Newbie with several dumb questions.

[ReturningToAlaska]

I just bought a 1978 TMC MC8 bus, going to be converting stripped down RV that will be mostly a moving van for us. Will be enough of an RV to make a legal conversion, but it's main job will be to haul our stuff to Alaska next year.

I have a number of questions. Probably some very basic and stupid ones, please bear with me.

1. I need to obtain an original copy of the retail price for this bus when new. I don't know why they need it, but the DMV said they could not title/plate my bus as an RV till I have proof of original retail price on it, on some sort of official letterhead of the manufacturer. Any idea where I can find this?

2. I have not figured out how to turn on the overhead florescent lights in the bus. Does not appear to be a switch anywhere for it, how do I get those powered?

3. There are 3 plugs on the bus, one I know is a block heater. Two I have no idea what they are connected to, I don't dare power them till I know their purpose. One is outside right near the driver. says it is a 250V 15amp plug. And the other is under the bus near the transmission, it appears to be a 240v 30amp plug. Have not climbed under the bus yet to try to figure out where that one goes. What are these plugs, can I safely power them up?

4. My speedometer/odometer does not function at all, and guessing by the miles, it hasn't in a very long time. Lists as only having 14k miles on it. What would be the first check I should run to find a cause?

5. The transmission is rather clunky shifting, I have no idea what normal shifting is supposed to be, but it does not seem right to me. Plus, I can't have it in Drive till I get up in the 40mph range, otherwise it will try shifting to and from 3'rd and 4'th rapidly causing the bus to surge many times. If I leave it in 3 till I get till like 45mph, it will drop right into 4'th. Data plate said I had a Cummins Diesel and Alison transmission. I looked at the trans fluid and it looked clear red, didn't smell or look burnt.  Is this something that will be repairable or something I live with, or will this be a problem?

Kevin (ReturningToAlaska)

[RJ]

Kevin -

Welcome Aboard!  MC-8s are a good bus, whether built in Pembina (MCI) or Roswell (TMC) they're the same coach.  1978 TMCs were all built for Greyhound - if you look closely at the baggage bin doors you will probably see the ghost shadows of Greyhound's ICC numbers.

1. I need to obtain an original copy of the retail price for this bus when new. I don't know why they need it, but the DMV said they could not title/plate my bus as an RV till I have proof of original retail price on it, on some sort of official letterhead of the manufacturer. Any idea where I can find this?

Ask your DMV person this question:  TMC in 1978 was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Greyhound Corporation (true), every bus they built went straight into revenue service in Greyhound's fleet (true), they were never sold by any retail dealer (true).  Since they were built by Greyhound Corporation specifically for Greyhound Corporation, how could there be a retail price, let alone a copy of said retail price if it didn't exist?  My guess you'll get a VERY confused look on the technician's face with that info!

Do you have a bill of sale from the previous owner? Without knowing which state you're talking about, we can't give you any more accurate information, but the DMV is probably probably trying to figure out how to charge you sales or "use" tax on the vehicle.  They should, theoretically, only charge you tax on what you paid for the vehicle, especially if you have a bill of sale in hand.

Unless you have the basic requirements of an RV inside (toilet, galley, sleeping quarters), most states will not let you title your bus as an RV, you'll have to register is as a private, non-commercial bus.  Another option: "Historic vehicle" - most states have a provision for historic plates on vehicles over 25-30 years old, altho these plates have an annual mileage restriction.  But if you're moving to Alaska, then re-registering the vehicle in that state, it's kind of a moot point.

2. I have not figured out how to turn on the overhead florescent lights in the bus. Does not appear to be a switch anywhere for it, how do I get those powered?

There is no switch for those overhead florescent lights - those are called "in-station lighting" and come on when you plug into the receptacle underneath the driver's window.  But before you plug 240vac into that, do some more research.  Pull the cover off one of the florescent's and check the ballast - my memory says those are 120vac lights.  If that's the case, off you go to the hardware store for a male/female plug that matches what's on the bus and wire it to a regular extension cord.  (If you open up the electrical panel outside under the driver's window, you'll be able to see, and thus match, the wiring correctly.)

3. There are 3 plugs on the bus, one I know is a block heater. Two I have no idea what they are connected to, I don't dare power them till I know their purpose. One is outside right near the driver. says it is a 250V 15amp plug. And the other is under the bus near the transmission, it appears to be a 240v 30amp plug. Have not climbed under the bus yet to try to figure out where that one goes. What are these plugs, can I safely power them up?

Well, now two of your three plug questions are answered!  You'll have to play sleuth for the one near the transmission - but DO NOT crawl underneath the coach without running it up on blocks and securing the body with additional blocking!! There's not enough room underneath should an air bellow let loose and collapse.

