How often do you take it for a spin?

karrlot · 03-26-2016, 08:33 AM

Knowing that one of the worst things for a car is to let it sit for a long time without driving it, and knowing that it used to be used twice a day during school, I don't want my bus to start falling apart from not being used.

I love driving my bus and like to take it out for a drive every third weekend. However, I have to balance that with the cost of fuel.

How often do you take it out for a spin around town?

EastCoastCB · 03-26-2016, 08:36 AM

Every couple months now I start mine up and drive it around for a half hour or so once it warms up a bit.

2kool4skool · 03-26-2016, 09:07 AM

Every month, we go glamping somewhere even if just up the road.

roach711 · 03-26-2016, 10:25 AM

I take ours out 2 or 3 times during the winter to stretch his legs. About once a month I charge both battery banks.

Josiahdr · 03-26-2016, 10:35 AM

As soon as I get the driver seat back in and get South Dakota plates I will be driving it at least once a week. Cannot wait to take it to the Home Depot.

karrlot · 03-26-2016, 11:59 AM

I really want to drop off my kids at school!

Robin97396 · 03-26-2016, 12:19 PM

You want to drop your kids off using your own bus?

EastCoastCB · 03-26-2016, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karrlot

I really want to drop off my kids at school!

Pretty cool idea

karrlot · 04-02-2016, 04:27 AM

Yes. I think that would be riot!

gbstewart · 04-02-2016, 07:10 AM

I have to leave my bus sit all winter, to much snow and salt , after that we try to use it every weekend, plus a we have a couple of 2 week trips planned this summer as well.
gbstewart

johnbloem1974 · 04-02-2016, 07:52 AM

To get the most benefit: if you take it out, make sure it is long enough to get it up to a normal operating temperature. That way all the lubrication can be properly distributed.

John

cadillackid · 04-05-2016, 07:42 AM

you definitely want to run it at least 30 minutes... when you first start ANY engine there is condensation that forms on the cylinders and sometimes even gets into the oil... you want to get all that metal warmed up.. its also a good idea to run with the heater valves opened up to keep your coolant fully circulated through the system... run it up to highway speed so your transmission goes through all its gears a couple or more times.. and the tires "run out" any flat spots they may have from sitting..

-Christopher

leadsled01 · 04-05-2016, 09:04 AM

I like to spray Fluid Film on the under carriage every fall. To keep rust down. Then drive it every month or two to keep things working. I live in the salt belt.

cadillackid · 04-05-2016, 09:12 AM

whats fluid film? I was planning on POR-15 the bottom of my bus before winter.. mine came from Tipp-City ohio originally and has surprisingly litle rust on it.. at first i wondered how a 25 year old bus could have only 85,000 miles on it.. (figured the odometer was changed) but judging from the small amount of wear on the seats, floors and little rust im thinking it could be real...

-Christopher

leadsled01 · 04-05-2016, 01:22 PM

Just google Fluid Film. I usually buy online in gallon cans from www.theruststore.com . Its lanolin (sheep/wool) based so it wont harm rubber or wiring. It has the consistency of snot. Spray it on with a shutz undercoat gun. Way better than oil spraying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadillackid

whats fluid film? I was planning on POR-15 the bottom of my bus before winter.. mine came from Tipp-City ohio originally and has surprisingly litle rust on it.. at first i wondered how a 25 year old bus could have only 85,000 miles on it.. (figured the odometer was changed) but judging from the small amount of wear on the seats, floors and little rust im thinking it could be real...

-Christopher

cadillackid · 04-05-2016, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leadsled01

Just google Fluid Film. I usually buy online in gallon cans from www.theruststore.com . Its lanolin (sheep/wool) based so it wont harm rubber or wiring. It has the consistency of snot. Spray it on with a shutz undercoat gun. Way better than oil spraying.

this stuff looks great and easy to apply by air gun too.. the video i watched made it look more like the consistency of WD-40 or such..

is it flammable if you acccidentilly get some on the exhaust, or does it just smoke off?

-Christopher

CaptSquid · 04-05-2016, 05:32 PM

It don't spin at all. I live in her full-time.

Robin97396 · 04-05-2016, 10:28 PM

Cap, I thought the reason you had such a new bus was so you could cruise around? I also live in mine full time and sometimes I take it shopping. It's a good warm up for the bus once a month or so, and taking my refrigerator to the store has its advantages. I can't say I lost the grocery list anymore. When it's full, it's full. It was kind of bad driving during these long spring rains since a heavy vehicle like this will mush a gravel driveway while the ground is saturated.
I first started using buses as mobile storage, then it expanded to hauling the kids bikes to parks and being a very handy cargo van during the rainy season. I still have two five window gassers with stick shifts but I never lived in any of them. I was in this diesel a couple months after buying it. I've probably only put on a couple hundred miles so far but I do intend to use this to travel extensively. Plans change frequently due to unforeseen necessitys.

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