2001 MCI 102 DL3 Maiden Voyage...

[mqbus767]

We took our maiden voyage in the bus this last week. (Spring break)  I just wanted to let ya'll know how things went.

The bus is probably 60-70% towards the goal of making it liveable off-grid for 4-5 days at a time (family of 6). We have electrical, heat/AC, bunks/bedding, and a refrigerator. We spent the last few weeks sorting out insurance, re-titling, inspection, etc. The bus has been off the road for almost 4 years. We started her every couple of weeks or so to keep the fluids circulating and stretch the air system. She's always started up just fine and no issues building pressure.

For Spring break, we spent 4 days camping trip with friends at a local state park. We reserved an RV spot with 50/30/15A shore power and water; no sewage. The drive was only about 35 miles away; close enough to handle any unforseen issues. She drove pretty good with engine temps between 170 and 200F. I think I clipped one curb on the way up, but pretty quickly got back into the grove.

The shore power hook-up had a flaky 50A physical connector, so only one leg was working. Our on-board surge/EMS protector caught the issue and refused to switch over. It was after hours, so we couldn't call the office for help. Fortunately we had a 30-to-50 amp dogbone so hooking up to the 30-amp circuit worked just fine. The only time we had issues on 30amps was when we were running the mini-split flat out and trying to use the induction cooktop on high. I suspect, however, that the 30amp shore circuit was also a bit weak because the inverter is set to not draw more than 30amps. The weather was rainy the first day and cool the entire time. (low 30's up to low 70's) We ran the mini-split in 3 different modes during the week; heat, cool, and dehumidify. It worked great!

All-in-all it was a really good, light test of the bus and the systems. I have a new list of priority items, but I'm glad we decided to take this trip before everything was 100% complete. There's nothing like a deadline to help you get things done.

A special thank you to all of you that have contributed to my build thread with knowledge, advice, and encouragement. It's been *MUCH* appreciated. We've still got lots of work left to reach our goal, but it was nice to stop and reflect on how far we've come.

[Glennman]

Fantastic mq! Still hoping to meet you in Texas in August. I'll be hauling that door!