Hey guys, just a heads up, diesel engines usually need to crank over a lot longer in the cold than a gas engine. Don't stop cranking after just a couple of seconds. Let that sucker crank over for at least 30 seconds at a time, and it will fire. They have heavy duty starters that are designed to crank like that, and cranking it over also helps generate heat to help it fire. It will never start right up instantly in below zero Temps, even with new glow plugs. Look up diesel cold start videos on RUclips, and you will see what I mean. That's also why diesel engines have multiple big batteries because sometimes ya just gotta let em crank over for a bit. Hope that helps!!
Tim has the right Idea. Diesel engines by design are "Compression Ignition" engines. Thus they use the heat of compression combined with carefully timed fuel injection to achieve combustion rather than spark plugs. When they are very cold, they may not be able to generate sufficient heat immediately to cause the diesel to ignite, even with the assistance of glow plugs and/or intake heaters. What this means is that you need to CONTINUE to Crank the engine for some time to build up enough heat in the block for the Donk to fire. Typically what you would do is to cycle the Glow plugs 2 to 3 times, then Crank for about 20 or so seconds, If the engine isnt trying at this point, Stop cranking, cycle the glow plugs again 2-3 times, then try cranking again for at least 20 seconds. You may need to repeat that cycle several times and Eventually it should start in most conditions.
Hunt around your engine block for a block heater- it probably has one that you never noticed- if not you can get a dipstick or mat to plug into an ac outlet to warm the engine for cold starts.
Most block heaters pull about 500w or so. They have solar and an inverter. If the sun is out they could warm the block with solar. T444Es start pretty well if the glow plugs are working and the injectors are in decent shape. It takes hours to warm up the block with a block heater. A intake heater like a Cummins 5.9 has would work much better.
"It's still cold. Our snowman is still thriving." Your expression and tone of voice had me laughing out loud. Spoken somebody who's had enough of winter. I know.
You've learned two valuable lessons for the bus. First, insulation your pipes. Not expensive but will allow you to be in cold weather. The snow is not your problem, it's only a few inches. It's the temperature. Secondly is the diesel heater fuel line to your tank. That will help you a lot! Love your videos.
Having come from the Midwest I have found that winters in northern Arizona can be every bit as severe as those back home. In reality it’s only the southwestern corner of the state is desert where it doesn’t snow. That being said it was really sad you couldn’t get to see the Grand Canyon with snow. It is so beautiful! Another factor in hard starting could also be the high altitude, 8000’ on the south rim. Good luck on your adventure you’re creating stories for a lifetime.
Be sure and start the bus at times to keep it from drawing battery even with solar, better safe than sorry. Also it would be a good idea to carry a jump box,fully charged in case of emergencies.
Agreed, we definitely should have run it a little bit before we wanted to leave! And we have definitely thought about a jump box but are a little on the fence about it. Right now we’ve got a trickle charger that works great! …it just might take a few hours 😅
@@JimmyandNatalie a lot of people in the north have block warmers for their engines and plug them in over night. But don't know how much electricity they would draw. Ask a Canadian when you get there.
@@JimmyandNatalie Given that you have house batteries, you should consider either a large capacity DC-DC Charger (eg 50 Amp) configured to allow the Starter batteries to recharge from the House batteries, AND/OR a Paralleling Switch to allow the house Batteries to directly assist the Cranking batteries to turn the engine over. Provided your house batteries are of sufficient capacity, and are able to handle high loads, they shouldn't have any issues with being used for emergency cranking. Jump packs have a very small capacity, and a large diesel engine will flatten them very quickly, so being able to use your House batteries is a much better option if they can handle it.
I have the same engine in my bus also without functional glow plugs. I’ve been able to start it in temps down to 13F. It’s perfectly ok to just keep cranking it on these engines until the engine gets going and it can really take a while in cold weather. The starter and batteries are designed for this. When starting in really cold temps, once at least some of the cylinders start firing you can use the gas pedal to get the rpms up and quickly get the rest of the cylinders up and running.
Mother Nature... she's an awesome beast. This is the roughest stop y'all have had. Others were just mild inconveniences. Glad you are in warmer weather, somewhere wonderful!
Loved this video. I had to laugh when you said you were completely snowed in. In Wisconsin that usually means more like 12 inches of snow or more, with drifts up to our doorknobs. Less than that is manageable, our streets get plowed and salted and we just carry on. That's how we grew up. You two work well together. You're both very respectful to each other. That's sweet. Having your water pipes frozen is a bummer. Get out of that freezing weather, pronto! Keep smiling! Nice snowman, Jimmy!
