New 4104 owner (soon to be)

[JBSmith]

Hello everyone,

My name is Brian Smith. I am not much of a forum poster but I do read a lot of posts and I would like to say first and foremost, "I have learned a great deal from all of you, Thank You!"

Most of the questions that I have had you have answered for me simply by me searching the site, but I figured if I actually asked a question it may prompt some of you to ask me questions that I may not have even thought to ask myself.

I have recently made a deal to purchase a converted '58 4104 which retains the 6-71 and Spicer 4 speed. I will be acquiring the bus in May, once the weather is a little nicer, as it is in Washington and I will be driving it back to my home state of South Carolina.

My question for you all, "What tools would you not travel 3000mi across the country without? What special sized nut or bolt always seems to need turning but is never in the common tool box? In fact, what anything would you not travel without?"

[chessie4905]

Some kind of road side assistance plan at least for the trip. Good credit card for any expensive breakdown. Duct tape, zip ties, couple gallons of coolant. 5  gallons of proper straight 40 weight oil. Two sets of spare fuel filters. Couple gallons of extra diesel fuel to prime filters. Screwdrivers, pliers couple of adjustable wrenches. Ratchet set.Cell phone. There are scores of other things that could be beneficial.

[richard5933]

First, welcome to the forum!
One tool I made use of on my first trip was an IR temp gun to check hub temps and engine temps. A copy of the maintenance manual (or digital version) would be helpful as well. A co-pilot to help navigate while you get used to the new-to-you bus is indispensable. I didn't have that and wished I did.

[chessie4905]

Avoid running flat out on your trip. Keep it at no more than 60 to 62 mph. Against the governor causes things to leak that normally just seep. Top speed will, most likely be 68 to 70,assuming you have 12:00x22.5 tires. A few 4104's had a high speed rear with 77 to 79 mph, but were a bear to start out on hills. Hopefully, you know how to double clutch to shift gears, as there are no syncronizers in those transmissions. Also, there is a proper procedure to shift into reverse. Its been a few years since I had ours, so someone else can chime in on the exact procedure.

[Nova Eona]

I was recently in a similar, if less daunting situation than yours - I brought my 4104 home for the first time just a few months ago, though I lucked out that I only had to travel an hour to get home, not cross-country.  Here's the shifting guide if you haven't seen it yet, I suggest memorizing it: http://www.busnut.com/artrjl2.html  Luke's number at US Coach is also a good thing to have whether on the road or at home, since parts can be fun to find (1-888-262-2434 between 9-5 Eastern, M-F.)

If you haven't had the bus checked out by a good mechanic with a pit I'd suggest arranging to do so before or at least on the way home for that type of trip.  There are also DOT tests and procedures in the manuals for verifying things like the air compressor and brakes are working well enough, and definitely make sure your tires are good - if you're not used to heavy vehicles, read and watch videos about how to handle a steer tire blowout.  Similarly familiarize yourself with downhill braking procedures as you can't ride them like a car, and never go down in a gear higher than you used to go up.  Finally, before you even start the engine verify that the emergency shutdown solenoid works and moves freely, they are prone to seizing up if not tested regularly - ran into this myself, but I was able to unbolt it, wiggle it free from the guide ring, then a bit of sandpaper followed by oil got it working smoothly again; only takes about 10 minutes but can save you an engine.

I haven't done enough work on the thing to find much in the way of tools I'd need on the road that I wouldn't bring along for working on any smaller vehicle - an electric impact wrench is very handy in a pinch by the way.  Obviously there are going to be some bolts on this thing with sockets and torque demands far greater than any car would feature, but personally I'd say that if you run into something you don't have a socket or tool beefy enough for already, you're likely better off not trying it on the side of the road anyways.  Oh, also plan on checking (and possibly replacing some of) the ground connections, the aluminum bodies can make these more prone to trouble sometimes.

Ah, one other thing I ran into firsthand - if the shift linkages are a bit out of adjustment and you're stumbling through how to shift this thing like I was, it's possible to bind up the rods such that you're stuck in gear.  If this happens, clutch in and pull off, shut down the engine and go wiggle the control arms on the back of the transmission 'till it pops free.  I had to loosen the clutch free travel knob a few turns to free it (just counted the turns and then reset it after), but no tools were needed.

Good luck!

[freds]

There are a number of travel assistance services. I went for AAA RV, note there is a week delay from purchase to coverage.

[JBSmith]

This is all great info guys. One of my big concerns is the road side assistance. If something was to go wrong that I couldn't repair myself, can I be confident in something like AAA and do I just trust a standard truck shop. I will make this trip with a good line of credit if this becomes the case, but hopefully not of course.

My wife will be making this journey with me and tho we haven't set dates yet, we will give ourselves at least 14 days to return so that we can take it easy and stress free. For us and the coach.

It is currently at a diesel shop being fully serviced. I have spoke with the mechanic/owner and he is aware of my plans and has been instructed to replace anything that looks like it wouldn't make 3000mi.

For the past month I have spent most of my free time watching you tube videos, reading threads of similar situations that you have been in and just generally trying to educate myself. I've never owned a bus and I guess the biggest vehicle I have ever driven is a 26,000lb F800 dump truck that I own, but I'm very confident that I can drive it well and drive it safely.

My biggest fear for this journey is, if something brakes and I can fix it, but don't have what I need, or I can't fix it, and don't know who to turn to.

Thanks again everyone, this is all very valuable to me.

Brian Smith

[DoubleEagle]

Your greatest resource for finding parts is Luke at US Coach, as has been mentioned. Road service plans include Coach-net, Good Sam's, FMCA, and AAA RV. Be very sure that your particular coach is covered because age is sometimes an issue. I used to have AAA, but when I actually used it, the response time was very slow, and you never talked to a person, just an automated system. Coach-net has people answering the phone, but their plan is the most expensive. FMCA has additional benefits when you are a member such as travel insurance. Good Sam (I am a lifetime member) is now owned by Camping World, which seems to be more concerned about profits than anything else. Any other plan out there might wiggle out of coverage because you are too old, too heavy, or too commercial. I use FMCA now.

[JBSmith]

So my next question will be for anyone familiar with driving a bus in the northwest. What kind of weather/road conditions should I expect driving out of Washington through Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming in early May? Should I wait until June? I feel certain interstates like 84 are kept clean year round, but we would like to leave the major highways and see a little bit while we're there.


Thanks, Brian

[DoubleEagle]

Early May would not seem prudent, there could be snow in the mountains even into June. Driving a bus that you are not familiar with in bad weather up and down mountains could give you a thrill, though. The ideal situation would be in between the snow and the summer tourist traffic.

[dtcerrato]

To give you some perspective on NW travel - we travel to Alaska from Florida as early as late April (leaving FL) and early may (entering Canada) and mid to late May (in Alaska). Returning to the lower 48 mid Sept (leaving AK) need to be South of the NW Canadian Rockies by late Oct as mandatory snow chains are required (on board). The one thing you need to watch for in the continental US is mountain Passes may require snow chains during your mentioned time table.

[JBSmith]

I'm taking those two replies as maybe I should wait until June. I'm not sure what would be considered between snow and tourism, but if the two of you are suggesting I may need chains, that would be another added experience that I would be learning on top of driving the bus.

Dan, did you have to use chains at any time in the US on the last trip you made to Alaska? If so, which pass and what time of year.

[chessie4905]

You could instead, drive south and cross the more southern part of the country.

[dtcerrato]

Never had to put chains on but were always prepared to if needed.

[Utahclaimjumper]

The states you named are the most mountainous and snow prone in the country,, most whom live in those areas are very careful about planing early travel..>>>Dan