Mercedes Tourrider, The Last Mile, | My Final Thoughts

[@flh5959]

Deadheading a motorcoach long distance is one of the funnest jobs in the world imo.

[@JWangvlogs]

I totally agree! You get all the benefits without any of the work LOL

[@justsayin3784]

Thanks, again, for taking us along with you James. Also, thank you Peoria Charters for letting James document his journeys!

[@JerryBrumfield]

Hey James I been enjoying your videos especially the one when you left Lakeland, Florida back to Illinois on the Mercedes Tourrider for the 1,000 miles trip. I've been driving motor coaches for nearly 20 years but my favorite bus is the MCI J4500. Maybe one day I would like to come to Champaign/Urbana, Illinois one day. Thanks for showing your videos to all CLD holders.

[@rifkyfahrana1141]

As a bus and coach enthusiast. There's something about seeing a newly released model going through road counting its first thousand miles on a new world. though I don't even own or driving them. It's a pure excitement to see

[@JWangvlogs]

Thank you! It make me so happy to hear when people write posts like these. Im glad my videos can bring people joy. Thank you for your kind words.

[@shawnknight2137]

Mr Wang thank you for demonstrating the Tourrider Mercedes benz

[@JWangvlogs]

Thanks for watching. Appreciate the comment.

[@I_am_Allan]

15:35 4 wheeler is like "I made a bad mistake, merging when I did."

[@JWangvlogs]

Lol 🤣

[@richardmoore2590]

Thanks for taking me along on your adventure James. Your videos are always so interesting. You are truly appreciated my video friend.

[@JWangvlogs]

Hi Richard. Im so glad you enjoyed these. Appreciate your kind words. Thanks for taking the time to post a comment!

[@vincentramos804]

Strawberry jam onna bacon, egg and cheese croissant = Heaven on earth!

[@JWangvlogs]

Lol 😂

[@vincentramos804]

@@JWangvlogs 👍🏼🙋🏽‍♂️

[@huissens]

Last year a colleague and I flew to Florida and drove back 2 new used Setra 407CCs, which are similar to what drove in your video. Our company has 2 older 407’s, one with 360,000 miles and the other with 500,000 plus. The ride quality of the older buses are pretty much the same as the newer ones we picked up. Hard to tell the difference, really. And yes, these coaches are highly maneuverable and a blast to drive!

[@UltimateAviator]

Hello James, my deepest condolences to you and your family on the loss of "Kiska" may her memories and love, live on forever in your heart. I am happy to see things are doing well with Peoria Charter, em Tourriders look really sleek and smooth, and can turn on a dime..lol congratulations on adopting em to your fleet of motorcoaches!! 🎉🚌 Toodles!!

[@JWangvlogs]

Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope these buses will prove to be dependable and worth while.

[@madness3612]

Recently found your channel really enjoy the videos. Sorry for your loss of your fur baby 😢

[@canadianjim5358]

Good morning James it’s nice to wake up to a video of yours except it makes me envious of your job . I used to love getting up early drive for two hours have breakfast then continue down the road . Keep up the good work on your videos ( I haven’t missed one and always look forward to seeing the next ) great job . By the way I am retired from New Flyer after a 40 year career through thick and thin and also Richard’s brother , take care and enjoy the day .

[@JWangvlogs]

Jim. Its so good to hear from you. You are in our thoughts a lot. I hope you are doing better.

[@Mwierenga]

I’ve been following the journey and can’t wait to hear how it goes while in service. Thanks James

[@medrepug1680]

I really enjoyed these

[@johnwright3710]

James, I never had a doubt you'd get out of the Hotel parking lot. Its a Setra, I mean Mercedes, not an MCI!

[@discatcher]

I’m sure like the Setra’s, being a division of MB, your new Tour Riders have a steerable tag axle, they make turning so much nicer. Especially on the downtown streets of Chicago. Another great Video James!!

[@howardstone2648]

Good Friday morning. You are so right right young man. Have a great trip.

[@JWangvlogs]

Thank you sir. Good Friday morning to you as well.

