The Bucket List

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by o1marc

And here's the evidence;

Get ready for the flame war over bus top speeds!


VERY cool, IMO!!!

[Tryonis]

Originally Posted by o1marc

And here's the evidence;

HAMMER DOWN! Glad your rolling.

[o1marc]

Well here she is tucked into her berth in the driveway, right backed up to the service garage door so I don't have to lug the compressor, generator, and air conditioner up to the street, where I initially parked until about 10 minutes later when the neighbor asked me to move it because his wife couldn't see down the road when she backed out of the driveway. Sounds like a personal problem, but I do have to live here, so I moved it into the driveway that I thought would be a bear to get into, it wasn't bad, but still needed outside guidance to not hit anything backing up. Back up camera sorely needed. Picked it up at 3:30pm Tues. in Butte, Montana after the sellers father and his brother showed up to take me the 5.5 hrs @80mph (Montana speed limit), I was immediately ticked off because I was told they couldn't find a second driver to bring the bus 5.5hrs. to me and then just heading back in the truck. The dad said he would have gladly driven the bus, that he didn't even know his daughter owned and accommodated my plan. When I got to the bus she said there was no way n Hades she would have let her father drive it. Headed back to Twin Falls and the bus salvage yard at the Id./Mt state line to try and find a spare door for the rear mod I have planned. Perfect, not out of the way solution to my search. Well I'm heading close to the Id./Mt. state line and I don't see the place. Then I realize I'm heading into Coeur D Alene,Id. and Spokane Wash. This when I realize I am way away from anything. My friend is in TF, further than friends I have in Boise, but I couldn't get ahold of anyone in Boise and saw my brothers place on Bainbridge Island is closer than anyone in Id. I needed to hang out somewhere for 2 days while an auction ended in Portland.( I lost by $200). It was actually good I got to see my brother, the orthopedic surgeon, after he had been run over on his bicycle 2 weeks previous. Lady turned right, into a parking lot, right in front him where he impacted her passenger mirror and denting the door as she catapulted him 20' over the bike lane he was legally in, the sidewalk, and landing on his hip and side. He immediately assessed his condition as he played there, thinking Ok , nothing broken. She gets out of the van with 2 pit bulls inside, rushes to my brothers side and say "I'm so sorry, are you okay?" I don't know what his reply was but her next course of action was to run back, lock the van with dogs inside and then BOOKED.........They caught her later when the owners of the dogs identified her to the police to get their dogs back. Everything looked okay to let him start the healing. He realized 2 weeks after that he was better, but not where he should be. So the day after I arrive he had an MRI done to find he has 2 fractures in his already arthritic hip from a motorcycle accident when he was 22, he's 63. He was able to help me remove the 3 back rows of seats to make room for the motorcycle. Seats are surprisingly easy to remove, none of the 19YO bolts and nuts are tight. I just put a box end on the nut underneath and he, with the drill driver spun the bolt, bam bam bam, down the line.

[o1marc]

So I get ready to leave Bainbridge Island and I have the choices of paying another $75.80 to take the Ferry, or go the long way around Puget Sound, another 3 hrs. to the trip. Looking at around 2800 miles as it is and my cats are surely out of food, I really need to get home. I boarded the Ferry Fri. at 11:30am, drove until midnight, got a room. Up and on the rod agin at 9am until midnight again. I'm figuring my mileage and everything and decide I don't have time for a hotel on Sun night. I'll stop at Walmart and buy a couple of cheap blankets, pull the seat back covers off 3 off the removed seats and just catch a couple hours in the back. I do this, but as soon as I lay down on top of the blankets, because it was warm out, I started getting eaten by the mosquitos coming in the open windows. I fought this for awhile until I literally had to cover up like a cocoon only to be sweating my self wet. Finally after about 2 hours of this and no sleep I screw it and got up and hit the road arriving home 4:30pm Mon. 56 hrs of driving and 3600+ miles in my first week of owning it. The adventure begins.

[o1marc]

The bus seems to be everything I was wanting. Everything on it works including the cruise control that in my mind is a huge blessing. The trans allows this bus to cruise at 80mph. However, sustaining this speed will increase the water and trans temps from 200/200, to 210/220 and drops fuel mileage to a very disappointing 7.5mpg. Lowering the speed to 70mph got a best of 8.9. I imagine if you drove it at 60mph it might break into the 9's. If I'm going somewhere I can't go as slow as 60 unless I have to. I'm hoping that unlocking the 6th gear would improve it some, but I wouldn't be expecting miracles and actually averaging over 10mph.
The bus ran flawlessly the whole trip with the exception of a couple of grades that ran the temps up till the warning buzzers came on, another nice feature if you're not paying attention. The few peeves, besides fuel mileage are, the steering wheel is situated off center to the seat by an inch or more and puts the left side of the wheel within 2"s of the side switch panel and I couldn't seem to drive without bumping the rear heaters and boost pump switches. You can't hear them running until you shut the motor off. Stereo (am/fm/cassette) is useless while driving, needs and amp and some good speaker. My brother gave me a new used Kenwood he took out his daughters car.
I broke the passenger windshield wiper, will need a replacement assembly or a small piece off another wiper, Then when it started to ran, the wipers that worked perfectly before now seems the passenger one will work properly going back and forth at a skewed angle, not really important. The drivers one however, when I turned it on it went 2", stopped for 2-3 seconds and then went 2" more for about 10x's and then a full sweep a couple of time and then would stop mid screen. Hitting bumps could get it to move more, that was annoying. I finally stopped and bought some RainX to help and of course it didn't rain a lick after putting that on, so I guess it really does work.

