster and we wait for 15 to 20 minutes... 120 degrees finally registers on the thermo. Hit start... CLICK. CLICK. Nothing more! He was at a loss, and I didn't even know what I was looking at... So I say, "Well, maybe it's just not quite warm enough. Let's give it a few more minutes..." By this time, it's like 2am... we're both tired, but I'll be damned if I'm going to sleep in a bus in the middle of a farm field with no transportation, no cell phone reception, and no heat!! The only other alternative was to go back to town and get a room for the next 2 days... 'cuz the next day was already shot! So... We wait a little while more... finally, 160 degrees registers... He hits start... She pufs, she gags... she pufs again... then.... with a ROAR and an ear deafening SCREAM, she comes to life! What's that screaming sound? Sounds like a belt... He can't see anything, so I poke my head under there... about this time, she dies. We try to start it again.... nothing. Not even the familiar (by now) CLICK! Ok... now what? Cycle to off... Perform the patented "Motor Stare Repair", or MSR as some have come to call it.... hit to REAR run again... START... LIFE! SCREAMS again!... WTF?! I stick my head under there and finally see what's screaming... Under this REALLY BIG cover with a bunch of belts (one of them being like an inch and a half wide going to the AC compressor)... the INNER belt is the one screaming... going to what LOOKS like an industrial strength alternator... But the pully isn't moving, and the belt is just screaming by it... I kill the engine... Well, the batteries are both depleted to the point there's no way the bus is going ANYWHERE without that alternator... But we figure, what the hell... He suggests cutting the belt... I say NAY!! Loosen the alternator I say.... So I proceed to removing the cover... 4 bolts and it's off! That was easy... Now, loosen the two bolts holding the alternator in place, pry it free of the belt, but not so far the belt slips off... REAR run switch, START... ROAR! And no more screaming! Cool! Sit and watch, wait and listen for a little bit to see what she does... 45 seconds or so after she roared to life, she stopped again with a deafening SILENCE.... Why? What's the problem now? There's power to the batteries... shouldn't be an issue, it's drawing from the other bus. The coolant is up to 200 degrees or so now with the booster heater running... So, what gives? I go up to the front, 60 feet away and flash the lights for him to start it again to see what clues the dash might give... Start, life, BUZZZZZ........ The dash is buzzing, lights are blinking, things are going absolutely HAYWIRE.... But particularily... The CHECK ENGINE, STOP ENGINE, and NO GEN (#2) lights are lit. Ok, so... definitely need the alternator to run anywhere at all... So, he goes and sits in the car, I work on trying to free up the frozen alternator... no luck... frozen as stiff as a dead body buried below the frost line in Alaska! I smack it a couple of times (thinking it might be like the jackass and 2x4 story)... Nope, not budging. Not one hair! Alright, this is somewhat DEPRESSING. Aggrivating, angering and a few other descriptions... but, not a complete loss. Run back to the car to warm up... it is below freezing after all, and no other source of heat is available... and my toes and fingers are numb... even though I came prepared (or so I thought). It's been a while since I've been to Minnesota in March! Ok... warmed back up... Back to the bus... he stays in the car because he doesn't know what to do... Hell, neither do I, but the MSR seems to work for many others, so I try it a little more, staring very hard at the pully on that alternator! I grab the wrench again and this time, I beat the WRENCH with a CROWBAR in a CLOCKWISE direction... and tighten the nut on the alternator's spindle. Well, that wasn't very useful.... So, about this time, Rich comes up and says to me that he has to be up at 6am or so to take his dad to the hospital 4 hours away for a 10am appointment... I say, OK... I'm about ready to give up, but ask if I can have another 5 to 10 minutes to make something happen.... He conceeds and says OK. If I can make something happen, then we'll stay longer.... So... What do I do.... What to do? I already tried everything I can think of... But WAIT... There's one thing I didn't try on that alternator... I didn't try to just WIGGLE it!! Back to the bus... Wrench in hand... Wiggle back and forth... nothing. Not a hair again... Harder, perhaps? Was that movement I saw? And with all my strength, I got it to move about 1/16 of a turn.... in both directions... Well, is this good, or bad? Did I just toast the alternator beyond even rebuilding it? Hell with it, I don't have any choice now. It's do or die! Pull harder one direction... more movement... back the other way... I now have a full 1/4 free rotation! I worked it for about another 5 minutes or so and finally had FULL rotation, although it felt dragged... but the magnetic field on that thing all of a sudden wanted to rip the wrench out of my hand every time I shifted it to a new position! That has to be a good thing, right? I don't hear grinding of any kind when it turns... Can't turn it by hand though, gotta use the wrench... So, I tell Rich I freed up the alternator and need his help tightening the belt... he does as asked and holds the prybar in place while I tighten the bolts... We hope for the best and he hits START... Click. WTF?! Off for 5 seconds, REAR RUN..... Start... LIFE!!!! No screaming! Hey, this could actually work! Up to the front... 