Somewhereinusa - Page 2

4rjn · 10-08-2011, 05:45 PM

Hey there just wondering how the project is going. I sure wish I could find one like you did, Take Care

somewhereinusa · 10-10-2011, 08:04 AM

You would think that, having retired, I would have more time. I have been catching up on 20 years of "honey do's". One of my first priorities is to get the entrance door sealed up to keep the weather out. There's probably been more rain on that first step since coming to Indiana than in all of it's first 20 years combined.

I have much of that done, but wasn't happy with the window I was going to put in it, so a trip to the rv surplus store was done yesterday and I found just what I wanted. Slight problem with the latching system I am using, but that was solved (in my head) sometime in the middle of last night.
When I get it finished, I'll post some work in progress pictures.

somewhereinusa · 10-11-2011, 06:45 PM

The door is coming along nicely. I wanted an ambulance door, but couldn't find one that I could afford. I the old door apart and moved the rear section with hinge to the front, then welded the rear section on for the right width using the full door frame. I have installed bear claw latches so that it has two latches. I still have to make the actual door knob assy and figure out a dead bolt lock. Here is a picture sans skin, with window temporarily installed.The gray painted part is the new door.

Tango · 10-11-2011, 11:33 PM

Looking excellent Somewhere! --- Just wish I had the original door for my '46, I'd do the same. Damn Hippies tore it out and installed a wooden piece of crap that was falling apart. The replacement I am building is steel framed and a real bear to put together. Turns out the bus has an almost invisible set of subtle curves I have to work around that has made it far more challenging than the flat slab I'd figured on making. Ahhh...the joys of crafting!

somewhereinusa · 12-17-2011, 04:01 PM

It's been quite some time since my last post,it seems like I've been working on the door FOREVER. I FINALLY got it ready to hang. I scrapped the first door I was working on, when I got ready to put the skin on I discovered that the original was bowed quite badly along the side the hinge was on. Rather than try to redo it I bought new steel and started from scratch. It seems I had to rethink things a number of times. I wasted a lot of time trying to bent the skin myself, I just couldn't build a bender strong enough. The shop I took it to did an excellent job.
Latch assy.

Latch

I think the finished door came out quite nice.

Inside

Latch

One problem is I'm going to have to wait till my son comes down for Christmas to help hang it. It's heavier than I want to try by myself.

wtd · 12-17-2011, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somewhereinusa

I think the finished door came out quite nice.

Indeed it did! Very nice.

browncrown · 12-17-2011, 05:50 PM

Door came out looking really nice!!!

Tango · 12-18-2011, 12:50 PM

Hey Somewhere...looks super! Still working on mine but hope it turns out half as nice. Are the double latches and handle set up from an RV or where did you get it?

somewhereinusa · 12-18-2011, 01:12 PM

Thanks Tango.
The latches came from here
http://store.gaugemagazine.com/large...ts-pair-1.aspx

The rest I kinda put together myself. The handles are from a RV surplus place and are supposed to be interior I hope they don't go bad too soon.

dirtygoat · 12-20-2011, 06:28 PM

Door looks great... Any more pics you can post up??? I'm pretty handy with metal and would love to pick apart the pics for ideas...

I thought at first you pulled the latches off of car doors... I have a few old chevy doors out back that might have to get cut up now...

thommassey · 12-20-2011, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bus-bro

Boy, if you build your plans you'll find out about a whole lot of work and money.
I have a '84 BB AA, and the insulation actually seems pretty good.
Does it have the dreaded Cat 3208ta.

OK... I have to ask (since my BB AA RE has one), why is it the Dreaded3208 Cat???

I wonder, if they made so many, and they turn at a higher rpm, does that really decrease their life span? Even though designed that way?

somewhereinusa · 01-01-2012, 12:50 PM

I've resurrected my old travel blog to show bus build. I hurt my leg over two weeks ago and am now just getting back to feeling like work, Now it's going to get cold out.
Blog is here
http://somewhereinusa.blogspot.com/

bus-bro · 01-01-2012, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thommassey

Quote:

Originally Posted by bus-bro

Boy, if you build your plans you'll find out about a whole lot of work and money.
I have a '84 BB AA, and the insulation actually seems pretty good.
Does it have the dreaded Cat 3208ta.

OK... I have to ask (since my BB AA RE has one), why is it the Dreaded3208 Cat???

I wonder, if they made so many, and they turn at a higher rpm, does that really decrease their life span? Even though designed that way?

I meant the dreaded Cat3208na, not the turbo'd Cat. Sorry.

Glad that you healed up, somewhere. From my experience with my conversion project, being that it was birthed in the ashes of divorce, all sorts of personal disasters has ocurred during the project. The one constant has been the bus, patiently sitting there, waiting for me to pick up the tools.

Keep on bus'in.

somewhereinusa · 01-30-2012, 06:03 PM

I got the electric door lock finished and installed today, I think it works pretty cool. Note in the crack between the door and jam you can see the dead bolt move into the door. That just about finishes up all I can do on the door frame until it gets warm enough for paint to dry. It can be actuated either by remote control or a key switch on the outside. There will also be a switch on the inside. While I was at it I removed a lot of wiring that had to do with the flashing lights and side stop sign. Here's a link to the video, I couldn't figure out how to embed it in the post.

http://s69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...t=doorlock.mp4

thommassey · 01-30-2012, 06:06 PM

Thanks for the video... big help.

somewhereinusa · 02-10-2012, 04:30 PM

I installed a lock on the rear door. I wanted one that could be unlocked from inside or outside.

mchunt · 02-10-2012, 04:37 PM

I like what you did there.

bansil · 02-10-2012, 06:51 PM

That is very slick,now I know it works,we were at lowes getting locks for the house and saw those style....oh did say"sweeeet"

RevBill · 02-19-2012, 03:21 PM

now that is a slick install .. I have not seen it done quite that way .. there's another idea I'll be "borrowing" .. good stuff ..

somewhereinusa · 02-23-2012, 05:08 PM

While the weather isn't quite cooperating, it has been really nice here. Not quite to the point where I want to open up the whole side of the bus to the weather. I took some time to so some cleaning up so I can walk around in there again. I also have been working on some of those small things that need to get done so something else can get done.

I'm not one to do something the conventional way, and my heating system is no exception. I'm going to have in floor hot water radiant heat, and since none of the parts I'm using is really meant for the purpose, I have to get everything ready and adapted to accept the pex tubing I'm using. Each room will have it's own thermostat which controls a water pump to circulate water to that room. Here's a picture of the gang of water pumps, their relays, and the manifold at the other end with air bleeds.

I also have the boiler, water heater and heat exchanger ready for the pex.

Hopefully the weather will get to the point that I can work on the windows and skin soon.

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