[gadawg9]

Happy to know you made the long trip without any real issues. Now the fun really begins.

[Gustav]

Congrats on the trip home. I am looking forward to what you decide to do.

[brokedown]

Sounds like a list of tweaks to keep you busy between the big stuff. Glad things went as smoothly as they did!

[joeblack5]

Good job Marc, that was some impressive traveling.



later J

[o1marc]

I can kill some miles on the freeway. 3 years ago before New Years Eve. I left my house in No.Ga. at 9am Tues. and 22hrs. later I was at my sisters doorstep in Indio, Calif. Only stopped for gas and drain the vain, had a cooler with enough to get there. Got there, loaded 3 motorcycles into the back of my pick up and was ready to turn and make the trip back before I realized it was New Years Eve and the last thing I wanted was to be on the roads that night with a truck load of valuables. I got up Fri. morning and left, got back home at 8:30pm Sat. Got stopped twice by the BP, thought I was going to be detained for some time going through the green duffle bag (filled with parachutes), and all the bikes and gear. At the check point one of the agents said "could you kindly pull over here and park?". I said For what reason? He said " I just want to talk to you more about your cool bikes". I said " Dude, I'd rather not, I'm heading to Atl. and we're wasting miles right now. Appreciate the nod on the bikes, but I got a long trip in front of me." And he sent me off. I've made 4 30hr round trips to Ct. in the last year. I'll be so glad when I get in the finished bus and go somewhere and don't have to be there anytime soon and can just stop along the way for whatever. There were little location historical museums all along the way home.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by brokedown

Sounds like a list of tweaks to keep you busy between the big stuff. Glad things went as smoothly as they did!

I mentioned before, it's a Karma thing, as long as I had a PMA, I would need nothing more than the GPS and a Map and gas money and I'd be able to drive it home. No tools, No AAA,, just drive her home. If I had had issues it might have jaded my whole outlook on this Skoolie thing. The light post thing was a minor incident to me and hasn't swayed me other than to get more practice driving this huge beast. I no longer will recommend 40'er's anymore unless you just have to have the room and don't plan on driving it much.

[o1marc]

Want to post a couple of before pics to document the modifications I plan. Because of what it will be, a Garage, I am planning on leaving that whole space utilitarian and replacing all the factory material after spray foam insulation. I'll leave the factory windows in 'the garage" and RV windows from there forward in the cabin. The double door mod looks easier than I had planned after opening up the back wall and viewing it's construction. I had just gone to the metal salvage around the corner to get what I thought I would need to frame out the doors, only to find all I need to do is cut the outer door frame bars and relocate them outward.

[o1marc]

The demolition begins. Only 200 more, and that's just the back end.

[o1marc]

Broke the connection piece on the passenger wiper washer arm. As I was pushing the wiper arm back into place the rivet head of the wiper arm caught the housing on the washer arm and snapped the connection piece. I think I can fix it with some JB Weld

[o1marc]

Stopped by Home Depot to pick up a few tools. Found a square drive bit specifically for an impact driver. Makes easy work of the screws. Also got a 6" #2 phillips. In my construction business I probably used that long phillips more than anything. The heavy duty paint scrapper is for busting loose the exterior panel seams.

[o1marc]

I'm moving the door over which will only leave about 6" of corner left. I can remove the whole corner skin and replacing it with new metal wrapped around like the factory skin. This would require removing all the rivets on the side of the corner. This would look clean and factory when done. The other option is to just resin to about an inch or so away from the radius in the corner and just add a new row of rivets the length of the bus. Unfortunately, moving the door leaves about 3"s of side window, so I have to delete that space.

[o1marc]

Stopped by the Liquidation Hut today to see what deals they might have for the bus. Nothing much impressed me but I did pick up this 48' box of rope light for $10, normally $30. Then I saw the refrigerators. I was scheduled for maintenance on my home fridge today, freezer doesn't freeze, was going to have it recharged with freon. I see this Samsung stainless steel unit tagged for $500. I offer her $400 and she says she can't sell it for that, she'd need to call the boss. I said call the boss. She hangs up the phone and yells "SOLD". Normally $1200, Home Depot has them for $998. I couldn't walk away at $400.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerci...Ex-E/205104659

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Samsung-...0DSR/205975902

[o1marc]

Decided to revolve my day around the bus. Started by heading out to Wades Bus Salvage and Museum to try and find a door. Found them to be closed, again, as they were closed last time I went there. But due to their extensive security I tripped the video cameras and the owner hunted me down on his ATV. Ended up having a nice chat with him, super nice guy (Walter Wade). Any ways, he didn't have any International, only BB's. He did have a 66 Corvair I'll probably pick up from him for $1500 with a spare parts car. He sent me to anther truck outfit in town, Simpson and Simpson, Who only had one full size and 3 cutaway buses. The full size was an International but had the older taper rear door like the rest. Mine is completely flat. So headed home empty handed and stopped at HD to pick up the electric sheet metal shears only to find they don't stock them and ordered on line with free delivery on Thurs. Then went to the paint section to buy some Henry's Tan Tropicool, only to find they only stock it in white. So back to the order desk to order that for free home delivery on the 12th. $245. Henry's had a "better" Tropicool product there that was also white, but was $880 for 5ga.

[o1marc]

Am looking to buy this one. It was inservice until the wreck recently. If I can get it low enough, it's at $500 right now, I think the damage is easily fixable. My only concern is getting the recess for the front door replaced, but not a deal breaker. At the last minute of inspection I noticed the drivers wheel was pushed back about 3 inches. I think the impact just pushed the axle back 3" on the leaf spring.

[thrifty1]

500 bucks?? Damn. There’s more than that in the metal.