[@cindywinkler2441]

Nice work...again James🎉

[@JWangvlogs]

Thank you Cindy!

[@texasabbott]

Congratulations on your new Tourrider! May it bring you and your passengers on many epic, memorable journeys. Your choice of ASMR-inducing background music makes me want to watch this over and over.

[@JWangvlogs]

Hey Texasabbott. Thank you so much for your kind words! Appreciate you taking the time to write a comment.

[@ImranKhan-sd6dx]

Sorry for your loss of your precious fur baby Kiska, it’s not easy losing a pet, but we can take some comfort in knowing we have given them a good life. I had my first cat for 18 yrs as well, and I am thankful I was able to pet him and look at him and say goodbye. They’ll always be in our hearts and minds and that way they’re never truly gone. Keep up the great work with the channel, I always love watching your videos. I have my full bus license here In Ontario and waiting to get trained on some double decker tour buses soon.

[@JWangvlogs]

Thank you for the kind words. I wish you all the luck with your driving career. Maybe one day we Will meet over the road somewhere.

[@bugman1959]

Nice to see you had a welcoming reception pulling in. Will wait to see how many more you add to your fleet. Like the fact that they turn on a dime.

[@carolinecleaveley]

We used to do that going to Europe but with 2 drivers doing 2 hours a piece. hope you enjoying your new bus.

[@user-TheresaMarie59]

Excellent driving getting the bus out of a filled hotel parking lot!!

[@misteralvinstone]

I gotta poke fun at you Mr. Wang. You wondering if you could get out of that spot at the hotel. You got skills man. Quit tripping! 😊

[@JWangvlogs]

Lol 😂 thanks for having faith in me ☺️.

[@geraldmiller6679]

James, those days were like being on vacation. I laughed at you talking about tight turns. You only had the bus to watch! A trailer behind you is a little more complicated but put a toad (car or truck) and you have to allow for those wheels to clear also. With a toad you can’t back up more than one foot! I also am 73’ long. I noticed you never raised the tag but if I remember correctly on your other video you said this bus has a steering tag so that would explain. Maybe it was the camera angle but both the windshield wipers and the mirrors looked a little small to me. Are they the same size actually as Prevost? I noticed that you really moved up and down on your air ride seat. Understandable with some of the bridge dips on our freeways today. Overall it seemed fairly quiet with no window air noise. I say one thing for you, you really know how to eat!😀 Thanks for another great video. I really enjoyed the trip.

[@jacobphillips0466]

Look like an amazing coach to drive

[@Shadeza1373]

Really good with food reviews also love it🤣

[@thierryl5778]

Bravo pour cette vidéo et jolie présentation du tourider

[@philipsamuels526]

You handled that like a pro. I knew you could do it.

[@timothyhowardforthepeople8863]

New subscriber. Love your content.

[@UNDERTAKER2621]

Great trip

[@carlosdelossantos5131]

Jaja.. that was me on the bus at Bucces in Adarsville Ga.(leisure time)..lol

[@donalddodson7365]

James, it was great riding along with you. The closest I came to this was picking up new ambulances in Ohio and driving them to California, twice. It is exciting to go through the final check lists with the manufacturers, see their shops, then be the first person to put them through their paces. (I remember the first times coming home without our little furry pals. Still brings tears to my eyes. R.I.P. Little Kiska.)

[@billclements3879]

So glad you made it home safe, hope you rest up. Pretty bus

[@berylwhite2983]

Great job..🎉

[@JWangvlogs]

Thank you 😁 Michael 😊

[@raminbaghirov9998]

It is amazing to see your videos trips. Unfortunately last time i took a bus from DC to NYC bus driver was so unprofessional was 1 hr late was on phone for whole 4 hr trip and was eating and drinking soda while driving and slightly hit roadside metal barriers while trying to pass other vehicles in a crazy traffic in an interstate. So sad some people take their jobs not seriously.

[@JWangvlogs]

Yeah people like that give the rest of us a bad name. Im glad you arrived safely. That sounds scary. Thank you for watching!

