The Albatross Chronicles; bird meets Blue Bird, silliness ensues

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by family wagon

My Blue Bird CSRE body has a healthy mix of 28" and 35" center-to-center spacing. In the front and the rear there are pairs of 28" and 35" adjacent with a big horizontal slider window filling the entire space. In the middle of the bus there are about four 28" consecutive. I think they'd have used the 28-35 pairing all the way down if not for the rear service door, just forward of the rear axle. The rib spacing is all 28" in the mid section to accommodate the width of the rear service door.

Pic of your slider please. I don't like the rounded corner RV windows and would like to replace with square when don't with the roof raise.

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

The roof becomes more difficult with every degree, but if I fail to create a nice transition, I will hide it with a deck or something... maybe a conning tower! LOL.

Periscope!!!

[ColoradoCummins]

Man, I have a '93 TC2000 FE I'd give to you for this project!

But, it has a 5.9 and a blown AT545.... and is only 54pax.

And, it's in Denver.

Can't wait to see this come together! Awesome idea!

[family wagon]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Pic of your slider please. I don't like the rounded corner RV windows and would like to replace with square when don't with the roof raise.

Sorry.. these sliders have round corners.

[Elliot Naess]

Just a routine update.
Been busy with other things.
But yesterday, co-owner Peter and I brain-stormed the interior layout.

The driver's seat will be immediately behind the wheel well. So we lose quite a bit of interior space -- fully expected. But we should be able to put two school bus benches behind the Pilot's and Co-Pilot's seats -- that is, still inside the aircraft cockpit. So, up to six people can travel there.

The entrance door then falls immediately behind the bus/aircraft merge. And we will put a luggage storage rack directly opposite this. (Kind'a like airport shuttle buses.) We sorely miss having such a rack in Millicent.

There is a double belly box where the door goes, but we will relocate this to the left rear.
And we find that we can install the two belly boxes we saved from Old #35 (my first bus, which did not last long) to hold the black and gray waste tanks on the left side, between the aircraft and the rear axle.

Also, Peter has been eagerly removing un-needed Stuff from inside the aircraft -- wiring and plumbing and electric boxes and gadgets. It looks roomier in there already.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Also, Peter has been eagerly removing un-needed Stuff from inside the aircraft -- wiring and plumbing and electric boxes and gadgets. It looks roomier in there already.

Since you still have boxes from a previous bus, I probably don't need to tell you but keep all that stuff. It'll come in handy for something ... eventually.

[Elliot Naess]

"Never throw anything away" seems to be my life motto. And I cannot count how many times this has served me splendidly. Daily.
It is especially fun when a friend needs something -- maybe just kind'a thinks out loud "Wouldn't it be great to find something like..." and I can say ""Here you go" and hand him just such a thing.

Of course... trouble is.... I'm drowning in Stuff. I can barely walk thru my yard, my barn, and my house, for all the Stuff.

So I'm keeping only a few choice bits from the aircraft -- mechanical pieces that may actually serve a purpose, such as control levers and linkages.
Oh... and... a friend now has some of the wiring. She makes jewelry from copper wires and such "found and re-purposed materials".

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Of course... trouble is.... I'm drowning in Stuff. I can barely walk thru my yard, my barn, and my house, for all the Stuff.

Wish I had that problem. My "perfect house" is something like 800 sq ft with a 12,000 sq ft barn sitting on 20 acres. The house should have 400 sq ft of kitchen and the barn should be multiple bays and levels.

[Elliot Naess]

Ha, ha! Well, let's see....
My lot is 100' x 100' = less than 1/4 acre.
The house is a single-wide trailer-house of 12 x 56 = 672 sq ft.
There is also an old garage of roughly 20 x 20.
So I built a barn of 24 x 36 = 864 sq ft -- plus 2/3 of that upstairs storage. As you can tell, I'm single. LOL

And although my bodily health trouble wiped out my financial health situation, I still hope to build my dream house -- I made sure there is room for it. (Then delete the mobile.) The house would be max 750, but I may be able to build it as small as 400. With open floor plan, it would still be far more useful than the mobile, where half the space is wasted in the form of the corridor that connects the rooms.

Anyway.... About Albatross: Peter may be coming up today, and the plan is to install the two old belly boxes, so they are ready for tanks.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Ha, ha! Well, let's see....
My lot is 100' x 100' = less than 1/4 acre.
The house is a single-wide trailer-house of 12 x 56 = 672 sq ft.
There is also an old garage of roughly 20 x 20.
So I built a barn of 24 x 36 = 864 sq ft -- plus 2/3 of that upstairs storage. As you can tell, I'm single. LOL

You live in a far different neighborhood than I do. Someone would be shitting kittens if they saw my bus much less me trying to weld an airplane to it. It's been about 3 or 4 yrs but someone called the cops because cars were parked facing the wrong way. IT'S A DEAD END CUL DE SAC!!! It not like someone had to dive across 3 lanes of traffic to park on the wrong side of the street. Hell, when the car on the left curb lines up with the car on the right curb, there's only room for one car to get thru at a time.

