Driving a Mercedes Tourrider bus 1000 miles back home.
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- It took us 3 days to drive the new buses we purchased from Mercedes back home to our bus facility in Champaign IL. So how did the Mercedes Tourrider handle the 1000 miles trip? Or better yet, What did I think of the Tourrider during the 1000 miles drive? Watch and find out. Join me on my journey.
This video series is dedicated to the memory of Kiska Wang. My cat that was with me for the past 18 years of my life. I got her back in September of 2005, She passed away on June 8th 2023. I miss her so much. There is a big hole in my heart. I love you Kiska where ever you may be right now.
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Places Visited in this Video:
Buc-ee's
7001 Russell Pkwy, Fort Valley, GA 31030
Wyndham Garden Marietta Atlanta North
455 Franklin Gateway SE, Marietta, GA 30067
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Equipment used in this Video
Go Pro Hero 11
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Go Pro Hero 11 Media Mod
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TELESIN Magnetic Go Pro Neck Mount POV
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Go Pro Hero 10
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Go Pro Hero 10 Media Mod
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Joby JB01507 GorillaPod 3K Kit
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DJI Pocket 2 Creator Combo
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Video edited using Shot Cut Video editor
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As of today I’m officially a Class B Motorcoach/School Bus driver just got my license this afternoon and am excited and privileged to be part of it
Congratulations! Safe travels.
James. Driving a large Mercedes Benz coach is my biggest dream. And you literally living it. Thank you for bringing us the tourrider contents
I love the videos and the music is amazing thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you!
Those buses look so good. The biscuits and gravy however..did not look good. 😂
LOL I completely agree with your assessment. I don't know what they did with that gravy but it was some weird consistency that I've never experienced before. I thought people in the south were supposed to make Biscuits and Gravy better than folks up north? Isn't that a southern food?
@@JWangvlogs Well to be fair.. it was a hotel. Lol
@@BusDriverLife yeah true that. No one should just a regions food based on hotel lobby food. Lol
It’s pretty cool to see how nimble those busses are in a tight parking lot
Love this video, James. You’re a great representative and sportsman for the private charter bus industry. Can’t wait to see your next video!
Thank you so much. Appreciate the kind words
Thanks, James, for living my dream and taking us along. I was born about 45 years too soon and drove back in the ‘70’s after graduating from the U of I. 😊
Hey fellow alumni! I graduated from U of I too. We have some drivers in their late 70s. I'm sure you could still drive a coach if you wanted to
@@JWangvlogs , don’t temp me!! I will be 70 in December, so maybe there is a chance! 😉
P.S. Ever drive (or even SEE) a GMC 4103? Four on the floor, no power steering. ‘76 Illinois grad.
@@saintmarycentralia No Ive never driven one of those. I would love to though. That would be a real treat!
@@JWangvlogs If I was closer, I’d give it a shot, might still anyway, but I’m about two hours south of Chambana in Beck Bus and West Bus territory. 🙃
So cool to bring them home with you.🎉
Thanks Cindy. Love seeing your comments on my videos. 😊
Hey, nice to see a couple of new videos! Rest in peace Kiska, love from Sweden
Excellent video
Super exctited for the Peoria Charter team! hopefully we get to see you run a trip or two with the Tourriders! I also noticed that the brake lights on Dennis's coach pulsing like they do on cars coaches and bus's in Europe.. now i dont know if that was UA-cam Compression doing its thing or they actually pulsated under heavy breaking.. but its still cool to see European influences like that in the US..
Yes it was definitely a safety feature of the coach to have the 4 ways flash like that. I thought it was really cool that the TourRider did that. Thanks for the comment.
Im loving these its been long since i last Saw a video on this channel
I'm sorry it took a while. Thanks for sticking with me 😊
Hey James I saw you guys on your way back we passed your busses so cool!!! RIP Kiska❤
Thank you. Wow that's awesome. If I would have known I would have waved lol😅. What were you driving?
@@JWangvlogsit was like a newer ford pickup truck blue
It was blue
Also, it’s my mom‘s birthday on the Fourth of July. She’s so lucky lol.
