Log In | Register
Skip to main content
Topic: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows! (Read 8 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99697
Don
 After reading about how many problems they had with a relatively new bus, with only 26,000 miles, the Kodiak is looking better and better, being so much cheaper to buy and maintain.

Neoplan is a large German bus company.
When I worked at LAX, we had dozens of them, primarily the over-size models. We needed dozens of them because a good portion of the fleet was broken down at any time, waiting a long, long time for the parts to be flown in from Germany. Did I say exceptionally expensive parts? Our Heavy-duty mechanics needed special training and tools since the Neoplans were so different from American built buses.
The Neoplans sit so low to the ground that they can get hung up on the most minor obstructions. I cannot imagine taking one into the average forest service campground.  Getting a Neoplan unstuck requires one of those monstrous tow trucks to retrieve.
This is the type of MH that needs to be parked in a high-end RV resort.

Now to the positive side, I love all the windows and the elevated view. I hope they never break a windshield because they cost over $10,000 each and can take months to get

Loving my LD more and more.
Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: OT It weighs 22 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99699
"After reading about how many problems they had with a relatively new bus, with only 26,000 miles..."
 To be fair, that bus was built in 1985, so although it had relatively low mileage when they bought it in 2001, it was already 15 years old.
It had been through two different motorhome converters (the first one went bankrupt with the conversion uncompleted; the second went bankrupt after redoing the work more or less from scratch), plus a complete engine/transmission transplant that involved major structural modifications, including redoing some of the conversion work.

After that, it wound up with a car collector who used it "only occasionally and very sporadically"... then he died and the thing just sat for four or five years until his widow sold off the collection and this couple bought it.
 In short, it's had a very checkered history, and the sort of history that isn't kind to a coach--we all know that just sitting around unused is about the worst thing that can happen to an RV. So it's not entirely surprising that they had some problems with it. But judging by their blog, they seem to be having a ball in it now! :-)

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: OT It weighs 22 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99703
Quote
From: Andy Baird
 But judging by their blog, they seem to be having a ball in it now! :-)

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/

That's good, of course. But what Larry says still seems applicable. Even if the bus chassis was reliable, the thing has zippo for ground clearance. I guess this isn't a problem for the RV resort style, but it holds no appeal for me.
 I currently have a German made self-launch glider that is quite reliable.
Can't say the same for my previous Stemme S10-VT from Germany. Long waits for part repairs and updates, along with some repair proceedures to sub-assemblies that could only be accomplished in Germany, made owership, ah, rather challenging.
 I know some stuff from Germany is okay, though if you read Consumer Reports you'll know Mercedes has had a less than stellar reliability record for quite a few years. Just 'cause it's German, doesn't mean it's good.

bumper Yonder
bumper
"Yonder" '05 MB
"WLDBLU" glider trailer
Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99704
Since you've been discussing our rig over here, I asked the moderator if I could be allowed to chime in and answer some of the comments.

"Larry W" wrote:
 
Quote
After reading about how many problems they had with a relatively new bus, with only 26,000 miles,
Hmm.  I think we disagree on the definition of "relatively new."  Our coach is a 1985, meaning that it was nearly seventeen years old already by the time we bought it, as the fourth owners.  As has already been detailed by Andy in another post, the coach had a checkered history by then.  Andy found that information elsewhere on our mostly unchanging base site, http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com, and you might read through it if you enjoyed the Tom Hans movie "The Money Pit."

You are right that it only had 26,000 miles showing on the ticker, which we presume to be from the time the engine was changed to a Detroit Diesel (from whatever German item it was born with -- likely a Mercedes or Deutz) in Lamar, Colorado in 1989.  However, many, many items on a coach deteriorate more from age than from mileage, and especially when a coach has been abused and neglected, as this one was.

Quote
Neoplan is a large German bus company.
Actually, "Neoplan" is not and never was a company.  Neoplan is a brand name, that formerly belonged to the Gotlob Auwaerter company of Stuttgart.  That company no longer exists, having been purchased in the whole by German heavy automotive giant MAN.  MAN has chosen to continue Neoplan as a separate brand name.

