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Old 01-23-2019, 12:06 PM   #21
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As far as the fuel filters and whatnot, I hired a mobile mechanic off of Craigslist to walk me through oil change and all filter changes, he also showed me how to prime the fuel system in case I get air in it. That may be something for you to consider....whether it's the service center you bring it to or a mobile mechanic or even just Youtube.
What's the trick for priming? Mine needs priming now.

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Old 01-23-2019, 12:06 PM   #22
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What's the trick for priming? Mine needs priming now.


Did you fill the filters?
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Old 01-23-2019, 12:12 PM   #23
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Did you fill the filters?
No, is it common if the fuel flows back to the tank from being parked on an incline to empty the filter also? I ave a new filter to put on but it looks smaller than the one there, so will need to replace it with the correct one and prime it before install. I pump the prime button and get nothing but air, even after about 150 pumps.
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Old 01-23-2019, 12:39 PM   #24
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No, is it common if the fuel flows back to the tank from being parked on an incline to empty the filter also? I ave a new filter to put on but it looks smaller than the one there, so will need to replace it with the correct one and prime it before install. I pump the prime button and get nothing but air, even after about 150 pumps.

this one's a 2005 but should be similar.
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Old 01-23-2019, 01:39 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
No, is it common if the fuel flows back to the tank from being parked on an incline to empty the filter also? I ave a new filter to put on but it looks smaller than the one there, so will need to replace it with the correct one and prime it before install. I pump the prime button and get nothing but air, even after about 150 pumps.

150 pumps? Why do you think the fuel has run backwards parking on an incline. The pump has internal check valves that prevent that, maybe bad o rings in yours too.

Still, you have to prove flow at every joint in both tank lines, the feed first to get the injection pump primed. Then it should fire and push the air out, if the lines aren't leaking. Lines don't last forever and you sure pushed that home hard, so things loosen or break under vibration like that.
Time to get dirty.


John
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Old 01-23-2019, 02:04 PM   #26
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Your priming pump may be shot. That is what happened to me. But if it lost prime before you started messing with filters and there is fuel in the tank then it sounds like there are bigger problems.
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Old 01-23-2019, 03:38 PM   #27
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150 pumps? Why do you think the fuel has run backwards parking on an incline. The pump has internal check valves that prevent that, maybe bad o rings in yours too.

Still, you have to prove flow at every joint in both tank lines, the feed first to get the injection pump primed. Then it should fire and push the air out, if the lines aren't leaking. Lines don't last forever and you sure pushed that home hard, so things loosen or break under vibration like that.
Time to get dirty.


John
I had it parked on the right side of the drive and then moved it to the left side, it is a bit steeper. The next time I tried to start it after parking there, I did add fuel, have not changed the filters yet or anything else. It cranks over fast and strong, but will not fire. Has 3/4 tank of fuel. At this point I have not changed filters or anything else other than add fuel to it.
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Old 01-23-2019, 03:59 PM   #28
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certification

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Thanks,

Under considerations of the other posts, I've made some more modifications and concessions.

The trip now looks like this




And we shuffled around the dates and my time off so that I now have 6 full days to get to Calgary. This should take all the time pressure off the trip and let me re-route around bad weather or bad roads. Or just wait out storms.

The bus will have at least one 500 mile + trip on it ahead of this excursion.
I will buy and pack a spare fuel filter ( although I don't know where it is to replace it... )
I'm open to suggestions of things to check or maintenance to perform.

I've scheduled for the bus to go into a truck service center for them to look over my air brake system. It works fine, but is rather leaky ( right at the 3psi per min limit ). I think most of the leaks are from the door solenoids, air bag adjusters or other peripheral stuff, not the actual brakes. But I would like some pro's to fix all that before this trip which involves many mountain roads.

I have been looking into the regulations about crossing into Canada witha skoolie. I got the main things, have your Reg, and Insurance paperwork in order, and make sure your insurance is valid in Canada. Clean out your fridge, and don't bring your guns or firewood. A-Okey!
One thing that is not clear to me is the air brake certification.
Can someone who has actually driven in Canada with a U.S license tell me if there is a problem with not having an air brake endorsement for a skoolie?

I will go through the process of getting one if it doesn't involve getting a full blown CDL and all the other crap that comes with it, ( physical, yearly exams, drug test, etc )

All input is valued, But please make it constructive, I would like to do this trip and just taking a **** on my plans without feedback doesn't discourage me from going, and also doesn't help me improve the outcome of the trip.

