Mercedes came to my office to answer viewer comments and questions!

Zane Gray, Director of Marketing from Daimler Benz came to my office after my series of Mercedes videos covering our new Tourrider coaches. Zane read every single comments that you guys left on my Perks and Quirks video and he addressed a bunch of them.
On top of that, Daimler also sent their regional technician as well as engineers from the Netherlands and Germany to answer all of our questions and help us get setup with our new toys. Now that's customer service.
Check out Daimler Coaches New Facebook Page
/ daimlercoachesnorthame...
Check out my 3 part journey back from picking up our new Tourriders.
Part 1 • Picking up two Brand n...
Part 2 • Driving a Mercedes Tou...
Part 3 • Mercedes Tourrider, Th...
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[@donalddodson7365]

What a great commitment to customer service! Reminds me of a so-called "fast food" chain motto: "Have it your way." Years ago, individualization was less prevalent. Well done Daimler.

[@railvlogger1439]

Really wishing Mercedes all the success in the world in the US. I have driven from the old V8 0303 in Australia to the Tourismo in the UK, they are all great coaches.

[@khakiswag]

The rear fog lights are a nice touch. I want to say they should be standard on all vehicles in the US due to our weather extremes. Rear fog lights would be a great safety feature. However Americans don’t use front fog lights correctly so I can only imagine every other car would have that red light blazing on a clear night.

[@AlMcpherson79]

I don't get the 'dazzle' argument - I've been blinded by normal dipped beam headlights, fog lamps aren't that bright (because they light up a wider angle)

[@pigletshut]

3:11 So that's why the headlight switch on my Cascadia truck can be pulled up two stops. That same part is being used everywhere.

[@balbaro83]

Nice details of the coach. I'm impressed how Daimler take custumer service serious. Excellent video James and Zane.

[@cindywinkler2441]

Great detail and so interesting! Thanks James and Zane. Excited to see where the future for the Tour Rider goes.

[@theochix7947]

i just love those seats,

[@HankSnowgrandslamfishing]

Thanks for sharing it's good to hear some of the questions and answers that you receive form us bus nuts, geeks, and enthusiasts.

[@_Jin_Kim_]

Very interesting and informative. Thanks James!

[@Halloweye]

The intro was super funny😂

[@swf2e]

I didn’t know about the rear fog lights. And it is interesting that they light up on both sides for the coach. On all of our sprinters, they only light on the side the driver is on.

[@rogerr.7228]

😂the flubs at the beginning of the vlog. Words are hard moment. It's all good though.👍 Everyone has them

[@BusDriverLife]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video! You’re killing the content game James!

[@MotorcoachWorld]

Thank you Keywan. We still need to meet in person some day and grab a bite!!!

[@BusDriverLife]

@@MotorcoachWorld Yes we do!

[@jollygreen4639]

On the heated windshields; that would be a great feature to have in the areas I went around Buffalo and to areas like Quebec City in the winter time. Always had problems with snow building up on the center pole of the windshield of MCI-J series. It would just build up after every swipe with the heavy wet snow. Sometimes to the point of having to pull over, safely, to clear the center and the blades of snow. You couldn’t play with the pneumatic knobs for the individual wipers on the D’s and older to “slam” the blade(s) in the center position to bang the snow off. Plus the fogging up many times. Windshield heaters would be a great standard safety item.

[@RichardCummings-yr6qs]

A tour company in Hawaii has 2 of these touriders several has setras

[@AC34D]

Van Hool has competition now!

[@brewmasuisui2216]

Yo James loving the new whips. Keep up the great work. Here in Honolulu a company that’s kinda new to the game got two new Mercedes coaches

[@apl175]

I hope they sell heaps of these.

[@williamleazer6734]

Exellent video, James

[@pedrocarrascomoya9158]

Lo mejor que a llegado a Estados Unidos ojala Mercedes Benz es muy tecnologico y ademas muy competitivo con la MCI o Prevost ademas deverian sumarse los modelos de autobuses Sudamericanos como Busscar, Caio , Comil , Mascarello y Marcopolo , Tambien el proveedor de Chasis Sueco Scania . Muchas Felicidades por el Autobús ojala se sumen más clientes del Turismo y de rutas regulares de larga distancia como la Greyhound. Saludos de Chile .🇨🇱

[@thomasmcmanus6575]

Awesome video !