4. My speedometer/odometer does not function at all, and guessing by the miles, it hasn't in a very long time. Lists as only having 14k miles on it. What would be the first check I should run to find a cause?

The speedometer runs off the LF wheel.  It's not uncommon for the wiring, especially on a 39-year old vehicle, to have failed.  Rather than pulling your hair out trying to get it to work, simply buy one of the new GPS speedometers, or use the speedometer built into your Garmin GPS unit.

5. The transmission is rather clunky shifting, I have no idea what normal shifting is supposed to be, but it does not seem right to me. Plus, I can't have it in Drive till I get up in the 40mph range, otherwise it will try shifting to and from 3'rd and 4'th rapidly causing the bus to surge many times. If I leave it in 3 till I get till like 45mph, it will drop right into 4'th. Data plate said I had a Cummins Diesel and Alison transmission. I looked at the trans fluid and it looked clear red, didn't smell or look burnt.  Is this something that will be repairable or something I live with, or will this be a problem?

Cummins Diesel?  That would be EXTREMELY rare - 99.9% of 1978 MCI/TMC Greyhounds had 8V71 Detroit Diesels and HT-740 Allison automatics.  If you could post a close-up photo of the engine, we can help you ID your powerplant more accurately.

It is not unusual for a 740 to "hunt" back and forth between 3rd & 4th around town in the 35-45 mph range while the shifter is in the "D" position.  It will go to 4th when you lift up slightly on the throttle, then bang back down into 3rd when you add throttle.  Nature of the beast.  Easiest way to handle this (plus for better performance!) simply shift the coach by hand.  (BTW, an HT-740 feels like a 5-spd when in "D" and accelerating to freeway speeds, but that extra "shift" is actually the torque converter locking up.)  At some point, especially before moving, it would be a good idea to have the transmission oil and filter changed.

FWIW & HTH. . .



PS:  Please take a minute, Kevin, to update your forum profile to include a signature similar to mine below.  At a minimum, your first name, home/base city & state and make, model and powertrain of your coach.  This will better help us help you, plus you might discover a fellow busnut nearby!  Simply click on the "Profile" tab above, on the next screen click on the "Forum Profile" in the LH column and follow the prompts.  TIA!

[bigred]

Kevin: Permit me to be the Devils advocate for a minute.Why a Bus? These things are a pita to get "product"in and out of .Why not opt for a truck,maybe a retired U-Haul .You can tag one of these at 26,000 lbs and you only need an operators license.

[eagle19952]

Kevin: Permit me to be the Devils advocate for a minute.Why a Bus? These things are a pita to get "product"in and out of .Why not opt for a truck,maybe a retired U-Haul .You can tag one of these at 26,000 lbs and you only need an operators license.

what fun is that ? 

[bobofthenorth]

Kevin: Permit me to be the Devils advocate for a minute.Why a Bus? These things are a pita to get "product"in and out of .Why not opt for a truck,maybe a retired U-Haul .You can tag one of these at 26,000 lbs and you only need an operators license.

What he said.  And if you're set on a bus, why not a schoolie?  They've got the big door at the back which would make loading a LOT easier.  They're generally pretty well maintained, don't accumulate a ton of miles and usually sell for a song for a relatively current vehicle.

[PP]

Whoa! Wait a minute. Why is everyone trying to discourage a potential busnut?  And where were you guys when I was looking for a bus?  Where's that helpline number again? 

All good points though.
Will

[Geoff]

I used my bus to move to Arizona from California but I made several trips and used a 20' trailer.  How do you do a bare essential conversion and then load it with household stuff and expect to still use it as a conversion? 

--Geoff

[dtcerrato]

Kevin
What part of Alaska are you going to?
We just purchased a piece of ground in Tok AK this past summer.
Eventually we want to do dual residency between AK & FL.
Our decision to move stuff up there will be a 26' rental truck &/or a shipping container ($$$!).
Our 4104 will remain our home away from home until we get something built in AK.
Especially if we should want to experiment through a winter (not in the bus!)

[B_K]

OK guys I get that your trying to spare him the expensive route of a bus. BUT stop telling him what other vehicles would work better for him and take a moment to RE-READ his first sentence!
"I just bought a 1978 TMC MC8 bus" Maybe not the SMARTEST thing ANY of US have ever done either, BUT he (like most of us) has already BOUGHT a BUS! Why try to change his mind now rather than help him with the questions he has asked for!

I have not changed the title on my bus over to a motor home yet so I can not assisst in that area.

Also if Kevin would let us know what state he is working with it would help us help him!
  BK 

[gumpy]

His profile says Michigan. 

Maybe just register it as a bus, move to Alaska, and register it as a motorhome there. You can't really combat stupid people in government agencies.