[@mauricefrank7706]

Thanks for the video. This helps a lot and I also appreciate you taking us along with you on your journey. Stay safe

[@JWangvlogs]

Thanks, you too!😊

[@bobbygraham2816]

I,m sure the new mercedes will wow your clients james, here in Scotland we have the Tourismo, i,m on my 3rd allocation of this type and they just can,t be beaten. Safe travels

[@crabbymilton390]

Oh, those 2 way radios sound like they work pretty well. Amazing coverage. I guess they figure with all of these cell towers, may as well make use of them.

[@joeweimer3163]

Very nice sometime maybe someday I'll get to travel on one. Like your post !!

[@christophergamingofficial]

Congrats on the new buses to you James and Peoria charter I hope those buses last long and they go on multiple amazing trips and I hope you do and get the chance to drive them as well for multiple trips. Thank you so much for keeping us updated on the journey, it was also amazing to see you. Can’t wait for more videos.

[@odnnikchicken]

What a strange hold you have over my attention span James, REJOICE for there is a new vlog! Amazing as always and a relaxing watch. Keep up the great work, can't wait to see what's next! All the best

[@JWangvlogs]

haha thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you are enjoying them. Stay tuned. There is a HUGE trip coming down the pips in the near future.

[@keatonsolomon777]

@J Wang - Thats exactly what they call the drive to Chattanooga from Monteagle in TN - The Georgia Dip

[@HankSnowgrandslamfishing]

Nice series indeed. Glad you and Dennis made it home safely. Looking forward to your next video on Motor Coach World. Thanks for sharing.

[@barbkeil-burton6894]

Hi James, it really feels like your Along for the Ride of the new Mercedes Tourrider !! Congrats on a Terrific Job!! Take Care on All Your Journey`s !! Love Barb from Rantoul, Illinois

[@JWangvlogs]

Thank you Barb! I'm glad you enjoyed the trip 😁.

[@sleepythespian1455]

7:27 A friend of mine made that mistake the other way around on a recent trip. They thought they had jam, but it was ketchup.

[@JWangvlogs]

LOL That really irritated me LOL. They need to change the color of the packaging because it looks like ketchup.

[@sleepythespian1455]

@@JWangvlogs They do

[@TheTransitCamera]

Great series James! Thanks so much for getting footage and sharing. Looking forward to seeing future updates on these, and perhaps spotting one out here in Minnesota at some point. My condolences to you and your family on the loss of Kiska. So sorry for your loss.

[@b8264d]

Istart my Motor coach driving career in about two weeks. I’m nervous, excited and scared. I have not driven such beautiful buses and I don’t wanna mess them up.

[@JWangvlogs]

You will do fine. Just don't ever get too comfortable. Always let your self be a little nervous. The day you feel like you're super confident and you got the hang of all of this is the day you will have a issue. Always be on edge just a little bit and you will be fine.

[@shaunpeterson1282]

Hello James. I watch your videos alot .you have great content. I'm a driver for Greyhound lines. I have a line run from Atlanta to Louisville, Ky. I have a stop in Marietta, Ga. I'm very familiar with the hotel you stayed at .It's not alot of space for parking motorcoaches. 😢 You did a great job of getting out of parking lot!!!

[@JWangvlogs]

Hey Shaun. Always love seeing comments from fellow operators. Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate you taking the time to leave me a comment. Maybe we will meet over the road one day. Safe trips.

[@jahoduluth5923]

I just finished watching all three installments of your series bringing the two new Tourriders back to Illinois. Congratulations on your newest acquisitions and may Peoria Charter have many safe and trouble-free miles ahead with them (along with busloads of satisfied passengers)! While we vary our route over the years, your trip north included some familiar territory to me from my many trips from Minnesota to Georgia to visit my in-laws. Also, prayers for comfort for you and your family in your recent loss of Kiska. Having two cats now and having had cats pass on from us over the years, they are just as much a part of the family - especially for us as we have no children. One idea for a future Motorcoach World topic - you mentioned about the nuances between the European designed coaches vs. MCI and Prevost. For those of us enthusiasts who aren't drivers and may not be as familiar, could you touch on what some of the differences are in design, handling, performance, etc.?

