Arctic Family Bus

[Twigg-SKO]

We made the drive last summer with the three kids in a minivan. Because of timeline issues, it might end up just me and a buddy doing the drive this time, but it comes with the cost of losing a lot of my vacation time.

Get a SPOT tracker.

If your family is separated it gives enormous peace of mind to be able to track them on a map, every 10 minutes.

I've had one on the motorcycle for the last five years ... Mrs Twigg and the kids love it.

If ever they need assistance you have a GPS reference of their exact position.

 

[Biscuitsjam]

Get a SPOT tracker.

If your family is separated it gives enormous peace of mind to be able to track them on a map, every 10 minutes.

I've had one on the motorcycle for the last five years ... Mrs Twigg and the kids love it.

If ever they need assistance you have a GPS reference of their exact position.

I've been planning on getting the Delorme version. It's like the Spot but higher reliability, more features, and more flexible subscription plans. I like that you can send and receive text messages over satellite with these in case you have a breakdown in the middle of nowhere, or, in my case, someone at work needs to reach me:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I...dpPl=1&dpID=41XZkhB8OrL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

 

[Twigg-SKO]

I've been planning on getting the Delorme version. It's like the Spot but higher reliability, more features, and more flexible subscription plans. I like that you can send and receive text messages over satellite with these in case you have a breakdown in the middle of nowhere, or, in my case, someone at work needs to reach me:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I...dpPl=1&dpID=41XZkhB8OrL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Either works.

Set up an account at Spotwalla.com for a better viewer experience

 

[cowlitzcoach]

Every state and CDN province recognizes driver's licenses with one very large caveat that may not have been a factor going from AK to the lower 48.

When you go through the Port of Entry from the US to Canada there will be a requirement to take any air brake equipped vehicle for inspection by the weight cops. If you do not have a driver with an air brake endorsement your bus will be red flagged and put Out-of-Service (OOS) until a driver with the proper endorsements shows up.

You may ask me how I know this.

I tried for several days to try and help a customer move an air brake equipped bus from ND to AK. I got lost in several different phone trees before I was finally connected to a weightmaster at a weigh station near to the border. He was the one who told me that without an air brake endorsement the rig would not be moving. As an illustration he said he was sitting at his desk looking out the window at three very large and very expensive Class 'A' moho's that were waiting for a properly endorsed driver.

The BC weight cops are the most persnickety about the air brake endorsements on moho's. As the weightmaster explained they have had several rather spectacular wrecks due to air braked equipped moho's getting away from older drivers who had never driven anything that large before.

I also know that the Flxible bus club had an international club meeting in ON that didn't turn out so well. As the bus club members crossed over at Windsor many of them turned around and went home because most of them did not have an air brake endorsement.

I will say that my information is more than a couple of years old. The rules may have been changed since that time.

But I would hate to see a bus full of kids get stuck just north of the USA border because one of the drivers didn't have the proper license.

As far as vehicle license and title is concerned, get that all done in GA. Getting insurance on an RV that is licensed and titled as an RV is going to be a whole lot easier than getting insurance on a bus. Once the bus is in AK the state of AK will transfer the license and title to AK and they won't care what the bus is titled as so long as they get paid the correct fee.

 

[Biscuitsjam]

I applied for a Vermont registration as a motorhome about a week ago. I figure another 2-3 weeks for the mail to get back to Alaska.

Unfortunately, there is no air brake endorsement in Alaska law. I personally have no way I could meet that requirement. I have friends who could fly up for the border crossing, but it seems pretty ridiculous. I'll make some phone calls to the customs folks and see if I can talk to someone knowledgeable to find out the real deal.

 

[Twigg-SKO]

I applied for a Vermont registration as a motorhome about a week ago. I figure another 2-3 weeks for the mail to get back to Alaska.

Unfortunately, there is no air brake endorsement in Alaska law. I personally have no way I could meet that requirement. I have friends who could fly up for the border crossing, but it seems pretty ridiculous. I'll make some phone calls to the customs folks and see if I can talk to someone knowledgeable to find out the real deal.

The customs people are wrong. The licenses are wholly reciprocal. That doesn't help when confronted by an ass at the border.

If what they say is correct, many RVs could never visit either Canada or Alsaka because there is no way for the driver to get the endorsement they say is necessary ... an endorsement that isn't even required in all of Canada.