Quick tip on warming a diesel block with compression. The air in the cylinder at top dead center is really hot in a diesel because it is compressed so much. You can warm up the combustion chambers on a diesel engine by bumping the starter for a couple seconds and leaving it sit for 15 seconds. Repeat about 20x. One two... wait. One, two... wait. One, two... wait. Every time you wait the heat from the compressed air will heat the injector, piston and head area of the piston closest to top dead center. I've seen this used to get diesels started in marginal starting conditions. It is all about the heating up the combustion chambers and air.
@@thewiseguy3529 Nope. You'll warm things up a bit if you bump it. If you turn things over continuously the hot air goes out the exhaust after it recools on the power stroke.
Love the dapper little snow-gentleman.⛄️ I can tell who has played in the snow before. 😆 Jimmy, you forgot to show Nat how to make a snow angel! Safe travels guys, I’m looking forward to your next adventure❣️
My wife and I were travelling down the highway the other day and we came upon this green skoolie going down the road here in Ontario. As we passed it I honked my horn and gave the driver a thumbs up. He waved back. I swear it was the same green as your bus but where yours is white his was black. I loved your comment Natalie 'The most snow I've ever seen.' As a Canadian soldier I spent 6 months about 400 miles from the North Pole. Your'e lucky your drain fell off where it did, it probably would have fell off while driving with the vibrations from the bus eventually.Thank you again for sharing your journey
I guess the other videos with the exploring and activities are a bit more fun to watch. But i am really happy you guys made this video, because it shows bus/vanlife isn't always like you are living in a movie where everything is perfect and goes the way you want it. I really like that about you in general, you guys come off as really nice and down to earth people. Keep it up!
You can get heat tapes to wrap around your pipes. Run the cords to an outlet when needed. You can also use pipe insulation or even pool noodles to insulate.
As you drive farther north do not forget to put anti-gelling additives in your diesel as well. Glad yall were able to get the bus started and back out to safety.
@@thewiseguy3529 well you're incorrect and unless you take the proper steps diesels will start to cloud and gel at or around 32° F. Or about freezing. If your running alot or have line and tank warmers, yeah your unlikely to have to worry about gelling. But if your sitting in the middle of the woods for a few weeks in low temps, yes. Your diesel will start to gel. Remember the tank doesn't have to gel just the filter or fuel pump and your not starting.
@@thewiseguy3529 overall to eaches own. I'd rather spend the 20 bucks on a jug of additive and make sure I don't gel up especially living in and relying on my bus as my sole transport.
So glad you guys made it out. Our bus isn't really set up for cold weather either. At least you have a diesel heater. Lol. Here's to hoping you find warmth and sunshine 🌞.
Hello from Canada ah! I stock up big time for winter for fear of getting snowed in. I am very impressed with how well you maintained your "cool" (pun intended) throughout your ordeal. I was getting anxious wondering if the bus would start. Sorry you missed the Grand Canyon. ☃️❄️☄️
Freezing is zero on the fun meter. Snow and cold is nice to see, thanks for the snowy scenery, beautiful. Glad the bus engine finally started. If you had commercial power, block heater would be nice. || At work, we had a coolant circulating heater on the diesel engine, (they had to be ready to rev. to 1800 RPM in seconds, for standby emergency power, when needed).
Hey guys we had the same issue with snow when we were RVing in the states at the start of Covid. We had to sell our RV and head back to Australia. So we are now converting a bus into an RV. Enjoyed your bus build. You can see our build if you like on our youtube channel travel is sweet. Cheers Andrew & Carolyn
Glad bus started😀 did u try starting the bus the first day u woke up to the snow good to run it every day if it will start 😀oh love the snowman ⛄️i don’t like the snow but I will camp anytime love it 😍 see u both next week keep smiling 🙂
From an ASE School Bus mechanic: Unless you have a factory optional insulated floor, you will always have cabin heat problems. On a front engine bus you can tell by opening the back emergency door and looking at the bottom ledge. There will be a small 3/4" step up which means your floor is just some thin sheet metal, plywood and rubber mat. But if you have a thicker ledge that means there was some insulation board applied. You can also have some extra insulation added underneath. **NOTE: In Arizona it is required to block or remove the front red school bus warning lights. You may only get a warning? I hope. *You have a beautiful home!
Also, stop at a Walmart or Target, or hardware store and pick up a plunger. If you know it's going to freeze at night plunge push out the drain grey water by pushing at the kitchen sink drain, - to clear the drain lines before going to bed that night after you've finished cleaning and showering, toiletry etc.. (It's best to wash the plunger afterwards with dish soap and pour out wash water outside after washing so it doesn't smell)
Leave the cabinets under the sink open and use a hairdryer to thaw out the pipe. And....you should use extra light virgin olive oil instead of sunflower or vegetable oil. So good for you!