In 1981, Auwaerter seeded a wholly independent but well-connected licensee in the United States, based in Lamar, Colorado, named "Neoplan USA."  Neoplan USA was the exclusive licensee for the Neoplan designs in this country.  The company has since ceased operations, filing for bankruptcy in 2006 (thus "orphaning" our coach).

Neoplan USA's intent was to manufacture all coaches sold in the US domestically.  However, in order to jump-start the market, they began taking orders before ramping up domestic manufacturing capability, and filled those orders with product that was specially constructed in Auwaerter's Pilsting and Stuttgart plants with US-spec brake components, lighting, and glass (to meet DOT requirements).  Our coach was one of these pre-US-production models.

Quote
When I worked at LAX, we had dozens of them, primarily the over-size models.
In those days, one thing you could get from Neoplan that you could not get from US builders were over-width airport coaches.  The reason being that these are extremely common in Europe, where almost no airport has terminals adjacent to the tarmac -- passengers are generally bussed from the terminal to the plane, on buses that can hold upwards of 100 passengers (mostly standing).

Neoplan's entry into the US market opened up the opportunity for certain specialty vehicles to be sold here that would otherwise not be available.  In addition to airport coaches, Neoplan sold a fleet of extra-long (48') double-deckers to the Kennedy Spaceflight Center for use on the public tour route.

Quote
We needed dozens of them because a good portion of the fleet was broken down at any time, waiting a long, long time for the parts to be flown in from Germany. Did I say exceptionally expensive parts? Our Heavy-duty mechanics needed special training and tools since the Neoplans were so different from American built buses.
This is, of course, true, and our blog is replete with stories of maintenance headaches.

Quote
The Neoplans sit so low to the ground that they can get hung up on the most minor obstructions.
Actually, low to the ground by itself is not the problem.  We do have another 3" or so of air suspension travel and a "high boy" switch that lets us raise the whole coach by that amount when necessary.  The bigger problem is that it is designed for Alpine roads, with an extremely short wheelbase.  This lets us go where many 40' coaches can not, because we can turn in an incredibly short space, but it means we have long overhang in both the front and the back.  It is the combination of the low clearance and the long overhang that means we can get hung up, for example, going into driveways with too steep an angle-of-approach.
 We've been towed off such a low-center situation twice in five years (and out of the mud once).  Coach-Net (through FMCA or Escapees) covers us for this sort of thing for a mere $100 or so per year, and they *never* send a truck too small to do the job.

Quote
I cannot imagine taking one into the average forest service campground.
No need to imagine -- we do it all the time, and you can read about it on our blog, http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com -- just go to the "Topic" pull-down and select "National Forests."  In fact, we mostly boondock, and seldom stay in fully developed campgrounds.  We take dirt roads all the time.

Quote
Getting a Neoplan unstuck requires one of those monstrous tow trucks to retrieve.
Umm, yes.  But after you've driven one a few months and a few thousand miles, you don't get stuck anymore (usually -- see
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/11/bring-me-my-lusty-winch.html).
And, as I said, we get all the heavy-duty wreckers we need for $100 per year, although it helps to not ever be in a hurry -- it takes longer to get one.

Quote
This is the type of MH that needs to be parked in a high-end RV resort.
Hmm.  Again, you should actually read our blog.  We almost never park in commercial RV parks of any kind, preferring, in order:
1) Dispersed Camping (boondocking on public land; see  http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/05/dispersed-camping-on-public-lands.html)
2) National Forest campgrounds
3) National and State parks
4) Municipal parks (especially the free ones)
5) Private property (such as friends' places)
6) Parking lots such as Wal-Mart
7) Truck stops

We'll cave in and use a commercial park when all else fails, or we need to be near something specific and there are no alternatives, or it's so hot that we need to run the A/C 24/7 and the State parks are not available or powered.  All of this is very rare.

In five years, we've stayed at what I would characterize as a "high end" resort perhaps four or five times, for a total of maybe ten days or so.