 

[Biscuitsjam]

I was bored last night (staying in a hotel on a business trip) so I spent 3 or 4 hours reading up on this. The RV discussion sites have numerous threads with 100+ posts talking about taking Class A motorhomes across the border with zero mention of air brake endorsement issues. None of the websites mentioning rules or tips for the border ever mention it either. Numerous websites say that all Canadian provinces recognize all drivers licenses from other states and provinces and only impose restrictions on their own provincial residents, but I never found the text of the source law(s).

Almost all the mentions of vehicles getting impounded at the border for lack of air brakes are on this site. I found a couple non-Skoolie mentions, but whoever posted was quickly shouted down.

I called a Canadian government-run helpline for border crossing and the lady I talked to said that it absolutely would not be a problem with policies for border guards but check with provincial police to make sure there were no problems once crossing the border.

If anyone wants to call for themselves, the number is 506-636-5064 option 1 option 0.

My guess is any Skoolie-related problems would come from driving a schoolbus registered as a commercial vehicle without the appropriate license, not driving a School bus registered as a motorhome. I suppose you could always run into someone overzealous though.

Thanks Twigg (and others)

 

[PNW_Steve]

I don't know what the reality of Canadian law and enforcement.

I do know that I have been to Canada twice with an air brake equipped bus and no endorsement.

I crossed once at Windsor and once at Blaine.

I did not have any trouble.

I did not know about the requirement until after my trips North.

 

[Biscuitsjam]

We finally have the bus in Alaska. A friend drove it up for a per diem and plabe tickets. Yesterday, we took it on an overnight camping trip - which was a lot of fun except we had to drive around 45 minutes to find somewhere the snow was thin enough to pull off the road.

Things i like:
1. 36 feet gives us lots of interior space
2. Turn radius and maneuverability is remarkably good
3. 100 gallon fuel tank and 10.2 mpg flat land (8 when moderately hilly) gives good range
4. Air ride seat!
5. Rear engine is nice.
6. Turn radius is remarkably tight - easy to maneuver in tight space despite the length
7. Cruise control
8. Underbus storage compartment
9. Our beds are rwally comfortable.

Things I don't like
1. It is hard to crank the engine below 35 degrees.
2. The previous owner removed the heater line and cut the lines where it is difficult to splice in a new line.
3. The previous owner put in a hot water heater that's in the way and cut a whole in the outwr skin for the vent - I'm going to pull it out and patch the skin.
4. Top speed of 58 mph...
5. Half the windows won't stay up.
6. Rides like a bus for passengers.
7. The current yellow paint and decals needs repainting - I dont like how it looks at all.
8.A fuse popped and took out the wipers, cruise control, power windows, and exterior light monitor. Haven't figured out which one yet though - it's not clearly labelled.
9. The transmission temperature sensor is defective. I need a new solution.

A lot of work to go, but we're really excited. In a few weeks, we're headed to Denali.

 

[tugboater-SKO]

Glad to see your bus made it! We arrived with ours about the same time, but only about half the distance traveled as you guys. Best of luck with your build. Great to see fellow Alaskans with a similar dream. We'll be taking trips to Fairbanks with ours to visit family, I'll be keeping an eye out on the Parks for you!

 

[cowlitzcoach]

We finally have the bus in Alaska. A friend drove it up for a per diem and plabe tickets. Yesterday, we took it on an overnight camping trip - which was a lot of fun except we had to drive around 45 minutes to find somewhere the snow was thin enough to pull off the road.
.

Did you have a friend drive it north because your friend had an air brake endorsement?

What did you discover about the BC weight cops and their enforcement of air brake vehicles requiring a driver with an air brake endorsement on their license?

 

[Biscuitsjam]

Glad to see your bus made it! We arrived with ours about the same time, but only about half the distance traveled as you guys. Best of luck with your build. Great to see fellow Alaskans with a similar dream. We'll be taking trips to Fairbanks with ours to visit family, I'll be keeping an eye out on the Parks for you!

Awesome - hope you had a fun trip. Mine doesnt have cabin heat right now, but I'm told it was an enjoyable trip.

 

[Biscuitsjam]

Did you have a friend drive it north because your friend had an air brake endorsement?

What did you discover about the BC weight cops and their enforcement of air brake vehicles requiring a driver with an air brake endorsement on their license?

Canadian Law recognizes U.S. Driver's licenses. If it is legal to drive in your home state, its legal in Canada. The Air Brake endorsement thing is (mostly) an urban legend as it only applies to residents of 2 or 3 Canadian provinces and 2 or 3 U.S. states.