Hello from western Massachusetts! We get pretty epic winters and these lovely things called nor’easters lol. So I’m gonna tell you it’d be wise to get your schoolie winterized before going any further north. Also just because a window feels warm from the sun does not mean it’s keeping in heat, especially those single pane windows, and as you’ve found out Diesel engines don’t like winter lol. Get that glow plug fixed asap and winterize your pipes. Oh and you should probably get chains for your tires too just in case. :)
I love watching y’all discover new experiences. The snow experience was rich. After living is SC, with no snow, and moving to Colorado where we get lots of snow, I understand your awe seeing 4-6 inches of soft snow. Y’all be safe and lots of love from Colorado!❤️
Love you guys and yes you looked cold. A couple of things. First, buy a couple of pool noodles and use that to wrap your pipes. Won't help I'd it's -1000, but will when hovering around normal freezing Temps. Second...there's a clean up/messy calculation you guys have overlooked. Anything less than a 30-minute clean up is optional amd your viewers understand. More than 30-minutes, then you do have a mess. But 8 minutes, them play in the snow....nope! Play first, don't delay your gratification! Take care and be safe.
Haha I like the way you think! 😄 I definitely did not expect the cleanup to be so easy otherwise yeah… I think we would have just gone outside first 😅 And good idea about the pool noodles! Something like that would be perfect for us because our tanks always seem to stay liquid but just not our pipes.
I thought people go to Arizona to escape winter! Glad you got it started. One thing to think about is possibly having a generator as a backup that you could run the engine block heater.
Lol that's what we thought too! 😂 And yeah, we've thought a lot about getting a generator for emergencies but not sure we have the room for one... unless we trade out our inflatable kayaks! 😅
What can I say…you two are so much fun…..watching you doing every day things while trying to get running water with such a positive nature puts a smile on my face….Jimmy I see why Natalie loves you….a back rub while cooking (a vain attempt at not telling Nat you undid her handiwork 😁) this video proves that you are a charming kick ass team …equally pulling your weight ….I’m having fun…thank you so much….
We thought it was so adorable to see your reaction to a couple of inches of snow ❄. We live near Buffalo, NY, so winter lasts about 5 months here. And that snowman was dapper, indeed!
Hey guys, just an FYI for next time; Washing dishes with snow has been done forever ❤️. Just make sure you really “rinse” well. It workers great and having clean dishes feels really rewarding when life have frozen everything ‼️❣️
The Grand Canyon isn’t going anywhere. Glad you were able to get going and hopefully in warmer temps. We live at 5000’ here in central Az and winter can show up anytime . We are enjoying your channel. Best of luck!
Thanks! And yes! We’ll definitely be back to the Grand Canyon (hopefully very soon…) We’re so glad to have found some place warmer and will be triple checking the forecasts going forward 😅
@@JimmyandNatalie In Arizona, if you do not like the weather, you can always wait a few minutes for it to change again! There is so much elevation change, it is always a challenge to get the forecast right.
Hiya! If you're heading to Banff I'd recommend looking into some heat tape and insulation for your tank and lines. I lived one winter in an RV and managed to blow my black and grey tank one particularly cold night. Once you cross the border into Canada find a Canadian Tire...they sell a lot of RV winterizing accessories.
That’s interesting I’ll have to look into that! I’ve also heard about those heating pads you can stick to the bottom of the oil pan but haven’t had much experience with either
There is always next time to catch the Grand Canyon we live in Arizona and have seen it once. I have a feeling we will see you in Arizona again. Safe travels my friends
I’d say as a last resort for a cold start to warm the block is build a low grade (twigs) fire under the oil pan and block. Or….a portable propane heater.
Some stressful times handled it great (at least when the camera was on 😲) Great Team worked thru the cold,snow, lack of heat & and let us not forget the non starting Saguaro Also Jimmy on top of a snowy Skoolie 😳 .🙏 for warmer weather & safe Travels! Be Well Be Safe & Stay Blessed.
Wow I have been off of youtube, Sorry you are still stuck in the snow. I live around the snow so you all have good snow. Hate the pipes are frozen. You might have to wash dishes outside with hot water. I'm glad you all have coats and warm tea.
Seeing you face Natalie when the bus started was priceless. Glad everything worked out !! If you didn't know you can always get the mechanic to tee tap your fuel line for your deisel heater .. know you have me wondering is there gonna be a second video this week. Lol ....stay warm ❤️ from pa
Oh my gosh, I was praying that your bus would start! I was thrilled to hear it purr! When you became so dependent on the heater and ran out of fuel, I got down on my knees and really prayed hard for you guys. Well, thank God that challenge was successfully completed! It will take me a week to recuperate. No matter what, I WILL continue to travel with you guys! Take care and God bless. Louise
Love the snowman. I laughed when you said that was as much snow you have ever seen. Being from Northern Michigan that's a very small snow storm. Hang in there spring is coming.
