Hookups... left or right side?

[Jon]

I want to echo the warning about two sided electrical connections. Our coach has a cord reel and a receptacle on both sides of the coach to be used with the coil of cable we carry.

The default is the cord reel, but if we use the power cord we have to select that along with the side of the coach the cord connects to so all potential sources of power are only usable when selected. When using inverters which automatically switch from battery chargers to a 120V power supply in the absence of shore or generator power there also has to be a transfer switch or some other device to prevent back feeding power from inverters to the power cord reel or receptacle.

[lvmci]

Sean, when your power is 240volt, you will need 50amp service, not all parks have both 50 and 30, many times a limited amount of 50s, and they are usually 5 to 10 dollars more for 50 spaces, rig electrical so that some parts of the bus, will work with an adapter to use 30amp when 50 is not available, lvmci...

[bevans6]

If you use a cord reel then you should try to un-reel it fully when using it.  A coiled cord can inductively couple to itself and overheat.  Not always, but sometimes.  I had it happen once with a long lawnmower type cord just coiled up on the ground, it got quite hot. 

I've taken old, out of date 20 lb tanks and exchanged them for new at the home store.  I felt bad, but the guy told me every tank gets rebuilt and re-certified anyway, so they didn't care.  Mu bus is set up for a pair of 30 lb tanks, so I guess I will have a choice to make when they are too old.

Brian

[TomC]

Even with short runs on hot water lines, my shower still takes about 10 seconds to get warm. To combat that water waste, on my shower, bath sink, kitchen sink, I'm installing a warm up valve. It consists of a ball valve in the hot water line as close to the sink or shower valve as possible with a return line to the water tank. So when you open the ball valve, everything gets hot with the warming water returning to the water tank and not wasting it going down the drain. Sean had these on his bus that were electric water valves, but required periodic maintenance. Once again, I like simple, so just a ball valve should work well. Good Luck, TomC

[Audiomaker]

<snip>
The size of your fresh/gray/black water tanks also depends on how many people are traveling in your rig. Also: Consider showers when boondocking to be:
(1) Wet yourself down.
(2) Turn off the water. (for this purpose we installed a third faucet en route to the shower head.)
(3) Apply soap and shampoo.
(4) Turn on water and rinse off.

<snip>

I hope to overcome this limitation with some creative plumbing.  I'll keep everyone in the loop

[Oonrahnjay]

... Consider showers when boondocking to be:
(1) Wet yourself down.
(2) Turn off the water. (for this purpose we installed a third faucet en route to the shower head.)
(3) Apply soap and shampoo.
(4) Turn on water and rinse off. ... 

      I found a shower head (very nice water flow and pattern) with a button just on the pipe side of the shower head.  Push the button one way, you get flow; push it the other and it's off for you to soap up/shampoo/wash.  After i did that, I found a little adapter that goes between the pipe and any shower head that has the same button and I guess it would work well, too.  I think that there's also a shower head with a lever that does the same thing but I've never seen one.

HTH,   BH   NC  USA

[DriverGT5]

I haven't given it a lot of thought but the guy that converted our bus did a pretty good job. I found the setup clever and so far it seems to work well.

Here is our left rear bay. It has 2 100gal fresh water, 100gal black, and 100gal grey tanks. Also in here is the propane water on demand heater and the power cord with an access in the wheel well so the doors will close and latch and the hose/power can still come through. As you can see by switching some valves around you can run the hose full time or fill the tanks and run the pump. The tank over flow comes out of the rear fender also.

Black and grey water drains are in the floor with the black first so the grey will flush out the drain as you dump it last. I hadn't thought about it but we only need to open one bay door to hook up power, water, or drain the tanks. The guy planned well it looks like.









In the last bay on the right side, behind the tanks is our propane setup. Running the shower, stove and heaters I think this is about a years supply... 

[sparkplug188]

Driver-  Do you have any model numbers and a supplier for the propane manifolds, hoses, and regulator?  I am wanting to do the same setup on my bus.  I can find parts on eBay-- I just do not know what parts can supply enough CFM to run a larger tankless water heater.

[TomC]

Driver-Nice set up. But-I don't see any kind of vent in the floor of the propane cabinet. Propane is heavier then air and needs to be vented out the bottom of the floor. Good Luck, TomC

[Iceni John]

Driver-  Do you have any model numbers and a supplier for the propane manifolds, hoses, and regulator?  I am wanting to do the same setup on my bus.  I can find parts on eBay-- I just do not know what parts can supply enough CFM to run a larger tankless water heater.

First determine how many BTU the water heater is, then size everything else to match it.   FYI, I have a Camco 59005 automatic change-over 2-stage LPG regulator that is rated at a maximum of 160,000 BTU (but I think one side of it is rated slightly less than that), and it supplies propane through 1/2" Pro-Flex CSST flexible stainless gas pipe.   Pro-Flex also has a 4-branch distribution manifold (that can be made into a 5-branch by using a street elbow in the end), and this and their CSST have plenty of BTU capacity for anything in a bus.   Pigtails from the individual LPG cylinders need not be larger than 1/4"  -  I had some made up using Parker 7132 high-pressure gas hose, and I also use MB Sturgis 5LPN quick-connect fittings on the unregulated high-pressure side.   All of this should flow plenty of gas, even for a tankless water heater.   Pro-Flex is available from Lowes for a lot less than equivalent CSST from other manufacturers, and I'm pleased with it.