 

[Biscuitsjam]

We've gone on a couple camping trips with the kids in local campgrounds and had a lot of fun.

1. I started setting up the electrical but I didn't have the right crimp tool for my lug-type wire connectors. The local hardware stores didn't carry anything that would work, so I had to order online. Frustrating, but I'll have power by this next weekend.

2. I greased all the fittings under the bus until the old grease came out. The new grease is synthetic to better deal with the cold.

3. I removed all the door alarms. I still need to find where the wires are connected to the electrical system, because I don't like random hot wires running through the bus.

4. I started the process of recaulking the windows. Availability of different types of sealant is limited in Alaska - I eventually decided to go with a polyurethane caulk. Right now, I've cleaned 1/4 of my frames but haven't resealed yet. I'm not sure what to do with the one broken window. The Bluebird windows at the junkyard look the same as my Amtran windows, but I'm sure they will be different when I measure them. Maybe a local glass shop?

5. I found a blown fuse that was stopping my cruise control from working. Unfortunately, I did not find why my wipers (and exterior light monitor display) went out at the same time.

6. The air is out of my air ride seat. Every bump, it goes from resting on the bottom to hitting the travel lock about 4 inches up then flying back down. The roads in Alaska are very bumpy, leading to a white knuckle ride

Next up:
1. Finish electrical wiring
2. Finish window caulking (and deal with broken window?)
3. Diagnose windshield wiper electrical problem
4. Get rid of hot wire for window alarms
5. Reseal roof hatches
6. Add air to driver's seat (I assume it is a closed system and not tied into vehicle air, but I haven't checked)

Upcoming concerns:
1. Where can I buy rust converter in Fairbanks? It's $100/gallon at the auto parts store (no-name brand) if I special order it. I haven't found it anywhere else.
2. What kind of wood to use for the floor? There is already premium OSB down, but I'm going to rip it up to treat rust, seal holes, and put in insulation. Should I spend the money for more suitable wood and use the OSB elsewhere (maybe for bunk beds)? Wood is much more expensive here than elsewhere and the premium stuff is very expensive. Selection is also limited to only a few types.
3. Seating... still not sure how I want to set up seating for 5 kids and 1 adult passenger. The current thought is to temporarily just use bus seats with seatbelts, but I still need a long-term solution.

 

[cowlitzcoach]

Air leaking out of an air ride seat is not unusual.

If your air system is aired up I have to wonder why the seat isn't aired up. Having you pushed the button to add air to the air seat suspension? It should be somewhere on the side of the seat cushion, under the front edge of the seat, or on the side of the seat frame. Most of the time the controls for adding air are on the driver's side rather than the curb side of the seat.

The seat will not automatically air up when the system has air pressure. You need to push the button to add air. Or on some of them it requires pulling out on the button. Some are push/pull buttons and some are like rocker switches.

 

[Biscuitsjam]

I found the air ride settings for the seat. Took me about 5 minutes as it was detached from the side of the seat and turned around backwards underneath. Thanks

 

[cowlitzcoach]

I found the air ride settings for the seat. Took me about 5 minutes as it was detached from the side of the seat and turned around backwards underneath. Thanks

Don't you just love those easy and quick fixes?

 

[roach711]

Don't you just love those easy and quick fixes?

Love them? I depend on them!



Cowlitz - Your depth of knowledge is pretty awesome!

 

[o1marc]

Love them? I depend on them!



Cowlitz - Your depth of knowledge is pretty awesome!

I think he was born on a Greyhound Bus going down Hwy 41.

 

[cowlitzcoach]

Actually I was born in Doctor's Hospital in Seattle which is becoming a long, long time ago!

As far as the fixes go, when you have older equipment and almost no budget to keep them running you have to become creative in keeping them running. I never resorted to baling wire and bubble gum for permanent fixes. But there were more than a couple of fixes that involved baling wire to get the bus home!

As far as the depth of my knowledge goes, it isn't very deep. It just is really wide and covers a lot of stuff. I wouldn't even being to want to rebuild an automatic transmission or mess around with the electronics like the way some of you folks can do. I can weld about as well as I can fly by flapping my arms up and down. Finish woodwork is totally not in my wheelhouse. 50' or 50 MPH paintjobs I can do, 5" or less than 5 MPH, no way.

I suppose what I am saying is we all have our areas of expertise. I think my greatest area of expertise is in diagnosing problems. And sometimes, knowing what you don't know is almost as important as knowing what you do know.

Keep your stick on the ice. We're all pulling for you!