Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 12-28-2018, 01:38 PM   #121
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
Come on folks. You never changed the rubber? ... Hehe.
I for sure had thought that the old guys over here had changed tires on rims by hand?
This tire is slightly oddball size. So it is unlikely that it will be available on short notice. I also doubt that a lot of service is available when you are off the beaten path and if so it is going to be expensive.

In a much earlier life I wanted to drive Paris Dakar . In that time we trained changing tires on rims and parts like transmissions in a sandbox to simulate a desert environment.

I will get it done when the need is there.
Later j

joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-28-2018, 01:50 PM   #122
Bus Geek
 
Brewerbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Essex, MD
Posts: 3,738
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeblack5 View Post
Come on folks. You never changed the rubber? ... Hehe.
I for sure had thought that the old guys over here had changed tires on rims by hand?
This tire is slightly oddball size. So it is unlikely that it will be available on short notice. I also doubt that a lot of service is available when you are off the beaten path and if so it is going to be expensive.
I'm not THAT old. And most of my tires are 225/45/X. Good luck changing those even on a tire machine. I use the auto shop on base and they can be a pain even with the machine.
Quote:
I will get it done when the need is there.
Later j
Facing the horde of zombies, I'd make due too but until then, why? Get a spare wheel and call it done.
Brewerbob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-28-2018, 04:05 PM   #123
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
He's Dutch, Bob. Those people can hold back the ocean. A tire is nothing to him.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-28-2018, 05:38 PM   #124
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
Ha, charlie we will see. They are working on the dikes already to stay ahead of the rising water level in the ocean.

I hear you Bob, you do it your way, i will stay with mine.


Today i had a hell of time to get the shower pan ready so that we can attempt our recirculating shower idea.
Built it out of magnetic SS sheet, layout, bending welding, grinding and correcting the f..k ups ,, the whole nine yards.


Then it was hard to get the slopes right in the insulation that is under the shower pan. It is built in the original exit of the bus and the floor there is sloping in itself.



In the back under the potty chair we welded in a 9" 2-1/2" deep SS cooking pan. All the water will collect there. It holds a small submersible pump and a screen filter.

The pump, filters, uv des-infection and heated shower head can be mounted while we are on the road.


Then we had a broken projection screen TV. I collect those for the fresnel lens that we can use for solar cooking. Anyhow the front protection acrylic window was about the right size for one of the smaller windows in Dory. Cut it to size..We used 1/2" thick foam tape to get more space between the windows and mounted the window on the inside..and sealed it with wide electric tape and a couple of fender washers and screws.

Curious how it will hold up.




This is a picture from the outside. It is hard to see. The foam tape is barely visible. Will look with the FLIR to see how much we gained in insulation value.


Later J
joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-30-2018, 11:44 AM   #125
Bus Crazy
 
Sleddgracer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: south east BC, close to the Canadian/US border
Posts: 2,265
Year: 1975
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: 8 window
Engine: 454 LS7
Rated Cap: 24,500
your rig is going to be the equivalent of a wheeled space shuttle compared to what I have in mind - my goal is to convert an 8 or 9 window into a combination winter camper and sleddog hauler ( sleddogs = my version of passion, fun, and adventure ) - main goal is to see that the dogs are safe and comfortable - we humans can get by with a furnace, a propane cook stove, water in 5 gallon pails, a couple of bench seats and cots, preferably with mattresses - lol - race site biffys or truck stops will take the place of plumbing that would likely freeze up anyway
Sleddgracer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-30-2018, 02:20 PM   #126
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
Ha Sledd.., so far we still do not have running water. But you are right, they do not have that on the space station either The reason for induction cook stove is not to add humidity and condensation.

How many dogs are going to be in the bus? Seems to be quite an art to go dog sledding.

We used to have a husky. She loved to pull on the leash , as soon as tied her up to the kids sled she did not want to pull anymore. We got her at 9yrs old from the pound. Was on death row because she had bitten people. We and she were fortunate that they let her go with us. In this world liability seems to be the key word. For us she was a good dog although we got snapped at several times. The dog was always with me and alway ready to go. Just did not like to be fussed with. seeing a tick or splinter on her was one hing, attending to it another. Unfortunately she died of colon cancer at 11yrs, would have liked her to made it a little older but with her mental make up it would have been very hard to administer radiation and medicine and such.



