You never forget your first — Ryjo Tours joins ranks of coach owners with new J4500

When Ryjo Tours of Tessier, Saskatchewan, first started running trips in 2000, it was with a leased coach. It soon became apparent that their customers appreciated the personal touch provided by owners Terry and Joyce Coben, who travel in the summer to personally research the trips that they plan for the rest of the year. Word-of-mouth reputation spread, and soon Ryjo was leasing coaches more than 200 days a year. Last year, with more than 230 days booked ahead, The Cobens decided it was time to buy a coach of their own.

Their choice? A brand-new 2008 J4500 with a Cummins engine, premium Blaupunkt entertainment system and other features including a front-view camera that feeds road video to the 15-inch monitors for passenger viewing. It arrived, says Joyce Coben, just in time for Christmas. "I've always been an MCI man," says Terry Coben. As a driver for nearly 20 years, he knew what he liked and the qualities he wanted, ultimately choosing the Cummins engine for its fuel rating and for the way the gears synchronized with the transmission. The Saskatchewan winters were a factor in the decision as well — Terry believes MCI is one of only two manufacturers that make coaches that can handle a harsh Canadian winter.

The warm Winnipeg reception from MCI was icing on the cake. "The treatment that Dayna Toth and her team gave us was unbelievable," says Terry. "I can't say enough good things about MCI and their staff in Canada. We felt like royalty from another country."

Terry Coben took the J4500 on its inaugural trip, a 22-day jaunt through Canada and Arizona, with planned stops in Palm Springs and the Grand Canyon. Joyce joined him for part of the tour. The trip went smoothly, except for the storm that blanketed the Grand Canyon in snow the day Ryjo had scheduled its visit. "We found out that this coach can push two feet of snow, no problem," jokes Terry. Snowed out of the Grand Canyon, the group found out why Ryjo Tours is so successful. Terry made an on-the-fly substitution to make sure his passengers ended the day happy. "I was able to take them to a really nice dinner theater. It's me spending the money, so I can make those changes. People find comfort that the guy who planned the trip is driving the trip as well."

The Cobens expect the coach to offer other advantages beyond its snowplow power. "A new coach is an advertisement for your company," Terry explains. Passengers have been impressed with the new coach, which sports a sharp black-and-gold reflective logo design and presumably still has that new-coach smell, even after 3,500 miles. Terry also likes the idea of being in control of the maintenance. "It's solid, and it's ours to look after," he says, citing the advantages of good preventative maintenance over having to take care of problems on the road — something he had little control over when he leased the coach.

Asked if Ryjo Tours has any plans for expansion, Terry says they're happy with their successful one-bus operation. "I like to be away, and I like to show people new stuff. But I do wish the year had 700 days in it."

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