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Old 01-13-2011, 09:48 AM   #161
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Re: door lock

Last night I discovered the drawback of using a combination lock. If it's pitch dark outside, you cannot open the door without a flashlight! At least with a keyed lock you can feel around and get the key in there. Hmmm... I'm going to leave it for now, but I may look for another one that is keyed instead. That would have been my preference anyway, it's just that I didn't find a keyed hasp long enough to bridge the two doors. Even this one is barely making it, and in fact I could only use two of the four holes on the hinged side.

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Old 01-13-2011, 10:55 AM   #162
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Re: door lock

Quote:
Originally Posted by Diesel Dan
Even this one is barely making it, and in fact I could only use two of the four holes on the hinged side.
This is the only thing I could find at Lowes to span the gap on my old double door and still let me use my own padlock.
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Old 01-13-2011, 01:47 PM   #163
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

Well, there are two things I like about the hasp I got:
1. It has the lock built in, which I think looks cleaner and also there is no padlock banging around on the door.
2. The hing on the hasp arm is very stiff, and I think is designed to stay that way. So when I open the door or have it unlocked I don't have to worry about the arm flapping around. Actually when I open the door, I don't even have to move the hinged arm, as it just comes off the lock along with the door.
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Old 01-17-2011, 09:18 PM   #164
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

Hi there cnu you tell me how to post pic on here
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Old 01-17-2011, 09:58 PM   #165
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by hkemper
Hi there can you tell me how to post pic on here
Click on the reply button. Across the top of the message field, you will see little "buttons" with letters, words or symbols. To post a picture you need to click on the button with "IMG" (Image) and you will get a pair of brackets with "img" and "/img" and your cursor will be in the middle of them. You will need to have the "Image Location" url to post in between the formatting code. To copy a picture off of another web site (like Lowes) you place your cursor over the image and right click on the image, you will see a menu drop down that says (about midway down) "Copy Image Location" Left click on that. Then you will need to "Ctrl" and "V" at the same time between the "img" brackets.`
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Old 01-21-2011, 11:59 AM   #166
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Camping trip this weekend!

So this weekend the bus will get another short test-run. I'm especially curious to see what happens with condensation as I will be in 30 degree weather and will be running electric heaters one night and my new "Big Buddy" portable propane heater the next night. I'm still not done insulating the bus, so this will be an interesting experiment as a baseline for a before/after comparison.

Insulation remaining to be done is mainly just removable ridgid foam panels for the windows, some reflectix for the windshield and front door, and insulated curtains for the windows. There are also a few small areas of metal walls in the bus I haven't gotten around to insulating yet, and one window to be partially covered. Ultimately I want to enclose the bedroom with a door in the back and heavy curtains in the front so that I have a smaller space to heat when sleeping at night. I would definitely do this with electric heaters, and it would be possible to do with propane as well since there are a couple windows I could open, but the space just seems rather small to have a flame. The heater would have to be on the floor between the beds, and I could see a pillow or blanket falling off a bed and into the heater. I'm less worried about the electric heaters since they have a very fine mesh covering the heating elements.
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Old 01-21-2011, 12:18 PM   #167
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

So where are you going? If a campground, please give us a review in the travel forum and list it as being skoolie friendly over on http://www.campgroundreviews.com
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Old 01-21-2011, 12:38 PM   #168
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by lornaschinske
So where are you going? If a campground, please give us a review in the travel forum and list it as being skoolie friendly over on http://www.campgroundreviews.com
I'm attending an orienteering challenge in Bastrop State Park, TX. State parks of course are skoolie-friendly, but I won't actually be staying there anyway. The first night I will be on a friend's property, and the second night I'll be at a boy scout camp - both in/near Bastrop, TX. I'll plug into my friends 20A electric the first night, and have access to the bathroom in his house; but the boyscout camp is very primitive and has no electricity or water - just an outhouse. So there I will use propane.
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Old 01-21-2011, 12:48 PM   #169
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Brief progress update:

I got my house battery compartment sealed in. It is located at the bottom of an electrical closet inside the bus. I have already created a vent to the outside, but had not yet put up doors to seal it from the rest of the cabin. I also rigged up the pulleys on one of the upper movable bunk beds. It works great! The upper bunks are fairly heavy and it took two people to raise and secure them; but now it is a one person operation .

I also bought a new scratch & dent 6 gallon electric water heater off craigslist for $115, which is half what it would have cost retail. I'm now getting ready to buy an on-demand 12v water pump and water inlets online and small single basin kitchen sink hopefully from craigslist or habitat for humanity restore. Can anyone recommend a 12v water pump that activates automatically when you open the faucet, AND... costs less than $100?

Thanks,
Dan
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Old 01-21-2011, 01:40 PM   #170
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

Shurflow 2088 Classic

http://www.amazon.com/SHURflo-2088-4.../dp/B0006GK5NA 2.8gpm $66.98 Amazon free ship
2.8gpm is a good water flow when you couple that with the low flow shower heads and faucets.
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Old 01-21-2011, 03:47 PM   #171
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

I used to live about 2 miles north of Bastrop State Park, the mailing address was Paige, Tx. the only pine trees in central Texas are there.
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Old 01-22-2011, 08:16 PM   #172
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Bus didn't make it!