Someone (probably the same someone) calls code enforcement on me 2 or 3 times a yr. I get a nasty note that my trash cans have to have lids. 1) My trash can is in the back yard; get the fock out of my yard 2) the "trash can" you're bitching about has the recycles in it; there's no requirement for those to have lids.

So, with or without piles of "junk", I need the 20 acre buffer so I don't shoot some bored asshole that has nothing better to do than worry about what it is that I'm doing.

(Then delete the mobile.)... but I may be able to build it as small as 400. With open floor plan, it would still be far more useful than the mobile,

As I recall a bus is close to 400 sq ft. Buy a $40 atlas and delete everything else. A bus, especially on the road, is far more useful than even the largest of barns.

Anyway.... About Albatross

: Peter may be coming up today, and the plan is to install the two old belly boxes, so they are ready for tanks.[/quote]Any new pics?

[Elliot Naess]

No pix yet.
As for neighborhood standards.... In my view, you are actually fortunate to live where you do. My town is one of the poorest in the country (yes, a mere 100 miles from one of the wealthiest), and we have a horrible problem with trash, junk cars, derelict buildings, and so on.

Our Code Enforcement department was completely shut down for a handful years, simply because there was not a penny to pay for it. Luckily, they are back in action now.

I volunteer with Citizens Caring For Clearlake, a highly informal bunch of mostly elderly ladies. We pick up trash. Much of it is big piles that have been illegally dumped in vacant lots and along roads.
I kind'a specialize in mattresses. The ladies contact citizens who have rotting mattresses in their front yards, and I haul those away.

Weekly garbage truck service is private and voluntary. Roughly half the households have it, and the other half just throw their trash "wherever".
The City Council is FINALLY working on an ordinance to make it universal -- they passed the "first reading" last week, 4 to 1.

Yes, I can keep two buses on my property, so long as they are licensed as private vehicles and fully operational.

I keep my other "treasures" in the back, out of public view. I actually have sight lines marked, so I don't inadvertently leave a pile of lumber scraps or whatnot visible from the street. It's primarily common courtesy -- which is a bit scarce around here.

Enough of that! Let's work on a bus!

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

No pix yet.
As for neighborhood standards.... In my view, you are actually fortunate to live where you do. My town is one of the poorest in the country (yes, a mere 100 miles from one of the wealthiest), and we have a horrible problem with trash, junk cars, derelict buildings, and so on.

Our Code Enforcement department was completely shut down for a handful years, simply because there was not a penny to pay for it. Luckily, they are back in action now.

I volunteer with Citizens Caring For Clearlake, a highly informal bunch of mostly elderly ladies. We pick up trash. Much of it is big piles that have been illegally dumped in vacant lots and along roads.
I kind'a specialize in mattresses. The ladies contact citizens who have rotting mattresses in their front yards, and I haul those away.

Weekly garbage truck service is private and voluntary. Roughly half the households have it, and the other half just throw their trash "wherever".
The City Council is FINALLY working on an ordinance to make it universal -- they passed the "first reading" last week, 4 to 1.

That is a bit extreme

Enough of that! Let's work on a bus!

9 more minutes. Time to see if I can find shut off valves on the heater hoses. Need to get rid of the lines for floor prep under them. 8 minutes and counting.

[Elliot Naess]

Yes, my neighborhood is extreme. That makes property dirt cheap, which is why I moved here -- when I became dirt poor.

But I like to think it always helps us humans to have a wide perspective on all debatable issues.
So I mention all this as an example of how things can go when nobody follows any rules. It simply doesn't work.

These are from my block and the next block over:




Directly behind me, this was vacated years ago, and people have been stealing scrap materials off it ever since. Normally, I mow the weeds to keep the fire hazard down.
It was red tagged a few months ago, so maybe something will be done soon -- which is why I have not mowed, not wanting to let the owner get credit for that. But I will mow it now that hot weather has arrived.

The one below is one block away. It has been like this since I moved here 15 years ago.

[Elliot Naess]

After that sordid tale... we must and shall do something uplifting, and something Albatross.




Those are the two belly boxes from "Old Number 35", long scrapped. They will go here on the left side to hold the black and gray tanks.





And this is the fresh tank. It was bought for Millicent, but not used yet, so it can go here. It is a splendid fit in Albatross' double boxes -- just knock out the center pillar (and replace it).
Mind you, this double-box will be moved to the left rear, since most of this area will be occupied by airplane and entry door.

[Robin97396]

"occupied by airplane"

Not many people can say that about their buses.

[Elliot Naess]

Aaaaannnnd... a few hours later... Peter and the kids have been and gone and here is the result.
Wrestling those boxes around is much easier with two men than alone -- though, of course, we lifted them into place with a floor jack.
They are fastened only with sheet metal screws at this time. But proper fastening is an easy one man job.
There are minor mistakes in the fitment, but... so what! We're not building a watch.
The doors are only loosely stuck in place for the photo.

Know what?... We are actually cutting on this beast now!

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Yes, my neighborhood is extreme. That makes property dirt cheap, which is why I moved here -- when I became dirt poor.

But I like to think it always helps us humans to have a wide perspective on all debatable issues.
So I mention all this as an example of how things can go when nobody follows any rules. It simply doesn't work.