Sorry to hear about Kiska, hope you're doing well.
You are brave to drive thru Atlanta during the day. I only do so in the middle of the night and traffic is still bad. Great video!
Haha thank you. Dennis was a bit nervous about driving through Atlanta but we got lucky.. it wasn't that bad this time.
Great video , thanks for your passion 🚌❤and beautiful coach 😍👌, i really like this Tourrider , Mercedes-Benz THE BEST OR NOTHING ♥️👌
Haven't watched your videos for awhile, I usually watched your videos when I have a chance to relax, and that's what I'm doing right now brother. 😉
I love how you chronicle some of little and humorous things. It will be interesting how these will hold up in a few years then you can let us know. Please don’t stop paying tribute to. Kiska(sp?) She was a special cat for you.
I went to that same buc-ees not so long ago when I was helping moving my sister from NC to CA, first time there, I was severely impressed with the sheer size of the place and how many choices of food and other stuff that was there.
I wonder if I can import Beaver Nuggets to Australia? Haha. They look awesome.
You can order then on Amazon.
www.amazon.com/Buc-ees-Beaver-Nuggets-Snacks-Bucees/dp/B00FW5Y7PW/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=beaver+nuggets&qid=1688392041&sprefix=beaver+%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-2
Love the photos at the end of Kiska & the ones after of your adventures. Appreciate your channel so much because (as a part-time driver), I get to live vicariously through you.
Thanks so much!
I like how the tag axle it able to turn and help navigating roads. Here in europe you see them on every coach with a tag axle but in the US only few have them. Still pretty cool 😊
That bus can turn really sharp with the active turn tag wheels. But the one caviat is the tail swing it causes
@@JWangvlogs the tail swing isn't that big of a deal is it? i like that those coaches can turn really sharp and it really comes in handy when backing up and navigating roundabouts.
@@miles5600 Tail Swing is a huge deal. You can do a lot of damage to structures, injure pedestrians walking, as well as causing lots of damage to the coach its self. A driver in a turn lane having to make a sharp slow turn will cause the rear end of the coach to swing 2 to3 feet into the other lane.
Thanks for the ride James, looking forward to the next leg of the trip.
More to come!😊❤
More Videos We Miss you!
Hi James, it sounds simple, but being from upstate NY, biscuits and gravy are not a staple. However I just buy a container of biscuits and a can of gravy, cook up the biscuits and place the gravy on the side.
Beaver nuggets are awesome! Haven’t had the brisket sandwich but the pulled pork is pretty good. That drivers window is huge! I remember the little ones on the Eagles and the 80s MCIs. Wonder what my dad would think of a Mercedes bus! At first I was not crazy about the body style - I still prefer the J4500 - but the more I see it in your videos, the Tourrider is growing on me. It will look good in the Peoria livery. PS - belated welcome to Georgia!
Big up to you my brother from Saudia Arabia
Thank you sir! I appreciate your comment. I am always excited to see comments from people in other parts of the world. Thank you for watching. I would love to visit Saudi Arabia one day.
That Buc-ee’s in Warner Robins is always packed. Lol
Is that right? It was a fun experience.
Hi James, I Love the Journey that You & Dennis do, as for going to Marietta, Georgia...Bryan`s sister Lisa Olejniczak lives there!
Thanks for telling Us what Beaver Nuggets was, I was curious! That Bucees was a Huge Store!!
The Mercedes Tourrider sure handles Great, feels like I`m sitting there on Your Trip!! Can`t wait to see the Next Video!!
Take care & Be safe You & Dennis!! Love Barb from Rantoul, IL.
Your vlogs give me so much good vibes! Safe trip!
Thanks man. Appreciate the kind words.
I think that I stayed at that same hotel when I was in Lake City. And I’ve been to that Buc-ee’s in Warner Robins a few times.
You was in Warner Robins, GA my city lol but good to see driving videos again as always!
Thanks for the comment. You are lucky to be so close to a buccees
Did like your videos, now I know you are awesome- you are a cat person!