Snowed in, no, cold yes. As a retired school bus driver. My old bus had to be plugged into the start. I did drive a highway coach diesel bus in Montreal. I had to have a bus boost the battery plus use starting fluid to get it going. My bus was the only one that we couldn't plugin.. It's cold when it's - 40 F in Montreal Quebec
if you ever think you might be in colder weather (15F or lower) - i would keep a bottle of winterizer for your diesel fuel (manufacturers call them different names but will say something like 'prevents fuel gelling'). Used to own a bus a long time ago and got stranded in super cold weather, diesel will behave like a gel below 15 F. If you fill up at a station in cold weather, and that cold weather is not abnormal, the diesel there should also be winterized, so this is really only needed when you filled up with diesel from an area that normally wouldnt get that cold in that time of year
Get a spray can of Starting Fluid for emergency starting help. Not good to use all the time, just emergencies. For a frozen drain, pour salt down the drain.
Good thinking on your food storage, not a word about possibly running out of food. Along with handling the problems systematically figuring it out !!! Impressed I B !
I grew up in St. Louis Mo. and for the first 25 year of my life I was always way to cold or in summer sweating my rear off. Then I had a vacation in Jan to south Florida, & when I left St. Louis it was -2 degrees in a ice storm and when I got to South Florida down in West Palm Beach , it was 82 glorious degrees and sunny, I quit my job in St. Louis on the spot and never went back. Been living in West Palm Beach Fl now for over 30 years . Smartest thing I ever did as I found, I don't do well in cold at all. Anything under 50 degrees , I am moving SOUTHER !!!!!!!! So I am with you Naralie stay warm, cold ALWAYS sucks !
Loved your little snowman! He was so cute. Thanks for keeping it real. Sometimes you’re gonna have slow and boring days that aren’t full of adventure. And that’s ok!
Use pink antifreeze in drains not boiling water boiling water freezes easier and faster than regular room temp water You only need a cap or 2 use bottle cap to measure
You should get a can or two of starting fluid. A shot in the air cleaner and you should fire right up. You don’t want to always have to do it to get stated, but it would work and get you out of a cold area if the glow plugs are wimpy.
Next shopping trip buy a few cans of silicone spray in cold weather the proplent is highly flammable and will help start the bus and lub the cylinders don't use starting fluid on a diesel unless its made for diesels
Hey guys, just a heads up, diesel engines usually need to crank over a lot longer in the cold than a gas engine. Don't stop cranking after just a couple of seconds. Let that sucker crank over for at least 30 seconds at a time, and it will fire. They have heavy duty starters that are designed to crank like that, and cranking it over also helps generate heat to help it fire. It will never start right up instantly in below zero Temps, even with new glow plugs. Look up diesel cold start videos on RUclips, and you will see what I mean. That's also why diesel engines have multiple big batteries because sometimes ya just gotta let em crank over for a bit. Hope that helps!!
💯Go looking out.
Tim has the right Idea.
Diesel engines by design are "Compression Ignition" engines.
Thus they use the heat of compression combined with carefully timed fuel injection to achieve combustion rather than spark plugs.
When they are very cold, they may not be able to generate sufficient heat immediately to cause the diesel to ignite, even with the assistance of glow plugs and/or intake heaters.
What this means is that you need to CONTINUE to Crank the engine for some time to build up enough heat in the block for the Donk to fire.
Typically what you would do is to cycle the Glow plugs 2 to 3 times, then Crank for about 20 or so seconds,
If the engine isnt trying at this point, Stop cranking, cycle the glow plugs again 2-3 times, then try cranking again for at least 20 seconds.
You may need to repeat that cycle several times and Eventually it should start in most conditions.
That’s how we grew up in the snow - you just got to get out and enjoy it like Jimmy 😂 “ having the time of his life . “ ⛄️
Hunt around your engine block for a block heater- it probably has one that you never noticed- if not you can get a dipstick or mat to plug into an ac outlet to warm the engine for cold starts.
Most block heaters pull about 500w or so. They have solar and an inverter. If the sun is out they could warm the block with solar.
T444Es start pretty well if the glow plugs are working and the injectors are in decent shape. It takes hours to warm up the block with a block heater. A intake heater like a Cummins 5.9 has would work much better.
"It's still cold. Our snowman is still thriving." Your expression and tone of voice had me laughing out loud. Spoken somebody who's had enough of winter. I know.
You've learned two valuable lessons for the bus. First, insulation your pipes. Not expensive but will allow you to be in cold weather. The snow is not your problem, it's only a few inches. It's the temperature. Secondly is the diesel heater fuel line to your tank. That will help you a lot! Love your videos.
Music to your ears when you heard the bus start👍
Haha yess 😅 I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved..
I love watching you kids. You both bring a smile and a warm heart to me. Thank You.
