Stuff I bought at the RV store, But didn't really need.

[Tenor]

Belfert-
That furnace wouldn't happen to be a Suburban would it?  I'm lookin!

[belfert]

Belfert-
That furnace wouldn't happen to be a Suburban would it?  I'm lookin!

All the extra stuff was sold long ago.

[Paladin]

lets see, stuff I bought but didnt REALLY need? The Bus. somedays it is a love/hate relationship.
steve

Amen! I'm in a semi hate relationship with mine at the moment. Looking sideways at it with my 12 gauge about now.

[Sean]

...
auto leveling system from Sean
air over electric table and various other parts from Sean (free)
...
2 burner electric cooktop - I am trying to figure out a way to install induction cooktops in the same hole.

Jim,

Not intending to hijack the thread, but...

It would warm the cockles of my heart if you'd pass along the stuff I gave you to one of the other nuts around here.  My goal was strictly to keep it all out of the landfill.

On the subject of induction cooktops, as you know we have a portable one, in addition to our two-burner LP built-in.  If I were to do the bus today, I would skip the LP entirely and just do the induction.  After some pretty extensive market research, I've decided that the built-in hobs and cooktops just don't offer the value for dollars spent.  What I suggest (and what we will likely do on our next, umm, moving home) is to make a recess into the counter for two or three portable units such as the one I have.

You might see if the hole in your counter is big enough, or can be enlarged, to do just that.  I'd make a "well" out of sheet aluminum, and under-mount it in much the same way you'd do for a steel sink.  Then support the bottom of the well with some 1x2 framing.  The raw edge of whatever counter top you have can either be "finished" in place (in the case of Corian and its ilk, or even granite) with appropriate power tools -- a countertop installer from a reputable kitchen cabinet shop should be able to do this for you -- or you can use some off-the-shelf nosing material.

FWIW, we are very happy with the "Mr. Induction" brand by Sunpentown, which now comes in several flavors.  Cheap and effective.  Just install some kind of switch to cut off all the power when you are not using it, as it seems to draw something constantly, with a low but audible high-pitch whine even when switched off.  (Although perhaps they've cured this in the four years since we bought ours.)

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[Charles in SC]

It did not come from an RV store but the thing that keeps coming to my mind is the 500 watt Rockford amp I thought I just had to have.

[H3Jim]

Sean,
I would certainly be happy to pass on any of the stuff.  Both to see someone else get some benefit out of it, to further our hobby, and to do the ecologically right thing.  Right now its sitting in my storage shed.  I was kind of waiting until I got more done / mostly done with the conversion, and then get rid of it all in one effort. However if someone wants the stuff, I'd be delighted to oblige.   I have used some, and still intend to use a  little more of that air conditioner hose I got from you, although there is a lot more there than I need.  I am using it for the hydronic system, short pieces for several difficult hookups where it is just the correct size.  The largest item I could get rid of anytime (free) is that air over electric table.  It takes up too much room.

The HTH leveling unit, I'm not sure how to "market" that, its pretty rough, and I will probably go with Pete Pappa's units when that surfaces to my active "to do" list.  For $50 its probably a good deal, but...  Next I'm working on lights, then heat, and some more cosmetic stuff along the way.

I came to the same conclusion as you did regarding the induction cooktops.  I also have the Supentown unit I bought just to try it, and those units are really remarkable. I like it a lot, efficient, cooler in summer, fast as gas to heat up, the best temp control possible. I am looking for a home unit for my house. I have a hole in my corian, and I have a number of pieces of the same corian I was able to talk the installer out of when they did my counter.  I've taken the supentown unit apart, and looked at how I could build it in to my current counter, and I have several ways to go.  First, I would buy a second one, so I'd have a two "burner".  Next I would either try to just fill in and match the counter, making it a whole smooth countertop again, or if that was not possible, I also have a thinner peice of the counter, I was going to cut it slightly larger than the hole left by the old unit, then cut openings in the corian to fit the burners, and two more to fit the control panels. Lastly, I'd bevel the edges so it would look ok "sitting" on top of the counter.  It would take some skill, and I risk damaging the supentown units when I cut them out of the exisiting plastic shell, but I think I can do it.  As a side note, I asked Home Depot Expo if they had any induction cooktops, and they said they have been getting lots of requests for them, and are going to handle 3 or 4 lines.  I have hopes that means that there may eventually be more choices, and lower prices as a result of competition (probably years away)