The florescent overhead lights in my bus were 120 volts connected to the plug-in located on the front left corner under the driver. However, before you go plugging in a cord, you really ought to follow the wiring of that plug and check out the connections. Mine were so corroded inside the front compartment I think I'd have lit up the entire bus had I tried to plug them in.

[robertglines1]

Ind= change of use to motor home. 25$ and since it is more than 10 yrs old. 50$ a year Plates. they except bill of sale but must have title and verify serial number. Can do everything online except mvin inspection that proves the title matches serial #. Sometimes on line=less personal interaction.  Took me about 4 weeks from salvage title to plates in hand.  Bob

[dtcerrato]

In FL we registered it as an antique bus, FL won't issue antique plates for motorhomes. The title says it's a motorhome but when I renewed plates - put antique plates on the "bus". Plates now only cost us $26/ year! How cool is that?

[luvrbus]

In FL we registered it as an antique bus, FL won't issue antique plates for motorhomes. The title says it's a motorhome but when I renewed plates - put antique plates on the "bus". Plates now only cost us $26/ year! How cool is that?

Fl doesn't limit the miles driven with antique plates like most states ?,my plates for the DL3 are 58 bucks for 5 years in AZ. Here you can suspend the liability insurance and only pay for the months or weeks used in a year my insurance agent is not happy with that law   

[ReturningToAlaska]

Kevin: Permit me to be the Devils advocate for a minute.Why a Bus? These things are a pita to get "product"in and out of .Why not opt for a truck,maybe a retired U-Haul .You can tag one of these at 26,000 lbs and you only need an operators license.

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to reply to this thread. Was very beautiful weather this past weekend, and for the entire weekend, I have had the worst cold I have had in many years. I am at work now, finally caught up for the moment, and while still coughing and sneezing, I am well enough to talk again.

As to your question, I do have a Class-A CDL, me and my partner have been going over the idea and many options. We have been looking at box vans and school busses, and the like for months now. Went and looked at a few school busses, we didn't like how short school busses were inside. Plus for the same length vehicle, there was overall a lot less storage in a school bus then this beast I got now. My first option was a large box truck, but any that had a sleeper cab and in driveable shape, were VASTLY more expensive. And while yes, I could probably get my money back after the move by reselling it in Alaska, I just felt safer with the vastly lower cost of this bus. I only paid $8,000 for this bus. If it costs me several thousand to get it ready to move and drive to Alaska, it is still far less money at risk then any truck I have seen in driveable shape.

Kevin -
Unless you have the basic requirements of an RV inside (toilet, galley, sleeping quarters), most states will not let you title your bus as an RV, you'll have to register is as a private, non-commercial bus.  Another option: "Historic vehicle" - most states have a provision for historic plates on vehicles over 25-30 years old, altho these plates have an annual mileage restriction.  But if you're moving to Alaska, then re-registering the vehicle in that state, it's kind of a moot point.

I will give that a shot later this week. Thanks!

There is no switch for those overhead florescent lights - those are called "in-station lighting" and come on when you plug into the receptacle underneath the driver's window.  But before you plug 240vac into that, do some more research.  Pull the cover off one of the florescent's and check the ballast - my memory says those are 120vac lights.  If that's the case, off you go to the hardware store for a male/female plug that matches what's on the bus and wire it to a regular extension cord.  (If you open up the electrical panel outside under the driver's window, you'll be able to see, and thus match, the wiring correctly.)

I crawled through the side engine door and found the cord. It was actually not attached to anything, it was an adapter cord, it has a 3 prong twist lock plug like I see on many motorhome plugs on one end, and the other end has the strait across plug like is on the front of the bus. No clue why it was dangling under the bus near the tranny, but it is clearly an adapter for the front plug on the bus.

Cummins Diesel?  That would be EXTREMELY rare - 99.9% of 1978 MCI/TMC Greyhounds had 8V71 Detroit Diesels and HT-740 Allison automatics.  If you could post a close-up photo of the engine, we can help you ID your powerplant more accurately.

You are right. I have NO CLUE where I got the cummins diesel from, I would have SWORN an oath that I saw a data plate on the bus that stated that, but I searched all over and never found that data plate I remember. I looked at the rocker covers on the engine, and it says Detroit Diesel.

[Scott & Heather]

Kevin,

If
You are in Michigan its easy as pie to register your bus as an RV at the Secretary of State. I've done it twice now. Go in there with your title and a receipt for a toilet, cook stove (even a camp stove will do), a kitchen sink, and a mattress and you are solid. When they ask you what your bus is worth, tell them $8000. That's the honest truth and it will keep your yearly reg prices low. Do NOT let them value it based on retail original purchase price. They tried to do that with me and I wouldn't let them. It's ludicrous.


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