Having come from the Midwest I have found that winters in northern Arizona can be every bit as severe as those back home. In reality it’s only the southwestern corner of the state is desert where it doesn’t snow. That being said it was really sad you couldn’t get to see the Grand Canyon with snow. It is so beautiful! Another factor in hard starting could also be the high altitude, 8000’ on the south rim. Good luck on your adventure you’re creating stories for a lifetime.
Be sure and start the bus at times to keep it from drawing battery even with solar, better safe than sorry. Also it would be a good idea to carry a jump box,fully charged in case of emergencies.
Agreed, we definitely should have run it a little bit before we wanted to leave! And we have definitely thought about a jump box but are a little on the fence about it. Right now we’ve got a trickle charger that works great! …it just might take a few hours 😅
They had a nice fire ring there, it could have helped warm the bus.
@@JimmyandNatalie a lot of people in the north have block warmers for their engines and plug them in over night. But don't know how much electricity they would draw. Ask a Canadian when you get there.
@@JimmyandNatalie Given that you have house batteries, you should consider either a large capacity DC-DC Charger (eg 50 Amp) configured to allow the Starter batteries to recharge from the House batteries, AND/OR a Paralleling Switch to allow the house Batteries to directly assist the Cranking batteries to turn the engine over.
Provided your house batteries are of sufficient capacity, and are able to handle high loads, they shouldn't have any issues with being used for emergency cranking.
Jump packs have a very small capacity, and a large diesel engine will flatten them very quickly, so being able to use your House batteries is a much better option if they can handle it.
I have the same engine in my bus also without functional glow plugs. I’ve been able to start it in temps down to 13F. It’s perfectly ok to just keep cranking it on these engines until the engine gets going and it can really take a while in cold weather. The starter and batteries are designed for this. When starting in really cold temps, once at least some of the cylinders start firing you can use the gas pedal to get the rpms up and quickly get the rest of the cylinders up and running.
You can always melt snow for water, and if you're going to Canada it will get even colder, get your glo plugs fixed, love watching you two
Make sure the snow is not yellow!!😂😂
Mother Nature... she's an awesome beast.
This is the roughest stop y'all have had. Others were just mild inconveniences. Glad you are in warmer weather, somewhere wonderful!
Loved this video. I had to laugh when you said you were completely snowed in. In Wisconsin that usually means more like 12 inches of snow or more, with drifts up to our doorknobs. Less than that is manageable, our streets get plowed and salted and we just carry on. That's how we grew up. You two work well together. You're both very respectful to each other. That's sweet. Having your water pipes frozen is a bummer. Get out of that freezing weather, pronto! Keep smiling! Nice snowman, Jimmy!
Quick tip on warming a diesel block with compression.
The air in the cylinder at top dead center is really hot in a diesel because it is compressed so much. You can warm up the combustion chambers on a diesel engine by bumping the starter for a couple seconds and leaving it sit for 15 seconds. Repeat about 20x.
One two... wait. One, two... wait. One, two... wait. Every time you wait the heat from the compressed air will heat the injector, piston and head area of the piston closest to top dead center. I've seen this used to get diesels started in marginal starting conditions. It is all about the heating up the combustion chambers and air.
@@thewiseguy3529 Nope. You'll warm things up a bit if you bump it.
If you turn things over continuously the hot air goes out the exhaust after it recools on the power stroke.
@@thewiseguy3529 The hot air warms the whole cylinder in the cylinder that comes up to TDC. And the injector tip.
You missed a lot by not chk’N out the Grand Canyon
Trust us! We’ll be back! 😄
heating tape for tanks or if in a pinch heating pads, plug in when needed.
Love the dapper little snow-gentleman.⛄️ I can tell who has played in the snow before. 😆 Jimmy, you forgot to show Nat how to make a snow angel! Safe travels guys, I’m looking forward to your next adventure❣️
You two keep the positive attitude going no matter what you encounter. You are both so brave and optimistic- big warm hugs!
Guys, diesel jells in cold weather. Remember to add diesel treatment when you are going to cold weather areas.
My wife and I were travelling down the highway the other day and we came upon this green skoolie going down the road here in Ontario. As we passed it I honked my horn and gave the driver a thumbs up. He waved back. I swear it was the same green as your bus but where yours is white his was black. I loved your comment Natalie 'The most snow I've ever seen.' As a Canadian soldier I spent 6 months about 400 miles from the North Pole. Your'e lucky your drain fell off where it did, it probably would have fell off while driving with the vibrations from the bus eventually.Thank you again for sharing your journey
I guess the other videos with the exploring and activities are a bit more fun to watch. But i am really happy you guys made this video, because it shows bus/vanlife isn't always like you are living in a movie where everything is perfect and goes the way you want it.
I really like that about you in general, you guys come off as really nice and down to earth people. Keep it up!
You can get heat tapes to wrap around your pipes. Run the cords to an outlet when needed. You can also use pipe insulation or even pool noodles to insulate.
