I love reading the random projects that some of you are currently working on. I'll prime the thread with my weeks projects:
1. Installed several ceiling tiles and beginning to finally cover plywood ceiling with something.
2. Installed weatherstrip around exterior door
3. In the process of installing a fantastic vent fan Sean was generous enough to just give me gratis (thanks Sean).
4. Pulled out my 30 gallon water heater and flushed it for sediment removal and preventatively replaced the heater element and reinstalled water heater.
5. Installed a new bathroom mirror/medicine cabinet.
6. Purchase and installed 4 day/night shades. Awesome upgrade to curtains IMO.
7. Installed lift struts under our bed platform.
Pics to follow:
I'm in the process of building my fresh water and black water tanks using the plywood and epoxy method, and it's going really well. My tanks will both be 86 gallons - which coincidentally was the biggest size I could get out of one sheet of plywood.
My thought process for sizing was 2 people x 5 gallons per person per day x 1 week - 70 gallons (plus a little more for good measure.) All seams are epoxied and screwed together. Laying up the epoxy has been a time consuming process, but I'm very happy with the results. I've gained a new respect for the stuff as well. It's super strong, easy to work with, can be shaped and drilled, and can be used as a liquid or thickened into a putty. Good stuff for those "how am I going to fix that?" repairs.
Scott - You know all my bus drama for the past 2 weeks ;)
1. Finished repairing the shower(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F08%2F27%2Fjanutehy.jpg&hash=ddb678bb3bccc17befefd5476f8df157b3c06c31)(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F08%2F27%2F6abajube.jpg&hash=384cb1e12292d15c5421262801c122ed8a87820a)
2. Pulled out the Mini Split and installed roof airs(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F08%2F27%2Fvaje6ena.jpg&hash=189d5f9115bc94d6abc20c4ea550f093b951aaa0)(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F08%2F27%2Funuhevab.jpg&hash=d93fe38a14c7b884be97f444150491ba9c9b0bdc)
3. Cleaned up and moved the ducted roof fan over the bathroom
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F08%2F27%2Fjety2y8y.jpg&hash=3a073e740fdce1a2b35e2f4ed8992211410e54a9)
4. Fixed my clogged up valterra blade on my black tank. Yuck. (No need to post a picture of this!)
5. Fixed my leaky shower drain
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F08%2F27%2Fty3e3a6e.jpg&hash=9f9d569d6804cb98e668e2d992061afb50fc6b8e)
6. Defrosted the fridge and freezer and changed to a right side opening door.
7. Cut a hole in the side of the bus to install dryer vent(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F08%2F27%2Fna2y4azu.jpg&hash=75789696d1418f26ffadbfa255e34e684dcb8cb1)
8. New Air filter - see previous post
9. Changed desiccant cartridge in air dryer
10. Fixed LED Tail Light (thanks Manny for the great idea you had in your project post on the Eagles board)
11. Hookup of washer/dryer combo (in process)(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F08%2F27%2Fudaba2u7.jpg&hash=726513338ec3bfb3257a5019a692ac8854d943cd)
Hmmm....Scott...did I miss anything?
:)
-Sean
www.herdofturtles.org (http://www.herdofturtles.org)
1984 Eagle Model 10S
Why black A/C shrouds? It seems to me they just absorb heat when you need A/C the most on a bright sunny day with no shade.
Wow you guys are ambitious, I spent last weekend replacing 3- 3" dump valves, then I discovered the toilet was seeping so I ordered a new toilet hope to get it today, should be an easy fix, then I am going to replace rear mud flaps and the sweep broom on the rear bumper so it looks like I will be on my back under the bus again, I am giving alot of thought to a pit in my barn, but I need to save some money first, one thing is certain when you own a bus there is always something to do!>>> John.
I buffed all the unpainted aluminum body panels. I started Sunday afternoon & finished Monday after lunch.
Quote from: belfert on August 27, 2013, 04:36:16 AM
Why black A/C shrouds? It seems to me they just absorb heat when you need A/C the most on a bright sunny day with no shade.
Cause they look sexy ;D(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F08%2F27%2F2e8u7ypy.jpg&hash=8653fd8a2f585599076b1aec01f97fb4f37d53ed)
I agree with the heat absorbtion. Was thinking of maybe painting the tops in a reflective color to help ...maybe.
Would be interesting to see if the additional heat from the black shroud makes much difference. It was 86 and sunny the other day and while we are semi shaded the roof is in the direct sun and ACs were kicking out 55 degrees no problem. I think the bigger problem will be if the black shrouds get dried up and start cracking and falling apart sooner from the addl heat.
