Any Floridians familiar with a 5A???

[gumpy]

We'll see if this works this time. I posted this earlier, but it showed up in a different thread!


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Good thought. I like the idea of getting the trailer back, but, I'm not sure about the extra miles on that bus. He's putting new tires on the front for now.
Rears need to be inspected first.

It has a hitch, but I don't know how it's wired. I was going to bring a toad converter in case I needed to hook one up for toad lights.

Also, if it gets to MN and the weather turns bad (not unusual in Oct), it'll be sitting here through the winter, and I don't have a place to
keep it at my house. If it's got to spend the winter away from it's owner, FL is a better option.

It really needs someone to look it over well and make sure it's good to go.

If the truck deal works out and you come up to get it, maybe I can ride back with you and bring the bike in the garage. We could pick up the trailer on the way
down. Then I'd just need a way from your place down down to where the bus is. Calendar is a biggie, too. I won't be able to do this now till the middle of Oct.

[Beesme]

Hey Lou  idk if it makes you feel better but these old busses are awesome and dependable..I drove mine back 800 miles . I know it's not 1400 but I'd get in and drive it ! You sure would get too know the ole girl ... Just drive it a hundred or two a day plot a course with campgrounds on the way. I'm sure after the first hundred you will know the busses quirks. I never stopped till I crossed into ct for a nap! Good luck ! Oh but now I'm driving it all the time weekly.any just don't get discouraged it will all work out!

[lou432]

Yea Craig that would double the miles plus a few and would the unknown of my girl be worth it ?? Prolly not.
  Nice contingency tho  ....

And 

Hey Lou  idk if it makes you feel better but these old busses are awesome and dependable..I drove mine back 800 miles . I know it's not 1400 but I'd get in and drive it ! You sure would get too know the ole girl ... Just drive it a hundred or two a day plot a course with campgrounds on the way. I'm sure after the first hundred you will know the busses quirks. I never stopped till I crossed into ct for a nap! Good luck ! Oh but now I'm driving it all the time weekly.any just don't get discouraged it will all work out!

Was thinking the same thoughts for a few days now !! Just throwing caution to the wind and flying down fueling up pre flight check her for a few days and throw some white lines in front of her !!
Then I look at my work schedule and I cant even see daylight till mid Oct at the moment and got many other project estimates out that`ll prolly get accepted in between !!
So unless the Bus Gods and my God get in line she may have to stay down till spring??
  If that is so I`ll definitely be taking her to Arcadia!!
Thanks again folks for the advice,encouragenent and the offers to help in what ever way you can !!!!!!!!!!
Have a Great Labor Day!
Louis.

[Charles in SC]

I know that time is a factor for you but if it was me I would get a campground guide to carry with me. There is a campground at about every exit in Florida. You can always pull in one and leave it if something goes sproing. Then I would drive around the block a couple of times, stop and look things over and if everything is still together head up the road about 25 miles, maybe stop and do another look over. Then do a couple hundred and stop for the night at a Walmart so you can shop if you need to. Then the next day commit to the trip home.

[Bill 340]

If you have a problem in Fl Call John Silver  at Central Florida Bus in lakeland Fl, 863 665 8155.. You could probably work out a storage with him,  Really good people to deal with, He works on several of the coaches represented on this site,  Also Visit arcadiarally.com  it is the link for the bus rally spoken of in earlier post, yes it's still going on , you would learn a lot there and we have a LOT of old busparts and JUNK at the daily flea market there also. 

[Oonrahnjay]

Hey Lou  idk if it makes you feel better but these old busses are awesome and dependable..

