Maiden Voyage with 95 WBDA 4203

[orbitalsolutions]

Hello, and Congrats on purchasing a very fine bus.

About running hot ... Clean the radiator with pressurized hot
water. It's amazing how this simple maintance task can have such a
dramatic effect on your engine temp. Most likely, this will be all
that is needed.

If still running warm, check the flow rate of your water pump.

If still running warm, I would contact an authorized DD shop and let
them trouble-shoot the situation.

That's my two cents, good luck and best wishes.


James
78FC33SB "Old School"
Tunica MIss.



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Pete Masterson
wrote:
>
> My maiden voyage (2168.2 miles) with the coach formerly owned by
George.
>
> George Lowry traded in his Wanderlodge last December. Shortly
> thereafter, it showed up at Mr. Oliver's in Princeton Texas.
While
> this coach was of high interest to me, my spouse was still
thinking
> of reasons to put off our life-change plan (which also involves a
> more active involvement with her elderly parents). Mr Oliver's
> "forced" the decision by putting the coach up on eBay at a rather
> attractive no-reserve starting price.
>
> Ultimately, I was the only and winning bidder.
>
> Due to a long-planned business trip, I wasn't able to get to
> Princeton, TX until Saturday 5/19. Paul Davis owner of Mr.
Oliver's
> met me at DFW airport and drove me (and another RV buyer who
arrived
> at DFW shortly before me) to Princeton. Since the other buyer was
> already familiar with large RVs, Mr. Davis proceeded to finalize
the
> other buyer's deal while I was loaned Mr. Davis' personal car to
go
> to Walmart for some supplies and to grab a lunch.
>
> We spent the next several hours going over the systems in the
> Wanderlodge and making a final 'approval' inspection. Eventually
we
> commenced a test drive. We got about 1/2 mile when the "engine
fire"
> light and buzzer came on. After inspecting the engine ... and
finding
> no fire ... we proceeded with a slightly shorter test run. After
a
> telephone consultation with the service technician for Mr.
Oliver's
> (on his day off), we determined that the sensor next to the
engine
> compartment light on the left of the engine near the exhaust pipe
had
> been replaced, presumably with one of a too-low temperature
value.
> (The original was found to have a bent and corroded connection
pin
> and was replaced "from stock on hand" at Mr. Oliver's.) We
> disconnected the sensor. I presume that this part can be ordered
from
> Bluebird ... or does anyone know of an alternative source?
>
> Mr. Davis took me to dinner that evening ... and I spent my first
> night in the Wanderlodge. The next morning (Sunday, 5/20), as I
was
> performing a pre-departure check, Mr. Davis appeared and assisted
me.
> I was on the road for Denver (where I would be stopping to help
my
> father-in-law with a business matter) by about 9:30 AM.
>
> Observation: Mr. Oliver's has received some criticism on this
forum
> -- however, my experience was that every thing was as represented
and
> there were no problems or misunderstandings in the deal. I was
> satisfied by the transaction and have no complaint about Paul
Davis,
> who was gracious and quite helpful in getting me on the road.
>
> I should point out that this was my first time behind the wheel
of
> such a large vehicle in about 40 years (when I was certified
through
> 18 wheelers in an Army Reserve unit).
>
> My trip from Princeton, TX took me north on I-35 across Oklahoma
and
> into Kansas, then west on I-70 to Denver.
>
> I spent my first night near Hays KS after an uneventful first day.
I
> was getting a feel for the beast. I soon put a piece of tape on
the
> dashboard to help me 'track' the lane markings so I could
properly
> position the coach in the lane. On that first night, I stayed in
a
> dumpy little RV park that I happened upon just as I was about to
quit
> for the day. Hooked up power and water, but didn't bother to
level
> the coach (the parking 'pad' was just gravel and I wasn't
comfortable
> with the support it might provide) or dump the gray/black tanks
(they
> were both less than 1/4 full).
>
> On the second day, the weather was warm and I was running fairly
fast
> toward Denver (hardly any traffic) -- cruising around 70 much of
the
> time. The engine temp hovered around the top end of the "normal"
> range (according to the manual a range of 180-220 degrees is
normal,
> if I recall correctly). Oil temp was up around 220 or so as well.
> (Engine is a DD Series 60 with 470 HP.)
>
> I arrived in Denver in mid-afternoon. The next morning (with the
> engine cool), I needed to add about 1/2 gal of coolant mix and
about
> 1-1/2 gal of oil (I like that air pressurized oil thing!) to get
> things up to the mark. I assumed that the warm engine temps may
have
> caused some of the fluid losses.
>
> After concluding my business in Denver, I took I-25 to Cheyenne
and
> would then continue on I-80 to the SF Bay Area.
>
> I stopped for the night (5/24) at "Tex's RV Park" in Green River,
WY.
> I was given a pull through space in a new section of the park.
Smooth
> pavement but no grass and pathetic (recently planted) trees. A
poorly
> placed light pole gave me a challenge in getting into the space.
> However, after a bit of back-and-forth I managed to get "the
coach
> formerly owned by George" into the spot with both body paint and
> light pole untouched.
>
> The next day was to be a long run from Green River, WY to Reno
NV.
> Stopped in Evanston WY to refuel (load up on the cheap fuel while
I
> can). Again, engine temps (both water and oil) hovered at the high-

