A hippie with a not-so-minivan

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by paxye

I am trying to picture this and I just can't!! Do you have any link to images or schematics that explain it? I am visual so I find it really hard when just reading it like that....

Only pics I have posted are here




The rear heat exchanger was bolted to the bottom of one of the seats (the only seat we kept because we didn't have time to remove the heat system). I don't seem to have any pics up (somewhere I have them) but we cut the hoses, drained the coolant into a bucket, looped the hose back onto it self to make the circuit complete again, then removed the heat exchanger and the attached fans from the bottom of the seat, cut the hole in the floor for the "return" air (the now cooled down warm air gets pulled thru a regular home furnace air filter and pushed back the the radiator fins of the heat exchanger by the attached fans) and discovered that the heat exchanger setup would hang nicely between the center beams that run the length of the bus (how nice was that!). David hung it, drilled new holes and bolted it into place. It's still hanging under the bus (only 150 miles later). Our goal is to get it hooked up once the weather starts cooling off. We've got the old water heater in place (did that before we left), I bought the hot fluid pump online and tested it. Bought & installed the electric heating element, rebuilt the ignitor for the LP. All we need to do now is run pvc pipe for ductwork, install floor ducts, run the PEX (bought) and buy all the little golden fitting$$$$ to make the fluid circuit. It is simply a very basic hydronic heating system. I had bounced the idea around in my head but didn't broach it to David until I found an article where someone had did the same thing. They used a small car radiator (heat exchanger), fan, el Cid pump and RV water heater to build a small set up. By reusing the rear heat exchanger, that gave us the fans already on the unit and we had acquired a very old RV water heater when we bought some other RV stuff from an old RV being parted out. All I had to buy was a hot fluid circulating pump (could not use one of the potable water pumps we already had due to the high temps being pumped). The article had disappeared from the internet again. It was called "A Simple RV Hydronic Heating System by Jim Phypers (Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:26:34 | Water Electrolyzers http://www.panorooma.com/water-electrol ... ystem.html *1991 Jim Phypers) I have it copied down as a PDF on my computer. I hqave learned to do that after losing so much info because I believed the "once it's on the internet, it 's there forever". Unless it's something I need to find. Like the Poop Sheets which have returned on a couple other sites.

Here is a link to the text and here is the main image you would need



Clear as mud! I guess that would make it "Transparent".

If you don't want the expense of an RV water heater, you can also use a small 6 gallon point of use electric water heater. It depends on how you use your bus in cold weather and if you have a non electric back up heat for time when the power goes out (we do).

[roach711]

The eberspacher heaters are used to pre-heat the engine for easier starting in cold weather and instant heat in the morning. There should be a controller up at the dash. You can get installation guides and other documentation at http://www.eberspacher.com. They're nice heaters and might qualify as the "heater separate from the engine heater" that Quebec requires. Bloody governments are out of control these days.

Here is the controller that came with our bus:

[100MPG]

I read your post about the ride home. Now that you made it, you know it isn't a big deal! You survived and learned. What a trip, eh?

[paxye]

Thanks Lorna, that link really helped! I do think it sounds great but it is a bit too complicated I think for us and I think that we would rather go with wood heat when we are stationary and find another solution for when we are on the road if we can.

Roach, OK... I get it now. but I don't see anything else that is remotely like what you have or what is on their site.. I think that if I can get the bus on the road I might get that checked out. It sounds like a good system if we could make it work.

100MPG... yep, a trip indeed. And you are right... driving it isn't that big a deal. backing it up into a tight space is stil a bit nerve wracking though

I was thinking this morning...

I have seen a few people use the mini-splits in their skoolies or RV... if I were to take our stock AC out, I think that could be a good solution if we wanted AC... and we could use the already made vented compartment on the side of the bus We still have not decided yet but I the more I think about it, the more I would like to be able to use the space that the AC takes up and have a smaller unit.

[paxye]

I have the mechanical inspection tonight! Which means of course that I will have to back the bus back into our driveway when it is dark... oh my....

