Winter weather Tips

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Ive learned a few things over the years that I think would be helpful to share.

I was told by an old-timer when I first bought our Pete to replace the air dryer every other year, regardless. Its a Bendex and its about 175 bucks, easy to swap and good insurance. The bus is no different. You folks with the new spin on cartridge because of the convienence factor I would do it every year. Watch the heating elements on the new style test them every time you replace the element. If one of these dryers freezes up or plugs up you can eliminate it,temporaroly, hook the inlet and outlet air togeather to get yourself in or off the road.
My Bus 058.jpg

My Bus 053.jpg
Here are some air tank bleeders that will keep you from having to crawl under to drain the air tanks. Replace the pet cocks with these. I have the ends in the wheel wells to grab and pull. Drain tanks OFTEN.

If you get stuck, this happens even sometimes on flat ground when there is ice under snow, WOOD ASH, thats right, from the fire place, sprinkled ahead and on the drive tires works remarkably well, lay it down in the path for the drive tires ,and sprinkle the drives, and ease the throttle and usually you will walk right out. Ill carry a cuople of 1 pound coffee cans full.

I also carry a spare air regulator. Its about 15 bucks, and they do go bad, and are not hard to install, especially you 60 series folks, can swap this from the back doors.

When traveling in the WET in sub-freezing temps, say its snowing and there is a lot of salt and slush or even its raining and there is a lot of "SPRAY" coming up off a salted road but its freezing and or the temp. is dropping. When you stop for the evening, if you set your brakes as soon as you stop all the moisture in the brake linings will FREEZE overnight and the brake shoes will be frozen to the drums in the morning.

There is a couple of things that can prevent this.

Easiest is chock the tires and dont set the brakes. This only works if your bus holds air,and you can find a flat spot, but even if it bleeds off slowly, if the moisture in the brake linings is allowed to freeze over before the brakes actually pop then they wont be frozen in the morn.. Another thing I do, under these conditions is when im comming to my stop for the evening, a mile or two before I get off, Ill ride the brakes a little. Just A LITTLE, to warm them up. Drive it with 2 feet all the way down the ramp and into whereever you are landing, this will warm them and help burn off alot of moisture.

If you do encounter this situation,first make sure your tires are chocked, release the parking brake, then a kerosene torpedo heater is the easiest way to thaw, usually mabye 10 min. or so at the backside of the hub and a good rap ot the s-cam shaft with a 2 pounder will pop them.

Never run in temps. under 20 degrees without some form of fuel additive, even if the pump said winter blended fuel, put additive. If fuel does begin to gell #1 fuel, kerosene,a few gallons in the tank will knock it free pretty quick if it hasent progressed too far. Im thinking gelling fuel will only be an issue in our busses after long periods of non use. Because of where our tanks are they will not be vunurable to cold while traveling, unless we get bad fuel.

Hope I havent been rambling too much and this info will be of some help.

Happy Vererans Day, Septer-Fi

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Good comments Joe. I do have cold weather experience and want to let everyone know that our fuel tanks are well enough protected that the heat of return fuel is probably adequate to keep fuel from gelling

We parked overnight and then drove another 8 or more hours in 21 to 26 below zero temperatures and had no problems with fuel.

[Coloradobus]

In winter snow driving, especially when you are in "stop and go" situations, you might find your front end sliding while your drive tires are still pushing you. Because of the torque of the engine, it will be able to keep the rear tires turning after your steers have locked up on the slippery surface. This also may cause your front end dive towards the curb from the road crown. In this situation, place your transmission in neutral as you every so slowly creep to a stop.
We carry a 5 lbs paint bucket full gravel, a shovel, and a set of cable tire chains. We haven't used the chains yet, but we have used the gravel to get the coach back into the garage. Another thing I do, if your steer axle brakes are frozen, crank the steering wheel to full turn, both directions several times, and all the flexing seems to free things up.
For over nighting especially when it is very cold, before shutting down, wipe Rain X on the your windshield's inside surface, to help moisture from freezing.
For those of us with generators in the bay right behind the driver's front tire, they emit enough warm air to create a warmer microclimate under the coach which can aid in preventing brake freeze. A few tricks we do when we must boondock when I-80 in Wyoming is closed.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

COBus just reminded me of something critical if you end up on ice or snow.

Do not under any circumstances use your Jake or retarder when on slippery surfaces. Both have sufficient braking forces acting on the drive axle to cause the drive axle to lose traction.

[ken&ellen]

Man O' man.......these posts remind me why we moved from Upstate NY to VA.
Now we are moving to Savannah, Ga. where according to local data it has not snowed ( accumulate ) in 38 years!
The memories of taking my son to hockey tourneys in Saranac Lake, NY when we had to go out every couple of hours to start the cars in -24 degree temps or ski patrolling at Whiteface in 0 visibility with snow falling at over 1-2 inches per hour.........good memories....but thankfully in the past.
You are all giving great tips. Ken & Ellen