JUST GOT HOME FROM BLYTHEVILLE RALLY!

[pabusnut]

I just got home from the Blytheville, AR Rally, after a diversion to Central Texas.

First the STATS! (Of Interest to the Geeky Engineers like Me):

MILES DRIVEN = 3588 
GALLONS OF DIESEL BOUGHT =  536.969 *
AVG COST / GAL = $2.923
AVG MPG = 6.682 **

* Tank was not full at start of trip
** Average is probably higher due to difference in fuel tank level between start of this trip and end of last trip

CHALLENGES:
1) Turn signals worked most of the time, but I am definitely chasing a bad ground in the tailgate area.  I will probably re-wire the whole thing this winter, while I get the tailgate repaired.  I have a big hole with no cover where the "Tall" valve cover for my Jake sticks out.  The horizontal tubing in the tailgate is rusted through at several places.

2) Instantaneous Hot Water Heater wouldn't work.  I knew this before I left, but I am a somewhat tough old military guy (Air Force) so I figured it wouldn't kill me to take a cold Navy Shower.  Campground showers with hot water were a luxury several days!

3)  The Square D 15 amp breaker that feeds my power converter/ smart battery charger quit working halfway through the trip, but I didn't realize it until the batteries were totally dead.  I never expected a Square D breaker to fail?!

4)  Forgot to pack any coats (only had one sweatshirt), or extra heaters (still don't have my new LP furnace installed), and on my last day in TX it got down to 37 degrees, with a wind chill feels like 33 degrees when cold front/ rainstorms passed through.  Bought a 2nd electric Heater in Mississippi, and an electric blanket.  The electric blanket set on 2(of 10) made sleeping nice and toasty.

5) Trusted the Davey Crockett Campground map to be somewhat to scale, and did not do my "Recon" prior to hooking TOWD to back of Bus.  Yes-- the map was nowhere near scale, and could not be even remotely considered anything more than a rough visual depiction of the campground layout.  Lost at least 1/2 hr un-hooking TOWD, backing bus down hill, and re-Hooking TOWD to get out the exit of the campground(which is the same as the entrance--no loop).

SUCCESSES:
1)The bus ran great, appears to have used no oil,
2) my 9 yr old tires (at 95% tread) still show no age or wear.
3) My left leg didn't die from clutching in stop and go traffic on Interstate tie-ups.
4) I forgot all about my "challenges" back at my full time job
5) I read 5 books cover to cover.
6) I AM RE-INVIGORATED TO TACKLE MY REMAINING BUS FINISHES.
7) I got to enjoy the company of a lot of fellow bus-nuts and put names with faces!
My college-age teen didn't burn down the apartment or starve the dog to death while I was gone.

Well, there it is!! 

An almost trouble free trip!

Steve Toomey
PA busnut

[richard5933]

Great report - thanks for posting! Wish we had the time to make Blytheville into such a trip.

[oltrunt]

Fun report.  I'd call that a completely successful trip.  It wouldn't be any fun without a few inconveniences anyway.  I learned long after "completing" my build that the Square D breakers I used are no longer available--I have one that pops off at the slightest over load.  Naturally, it feeds the converter so I grimaced when you mentioned the dead batteries.  Still the whole bus thing is too much fun! Jack

[chessie4905]

Mileage sucks. Especially for a standard I guess you ran 70 to 75 most of the way. Too bad about the issues you had, but sounds like a good trip.

[pabusnut]

Jack,

The breaker didn't kick at all-- that's the curious part?!  I think it was bad from new.  I didn't carry an extra, so I just swapped one from another circuit, and that one was just fine.  I am sure I bought them all at the same time.  I heard you had troubles with a instantaneous hot water heater also.  How did you get yours to work?  Did you need more PSI from the 12vdc pump?

John,

I did a bit of climbing hills in Kentucky during a deliberate detour to visit a recently retired co-worker.  I was down in 1st climbing hills dragging my 4500 lb Jeep Liberty.  Also coming out of TX, I had at least a 25 mph headwind for about 300 miles.  It was so bad that I was doing 63-65 mph actually passing trucks on flat ground!  I also think I had a 40-50 gal defecit at the start of the trip, since I didn't start with a full tank (nor end with full tank--200 miles since fill-up).  If I factor that "beginning defecit" into the equation, my mileage was actually closer to 7.4 mpg.  My average speed was probably around 64 mph.

Richard,   I have been saving my leave for almost two years, so I could take a long trip like this.  The only real time I can put three weeks together is after we "lose" spending authority at the end of the Fiscal Year. 

[uncle ned]

Steve  great report.

No bus trip is without hitches.  Have to remember you are driving something that has millions of miles and YEARS of age.

But they usually get us where we are going and back.

Took 3 spray bottles to get the little white truck clean.

Hose that I made in Paris Landing was not to good. Leaked a little but the detroit did not leak just the 730 allison.

good to see you again.

Uncle ned

[oltrunt]

Steve, I finally got the bugs worked out of my on demand water heater.  The first problem was that the burner would go out if even a slight breeze was blowing.  The mfg walked me through adjusting the air/fuel mixture and that problem was solved.  The second problem stemmed from the fact that the heater's internal water temp control was related to the incoming water temp and raised the outgoing water temp by a set number of degrees rather than by true exit water temp.  Because I have a recirculating hot water system as the water in the fresh water tank warmed so did the water flowing from the heater.  Eventually the exit water temp was high enough to swell the PVC water lines until a fitting failed.  The fix required replacing the hot water lines and installing a programmable thermostatic switch in the heater outlet line that automatically turns the burner on and off.  Jack

[chessie4905]

The mfg. walking you through it is priceless help these days.

[Oonrahnjay]

The mfg. walking you through it is priceless help these days. 

     Chessie, you talk like you got one of those "Outback" inverters.  They won't talk to you if you're not a certified dealer.  Don't Ask Me How I Know. 

[chessie4905]

No, but I've had other things that get no support after a couple of years or minutes. Thank God for the internet and forums!Remember back in the 80's and earlier?