As you drive farther north do not forget to put anti-gelling additives in your diesel as well. Glad yall were able to get the bus started and back out to safety.
@@thewiseguy3529 well you're incorrect and unless you take the proper steps diesels will start to cloud and gel at or around 32° F. Or about freezing.
If your running alot or have line and tank warmers, yeah your unlikely to have to worry about gelling. But if your sitting in the middle of the woods for a few weeks in low temps, yes. Your diesel will start to gel.
Remember the tank doesn't have to gel just the filter or fuel pump and your not starting.
@@thewiseguy3529 overall to eaches own. I'd rather spend the 20 bucks on a jug of additive and make sure I don't gel up especially living in and relying on my bus as my sole transport.
Be careful. Get heat tapes for your pipes.
If your in the mountains you can have snow till june...life happens...grew up in northern Minnesota, water off a ducks back
Natalie is right up there with Earnest T. Bass. She got a good arm. “I don’t chew my cabbage twice. And you ain’t heard the last of Ernest T. Bass!”
Grow wild...
As are your wonderful experiences ✨
Keep on keeping on...
Nomad, Hippie Spirit!
🐺🐒
I am glad you got to experience the snow, but sorry that it caused so much trouble!!
Thanks! 😅 It was definitely beautiful and a fun experience! Just not the day we had to leave… Haha
So glad you guys made it out. Our bus isn't really set up for cold weather either. At least you have a diesel heater. Lol. Here's to hoping you find warmth and sunshine 🌞.
Welcome to Arizona. I have lived in AZ most of my life. I have even seen snow in May and June.
Hello from Canada ah! I stock up big time for winter for fear of getting snowed in. I am very impressed with how well you maintained your "cool" (pun intended) throughout your ordeal. I was getting anxious wondering if the bus would start. Sorry you missed the Grand Canyon. ☃️❄️☄️
I just absolutely love the tiny snowman Jimmy made, now drive until he melts and that would be a good place to stay cause it s warmer there maybe,
Haha I love it! 💚 That’s a perfect way to tell when you’re in a warmer place 😄
Freezing is zero on the fun meter. Snow and cold is nice to see, thanks for the snowy scenery, beautiful. Glad the bus engine finally started. If you had commercial power, block heater would be nice. || At work, we had a coolant circulating heater on the diesel engine, (they had to be ready to rev. to 1800 RPM in seconds, for standby emergency power, when needed).
Hey guys we had the same issue with snow when we were RVing in the states at the start of Covid. We had to sell our RV and head back to Australia. So we are now converting a bus into an RV. Enjoyed your bus build. You can see our build if you like on our youtube channel travel is sweet. Cheers Andrew & Carolyn
Glad bus started😀 did u try starting the bus the first day u woke up to the snow good to run it every day if it will start 😀oh love the snowman ⛄️i don’t like the snow but I will camp anytime love it 😍 see u both next week keep smiling 🙂
Cute little snowman. Love the way you guys work together. Safe travels.
From an ASE School Bus mechanic: Unless you have a factory optional insulated floor, you will always have cabin heat problems. On a front engine bus you can tell by opening the back emergency door and looking at the bottom ledge. There will be a small 3/4" step up which means your floor is just some thin sheet metal, plywood and rubber mat. But if you have a thicker ledge that means there was some insulation board applied. You can also have some extra insulation added underneath.
**NOTE: In Arizona it is required to block or remove the front red school bus warning lights. You may only get a warning? I hope.
*You have a beautiful home!
That was a little scary. So glad your bus started and most of all, safe. Happy and safe travels
You two are amazing.....that's all I got for this one.
Also, stop at a Walmart or Target, or hardware store and pick up a plunger. If you know it's going to freeze at night plunge push out the drain grey water by pushing at the kitchen sink drain, - to clear the drain lines before going to bed that night after you've finished cleaning and showering, toiletry etc.. (It's best to wash the plunger afterwards with dish soap and pour out wash water outside after washing so it doesn't smell)
Leave the cabinets under the sink open and use a hairdryer to thaw out the pipe. And....you should use extra light virgin olive oil instead of sunflower or vegetable oil. So good for you!
Looks like you were having fun in the snow I am sure it was not a happy time but you got through it be save
It was a lot of fun… just not until we had to start the engine in the cold 😅 Haha
Hello from western Massachusetts! We get pretty epic winters and these lovely things called nor’easters lol. So I’m gonna tell you it’d be wise to get your schoolie winterized before going any further north. Also just because a window feels warm from the sun does not mean it’s keeping in heat, especially those single pane windows, and as you’ve found out Diesel engines don’t like winter lol. Get that glow plug fixed asap and winterize your pipes. Oh and you should probably get chains for your tires too just in case. :)
I love watching y’all discover new experiences. The snow experience was rich. After living is SC, with no snow, and moving to Colorado where we get lots of snow, I understand your awe seeing 4-6 inches of soft snow. Y’all be safe and lots of love from Colorado!❤️
Love you guys and yes you looked cold. A couple of things. First, buy a couple of pool noodles and use that to wrap your pipes. Won't help I'd it's -1000, but will when hovering around normal freezing Temps. Second...there's a clean up/messy calculation you guys have overlooked. Anything less than a 30-minute clean up is optional amd your viewers understand. More than 30-minutes, then you do have a mess. But 8 minutes, them play in the snow....nope! Play first, don't delay your gratification! Take care and be safe.