Jim

ps, mine does not whine.  I am installing a number of switches to stereo, TV etc to cut off all power to them when not in use to reduce phantom load.  Inverter plus some of these loads can really add up when parked for several days.  So that's a good heads up, I'll check to see if it draws any while plugged in and switched off.

pps - Your NEXT moving home?  whats this?

[Sean]

pps - Your NEXT moving home?  whats this?

Well, rather than clutter the thread up any further, I will refer you to the following posts, regarding how our plan is to move onto a "trawler"-style boat whenever we are done with the bus (date unknown):

http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2007/06/reversing-course.html
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2006/05/big-sur-coast.html

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[Barn Owl]

Sean,

Can you tell me more about your cooktop or point me in the right direction. I was about to make a decision on a propane stove but I hate the heat they produce. This induction cooking has caught my attention. Do you have any photos or a link to where I can learn more about them? Prices?

Thanks,

Laryn

[H3Jim]

one place is to go to Amazon.  its where I bought my unit.  or just google, but be prepared to spend some time surfing.

Induction heats only the pan, the burner stays cool (except for conduction from the pan).

Uses much less electricity than a normal electric.

Regulates heat to within several degrees of where you set it, so its marvelous for cooking - you don't burn stuff, and yet it will give full power to heat up to the desired temp.

since only the pan is heated, less heat in a small space (your bus)

The only downside is that you  must use a pan that is magnetic.  As Sean points out, just take a magnet to Bed Bath and Beyond, and buy a pan you like that a magnet sticks to.

I bought the "Mr Induction" by Supentown to try and play with and I'm totally sold.

[Sean]

Can you tell me more about your cooktop or point me in the right direction. ... Do you have any photos or a link to where I can learn more about them? Prices?

Laryn,

Jim's already beat me to the punch, but here is a link, with photos and list prices, to the Sunpentown line:

http://www.sunpentown.com/inco.html

Sunpentown manufactures some of the least expensive, portable, table-top induction cooktops, and they are widely available in the US at retail stores, along with many sellers periodically on eBay.  Note that, in Europe, where induction is much more popular than here, a single "burner" such as this is called a "hob", and so you will see that term used in a lot of the literature, i.e. "induction hob."

There are several companies that make built-in hobs that you can install in a countertop, either single- or multi-burner.  Unfortunately, they are very expensive right now.  About a decade or so ago, the major US appliance manufacturers had jumped on the induction bandwagon, and it was possible to buy a regular, 30", four-burner cooktop using induction for a reasonable price.  Consumer demand never materialized, though, and so they all abandoned the market, leaving it to the Europeans and the specialty restaurant business.

The only down side to induction cooking is that it requires ferromagnetic cookware.  Bring a magnet with you to the store -- if it sticks to the bottom of the pan, the pan will work.  If not, it won't.  We found the Farberware Millennium Stainless brand has enough ferrous material in the base to attract a magnet, and it works well on our Sunpentown.

HTH.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[cody]

I think that passing stuff that didn't work out or isn't needed to other busnuts is an excellent idea, I was given 4 great batteries for my house part of the bus, that left me with a good 8D that was soon to be an orphan, didn't take me long before I found not only an adoptive parent for it but a passing busnut to haul it to them, all these things help and maybe a part like the spare tire part of the board would make it possible for these orphans to find new homes, what is the thoughts on that.

[Dreamscape]

One of my favorite lines from a movie is and maybe the title too, don't remember (CRS). "Pay it Forward".

I have always thought of that when someone is in need and the stuff I thought I needed, and don't, so I try to Pay it Forward.

The problem with me is I'm always in need!

Paul