Traveling costs

[Ross]

OK...So I'm sitting here in a hotel room thinking about what this 3 day trip to TN is costing me...and wishing I had the bus.  That got me thinking.  Plane fare, long term airport parking, car rental, hotel and dog boarding for this trip will be about $1000.  I figured the bus would cost about $600 one way from NH to TN or $1200 round trip.  So it really isn't that much more to take the bus once you figure that NONE of the above expenses would apply...and as airlines are beginning to raise fares, the bus is looking even better.

Ross

[JackConrad]

That is our thoughts as well. When you factor in the cost of fuel for a car or 2 airline tckets and car rentals plus motel rooms and meals in restaurants, the bus can be more economical, depending on where you stay. When we travel, if we are just stopping for the night to sleep, Wally's works great. If we are staying somewhere for several days, we stay at a friends or a campground. That is a campground, not an RV Resort. Campgrounds are usually cheaper than RV Resorts.  Several years ago, we went on a 5 week trip to the Carolinas. Total cost was about $2000. Even back then, I would have had to spend $100-125 per day for motels and meals for 2 x 35 days plus fuel for our F350 crew cab dually. Do the math.  Another reason we want to use the bus, is that we sleep in our own bed every night and do not have to lug suit cases in and out of the truck every day. We can eat what we want, when we want and not have to wait in line to be seated.  YMMV,  Jack

[Dallas]

Ross,

After driving truck for many, many years, I learned the value of motel rooms whenever I broke down or got laid over in a place without a truckstop. I also learned that I would much rather sleep in my own bed anytime than sleep in the concrete box motels that are so common around the country.
Now we live in a bus and if we decide to go, all we have to do is clean up our site, stow some stuff and go!

I remember what one advertising slogan said years ago, "Forget the Fuss and Leave the Driving to US!

[belfert]

Ross,

After driving truck for many, many years, I learned the value of motel rooms whenever I broke down or got laid over in a place without a truckstop. I also learned that I would much rather sleep in my own bed anytime than sleep in the concrete box motels that are so common around the country.
Now we live in a bus and if we decide to go, all we have to do is clean up our site, stow some stuff and go!

Dallas, how do you keep your engine in running condition since you say you haven't moved it in two years?

All my research on BNO and so on says that not running a Detroit is the worst thing you can do to it.  What I read says that fuel will get into the oil when it sits a long time.  I suppose if you change the oil before running it, you'll be okay.

Brian Elfert

[belfert]

One thing you need to compare when doing the bus vs airplane comparision is time.  Do you have the extra day or two it will take to drive versus flying?

I am going to a rocket launch in Las Vegas next summer.  It would be nice to bring the bus, but it is well over a 24 hour drive straight through.  Unless I can find several friends that also want to go and have a few extra vacation days, I will probably fly.

Bus will cost $1200 just for fuel.  I can fly to Las Vegas for less than $300 and stay in a really nice casino hotel for $40 a night.  Meals may cost a bit more, but a cooler for sandwiches can be used for some meals.

Brian Elfert

[Dallas]

Ross,

After driving truck for many, many years, I learned the value of motel rooms whenever I broke down or got laid over in a place without a truckstop. I also learned that I would much rather sleep in my own bed anytime than sleep in the concrete box motels that are so common around the country.
Now we live in a bus and if we decide to go, all we have to do is clean up our site, stow some stuff and go!

Dallas, how do you keep your engine in running condition since you say you haven't moved it in two years?

All my research on BNO and so on says that not running a Detroit is the worst thing you can do to it.  What I read says that fuel will get into the oil when it sits a long time.  I suppose if you change the oil before running it, you'll be okay.

Brian Elfert

Brian,
I'm not sure what to say, other than I've been lucky maybe?
I run the engine every so often and drive up to town and back , (about 5 miles each way), I'm always messing with the engine, one way or another to try and see what I can and can't do with it. I change the oil and filters every year, (September) whether I've been anywhere or not.

One thing I've thought about is adding a Genny head to the engine off of one of the acc. drives and using that for operating my welder, compressor, House power for a while, etc. It may not put a big load on the engine, but it will allow it to be worked at around 1800rpm for quite long periods of time.

Another thing you really need to remember is that these old two strokers were built to be tough. I bought a 2-71 water pump a while back that had been sitting for over 40 years. I pulled the injectors, shot some oil down the holes and made sure all the injectors were functional. After replacing the filters and oil and rerouting the fuel to a 5 gallon jug, the old girl fired right up.