John

[shelled]

Now here's the part of that plumbing plan that I hope you'll all be open minded about...
I really enjoy long hot showers.   I intend to install a secondary "drain"  to recirculate to the pump (and yes, back through the instant hot water heater).
The idea is to fill the tub with very little water and recirculate the water for as long as one would want to take a shower.
I will put a strainer and a water filter on the return line.
The process would be to get in with the drain open to the grey water tank, get clean, then close the drain and switch to the recirculating line.
That might sound gross, but taking a bath you don't even clean before getting in and sitting in that water (at least I don't know anyone who does).  You're basically sitting in the water you clean in and drain it at the end.
With the system I'm designing, you would shower with similar water, and it would be strained and filtered to catch any stray eyelashes or whatnot.
My hope is to get it to about a gallon of water per shower, but make the shower last as long as you like.
(ACK!  I can hear it coming already! Lol!).

Sean,

One of the Pop Sci/Mech magazines had a feature last year on a recirculating shower that would pass sanitary codes.  The trick was a heating element which raised the temp of the recirculated water to (as I recall) about 170 degrees Farenheight which "sanitized" it and then mixed with cool water so you didn't get scalded.  You don't have the same building codes

Speaking of building codes, when I first got interested in RVs & conversions back in the 80's, some states had laws requiring that the utility connections be located on the road (driver) side to prevent indiscriminate dumping and curbside hookups that trailed power and water lines across sidewalks.  I've never checked to see if that has changed, but . . .

edward

[Audiomaker]

Sean,

One of the Pop Sci/Mech magazines had a feature last year on a recirculating shower that would pass sanitary codes.  The trick was a heating element which raised the temp of the recirculated water to (as I recall) about 170 degrees Farenheight which "sanitized" it and then mixed with cool water so you didn't get scalded.  You don't have the same building codes

Speaking of building codes, when I first got interested in RVs & conversions back in the 80's, some states had laws requiring that the utility connections be located on the road (driver) side to prevent indiscriminate dumping and curbside hookups that trailed power and water lines across sidewalks.  I've never checked to see if that has changed, but . . .

edward

That's interesting about the driver placement laws Edward.

For the recirculating shower...  I dunno, it's just common sense.  You stay at this fancy hotel with a beautiful tub and most people just get in.  They soap up...wash...rinse... all in the same water, but in a shower where you can quickly lather and rinse (and be for the most part clean), and then switch the valve to recirculate so you can actually enjoy the warmth of the shower for say 15 minutes brings to mind visions of pouring contaminated water all over one's self?

I guess I'm a little more rugged than to care that much if I get hit by some skin cells that I also shed in my bed, and walk around with in my clothes every day.  At least with the recirc', you can filter it (and some filters do a really good job).

It's the same kind of mental barrier that keeps people from eating food if they drop it on the ground.
I always think to myself "When what's  on the ground becomes as disgusting or unhealthy as what's actually *in* the food, then this will makes sense"

[HB of CJ]

I have not read the fine answers already given so if I repeat stuff...opps.  Now also is the time to sit down and have much fun doing the basic weights and measures of the finished coach.

What this means is doing the fun basic math to PRE determine just how much weight will be on each axle end when the Bus Conversion is finished and expected to roll down the road.

Example;  If your Bus Conversion has a 12K+ front axle and a 20K+ nominal rear axle, (plus any tax axles @ around 9K)  you can NOW easily determine how much weight will be on each axle end.

You want a balanced Bus Conversion when it is all done.  The weights do not have to be perfect, (passengers moving around...dynamic fluid loads..etc) but you can get it within about 100 pounds even.

Do not forget the suspension and tire/wheel capacity also.  You do not want to overload just one corner of the coach and leave another corner too lightly laden.  Also consider the single/duel tire capacities.

Example;  A rather heavy, nice 10K gen set hanging 64 inches out past the rear of the rear axle point will LIFT the front end of the coach.  Heavy stuff, if possible, goes better between the axles.  One example.

Hope this helps.  HB of CJ (old coot)

[Jim Eh.]

I always think to myself "When what's  on the ground becomes as disgusting or unhealthy as what's actually *in* the food, then this will makes sense"

Funny, nervous truth, but funny.

[DriverGT5]

Driver-Nice set up. But-I don't see any kind of vent in the floor of the propane cabinet. Propane is heavier then air and needs to be vented out the bottom of the floor. Good Luck, TomC

Good point Tom. I guess I assumed it was in the back but I took another look today and there is no vent tube. There is a propane smell due to a leaking hose clamp though... 


Time to add it to the list...