The odometer has been a constant plague. The little plastic odometer gear was broken when we bought the bus, and we fixed it 3 times. The last time we finally fixed it really well…and then the speedometer cable snapped. Maybe someday we’ll be able to track our mileage.

The final fix for the odometer gear was surprisingly simple but extremely effective. The gear wasn’t stripped, it had just broken into two pieces. Since a new one costs $25, we weren’t keen on replacing it unless we really had to.

Our first fix involved superglue and epoxy. That didn’t last very long. Our next step involved superglue and epoxy, then a piece of heatshrink for extra strength. That also didn’t last too long. The final fix was, oddly enough, an ink pen. I noticed that an ink pen cap was about the right diameter, so I cut a piece off and (after superglue and epoxy) seated the pen cap section around the gear.

Fits like a glove! We finally put that problem behind us…and then the speedometer cable snapped. It’s always something!

We will never know how many miles are on this bus, but at least we can use mileage to track our gas usage now. Or…right after we replace that speedometer cable.