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Old 03-10-2012, 05:33 PM   #41
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Today I fixed the alternator on the bus. Replacing the regulator did the trick. First I had to get TO the alternator to remove it. This required pulling the intercooler tube and intake tube. They were held on by heavy duty hose clamps. The hardest part of this job was getting the rubber to let go of the metal tube. I used a flat blade screwdriver, wedging it in between the metal and the rubber, and worked my way around.

...and the alternator is now accessible!
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Old 03-10-2012, 05:41 PM   #42
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Now that it is on the table, I took the old regulator out. There were 4 screws holding it in, plus a couple nuts holding the exciter wire (these were right beneath the "R" that was marked on the regulator casing.

My lovely assistant looking on.

The new regulator.

The "R" mentioned above.
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Old 03-10-2012, 05:51 PM   #43
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Next I removed the positive and negative leads, and pulled the blue exciter wire through. I checked the brushes, which had about an inch left (the instructions said if they were damaged or 3/8" or less to replace them).


I put the brushes back in, compressing the springs, and used a piece of stiff wire to hold them in place. There is a hole in the regulator housing specifically for this.


I attached the wiring to the new regulator and started the screws. Now that the the brushes' springs could not come back out, I pulled out the wire.
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Old 03-10-2012, 05:57 PM   #44
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

We took the bus for a drive and stopped by my parents' house to show it off, then drove it out to my friend, Dennis's house to drop off most of the seats. While we were there, we disconnected the remaining air lines for the stop sign and crossing gate, putting a quick connect in place of one of the lines for future use. Dennis also corrected an issue with my idle, adding a lock nut to keep it from drifting.

When I got back home, I pulled the aluminum trim that holds the center aisle rubber down. I pulled up the runner, and pulled back some of the rubber floor around the wheel wells. Found a very small amount of surface rust there, but everything looks really solid.
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Old 03-10-2012, 07:00 PM   #45
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Here is a couple of screenshots of the floor plan we have in mind. We are planning to start laying it out with masking tape and maybe mock it up in cardboard soon.

Here is the overhead view of the layout. Yes, we are planning on closing in the folding door ala Sportyrick's bus for a navigator seat. The regular RV door will replace the emergency exit door on the driver's side. We are aware that most RVs have the entry door on the passenger side, but we like it better this way.


Here is a look at the dinette. Barb and I are still not 100% agreed on how this will be laid out. This is my idea.


Here is a look at the dinette area, when torn down for travelling. The idea is to have 4 seats, with the 2 on each side facing each other, with 2 seat belts per seat. We are at this time planning on just using bus seats, eventually re-upholstering them.


No we are not putting in a boat style steering wheel haha! My son dared me to put that in when I was looking for a steering wheel.
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Old 03-10-2012, 08:46 PM   #46
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

I like that idea... where would you put the table during travel? Would you also use it for a bed if needed?
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Old 03-10-2012, 09:09 PM   #47
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Dan, you might want to consider putting the bathroom betwixt the rear bedroom and the bunk area. That way the kids won't hear you snoring back there and other things.
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Old 03-11-2012, 09:31 AM   #48
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

@Thommassey - We will probably just stow the table and benches.


@Mightybus - We thought about that but don't want to have adults going through an area where the kids are sleeping to get to the bathroom if we are up late... um... drinking... uh... koolaid and stuff.
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Old 03-12-2012, 10:41 PM   #49
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

The rubber floor is stripped. Thanks Caleb for the help!

The reflective strips need removed before painting. This has proven to be quite time-consuming. The best practice seems to be heat gun on low heat, 5 seconds of heat, wait about 6 seconds, then peel. 3-4 inches at a time. Ugh... and there is still a good amount of goo left to clean off. Oven cleaner has been the best. Spray, leave on for 5 minutes or so, use a rag and a lot of elbow grease to rub off the goo. The oven cleaner takes off some of the paint, but it is getting repainted anyway. Barb did most of this work.
Before:

After:
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Old 03-12-2012, 11:51 PM   #50
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Method I've found effective in cleaning up goo: 000 steel wool dipped in acetone, and then a touch up with acetone on a rag. Wear thick rubber gloves and don't breathe the fumes.
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Old 03-13-2012, 08:46 AM   #51
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Very nice! the floor dosnt look that rusty too, you got lucky
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Old 03-13-2012, 12:47 PM   #52
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

I agree There are a couple small spots of rust, but even those are rock solid.
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Old 03-13-2012, 12:50 PM   #53
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

I think we are going to cut out the majority of the coolant lines to the rear heater, and move it to one of the seats making up the dinette, since that is where people will be sitting when the bus is in motion. I thought about setting it up with a hot water heater and pump like Lorna plans on doing, but we will likely just use space heaters for the time being, since we plan to have hookups when camping in general.
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Old 03-17-2012, 10:03 AM   #54
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

...and the wallet gets lighter LOL!
Ordered HyTech paint additive for roof and floor paint. Acquiring subfloor materials today. Checked into sheet metal for the skinning, and a local business is offering to cut us a deal on some extra galvanized they have left over, will go to look at that sometime next week.
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Old 03-17-2012, 10:12 AM   #55
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheRainbowBoxer
...I thought about setting it up with a hot water heater and pump like Lorna plans on doing, but we will likely just use space heaters for the time being, since we plan to have hookups when camping in general.
Use plenty of insulation! Space heaters are handy but they draw a lot of power and heat up circuits. I noticed that one of the peeves about the current campground is electrical usage. Very high draw on 30 amps makes the campground unhappy (potential damage to electric pedestal) plus we have our utilities included in our site. Others do not. The $$ invested in insulation now will save it down the road in both heating and cooling costs. Note: a single space heater is not sufficient when temps are dropping below freezing and you only have original bus insulation installed! : Brr! shock:
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Old 03-18-2012, 10:56 PM   #56
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheRainbowBoxer
...and the wallet gets lighter LOL!
Ordered HyTech paint additive for roof and floor paint. Acquiring subfloor materials today. Checked into sheet metal for the skinning, and a local business is offering to cut us a deal on some extra galvanized they have left over, will go to look at that sometime next week.

I used galvanized over the door where the lift was and got some bubbles in the paint... I sanded it really well and wiped it down with something, I'll take a look because I can't remember what it was... If I were to do it again, I would not use galvy... Just my $0.02...
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Old 03-19-2012, 08:14 AM   #57
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtygoat
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheRainbowBoxer
...and the wallet gets lighter LOL!
Ordered HyTech paint additive for roof and floor paint. Acquiring subfloor materials today. Checked into sheet metal for the skinning, and a local business is offering to cut us a deal on some extra galvanized they have left over, will go to look at that sometime next week.

I used galvanized over the door where the lift was and got some bubbles in the paint... I sanded it really well and wiped it down with something, I'll take a look because I can't remember what it was... If I were to do it again, I would not use galvy... Just my $0.02...
Ditto on not using galvanized. I used it to skin my windows and painting it was a nightmare! I let it age a while, sanded, wiped it down with vinegar to etch it as recommended by various people and the primer didn't stick well at all. Then I used a self-etching primer designed for galvanized metal and it was horrible stuff to work with - runs all over the place (and it's not like I don't know how to apply spray paint, this stuff was just designed to run). Never again will I use galvanized metal for something that will be painted.
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Old 03-19-2012, 08:22 AM   #58
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

Thanks for the warnings. I probably will not wind up using galvanized, unless the price is ridiculous.
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Old 03-19-2012, 09:53 AM   #59
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

You can also get a sheetmetal product called "Paintgrip"...it is simply galvanized metal that is already etched and ready to paint. Very easy to work with and widely used in the RV industry.
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Old 03-19-2012, 10:13 AM   #60
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Re: Ludicrous Speed

I used ACE Galvanized & Aluminum Primer ("100% latex... Interior or Exterior... Excellent Bonding... Under Oil or Latex"). Brushed it on. Worked great. I prepped the flashing we used with paint thinner (to clean off all my markings) then wiped it down with cheap white vinegar. The I put on two coats of primer allowing each coat to dry overnight. This is the same stuff I primed the aluminum siding on the Class C with back in 2006. The latex house paint is still sticking to it.
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