Maintaining an Old Motorhome
Our motorhome is a 1968 Bedford bus. At the time of writing that makes it 40 years old. Having a vehicle this old has many advantages and just as many disadvantages. On the plus side I count the fact that the bus was designed and built at a time when the majority of roads were not well made and many were unsealed and very rough. Our bus has a riveted chassis – this makes it more flexible than a welded chassis and therefore less likely to fail on extremely rough roads.
Of course there are no electronics or engine management systems – one less thing to give trouble when you are 1200 kms from the nearest diagnostic computer.
The downsides of course include the difficulty in getting parts and in fact some parts are impossible to get – they have to be manufactured.
We spend a few hours every couple of weeks looking over the bus, crawling under the bus and looking for things that may be come an issue. This is just normal preventative maintenance and it has paid off time after time.
Here is a brief list of issues that in the last year we have resolved before they became a problem:
- A suspension bolt working it’s way out of a spring shackle.
- The bracket holding the fuel tank was cracked.
- A rubber brake hose that was weeping and near rupturing.
- A bolt on the exhaust manifold coming loose.
Many of these issues could have become far more serious – a quick inspection and a little work has saved money and potentially major issues.
Here is a list of the work we carry our regularly:
We change the oil and filters every 5000k’s
Every few weeks
- Adjust the brakes (this is a Bedford thing)
- Full check under the bus – looking for loose bolts, oil leaks, worn parts etc.
- A check over the drive train (tail shafts)
- Check over the engine and gearbox looking for new oil leaks and anything out of the ordinary.
- Inspect the battery connections and other electrical terminals
Every couple of months
- Grease the drive train and all the universal joints
Every year
- Repack the wheel bearings
- Replace the fuel filter
- Clean the water trap
Every two years
- Flush the radiator and replace the coolant
We enjoy travelling in an old bus – we feel that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and if well looked after an old bus can be very reliable.
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October 20th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
I to am looking at purchasing an old bedford (68 model). I have the obvious concerns…getting parts, status on the mechanical side of things, what to be wearing of, the cost of replacing parts.
I really enjoyed your comments and appreciate that you had posted them.
Thank You Colleen
Wondai Qld.
October 20th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Just speaking from our experience, we have never had issues getting parts and in general most Bedford parts are reasonably priced. There are a few odd parts that are very difficult to get (eg rear axles). Being built at a time when things were made to last, not too much breaks.
If it is a 466, have a very good look at the head and make sure there is no discharge around the gasket. Also check the oil pressure at both run speed and idle (engine at full temp). 466′s are good solid engines – but they do wear out and cost between 4 – 8k to rebuild.