60 feet away... The walk is a trecherous one... the past few days haven't been kind to the snow, and the snow wasn't going to be kind to us! The "snow" had a 1/4" shell of ice coating it... I had been careful up to this point, to not slip and fall... But, in my excitement... what do I do? I slip, fall, bust my ass and limp for about an hour... No big deal, I've done it before... It hurt, but I felt good about getting the alternator fixed, without even removing it! So... We go back up front, he explains (to the best of his knowledge) what everything is, what it does and how it works. He can't really do anything but explain at this point... there was no air pressure yet. So... I play the 100 questions game while we're waiting for the compressor to do its job... and he makes the comment that we should soon be off the ground... The air suspension had fully depleted while it had sat, thus setting the entire bus on the ground.... So... I step out for a moment to look things over, there's 80psi showing on the front and middle gauges... the rear is only showing 40psi... no real biggie, they air up independently, right? He says that the suspension should be just about aired up at this point.... Which is why I stepped out.... Nothing. No change. He says that it's been sitting a little while, and it's below freezing... could take full pressure to finally release everything... 100psi shows on the front and middle gauges... finally, the front and middle pop free and the entire front section of the bus raises up off the ground... What a sight!! But... the rear only shows 70psi... and it's still dragging ass on the ground back there.... 100psi..... 110psi.... 120psi, and the POP-HISS of the release valve can be heard in the back... But we're still on the ground. Bummer. We had come so far... We're in the middle of a field... with ruts... there's no way that bus was going to get out of the field undamaged with the ass dragging the ground... So, he reminds me again that he needs to get some sleep... I say, "Gimme 5 more minutes to make something happen?" He just grins and says "OK." What do I do now?! I know nothing about air suspension... it's quite OBVIOUSLY frozen... What do I possibly hope to accomplish in 5 minutes? Well, I modified the MSR to be a WSR. Wheel Stare Repair, that is... While the suspension isn't technically part of the wheel itself... I can't actually SEE the suspension, and I know it lies somewhere behind that HUGE tire.... I stare at it a good minute, figuring that's enough time... I go back up to the front and just for the hell of it.... I pull the parking brake, and put her in drive.... A *VERY LIGHT* "bump" can be felt... Hmm, interesting... Step on the fuel pedal... Absolutely NO MOVEMENT. Nothing! Just that little "bump" feeling when I really goose it... So, I rock it a little... finally "PSHHHHHHHHH"... I'm thinking, "What the hell was that?!" I step outside... and MAGICALLY, the rear end was now up off the ground!! I'm thinking to myself... "Wow! This 'STARE REPAIR' crap REALLY works!!" But you all know better, don't you... You're thinking that I'm just one lucky bastard... and you're probably right! But... I'm telling only what happend! Now... I figure, hey... we're all aired up... no buzzers... no warning lights... everything looks and sounds like (at least *I* think) it should... So, I hop back in, throw her in drive, pull the parking brake, hit the gas and.... nothing. Just that damn "bump" sensation again. By this time, Rich comes up and tells me the rear end finally aired up... I just grinned and said "Yea, I know... but she won't budge!" He hops in the hot-seat and give it a whirl, asking me to watch the wheels... He gasses it, the back tire just strains... but doesn't move... he tries going back and forth between drive and reverse... finally, the CHECK TRANS light flashes on, the CHECK ENGINE light comes on, and the STOP light flashes... 30 seconds later... silence. So... I tell him I'd like to give it another shot... Now, I need to remind you that this is a farm... so, there's a HUGE tractor nearby that he and his father had just used that very day to free up his own stuck MC7 from the ice... I ask him if he could bring it around and hook up to the tow loops on the front of the bus... He looks at me a little funny and says "Huh?" I take him around front and show him what I'm talking about... he didn't even realize the thing HAD tow loops... His MC7 is all fiberglass... Apparently, a major structural member runs in the front of my bus that these loops are tied into... very sturdy things! So, he goes and starts the tractor up, I restart the engine and instead of using his method (which obviously REALLY freaked the computer out), I just used the "rocking" method... step on the pedal, wait for the "bump", back off and repeat... slowly gaining momentum in the rocking motion and giving a little more pedal with each rocking motion.... FINALLY... the back tires break loose.. and spin. That's only 4 of the 10 tires! 