Leavuntaun - First Drive - Video Evidence

[Oldyeller]

Today everything finally aligned for me to take the bus out for the first time. I got some video though the quality isn't great as I forgot to take stuff to wash the windshield and it was getting late anyway so I figured it is what it is.

I got in a 15 mile drive on secondary roads, some VERY secondary as you'll see in the video.

The first 'lane' I'm on is a driveway to my friend's "farm". It's not much wider than the bus.

https://youtu.be/upw3edLtVuk

[Oldyeller]

The second video is on the township road which also isn't much wider than the bus but it's paved. In all the times I've gone in and out this road I've met vehicles going the other direction very few times, figures there'd be one today.

The road I turned onto gives a little bit of a view of the farm country my friend lives in, it's beautiful there.

https://youtu.be/m-ZnCJ_B4DM

[Oldyeller]

The last video I'll share is going back up the township lane and my friend's driveway. Not a big deal but hey, it's something to watch

https://youtu.be/auIly993zPQ

[Oldyeller]

I learned a few things during my drive today.

The turbo has to come off. I assume someone serviced it and didn't get it remounted correctly. There is a significant high pressure leak on the exhaust side which has eaten a hole in the insulation on the firewall right behind the turbo. During the summer the couple times I ran it I wondered why the fumes were so bad at the driver's position so soon after I'd start the bus. I thought maybe the exhaust pipe was eaten through. Turns out the fumes were coming right out of the turbo.

I'm going to have to dig into the front suspension/steering. The bus wanders too much and the steering wheel is clocked wrong.

Fuel gauge is all over the place showing full one second, empty the next.

The brakes feel really good. They'll be inspected before any trips but I'm thinking they're in good shape.

The tranny shifts very well. The turbo leak has to be affecting drivability but the tranny has nice crisp shifts, no hanging or slipping.

The drive was about 15 miles. I had thought to take it further but it was getting late and I wanted to pull the batteries and get some stuff out of the bus before winter. That was my last visit to the bus this year.

[Kentucky Dreaming]

Cool videos. Glad you finally got to take it for a drive. Keep on keeping on!

[s2mikon]

Thanks for taking us along for the ride. Share more rides.

[Bus'n it]

It's a shame what a beautiful area you are in. The high cost of real estate and taxes just ruins it for many. Happy you took it out for a good inspiring run!

[Oldyeller]

Interesting to note that the short bus I passed in the second video clip was broken down. I saw the driver out of the bus and looking under the right front when I passed him on the way out. What I didn't get on video was that bus being winched onto a flatbed when I drove back in. I guess better him than me . . . oh, what a horrible thing to say!