Bontragers had them brand new - A 15k Mach 8 heat pump and a 13.5 k Mach 3 plus AC unit. Only had the black and sold them both to me for 1k. So I couldn't say no. It was a blessing for sure.
QuoteWow you guys are ambitious, I spent last weekend replacing 3- 3" dump valves, then I discovered the toilet was seeping so I ordered a new toilet hope to get it today, should be an easy fix, then I am going to replace rear mud flaps and the sweep broom on the rear bumper so it looks like I will be on my back under the bus again, I am giving alot of thought to a pit in my barn, but I need to save some money first, one thing is certain when you own a bus there is always something to do!>>> John.
John - Scott and I have been blessed to have the time to do all these projects. Seems that God managed our work schedules such that we would have time during the week to get all this stuff done. Its been a huge blessing staying here. There is a house being rebuilt on site and the contractor has given us full access to all the tools, we have plenty of power, water, ladders and even a tractor (made it easy to get those roof airs up there). Plus - when you have another competitive bus nut parked 20' away from you for3 weeks its easy to get motivated and make time.
Maybe next year we will throw a "Work on your bus" rally!
-Sean
www.herdofturtles.org (http://www.herdofturtles.org)
1984 Eagle Model 10S
(Last day in SW Michigan)
For me this week...for the first time in over a year I've been able to post an update in the Projects section!
Jeremy
This week I did my most important yearly maintenance task for the bus -- I took The Management on vacation; we went exactly where she wanted to go and did what she wanted to do. Now I'm entirely clear to spend time and money on the bus for a whole year! ;D
Finished installing MCD roller blinds and solar blinds on all windows.Now am workind on just an Oak valance at the top. Deep cleaning after that and install new vinyl we got for free at an estate sale last week. Fulltiming can sure take a toll on that stuff with 3 cats.
Still have to install all my radius rod bushings I got from Luke sometime soon. Just been to darn hot.
Dave5Cs from Galaxy S III
updated my project page, lots to clean and finish
mount solar for fridge batteries and actually mount my shore cord so we don't just throw it out the window ;D when I take Lisa in search of wine, seafood and turtles in a few weeks
I've been scraping scraping scraping, scraping all the !@#$% paint off the roof, using a hot air gun and a small putty knife. It's now almost done, just one panel left to do, then I have to wire-brush the remaining paint off a million rivet heads. In some places the old paint comes up easily, in other places I have to fight for every inch (sort of like trench warfare in WW 1), but might and gritted teeth will prevail. Once the roof's down to bare aluminum I'll sand it with coarse grit paper, use self-etching spray primer on the rivets, then prime and paint it when the weather cools off but before the first winter rains come.
All this is because I need to attach the outdoor-rated electrical boxes on the roof for the solar panels' down-feed cables and for the 1/2" PEX to the panels' washdown outlets and the eventual solar water panels. I have to get the cables and PEX in place before I can begin to panel the two windows on each side that I've blanked over, and I have to insulate and panel the walls before I can make the interior divider walls for the closets, shower and loo. I had planned on having a minimally-functional interior by the end of the year, but at this rate I'll have a repainted roof and not much else done inside.
Tomorrow I may drive to SolarTec in Northridge CA to check out their PV panels. They quoted me a price yesterday of $0.81 per watt for some cosmetically-blemished Sharp made-in-USA panels. They say that the color of the individual solar cells in not a uniform blue, but they all perform to Sharp's specifications. I don't care what they look like, just as long as they do what they should. If I can get all my panels for just over $1600 I'll be as happy as a pig in poop. And I can (just) fit all eight panels in my car, saving on trucking costs. Yeah!
Per ardua ad astra.
John
In the past week to 10 days I did the following on my bus:
1. Fixed the intermittent wipers on the driver's side.
2. Removed some unneeded air lines and plugged the connection.
3. Worked on the engine hatch inside to make it seal better.
4. Bought the remaining parts to finish the interior heating system.
5. Found that one of the tag axle tires is wearing badly on one edge. Looking at that closer this evening.
Wowzers! There's a lot of bus drama going on all over the country! Makes me feel like I'm part of a bigger crowd :)
I didn't get even one tiny job done on it this past week :(---but it did make a great guesthouse for two teenage girls(i.e. it was close enough for the WIFI and had A/C and a toilet!) ;D
worked on passenger foot slide, replaced a few clearance lights, got coach inspected. Fixing to change fidels in gen set and taking coach in to Prevost / Houston (friday) for oil and antifreeze change for a beach run this weekend.