[@JWangvlogs]

Thank you so much for your kind words.i really appreciate the suggestion and I will add that to my list. ❤

[@kevinanderson5658]

Cool please more vlogs

[@JWangvlogs]

I will try my best

[@crabbymilton390]

Well done James. You had me laughing about the jam pretending to be ketchup. Yes time will tell how they will hold up long term. Just because it has the pointed star doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Why did Dennis continue on? Anyway, I look forward to future videos.

[@JWangvlogs]

Hey Crabbymilton. Dennis is based out of the Peoria Facility. So he took his bus an hour and a half to the Peoria Facility. About a hour later, another one of our drivers too the bus i drove to Peoria as well. I honestly didn't want to add another 3 hours to my day. lol

[@johnp139]

A bunch of KZbin channels seem to suddenly have commercials around the 1 minute mark. I’m guessing that KZbin did this and probably informed the creators that they need to do something to opt out or change this new default setting.

[@JWangvlogs]

Yeah KZbin ads are getting out of hand. It's AdTube now

[@veldosiaburroughs4948]

I love your choice of music list the names of the artists

[@JWangvlogs]

Be this way by Hallman I Was here (instrumental version) By Maybe Nothing to Talk about by Zorro Tired by Mindme

[@yuri_on_youtube]

Note to self: Double check the Heinz packets. I like this content, James. It's cool to see this side of being a bus driver on a non-revenue trip, sans the passengers and a real candid take of your career. By the way, I like your soundtracks. Epidemic Sound?

[@JWangvlogs]

Hi Yuri. Yes epidemic sounds lol. I see you are familiar with it?

[@kampoengmunster]

Hi James, were you in Chicago today? I think I saw you near the pavillion at the Millenium Park in Chicago this afternoon.

[@JWangvlogs]

Yes I was there with my family. Lol. Were you in a coach?

[@kampoengmunster]

@@JWangvlogs No. I was on the curvy pedestrian bridge and you were by the pavillion's lawn. I wanted say hi, but decided not to when I realized that you were with your family. I did not want to interrupt your family time. Funny thing was my family and I saw a Peoria Charter coach at a red light on N. Michigan Ave. two hours earlier. My wife said "I wonder if it is James." Of course it was not you. And 2 hours later we saw you. lol.

[@JWangvlogs]

@@kampoengmunster oh you totally should have come over and said hi! I would have asked to get a picture with you so I can give you a shout-out on one of my videos!! My family would have loved it.

[@squarefever4076]

thanks for the amazing video! I just discovered your channel and these videos the other day and I am glad I came across it. I was also wondering what song did you use in the end of the video because its a really great song!

[@JWangvlogs]

Thanks for the comment. The song I used at the end of the video is called Tired, the artist is Mindme.

[@squarefever4076]

@@JWangvlogs you are so welcome and thank you I appreciate it very much!

[@grasscutter1963]

I wished I could have paid more attention to this trip, I could’ve had you guys jump off I65 somewhere in Indiana and bought you guys a luch😢. Maybe next time though, sorry guys.

[@JWangvlogs]

Hey no worries. Definitely next time. If you are ever crossing through Urbana let me know. We can grab lunch

[@grasscutter1963]

@@JWangvlogs so love your videos James, I even send some to my boss to look at 😊

[@cdocker3070]

Did your company go with the rear steer? Its pretty nimble..i hope you get much needed rest my friend and family time...enjoy your new coaches...safe travels!!

[@JWangvlogs]

Yes the TourRider comes standard with active rear steer. It does make the coach turn really sharp but you really have to watch the tail swing. Thank you for taking the time to comment!

[@carolinecleaveley]

you must have quite a stamina to do 6 hours straight off like that. beautiful contryside in the mountains. take care.

