1 city bus to Des Moines IA

... spending the night at Elko NV

... another interesting day ...

It started when I almost poured my left over drink in the garbage ... and assumed I was then going to throw the plastic cup in the sink ...

Two kinds of eggs, two kinds of sausage plus they also had two kinds of yogurt that neither of us had today. It was a very late night for us last night so we didn't get going until 7:30 local / 9:30 home time.

But before we got going, my phone froze up again and then my laptop that I am using right now ... a half dozen keys and ENTER quick working. Makes it hard to type anything. I have finally found that I am able to type the alphabet and use the 10 key ENTER and just keep doing that until I see that all keys are working again. I had to do that again tonight before I could start typing this. Not sure how long it is going to last before I loose those letters/keys again.

This AM I had to call for our NV permit. Got right in and they had the permit to me in a few minutes.

As we are leaving the hotel I see someone sleeping in their lawn chair against our building. He is the same person who was sitting outside the Best Western next door last night. Homeless but sleeps in a chair instead of a tent.

Less than an hour down the road and my first warning light comes on. This one often does and it has always been a 'just run with it' so I didn't stop. Then ... a few minutes later I got a couple of more warning lights and an alarm. We were planning on making it to the rest area but ended up pulling into a 'no-semi's' business. Gas station, restaurant and a snow park ... they were just putting out the 'OPEN' sign when we pulled in but we didn't see anyone arrive while we were there.

I called the bus tech's and after a while we were able to get the second two warnings cleared. I usually am pretty good about following what they are talking about but this time they had to send me a picture. The piece I was looking for was cable tied to the back of a larger wiring harness.

Five miles down the road and the warning lights are back on again. Just as we pull into the Donners Pass rest area. Unlike the last place we stopped, there is no cell service here. But there is a pay phone inside the rest area. So support is not going to be able to walk me though anything this time.

Nope, the pay phone is out of order. Luckily for me, one of the staff saw me trying to use the phone and told me that there was another pay phone in the next town, 10 miles away. When I said I'd be able to use my cell phone once we were in town, they told me where to stand in the parking lot to use my cell phone. That worked, as long as I didn't turn my head.

Took a few calls as people were not at their desks. Finally I got the OK to drive to the closest dealer.

Snow at Donners is still way over the top of the bus. Interesting, one place there was water shooting out of the snow bank. We both tried to take video's of it but it doesn't really show how strange it was.

On the way to town we pass a weigh scale. The first sign said closed, the next one said open and they were. One of the four cops was doing an inspection, the other three were just sitting watching for their next victim. We were not it today.

We get to the dealer and the first person says we have to either have an appointment or drop. Then a senior person comes over and says ... no, just fill out this paperwork ... so I do. Then they say they will call the person I listed on the paperwork when it is done. ??? No, I say ... I'm going to be waiting here until it's done.

That's when they say ... 'no, we will not be working on your bus for 2-3 weeks.' ???

Sorry ... I need to call some people. I did and got the OK to run with the warning lights on. They had been going on and off before this but after that call they have pretty much stayed on. Now they have me worried for another reason, mechanical.

We are now running two hours behind so our next stop will be for food as well as fuel. WOW ... OPPS. I put in about twice as much fuel as I was expecting to. These buses do not have fuel gauges and we just assume they are full at pick up. Either this one was not or I am using twice as much fuel as usual, which means we'll not be making much money on this trip.

Then when I go into get my receipt, their self service receipt machines are not working and the new guy helping me does not know how to look up receipts when drivers like me don't remember which pump we were on. Manger had to come and walk them through it. It's easy, just re-swipe the card used at the pump.

Lunch was Wendy's.

Off again and the warning lights are back on. After that stop in Fernley our next stop was Winnemucca.

Highway department is working on the overpass so traffic is limited to one lane with the temp stop lights set up. My sign says to wait at the stop sign for the light to change. There was also a sign for where the main road traffic was to stop. But there was a car that though he'd just pull up to the light ... then when a semi came over the bridge he realized he had to back up. The car backed up until he was blocking the entrance to the freeway, which is where the truck wanted to go. Once the truck got up to the car, the car backed down the entrance ramp .. when the truck followed the car the car quickly made a u-turn and headed back from where they came. Interesting ...

Quick rest room break.

Before we get to Battle Mountain I notice three cop cars driving slowly across the desert parallel to the freeway with their lights on. Pointed it out to BB but we couldn't figure out why. Then less than a mile later we notice there are two oversized loads coming down what must have been a dirt road. The freeway was one lane each way right there so no room for an oversized so it was a one lane dirt road for them today.

Fuel was a lot cheaper another hour down the road so we went with cheaper fuel over limited stops. Fuel at the Shell was the cheapest but it is a hole in the wall and with the issues I've had already today I don't want to chance anymore.

Instead we stop at the Maverick. Good news. I am getting 8 mpg instead of 5 mpg. That is closer to normal.

We are still trying to figure out our other warning lights and decide it would be a good idea to add some DEF even though the gauge still says 3/4. Good thing we stopped then, when we came back out to the bus, the warming light was now blinking. Which is what it does right before it disables the engine. ??? That is an ongoing issue that we will deal with in the AM. We did add a bottle of DEF and the gauge moved but not as much as it should have for 2-1/2 gallons.

Another two exits and we are at the Holiday Inn. They like us :) The Choice hotel in this town will not allow us to use more than one spot per room. The time they made the biggest issue of it there were a total of three other cars in the whole parking lot in the AM. This one is a little pricier but very nice. We find out they only have an even meal on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Today is Thursday.

I rarely park on the street but I wanted to be set to get towed. I do not have a good feeling about this bus even though I have the OK to keep driving it.

1st stop - Soda Springs near the Shell gas station for bus issues

2nd - Donners pass for rest room and more issues

3rd - Sparks at Cummins because of bus issues

4th - Pilot for fuel and Wendy's for food in Fernley

5th - Pilot for restrooms in Winnemuca

6th - Maverick in Battle Creek for fuel

7th - Golden Gate for DEF and Port O Subs for food in Elko

8th - Holiday Inn in Elko for the night

Load board

US - 276

IA - 71/67

MN - 10

WI - 6

IF the bus runs ... we will try to get to Rawlins. They were either going to have snow today or tomorrow. Inches this time of year, not feet. If we hadn't had issues, we would have made it to Wendover to a hotel half the price tonight and they Laramie tomorrow.