6 tires remain frozen to the ground! I try to rock it more... nothing. It won't break free... I try this for another 10 minutes or so, and finally start wondering where that tractor was at... I get out and go find him... he's going forward and backwards in the tractor.. it moves fine... I holler at him and ask him what's wrong... he hollers back (it's a diesel tractor, and very loud) that he can't turn the wheels! He showed me... He could literally SPIN the steering wheel and it turned freely, with absolutely no movement from the wheels! He said the steering is hydraulic, and not mechanical... and that it'd have to warm up before it would work... so, I go back to the bus to basically goof off for another 20 minutes or so and he finally comes around with the tractor. He hooks up this strap through one of the eyebolts and ties it down with a pin to the tractor... I tell him that it doesn't look right, and it doesn't feel right... he said that this was how he got his MC7 unstuck... I figure, hey... he's worked this thing before, he knows what he's doing, right? So... he asks me to put it in drive, and give it fuel when he pulls out the slack and begins pulling... He gets the slack out, I step on the pedal... and we JUST begin to move when... can you guess? Can you see it coming? I sure did. It was heading right for my windshield! The pin had pulled free of the tractor's hitch... with quite a bit of pressure flinging it towards my new-2-me bus.... It's funny how you see these things in slow motion as they happen... When you KNOW something REALLY BAD is about to happen, and you can WATCH it happen, and CAN'T DO A DAMN THING ABOUT IT! So, I see it's at least not heading for ME sitting in the hot-seat... so, I duck and close my eyes.... THWACK!!!! But... no glass... No sounds of glass! I'm thinking, "Did I really get THAT lucky?"... I slowly head out to survey the damage... Neglecting to engage the parking brake or put it back in neutral... (yea, I know... I know better... but it's frozen in place, and I wasn't really thinking clearly at this point). The tow strap is hanging from one of the top marker lights... the pin dangling on the end of it... It hit hard, but... no visible mark of WHERE it hit. It's a flat nose, with only about 6 inches of strip on the top that isn't glass... and there's not a mark to be seen! I got really lucky. At this point, Rich is pointing that fact out to me. So, I make a suggestion, a change in the design of how he was hooking up... I tell him the best way to do this and make sure the pin doesn't EVER come free again is to loop it over the bar, back underneath, and THEN pin it... that way the actual pulling pressure is AWAY and DOWN from the object you're trying to pull... He says... "It's not my strap. It's my dad's. I can't afford to replace it if it breaks." I ask him how long he wants to be out here, because at this point, we aren't leaving without the bus, which is running and ABLE to move if it were just free of the ice! About this time, I hear a buzzer.... then the engine dies... Well, Rich had moved his bus in preparation to pull mine free... but... fortunately, he left the jumper cable in place.... he maneuvers his bus back into position, hooks up and I restart Freedom... (that's what I've named my bus. ) I could only figure (at the time) that leaving it in drive without the parking brake and exiting the bus must have somehow caused it to stop... (I was, of course, wrong... as will be told later in the story)... She pops off like she didn't miss a beat... By the way, did I mention that there is ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKE WHATSOEVER from the exhaust stack? I'm thoroughly impressed. I expected at LEAST a little smoke... but nope, not a puff except RIGHT before she pops off... a little bit of white, but as soon as she fires off... no smoke. Not even cold. Not even on accelleration or decelleration... nothing. Anyway, he leaves his bus connected up... and we go back up to the front of Freedom... I again suggest that the only way we're going to avoid ruining a perfectly good windshield (as we've used up our one and only "Don't Call Acme Glass Yet" card), is to follow my method of securing the tow rope... It's simple, logical... and the basic mechanical stuff behind my idea is sound.... it's the only way with what we had available to us. He says again he can't buy another strap if it breaks... I say, "Look, we aren't leaving until she's free or the tow loop breaks. If the strap breaks, I'll BUY ANOTHER ONE MYSELF to replace it." Hell, I had the money with me! No problem! With that, he hooks it up as I suggested, got in the tractor, took up the slack, I put her in drive and gave her a bit of gas... and with a grunt from the tractor and a roar from the bus... she broke loose!! FREE AT LAST! And, with that, I told him that since I didn't know the limits of the turning capabilities of the thing yet, and there were other vehicles to avoid... I'd prefer that he get her out and pointed in the right direction... I'd take over after that... He did, and I drove my bus to his house that night. He brought out a heater and an extension cord and I slept in the bus that night to start work on the seats in the morning without disturbing him and his family. I shut everything down and hit the knife switches to disconnect the batteries, then went to "bed". In the morning... I was FREEZING as soon as I got out of the sleeping bag... Sheesh! Good thing I got a 0 degree mummy sleeping bag! I'd have been in trouble otherwise! So, I go hook up the batteries, fully expecting that there wouldn't be enough charge to fire her off... I was pleasantly surprised. I hit START and she fired off with only a hiccup from the outside temperature. After that, I turned it on for FRONT run, turned on the booster heat and fast idle... Then turned on the heating system and front heater and within 30 minutes, everything was up to temperature, air pressure was up, inside was warm and toasty... by this time, it was about 9am or so... Rich had said just before he went in that since it was about 4am when we got done, and he'd only have gotten about 2, maybe 3 hours of sleep that he was going to reschedule his father's appointment... 