For most operators, casino shuttles, school outings, entertainment excursions and other day trips are bread-and-butter mile makers. But some intrepid owners and drivers keep coaches out for 20, 30 or even 50 days. Most agree that new, well-maintained coaches can take them far without incident. Still, preparing for a long trip can pay off in the long run.

Prevention as best medicine

Ralph Engel of R&J Tours, Wilmar, Minnesota, annually takes a group down to Florida for an entire month in winter. While he counts on his equipment to get him to and from his destination without a hitch ("If you can't depend on your coach, you'd better find another one," he says), he does take steps to prepare for the trip. First, of course, is good preventative maintenance, with special attention paid to tires and other common-sense wear areas.

In addition, Engel keeps a log of service providers should something go wrong, along with MCI's Emergency Roadside Assistance number. He also carries a few extra belts, a toolkit, and extra bottled water for emergencies. He also stows jugs of water and a squeegee in case the windshield gets too muddy. And, he adds, it's always a good idea to be well supplied with toilet paper and other passenger essentials.

Norman Arensdorf, president of Village Tours in Wichita, Kansas, says his coaches sometimes go out for about a month at a time. Like Engel, he stresses preventative maintenance. "We make sure the coach is serviced well before it leaves," says Arensdorf. "It goes along with our daily inspection process." He also says coaches carry odds and ends like extra bulbs, belts and hoses. Such measures are a great improvement over the days when the company used to run long Alaska tours over poorly paved roads — back then, the company would typically stow a couple of windshields in the baggage bay.

Giving drivers the key

Arensdorf says it's a rare thing to find a driver with mechanical aptitude, but he's grateful when he does. "It's great to have a driver who can help himself and takes initiative," says Arensdorf. Village Tours offers plenty of support as well, including a 24-hour "hot phone." That basically means there's always a Village Tours mechanic available to take a driver's call and either help him or her through the situation or help coordinate service.

Arensdorf also credits modern technology — in particular cell phones and the Internet — with making long trips more trouble-free. Says Arensdorf, "We're pretty good at taking care of our own needs."

Loren Jones, general manager of Northland Travel, a division of Hawkeye Stages, Fort Dodge, Iowa, usually organizes his company's longest tours in winter. Like the others, he stresses preventative maintenance — and he says the most challenging of it is caring for the air-conditioning system. "It's hard to test the AC when it's ten degrees below zero out there," says Jones. "It's hard to duplicate the conditions it will experience on a trip to Florida or out West. What we'll do is put the coach in the shop and heat up the interior as much as possible and then check it."

Jones also makes contingency plans, including alternate routes and accommodations in case of bad weather. And he tends to call on his IMG peers when he needs assistance on the road or at his destination. Says Jones, "We've been in the industry long enough that we have folks we know we can count on."

Carrying baggage

Jones also points to another issue on long tours — accommodating lots and lots of baggage. "Today's bays have a lot more capacity, but luggage is always a concern," says Jones. "It's good to have a driver who knows how to pack efficiently and conservatively." Jones says that for longer trips at extended-stay destinations, Northland advises passengers to pack two bags — one that goes in with its owner every night and one that stays in the bay until the coach reaches its final destination. Says Jones, "There are tricks to making it all fit."

Terry and Joyce Coben, owners of Ryjo Tours in Canada, take some of the longest trips in the business. Terry Coben, who does all the driving and tour leading, recently returned from back-to-back trips that kept him and his MCI® J4500 on the road for 50 days. He says one of the biggest challenges is keeping up with Schedule Four inspections that need to be made every 30 days.

Like the others, he says preventative maintenance is key. An advantage for him is that he's the only one who drives the coach, so he's acutely aware of any day-to-day changes that might signal a need for service. And for service on the road, he keeps MCI's ERSA number handy. "Those people have been awesome," says Coben. "They do all the legwork."

Coben also points to the personal cost of long tours — missed birthdays, anniversaries and the like. And thanks to Canada's service-hours regulations, it can take up to eight days to get a coach home from a remote location. To that, however, there is an up side, which is the quality of today's entertainment systems. Says Coben, who often ends up sending his passengers home by plane and doing the long return drive himself (which service-hour requirements make even longer), "You can play the music a lot louder when you're alone."

The FYI from MCI editorial staff values your feedback. Please e-mail any suggestions, comments, or ideas for future articles to fyi@mcicoach.com.