[@keonekaleikula-kele3795]

James and Zane, it's 98.5" in Europe, only know this because one of the companies I worked for on Maui had visited the VanHool N.V. factory in Koningshooikt, Belgium and had asked that question on the width of every coach and transit coming off the line not destined for the U.S. are 98.5" wide.

[@MotorcoachWorld]

Thank you for clarifying that, really appreciate the comment.

[@joaoluistavares6046]

Well, from what I know, in Europe the max width for any automobile is 2,55 m. Buses already have this width for decades. Trucks started to be this wide in the most recent years. While in America they have up to 2,60m. I would like to know, though, why some buses are 2,50m and others are 2,55m wide (or the most recent Intouro is 2,53m). I can't find any specific information and I would like to know if the reason is just having more room in the bus vs occupying less room on the streets, or if there's something else (this in Europe). Thank you for this video, James. I always like to know the technical aspects from each bus.

[@chaoszombie9995]

Nothing shouts "Best customer service" then Daimler sending a company Representitive to address the questions the consumer has about their newest coach bus! Rock on Daimler! That being said.. will Mercedes offer a conversion coach for RV's like Prevost does with the H3-45 for example?

[@VideoGamerExpert5]

Great Video James & Zane! really loved the Video! would love to see a part two with Daimler Coaches regional technician and their engineers! That intro was pure funny to watch! Keep up the Great Work James

[@kevinanderson5658]

In UK for European tours we have centre door plus emergency exit door at rear. It's normally on driver side of vehicles so passengers can disembark safely on wrong side of the road in Europe

[@falconseyeaerialservicesll8176]

James, James, please do use closed caption for us hard of hearing (even deaf individuals like tour buses) individuals who rely on lip reading, but when camera pans away from faces where we can not read lips, we rely on closed caption to stay with what you guys are talking about. Your three videos on the new Mercede’s Tourrider coming from Jacksonville,FL., has closed caption.

[@geertmarien9076]

Informative and well done! Thanks!

[@crabbymilton390]

I mentioned these buses to a friend who’s not a bus fan and he had no idea that MERCEDES built buses. I promptly told him that they have been forever just not sold over here in the past. Should be a good coach for America. As far as the overhead bins, Donald Rumsfeld once said that if you try to make everybody happy, somebody isn’t going to like it. Thanks for using my observation. That picture is not me and have no idea who that guy is. My own face is even scarier.

[@gersonc.2737]

Mercedes was sold as a luxury brand in the USA. But in Europe they sell everything, compact cars, buses, vans , trucks for many years.

[@MartinIbert]

@@gersonc.2737 Absolutely. Mercedes-branded transit buses and coaches have been around in Europe for ages.

[@DC3Refom]

"coaches"

[@MurdamanTy]

Man I wonder if I could fit a OM906LA in there (the Mercedes engine that came with the FS-65s) or if you could sort of glider kit it and stick a Cummins/CAT in there.

[@EsotericDesi]

We need these buses in USA... MCI,Prevost models... Hopefully Volvo 9700/9800 will also one day become a common sight...

[@lebusraconte3040]

Great motorcoaches.

[@brandon_dammers]

For my work i'm driving the Mercedes Citaro C2 NGT Hybrid. It is quiet but it is so fast and a comfortable ride! Videos are following as soon as i have more driving experience (i just started as a city bus driver).

[@dawrench07]

Mercedes doing a lot most companies won't do, watching the bits and pieces of this process, from show to test drive to demo to purchase and answering questions. Speaks a lot of the company. Even on the car side for my mom they've been amazing in customer care. But on the freightliner side, my experience as a trucker wasn't good. Driven 4 but were the old design Cascadias. But repair side also wasn't that great at dealerships. But the company I drove for that utilize them didn't have a great reputation with mechanics from dealer to loves, ta and flying j. Nor did they take the best care of their trucks.

[@orenkipnis7058]

European coaches are 2550 mm wide, stands for 100.5 inches.

[@Chios82100]

I drove a Mercedes Travego for 6 years when I drove tour buses in Europe. The 6 speed manual transmission was incredible, it was like driving a car and it made driving such a pleasure! Especially driving in Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and southern France where the terrain is alot more aggressive and challenging then the rest of Europe. Great buses and by far the best European tour bus. I drove Volvo, Neoplan, Temsa, Vanhool and none came close. Scania has good tour buses but still not as nice as the Mercedes Travego.