Here's to fellow cat lovers! ❤️
Used to be coach/bus driver here in the UK. Handed my large vehicle back last year as at 65 I am going to enjoy retirement. Really miss driving big vehicles.
Nice looking coaches. I am enjoying your trip and look forward to the other ones. Thanks for sharing.
Love the roll down driver's window!!!!!
Lol that was a very enjoyable feeling. Not one I'm used to in the cockpit of a coach bus.
Loved this video...must be awesome do these new coach pick ups! Can't wait to see your punch list of write-ups for Mercedes!
Thank you Adam. That video is coming. Best part is we had a representative from Mercedes come to our office to be apart of the video
Safe travels you guys
If you and your family come back to Pigeon Forge soon we have for now the largest Buc-ees in America here. It’s on I-40 at the 407 exit (Pigeon Forge exit) and it’s absolutely insane.
Looking forward to a breakdown video once you get more time with the coach now as an owner! Also congratulations!
Just subscribed! I like it!
Thank you for the sub. Appreciate the kind words.
Just rode onboard a pair of school buses yesterday, first time in over a year. Short 5-minute shuttle ride at a big event that was being held Tuesday through today. The big league professional golf event, U.S. Senior Open championship was held at Sentry World in Stevens Point, WI and they had school buses running to and from nearby parking lots.
Nice video great job
I hope you enjoyed your drive through Atlanta 😅😊
It was definitely interesting
@JWangvlogs I live in metro Atlanta and people always "enjoy" Atlanta traffic 😆
j wang i love your videos
Always fun to see your content and to see how much has changed. Haven’t said much about it but I think I’m hanging up driving I first thought it be summer 2023 but gonna try to make it next year the latest. "Almost 40 years my time has come n gone I am the original driver who who drove.champions first ever trip 25 years ago and still driving their elite college n sports teams I’ve done the aba uba etc but not interested anymore . So maybe we ll cross paths paths before I hang up the bus keys
Hey Steve. Sounds like done your bit for King and Country. Very admirable. Why are you deciding to stop? Just want to be home more? I complete understand. We had a few of our senior guys thats been driving for us since the 90's hang it up as well. It was tough to loose them but I completely understood why they choose to stop. Well if you ever find yourself near Urbana, give me a shout. Would be great to meet in person one day!
@@JWangvlogs hey James I’m phasing myself into retirement. I feel like I’m going to go till next summer than hang it up but look forward to meeting someday. Absolutely I ever get your way I ll reach out . Biggest part of retiring is to find a hobby or something so that’s what I’m eyeing now before next summer. All the best
We call these Mercedes Tourismo’s back in the UK, there definitely the best coaches to drive however on this side of the pond we don’t have any of the US built coaches.
Thanks for the comment. So just to be clear.. the TourRider is a completely different coach than the Tourismo. I've been to the factory in Turkey where they build them. The TourRiders has a completely different frame and chassis. It's also 100% stainless steel.. the only coach bus to be built like that. It does look like a Tourismo but the internal guts are designed from the ground up.
@JWangvlogs thank you for correcting me, I was clearly mistaken. How long is the tourider you have?
@@liamross3830 it's 45 feet or 13.7 meters.
I like bananas because they have great a-peel to me! LOL!
That service station/petrol station makes ours in Australia look tiny in comparison. It's like a mini convenience store in the one you went to @James.
It makes the rest of our petrol stations here in the US look tiny as well.
13:52 one of the biggest reasons why accidents happen
Yeah that guy was being an idiot.
Also, if you stay on I-75, you’ll go through Chattanooga, my hometown.
I've been there many times. I love that area of the US.
So James inspires me to get behind the wheel of an MCI and now Mercedes-Benz comes along and sweet talks him into their luxurious arms!!!! 😂😂😂
LOL 😂
The controls on the steering wheel and most of the dash are identical to a Freightliner Cascadia. Not surprising being all part of Daimler but a good use of common parts. I’m sure the shop could go to the local Freightliner dealer for parts
These types of controls are also on the entry-level and mid-level variants of the Mercedes-Benz Actros and Axor cabover trucks in Europe, Middle East and Asia.
