Maiden Voyage PD4106

[TEAKNE]

Hello All,
I have been around reading your posts on the board for some time now but rarely post myself.  I purchased a PD4106 from Arrow Stage lines 9 years ago on the awesome advice of RJ Long. I have been working on the bus as time and money permitted (rarely do the two ever meet). This past week my wife and I took our maiden voyage from Omaha Nebraska to Columbus Ohio (approximately 1800 miles round trip) to attend a family reunion.  I had reservations about taking the coach due to several issues I had planned on taking care of before the trip but had run out of time.  The clutch pressure plates needed resurfaced to get rid of the shutter during clutch release and a couple of other issues.  Just a few hours before the trip was to start, the decision was made to take the bus with no looking back.  Well the trip went flawlessly.  The bus ran like a road warrior it was made to be.  I have driven the bus from time to time during the 9 years just to keep it from rusting in place but never more than 20 miles. So this trip was a true test of the bus and my ability in driving it.  Both got better as the trip progressed and we are now looking forward to several smaller distance trips before the summer is over.  Thanks again for the great wisdom shared on this board and I look forward to many more helpful hints and sound advice. Attached are just a couple of pics of the progress so far.
Todd

[HighTechRedneck]

Congratulations on a good trip!  I like what you have done with the interior and paint job too.

I wish more folks would share their successful trip stories too.  I suspect that for every trip with a breakdown there are many thousands of miles of trouble free trips out there.  Yet sometimes we can look at the forum posts and be concerned that our buses won't make a trip without a breakdown.  But that is because folks generally post here to get guidance on problems.  And that is absolutely one of the great things about this forum - being able to get helpful guidance when needed.  But I think a lot of the newer members and lurkers would feel more confident about getting into buses if they saw more stories of successful uneventful trips.

[Oonrahnjay]

Congratulations on a good trip!  I like what you have done with the interior and paint job too.

I wish more folks would share their successful trip stories too.  ... 

    Yep!

[Mex-Busnut]

Congratulations, Todd! You are farther along then we are, as we have yet to take our maiden voyage.

Please post some more interior pictures and a higher resolution of the outside. That is a nice interior! What are you using on the floor_

[mike802]

Congratulations Todd!  We can't wait to take our maiden voyage,  My wife already has things set up so she can cook a meal as we work on the bus.  9 years, that gives me hope, as I am working through our 4th. year.  I can only hope our first trip is as uneventful as yours was, bus wise that is ! LOL  My son keeps telling me to expect many break downs as he has encountered, but I keep reminding him my bus is a good 20 to 50 years newer than the ones he has dragged out of the weeds.

[pabusnut]

Todd,

Very Nice!!  I like the neat clean uncluttered interior.  Is that wide beadboard on the ceiling?  What type wood did you use on the ribs at the joints? 

Congrats on the successful trip!

I have been working on my GM4905 for 12 years (when time and money collide also) and have been interrupted most recently by an involuntary long trip to a place that begins with "A" and ends with "stan"!  I am planning the first true maiden voyage on at least a 2000 mile trip when I get back.

Steve Toomey
PAbusnut

[brmax]

Hey hey hey, whew!  I don't want to miss the bus here
Thanks Todd, we have something in common you said 9 years well I am going on 9 months ownership and looking and listening to all the post here when I can. A wealth of information and friends, looks like nice work you have done.
Thanks for sharing the pics its a boost!
Good Day

[Dreamscape]

It's always great to hear of a satisfactory trip report!

You have done a wonderful job and I'm sure you couldn't slap that smile off of your face!

Now take it out more often and use it! 

[bevans6]

Absolutely wonderful, I love the interior and love the trip...

Brian

[Barn Owl]

I to have found that the more I drive the bus the better it does. If I do a several hundred miles trip it will hold air for three weeks. Let it sit and only start it in place, 24 hrs. I have noted in the past that if I were to have found this board before I bought my bus I would not have done it. To many stories of buses that have major problems only a few miles out of the driveway. My bus was converted in '79 and it is always willing to take a trip. Even the '79 Dometic air conditioners, Atwood water heater, Dometic fridge and all other old parts still work. They must have made that stuff better back then.

[thekid745]

That's awesome, we hope to have ours done in time to go to Alabama in November.

[Dave5Cs]

Wow and I thought we were taking to long at 2 years. Of course we still aren't done but take it out a bunch now with the new tires. congrats to you and glad you had a lot of fun on your trip.
Dave5Cs

[Seangie]

Todd -

Congratulations on a great trip!  Its always exciting to drive the bus.  I love the simplicity and clean look of your interior.  Well done.  Hope to see more pics and hear of more trips from you!

-Sean

[Cosmo]

We look forward to our first trip too. Does going across town count? Nine years gives me hope, I keep getting told small bites. I agree we need more successful bus trips posted! Can't wait to get behind the wheel.