4 hours of driving on 2 to 3 hours sleep is no fun... and that's apparently one way.... So... he said if he was still there by 9am, that he'd go up and get the paperwork done with me so that would at least be done. After spending one night in 8 degree weather... I decided removing the seats before moving the bus anywhere was just silly... So, he showed me what he had... a signed title from the Minneapolis Metro Transit Authority... his name wasn't even on it! It's a fresh assignable title! Apparently, MN also doesn't require notarization of this particular type of title either... so there was really, truly, nothing more to do! I took the papers, asked where the nearest fuel station was and headed out within an hour! When I fueled up, I asked for directions to I35 from where I was, the lady told me how to get where I wanted (she was very nice) and I wrote down the mileage shown on the odometer.... When I finally got to I35, I stopped at a truck stop, fueled up, calculated my MPG... and arrived at a figure of about 10.3 miles to the gallon! I could hardly believe it! I felt like I was king of Detroit Mountain! But you all know that there's more to that story... don't ya! I had to have written the first number down wrong... the rest of the trip averaged slightly (only slightly) above 5mpg. Right where you all predicted it would! At least I planned for 5mpg @ 1300 miles... if I'd have planned for the original 8mpg Rich estimated, I'd have been in spot trouble. So... toodling down the road, in my 60 foot beast named Freedom... I learn the limitations of my new-found friend. 60mph TOPS, and that's on a level highway or downgrade. An upgrade will always bring me down... the worst one I hit brought me down to 40mph. That happened a couple of times... Most of the time I was able to sustain 50mph, sometimes I'd hit 45mph... but not OFTEN... 50mph was typical on most hills/grades... I also discover that (it seems) I've only got about 6 inches to spare on either side of me on a normal laned road. I'm sure it's more like a foot on each side of me, but maneuvering that beast it FEELS like 6 inches. Anyway... I rest halfway through Iowa... I sleep the night, get up, check fluids and such (I'd fueled up before going to sleep) Then get under way... Then... A buzzer comes on. I look down, and the "LOW PRES" light has lit on the Artic Joint section of the panel... But the "DAMPING ON" light is on... and the "DAMPING FAIL" light is off... Damping is obviously working, because it just FEELS like it should. It doesn't get all wobbly when going around corners and such like it does (a little) when damping is off... So, I figure... has to be a sensor glitch. So, I snip the wire going to the buzzer, 'cuz I just can't take it... (Incidentally, the light never turned off again, and remains on, even now)... And, I choose to ignore it for now, because I have bigger issues... like getting home without wrecking this thing and possibly killing people if they're in the wrong place at the wrong time! Ok... I get to Oklahoma City, just north of it I stop in to a Flying J (I think). I fuel up, top off the fluids (same routine as the night before)... Everything else seems just fine. I go to bed and wake up cold again (but only after I get out of the sleeping bag)... I run around, start everything up... I also notice that the batteries are holding a better charge overnight... That's a good thing.... I start her up, get up to the front... BUZZZZZZZZZ...... CHECK ENGINE, STOP ENGINE, LOW OIL. WTF?! I just topped the oil off last night! About the time I think that, she dies.... I turn the switches to OFF. You know what this calls for, right? The MSR! I go back, stare at the engine... and about the time I think I've fixed it, THWAK! The engine door support breaks and the door smacks me quite plainly on the top of my head... leaving a nice open bleeding gash. Several four letter words are exchanged between Freedom's door and myself... All from me, the door took it like a champ! So, I go get the pry bar and jam the door open... which now hangs slightly lower due to the altered position of the new "support".... I check the fluids again... everything's good. I start her up... run to the front... BUZZZZZz... shutdown... I do this a couple of times, finally... the LOW OIL light quit coming on, but still CHECK and STOP are lighting up.. WTF? Time for another round of MSR! I go back... I stare at this thing for a good 5 solid minutes... Restart it... and whaddya know? No more buzzing. No more CHECK and STOP lights... Wow, staring REALLY DOES work! Of course, you ALL know better... and you ALL know it's going to bite me in the ass eventually... and probably soon. Well, you'd be right. An hour down the road, 30 miles from ANYTHING... CHECK and STOP come on again... Going down the highway at 60mph... I have enough time to pull completely off the road in a nice area where I'm reasonably