Haha I like the way you think! 😄 I definitely did not expect the cleanup to be so easy otherwise yeah… I think we would have just gone outside first 😅
And good idea about the pool noodles! Something like that would be perfect for us because our tanks always seem to stay liquid but just not our pipes.
Looks like you need rv tank heaters and pipe heat tape that works on 12V to prevent future freezing. Nice to see you enjoyed the snow
Glad the bus started and you were able to get out. Guess you will need to buy winter gear and wrap your pipes. Safe travels.
I thought people go to Arizona to escape winter! Glad you got it started. One thing to think about is possibly having a generator as a backup that you could run the engine block heater.
Lol that's what we thought too! 😂 And yeah, we've thought a lot about getting a generator for emergencies but not sure we have the room for one... unless we trade out our inflatable kayaks! 😅
Awwwwwww! Cute little snow man! Love it!!!
What can I say…you two are so much fun…..watching you doing every day things while trying to get running water with such a positive nature puts a smile on my face….Jimmy I see why Natalie loves you….a back rub while cooking (a vain attempt at not telling Nat you undid her handiwork 😁) this video proves that you are a charming kick ass team …equally pulling your weight ….I’m having fun…thank you so much….
Keep on trucking to warmer weather!!
What a awesome adventure! Keep on living the dream.
We thought it was so adorable to see your reaction to a couple of inches of snow ❄. We live near Buffalo, NY, so winter lasts about 5 months here. And that snowman was dapper, indeed!
In Flagstaff, AZ they've been known to get 30 inches.
Hey guys, just an FYI for next time; Washing dishes with snow has been done forever ❤️. Just make sure you really “rinse” well. It workers great and having clean dishes feels really rewarding when life have frozen everything ‼️❣️
I love the snowman. I'm from Wisconsin and we have not had much snow this winter.
Best hood ornament I ever seen. Have fun in the snow. I was born and raised in PA.
Amazing fortitude guys! You are handling life's curves superbly
I am so thankful you were able to start the bus. Such an answer to my prayers.
We live in very snowy very cold Northern Minnesota. But we now spend our winter in sunny Mesa AZ. Love watching you! Jamie
great vid kids, you guys stay safe,don't take any chances
The Grand Canyon isn’t going anywhere. Glad you were able to get going and hopefully in warmer temps. We live at 5000’ here in central Az and winter can show up anytime . We are enjoying your channel. Best of luck!
Thanks! And yes! We’ll definitely be back to the Grand Canyon (hopefully very soon…) We’re so glad to have found some place warmer and will be triple checking the forecasts going forward 😅
@@JimmyandNatalie In Arizona, if you do not like the weather, you can always wait a few minutes for it to change again! There is so much elevation change, it is always a challenge to get the forecast right.
Hiya! If you're heading to Banff I'd recommend looking into some heat tape and insulation for your tank and lines. I lived one winter in an RV and managed to blow my black and grey tank one particularly cold night. Once you cross the border into Canada find a Canadian Tire...they sell a lot of RV winterizing accessories.
So, if you don’t have a block heater, you can get an electric dipstick or something to warm the engine up to help with cold starts.
That’s interesting I’ll have to look into that! I’ve also heard about those heating pads you can stick to the bottom of the oil pan but haven’t had much experience with either
There is always next time to catch the Grand Canyon we live in Arizona and have seen it once. I have a feeling we will see you in Arizona again. Safe travels my friends
I’d say as a last resort for a cold start to warm the block is build a low grade (twigs) fire under the oil pan and block. Or….a portable propane heater.
Great bus build. Makes me miss our old bus, but we have 3 others to help me get thru.
just found you guys .as long you bus i will watch ,great job
Oh, and get yourself an engine heater too. 👍😄
Some stressful times handled it great (at least when the camera was on 😲) Great Team worked thru the cold,snow, lack of heat & and let us not forget the non starting Saguaro Also Jimmy on top of a snowy Skoolie 😳 .🙏 for warmer weather & safe Travels! Be Well Be Safe & Stay Blessed.
for winter camping,need a propane heater and a small generator and a block heater,heating blanket.