Removed woodwork from dash area; thank goodness builder made it possible to remove without destruction, although some effort, including removing those wooden rounded plugs to access screws for removal. Pulled woodwork to remove and repair driver's dash defroster leaking heater core. I'm going to thoroughly clean and paint inside area and service blower motors. I'm going to look into what I would need to do to hook up a compressor and condenser to the AC evaporator that rests on top of heater core.
Also removed about 5 pounds of dirt/grease caked on front of rear bulkhead from years of leaking pinion seal. Previous owner had it fixed before I bought it. Rebuilt DD3's going back on next week after finishing scraping an cleaning and painting suspension beams and bulkhead areas. Oh, and making new to replace the severely worn/gone flap on bottom of bulkhead in front of engine. I did notice one of the engine oil leaks is from piece of gasket hanging out between bellhousing and engine plate. That is a project for the future and is going to require trans removal. Lots of labor for a lousy gasket failure
Absolutely nothing.
Now, where did I park that thing? *Ugh*. Lost it again.
Drove the bus to Butte, Mt to move our son to Montana Tech University. He is doing petroleum engineering. 450 miles each way from Blackie, Ab. Spent 2 nights, 1 at WM, the 2nd on the street outside his apartment. Beautiful historic buildings from the copper mining days. Well worth a visit if you are driving by on I 15 or I 90. Also see the Berkeley open pit, and the mining museum.
JC
Quote from: belfert on August 27, 2013, 04:36:16 AM
Why black A/C shrouds? It seems to me they just absorb heat when you need A/C the most on a bright sunny day with no shade.
I have two AC units, one white cover and one black. Heat radiation aside, the black unit isn't nearly as noticeable on top of the roof! Huge difference. The white unit never 'blends' into the scenery. You can see it from every angle, in every picture. The black one just seems to disappear, much more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.
Sean. Why did you pull the mini-splits? Was the last issue with them the generator capacitor? Sorry for the thread jacking Scott.
Quote from: OneLapper on August 28, 2013, 08:53:22 AM
I have two AC units, one white cover and one black. Heat radiation aside, the black unit isn't nearly as noticeable on top of the roof! Huge difference. The white unit never 'blends' into the scenery. You can see it from every angle, in every picture. The black one just seems to disappear, much more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.
Sean. Why did you pull the mini-splits? Was the last issue with them the generator capacitor? Sorry for the thread jacking Scott.
Mark - I'll post a separate thread with the issues but bottom line is the freon lines were threaded (not brazed) and over the bumps and bruises of long drives, no matter how much I tightened them (to spec or tighter) they kept coming loose enough to let the Freon out. If I had AC tech skills and tools and knew how to pull a vaccuum and fill myself I may have kept it longer.
JC
In regards to what you said about Butte ,Montana.
I passed throught last June on Hwy 15 ,headed for Calgary AB.
Sorry , but I did not stop for the scenery, as I had the hammer down getting a run at that 10 mile hill going north.
Regards
Bob
it is my understanding that Fantastic went to the darker tinted vent covers because they did not suffer the same rate of UV deterioration as the white. I have seen the whites and clears just disintegrate to a touch...when they are done they are brittle to crumbles...then you have a big hole for rain to get in...:(
On my fantastics I have put Velcro strips around the plastic perimeter insert, and use a square of vinyl/naugahyde fabric that matches my ceiling to use as a cover to block heat and or light when not in use. My one vent is also my shower vent.
It works out well to reduce AC losses or heat migration. and controls moisture too.
I built a slide out for the bed. Queen length, standard width. Jack
http://this-old-bus.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-past-month-has-been-busy-oneboth.html (http://this-old-bus.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-past-month-has-been-busy-oneboth.html)
Gordie, I'm a newbee. I can see that you let no moss grow and I'm sort of the same. Could I ask you a favor?--how do you post pics here and is it OK just to ad them to text? Thanks Jack
I put on a little Sheilashine ;D
Buttoning up engine cooling system! Soon be time for final engine control wiring. Little steps--- Engine doors back on soon-1st time in 2 years. Bob
Today was a good day. Further to my post here two days ago, I went to SolarTec in Northridge and bought eight Sharp ND-255QCSBX solar panels. One panel has a small flower-shaped blemish mark on one of its sixty cells, and I can't see anything amiss with the other seven panels at all - so much for them being Grade B cosmetic blems. Two kilowatts of clean silent power for the next few decades - woohoo!
Today I also finished my roof depainting. If anyone here wants to hand-scrape 350 sq.ft. of roof down to bare metal with a 1.5" scraper, I would STRONGLY suggest you find a better way! Unfortunately I had no choice because my bus is in an RV storage yard, but it's another job now done. The painting will be easy in comparison. When the roof's painted I'll make a walkway between my two roof hatches, then the PV panels will be hinged to it so they can be easily raised to face the sun.
