I don't think I'm stealthy...

[compassrose]

But I spent last night on the street in the front of the house. Took 7 hours to get from Roswell to Capitan  which is the "halfway" point for the 150 mile trip between Roswell & Socorro. Bus was overheating like mad. Ended up discovering that while the plastic coolant reservoir was full, the radiator was empty. As in it takes just under 13 quarts of water and we poured in 4 gallons of water plus a little under a gallon of anitfreeze (from 3 different containers). Made pretty good time for the last hour of the trip on Saturday night. Pulled into Capitan in the dark (both my daughter & I are night blind) with only headlights & brake lights working. Both sides of the street was lined with people. It seems they were having the Smokey Bear Stampede and the fireworks for the 4th. The parking lot of the gas/convenience store was posted "No Overnight Parking". Which to me means "ASK". So we asked, and told we could stay if we parked out at the edge of the lot (like I already was). Took 2 1/4 hours to finish the trip. I think we did good. After adding water to the radiator, engine temps stayed at 190F most of the time except for a couple of long hills where it climbed to 200F. Still building a mister system. I need to figure out the parking brake. I can't park on a slope even after dumping the air and putting it in gear (not D and not R). I'm doing something wrong. I am trying to get in contact with a school bus driver I know. I didn't run off the road, I didn't hit anything and I didn't run over anyone.

Getting diesel at the store across the street from the park I lived at in Roswell. Does this look stealthy?

 

[TMG51]

Sounds like you're having a blast. I think that's what matters.

Are you relocating to Captain to stay?

 

[eDJ_]

I've seen a number of "Schoolie's" here in the east painted all white and the rims painted silver.  Rigs similar to yours.

Then some just leave them yellow and black with bed sheet curtains they put up at night to cover the windows.
(these have like a 1/4 inch clothesline running at the top of the windows and the bed sheets are cut  long enough
to cover the windows and hung with clothes pins)

I've often thought I'd like to have a Rig like yours for a summer when I watch this Youtube video.

School Bus becomes off-grid transformable tiny home/  faircompany com  (there is a part 2 to this video also)

 

[compassrose]

Sounds like you're having a blast. I think that's what matters.

Are you relocating to Captain to stay?

There is almost nothing in Capitan (that is not a typo). It's just the halfway point where we spent the night. I'm currently in Socorro until my daughter & I leave NM for good. I have no plans to return. The past year has really sucked and I can't help but think if we had been someplace with better hospitals that David would still be with me. Irrational, I know. But that is how I feel.

I have reservations for the State Park outside of Carlsbad where we will do another tour of the Caverns then we head Southeast to Corpus Christi.

 

[highdesertranger]

Compassrose. is that bus a stick or an auto? if it's an auto you should apply the brakes by holding your foot on the brakes then put it in neutral, with the brakes applied pull your dump valve. this should hold it on a hill. if it doesn't you have a brake problem. might just need an adjustment, might have a leaky seal that has gotten the brakes wet with oil, or you might need a brake job. also sounds like you have a coolant leak. do you see any fluid hitting the ground? highdesertranger

 

[Canine]

I don't know anything about air brakes but don't put that and the cooling system repair off for long now that it's summer.

As far as stealth, it's that darn trailer you've got that tips your hand...

 

[BigT]

Hopefully you slack adjusters just need an adjustment. Pray for that and not that your brake linings are worn out.

What's in the trailer?

 

[compassrose]

Been in touch with a school bus mechanic in Roswell (the town I just left). We drained the three ping tanks and one just dribbled icky black water and no air. Working on replacing the air dryer cartridge. I have power steering. It did not work. Turns out there is a hole worn into the power steering hose. Bought a new hose to replace the holey power steering hose. Line that goes from the radiator cap to the coolant overflow tank also had a hole in it. Bought one to replace. The bus is an auto.

I wish David was here so I could yell at him. He supposed had gone thru the bus mechanicals last summer. Oh well, at least I haven't been crying any more than normal. So I think I'm handling all this very well. Going broke but still handling it very well.

So many things to fix and still do before we leave here. But at least I have left Roswell. My daughter can help me work on the bus.

BTW, there was a murder in the RV park I was staying in. It happened at a little after 6PM on the 4th. We left around 3PM So many bad things that could have been SOOOOOO much worse. Someone was looking out for us.

 

[compassrose]

Yesterday, we discovered that the "bad" tire that I was worried about shredding, has no air in it. You can push it and the tire itself shifts. Right now, the inner dually is supporting the bus. I need to buy an air compressor. Those coin operated ones will not air up a bus tire.