Quote
Now to the positive side, I love all the windows and the elevated view. I hope they never break a windshield because they cost over $10,000 each and can take months to get
We've broken three windshields -- two lowers, and an upper.  They are not $10,000 as you guess, but they are pricey at about $1,800 apiece.
Installation runs about $1,200, for a total of $3K.  Since I taught myself to repair windshields with a $10 kit available at Wal-Mart (http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2007/09/arkansas-2-odyssey-0.html), we have had no further problems (but nearly a dozen repairs).
 We welcome you to read more at http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com -- you may even learn a few things.

-Sean Welsh
http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com
Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99706
Sean
 I've just  spent all afternoon reading your blog, and just as I read this post from you, I'm finishing up a post to my blog referencing your adventures.

I think the upper room with all the windows is gorgeous, and I'm jealous of your views, very nice.

Glad to have you chime in here with "the rest of the story".

You're welcome here anytime.

Kate
 http://cholulared.blogspot.com http://www.cholulared.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/83282349@N00/

Want to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99707
Thanks for a very informative post, Sean! Like Kate, I envy the wonderful views from your "second story" living quarters.
 To everyone else, I recommend bookmarking Sean's description of how to repair windshield chips:

http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2007/09/arkansas-2-odyssey-0.html>

There are some really good tips there that you might not find elsewhere. I've filed away that info for future reference, in case I ever need it.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99716
Sean
 I'm glad you got the major problems worked out and that you are happy with it. It just took a little time.

"coach is a 1985, meaning that it was nearly seventeen years old already by the time we bought it, as the fourth owners."

You had pointed out in the FAQ section that one of the "Added advantages that a bus has over a conventional RV are durability (a bus chassis and engine are designed to go a million miles)".

I did not get around to reading the pre-2001 section until after my first posting. After reading more, it seemed that you had not anticipated major problems. I was puzzled why "We negotiated quickly to take the coach off the market".
Was the market for 17 year-old Neoplans that strong? Taking a little extra time and having it carefully examined, by a seasoned heavy-duty mechanic and a RV mechanic would have revealed many of the problems you experienced and would have provide more negotiating room. Just finding that the inside duals had not been replaced would or should have raised some eyebrows as to the motives of the previous owner.
I guess education is never cheap

On this site, we always recommend that, when buying a used LD, it should be fully inspected by a qualified mechanic to determine overall condition before purchase. Spending a few hundred on inspections can save many thousands of dollars, not to mention a lot of grief. Used RV disaster stories are much too common and most are avoidable.

"In fact, we mostly boondock, and seldom stay in fully developed campgrounds. We take dirt roads all the time." Your bikes must be handy for scouting roads and campsites. Many FS campgrounds are tight for our 23.5' LD, overhead clearance (evil trees) being our biggest concern.
 "We welcome you to read more at http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com -- you may even learn a few things."
 I will do that. I find used RV and pusher conversions adventures to be educational. Daydreaming about RV design and construction is a favorite past time. Unfortunately, I have not come up with a more practical design than our LD. I have come up with a few enhancements.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/>

Enjoy the road, that's what its about.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99726
Quote
I was puzzled why "We negotiated quickly to take the coach off the market".
Was the market for 17 year-old Neoplans that strong?
Actually, it appeared so at the time.  This was the very height of the market in general, and there are only perhaps 20 or so of these coaches in all of the US, so it is a specialty item.  We had reason to believe that another interested party was preparing an offer.