> end of the "normal" range.
>
> After I got into Nevada, climbing over the several grades between
> Wendover and Elko,(ambient temps about 90 degrees), I had to
pull
> off several times to let the engine cool down (it was way too
close
> to the overheat zone). On the upgrades, I slowed to 25 mph ...
and
> still the engine would heat way up. (The transmission fluid temp
was
> also 'up' but not a serious concern as it was reasonably in the
safe
> range.) Eventually I got the "check engine" light ... but I was
able
> to pull off and in a very short time the light went out as the
temps
> dropped back into the top of the "normal" range. After that, I
> crawled up a couple more grades --- pulling off several more times
as
> necessary --- eventually, the road flattened out and the temps
backed
> off but tended to stay toward the top of the range.
>
> Got into Reno as it approached 9 PM. (The dash board lighting is
> really "something" in the dark.) Stayed in a _very_ nice RV park
on
> US395 north of Reno at "Bordertown Casino" Only $23 and change
for
> the night.
>
> Next morning (Friday 5/26), I was dreading the Sierras after my
> experience in eastern Nevada --- but (to my surprise) when I
checked
> the fluids both the oil and water were OK. In fact, the oil on
the
> dipstick was still just about 1/8 inch below the "f" mark as it
had
> been when I 'topped it off' in Denver. It was a cool, and
slightly
> overcast day. (High near 70-75.)
>
> During the climb into the Sierras, the engine temp hovered just
above
> 190 degrees and the oil temp was about the same. (I had the "fan
> override" switch in the on position.) Didn't stop until I reached
> Donner summit (where I stopped to eat lunch). During the 40 miles
of
> mostly downgrade, the temp still held at about 190. Even across
the
> Sacramento Valley, temps stayed right at 190 or so, even though
the
> outside temps were in the 80s. Made it home without incident.
(Oil
> and coolant levels remained OK.)
>
> So, I suspect that the radiator needs to be steam cleaned --- Is
> there anything others might add or suggest? Should I add an oil
> cooler? Or is there something else that I might/should do to
improve
> the cooling in the engine?
>
> I note that the radiator cover has 3 fasteners at the top edge.
The
> centers are thoroughly rusted -- but they look to have once been
> allen wrench holes. I assume that these are some kind of quick
twist
> fastners --- As it looks like I'm going to have a struggle
getting
> these open, does anyone have experience replacing these? Would it
> make sense to install a hinge and lock as on the opposite side of
the
> engine?
>
> By the way, I tracked fuel use between 4.5 and 6.5 MPG with 1 to
3
> roof ACs on with the generator operating. The 6.5 included the 40
> mile downgrade from Donner summit with only 1 roof AC running.
The
> 4.5 included many hours with the generator running while parked
in
> Denver.
>
> Reminds me ... I generally had the generator running so I could
run
> the roof AC units to keep the coach comfortable. Two or three
times
> (I don't remember exactly) the generator would "cut out" and stop
> generating power (the motor would continue to run) then after 30
or
> 60 seconds the power would come back on. Does anyone have any
ideas
> about what's going on with that?
>
> I set up a 30 amp hookup at my house to keep up the batteries ---
the
> Link 2000 R controller is showing 13.5 volts last evening... I
> actually have 30 amp 220 V available, but the "standard" 30 amp
> hookup adapter, plug and extension cord (necessary with my
location)
> only have 110 V capability.
>
> Any comments will be very much appreciated. Overall, I'm quite
> pleased with the coach and it's condition is quite good ---
although
> we do plan some interior renovation and alteration to better fit
our
> lifestyle. Neighbors (with smaller RVs) are quite impressed. My
wife
> has (finally) decided that this will be an interesting adventure.
>
>
> Pete Masterson
> aeonix1@...
> '95 WBDA 4203
> "the coach formerly owned by George"
> El Sobrante CA
>