Once again, another great video. So, if you had a brand new Prevost, MCI or this Mercedes, which would you prefer? And I know they all have their own likes and dislikes
im surprised you guys still have the phones my district used to have those phones until 2017 when they w=switched to the 2 way radios
These are new Sonim push to talk phones. You were testing the mail to see how they would work well on convoy moves. But they were absolutely horrible and we will not be using them.
Living the dream! How often are you away from home each month, on average?
Not that much. I don't travel every month. Probably one week every two or three months
Hey was that buccees in Warner Robins, Georgia I been there too never seen anything like that before I'm from Valdosta, Georgia I also lived in Orlando Florida from 1997-2009- then 2012-2018
so you have an old Nextel push to talk flip phone for bus to bus radio? that brings back some memories
It's actually a sonim. They are actually new. You can group entire convos together so that everyone can hear everyone when someone keys the mic
@@JWangvlogs will have to look that up... great video too as always
Thank you, James. Fun tagging along. That A/C drain is curious: perhaps in Germany they don't have the humidity of the US Southeast? I would have thought they would route the drain further back. Happy travels.
Thanks Donald. yeah I guess i never thought of it that way. But the drain is a bit inconvenient. Can you imagine a full bus of 56 passengers stepping in that?? Those floors are not going to stay clean.
Little idiosyncrasies like the drain and cigarette lighters are the things Mercedes will have to adapt to for the NA market. This their first attempt and hopefully they will take heed to your comments to improve their coaches.
There usually is a drain on each corner. Coaches don’t idle much in Europe so the drain doesn’t drain very much when stationary.
Hehe I was born in 1964 and remember in the 1970’s when German cars (mostly VW) were becoming popular. My late grandpa who never seemed to lack finding things that were crap used to say.. Germans are supposed to be such great engineers then they come of with crap like that. “What the hell’s the matter with them?” So same idea. Why not drain it to the driver side? Perhaps later models will fix that.
Just put down a "Welcome" mat. Problem solved……..😋
I'm sure the GA xpress bus was checking out the Mercedes buses
Haha I got some looks from the transit drivers that's for sure
We were traveling and stopped by Buccees to have brisket sandwich. It rivals some BBQ joints! haha I think Mercedes should have included full digital display! Also for your upcoming video content, would you be able to film the process of wrapping the bus with your company's logo&name? Would be interesting to see. Thanks for the video!
Hey that's a great idea. Thank you for the suggestion. I will definitely do a video on the painting/wrapping process. Thanks Jin.
Whoa! Was that a flip phone?!
haha yeah its actually a company phone that utilizes the push to talk feature. We use them instead of walkie talkies or CBs. Because these use cell phone towers, there is no range limitatins.
Nice to not have to run full 10 hour days on the way home. Is that accommodating a break-in protocol for the bus?
Dennis and I didn't want to beat our selves up. It was 15 hour trip in total. We broke it up to three, 5 hour days. This allows us time for stops, and refueling if needed.
I am starting my motorcoach training today backing and turning are what are making me very nervous
I love the last song on the video who sings that song ?🤔
I actually think the MCI J4500 is aesthetically more attractive.
Hope you seen some cobblinc transit buses
Yes I saw a lot of them.
✌🏾
You mean you came thru Rome , Ga and didn’t stop and kiss the ring? Omg
There was a lot of things I wanted to see going through Georgia. But like most of my bus trips.. I dont have the time to go enjoy all the scenery and venues. One day I will take my family there for fun.
i never knew mercedes made coach buses
Um, Mercedes-Benz has been making buses since like the 1900s, coach buses since after WW2.
@@kristoffermangila well i never seen them in the united states i seen other bus companies
@@mattnorman5241 one reason why older MB buses (or other European buses and trucks, for that matter) were not available in the US for years is that notorious trade war known as the "Chicken War" which put tariffs on a host of European goods.
LOBILLOS MUSICAL DE DURANGO…
Just curious , who is Dennis? Does he work for Peoria?
