driving

[George Larsen]

Don't mean to interrupt. Don't know what I'm doing. I bought a 1998 lxi and need to drive it home. The lady I bought it from knows nothing about it but told me to put it in drive,go and when stopping, go into park and then neutral. Is it necessary TO GO INTO NEUTRAL AND WHY? George:rolleyes:

[davidbrady]

When I bought my LXi in 2004 it was the first RV I ever owned. I bought the coach from Steve Mitchell at Parliament Coach in Clearwater, Fl. I showed up, transferred the money, arranged insurance, and Steve handed me the keys. That was it. My wife and I climbed in and drove to California. So yes, put the key in the ignition, start the engine, release the parking brake, push 'D' on the Allison keypad and press the go pedal. When it's time to take a break, come to a stop, push 'N' on the Allison keypad and engage the parking brake. (Some folks say, "set the parking brake). Then tuck yourself in!

BTW, there's no 'Park' button.

[timetravelers]

George, when you stop with foot on brakes,put it in neutral and set parking brake, run high idle until your turbo pyrometer gauge drops to 25, to cool down turbo & turn off engine. If you stay in drive at this point, you will be stressing the transmission needlessly. Start with parking brake on, trans in neutral, build up air pressure, etc. you need more info.

I think you need to tell us where you are and have someone knowledgeable meet you and give you some info. These are heavy, complex machines and expensive to repair, and require some good training if you haven't driven similar buses, RVs or heavy trucks. Many members will be happy to assist.

[George Larsen]

Thank you. I have driven dump trucks and front end loaders but was not sure about the neutral thing. On heavy equipment there is a large nob to set the parking brake. On this is there a switch denoting the brake? I did not see a parking knob. George

[ernie ekberg]

parking knob is by your right knee

[patticake]

Also, when driving, try to use the top(or near the top) of the pedals, like in your dump trucks, as they are bottom hinged, not like a car where they are top hinged.
Oh, don't forget, there is a horn button on the floor, where your left foot usually rests, so watch out for that. So, if you hear a horn blowing and don't see anyone, it's probably you. Just lift your left foot.

[ernie ekberg]

that horn button is held down with 2 screws and can be repositioned

[George Larsen]

Thank all of you for the information given. I will have more Q's in the future but I feel good about driving the rig home this weekend. George

[cmillsap]

Whoa!, George, before you jump in that rig and take off down the road, you should be sure that it is in good enough order to travel. As already said above, this is a behemoth weighing 25 tons and its condition regarding road worthiness should be determined first. This is not your grandfather’s Winnebago.

At the minimum, things such as tire condition & pressures, air systems functionality & pressure levels, lights, brakes, coolant & oil levels should be checked before driving that bus anywhere.

If you need direction to help you check those items when you are there, tell us where you are and maybe we can find someone located near you that would be willing to help you make sure the bus is in good enough condition to drive home. At the very least we can assist you through you posts on this forum or over a phone. We can tell you how to do an air brake check & etc. My # is 562 665 6852.

[George Larsen]

Hey everyone, Just wanted to comment about my trip to NY to get the Bird. All went well. We drove approx. 350 miles to get home with no problems. The rig drove great and according to the Detroit Engine management system I got almost 7 mpg. Thanks to all the advice. George