Dory is just an evolving platform. Will see how it ends up. First step is to see if she makes it to skoolie palooza.


Later J
joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-30-2018, 03:35 PM   #127
Bus Crazy
 
Sleddgracer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: south east BC, close to the Canadian/US border
Posts: 2,265
Year: 1975
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: 8 window
Engine: 454 LS7
Rated Cap: 24,500
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeblack5 View Post
Ha Sledd.., so far we still do not have running water. But you are right, they do not have that on the space station either The reason for induction cook stove is not to add humidity and condensation.

How many dogs are going to be in the bus? Seems to be quite an art to go dog sledding.

We used to have a husky. She loved to pull on the leash , as soon as tied her up to the kids sled she did not want to pull anymore. We got her at 9yrs old from the pound. Was on death row because she had bitten people. We and she were fortunate that they let her go with us. In this world liability seems to be the key word. For us she was a good dog although we got snapped at several times. The dog was always with me and alway ready to go. Just did not like to be fussed with. seeing a tick or splinter on her was one hing, attending to it another. Unfortunately she died of colon cancer at 11yrs, would have liked her to made it a little older but with her mental make up it would have been very hard to administer radiation and medicine and such.



Dory is just an evolving platform. Will see how it ends up. First step is to see if she makes it to skoolie palooza.


Later J
yes, there is art, passion, skill, and lots of love involved with sleddogs, and not just a few spills, thrills, and broken bones - lol - this is my 41st season of dog sledding - could be my last as I'm going to have to retire at some point in the not too distant future - turned 80 in November - we could be traveling with 24 - 28 dogs, each with their own private 'apartment' - lol - set up like a toy hauler in the back, only instead of snowmobiles or ATVs, it will be sleddogs, dogsleds, dog food, harnesses etc -
Sleddgracer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-30-2018, 05:56 PM   #128
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
Very impressive, to follow your passion. I hope I can say the same if I am fortunate enough to get to your age.



Good luck and best with your plans.


Johan
joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2018, 06:53 AM   #129
Bus Geek
 
Brewerbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Essex, MD
Posts: 3,738
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeblack5 View Post
I hear you Bob, you do it your way, i will stay with mine.
I don't mean to imply I'm trying to convince you or my way is the only way or anything. Just wondering the reasoning. I've no idea what a wheel costs (yet) but I hope it's cheaper than the delta in a shop mounted tire vs a road side mounted tire.

I don't have a spare myself and one of my steers has more rust on it than I'm comfortable with. Before rolling out (if/when that ever happens) I'll likely get at least two wheels from a junk yard if not spurge for 2 new ones. I'm not quite Charlie/Chris crazy for the chrome bling but having new wheels would be nice.
Brewerbob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2018, 11:55 AM   #130
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
No worry Bob,


To give you a short list:


-This a short bus designed for 4 people and a dog.. So space is limited

-It is a lightweight bus.. all alumum.. Carrying an extra 60 LBS rim is a waste for me.
-This is a SLF bus , the tire does not fit under the bus.
-It can not go on the front.. there is a bike rack with two bikes

-It can not go on the back..access to the engine
-It can only go on the roof, but it is heavy so lighter is better.
-There are tools involved in changing a tire. hydraulic Jack...torque multiplier, air pump.. other spares..They have to go somewhere. The space in the tire is very usable for that.
-The tire is an odd ball size so I need to carry a spare.. besides there is murphy's law that predicts me getting a flat if I do not carry a spare at the worst possible location.



I am able to change the tire myself if the need arises.


So all together for my mission I have selected to have a lightweight rimless tire as storage container for rarely used tools on top of the bus.



Although best solution depends on the person I think you can better understand my selected solution after reviewing the supplied data.


Later J



-
joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2018, 01:01 PM   #131
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,751
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
Sometimes just having the tire is half the battle. Even if you can’t put it on yourself, most all mobile service rigs will use a customer supplied tire.

It’s pretty common in the trucking world for freight shoppers that use owner operators for drop n hook service to have an extra tire on the trailer so they dont have to pay a premium should they need one. Several owner ops I know carry their own tires on the tractor ..