[@johnstafford2517]

Lucky you!😎

[@douglasengle2704]

This was great initiative by Mercedes to engage with Motorcoach World on the instruction of the Tourrider to the North American market! It's a huge knowledge that the Mercedes engine is serviceable at Detroit Diesel service centers! I would of liked to have heard the DD diagnostic could plug right in to the Mercedes Diesel. I'm surprised Mercedes didn't just use the North American DD engine to meet USA emissions. Using the TourRider as a premium RV or touring bus has to fast major challenge that Prevost already owns that market with its factory highly reliable and sealing slide outs. The highly stiff Prevost stainless steel chassis is engineered around accommodating up to four slides outs. A Prevost doesn't seem to be quite the same well handling and riding bus with the slide outs according to Andrew Steel's driving reviews. There are a lot of people that would prefer the Detroit Diesel Mercedes family engine over the Volvo D13 the only engine available in the Prevost. The DD is the most fuel efficient HD over-the-road Diesel you can live with by most accounts. It can go million miles with possibly a major service around 450,000 miles. There was a major flaw that the engine oil pickup could loose suction due to seal deterioration and cause catastrophic engine failure at around 450,000 miles. Upgrade those oil seals! Typical common rail fuel injector life for the DD is around 400,000 miles. The Cummins X15 is typically better on all major service and likability aspects, but DD is best on fuel efficiency. The Volvo is worst on everything of the livable engines. Paccar MX13 doesn't make it into buses, but it is the other HD over-the-road Diesel. Best in fuel economy or same as the DD and a nightmare of reliability problems. The stainless steel chassis makes the TourRider into the high durability category that MCI and Prevost have, but there is a lot more that goes into making a durable road salt tolerant winter and Arizona desert summer bus than just making use of stainless steel. The expectation is that Prevost and MCI will not just stand by as Mercedes give enticing qualities. All Prevost would need to do is offer Detroit Diesel engine and or Cummins engines options over the Volvo Diesel with the needed upgrades to brighten up its competitive edge.

[@sharonsmith9432]

UK regs 96 inches wide

[@meme-ek2rf]

Love the bus there are gorgeous

[@geraldmiller6679]

Very interesting!

[@MotorcoachWorld]

Thanks for the comment!

[@IssacSmith-vy2jo]

​@@MotorcoachWorld have you done my school for a Motorcoach I go to Rhea county Academy rca

[@IssacSmith-vy2jo]

​@@MotorcoachWorld let em know

[@billclements3879]

Congratulations on your success and purchased buses … hope they function as designed … I have worked on Mercedes buses in the past

[@flh5959]

So what has happened to Setra? Are they gone from NA? Would also be interesting to hear James' opinion on how these compare to the Prevost, MCI and others.

[@MotorcoachWorld]

I believe that Daimler coaches said to me that Setra's will no longer be produced for the US but Parts and service are still being produced and supported. So current Setra Owners should have nothing to worry about.

[@prevost8686]

Ask any charter company that had some of them in their fleet.

[@Qrail]

@@MotorcoachWorld I’m long since retired from Charter coaches, but the Setra’s in the 80’s and 90’s would run circles around other coaches built at the time. I drove a stick shift 40 footer with a galley for years. After I retired I went on to be Keywon’s supervisor. But that was then. I retired again. Total of 48 years in bus transportation. Benz looks like it might be competitive. The Setra AC kept the coach at 91° in Death Valley when it was 129° outside at Furnace Creek. MCI couldn’t.

[@FrancoisDUFAU]

Bonjour, James !! Please, music too loud. Great video ! The heated windscreen (1-part, here in Europe) is great ! I had it on Scanias and M.A.N.s, nothing compares. And about MB and Setra seats, there is a small plastic clip on the recliner shaft (sorry if I don't have the reight words). If you remove it, the seat can recline much further. We call it « the driver's secret nap trick ». Great thing to have a quick rest. Brake systems on MBs and Setras are great also. Minutes to get used to it. BTW, take some time to learn the huuuuge amount of info you can get from the dash. And many thanks to the Daimler guy. Keep the good job, MBs and Setras are fantastic !