Quote
Taking a little extra time and having it carefully examined, by a seasoned heavy-duty mechanic and a RV mechanic would have revealed many of the problems you experienced and would have provide more negotiating room.
Well, just to be clear, we posted our experience with this on our site so that others may learn from our experience (and mistakes). After all, the luxury of hindsight makes everyone an expert.  But since you brought it up:  I actually am a pretty decent mechanic myself -- the engine and drive train were in excellent condition when we purchased the bus (all of the engine problems we have had since then have been due to problems that occurred on our watch, so to speak), so having another diesel mechanic look at it would not have helped.
 As for the more esoteric items like the weird Neoplan suspension, even a regular bus mechanic would not recognize many of the items, let alone identify problems.  We did not really understand that at the time; the biggest thing we've learned since we bought the bus is just how weird it is, and that we now know more about it than any mechanic in the country.  I get calls all the time now from random strangers who have been referred to me by NeoPart (the last remaining vestige of Neoplan in this country) asking for technical help.  I personally only know one shop in the country still qualified to work on these buses.
 With regard to the "RV" components, yes, I wish I had known someone to call to help evaluate them.  But understand that almost nothing in a professional bus conversion comes from the RV industry -- not the refrigerator, water pump, generator, lights, switches, air conditioners, electrical panels, battery charger, inverter -- the list goes on and on.  About the only items in Odyssey when we got it that an RV repair facility would even recognize were the toilet, batteries, and ceiling fan.  I'm pretty good with most of this stuff, though, and I had a reasonable list of systems that were working and ones that needed attention when we made our offer.
 Where all the trouble was lurking was behind the walls and under the floor.  So unless we had been willing to start ripping walls apart and pulling floors up, neither us nor any hired gun would likely have discovered them.  Again, a great learning experience for us -- if I ever bought another "professional" bus conversion (unlikely), I would spend a lot more time investigating these areas, whatever that involved.  I don't think this is something that your average technician at Camping World or Joe's RV repair could handle (or would even agree to, frankly).

Quote
Just finding that the inside duals had not been replaced would or should have raised some eyebrows as to the motives of the previous owner.
Finding out the inside duals had not been replaced would have required first removing the outside duals.  When I do my walk-around inspection every day, the best I can do with the inners is to inspect the tread, and that's mostly by feel.  I would not guess that any shop we might have taken the coach to for an inspection would have gone as far as taking the wheels off.  Here again is something that we've learned -- if we ever did this again, we would not only take all the wheels off to inspect behind them, but we would also insist on a pit inspection and a weigh ticket.

Quote
I guess education is never cheap
Nope.  Measured in six figures.

Quote
On this site, we always recommend that, when buying a used LD, it should be fully inspected by a qualified mechanic to determine overall condition before purchase. Spending a few hundred on inspections can save many thousands of dollars, not to mention a lot of grief.
I agree with that recommendation.  And I would guess that you can get an LD inspected for a few hundred.  After all, the mechanicals are a standard cutaway chassis -- literally hundreds of thousands on the road.  And the RV systems are commonplace, and the coach body manufacturer is still in business churning out rigs, all of which contribute to a healthy market for this.  Absolutely none of that is true for a custom Neoplan conversion.  Even the more common conversions, such as Prevosts done by Marathon, Vantare, Angola, etc. are pricey to inspect, and might even require a trip to the converter (if still in business), but at least easier to do than a Neoplan converted by a defunct company.

...

Quote
Your bikes must be handy for scouting roads and campsites. Many FS campgrounds are tight for our 23.5' LD, overhead clearance (evil trees) being our biggest concern.
We actually seldom take a bike out just to scout a campsite.  We've done it a small handful of times, such as when we took Odyssey up to Chisos Basin in Big Bend (http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/04/doing-impossible.html).
Usually, we don't decide where we are going to stop for the night until late in the day, and so we rely on our experience to tell us whether a road or camp site will be a problem.  I also have a forward-facing camera mounted at the roof line to judge tree height.

If we know more or less where we are headed before we break camp, I will scout the target area with Google Earth.  I have gotten very good at recognizing, for example, sandy washes that we don't want to cross in the desert, or tree cover that will be too dense for the satellite, or might present low clearance issues.  Of course, without a toad, we are not afraid of having to turn around should the going get too rough.  In five years, though, there have been perhaps a dozen or fewer roads and campsites that we've had to forego on approach.

Quote
Unfortunately, I have not come up with a more practical design than our LD.
To each, his own, of course.  If I were in the market for a class-C, LD would probably top the list.  My bug, though, since childhood, was to do a bus conversion.  When we chose to sell everything and move aboard full time, our sense was that a 40' coach was the bare minimum amount of space we wanted for full time living (bearing in mind that we don't care for slide-outs).  Now that we've lived aboard for nearly five years, I can say we could do it in something smaller, but that seemed daunting at the time.