Sadly, the bus did not make it very far last night. The batteries were dead, and I figured maybe one of my kids turned on a switch or something, plus it's been sitting for a while. Anyway, I jump started it and headed out, figuring the batteries would charge up enough on the 1 hour drive, and worst case I could get another jump start if I needed it. But then a few miles from home I noticed that my headlights and dash lights were getting dimmer, and my speedo and tach gauges were acting erratic. So I turned around and just got home before my headlights died altogether. I suspect that my alternator is dead. It's weird though because the AMPS gauge was reading right in the middle. The VOLTS gauge was bottomed out at zero. Am I correct that the VOLTS gauge is measuring just the batteries and is not related to the alternator? I'm wondering why my AMPS gauge was reading zero (which I believe would indicate "normal" since the 0 is in the center between -150 and +150.

Anyway, I'm charging the batteries with a charger now so I can take the bus to Auto Zone and get the alternator tested.

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Old 01-22-2011, 10:37 PM   #173
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

hate to hear that, I know you were looking to have a good time and let E1 see the bus, could you have a loose wire somewhere? good luck with it
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Old 01-22-2011, 11:23 PM   #174
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

My amp gauge reads zero no matter what. I assume that it's no worky. Voltmeter should read your chassis 12V system. If your voltmeter is reading zero, it doesn't work or your voltage is zero. Time to put your handheld voltmeter on it.
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Old 02-02-2011, 08:04 AM   #175
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by putterspitt
I used to live about 2 miles north of Bastrop State Park, the mailing address was Paige, Tx. the only pine trees in central Texas are there.
yep and thats one reasen your not goin to see me moving there to!
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Old 02-02-2011, 08:09 AM   #176
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Re: Bus didn't make it!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Diesel Dan
Sadly, the bus did not make it very far last night. The batteries were dead, and I figured maybe one of my kids turned on a switch or something, plus it's been sitting for a while. Anyway, I jump started it and headed out, figuring the batteries would charge up enough on the 1 hour drive, and worst case I could get another jump start if I needed it. But then a few miles from home I noticed that my headlights and dash lights were getting dimmer, and my speedo and tach gauges were acting erratic. So I turned around and just got home before my headlights died altogether. I suspect that my alternator is dead. It's weird though because the AMPS gauge was reading right in the middle. The VOLTS gauge was bottomed out at zero. Am I correct that the VOLTS gauge is measuring just the batteries and is not related to the alternator? I'm wondering why my AMPS gauge was reading zero (which I believe would indicate "normal" since the 0 is in the center between -150 and +150.

Anyway, I'm charging the batteries with a charger now so I can take the bus to Auto Zone and get the alternator tested.

nope, when my anp gauge was working it moved from 50-100 amps with the rpm's
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Old 02-02-2011, 08:24 AM   #177
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

DD;

The voltage regulator in the alternator is shot. You'll need a new alternator if it's internal, or a new voltage regulator if it's external (usually internal, but the Ford designs are external for the most part).
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Old 02-02-2011, 08:38 AM   #178
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by M1031
DD;

The voltage regulator in the alternator is shot. You'll need a new alternator if it's internal, or a new voltage regulator if it's external (usually internal, but the Ford designs are external for the most part).
yeah ford has to be back assword about every thing it does
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Old 02-04-2011, 07:08 PM   #179
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie

Get a multimeter if you have one. Put it on DC. Check voltage at the battery terminals or even better at the back of the alternator. It should read around 13.5 if the alternator is working. If the alternator is not working you will get a voltage reading of whats left in the battery even with the engine running. Assuming all connections are clean and in working condition.

GOOD LUCK.
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Old 02-20-2011, 12:15 AM   #180
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Interior starting to take shape

So it's been a while since I've posted an update, but I continue to plug away, ever so slowly, on the magic bus. I've got the bunk area pretty much done, walls are sheeted with luan on the outside and paneling I got for free off craigslist on the inside. Also got the pulleys set up so the upper bunks can be raised and lowered easily.

Also got one of the kitchen counters framed and paneled - just need to make drawers and doors. I'm also close to finishing the cabinet that will occupy the space opposite the one you see in the picture below. The port side cabinet will have drawers for cooking implements and spices, and it will hold coolers in the bottom space, and stovetops on the next shelf: one is a propane campstove and the other is an electric range. So depending on cirumstances I'll pull out one or the other to use on top of the counter. I anticipate doing most cooking outdoors, so the portability of the stoves will give me that flexibility. I'll probably screw the stoves onto boards so I can use a spring clamp to temporarily hold whichever one is in use onto the counter during travel... or something like that.

The starboard cabinet will have the sink on top and water heater underneath; and then any empty space will be drawers for other kitchen stuff. I'll also have upper cabinets running the length of the kitchen/dining/sitting area to contain food, pots and pans, etc. The space above the cabinets will have a toaster oven on one side and a perhaps small microwave on the other side.



I also covered the lower window of the rear door and the other side window. So now the only window that is not blacked out in the back is the upper door window. That one will have a curtain. I wanted to make sure I could look out the back if needed.

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