Bus Mechanics in New Orleans (Glass repair and/or engine work?)

[daveola]

Looking for advice on someone who can work on a bus near New Orleans.  (1986 MCI 102A3)

I need to replace some windows, and I might need engine work.  Bus won't currently start.


The bus gods are not smiling on me.  

[bottomacher]

What kind of bus? What kind of glass work?

[daveola]

Thanks Bottomacher.  It's a 1986 MCI 102A3.  Edited the original post.

[bottomacher]

Do you need to replace the entire glass/frame unit, or just glass? There are always mobile glass service people in a large city,who replace flat glass on construction equipment, step van fleets, etc. They have access to large sheets of safety glass and are not usually too expensive if it's not a rush job.

[B_K]

I highly recommend "Hotard" bus service in New Orleans for the window replacement and DonFairchild can direct you to a good 2 stroke mechanic there as well.  (he sells them parts for their marine engines)
  BK 

[daveola]

Hotard told me that they don't have the manpower to help me.

By "Mobile Glass Service People" do you mean the same kind of companies that fix automotive glass?  I was always under the impression that they could only deal with cars.

I've sent a message to Don through the email I've found on here.  Hopefully that will get me somewhere.

I'm getting desperate now.  I haven't been able to find anyone yet who is willing to take in the bus to fix it.  What do people do when their bus breaks down and they can't find a mechanic who will work on buses?

[daveola]

Hallelujah - I just found a mobile medic in Slidell who is going to drive out to look at it in the next day or so.

I'll keep the board updated about whether it works or not.

[John316]

Hallelujah - I just found a mobile medic in Slidell who is going to drive out to look at it in the next day or so.

I'll keep the board updated about whether it works or not.

I sent you another PM.

Just be careful with the mobile mechanic. They can get VERY expensive VERY quickly. And that is when you are there to deal with them in person. I really feel for you. Not a fun situation to be in.

[daveola]

So - here's the update now that we're back in New Orleans.

1) The mobile mechanic we found in Slidell seems to have found a great "opportunity" in us and charged us incredible amounts of money for what I have now discovered was a simple fix - they are claiming they replaced an injector, but the engine hasn't been opened, so now they are backpedaling and making other claims.  Furthermore the bus sat in their open lot for three months and they completely failed to fix the window.  I am looking at either getting some money back or else contesting the credit card charges.

2) The bus was a disaster.  The burglar spent at least an hour in the bus, and had a light source (since he stole a bunch of our camping headlamps), but couldn't be bothered with simple latches, instead ripping doors off of hinges and the like.  So we have lots of repairs we have done and still lots of repairs left.  He even ripped my monitor off the wall mount, even though the tools were sitting right next to it.  He also stole some things that are not replaceable, unfortunately, including the custom Raspberry Pi control center I was building - which was a loose miniature computer board and a bunch of wires and relays.  Don't know why he would steal it or what pawn shop would buy it, but he just ripped the wood right off the wall.  So it goes.

3) To make things worse, a family of rats took advantage of the open coach and moved in, meaning that the bus was covered with rat feces, so we've spent about a week washing and cleaning everything - when I first picked up the bus I discovered that I have allergies to rat dander since I started getting hives just from driving it.

4) To make worse things worse, just about every single system on the bus failed.  Some of it possibly due to the burglar - he ripped wires out which may have broken some items.  The full list:  Wrico Generator is down (for the FIFTH fan failure), MaxxFan ceiling fan doesn't work, one of the A/C motors is burnt out, water pump has died, battery door ripped off, etc.. etc..

But the silver lining in all of this was discovering Baton Rouge Bus Mechanics in Baton Rouge, he fixed the window and gave me lots of information to fix other issues as well as a replacement bay door and other replacement windows and parts as well as replacing the bus voltage regulator, all for under $300.  Wow.  I highly recommend him for any work you need, his lot is full of MCIs and it's ilk and he's a great and honest mechanic.

It has been quite the homecoming.


But in the end, my love and I are safe, and we are finally back in our bus and it's mostly working at this point, so all is well, and now we're heading to Austin and then San Francisco!

[bigred]

Some of your issues with items not working may have to do with the Rat's.They absolutely love chewing wires!!Since I would be more prone to think they probably came in from the bottom of your coach rather than through the window ,I would check around the genset etc to see if there are signs of chewing .Those devils may still be holed up somewhere in your basement area !!!

[daveola]

We've got some traps out.  Fortunately I think they are gone, and fortunately I have found the wires they have chewed through.  Unfortunately that has little to do with the list of items broken posted previously.  It does mean I need to buy another propane detector though.   Oh well.

[bigred]

Since this was a burglary,your insurance should cover a lot of the damages under your comprehensive and your personal effects rider .

[daveola]

Unfortunately unless you know a way that I can charge them for the time we've spent cleaning up rat feces and putting the bus back together then I'm not sure that will help.

Insurance (after separate deductibles for vehicle damage vs. my renters insurance) is paying for lost items and the large damaged items, so it's not a total loss.