well protected from people that casually cross the shoulder line. So, I call the guy I bought it from asking where all the fluid reservoirs are at and stuff, and he only knows how to check the tranny, engine and coolant levels... nothing else. Nothing electronic. Nothing else about the bus... He never explored it after his partner screwed up thei plans for the bus. Anyway... I have a power steering leak... a minor one, but still a leak... I didn't notice it until the stop before the OKC stop. I figured it was tied into the transmission fluid reserve, since it looks like the same fluid (the transmission and power steering have been converted to 10w30 motor oil).... The reason I thought they might be tied together is that the tranny fluid slowly lowers... Turns out, I just have a small tranny leak, a small power steering leak, and the typical DD "leaks like a bitch" leaks.... I found a black canister in the engine compartment that had a fill gauge on it... but nothing showing on the stick... no idea what this canister was... so I called Rich back... he got on the net and found the numbers for New Flyer for me. I also called a friend of the family that's a trucker... I figured if anyone could help me, or tell me who to call for help, it'd be him... so, he gave me the number of a tech buddy of his, who gave me the number to the local DD service center... I pulled the codes from the computer (I'll have to give those some other time, I don't have the exact codes in front of me).... And it turns out that THREE of the SEVEN codes I was being given were "STOP ENGINE" critical events. One was LOW TPS, which is the foot pedal throttle control, or "Throttle Position Sensor", it's not like you think of a car's TPS, where it's under the hood... it's actualy the pedal! I was amazed when he told me where it was... I asked him how I could determine if that was the active fault... he said I wouldn't have throttle control... Well, I did... so that ruled that one out. The next showstopper code was something to do with the engine timing... an SRS code of some kind... he said that the engine simply wouldn't start if that was the active code. Well... it started and ran beautifully for 40 seconds or so... So, that ruled that code out as being inactive. The third and final code was LOW COOLANT... But I'd already checked that... And it was above the sensor.. Hell, I went ahead and put another gallon in to top it off right to the fill neck.... So that couldn't POSSIBLY be it, could it? I asked him how I could check it... he said, replace the sensor, or bring it into the shop for a diagnostic. I told him that I was 30 miles from anything, and having it towed was out of the question. So, I asked him if there was any way to "fool" the computer into thinking the sensor was fine, and just bypass it... He asked what the computer was, I told him it was a DDEC-II. He said that bypassing the sensor wasn't possible on the DDEC-II system. I just thought to myself "yea right, whatever dude.".... So, I got all the info I could out of him... I turned around and called New Flyer. The guy I talked to there was VERY helpful. I told him all the codes I was getting, and he confirmed what the other guy had said about WHAT the codes were... but that it sounded like the coolant level sensor had gone bad... He said it's VERY common on these DDEC-II systems for the sensor itself to go haywire and report incorrect information... I told him that the other tech had said it couldn't be bypassed... This guy said "Of course it can, in fact we recommend that it be bypassed because of the failure frequency."!!! He told me to snip the wires and cross them... but be careful not to allow them to touch anything until I had taped it up... So I did... I started the engine back up... and... BUZZZzzz.... CHECK/STOP... Awww, man! Not this AGAIN! So, I got to looking at the sensor... One of the leads was grounded to the reservoir tank itself... I checked continuity between the tank and chassis... it was solid... so there was a full ground... And since the wires were supposed to be crossed together, that could only mean that BOTH wires were grounded when the sensor was properly working since it's a "normally closed" sensor circuit... So, I rigged up a temporary ground and started the engine... no buzz. no CHECK. no STOP. BINGO. Turned everything off, and wired in a permanent fix for the problem... and drove to Dallas. I took I-35s to I-35e, then I-35e to I-635e. I hit 635 at almost exactly 5pm. Six lanes of road. Me in the middle lane, because the inside two lanes seem to always end "soon"... then reappear from merging roads... So, it was just easier to stay in the middle lane. Bumper to bumper, and if I let a gap appear in front of me, it was quite quickly filled with another idiot that thinks you (being in a 60 foot bus, that's obviously VERY heavy) can stop as quickly as they can. 60 miles an hour. Middle lane. Bumper to bumper. 