Oh yes, one more thing I've almost finished is the propane conversion of my emergency generator. I'm making a 90-degree adaptor to mount the air cleaner onto the propane injector-thingy that sits on the carburetor, and the Garretson KN demand regulator is now neatly in place. I want it to look like it came from the factory this way - the conversion kit's instructions say to cut the main frame tube to clear the air cleaner, but there's no way I'm going to do a hack redneck job like that. I test-ran it on propane a few days ago, and it seems to run quieter than when using gasoline. I hope this generator will never need to be used when my solar system is up and running.
John
Replaced all Negative and Positive battery clamps
cleaned and serviced batteries
Equalize battery charge cycle
Replaced 2T AC Compressor....acid wash...:(
replaced 50 amp AC breaker
cleaned/sanitize fresh water tanks...filled in case of hurricane...SW FL.
I removed the old refrigerant tank when the bus had AC,removed the dry tank for cleaning,painting and to access the bolt holes to reinstall the huge propane tank,beginning to remove the old air dryer(thats what i think it is anyway)for replacement,replaced all exterior marker lights with LED's.
Well, lets see....
Pulled the rear wheels on the passenger side and replaced both rear air bags(one was bad), replaced all air lines to the leveling valves, moved tee connection point from up in frame to near access panel in case I ever need to cap off one bag. Decided to go ahead and replace leveling valve while I am in there. Should be here Friday.
Finally got around to pulling the entry door window. Replaced metal lip on bottom that had rust damage.
Resealed, sanded and primed opening, several coats later and finish coat done.
Installed new Motion Window that I bought several years ago, fit perfect!
Now on to the drivers side, considerably more metal work to do. Saved several of the original window body frames for pieceing in repairs. This will replace the last bit of corrosion since I started redoing the coach.
Maybe a good job for over Labor Day since I already have the welder, sander, sprayer, out and sitting over by the coach anyway.
Its still fun to me, so why not!
Cliff
Got the defroster unit out today; what a pain in the a@#! The ac coil has soldered lines, so had to unbolt it and raise it to get main case out. Rad shop looked at rad and advised best to replace core. I decided to replace front outside panel below windshield, since it will be easier to install now. Since I will need to pull wiper motors, I may call Luke and get rebuild/ seal kits for them.
Guess I'll need to contact Blyler Rivet for installation supplies.
Replaced my Air filter and fuel filters. Built 5 cabinet doors and installed them. Drove from Fort Collins, CO to Park City, UT.
Took out all of the windows and resealed them. Note: Don't scrimp and try to use a cheap product here! Then installed new drip rail.
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi69.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi79%2Fsomewhereinusa%2FOur%2520bus%2Fweb_drip_rail_4337_zpsd3afda1f.jpg&hash=7cadebb23c722c3fa98c8877f766a18113f5886e) (http://s69.photobucket.com/user/somewhereinusa/media/Our%20bus/web_drip_rail_4337_zpsd3afda1f.jpg.html)
Dick
What have I done to my bus this week?
I plugged in my 24v trickle charger for the starting batteries. Not that they were dead, I just do it once a month to make sure they stay up. I had a green light this morning and disconnected it.
No excitement here. My bus is ready to roll at any time.
--Geoff
Hi Guy's,
I replaced my start batts this week. I had good luck with the Deka 8D's, they lasted 7 1/2 years...
I was contemplating replacing with AGM's but, 7 1/2 yrs serves me well. I can only hope the new
Deka's might last that long.... Maybe not, but worth the shot anyway!
It's 100 degrees and humid as hell here in Missouri. Stayed in the Ac
Quote from: harleyman_1000 on September 01, 2013, 10:02:52 AM
It's 100 degrees and humid as hell here in Missouri. Stayed in the Ac
Was that GM Ac..... ;D
I put 650 miles on it and filled the tank for the next 800 miles.
These are to drive, right?
Yeah Jon, unless you have an older one. Had mine in Prevost Houston for service (oil change/anti freeze). They showed me a wheel seal leaking. Didn't have in stock. Going back next week or the week after for all to be replaced. Ain't gonna do just one. Mine just turned over 60,000 miles. Sat to long and everything rubber is getting replaced. At this rate on my 91 XL it will have everything new underneath. Hee Yaw!
Glen,
I was going to mention on PC that if a wheel seal is not leaking, don't fix it. Over a 23 year period on my coaches I have probably replaced a total of 4 or 5 wheel seals. I have been lucky because none I replaced leaked again. But on my current coach one was leaking prior to picking it up so Liberty replaced it. It was leaking by the time I went the 800 miles to the house so it had to be replaced again. I know of several owners who had seals replaced and then they had to replace the replacements.
