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Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 1:37 pm
by 56ovalbug
Electrical tape would work. I used a clear RTV for electronics - non acidic type.

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 11:31 pm
by Amskeptic
Thank-you.
Colin

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:03 am
by 56ovalbug
So is it still running okay?

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:59 am
by aopisa
56ovalbug wrote:So is it still running okay?
I was waiting to put a few more miles on it before commenting, but yes. I'm up to about 30 miles of trouble free driving. Ambient air temperatures are close to 90, so the engine gets warm fast. In fact I can't remember when it drove so well. Starts right up, drives very smoothly, quiet and has plenty of power. I guess I am still in denial that I fixed it and it has stayed that way.

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 7:38 am
by Randy in Maine
Image

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:17 am
by aopisa
Randy in Maine wrote:Image
You better believe it. I was still having some minor issues with the bus. I can hear more unidenitfied hissing. The bus seems to be running hot. I have no physical data, but I know it well enough to have anecdotal evidence, like it smells hotter on short trips. I ran out of time to really take it for a shake down drive before subjecting it to a marathon.

I ended up taking the Jetta. It turns out I had to be in Bemidgi, MN today, not tomorrow. I am writing this sitting comfortably in a coffe shop this morning. I arrived last night. Fifteen hundred miles in two days. If I had the bus I would be still driving and probably not make it. The bus will be better on a more open ended trip. The drive across the Mackinac Bridge through the UP and across northern WI (all on US routes) was made for a bus. I have only seen three Vanagons and no Bays this trip.

On the other hand, the state of camping in Nationla Forests and State Parks is not what I remember. Every place is jam packed. I remember the days when you could pull into places like Glacier and Yellowstone and never had to worry about a campsite. I saw so many places I could have just pulled off the main road onto a deserted side road with the bus and would have been able to easily camp for the night undisturbed. You can't do that with a tent.

I planned on taking the kids to the Badlands. I can't think of a better place to watch the Persied meteor shower. Then onto Wind Cave, Custer State Park and Mt. Rushmore (not crazy about it, but kind of obligatory). It looks like we will be lucky if we find any campsites anywhere. This is where the bus is perfect.

With the help of Colin in a few weeks, I hope to get the bus running confidently. We will start planning for next year as the Summer of Adventure!

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 12:49 pm
by Randy in Maine
Since you are in the neighborhood.....this is a great place to see rhinos, elephants, and camels that all originated here in North America some 12 million years ago....

It is down at the north Nebraska/SD border on Route 20.

http://ashfall.unl.edu/index.html

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:08 am
by drober23
Randy,

I love that ad! My 8 year old says "It's always more fun to take the bus" when you ask him why he wants to drive in the bus instead of my wife's SUV. :-)

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 6:48 am
by Amskeptic
aopisa wrote:I had to be in Bemidgi, MN today, not tomorrow.
Fifteen hundred miles in two days. If I had the bus I would be still driving
Phooey. I am in Belle Plaine MN today. I had to drive 1,432 miles in a Type 1 bus in two days. With a side wind! Kids these days . . . :flower: :flower:

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:33 pm
by aopisa
Amskeptic wrote:
aopisa wrote:I had to be in Bemidgi, MN today, not tomorrow.
Fifteen hundred miles in two days. If I had the bus I would be still driving
Phooey. I am in Belle Plaine MN today. I had to drive 1,432 miles in a Type 1 bus in two days. With a side wind! Kids these days . . . :flower: :flower:
Even though I brought my bus from barely running to actually running by myself, I am not sure of its ability to long haul. You can tell me that on September 8th. If it gets a thumbs up, I will do 1,500 miles in two days without breaking a sweat.

We ended up as far as the Black Hills, 4,300+ miles round trip in the Jetta Sportwagon. It was a great road trip. While the ride was comfortable and smooth, often cruising 75-80, I longed for the bus. Setting up camp and having to completely repack the car every day was a pain. Plus, you can't just stop and camp on a deserted stretch of road with a tent. I saw 7 Vanagons on the trip (two were confirmed water cooled), 0 Splits and 0 Bays :(.

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:21 am
by Sylvester
Say aopisa, did Colin help fix this issue?

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:05 pm
by aopisa
Sylvester wrote:Say aopisa, did Colin help fix this issue?
I think I fixed it, but waiting for Colin to confirm this Saturday. I have driven it a total of a few hundred miles since I think I solved it without a repeat. The last few times I had it out, I got a slight single incident hesitation after shifting from 1st into 2nd. I haven't driven it too much since I broke the vent wing window (another story). Since Colin's visit is so close, I was holding off until we can go over everything thoroughly.

I will report back.

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:55 pm
by Sylvester
aopisa wrote:
Sylvester wrote:Say aopisa, did Colin help fix this issue?
I think I fixed it, but waiting for Colin to confirm this Saturday. I have driven it a total of a few hundred miles since I think I solved it without a repeat. The last few times I had it out, I got a slight single incident hesitation after shifting from 1st into 2nd. I haven't driven it too much since I broke the vent wing window (another story). Since Colin's visit is so close, I was holding off until we can go over everything thoroughly.

I will report back.
Duh I cannot read the post, it was this weekend, I thought Colin had already come and gone. Take pictures.

Sep 08 D aopisa ........................ Manchester Center VT

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 1:30 pm
by aopisa
Sylvester wrote: Take pictures.

Sep 08 D aopisa ........................ Manchester Center VT
I am like everyone else when it comes to pictures. I start out with good intentions. After about an hour or two with my head already spinning and gravel imbedded in my back, the camera is long forgotten. I am thinking of asking my son to play photojournalist. :sunny:

Re: Bucking, lurching leads to no camping and bummed out kid

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 7:01 pm
by Amskeptic
aopisa wrote:
Sylvester wrote: Take pictures.

Sep 08 D aopisa ........................ Manchester Center VT
I am like everyone else when it comes to pictures. I start out with good intentions. After about an hour or two with my head already spinning and gravel imbedded in my back, the camera is long forgotten. I am thinking of asking my son to play photojournalist. :sunny:
And he did play photojournalist and did a good job.

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