[@gurkankahyaoglu4566]

We used have a lot of setra 417 tc right now down to 3 it’s very hard to get parts and service mechanics ,be rude with my money other than beautiful buses because because of the situation, I think we’re going to have to get something else for the future.

[@Bluescanian]

100 inches or 255cm wide is the standard in Europe

[@RennellReed]

Good interview...Just something about the music. I'd like to hear a few different background songs instead of hearing the same song all the way through the video.

[@rodrickjackson8420]

Would it be durable enough to run constantly on a line service?

[@MotorcoachWorld]

We will find out over time. 😊

[@user-uo2rg7cq9z]

Why MB builds for USA & Canada only Freightliner & Detroit Diesel & doesn't export them nowhere?!

[@richardhetrick4770]

I seen mercedes coach as a band bus

[@AllieThePrettyGator]

2:22 not all coaches has 2 doors

[@kingjames8283]

I'm curious about what transmissions these coaches will use. The Allison is great however not so smooth and jerky between gear changes. The Eaton AMT's are smooth but so slow shifting between gears that it opens up too much space in front of coach which allows other motorist to cut in front of coach causing excessive brake application by driver to maintain proper vehicle spacing. The ZF Freedomline AMT's were the perfect auto-shift manual in that they were smooth and very fast shifting with the ability to smoothly skip up to three gears at a time to allow driver to maintain position and momentum however to my knowledge, those transmissions aren't available any longer. The ZF Freedomline 16-speed was the best transmission ever made for commercial trucks/buses. The Vanhool C2045 with 500Hp Detroit Diesel and ZF Freedomline 16-speed was the quietest and smoothest coach I've ever been in and it drove like a dream with its proprietary air suspension system. I wonder how this new Mercedes TourRider will measure up to that standard?

[@victorserao7180]

How long did it take you to get where you’re at right now we’re going to the bus company or do you have port? Is it when you started?

[@irvinjones531]

Is it a major job to reduce the seat count to improve leg room for taller passengers 6'-3" and above?

[@crabbymilton390]

I have a question for Zane unrelated to the TOURRIDER but is DAIMLER related. Why doesn’t THOMAS use the SPRINTER chassis for the small school buses? They source chassis from GM and FORD. Wouldn’t it be better just to keep it internal?

[@straightpipediesel]

The European van chassis are simply too weak to handle the heavy school bus frame. The GM van and Ford E-series come in DRW up to around 14,500 lb GVWR whereas the Sprinter is only SRW at 12,125 GVWR. That's why Ford still is keeping the E-series in parallel with the Transit. Also, Daimler Trucks is now a separate, independent company from the Mercedes-Benz group, and the Sprinter stayed with M-B.

[@crabbymilton390]

@@straightpipediesel That’s great and interesting info. I guess I figured that since the SPRINTER chassis could handle a class C motorhome and shuttle buses, it could handle a skoolie. I guess not quite.

[@crabbymilton390]

@@straightpipediesel p.s. I thought the SPRINTER had a dual wheel version for applications over 10000gvw?

[@straightpipediesel]

@@crabbymilton390 DRW Sprinter was discontinued MY 2020. School buses are particularly heavy due to crashworthiness requirements, which RVs and shuttle buses don't have to meet.

[@crabbymilton390]

@@straightpipediesel Didn’t know they dropped the dually. You learn something new every day.

[@Qrail]

Great video. As a retired Setra driver, how about these questions. Do the passenger seats slide out into the aisle? Can I run this coach at night with the green interior lights on? Does the restroom hold enough water for 2 dumps? And does the first dump empty into a holding tank (for multiple day charters?). Finally. The pizza ovens. Can you tell me if the one above the left tire is empty or does it have coach equipment in it? How expensive is it? $600,000 or more? What is the difference beside height of the premium coach, and cost?

[@thegodblogger3812]

Side question: how big is Peoria's fleet? They must do a buttload of charter work from the looks of it.

[@MotorcoachWorld]

We had 60 before the Pandemic, Currently at 42. We should be around 50 by the end of the year.

[@thegodblogger3812]

@@MotorcoachWorld ty

[@andresdibella5471]

Does anyone know what the name of the background music is?

[@FMEverAfter]

Did you already own some Setras or Mercedes? What were some deciding factors in doing so? Always a huge commitment since you have to carry more parts stock and such. Thanks!