Yeah Didn't know that Jon. Well we will see when they schedule a time for work. I figure sitting with no oil splash for years would dry um out. Thanks
Hub seals are some type of plastic material that is bonded to an inner and outer race. They rotate relative to one another. I am assuming the gear oil lubes them. When installed there are no forces on them and the relationship between the two is always constant. Sitting for a long period should have no effect on them. Running with low differential fluid would be my greatest concern, not only for the seals, but the wheel bearings.
Absolutely nothing, weather not a problem. Lack of money, coming back to work after a 6 week furlough.
Siberyd
Sealed more wood, cleaned, mounted new curtains that wife made/is finishing today; just finished mounting 3 small solar panels(150 watt total) to keep fridge up during tourist stops on trip, I then changed paint color on frnt of bus....mama did not like the look of the "faux leather bra" ;D
I drilled tapped some screw holes on back bumper for amber strobes(LaTortuga isn't the fastest vehicle on secondary roads in the mnts)
Am now getting ready to paint back bumper...due to no masking of said bumper a year ago...which I totally blame on beer....been along 3 days
Getting ready to go to Newport RI In a few weeks. Had both defroster motors out since spring and finally got around to cleaning and re lubing them, just postponing having to send them to be rebuilt. Replaced the 2 rubber hoses going to the defroster core and put it all back together. Today I decided to take the bed apart, the PO had put big long shims to raise the head.....which is great.....but it was up almost 6" so us and the blankets would end up sliding off the bottom of the bed by morning. I took the whole thing apart and cut the shims down to about 1.5".....much better!!
Bruce
Me...nothing, but my wife finished up the curtains and some awesome window panel covers that block heat and cold pretty well. When we were working on the bus in winter we found that cutting some 3/4" pink foam board to insert into the frame of the remaining windows allowed us to heat the bus much better. So lately my wife took the foam panels and covered them with padding and material to match the curtains. Even added a couple of nice looking buttons. We leave the ones in the bedroom in all the time as they look nice and keep it dark for sleeping. The 4 front ones will be left in or taken out depending on our mood or the trip.
Got the rest of our new MCD double/ Solar roller blinds installed. Cut and stained and installed 3/4 of the oak valances for them.
Dave5Cs
On our 77 MCI8 I replaced all 4 headlights, VERY bright now. I fixed the air horns. I'm currently reworking the generator's cooling system and connecting to main breaker panel. Hopefully new a.c. system will be installed in a couple of months.
We finally are finishing our ceiling. After two and a half years of full timing, we are no longer staring at a rough plywood ceiling. Special thanks to Sean and Angie and the kids for their help...even at insane hours of the night :-/. And thanks Sean for giving me the fantastic fans for free. You rock and I'll use them lots this fall.
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F13%2F09%2F03%2Fy2ege6eh.jpg&hash=1187b22decf34572d799c4b2d5aab3261369d83c)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Clumsy fingers may contribute to mistakes.
Scott, what is that paneling? That makes for a pretty cool ceiling.
We repainted the roof on the 4107 and installed the new flat panel tv in it. Outside looks like new again and no more hole where the old tv was.
Don and Cary
Brake light were not working. Put in a missing fuse!
QuoteScott, what is that paneling? That makes for a pretty cool ceiling.
I'll second that.
Dick
I got my new-to-me injectors from Luvrbus all laid out on my bench and when the rain stops I will go out and see about pulling the old ones out and installing these. I also picked up my new Magnum 4024 inverter and am reading the instruction manual. The manual for the inverter is a piece of cake, the manual for the remote control is going to take a little work... Last week I picked up a new US Battery 230 ah 6v battery to replace the one that froze last winter and didn't recover. The other three came back to life pretty good. On thursday I am going to Truro to register it and get a new Nova Scotia plate for it. I really want to take at least a week this fall and actually drive it for a bit!
Brian
Brian, you got some work ahead of you :-\
I got the ceiling panels from Bontragers. They are actually backsplashes but they had a whole pile of them and I knew they could work for ceiling panels. Love them. They had the lines marked (the diamonds) in brown sharpie marker so Angie and Heather and the girls used rubbing alcohol to remove the lines. Major work...they are saints for doing it. Sean suggested I countersink the holes for the screws so I did and we will putty them and paint over. Very cool. Need to trim around the fantastic fan, and as you can see the two small sections around the fan haven't been painted yet, but we're almost done..looks amazing.