5 o'clock. I'm just glad I had two days beforehand to figure out where my outside limitations were, otherwise a lot of people would be making insurance claims against me right now! I actually think I handled it very well. I was able to keep within my space and not cross over into someone elses. It was very physically taxing though... I don't understand how anyone can do that for a LIVING on a DAILY basis... but I suppose it's different when you do it EVERY day.... Anyway... I finally swung around to Hwy 80 east, then down to I-20 and back home with no further incident except the weigh station when I talked about at the begining of this saga... All in all, the trip went well. The bus made it home. Oh yea... I forgot to mention. While I had the New Flyer tech on the phone, I asked him about the artic low pressure warning... he directed me to a service panel where a pressure gauge did, indeed, show zero pressure. He said I'd need to take it to someone who dealt with T15 type oil and nitrogen pressurization systems. Fun. I think things will turn out just fine though. It was actually quite a fun travel experience! I enjoyed it greatly, except for when I wasted 5 hours on the side of the road trying to figure out why I was getting the CHECK/STOP lights and it was just a damn sensor... That's why I hate computer controlled anything!! Well, there you have it. My story... I left out a couple more thumps to the head though... all in all, I have 4 battle wounds to the top of my head... all bleeders, and at least two of them will scar. What a tale to tell to the grandkids later in life!! Cheers! -Mac | ||
| Don/TX
Rating: N/A |
Thanks for sharing all that, now you can be officially called a busnut. | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
Rating: N/A |
And I think I can truthfully say that you have more guts than 99.9% of us. LOL Congratulations! Richard | ||
| Robert Wood (Bobwoodsocal)
Rating: N/A |
No doubt, Kevin, you are a madman! Welcome to the insanity. Glad you made it home safe. Bob | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
*Wow* It's official, Mac. Your "Bus Nut of The Year" award is in the mail! | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Aww, c'mon now. I don't think I really did anything more than any of you would have done. But it does feel good to officially be part of the community now. And some of you doubted me. Psh. ;) Today is R&R day. Tomorrow, the insanity continues. I still need to get BOTH of my beasts up to storage before I leave for Iraq. Still waiting on my passport though, so that still may not happen... Which would REALLY suck. We'll see. Cheers! -Mac | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the blow-by-blow details, Mac. Very entertaining reading. You got some huevos, nodoubtaboutit. I'm almost hoping you don't get to go to Iraq, because I want to hear about your progress on the 60 footer. Plus, it's like dangerous over there, right? Of course, anyone that can pull a 60' arty outta the ice and drive it nearly 1500 miles in the dead of winter can probably survive... just about anything! Hang tough! Brian Brown PD4106-1175 Longmont, CO | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Brian.... Well, the problem is this... I bought the bus because I had a decent job and could afford to work on it over a couple of years and have what I wanted... But... that all changed in February... the 28th was my last day. The contract was cancelled... :/ So... The job market where I am is pretty much nixed. If I don't go to Iraq, the conversion will be excruciatingly slow, and definitely NOT up to snuff with the way I want it done. On the other hand, if I go to Iraq... the conversion will be a blast 'cuz I'll have the $$ to do it RIGHT, and not have to redo it later down the road (no pun intended ).. But yea... it's dangerous over there. The base I'll be trying to get to gets shelled an average of 6 times a day, but never the civilian areas... And not really close enough to worry much as long as we stay in the places we should be in... In other words, don't do like my best friend did and drive a forklift out onto the shooting range! Hah! (Yes, he really did that!) But don't worry, I'll be back if I go. I have no intention of letting this beast go unfinished!! I've been waiting for this for a long time... And now that I have it, it's one project that isn't going to go unfinished if I have anything to say about it! I'm also considering buying another one or two of these things when I get back for business ventures... but that's another story. ;) Cheers! -Mac | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
Good story. And I have to ask: regarding the forklift incident...am I right in suspecting that alcohol was involved? | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
"I'm also considering buying another one or two of these things when I get back " OK. That does it. You -are- nuts. | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Johnny... Nope. No alcohol or drugs of any kind involved... Just a lack of understanding directions on his part on how to get to where he was supposed to be. He's the kind of guy that, if he doesn't immediately see the path he's supposed to follow to get from point A to point B, and he's in a vehicle big enough to MAKE a path... well, he makes the path... heh. He just chose the wrong place to make it! --- Jtng.... Certifiable. ;) I like my arty... She's a beautiful piece of machinery... Not to mention a GREAT ice breaker. I've had more comments from people about this thing, both on the trip down and since I arrived back home... It's just the neatest damn thing I've ever owned! It sure beats the hell out of anything you can buy off the lot at ANY car dealership! Which reminds me... Just for the hell of it, when I take her up to storage, I'm seriously considering taking it up to get it inspected... See, the nearest state approved inspection station just happens to be a new car dealership... Wonder what they'll do when I pull 60 feet of pure muscle up next to their puny tin cans and tell them I want a sticker!! HAHAHA! Cheers! -Mac | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
