How do you learn to trust your engine?

[ol713]

  Hi;
      I like the reply,  "just drive it"   If you drive it It will "talk" to you.
      You will hear a creak, a rattle,  feel a vibration or something. 
      Either way it will tell you what or where to look for a problem.
      Yes just - - -   "drive it"
                                          Merle.

[bandsaw]

Hello, do regular checks of your fluid levels and get an oil analysis.  If it has a gear driven DN50 alternator pull it and change the bearings.  Record your oil pressure and coolant temp when the engine is warm.  How old are your tires? 

When I stop at rest areas I check the hubs, tires, and rear end temp with an IR meter. 

Each trip you take without issue will build your confidence. 

For my first trips I used to head to vacation areas that were close to Detroit/Allison service centers.

Welcome to the world of buses.

Bandsaw 

[Scott & Heather]

Bjorn,

Everyone has great advice. I'll add that indeed just like what was said above, every trip you take without issues does indeed build confidence. We worked out some kinks early on with our 9 conversion and after that we just drove it. The coach was amazingly reliable. I have the jitters with our freshly converted 102C3 now because I have zero personal history with it. The stress of owning a bus and living in it Fulltime comes with the territory. You'll find some former bus owners on here that don't miss it at all. Someday when I move into my dream log home, I can tell you without a doubt, I won't miss the stress of owning a bus. But for many years ahead, this will be my family's home so I have steeled my resolve to just keep on keeping on. It's the price we pay for the freedom we have fulltiming in a coach.


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[jav9956]

Thank you guys, sometimes it helps put the nerves at rest being able to relate to someone else.  

Dave- I think you hit the nail on the head. I really appreciate your response.  

Luvrbus- thankfully that is not a worry of mine! That is so interesting that the fancy shmancy Prevost would have a plastic fuel tank though. Exterior looks good though.

Bandsaw- I have been checking the fluid regularly and the first thing I bought after getting the bus was a box of Delo 100. So far I haven't had to use any of it. I will work on getting an oil analysis, great suggestion. I will look into the alternator. Oil Pressure and coolant temp has always been good. I am not sure on the age of the tires, they are retreads and for what it is worth the treads are very good. I may just have to make my vacation areas the Detroit/Allison service centers  

Merle- I will be listening... I just hope that when it talks I understand! Might be like listening to Lauren, who knows what is going on    

Scott- Well put. The stress was the unforeseen cost of ownership. It is a mixture of curiosity and stubbornness that keeps me going. Hopefully as I test our A3 it will prove to be as reliable as your 9 was!

[Jon]

It sounds like you are dwelling on the potential issues and not just going out and enjoying the coach. Don't even worry about stuff unless and until it becomes an issue. If the oil is clean, the fuel is clean and the air is clean you have done all you could to treat the engine well.

Now just go out an pay attention to the gauges, the sounds, and the performance. Those are going to establish a benchmark for what is normal, and as you use the coach the stuff you need to pay attention to are deviations from normal. Find out from owners of your model and engine / transmission combination what gauge readings you should see, what your fuel burn (mileage should be), what your oil consumption you should expect, what your air pressures should be, how to do a pre-trip brake check, and then go hit the road.

Even my fancy shmancy Prevost has problems so don't think any coach is bullet proof, but also don't hesitate to drive it just because you might have a problem. And for Pete's sake don't go fixing stuff that ain't broke. But do make yourself a good preventive maintenance plan that does anticipate the life span of the things that are going to shut you down like belts, hoses, air bags, brake chambers, tires, batteries, etc. or have a game plan for if they break while you are on the road.

[muldoonman]

Jon hit it on the Head!

[Geoff]

I always used to worry about the gear driven 50DN alternator in my bus blowing up and destroying the engine, so I removed it and put two fan belt driven alternators-- 12 and 24volt.

[luvrbus]

Jon did nail it my friend Gary with the 2010 Prevost has lost 2- 14L series 60 in less than 80,000 miles to no fault of his own,the EGR cooked the 1st engine,and the turbo did the 2nd engine in,he just takes in stride there nothing he can do about it except worry about the plastic fuel tank    

[jav9956]

Jon did nail it my friend Gary with the 2010 Prevost has lost 2- 14L series 60 in less than 80,000 miles to no fault of his own,the EGR cooked the 1st engine,and the turbo did the 2nd engine in,he just takes in stride there nothing he can do about it except worry about the plastic fuel tank    

I am surprised he still has any $$$ to put fuel into the plastic fuel tank!  

[muldoonman]

I am surprised he still has any $$$ to put into the plastic fuel tank! 

No worries as Those Guys with Prevost's are always loaded!

[Lin]

I used to own and drive a taxi in New Orleans.  I figured that maintenance and repairs cost an average of $200 per month.  That meant that if I went a month with no repair costs, there would be a $400 month coming soon.  I think of the bus in a similar way, so when I have to spend something on it at home I feel good because it means that it is less likely that I will have a breakdown on the road.

Now, we that somewhat questionable logic stated, I will note that these machines were not designed to be driven only periodically and maintained by amateurs in their back yards.  Further, catastrophic breakdowns can be amazingly expensive, and this has happened to some very long term and experience people on this board.  So, with that in mind, take the good advise that has been expressed here by others, but also resign yourself to the possibility that feces can occur.  Maybe contemplate what you are willing to spend to fix things in a worst case calamity and have it in reserve, and know at what point it would be better to just walk away.

Obviously, if you have a higher end unit or have put an impressive amount of time and money into it, Your cap will be higher.  With this in mind and knowing that my investment in my 5a is a lot more than it is worth, I will need to be more conservative.

 

[Jon]

With 26 years of ownership under my belt, and detailed records, including a record of every single gallon of fuel that has ever been put in my coaches I can fully agree that maintenance and other costs of ownership need to be recognized and planned for.

Depending on individual circumstances and the type of coach there are going to be expenses relating to insurance, storage, tires, batteries and just about anything made of rubber whether the coach is driven or not.

Tires, air bags, brake chambers and a lot of the suspension valves, and batteries age out. There will be endless debates on here about how long it takes before a tire or air bag or battery has outlived its usefullness, but nobody will disagree that whether you use the coach or not those will eventually need to be replaced. Then there are the relatively minor costs associated with age such as belts and hoses and transmission and engine coolant fluids. They all have a life expressed more in years than mileage.

Then there are the mileage and use associated expenses mostly oil and filter changes, air system maintenance, generator service, etc.

None of the above addresses the unplanned expenses which can range from hub seal service to alternator failures, starters, radiators, turbo, or towing costs if you opt to not follow a preventive maintenance program.

Then there is the house and the costs of refrigerators, water pumps, heating and AC systems, glass, etc.

Since we all have different tolerances for risk and varied amounts of ready cash there is no standard for what it costs to drive a bus, especially since some of the cost is based on luck. There should be no doubt that luck is a factor when someone brags about going cross country on 10 year old tires without a problem and someone else has a 2 year old tire blowout and take about $5000 worth of coach body panels and air bags along with the tire.

If it is any consolation the cost per mile drops like Bill Clinton's fly the more miles you put on the coach per year.

[luvrbus]

No worries as Those Guys with Prevost's are always loaded!

To handle the depreciation of a 1000 bucks a day on a new Prevost coach they have to be loaded 

[Jon]

And yet, if you can believe it, some with almost new coaches said they were cutting back on travel when fuel got up to $5.00 per gallon.

Go figure.

[Dave5Cs]

That's only because with all the Mirrors they couldn't find all their Benjamin's, in the glare...
Dave