Thanks!
in Canada air brakes require a driver's license that shows certification for air brakes
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Old 01-23-2019, 04:05 PM   #29
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in Canada air brakes require a driver's license that shows certification for air brakes
Can you get just an air brake endorsement on your regular license without a CDL?
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Old 01-23-2019, 04:16 PM   #30
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I don't know - I've never heard of that
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Old 01-23-2019, 04:17 PM   #31
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I don't know - I've never heard of that
I could have gotten one on my license until I realized my regular license allows me to drive ANY RV, regardless of brakes or weight.
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Old 01-27-2019, 12:43 AM   #32
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As someone who drove a 1990 TC2000 FE as a daily route bus for more than four years I can tell you without any reservation that taking any TC2000 FE any place close to where it might get ice or snow on the road is a really bad idea! With so much weight forward it is virtually impossible to get enough weight on the rear axle to get any kind of good traction, even with heavy duty chain link traction devices. The newer models that moved the fuel tank behind the rear wheels are better. I know of one school district that had luggage compartments behind the rear axle and they would be a minimum of five 100-pound bags of sand in the compartments on each side to help with traction.


Also, if you don't have anyone in the bus with an air brake endorsement on their driver's license you are going not going to go any further than the Port of Entry.



In Canada, regardless of the class of vehicle, if it has air brakes you are required to go through the Port of Entry. If you don't have a driver with their air brake endorsement your bus is not going anywhere until a driver with the proper endorsements arrives to drive your bus. It won't be cheap to get your bus back across the border.


I know this because I had a long conversation with a Weigh Master at one of the Ports of Entry in British Columbia. Due to the number of accidents involving RV's with air brakes up in the mountains they are taking a very hard line on air brake endorsements. When I talked to him he said he was looking out his window into his parking lot at three high end rear engine diesel moho's with air brakes that were waiting for a driver with the correct endorsements to drive their moho's back across the border.


Crossing over in a different province might have a different result. But I would not want to go that far and risk getting stuck at the Port of Entry.


So in my experienced and professional opinion, don't go to Banff this winter with things the way they are currently. That is a long way away from home to go just to be turned around and sent back home.
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Old 01-27-2019, 12:56 AM   #33
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Air brake endorsement is very easy to get. It's just a written test here and it can be found online so you know the answers. It's basic stuff you really should know if you're going to be driving airbrakes.

Here's Alaska take on it. Not sure if you can get just the endorsement without getting the CDL. But you have to have it to get the CDL. A test drive is required.


https://driving-tests.org/alaska/ak-...r-brakes-test/
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Old 01-27-2019, 10:45 AM   #34
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Can you get just an air brake endorsement on your regular license without a CDL?
I checked that out - in BC, you are required to take a 16 hour long course and pass an exam - if you only want an endorsement, you don't have to take the driver part ( commercial ) of the exam - in BC, air brakes on any vehicle, RV or not, you must be certified - without checking, I would guess that Ontario would be at least as strict, what with the over crowded freeways and massive pileups common there
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Old 01-27-2019, 10:49 AM   #35
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RE: Air Brake Endorsements. Most U.S. states have a Class A or Class B non-CDL, for various things such as farm vehicles, RV's (in a few states), and other non-commercial large vehicles. I would *NOT* try entering Canada in an air-brake vehicle without the appropriate endorsement. In most states it's simply a knowledge test. It becomes and actual skills (driving) test when you go to CDL status - and that gets into medical certifications, eye tests and all that.


While states generally have reciprocity agreements as far as licensing requirements go, and you may get by without an air brake cert on your license, Canada may not and this is one thing on which I would not take that chance.
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Old 01-27-2019, 11:38 AM   #36
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I was unaware of the Canadian requirement for air brake endorsement until after I got back to the US from a month+ traveling from BC to ON in my Eagle.

Nobody said a word to me about air brakes.

Since then I have run into at least one credible story of folks headed from AZ to AK and got turned around at the Port of Entry into BC because they didn't have the endorsement.
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Old 01-30-2019, 06:23 PM   #37
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I emailed the Canadian border patrol with a direct question about air brakes and got a response today. Here is what I wrote to them.

"Hello CBSA representative,



I am planning a trip to Canada to enjoy some skiing in the canadian Rockies during the month of March.

I intend to enter the country with my RV through a port of entry.



Researching the boarder crossing process I have had all my questions answered except the status of crossing in my RV with air brakes.