One inviolable requirement for us, though, is a minimum of two week boondocking time.  That requires sizable tanks, a good sized fridge, and, preferably, lots of battery capacity.  We carry 1,200 pounds of batteries and 1,500 pounds of water, which is outside the load capacity of most class-C chassis (the exception being the newer models based on MDT and HDT cut-aways such as the Kodiak being discussed here).

Quote
Enjoy the road, that's what its about.
Thank you -- we do.

-Sean http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com
Re: fromt-mounted cameras
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99730
"I also have a forward-facing camera mounted at the roof line to judge tree height."

I've always thought this would be a good idea, so I'm glad to hear that someone is doing it. I was somewhat puzzled to read that on the new 32' Kodiak-based LD, "a front camera has been added to the back-up camera system to increase the lower view just forward of the front bumper." That implies the camera is either bumper-mounted, or roof-mounted and aimed downward. (I can't tell which from the  photos on the factory's website.) Seems to me that especially given the new Kodiak model's greater height, a camera mounted on the roof and aimed *forward* would be much more useful in spotting low tree branches.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: fromt-mounted cameras
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99731
Quote
I was somewhat puzzled to read that on the new 32' Kodiak-based LD, "a front camera has been added to the back-up camera system to increase the lower view just forward of the front bumper." That implies the camera is either bumper-mounted, or roof-mounted and aimed downward. (I can't tell which from the  photos on the factory's website.) Seems to me that especially given the new Kodiak model's greater height, a camera mounted on the roof and aimed *forward* would be much more useful in spotting low tree branches.
Unless Steve has changed it, the forward looking camera was mounted inside the front grill.  He said he added it because the hood blocked his view of things near the front right corner of the rig.  The camera allows him to pull up close to objects without hitting them. A roof mounted camera for tree branches also makes sense though.

Art
Art and Barbara
Settled in Atterdag Village of Solvang
2015-2022 fulltime in a 2016 Tiffin Allegro Bus 37AP
2002-2015 2002 LD MB
Art's blog
Oops Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99733
Quote


Quote
...  Andy found that information elsewhere on our mostly unchanging base site, http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com
 Sorry, that should have said http://OurOdyssey. US (the blog site referenced above changes frequently).

-Sean
Everything I wanted to reply to in this string was most ably covered by Sean's post in his typically thorough style.  I particularly cackled when I read an LDer's comment about how Sean's rig is suitable mainly for high-end resorts.  I've been an avid daily reader of Sean and Louise's blog for years, even before we bought our LD.
Their boondocking adventures in that thing would put most of us to shame.  That it is a "Money Pit" is an understatement, but I marvel more at Sean's technical know-how and willingess to tackle all sorts of repair jobs.  Their blog (posted almost daily, unless they are off on a boat somewhere or are volunteering for Red Cross disaster duty) is wonderful reading for both adventurers and techies alike.  AND, they're into scooters, thus kindred souls.  Kate mentioned they are welcome on this forum, and I'd like to wholeheartedly second that.
I've crossed paths with "Tioga George" at Mesa Verde, and I'd sure like to bump into Sean and Louise as well and treat them to an Olive Garden (apparently a favorite) meal as a thank-you for many hours of fun and informative reading.  Try them out!  -- Jon & Loni
(Former) ‘06 TK “Albatross.” And (former) Vespa 250.   Alas, no more; both are gone.😕 Great memories remain! 😄
Oops Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99743
Quote
 
  ...  Andy found that information elsewhere on our mostly unchanging base site, http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com
 Sorry, that should have said http://OurOdyssey. US (the blog site referenced above changes frequently).

-Sean
Sean, in case you read this, I viewed your video clips (very entertaining and informative) and couldn't help but wonder why you drove that big, beautiful rig through the water to get the splash effect at the beginning.  I kept thinking how long it would take to wash it afterwards.