[@JWangvlogs]

Thanks. I've driven much longer in some trips in the past. I think the longest I've ever endoured was 9 hours straight through.

[@matthewb9824]

Hi James, looks like a fun (but long) trip you’ve had! Just wanted to ask - at about 5:27 I see you exit off the highway and there’s two trucks that seem to be parked at the side of the off-ramp or exit, whatever you call it. Is that legal over there? Would be very much illegal here in Australia! Just saw in the news today about a Greyhound coach that hit three parked trucks at an off-ramp resulting in a number of fatalities over there in the US. Doesn’t seem like a safe place to park to me!

[@JWangvlogs]

Thanks for the comment. Yes it is legal here. But I think they are trying to change that.

[@brendaryan306]

Why do you only drive for 5 hours? Is it because it's a new bus? So sorry for the loss of your beloved cat. Pets leave deep pawprints on our hearts.

[@christophercddelrosariocoish]

James, why don't you take the new TourRider on a bus trip with your group up to Minneapolis?

[@JWangvlogs]

Well.. maybe one day I will. Currently there are not trips on our roster going that way. And if there were, I would want to make sure that our drivers have first dibs.

[@Bus4025]

James, you deliver as well as drive? Disregard. The question was answered.

[@robertfinley6288]

Will the busses be located in Peoria or Urbana? Does PCC have additional coaches on order. What was the first make of bus Dennis drove? Curious to the changes he has seen over the years.

[@JWangvlogs]

The Tourriders will be based out of Urbana. We plan on having 5 of them total.

[@robertfinley6288]

@@JWangvlogs are you replacing your Van Hool or old MCI. If I srr a Mercedes in St Louis.maybe the driver will let me take a peek inside

[@Qrail]

So what was the fuel economy? I picked up a Setra back in 1993 in Kansas City Mo. Drove it to Reno without filling up. 1580 miles. Averaged about 10 mpg. (265 gallon tank)

[@JWangvlogs]

Yes the Tourrider was definitely very fuel efficient. 10 to 11 miles to the gallon. I really didn't need to refuel when I did. It was just under half a tank and I was 3/4 of the way home. I just don't like to miss an opportunity to fuel when I can.

[@crabbymilton390]

@@JWangvlogs 10-11mpg? Wow! My very first car was a 1972 AMC MATADOR. That thing usually got that kind of MPG and that engine was a 5.0L v8 and only 150HP. So to those of you people out there that engines were better in the old days, think again. Besides these newer generation diesels are not only more fuel efficient than let’s say the old DETROIT 2 cycles . They are also cleaner and much more quiet.

[@Noble6233]

Can your knees hit the the wheel On rough roads😮 14:50. And are the European style mirrors optional for the tourriders.

[@JWangvlogs]

No actually. There is a lot of leg room for the driver. The dash is designed very well and it would have to be a pretty serious jolt for me to hit my knees anywhere in the cockpit.

[@Kld4402]

Hey James, are you bound by hours of service on a non revenue trip to pick up a new coach? I'm surprised they didn't want both of them at the same maintenance base.

[@JWangvlogs]

Yes we are still bound by hours of service regardless of revenue trips or not. I had a driver ferry the Tourrider I drove over to Peoria shortly after I arrived. I didn't want to drive the 1.5 hours to Peoria and then back which would add another 3 hours to my day. But regardless, we have the same maintenance capabilities at both locations.

[@crabbymilton390]

They should look good once they apply the company graphics. I guess red crayons wouldn’t do huh?

[@JWangvlogs]

@@crabbymilton390 LOL

[@deziking]

Heinz need to get their shit together. Playing mans.

[@cyclopsvision6370]

What song is that in your videos? I noticed you like to use that song a lot.

[@JWangvlogs]

Thanks Which song are you referring to. I used a Total of 4 tracks for this video.

[@bozojim]

James can I ask what the bridge is 3 hours 26 mins from home please.

[@JWangvlogs]

Abraham Lincoln Bring in Louisville KY to Urbana IL is 3:40 minutes with morning Traffic

[@MrDjebo]

Hiii! Are you using radio stations when 2 of you is driving?