"Not to mention a GREAT ice breaker" Yeah. The ultimate pick-up machine! "Hey baby, wanna' go for a ride?" The mother of all SUVs parked in a car lot? Hell man, it -is- the car lot. I was thinking Mac, when you're all finished converting it, you oughta' pull a trailer full of dirt and a swing set behind it as a "back yard" for the kids... (HAR HAR) On a more serious note: I, like most others here, really wish you'd find a job right here in the states. Money ain't everything... Sometimes, it's not the danger as much as it's the time away, that's of more concern. Stay well. | ||
| David Dulmage (Daved)
Rating: N/A |
When I bought my bus, it was the dealer who arranged for the trip permits. I had to have a number of them because they had a short expiration date, not long enough to cover crossing the continent. FWIW DaveD | ||
| Vin (Billybonz)
Rating: N/A |
Mac, aways good to see a happy ending for a BusNut getting home with his rig. I'd have to say you beat all the odds on that trip. While I'm glad my first trip home was only 40 miles and uneventful, you have a great story to start your jouney and a happy ending to boot. What a long strange trip, in deed. Let "Freedom" ring!!!! Bones | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Jtng... You're right, of course. But I wonder if Social Services might get a little upset with the playground idea. I can just see a bunch of kids jumping up there while I'm at stopped at a school crossing at the time school's just getting out! But, I have to admit... My reasons for going to Iraq aren't completely selfish... I need a good lawyer for my wife. She was convicted in 2001 of a murder she did not commit... And the court appointed lawyers have done nothing but make the situation worse. The kind of lawyer she needs isn't your average every day garden variety fresh out of Harvard... She needs one experienced... Experience costs money... Money is something that is in extremely short supply. The lawyers I've talked to so far want $25,000 just to start work on the case, and estimate the cost to be around $100,000 to get everything to the point where she's got a fresh trial. So... You see... The bus really isn't the first priority. Getting my family back is. I bought the bus because I know when I get back from Iraq, I'm going to need to remain relatively bill-less. Having a motorhome will help with that tremendously. Having one as BIG as this thing is will help even more. The trial was rigged. The jury was tainted. The cops involved are dirty, and the guy that really did the killing is in jail, but set her up to take the fall. He just screwed up and neglected to take care of HIS evidence... Funny thing is, the only evidence against my wife was heresy. No physical evidence. Just some friends of the guys' saying they overheard him and her talking about killing him. Heresy isn't supposed to even be allowed into evidence in a capital case... The judge was also highly inexperienced in murder trial proceedings. Being a "judge" is a "part time thing" for her. Once I get my wife out of that hellhole.... We can work on getting the kids back. As I tell my wife.... Things always work out one way or another. Not necessarily the way you think they should, but they always work out. ---- David... Unfortunately, mine wasn't bought from a dealer... so I just had to take the chance and just travel with the hopes I wouldn't be noticed... despite the fact you can pick me out on the 635 in rush hour traffic in Dallas from two miles away!! ---- Vin.... ya. I think I got pretty lucky. Probably luckier than I should have, but I'm not going to complain one bit! Definitely, strange. But, absolutely FUN! I'd do it again in a heartbeat! -Mac | ||
| Sojourner (Jjimage)
Rating: N/A |
Great story and writer! LOL...enjoy reading the adventure. If your children ever want to know what it take to have guts getting anything going & learning. Just tell your story about trade-mark on your forehead. Hope everything go well while in Irag. Take care. Need of practical mind thinker are far few. You are a BUS NUTS without a doubt! Sojourn for Christ, Jerry | ||
| jimmci9 #2 Rating: N/A |
there's a song in this escapade somewhere.... everybody hum the tune to the "beverly hillbillies".... where's capt. ron when you need him???? | ||
| MN Bus Rating: N/A |
Kevin Thanks for sending me the link to your post(s)... you had an amazing experience. And I'm so very glad I was able to sell you a solid bus. Other than some minor sensor SNAFU's, I'm glad you made it home with nothing more than a bump or two (or three... or four) on the head and perhaps more knowledge gained from experience than any board could ever convey. I hope you have realized that I would never let you (or anyone) leave my home with something less than a great machine. To all those wondering, yes, his tale about his Minne-snow-ta portion of the experience (except for some minor details) is true, as I remember the dreadfully and seemingly arctic event. I can barely believe it myself. Also, thanks for not sending me a gag email like the fellows from SoCal who bought the 91 Gillig from me last summer... (I told you about that). Good luck and be safe in Iraq. Rich (mnbus) | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Jerry... I think if more people just got off their duffs and DID something more often, then more things in life would get done and people would be, overall, happier. I've sat on my tukuss for 30 years... I'm tired of sitting! ---- Jim... a hillbilly song? Somehow, that just doesn't seem to fit.. :p ---- Rich... Hehehe... Well, Rich... I figured after having called you on the phone in a panic a few times (and it being TRUE), I'd save ya from the torture of the gag mail... although, I did THINK about it... I just thought better against it. ;) Yes, the bus is solid... It's going to make a GREAT project. I'm looking forward to finally getting started on it, but I'm afraid that's a ways down the line. If my passport application gets pushed through, I'm going to be gone for at least a year, likely two to five... I'm leaning towards doing a three year stint, then coming back for a year then going back for another year or so... I just don't know what's going to happen yet! Hopefully soon. I have two weeks to get both of my buses loaded up and in storage before my insurance runs out on them... Without a job, I haven't the $$ to renew it. Ah well... one thing at a time! At least they'll only be about 8 miles or so away if I end up not going to Iraq! Cheers! -Mac | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Hey guys and gals! Just a quick update to my story. Last week, a "squeeky wheel" in the so-called "neighborhood" I live in decided they didn't like my bus... so, what's this igmo do? Calls the cops. Since I had just gotten the bus, I hadn't done anything with paperwork yet. Hell, since I'm going to Iraq (planning on, anyway), I hadn't even planned to get the paperwork DONE until I returned... I needed the money for other things. Anyway... the cops come out and put a sticker on my beauty that says I have 10 days to get it out of the city limits, or get it registered and inspected. So, just to piss off the squeeky wheel... Today, I went up to the DMV, registered it (and retitled it as a motorhome without so much as a weight certificate or pictures of a converted interior!!) and got it inspected. It's now "legal", and is now parked in my front yard for the squeeker to see and get REALLY pissed about. I'm a typically vindictive person... If someone rubs their nose in my business when they don't have any reason to... I make sure the pile stinks really good for them next time. It was funny though.... The nearest inspection station I could fit this monster into is actually a local car dealership. The eyeballs popping when I pulled into their little parking lot was just FUNNY. When I walked up to the lady and said I need it inspected, she said they don't inspect that kind of vehicle... I asked her why she couldn't inspect it... she said she can't inspect anything that would require a DOT sticker... I asked why it would require that, she said it's a commercial vehicle and has to go through the DOT inspectors... I corrected her and pulled out the registration and showed her it's not a commercial vehicle, and in fact, is registered as a motorhome.... She agreed without much of a fuss... and just put the sticker on the windshield without so much as turning a blinker on. She stepped in and I swear her jaw dropped when she saw the cockpit in this thing. :D Many of the sales people in the lot had to come over for a look-see too. It was quite amusing. Few of them had ever seen one... NONE of them have ever seen one in this area before... I had a good day today. :D And tomorrow, the squeeky wheel won't be so squeeky. Cheers! -Mac | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Another little update. Yesterday, I decided to take the bus up to the hydraulics shop and get the low pressure problem in the articulation system checked out. Turns out that my accumulator tank was bone empty. Should have a charge of 145psi of nitrogen... The shop didn't have the proper fitting to fill the tank and offered to pull it, drill the old fitting out, tap a new one in, fill it AND put it back in for $75. I went ahead and did it, just to have a "standardized" fitting on it instead of the proprietary New Flyer fitting. But, we were missing the service instructions for the oil side of the equasion... so, I have to go back again today to get that part of the system pressurized properly. I'm sitting here right now waiting for the fax from New Flyer to come in with the service pages. They're quite helpful to private owners... They're willing to fax you any section of the manual you need for free, or give you a complete copy of the SM for $200. Not bad. So... hopefully, by this afternoon, I'll have a fully pressurized and properly working articulation again! Woot! What's funny is... even with no pressure in the system... it's still not failing. It's still working... Maybe there's JUST ENOUGH pressure to still get something out of it... I don't know, but I'll be glad when the dummy light goes away and my gauge reads something again. Cheers! -Mac | ||
| Don/TX
Rating: N/A |
Damn! You are MY kind of guy. I had a similar type thing, they tried to run me off claiming the area I lived in "was not zoned for buses". Having worn a badge a few years myself, I said just give me a ticket! Seems they could not find the ordinance I was accused of violating, there is no such thing as "zoned for buses". Stuck my tounge out at them as they left. |