I have a feeling that think might just work out to get the plates but I am still not 100%.... I got a transit today so I can head to the inspection and then once I have the certificate in hand I might just be able to go get the plates as long as they don't ask too many questions. I think more questions would be asked if we were changing is from a bus to motorhome but since it is already a motorhome... well... maybe they just won't ask!

Besides that... I found a soft spot on the floor in the back. I am hoping it is just the plywood underneath (I am hoping that there IS plywood underneath)... It is in the back where the storage place was so I could just visualize army guys with feet full of snow etc standing there making the floor super wet and stacking duffle bags (or weapons) since I found a letter about transporting weapons in the compartment over the driver.

[bansil]

By my clock its been a few hrs....so do we "pop" the cork?
.
.
Or do we unscrew the bottle....as we cuss...then toss it back as we degess?

Hope it went well ,heading out at luncch...maybe... ......

God speed....and make our drunkin' views and ideas.........bare fruit...and hope

[wmkbailey]

Good luck, I hope it all works out.

I dropped my bus off for the inspection tonight as well. I was told it may take a couple days as they are busy and will get to it when they can.

[paxye]

Don't pop the cork yet!

The inspection was at 6:45pm and after being there for two hours... it is done! The only problems were three lights (one bulb, one was not grounding and one socket that need to be changed) And the other problem that he didn't mention on the inspection was the wiper fluid because none of us could find it!... Ummm, anyone know where to put wiper fluid in a 92 All American Puller??

It was great, I asked the guy if I could follow him around so I learned a few more things about the bus. One thing that I am glad to have learned is how to adjust the slack adjusters and he confirmed that the air brakes are self adjusting but showed me how to check them.

So! With the Inspection papers in hand I am going to try to get my plates tomorrow...

[ol trunt]

Congrats! Thosr inspections can age a man ten years---you did good!

[roach711]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Congrats! Those inspections can age a man ten years---you did good!

Roger that!! My local DMV took 5 (count 'em, 5) tries to get my title right. In the end I had to bump the problem up to the Secretary of State herself. It erased any microscopic vestige of faith I had in government.

Congratulations on passing inspection!

[paxye]

Pop the cork! We have plates! I didn't get it put on the road right away because it is expensive and just not worth the cost while we work on it, especially since we do not have seats for the kids yet, but we can get it done at any time which feels really good.

It almost went sour when the woman said that they needed proof of the conversion but then I said "but it is already registered as a motorhome and does not have seats and could not be registered as bus" and then the girl she was training asked her a question and then the conversation stopped there. *swipe brow*.

As long as we put it on the road within the year, the inspection is good so I giving myself that as a deadline...

Oh... and the decision to keep the TransAir or not has been made for me. During the inspection it was seen that part of the Air conditioner components are being held by twist ties under the carriage and there was a broken belt and few other things that they could see right away. I was on the fence any way so it just tipped me over. I would really like to have the space they take up and If we want air conditioning I would rather have something that would work when we are stationary also.

now to get to work!!! OMG!!! What have I gotten myself in to

[wmkbailey]

Originally Posted by paxye

now to get to work!!! OMG!!! What have I gotten myself in to

A lot of fun and challenges!! Enjoy.

[JakeC]

LOL!! Yup, what he said. You will have fun. It's an incredible adventure. And that is sorta cool about the a/c units. It's nice to have some decisions predetermined. You may be able to make some money off some of the components. Most importantly, congratulations!!!

[inkblots84]

Congrats!! You must be very relieved, and excited!

[bansil]

good to hear!

[Hex]

Originally Posted by paxye

Pop the cork! We have plates!

Congrats. A suitable end to your harrowing trip of getting the bus home.

Originally Posted by paxye

now to get to work!!! OMG!!! What have I gotten myself in to

Yeah, I know. But it's a great, creative endeavor. I expect that you're in for plenty of enjoyable work and then some time enjoying the fruits of your labors. Best of luck!

[Malkieri]

Originally Posted by paxye

now to get to work!!! OMG!!! What have I gotten myself in to

Think of it more as heavy-duty, exhaustive and labor intensive play....somehow it is less daunting when you are "going out to play" than "going to work on the bus"
See how that just feels better? It is a matter of perspective.

