Troubleshooting a "no start" issue in our Gillig Phantom

[rossvtaylor]

Hi all,

During our recent trip from Arizona to Oregon in a 2001 Gillig Phantom, we had an electrical problem and ended up stuck without being able to start the bus. I happened to be set up with my videographer (daughter, Ruby) on this trip so we documented the troubleshooting and repair. I thought that part of the video might be helpful to new bus owners.

Jump to 35:27 to get to the electrical part. There's a hyperlink to that point in the video description.

https://youtu.be/1KpzkjCq18k

[Tejon7]

Are you going to start insulating your buses with wool?

That's an entertaining video, thanks for sharing. The problem solving and MacGyvery is especially fun to watch and relatable to most here. My favorite detail is the Pringles can used to keep your overhead fuse box open!

[Oldyeller]

Really enjoyed that video. Better than anything you could see on TV. Excellent troubleshooting and "yes" you got lucky that it was a relay somewhere so easily accessible.

One thing though, I can't believe you'd go on a trip of that type without a full set of tools. I'll attribute it to the fact that you had to think about what the sheepies needed for the trip rather than what you needed.

[rossvtaylor]

Originally Posted by Tejon7

Are you going to start insulating your buses with wool?

That's an entertaining video, thanks for sharing. The problem solving and MacGyvery is especially fun to watch and relatable to most here. My favorite detail is the Pringles can used to keep your overhead fuse box open!

Thanks! And...wool would be nice. But my wife has plans for that. She's actually got a spinning wheel and she knits. It's pretty amazing to watch.

And, yes, all bus owners need to be creative and resourceful. But I definitely got lucky here.

Originally Posted by Oldyeller

Really enjoyed that video. Better than anything you could see on TV. Excellent troubleshooting and "yes" you got lucky that it was a relay somewhere so easily accessible.

One thing though, I can't believe you'd go on a trip of that type without a full set of tools. I'll attribute it to the fact that you had to think about what the sheepies needed for the trip rather than what you needed.

Thanks for the kind comment and support. I very much got lucky...both with the issue and the place it finally shut us down. Had I not been in a populated area, I would have had a hard time figuring out the problem without my tools. I always take tools and tire changing stuff...but not this time. You're right, we focused on the sheep prep. And this was a bare bus, which we'd stripped out for conversion prep, so I didn't have my normal stock of tools. I won't make that mistake again.

[Oldyeller]

Originally Posted by rossvtaylor

Thanks! And...wool would be nice. But my wife has plans for that. She's actually got a spinning wheel and she knits. It's pretty amazing to watch.

And, yes, all bus owners need to be creative and resourceful. But I definitely got lucky here.



Thanks for the kind comment and support. I very much got lucky...both with the issue and the place it finally shut us down. Had I not been in a populated area, I would have had a hard time figuring out the problem without my tools. I always take tools and tire changing stuff...but not this time. You're right, we focused on the sheep prep. And this was a bare bus, which we'd stripped out for conversion prep, so I didn't have my normal stock of tools. I won't make that mistake again.

Mistake? Mistake!? No mistake! No tow trucks were called. No accidents occurred. It was simply an unscheduled rest stop on your trip.