[@JWangvlogs]

We were testing T Mobile Push to talk system on this trip. They were actually horrible to use. lots of missed transmissions and cut off sentences. We were able to tie a bunch of them on the same channel so that they acted like walkie talkies. But again, after this trip we wont be using these.

[@MrDjebo]

@@JWangvlogs what about previous videos? regards from croatia!

[@JWangvlogs]

@@MrDjebo We typically use hand held walki Talki radios. But they have a very limited range. So when we go on 5 bus convoys or more, the 5th bus can never hear the 1st bus.

[@vangary100]

It's a good thing you have power steering. Not like the old Montreal Brills.

[@MrHarryBao]

Can you rank these mci, vanhool, Mercedes

[@jerryvandyke9216]

What happened to the walk around inspection this morning fellows ? 😎🇨🇦

[@JWangvlogs]

I didnt want this video to be super long so I cut out the footage. It would have been redundant for the video as I have shown pretirp inspections many times before

[@JohnBrown-eh4hg]

No def in the new mercedes coach??

[@asmith1340]

Don't know why but it bugs me, Why do you leave the lights on inside while driving?

[@JWangvlogs]

I typically don't. When I am bringing back brand new buses, I leave everything on I can. If I am driving during the day.. that means all the lights as well. This way I can see if anything is faulty on my trip back. This allows us to catch things that can be covered by warranty and the dealer.

[@Noble6233]

😢😢😭 11:56 ( uhh let me get 10 on 2)😏

[@saintmarycentralia]

My apologies if this information has already been provided, but who is Dennis and what is his relation to Peoria Charter?

[@JWangvlogs]

Dennis is the Vice president of Peoria Charter.

[@saintmarycentralia]

@@JWangvlogs So Peoria and Champaign each got one of the new coaches, neat. Guess he had the big check?

[@JWangvlogs]

@@saintmarycentralia we are getting a total of 5 of these. All of them will be based out of Champaign. Big check?

[@saintmarycentralia]

@@JWangvlogs I guess that’s all done wirelessly now.

[@johnp139]

Do you have a cooler for the chicken salad croissant?

[@JWangvlogs]

Nope. 😊

[@johnp139]

@@JWangvlogs usually stuff like that has mayonnaise that goes bad after a few hours.

[@JWangvlogs]

@@johnp139 yeah good point. I thought about that. I stuck my sandwich near a AC vent. It was still good lol 😂.

[@dwightking6992]

Cup holders are always too small!! Especially in the the driver compartment!!

[@GOTransitToronto-iy9nd]

2024 MCI J4500 PEORIA CHARTER COACH

[@johnp139]

I wasn’t impressed with the Buc-ee’s breakfast sandwiches. The “scrambled eggs” were NASTY!

[@JWangvlogs]

They were a bit bland. ketchup would have helped. But the croissant was good

[@sonerbeslen2419]

Soner Büyük Otobüs Sürersen Bezi Bağla Ehliyet Al D Sınıfı Mercedes Benz Yeni Travego Yetişkin Hasta Bezi Al Var?❤

[@deborahchapel3938]

I am also a commercial is your company looking for

[@zacharyg46]

*promosm* 😱

[@sonerbeslen2419]

Otobüs Şöförü SONER BESLEN

[@TheAsklan]

plz don't use music in the video, this is not MTV. I have my own music on.. OK?

[@JWangvlogs]

I enjoy putting music with my videos. Feel free to make your own videos without music.

[@TheAsklan]

​@@JWangvlogs Ok, you are the boss.

[@BusDriverLife]

@@JWangvlogsW response James!! Lol. Nice choice of music in this video by the way!!

[@kevinanderson5658]

Awesome relaxing music

[@crabbymilton390]

You can always turn the sound down. My favorite group is HOLLYRIDGE STRINGS but it’s not my channel so James has that prerogative to add music of his choice.

[@bcadventure2015]

I’m confused. Do you own the bus?