[paxye]

So we finally made a bit of progress on the bus! Though I am at home with the kids and could potentially be in the bus every day... well.. I have four kids so it makes it really hard to be out there at times. So it was going very slowly getting the back wall out. I was using the drill + cold chisel and hammer to get at the rivets...




The kids worked on getting screws and the multiple hooks that were everywhere in the "garage" part of the bus...





even the little one was helping...


This weekend after spending about an hour on the bus on rivets and having trouble with them I decided that an air compressor and an air chisel would be a good investment. My mom and an old friend came over yesterday and while my mom watched the kids I headed out to the bus with the friend and together we made quite a bit of progress.

First the wall came out... I had gotten most of the rivets out by hand and he had goffed when I said that they were not easy and that was the reason that I had gotten the air chisel but he soon realized that I had said that for a reason. Even with the air chisel they were hard to get out.

So I decided that an air compressor and an air chisel would be a good investment with all of the rivets that I have to take out.

Yesterday my mom came over with a friend and while she watched the kids, Michel and I went into the bus and worked. The air*compressor*was a great buy. I had done most of the rivets in the wall already so after getting the wood frame the previous owner put in we were able to start taking the wall apart. We had a few rivets left where I was having trouble getting to with the drill or with the cold chisel but the air chisel makes it much easier but only if the rivets are previously drilled.

Here is Michel taking out the last of the rivets with the air chisel.



The wall was able to come out after that.




Here is the framing that was in the wall which I will be able to reuse. The wall was also insulated.



The boys had already gotten most of the screws out of the back portion so after the wall was out we started getting that part of the flooring out. Because that portion of the bus was for baggage etc with holes made by the baggage hooks it was an easy place for water to infiltrate and the floor in that section was soft and I knew the plywood was rotten.



The plywood was a pain to get out. Luckily with it being wet some of the flooring was easy to peel off but where it was still dry it was completely glued down. Also because the plywood was swollen and moldy and the screws were buried and rusted. Some screws we were able to unscrew, some we could no find at all and many broke.



We finally did get it out though.

I was looking forward though to seeing the steel underneath to make sure that was still in an acceptable condition and honestly it really isn't that bad. The rust is concentrated around the spots that *had the baggage hooks but it is surface rust only. Where the plywood was a bit more dry, the floors were still nice.



In the picture above you can see the floor rails a bit out. We got a bit of the flooring up and the plywood is dry and still in great condition and the floor is GLUED down and it will be a pain to get up and I have a feeling the floor will look good.

Though the friend that was over was so much help I found it a bit hard because he besides that back section that was visibly rotten, he doesn't get why we would pull up the rest of the flooring if it is dry or pull out the walls to re-insulate. I get that it is a lot of work but I hate having to explain my reasons and then doubting myself... now I am wondering again...

Next on the list:

Continuing the floors
Figuring out how to get the heaters out (one or more)
Starting on the top luggage racks/ducts and getting the air conditioner out.

[JakeC]

Looks like an official bus project!! In my opinion the main reasons to pull the floor out are to treat any rusty areas and to be able to properly insulate the floor. My floor was in good shape, like yours, but i still found a couple rusty spots I was glad I exposed. Actually had to weld in a random patch by one of my wheel wells, as I recall. I reused a lot of the wood for platforms, etc.

[Diesel Dan]

Pulling up the floor is a miserable job, and whether or not you do it depends on how thorough you want to be, and how important it is for you to have peace of mind that you know what is going on down there. If you pull it all up, you may find that there is not a bit of rust in the other areas, or... you may find some surprises you will be glad you found. I suppose you could take the perspective that during the time you will own the bus, any rust that may be hidden in there will not reach a critical point. I personally cannot stand the thought that my vehicle might have hidden rust. But then I'm kinda OCD in that respect. If you do decide to continue, you might consider bigger pry implements. The most useful tools for me doing that job was a large cold chisel with hand guard, sledge hammer, and 5 foot steel pry bar:
1. Hammer chisel in between metal and wood
2. Shove in pry bar and lift
3. Wedge something in to hold tension
4. Shove in pry bar again, and lift
5. Repeat


The trick is to get big pieces to come up at once, rather than having it just splinter. But that may or may not happen for you.