2005/08/18 Bought bus from Mike Kadletz of Bus Conversions Magazine.
The bus was originally an "Azteca De Oro" coach which I'm told was a Southern USA/Mexican coach lines, possibly a Greyhound subsidiary that went bankrupt around 2004/2005.

I pay him to:

  1. Remove bathroom & luggage racks
  2. Remove A/C unit
  3. Cut holes for rooftop A/C (wrong location)
  4. Remove seats
  5. Repair luggage bay door
The tag axle has a bearing that needs to be replaced. He pretty much screws everything up 2005/10/12?? Oil change 2005/11/31 Parking brake sticks on, I have someone show me how to unlock it using the gentle application of a hammer. 2006/02/19 I finally get the tag axle fixed. (East Bay Truck) Also repaired thermocouple for radiator shutters. 2006/02/13 I finally weigh the bus (with some cargo inside)!
(Done near East Bay Truck in Oakland)
Steering Axle: 9120 pounds
Drive Axle: 19380 pounds
Gross Weight: 28500 pounds 2006/03/02 Hub Odometer: 234700 2006/08/?? Drive up to Oregon to Wrico to get 10kW Genset and 10 Group D batteries. Attempt to build genset doghouse while in the Wrico lot. Almost succeed. 2006/08/19 (In Oregon) Deep right turn starts to stick (extra battery weight??) 2006/08/26? Slobber tube starts dropping lots of oil. Remove and clean (but not after first confusing it with a check valve and attempting replacement! Smoke! 2006/09/20? Repaired windshield chips. 2006/09/24 Unwittingly drove back from Burning Man with the left tag axle unloaded (the warning light is disconnected, I now know). This destroyed the tire due to sliding whenever I braked. 2006/10/09 Gray Line puts spare on tag wheel and repairs the trans - it was leaking at an O ring. They couldn't find the steering problem. 2007/01/10 Bus won't start. Battery ground cable has melted. I replace the cable and discover that the starter is fried, so I install a new starter. 2007/04/03 Bus temporarily goes into storage while I do some contract work. 2008? Power steering fluid is leaking, much to my ignorance, and the power steering pump blows, which I am sad to learn is very expensive to replace. 2008? Steering problem solved! Issue was due to the leveler not working completely, now the bus is fully level during turns and the steering doesn't stick. 2009/11/30 Bus comes out of storage! Fulltiming! 2009/12/04 Start to hookup propane tankless hot water heater. Fail! It needs an impossible to find and expensive vent system. That's what I get for buying on ebay. Need to consider getting a diesel furnace that also does hot water and tossing the separate heater idea. 2009/12/05 Incinolet (incinerating toilet!) arrives, but UPS has damaged it and part of the body is bent. I manage to get it somewhat working, though the pedal now sticks. Need to figure out it I want to send it back to get the insurance or not, and then be without a toilet until I find another one on ebay/craigslist. Damn you UPS! 2009/12/07 Power steering fluid has leaked out again. So has ATF fluid. Annoying. I'll need to take it to Coach USA to figure out why at some point. 2009/12/11 Started to build my Murphy bed container ($200). 2009/12/21 Installed second Xantrex inverter. They don't charge together if one has a batt temp sensor and the other doesn't because they don't agree on the voltage. Second sensor on the way! I'm skeptical that they'll be able to charge together period, perhaps split the bank into two or get an SWI/PAR kit to run them in parallel? 2009/12/27 Finish box for bed, need to get pullies to lift it, it's heavy! Put new aluminum coil in the clean WVO tank. Total nightmare job, and now I'm having problems geting WVO to work again. 2009/12/28 Added oil and antifreeze, replaced driver tire valve stems (leaking) and finally got new (used) tag tires (one was bald!) 2009/01/05 Pull apart genset, replace squirrel fan. Change oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, antifreeze. Install baffling on air intake and finish putting up insulation (though doghouse still not fully assembled). 2010/02 I receive the takeout Proheat diesel furnace. I open the box and dump out a bunch of dirt and rust. I wonder if I've been ripped off. A few hours of work later and I've cleaned off the furnace which actually looks okay, and I've cleaned and 'de-rusted' and repainted the enclosure. 2010/02 I pull out a bunch of the heating vents along the walls - opening up another 6" of width, which is about a 7% improvement, actually. I toss out/recycle most of the vent covers before realizing that it's a bunch of aluminum, and it turns out the scrap price for aluminum is over $.50/lb. Oops. 2010/02/15 After a great deal of planning and work, I install the toilet and run the vent up to the roof. Hallelujah! 2010/02/17 And in another burst of work, I setup the shower pan, drain and shower curtains and take my first (cold!) shower. 2010/03/06 I get my Fan-tastic Vent and finally move the front A/C so it doesn't block the emergency exit anymore (and stops leaking!). Thanks Mike Kadletz for being such a jackass and a con-man. The fan is hooked up and the A/C is working and I finally have access to my roof! 2010/03/17 I build a solar water heater for the shower and install a thermostatic shower valve. Unfortunately I use PVC cement instead of ABS cement (not knowing the difference) and the joints leak, but I test it out in the morning and take my first hot shower in the bus! 2010/05/10 Tire blowout! My left inner drive wheel explodes and the steel belting rips holes in the airbags. I get the drive wheel fixed but need to order the air bags. 2011/04/05 253476 miles: Replaced fuel filter, air filter and bus batteries 2011/04/06 Tire blowout! Now it's the right inner drive wheel, and I find out it's because the alignment has too much sway and the inner tires can rub until they blow. Again, I lose an airbug, and again, it costs an unbelievable amount of money to repair. Need to get extras, and need to fix the sway. Changed oil on Genset (1096.5 hrs) 2011/08/23 Oil change (pre-BRC) 2011/09 Finished deck and installing Solar Panels! 2011/10/20 Tire blowout! WTF? This time the air bags don't pop. Inner right dualie. Replaced w/ new. WEIGHT: Front 12800 pounds, rear 23460?