CHOICES

[lostagain]

Yea John, I remember that one too... Reading that book sure changed my outlook on life for the better. It gave me the confidence to get over the hurdles to the solution. I can't remember the name of the author. I think the book is still somewhere in the basement. I recommend it to anyone as a good read.

JC

[babell2]

akroyaleagle
  That's a great start. Now we need to look at the items that make us and our group Nuts!!  All those systems that we or the PO installed that make up a Bus Nut's coach. What PM's need to be done to Water, Waste, Electrical, A/C,DC and the like.
Any one want to chime in on that one?

Brice

[JohnEd]

Yea John, I remember that one too... Reading that book sure changed my outlook on life for the better. It gave me the confidence to get over the hurdles to the solution. I can't remember the name of the author. I think the book is still somewhere in the basement. I recommend it to anyone as a good read.

JC

JC,

That book had so many that it touched....anyone with a son, anyone that the system had thrashed, anyone that needs to find a reason to ?  anyone with friends and family that offer assist and still hope....  ANYONE THAT WANTS TO FULL TIME....and so many more....so many.   And especially Nam vets.   Oh, yes, and let us not forget the Beemer Pilots and shade tree mechs.

Thanks, JC

John

[artvonne]

  My Dad taught me to start with brakes. If you cant stop you dont start. Next was steering, then tires, in that order. Until those three systems are addressed you dont even think about rolling. Everything dont have to be new, but it all needs to be inspected and found or adjusted to be within spec.

  Weve all read the merits of a DOT inspection, but weve also read of those that blatantly missed things of importance. Knowing your own equipment and performing your own inspection and adjustments, as well as being concientious about it, can save you a mountain of $$$$ and heartache.

  While a book or video would be nice, every Bus is different and once past brakes and steering theyre are too many differences. Best is to have the manufactures specific manual and follow their maintenence guidelines.

  That takes care of the Bus but what about the living quarters? Same thing. Every piece of equipment should have a manual. The Generator, fridge, water heater, etc... You can check them for both instalation quality to know they were installed correctly, as well as address any PM.

  If you persist in being ignorant to the machines workings, and pass off all the work to someone else, your traveling on a wing and a prayer. When something goes wrong (and it will sooner or later), and pray to God its not 3000 miles from home in the middle of nowhere, how are you going to know what it is or how to deal with it if you never knew anything about it??

  I read the art of motorcycle maintenence. Another good one was the Idiots guide to the VW. Haynes manuals back in the early 70's were awesome as well, very detailed. Those books were all heavy into repairing things everyone throws away today.

[chev49]

the idiots guide to the vw, doesn't cover everything - esp for the non mechanic.. I know,, i have had one for many many years. and the motorcycle like haynes dont cover everything..Nor do most of the aftermarket chilton type books.

I always try to buy either in eBay or from people the automotive book sellers books that are factory service manual sets. and for rebuilding tansmissions, I use ASTG stuff, and dvd's now together. 

With heavy equipment like busses, trucks, or whatever, the first thing I check is the steering in the yard, then the brakes... Reason i inspect steering first is if i have some brake, at least when it's rolling a tie rod or something wont fall off when it's moved 10 feet, or worse, on the road... justmy tiny centavo

[artvonne]

  Haynes went in the crapper starting in the 80's. But they are a British company and they did the old British cars pretty well, often too well, being so over explanetory to the point of sounding giberish. Think Monty Pythons Holy Grail and the Holy Handgrenade scene while they explain carb adjustment. Chilton gives you just enough to get you into trouble, and often the wrong data to get you into for serious trouble (torque head bolts to 600 ft lb's). Clymer motorcycle books are more often a joke than a useable manual, too often a fuzzy out of focus over developed black and white picture of the wrong motorcycle part, lol.

  The best are generally the manufactures service manuals.