Bus-less for now

[fo4imtippin]

Well mine weighed around 18k on the trek. I doubt yours is more than 20k. We had a huge storm with 40mph sustained winds and huge gusts. I ended up somewhere between 11-12mpg. We went about 62 the whole way. At the time, I had 5th gear only and I hit the redline 2500 at 65.. now that I have 6th gear, I'm up to 14mpg at 60.



It took me awhile to get out of Tucson because I got my 60 day out of state tags from the DMV, then had to go to auction, then had to jump start and meet the bus, then had to change oil, then grease and pickup a new headlight..


Just get a temp tag with the bill of sale or title from the AZ DMV before you leave..

 

[peakbus]

I bought a bus in AZ and could get a temporary tag for transit. Not hard. I bought another in CA and ran out of time for the DMV so I drove home unmarked to Idaho. No one gave me a glance including multiple cops I passed. Big yellow bus- keep clear! People even pull out of your way. Really a shame I have to paint it per ID law.

 

[STS23]

Right on! That’s encouraging. I’m fortunate to have a little extra time, so if it takes a little while to get the temp tag then so be it. I’d love to avoid the paranoia. And the mpg… wow! I’d love to be in double digits. We’ll see how she runs, but I’m getting more stoked by the minute.

 

[Tejon7]

Just thought of one more thing to bring - phone charging capability. I used a portable USB solar charger on the bus dash during my drive home, and it barely kept my phone alive for 2.5 days. Maybe a little USB li-ion power bank would be a better option? Or if you're already familiar with 12v wiring, take the time to install a 12v cigarette lighter into the dash area.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Right on! That’s encouraging. I’m fortunate to have a little extra time, so if it takes a little while to get the temp tag then so be it. I’d love to avoid the paranoia. And the mpg… wow! I’d love to be in double digits. We’ll see how she runs, but I’m getting more stoked by the minute.

I would also ask Ross if he can hook you up with a 6th gear unlock before you go. You'll at least get some immediate savings on your drive home. I estimate 2MPG difference on mine.

 

[STS23]

Thanks!

Phone charging was something on my list of things to figure out. I think I could add a 12v socket pretty easily, that's a great idea.

As far as the 6th gear unlock, I'll have to bring that up next time I speak with him. I saw in some of his older posts that he has a connection that does it for $500, at least on some of the buses he was selling last year. If it really does net 2 mpg then it would break even in about 3500 miles, half of which is on this drive home.

Also, just want to give a big thank you :Thanx: to all of you that have contributed your invaluable advice to me over this past week. I'm grateful for folks that are willing to share their knowledge with those that are eager to learn.