Many of the smaller mobile service companies don’t stock tires so they have to go by a shop and get one before ever coming out.
Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2018, 01:17 PM   #132
Bus Geek
 
Brewerbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Essex, MD
Posts: 3,738
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeblack5 View Post
To give you a short list:

-This a short bus designed for 4 people and a dog.. So space is limited

-It is a lightweight bus.. all alumum.. Carrying an extra 60 LBS rim is a waste for me.
That list include a sledge and a 6 foot crowbar? Hopefully you never find out but can you break the bead and get tire on/off the rim while sitting in the middle of nowhere? Is the sledge and crowbar needed? I've only done a 185/80/14 tire and it probably took me an hour to get it off. I didn't even try putting it back on. There's a lot more sidewall on a bus tire but isn't it thicker and stiffer as well?


That Murphy is a son of a bltch. He's going to wait until it's raining and I'm out of cell range. That's why I'll have a spare with wheel somewhere. I may end up dropping it on myself from the roof but at least the next guy will be able to get it changed.
Brewerbob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-05-2019, 07:34 PM   #133
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
We have lift of.


In the last minute before departure i decided to check the battery water level, that was good but then I noticed a wet area around the steering box.
Red liquid. Only a couple of drops on the floor. Did not see anything particular wrong and the leak seemed to come from the low pressure side.
Decided to take our chances and left. We spend some time at natural bridges state park. Tonight we are at wally along 81 around pulaski. Tomorrow onwards to Piedmont in SC . A couple of days work and then further to quarzsite.


The power steering and cooling fan are on one reservoir. This is a 2004 bus Any suggestion what the best oil would be? currently it is red, ATF any good, what kind?



later Johan
joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-05-2019, 08:38 PM   #134
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Picton,Ont, Can.
Posts: 1,956
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: GMC
Engine: Cat 3116
Rated Cap: 72
Johan, aren't all these different fluids, hydraulic fluid to some extent? Anything should work I think for power steering etc.
I have used ATF in a pinch after hose broke on steering. Still running it too after hose repaired.



John
__________________
Question everything!
BlackJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2019, 07:30 AM   #135
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
Thanks John. That is what I was thinking. Here at wally there are all kind of ATf. So many different..mind boggling. I will check and get some "normal " red hydraulic fluid.

Later j
joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2019, 07:48 AM   #136
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,751
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
most generally ive had no issues running Dexron III non synthetic trans fluid in power steering systems, at least those in my cars over the years.. fixing the leak on the return line is imperative though as any moisture gets in that system, will foam the fluid and cause operational issues..
-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2019, 08:03 AM   #137
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
The power steering on Kublas nuke bus is dex 4 iirc.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2019, 01:43 PM   #138
Bus Geek
 
Jolly Roger bus 223's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
Posts: 2,973
Year: 86
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
Probably picked something already.
Even in my old 77 truck and 86 Detroit bus. Both ford. They use the cheap dex/merc tranny fluid in the power steering.
If a hose clamp is missing regardless of high side or low side then it needs fixin. A fluid with stop leak ain't gonna stop it if that's where the leak is.
Glad your on the road but having to stop to check/add fluid for a 1$ clamp or a 3$ 1' piece of hose with a pin hole will cost more in fluid than it's worth including if you have to buy the tools to fix it cause you didn't carry a tool box.
Jolly Roger bus 223 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2019, 03:30 PM   #139
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Picton,Ont, Can.
Posts: 1,956
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: GMC
Engine: Cat 3116
Rated Cap: 72
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeblack5 View Post
Thanks John. That is what I was thinking. Here at wally there are all kind of ATf. So many different..mind boggling. I will check and get some "normal " red hydraulic fluid.

Later j



Not sure how accurate this figure is. 1500 lbs pressure developed on steering system pump and hoses? That sprays out quick Johan, not a good thing as heat and ATF don't mix all that well. I saw a beautiful truck and 5er go up in flames when ATF leaked bad while driving. Notice it too late I'm afraid so headsup.


John
__________________
Question everything!
BlackJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2019, 09:27 PM   #140
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
Thanks folks. Over the last 600 miles the oil level did not seem to go down. The steering box is wet though and I saw drips. The hoses look fine. This is industrial stuff so no hose clamps. Since it is an slf it is pretty hard to get to. I will continue to monitor. Picked up a couple of pieces of wood to drive on top so that I can safely crawl under it. I hear you about the fire. Fortunate this bus had a automatic fire extinguisher system. Hope we do not have to rely on it.
At this moment in piedmont SC. Hope to continue in 2 days.
joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:08 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.