Some people say that in Canada you need an air brake endorsement to drive any vehicle with air brakes.

I am a resident of Utah, here we do not have a regulation on air brake vehicles if they are an RV or motorhome. There is no air brake endorsement available to a personal vehicle, only air brake endorsements associated with driving a commercial vehicle.



I would like to clarify if I would be prevented from entering the country in my RV with a regular United States drivers licence?

The RV is registered to me, insured, and I have confirmed with my insurance company that the coverage is effective while traveling to Canada, my only remaining question is about the air brakes.



Thank you.


They replied,

Please be advised that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) does not enforce the Highway Traffic Act in Canada or in the provinces you may be travelling in. Should you require further information regarding operating a motor vehicle in Canada we suggest you contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) General Inquiries line, at: 613-993-7267 or visit their website at:

Language selection - Royal Canadian Mounted Police / Sélection de la langue - Gendarmerie royale du Canada
.


So what this sounds like to me is " we will let you through, but we can't speak for what will happen if you get stopped by RCMP"

Utah doesn't have a simple air brake endorsement. So I'll go to the DMV, explain my situation, and see if I can get a "CDL light" with the bare minimum to meet my needs otherwise Im just going to cross the boarder and thats that.

My bus is currently at the Truck service getting the air brake system fully serviced by the professionals.
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Old 01-30-2019, 06:47 PM   #38
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I look forward to hearing what they say.

We are in the same boat here in Washington State. There is no air brake endorsement available on a non-commercial license.

When I crossed at Lynden/Aldergrove and Detroit / Windsor nobody said a word about my air brakes.

I suspect that the enforcement is not consistent as I know others that had problems crossing.

Not to say that I haven't had any issues at the border............

I got angry with an RCMP officer when I went to Ontario in 1998. We had some words.... Now I get summoned into the office at the Canadian side, every time I cross into Canada. Ads 30-45 minutes to my crossing time.
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Old 01-30-2019, 07:48 PM   #39
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air brakes

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jsneeb View Post
I emailed the Canadian border patrol with a direct question about air brakes and got a response today. Here is what I wrote to them.

"Hello CBSA representative,



I am planning a trip to Canada to enjoy some skiing in the canadian Rockies during the month of March.

I intend to enter the country with my RV through a port of entry.



Researching the boarder crossing process I have had all my questions answered except the status of crossing in my RV with air brakes.



Some people say that in Canada you need an air brake endorsement to drive any vehicle with air brakes.

I am a resident of Utah, here we do not have a regulation on air brake vehicles if they are an RV or motorhome. There is no air brake endorsement available to a personal vehicle, only air brake endorsements associated with driving a commercial vehicle.



I would like to clarify if I would be prevented from entering the country in my RV with a regular United States drivers licence?

The RV is registered to me, insured, and I have confirmed with my insurance company that the coverage is effective while traveling to Canada, my only remaining question is about the air brakes.



Thank you.


They replied,

Please be advised that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) does not enforce the Highway Traffic Act in Canada or in the provinces you may be travelling in. Should you require further information regarding operating a motor vehicle in Canada we suggest you contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) General Inquiries line, at: 613-993-7267 or visit their website at:

Language selection - Royal Canadian Mounted Police / Sélection de la langue - Gendarmerie royale du Canada
.


So what this sounds like to me is " we will let you through, but we can't speak for what will happen if you get stopped by RCMP"

Utah doesn't have a simple air brake endorsement. So I'll go to the DMV, explain my situation, and see if I can get a "CDL light" with the bare minimum to meet my needs otherwise Im just going to cross the boarder and thats that.

My bus is currently at the Truck service getting the air brake system fully serviced by the professionals.

seems to be quite a long attempt at saying nothing - lol
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Old 01-31-2019, 12:11 PM   #40
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Bus is back from Utah Truck and Trailer!

They got my air brakes all refreshed.

They found, leaking air line from the comressor, leaks on the purge valve, and poorly seated air lines on the leveling valve and one bad leveling valve.

They replaced all the cracked or leaking air lines, replaced the purge valve, replaced the dryer cartridge and one ( or maybe both ) leveling valves.
They checked my S-cam adjusters and did a bleed down test on the tanks, and found nothing wrong there.

They got this service done in 24 hours ( even though I said I had a week before I needed the bus back ) for a total of 560$.

Overall super happy that I can have some peace of mind in the braking system of my bus!
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