     And don't panic.  I picked my bus up at the port and drove it through a "blown out" hurricane about 400 miles home.  I had never driven a bus before (or any vehicle 13'6" high).  It was 3:30 PM by the time I had finished up Customs paperwork etc. so I had rush hour in Washington DC to drive through -- did I mention that I'd never driven a bus (or any vehicle with air brakes) before?   About midnight, I stopped at a truck stop at the NC/VA line to fuel up; I had just realized that it didn't have a fuel gauge.  I got back on the road and the lights went off when I hit a bump doing 45MPH down I-95 -- DEEP BREATH, and they came back on.  Drove it another 20 miles, hit another bump and the lights all went off, flickered then came on again.  Although I was asking myself WTH I was doing out there at 1AM in a 30 year old vehicle I knew nothing about in bad weather.  But I drove on for the last 130 miles without any other hiccups, and drove into the back driveway at home at about 4AM.  OK, turn the lights offs, is this big lever the parking brake?  Now, how do I stop the engine.  There was a red button next to the green starter button -- let's try that.  "Rumble, rumble, rumb .., rumb .., rumb, wump, wump ............" OK, musta been that button.  Now, have I mentioned I never drove a bus before?

     After I fueled up, I walked into the fuel desk and told the country girl behind the desk I wanted to pay for fuel on pump 8.  She said "wutcha gonna do with that big bus?"  I said "I'm gonna build it into a motor home."  She said "Cool!  Whurr ya gonna put the hot tub?"  At that point, I was a bus nut for life.

     You'll be amazed and mystified but it will probably all be OK. 

[Beesme]

Omg oonrahnjay maybe got that wrong haha! Sounded like me never drove a bus or air brakes and I also went thru Washington, D.C. During 5:00 rush hour on Friday ! I stopped for fuel and looked at pumps thinking how the @@&$ Do I get it in here ! Had to ask for assistance .... I now know turn on pump sit it on ground and use other ..... But at the time omg! I stopped at rest area and asked how the heck can I get off this highway ? I headed for poconos and onward for New Hampshire . At the time my bus had eagles and Stars and Stripes all over it .... Looked like it belonged in the circus haha .. Not meaning anything I was in the military I just didn't want a bus that said eagle one on back and sides haha

[lou432]

Folks it been a few since I last posted but my goodness I`ve been burning the work/life candle at both ends !!!
But........... She has had a bit of work
  New  front tires and replace left front bearings race,gaskets etc, Got air adjuster to proper working order.
Diagnose the headlights  Checked over connections and wiring. Found bad high beam light on right side- it was a 12V bulb in a 24V system. The bucket is broken and needs to be replaced but I`ll check it out when I get her.
   Replaced RF side high beam.
 Traced brake light wiring and found broken wire at switch. Found 10 bulbs were burned out- replaced/Repaired wiring for brake switch. Replaced all bulbs in tail lights .

 Found loose airline for wipers,  tightened all lines and connections for wipers .
Oil  change with Shell Rotella 40T  change oil filter element and both fuel filter elements. clean and refill the oil bath air cleaner and grease chassis.
Replace reverse solenoid cab switch and secondary on Tran.

And PO took her  from the RV service center to an outside secure storage spot that was 20 miles away from
service center as he wanted his grass to stay in his yard where she was for a while and was bald when he took her to service.


So..... Just bought one way ticket to Tampa for the 28th of December so count me in for Arcadia !! :-)
 I think I`ll need all new batteries when I get there and a once over by whom ever will once her over and IF the East coast looks clear weather wise and she seems trip worthy I`m haulin @$# home!
I`ll look over the Arcadia app soon and am really looking forward to the trip!!!

Oh!!! Went to register her and if ya`ll recall was have`n ?? `s  about why Title says 50,000 LB and NH charges based on weight and approx cost new so I hit`m up  on a Fri 20 mins fore closing and told`m mit dont wheight no where near and show`d them  the original General Spec book and showed them the actual Net weight (ready for use) at 21,290 and told`m approx cost new was $15,000 so permanent plates and reg was $230.00  so I`m pumped on that !
 I`ll prolly spend a day with her fore going to Rally tho to get antiquated with her with PO but open for suggestions .
Thanks again to all posters to my threads and the encouragement on get`n her up here!!!
Louis.
 

[Boomer]

I really like your bus.  Those early Custom Coach conversions were built to last forever.  Good quality.