There are extremes on both ends. Calling the cops because someone's car is facing the wrong way is just as stupid. One neighbor a few houses down had his son over. They were moving bags of mulch or something to the back yard. He got a ticket. Dude at the front of the street drives a semi, because it's a commercial vehicle, his ticket was high dollar.

These are from my block and the next block over:

Directly behind me, this was vacated years ago,

I like that one.

The one below is one block away. It has been like this since I moved here 15 years ago.

That one not so much.

There's a time and place for most things but I can't stand HOAs and noisy neighbors. If you want to stop by to see what I'm doing that's fine. Don't do it thru the curtains and then call the cops.

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Those are the two belly boxes from "Old Number 35", long scrapped. They will go here on the left side to hold the black and gray tanks.

Is it less work to use the prefabbed storage bins? Less costs since they are on hand but I don't have any spare boxes. No boxes on any of the junk yard buses either.

It is a splendid fit in Albatross' double boxes -- just knock out the center pillar (and replace it).

Is that a common stock size? How many gallons? I don't know if I want my tanks on the outside of the bus or not. I have a lot of empty space BETWEEN the frame rails. Can't get more centered of gravity than centered.

[Elliot Naess]

I cannot estimate whether it is less work to install tanks in factory belly boxes compared with other methods. It is simply what I prefer to do. Seems to me, it is a strong and secure way to carry all that weight, and protect the tank from damage at the same time.

This is the tank – Ameri-Kart W1078. It measures 15 x 26 x 64 inches.
I found it in a catalog where it also had the part number 23729.

Ameri-Kart - Recreational Vehicles (RV) Parts and Tanks | Ameri-Kart

Eleven years ago, it was listed as 98 gallons and 15 inches tall. Mine measures almost 15 1/4.

On that website now, they have it as 16” tall and 101 gallons. The drawing, however says 15 and 101.

If it really is closer to 16 in current production, it would NOT fit in this compartment.


As for balancing the weight.... Millicent leans severely to the right, and even more so with a heavy load. Obviously, I need to replace the springs.

And I feel we -- the whole highway vehicle industry -- ought to pay more attention to the detrimental effects of road crown. (The proof is in the x-rays of my spine. I now shim my seats to compensate.)
So I figure it may help to put weight on the left side.

Of course, with a pusher, you certainly ought to make good use of all that space in the middle!

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Ameri-Kart - Recreational Vehicles (RV) Parts and Tanks | Ameri-Kart

Disappoint; no price listed.

If it really is closer to 16 in current production, it would NOT fit in this compartment.

Why?!?? I don't remember the dimensions on my lockers but I think they are much taller than 16". I want to say 24 tall, 28 deep, and 80-90 long.

Of course, with a pusher, you certainly ought to make good use of all that space in the middle!

My only worry is the fill and drain lines. Drain can go under the frame to the skirt of the bus easy enough. Shouldn't be all that low even with a decent angle. Shower drain would be a problem. Water line to a sink can go thru tubing with a pump so it doesn't matter on routing.

Anything I'm missing?

[Elliot Naess]

Prices on things like RV water tanks seem to be all over the map. In 2016, I paid $280 for this 98 gallon tank. Now, I find $323 and $601, but availability is questionable.

Hunting for parts and prices is kind'a part of the sport with skoolies, I'm afraid.

The shower drain is a problem in Millicent. When driving, gray water -- make that gray gunk -- sloshes out of the shower drain. This is why RV toilets have a valve that keeps the drain closed except for the moment of flushing. Or one reason, at least.

So I keep the shower drain taped over, except when in use.

When I redo it, I will include a gate valve, installed so it is easily reached from the shower stall. With prominent signage.

Missing anything, Brewer Bob?
A tape measure?

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Prices on things like RV water tanks seem to be all over the map. In 2016, I paid $280 for this 98 gallon tank. Now, I find $323 and $601, but availability is questionable.

Ah, someone else posted some 100 gallon tanks that were around $160. I'll take those!! Don't remember the dimensions.

Hunting for parts and prices is kind'a part of the sport with skoolies, I'm afraid.

I don't like this part of the game.

The shower drain is a problem in Millicent. When driving, gray water -- make that gray gunk -- sloshes out of the shower drain. This is why RV toilets have a valve that keeps the drain closed except for the moment of flushing. Or one reason, at least.

When I redo it, I will include a gate valve, installed so it is easily reached from the shower stall. With prominent signage.

How/where? I'm thinking you'd need an access panel in the floor. The valve has to be below the drain. Unless you're using a really tall pea trap...

Missing anything, Brewer Bob?
A tape measure?

That's not funny. Not that you'd have any way of knowing.

I've measured stuff on my bus 4 or 5 or a dozen times. First I wrote it on paper but had it at the house not the office or the gf's house. Then I put it on my phone. Lost the phone. And after measuring the height, width, length and position from the front and rear of the bus of every window, I get back to the computer and I need to know how far inset they are from the wall or something stupid like that.

The bus is parked at work which is 35 minutes from home and 1 hour and a half from the gf's. It doesn't make life easy. Yeah, yeah, all part of the game too.