I have found that on some of the old engines, injectors seem to sieze up if they get started without prelubing... I can't prove it, but that is my take on it. I always pull injectors on a engine I don't know about and soak in a mixture of ATF, 40WT and diesel for a few days. Once I get ready to reinstall, I'll squirt them with 40wt before I do.

Again, Like I said, I don't treat my engine right, but I am always playing with it.

Your mileage may vary, do not try this at home, closed course by a proffesional driver, only a very few may win, and too many others to mention!

Dallas

[belfert]

I'm not sure what to say, other than I've been lucky maybe?
I run the engine every so often and drive up to town and back , (about 5 miles each way), I'm always messing with the engine, one way or another to try and see what I can and can't do with it. I change the oil and filters every year, (September) whether I've been anywhere or not.

I thought one of your recent posts said the bus had basically been parked at the campground for two years.  Driving it to town occasionally is certainly helping it.

Many of the Prevosts listed on Ebay only have maybe 100k on them, but it seems many of them also have rebuilt engines even with such low mileage.  Someone told me they usually have new engines because they sit for months without starting and it isn't good for them.

I hope I've driven mine enough to keep the engine in good shape.  I last drove it about three or four weeks ago long enough to get it really warmed up.  I will probably drive mine a little ways this evening as I have to turn the bus around in my driveway.

Brian Elfert

[Dallas]

I'm not sure what to say, other than I've been lucky maybe?
I run the engine every so often and drive up to town and back , (about 5 miles each way), I'm always messing with the engine, one way or another to try and see what I can and can't do with it. I change the oil and filters every year, (September) whether I've been anywhere or not.

I thought one of your recent posts said the bus had basically been parked at the campground for two years.  Driving it to town occasionally is certainly helping it.

Many of the Prevosts listed on Ebay only have maybe 100k on them, but it seems many of them also have rebuilt engines even with such low mileage.  Someone told me they usually have new engines because they sit for months without starting and it isn't good for them.

I hope I've driven mine enough to keep the engine in good shape.  I last drove it about three or four weeks ago long enough to get it really warmed up.  I will probably drive mine a little ways this evening as I have to turn the bus around in my driveway.

Brian Elfert

Brian,
5 miles each way isn't really enogh to heat the engine and exhaust system up. It still has smoke when I get home from where it was cold stacking before.

The guys that have and can afford  to have Prevost and Newells and Eagles and all the top of the line conversions can afford to change engines. Unfortunately, I can't. I have to deal with my poor old GMC the way it is and make sure it is ready to run whenever it is time to go.

If it smokes for 40 or 50 miles, that's fine with me, to pickle it the way FF and Detroit want me too is just not an option.

Ya just gotta love our old DD's for what they are capable of. Let it sit for 40 year's, oil it up, hang a good set of batteries on it, and it'll run just like it did before!

I'm not sure we could do that with a 555cummins or one of the baby cats. Mack is the closest I think we could come for bullet proof next to the DD 2 cycle.

[belfert]

If it smokes for 40 or 50 miles, that's fine with me, to pickle it the way FF and Detroit want me too is just not an option.

Ya just gotta love our old DD's for what they are capable of. Let it sit for 40 year's, oil it up, hang a good set of batteries on it, and it'll run just like it did before!

Yes, doing it the Detroit way is big bucks and probably overkill.  I've been told that if a Detroit sits too long, fuel will leak down into the oil and then that contaminated oil wears out the engine.  An oil change before starting the engine after sitting will take care of this, but how many do that?

Brian Elfert

[pvcces]

Brian, that 's the purpose of oil analysis. If there is fuel dilution, you cure the leak and change the oil. If the oil is fine, are you going to change it anyway?

Some people would. I just consider what the analysis actually checks for.

Tom Caffrey
Suncatcher
Ketchikan, Alaska

[Ross]

One thing you need to compare when doing the bus vs airplane comparision is time. 

True, but lately I seem to have LOTS more time than money.

[FloridaCliff]

The original reason I bought an RV was because of the insane expense we had on a vacation the year before.

That led to the Bus.  You can build a pretty good case for the expense of the Bus if you subtract your savings on trips from air fare, hotels, food, rental cars.

In the Bus we average around 100.00 a day for a family of four on the road.(exception to this would be a Theme park visit)

Thats fuel, food, campground, etc.  We like to stay at a State park or a Campgrounds also.

Cliff