Bonjour je conduit le même modèle en Europe précisément en France
Il porte juste un nom différent c’est le Mercedes tourismo
Le pare-brise est en une seule partie
C’est un super véhicule le mien possède déjà 360000 km au compteur et je parcourt l’Europe entière au plaisirs d’échanger
Awesome 👍 jay keep it up
Please follow uk coach driver James underwood be awesome see you team up one day like uk vs usa differences
Im uk fan from Redcar North Yorkshire uk ill be doing my coach license this year
I still prefer volvo, Man or scania over benz
Is it like driving a cloud? Does it have cruise control.
Yes it does 😅
What kind of radios are y’all using ?
Sonim push to talk phones. They were horrible. We were testing them out. But we will not be using them.
Want kind of radio were they using?
What type of 2 ways do yall use between buses?
These are called Sonim push to talk by T-Mobile. I wouldn't recommend these though. They don't work very well at all. You can't hear the first transmission. That's a good idea having a push-to-talk being able to tie into multiple devices at a time basically simulating a walkie-talkie. But the actual device doesn't work very well.
I was wondering that too. Yes I’m a 40 plus year scanner nut too. Digital is great but can be temperamental. Next time just simple FRS radios would work unless you folks have a none repeater channel on the two way.
Are these Tourriders straight automatic or have the zf transmission
Allison
@JWangvlogs Are ZF transmissions still available to order or were they discontinued. I haven't seen any coach buses with ZF transmissions any newer than 2013 models.
@@rogerr.7228 yeah they are not common in motorcoaches anymore. I think you can still get the option in certain makes and models but it's not popular.
TourRiders do not have the option.
Hey James, driver window is awesome! Bus is ugly! Sorry!
Also sorry about your friend!
@@Tina-ds3pp Thanks
Hey James waiting to see the end of your trip how it went hope all is well wish I could have met you on your stop to Georgia maybe next time.
2024 MCI J4500
Eating on a brand new bus??? And is that a Nextel phone?
I tried to keep it clean but yes. On a long road trip like that with no passengers.. I'm going to indulge a bit. That flip phone is a company phone that utilizes a push to talk feature that allows them to work like CB radios. Because they use cell towers, there is no range limit.
@@JWangvlogs The phone reminded me of the Nextel push to talk phones. They were very popular in the early 2000's. I think they are long gone now. I guess someone else makes them today.
That hair is a mess... james😂
LOL Thanks Rona. but you are right. It is a mess.
Don’t you hate driving through Atlanta?
I do. But I hate driving through Nashville even more. It's not as busy but people around Nashville drive very aggressively and will not let you in if you need to change lanes. I've experienced this multiple times coming through Nashville.
what song is at 17:13
Tired by Mindme
thanks love the videos @@JWangvlogs
Driver hint do not eat bananas before or during driving . They have a chemical that makes you sleepy
No pretrip inspection and you ran the stop sign.😮 living on the edge my friend. Also do you still have to follow legal driving hours when delivering a new coach. Without passengers.🤔
I did do a pre trip. I didn't include it in the video because I try to keep it under 20 minutes. I didn't run any stop signs. I cut out the part where I stopped... Again reduce video length. And yes. We do have to follow the legal service hours. But thanks for making sure that I'm being safe. . Appreciate you looking out for me.
@@JWangvlogs ignore the haters :)
@@_Jin_Kim_ a whole new level to back seat driving lol 😆
@@JWangvlogs That makes sense. Just wanted to hear your take on the engine. And hear that sweet idel sound.
Soner Büyük Otobüs Sürersen Bezi Bağla Ehliyet Al D Sınıfı Mercedes Benz Yeni Travego Yetişkin Hasta Bezi Al Var?❤
Otobüs Şöförü SONER BESLEN
Favorite adult drink?
Unsweetened iced tea with lemon.
胡子非常牛逼!
how di
Mr Wang, do you suffer from neurological disorders? I’ve seen you having a lot of uncontrollable movements with your head and shoulders. Are you ok buddy? That’s something you need to discuss with your doctor.