[@MotorcoachWorld]

We used to own Setras. Biggest deciding factor were curb appeal and looking modern to our passengers and new safety features and comfort factors for our drivers. We would consider the cost in carrying more parts stock as a investment in sustaining our sleek modern image to our customer base and our drivers.

[@AntonAtan]

I'm glad to hear you guys care about the driver's comfort. Volvos are terrible in the summer because driver's A/C can't keep up. I've driven a few different Volvos and they were all the same.😢

[@meshywolf]

I’m a bigger guy, how does the driver area compare to a MCI and are the seatbelt for driver long enough?

[@tdhutch]

Do they have the steerable tags or the lift tags

[@MotorcoachWorld]

Tags are steerable. They are also active steer.

[@hohohi778]

Hi James I would like to know what are the disadvantages of this coach?cause our company planning to purchase it Thank you

[@gabemarah9465]

Will Daimler revive Orion Bus or will they at least bring a new Setra Model into the NA market?

[@AntonAtan]

So they had techs trained to work on everything on their buses except body. I'm pretty sure that's bs. How many techs and how many hours was each trained for to be completely knowledgeable with their vehicles?

[@user-uo2rg7cq9z]

Why MB doesn't build or import MB trucks in USA & Canada unlike in the rest of the whole world literally including Africa & Mexica?!

[@77chc]

255meter

[@77chc]

2.55

[@aaronscomputers]

who did the graphics they were white

[@timlewandowski9810]

😂

[@user-uo2rg7cq9z]

Yes all almost good but these MB's are built specifically for the USA market which means again cheaper quality older models we're in the 3rd world in European scale even S America is 2nd world & gets better more expensive Euro products!

[@americanrambler4972]

I have two comments to add here. 1) a Detroit Diesel is no longer a real Detroit diesel. And has not been for quite a while. It’s all Mercedes or Daimler now. Daimler has broomed everything but the name into the dumpster. Detroit no longer exists but in name only. 2) I dislike the Daimler brake force management system. I never knew weather I was going to get to much brake force or to little. It was scary to drive. Especially when I stepped on the brake and I got a hard pedal and less than needed braking. I was got real tired of getting nanny warnings from the safety performance monitoring software that I had hard braking events. And there was nothing out of spec as to how it was working. I grew to hate it. I was glad the day I got out of that truck and got rid of the keys to it.

[@bjw8424]

First

[@Leotheconstructionguy]

Here’s a cookie 🍪

[@Candace1979]

As a woman who drives shuttle buses and have restroom convenient stops how do you train your bladder for long hauls? Please don't say diapers like astronaut's 😅😅

[@jozuafra3700]

Why is the audio so bad on this video?

[@user-uo2rg7cq9z]

Why these MB's are built in Asian place called Turkey for 2nd & 3rd world markets as Asia Africa & Americas?! Why we don't get European made vehicles made for Euro market at Euro price?!

[@edipires15]

Actually Turkey builds buses for Europe too (and it’s a member of the European Customs Union ) and are good quality by European standards

[@raminbaghirov9998]

Turkey builds the best buses in Eurasia and is very cost-effective. And Turkey is not Asia. Actually, it is Europe, lol.

[@adhamraffl6527]

am a busdriver and i can tell yall its the most boring job in the world

[@crabbymilton390]

I don’t drive bus but am a delivery driver for the last 38 years. Not exciting but I like to drive and besides, it’s still a psycheck.

[@donalddodson7365]

@adhamraffl6527 Sorry you are missing the fun part of navigating a huge, complex machine through looney steering-wheel-holders, all while filled with quirky human cargoes. No two trips exactly the same.

[@MotorcoachWorld]

I've worked in retail stores when I was a kid, I worked in a cubical as a office manager after college. I've even owned my own Computer repair store in my late 20's And I flew airplanes. For me, driving a motorcoach was the best job out of everything I've ever done.... So I guess.. to each their own I say. I'm sorry you do not enjoy your job.

[@adhamraffl6527]

@@donalddodson7365 am a city bus driver ... all trips are the same to me lol

[@adhamraffl6527]

@@MotorcoachWorld thank you and i really love ur content much love and respect

[@bobbybishop5662]

I wonder if a bare version is available for Motorhome conversion.