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99748
Sean,
 I am the culprit who posted your web site to this forum. Most of those in the Lazy Daze cult really appreciate windows and windows were the reason I called attention to your rig.
 After reading your very informative Blog for the last two days, I have learned of several places I would like to visit. i.e. Now I will not be scared of taking our 26 foot rig up into the Chisos Basin, in spite of our good friends warnings.
 Someday I hope to learn what a tag axle is, but that is not a subject for this forum.

Maybe our trails will cross sometime.

Don & Dorothy Our travel Blog http://travelingdorothy.blogspot.com
Re: fromt-mounted cameras
Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99752
Quote
--- On Sun, 3/1/09, older_fossil  wrote:

....Unless Steve has changed it, the forward looking camera was mounted inside the front grill.  He said he added it because the hood blocked his view of things near the front right corner of the rig.  The camera allows him to pull up close to objects without hitting them. A roof mounted camera for tree branches also makes sense though.
 The camera is still tucked into the grill...it is almost impossible to see it as a casual observer, which is probably why it doesn't show on any pictures.

TinaP 2006 MB "Wild Thing" Feeling Very Special After Her Mothership Visit (got those new rear shades!)

Recent Activity

15 New Members

4

New Photos

4

New Links

Visit Your Group

Yahoo! Finance It's Now Personal Guides, news, advice & more.

Share Photos Put your favorite photos and more online.

John McEnroe on Yahoo! Groups Join him for the 10 Day Challenge.

.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
2006 MB
Re: fromt-mounted cameras
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99754
Tina, those new rear shades are great aren't they??

Larry in South Texas Also very special with new rear shades

Quote
TinaP 2006 MB "Wild Thing" Feeling Very Special After Her Mothership Visit (got those new rear
shades!)
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Oops Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99755
Quote
Sean, in case you read this, I viewed your video clips (very entertaining and informative) and couldn't help but wonder why you drove that big, beautiful rig through the water to get the splash effect at the beginning. ...
Well, Chris, while the big splash may seem to have been all for effect, the reality is that we were on one side of the puddle, and we needed to be on the other side of the puddle.  I was worried that if we rolled through it too slowly, our drive wheels might bog down in the soft bottom, and then we'd be there all day waiting for the giant tow truck.  So we decided to get a running start, so to speak.  We had no trouble at all doing this is the other direction (when we were not filming it), so did not expect trouble on the return.
 For anyone who did not catch it, Chris is referring to this video on the blog: http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2007/02/big-puddle.html

For a very long time, this video was the single most popular page on our web site, having been viewed many thousands of times.  I think people were emailing the link to each other, and it seemed to get posted in lots of RV forums around the web.  It has since been eclipsed by the video tour of Odyssey: http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/03/video-tour-of-odyssey.html

-Sean http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com
Re: OT It weighs 20 tons, but it has windows!
Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99757
Quote
Sean,
 I am the culprit who posted your web site to this forum. Most of those in the Lazy Daze cult really appreciate windows and windows were the reason I called attention to your rig.
No need to make yourself out to be a culprit.  We enjoy having visitors on our blog.  I am grateful to the moderators of this forum to allow me to respond to some of the comments here, which, in turn it seems, has generated even more visitors.

After your initial post here, we noticed a surge in traffic, and traced it back to your link here.  We're always intrigued when people start talking about us on other forums, such as when the tow truck drivers started talking about us on their forum: http://tow411.yuku.com/topic/54964

after we needed a heavy duty wrecker to get us out of a jam: http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/11/bring-me-my-lusty-winch.html

Quote
After reading your very informative Blog for the last two days, I have learned of several places I would like to visit. i.e. Now I will not be scared of taking our 26 foot rig up into the Chisos Basin, in spite of our good friends warnings.
That's fantastic.  This is, after all, one of the reasons we write all of this up in such detail.  We're always glad when someone can glean something useful from our travels.

Quote
Someday I hope to learn what a tag axle is, but that is not a subject for this forum.
Well, at the risk of incurring the wrath of the moderators (or other readers), I'll tell you that a tag axle is a non-driven axle behind the drive axle, whose purpose is to carry additional load.

Quote
Maybe our trails will cross sometime.
We look forward to that.

-Sean http://OurOdyssey. BlogSpot.com