 

[offroad]

Compass --- omg. That is long. Am ignorant about towing laws but do you need a tandem license for that? Lol.

 

[Wandering]

"Does this dress make my bus look big?"

Might have been stealthy at those "last" Grateful Dead concerts. Those shows might end up like the Stones "Farewell Tour" that I caught back in '81. HA!

Guy

 
  Egad , now I really feel old............the Dead at Winterland..........and many,many others.

 

[Wandering]

Yesterday, we discovered that the "bad" tire that I was worried about shredding, has no air in it. You can push it and the tire itself shifts. Right now, the inner dually is supporting the bus. I need to buy an air compressor. Those coin operated ones will not air up a bus tire.

 
   You'll get through all this , I generally don't recommend Harbor Freight but if you can find one you may well be able to pick up a small tank compressor relatively cheaply , verify that it will push the pressure first.

 

[TMG51]

Yesterday, we discovered that the "bad" tire that I was worried about shredding, has no air in it. You can push it and the tire itself shifts. Right now, the inner dually is supporting the bus. I need to buy an air compressor. Those coin operated ones will not air up a bus tire.

Starter fluid and a match. :dodgy:



I would personally use a very long match.

 

[compassrose]

Compass --- omg. That is long. Am ignorant about towing laws but do you need a tandem license for that?  Lol.

The bus is 40 ft (possibly an inch or so short of 40 ft). The old food cart measures 10 ft 7 inch from the corian tops on the wheel wheels to the back bumper of the Bus. The over hang of the roof is not counted I don't think.

65 ft overall length is the usual length for towing. The food cart will not be a problem since we will not be taking it with us. I will be towing my (longer) Jeep behind the bus. The food cart is overloaded and tongue heavy. It is causing logistical problems too. It will get hauled off to the dump once I get everything out of it. The Jeep will fit within the 65 ft length. It's part of the reason I got rid of the Caddy and eventually ended up with the Jeep. We ran into that with the 40 ft Eagle coach. None of the NC state troopers could give us a solid answer on whether or not we could be ticketed for over length if we were legal in TN yet not in NC.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

A shakedown cruise can sometimes be a big pain, especially as long as yours has been sitting still. Too, its been a year since David checked things and I'm sure he must have had some unvoiced mental notes about some stuff he would keep an eye on.

Best of luck. Hope the rest of the trip is good.

 

[Spirituallifetime]

Yesterday, we discovered that the "bad" tire that I was worried about shredding, has no air in it. You can push it and the tire itself shifts. Right now, the inner dually is supporting the bus. I need to buy an air compressor. Those coin operated ones will not air up a bus tire.

You should be able to get that flat fixed at a tire shop for $30. But I wouldn't let it go because it can get hot and blowout an cause a lot of damage to the bus! A new tire will be $400 or more, and you can't put a new tire next to an old tire it will cause the old tire to wareout faster.

 

[highdesertranger]

hold on everybody. you have air brakes so you have a compressor on board or on board air(OBA). on your primary air tank put an air fitting. then get yourself enough air line to reach all your tires and an air chuck. and get your brakes checked. highdesertranger

 

[Canine]

If you fill up the tire yourself, you can't fill it up like you can a car and be safe about it. Connect the air hose to the valve stem, step back a few feet, then start filling. This is because there is a tremendous, I mean TREMENDOUS, amount of pressure. I'm not talking if the tire lets go, it will make a loud bang and make your ears ring for a couple days. I mean it will explode with enough force to kill you, break bones, or flay the skin right off of your face and arm. Commercial truck tires are different than car or light truck tires.

I have seen videos of this and they do a good job of showing the force an exploding tire can create. I've had the good fortune of being near a tire on a bus that exploded. The tire exploded not the bus. The driver could hear popping noise coming from the tire. The side of the tire had been scrubbed enough to expose the cords of the tire. The popping noises were the cords giving way. Then it just exploded without further notice. It happened inside a garage! No one got hurt. It was actually pretty cool.

Have you ever taken apart a golf ball that had the rubber bands wrapped around it just under the dimpled cover? It's a fun thing to do and would give you a hands-on idea of how that force works..

 

[eDJ_]

Here is a video to illustrate that.  Truck Tire with Safety Ring  Inflation Cage

[video=dailymotion]

 

[highdesertranger]

if it was me I would get rid of those split rims and get me some Alcoa's. highdesertranger