“Art without engineering is dreaming; engineering without art is calculating.” – Steven Roberts, the original technomad – Microship.com
Chapters
Vroom Vroom!
It took a little longer than expected, but yesterday morning we got to see and hear our engine fire right up on dynamometer (aka ‘dyno’). For those who have been wanting MORE video of the momentous occasion, here you go: Direct link to the video There is nothing like that sweet sweet sound of a […]
Still Keeping Positive in Montana
Despite the reality that we have now: Witnessed two full moons over Billings Are considered regulars with our sewer tank pump out service Done laundry 3 times Know the menus at every restaraunt nearby by heart .. we are still keeping positive as our engine rebuild progresses. It’s gone a bit slower than anticipated, that […]
Keeping Busy in Billings
It’s hard to believe that it’s now been just over a month since we were hauled into Billings, Montana. We knew when we were stranded on the side of the road that we were looking at a lengthy repair, and that definitely factored into deciding what shop to ask Coach-Net to have us taken to. […]
The Cure For Bus Withdrawal
It has been over a month since our big breakdown, and our bus is still lacking an engine. I’m starting to suffer serious bus-driving withdrawal. Fortunately, I’ve found the next best thing to actually driving our bus – the amazing iOS app Desert Bus! (And before you droid folks start to complain… here is an […]
Disassembling and Dissecting a Detroit Diesel 8V-71
What to do with a broken down 40 year old Detroit Diesel engine? After pondering our options, we decided to give Interstate PowerSystems the go-ahead to pull Zephyr’s engine for a full dissection with intention to rebuild. We had grown comfortable with their expertise, openness, and professionalism – and felt that they were the right […]
Our House is in the Shop (Living in a Parking Lot)
One concern that many people have about life on the road is this – how will you handle things if your ‘house’ breaks down? This particularly comes up when considering the ‘towable vs motorhome’ question for the ideal full time RV to live in. We’ve had both towable trailers and now a bus conversion motorhome. And […]
Announcements: Handbook, Video Chat & Android?!?
Ok.. enough bus mechanical stuff for a couple days, eh? How about some other exciting stuff up … The Mobile Internet Handbook The launch of the our new book earlier this month, The Mobile Internet Handbook, was amazing! Thank you guys so much for supporting us, and helping spread the word! We’re excited that we’ve […]
To Repair, Replace, Rebuild or Repower our 8V71?
So there we were – broken down and ending up in Billings, MT – pondering our options to get back on the road. Last Monday morning the techs at Interstate PowerSystems (where we had been hauled to over the weekend) confirmed what we already suspected – that the overheating almost certainly had caused non-trivial damage to […]
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Just a quick update for those not following along in real time on Facebook and the Bus Conversion Forums… On Monday the mechanic here in Billings did some initial diagnostics with us, and confirmed what we already pretty much knew – there’s considerable damage to the engine. The words ‘cheap’, ‘quick’ and ‘easy’ are officially […]
