48 State Bus

[jtcu]

Well, finally got through to a company to advertise on the bus they asked for a proposal so I send it out monday... I'll let you guys know if it works!!

[captainkf]

good luck, it's been awhile. How many are confirmed for the Big Trip?

-Richard

[jtcu]

7 have their money in, we are waiting on the 8th but we will have enough even if they dont come (as long as diesel doesn't keep going up) we finally finished the routes of the map and it has dropped from aprox. 16k miles to 10k miles while still hitting all 48 states.... EXCITING!!

[Demonknight]

once the maps done post a link for us to check out...some of us might be able to meet you as you fly by.

[Griff]

You may also want to check out this site and get an updateable map:
http://www.world66.com
You can have your own map and light up the states as you hit them to show your progress. You can see an example of it on my site http://www.thewhiteelephantstale.com/visitusa.html.

[jtcu]

Awesome links! We made our map through google maps so that we can constantly change routes and destinations, change the colors of the paths, and easily locate things by just putting in the addresses or names of them. Flying by would be quite a relative term... as we are an '83 geared out at 62 mph!! (at least we shouldn't get speeding tickets) But it would definately be a welcomed sight to see the skoolies in real life! I attatched a link to the map we are currently working on... we used to have all of the places we wanted to go to on it, but with 8 people there are 8 different things to do each place you go. So we have basically dumbed it down to where the bus will be staying and if you want to do something in the city that the majority doesn't then you will have to find your own transportation.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... 1&z=4&om=1

and it isn't completely done, i realize there are a couple paths missing, we are currently remodeling it becasue google maps updated to allow more options like those quaint placemarkers.

[Griff]

I think I like your map better! I see that your final leg comes through NC. I suppose you will be using I-95? Should you find yourselves wandering eastward from it, I'm in Greenville and might be able to arrange a place to park.

[jtcu]

Thanks for the info on the MO campsite, but we aren't planning on stopping that entire leg until we get to 4 corners and then on to the GC. Glad you liked the map I've worked hard to make it, and I still have a ways to go to make it perfect. We are actually changing our leaving time based on when the 4 corners closes... anyone been to 4 corners monument? is there a fence? how high is it? .... just kidding.... but seriously anyone?

On a separate note, we are trying to fill an extra day we came up with... anyone have an idea that is somewhat on the path we are taking? or someplace we are already visiting that needs an extra day?

[phillbus914]

I'd leave the extra day open.. you never know what will happen on your trip. Even traveling a few extra miles per hour slower than expected on such a long trip could easily eat up an extra day.

When we took my bus to Texas last year Mapquest said it would take 26 hours it ended up taking 40. We drove straight through only stopping for fuel/food... but there were traffic jams, bathroom stops, and we spent about an hour fixing my wiper at a gas station one night.

[jtcu]

do you know if you can make a bus wvo/diesel? ie it can run either way?

[the_experience03]

Not only can you make it run on both, but you almost have to in order to build the heat to get the WVO up to temp after shutting down for a long period of time.

I'm with Phill on leaving a day open. I couldn't help but notice that you plan to average 70 mph across the mountains towards North Dakota. That's 70 mph average, not including fuel stops and the like. My truck was doing 40 mph up some of those mountain passes and it has a comparable (sadly) power to weight ratio to a bus.

[jtcu]

All of those "estimated" times need to be adjusted. Those were the times that google assumed it would take, I am going to go back once I find places to stay each night, and adjust all the times to reflect a 50mph average since our bus can only go up to 62mph in the first place. The only problem with leaving a day open, is that we have to make reservations at some of these places... so we need to know the days we will be there, I think I will just figure out a balanced way to distribute extra days evenly so if/when we break down we will have some days to mark off. I am still constantly working on the map and trying to find better deals/ better routes... speaking of that, anyone know a good place for a bus to stay in chicago... preferably with electric (any)?

[wmah]

Originally Posted by phillbus914

and we spent about an hour fixing my wiper at a gas station one night.

You never heard of rainx have you?
You put that on and you don't need wipers at all during a heavy rain storm. Unless you have to deal with snow it is good stuff. I like passing cars that have their wipers on high and I don't even turn mine on and can see better than they can.

[phillbus914]

Originally Posted by wmah

You never heard of rainx have you?
You put that on and you don't need wipers at all during a heavy rain storm. Unless you have to deal with snow it is good stuff. I like passing cars that have their wipers on high and I don't even turn mine on and can see better than they can.

When the wiper (drivers side) quit I was ready to put on some rainX and keep going... some other people in our group were convinced that it'd be a "quick fix" over an hour later I had the rainX applied and we were back on the road.

It rained the most of the way there and most of the way back that rainX worked great.

[jtcu]

A good wax job + rainx = perfection.

[jtcu]

So now I find out that the person that was going to repair the bus' problems no longer works as a diesel mechanic... and hates talking about diesels... so, from what the mechanic that fixed the fuel leak said, my vacuum hose is lose? What is happening is air is somehow leaking into where the fuel should be and it is causing a rough idle and a hard startup. Does someone have some experience with this and is it something I would be able to fix or would it be better to take to a mechanic? Also the parking brake doesn't work for crap... but to me that seems an easier fix, but this is my first bus and I really have no clue what I'm doing, so same question applies: is it something I woul be able to fix or would it be better to take to a mechanic?

[phillbus914]

Originally Posted by jtcu

the mechanic that fixed the fuel leak said, my vacuum hose is lose? What is happening is air is somehow leaking into where the fuel should be and it is causing a rough idle and a hard startup. Does someone have some experience with this and is it something I would be able to fix or would it be better to take to a mechanic?

I had this same problem with my bus a few months ago. Here's a post on it. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1488&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Basically what happened in my case is the fuel line from the tank to the lift pump had some minor leaks in it. Usually when you think of a fuel line leak you think of fuel leaking out, well in my set up (probably yours too) the diesel is sucked from the tank to the engine through a long rubber hose (like a big straw). When it leaks it won't necessarily leak diesel out but suck air in. I traced my fuel hose from the engine to the fuel tank and found this...



I bought some new rubber hose to replace the cracked parts of mine and replaced that old fuel filter. And now my bus starts right up.

Try checking your rubber fuel line back to the tank, you might have a leak.

Good luck.

[jtcu]

Cool... I'll try this today or tomorrow