Vegas to Tulsa - New Owner MCI 5C

TulsaDiesel · August 23, 2019, 05:48:03 PM

Well we took the plunge and here I am in Vegas grabbing a slice of pizza and planning my route home to Tulsa. Just picked up a clean '79 5C, has spent its life here in the desert. Any immediate concerns I should be thinking about? I'm trying to find some 40W oil now, then? Thinking about staying the night here in Vegas or driving to Flagstaff when the sun goes down. Oh, Progressive quoted me on insurance and then when O called to make it official they said no way, I tried the "commercial vehicle for personal use" line... fail!

DoubleEagle · August 23, 2019, 06:15:35 PM

There have been plenty of previous discussions about insurance, but the bottom line is, never use the word bus or commercial vehicle, it is a personal use RV, or house vehicle. The other common wisdom is to shop around, if one company dumps you, keep looking. Get the title changed to say RV or House Vehicle, whatever is appropriate for your state.

richard5933 · August 23, 2019, 06:38:01 PM

Best bet for insurance that I've found is to go through a GOOD independent insurance agent, not directly with the companies. They'll know how to work the system to get you coverage, and they'll know how to word things so that underwriting doesn't spit it out.

TulsaDiesel · August 24, 2019, 10:42:16 AM

Well, the insurance worked itself out... I'm in now insured through State Farm.

I have made it to Williams Arizona which where this bus actually did work for the railway as a commuter bus to the Grand Canyon.

During the drive I have noticed a few minor issues, but one in particular that I'm thinking I should get checked out. The steering wheel has a bit of wobble at around 65+ MPH, depending on how the bus is leaning. I'm feeling it more when going uphill too. I'm thinking a tire is out of balance at the speed and the tie rod ends are last their prime.

I will be looking for a shop to take a look, if not here than some place East on 40. Any recommendations?

TulsaDiesel · August 24, 2019, 02:18:55 PM

So I stopped at place near Falgstaff and had a mechanic take peak under the front end and he confirmed what I thought: loose tie rod ends, drag link, and a leaky/worn ram cylinder. I checked the power steering reservoir and the site glass showed nothing at all. I put almost two quarts in and now the site glass is full. We are going to lift the front wheels and attempt to bleed the system. Hopefully the level will go down and keep me from having to remove any extra fluid.

buswarrior · August 24, 2019, 07:00:23 PM

Great fun, shake down cruise!

If you are budgeting, the leaking ram, provided it isn't an ocean, won't impact steering the way tie rod ends and drag link will.

You can separate the jobs along those lines.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

TulsaDiesel · August 24, 2019, 07:16:31 PM

And now I found myself near the AZ/NM boarder with a flat tire... inner rear drivers side... luckily the front spare is holding air. For how long is another question. I am hoping I can find a brand new pair for fronts somewhere East of here. I have a guy coming to change that one in now.

We have some "bus fund" money set aside for these things. Definitely will try the tie rod ends and drag link first. If that doesn't help then I'll be looking at the ram and gear box at the same time.

TulsaDiesel · August 26, 2019, 06:17:35 PM

Update:

The repair guy couldn't make it until the morning so I ended up sleeping in the bus. I was not prepared for this, but I laid the back bench seat cushion down and made due. The temperature dropped into the 50s, so I used my spare clothes as a blanket. The tire ended up being a leaky valve stem, which was great news! Just aired it up and I was off. Drove all day yesterday and made it into Tulsa at daybreak. I even met a fellow bus owner with the same DD engine outside of Amarillo, was heading East to the Burningman festival.

Overall it was a good trip, glad to be home!

Lessons learned:

1. Pack appropriately if driving through the desert incase you might have to "camp" prematurely in the bus.

2. Stay hydrated while driving through the desert without AC, especially during August heat. I had a small cooler with ice water and a couple undershirts I would put on my neck and head then rotate when they were no longer cold.

3. Buy a legit tire gauge and check your tires every time you stop, cheap insurance to prevent a blowout, a repair bill or worse.

4. If your steering components are worn like mine are, try filling up the fuel tank to load up the front suspension. The engine being behind the rear axle acts as a cantaleiver and made my wobble more noticeable when low on fuel, especially going up hill. After I figured this out I could cruise at 65-70 okay, opposed to half tank cruising at 50-55. On a long trip this will save you hours of driving time.