Love that y’all show the true struggles, glad the bus made it out!!! 🙌
Im so pleased you got the bus going xx
🤘🏻😎🤘🏻
Awesome stuff guys
On the road again just can’t wait to get on the road again
Wow I have been off of youtube, Sorry you are still stuck in the snow. I live around the snow so you all have good snow. Hate the pipes are frozen. You might have to wash dishes outside with hot water. I'm glad you all have coats and warm tea.
Be Safe & Careful ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Seeing you face Natalie when the bus started was priceless. Glad everything worked out !! If you didn't know you can always get the mechanic to tee tap your fuel line for your deisel heater .. know you have me wondering is there gonna be a second video this week. Lol ....stay warm ❤️ from pa
Oh my gosh, I was praying that your bus would start! I was thrilled to hear it purr! When you became so dependent on the heater and ran out of fuel, I got down on my knees and really prayed hard for you guys. Well, thank God that challenge was successfully completed! It will take me a week to recuperate. No matter what, I WILL continue to travel with you guys! Take care and God bless. Louise
Love the snowman. I laughed when you said that was as much snow you have ever seen. Being from Northern Michigan that's a very small snow storm. Hang in there spring is coming.
Snowed in, no, cold yes. As a retired school bus driver. My old bus had to be plugged into the start. I did drive a highway coach diesel bus in Montreal. I had to have a bus boost the battery plus use starting fluid to get it going. My bus was the only one that we couldn't plugin.. It's cold when it's - 40 F in Montreal Quebec
if you ever think you might be in colder weather (15F or lower) - i would keep a bottle of winterizer for your diesel fuel (manufacturers call them different names but will say something like 'prevents fuel gelling'). Used to own a bus a long time ago and got stranded in super cold weather, diesel will behave like a gel below 15 F. If you fill up at a station in cold weather, and that cold weather is not abnormal, the diesel there should also be winterized, so this is really only needed when you filled up with diesel from an area that normally wouldnt get that cold in that time of year
I built many snowman as a kid but never one as cute as the little man Jimmy built
Stay warm and extra caution if you have to drive in the snow
Get a spray can of Starting Fluid for emergency starting help. Not good to use all the time, just emergencies. For a frozen drain, pour salt down the drain.
You should think about patching the fuel line for your heater to your tank. Then you never have to worry about siphoning it. Good luck
Good thinking on your food storage, not a word about possibly running out of food. Along with handling the problems systematically figuring it out !!! Impressed I B !
Jimmy you make a cool snowman!🤩🎿🐧
Always check the weather before camping !
the difference between snow and rain is only afew degrees.....
@Ron Radabaugh Haha yes we’ll definitely be checking more thoroughly from now own… 😅 we REALLY thought we were in the clear from the snow but nope! 😄
I grew up in St. Louis Mo. and for the first 25 year of my life I was always way to cold or in summer sweating my rear off. Then I had a vacation in Jan to south Florida, & when I left St. Louis it was -2 degrees in a ice storm and when I got to South Florida down in West Palm Beach , it was 82 glorious degrees and sunny, I quit my job in St. Louis on the spot and never went back. Been living in West Palm Beach Fl now for over 30 years . Smartest thing I ever did as I found, I don't do well in cold at all. Anything under 50 degrees , I am moving SOUTHER !!!!!!!! So I am with you Naralie stay warm, cold ALWAYS sucks !
Loved your little snowman! He was so cute. Thanks for keeping it real. Sometimes you’re gonna have slow and boring days that aren’t full of adventure. And that’s ok!
👍😀 Really like how you are so considerate towards each other.
Use pink antifreeze in drains not boiling water boiling water freezes easier and faster than regular room temp water
You only need a cap or 2 use bottle cap to measure
COOL VID GUYS, GLAD THE BUS WAS ABLE TO START. YOU GRAND CANYON WILL ALWAYS BE THERE, SO YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK
Thanks for not leaving me hanging. Happy trails you two.♡
Jimmy standing on top of an icy Skoolie sweeping off the solar panels
gives me the heebie jeebies. Try to come up with a safer way.
Glad you got the bus fixed!
What a great story, you guys are so fun to watch, everyday you are learning more and more!!!!! You are enjoying life!!! Keep on keeping on!!
Thanks so much!! 😊💚
you need to see the canyon with snow on it.
You should get a can or two of starting fluid. A shot in the air cleaner and you should fire right up. You don’t want to always have to do it to get stated, but it would work and get you out of a cold area if the glow plugs are wimpy.
Dannnggg Guys, Sooo Close the Grand Canyons, Bummer😬😬‼‼Fun Times Playing in the Snow Tho. Continued Safe Travels and Blessings🙏🏾🙏🏾.
Next shopping trip buy a few cans of silicone spray in cold weather the proplent is highly flammable and will help start the bus and lub the cylinders don't use starting fluid on a diesel unless its made for diesels
jimmy and natalie = relationship goals