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Old 10-23-2016, 12:47 PM   #101
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I just put my trusty Echo 600 to work cleaning up some giant water oak that fell in the recent storm.
Gotta love owning a nice saw.

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Old 10-23-2016, 01:17 PM   #102
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here in ohio because of last year's Mild winter places are over-run with really good firewood... no one bought any last year.. then this year we had a really hot summer so anything cut last year is well-seasoned.. and theres lots of it.. any new green trees cut down, no one wants until they sell out their stock of good seasoned wood.. the prediction is for a somewhat worse winter this year but not crazy cold, just wetter so many [eople arent stocking up high on wood...

if you burn wood for heat i would be out slapping up every bit i could as the prices are easily 40% off of what they were a year or 2 ago..

-Christopher
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Old 10-23-2016, 01:46 PM   #103
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I'm not really sure of the supply & demand down here in Georgia. I should have checked possibly before making the decision. However, free is free. Is the economy so great around here that people don't want free anymore?
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Old 08-18-2018, 10:38 PM   #104
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It's been close to two years since I've stopped by. So glad to see things are still up & down for many of us. A lot has happened. Been living in the Old Girl for over two years & have had good times & bad times. Lots to learn & lots to do. Will check back by in a day or two. Keep on Keeping on my many friends!!!!

Booger
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Old 08-19-2018, 08:19 AM   #105
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I just read through your whole thread......LOTS of ups and down, for sure. 2 years of living FT in the bus.....what's that like? We plan to FT when we finish our build and wouldn't mind some tips/tricks/reality checks. Are you mobile or stationary? Living/traveling with dogs (as we plan to do)? So so many questions!
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Old 08-19-2018, 08:26 AM   #106
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The-Breeze View Post
It's been close to two years since I've stopped by. So glad to see things are still up & down for many of us. A lot has happened. Been living in the Old Girl for over two years & have had good times & bad times. Lots to learn & lots to do. Will check back by in a day or two. Keep on Keeping on my many friends!!!!

Booger
Nice to see you posting!

Hows it going?
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Old 08-19-2018, 01:15 PM   #107
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Electrical

First off, let me say I never got comfortable with the way I had to post pictures here so I have opted to provide links. I learned to run my electrical lines. Lots of questions asked, lots of answers given. I spent as much time at HD returning the wrong things as I spent buying what I needed.

As cabinets were installed, walls were already built my easiest option was to install a raceway both sides of the bus just below the window sills. Our original thought was to run lines in a groove dug out of the foam insulation then covering with a sill. That would require sawing holes for the receptacles to fit in. Not anything I wanted to do or would have been good at. We also wanted our receptacles slightly below the windows vs at the floor. This is what I bought. https://www.homedepot.com/s/?search=...cal%20raceways. The Legrand line of raceways & receptacles.

I opted for the metal ones vs the plastic because of the dogs. It's a great option when you didn't have the forethought to run your lines prior to installing walls. I only had to deal with drilling a hole or two for the raceway thru the couple of walls we built vs cutting holes to fit a receptacle. Using the narrow boxes to avoid them sticking out too far proved to be the ticket for what I wanted. Also a bigger challenge when trying to fit all the wires inside & putting the cover back on.

I have to admit, running the electrical was very emotional. I spent many nights sitting & crying & worrying if I was doing it all right. Was I gonna burn down the place. Was I gonna electrocute myself. Was I going to blow up anything I plugged in. Even after I installed all of the receptacles on both sides I didn't feel comfortable with what I had done. I ended up one by one opening up each receptacle & verifying that each was perfect.

I had plans to have an electrician or at least someone more knowledgeable install my main breaker. I opted for 6 20A circuits. No main shut off breaker. Resulting in having to flip all to cut off power. No biggy. Never had to do it. In the end I ended up doing that myself too. Although I had a friend check it out before I put power to it.

Before power was turned on I had to make my very first cut into the side of the bus for the 30A receptacle I had planned to use. Another scary first. Very EGO inflating once done. The inlet was below the floor so I had to cut another hole to run my main wires down to it. My first hole even after all the calculations & measurements ended up slap dab into a strut. Not all the way through but I had to move over an inch or two & drill another hole to come out where my inlet was.


After two years, no tripped breakers I can say "a job well done".
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Old 08-19-2018, 01:36 PM   #108
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Moving into & living in front yard

I moved into the bus in my front yard after I had installed the electrical. Since I was planning to downsize & sell the "old homestead" I had my choice of things to take & things to leave behind. I started small, moving in my bed & my clothes. The next day bringing out a few more things. A chair here, a table there. Dishes, pots & pans, glasses, cups. A few things out of the fridge. After all, major difference in size of fridges. Not all in house fridge could come.

Slowly but surely I filled up the place. Since plans were to have a huge yard sale I spent a good bit of time arranging things for sale in the house. If I ran across something I had to keep I would have to go out to bus & either find a space for it or take something out to make room.

After a few months, taking things out, bringing back in things not used. Bringing more out. I got to a comfortable spot where what I had was all I would have. What is in the house needs to go.

I actually recommend that if you are at a place where you can actually "live in the bus" do it. I spent a good bit of time changing my mind on what I "had" to have. Many, many, many trips back & forth. I need this, no I don't need this. Where is my whatever.

Living day to day helps you face reality & I found that a year later many of the things I originally brought out were no longer in the bus.
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Old 08-19-2018, 05:24 PM   #109
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Good job taking on the electrical and getting it working. That is a nice way to wire things, that moulding. Now get yourself a smoke detector and then you can sleep better knowing your electrical is functioning well.


John
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Old 08-19-2018, 09:07 PM   #110
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Smoke Detectors & CO2 Monitors A MUST

Oh, for sure I have both smoke & co2 detectors. Smoke detector has gone off a couple times. Both times low battery.
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Old 08-21-2018, 08:58 PM   #111
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I like this thread.
You are more normal, like me.
Most of the builds on here are done by very rich, very talented people.
All i read is, i put 30,000 in my bus. I made anew door out of scrape steel. I the gears out of the rear end, made news ones in my shop and put itback together..
When i get a bus, i expect to use a lot of duct tape and the fridge will be secured with a cargo strap.
All i see is home made furiture. Mine will be walmart.
Everybody is building the taj mahal. I will be happy if mine doesnt look like a place to cook meth.
You are amazing.
And the ups and downs, yea, me too. Except i lost every one and everything before i have even started.
I hope to be like you, living in skoolie, soon.
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Old 08-22-2018, 07:24 AM   #112
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I agree The-Breeze is a nice bus. Not sure what I can do to help from this far away but, if you need anything I can help with all you need to do is ask.
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Old 08-22-2018, 12:44 PM   #113
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Update on where things stand

The Old Girl is emptied out. I have moved all my personal belonging into one of the small bedrooms in the trailer. The one closest to the back deck, where I can sit & enjoy the view I had in the bus & no longer have in this bedroom. I now get to look out a window to a dirt wall with a few straggly bushes here & there.

The master bathroom is now my pantry & part galley/kitchen. I can make coffee while sitting on the crapper. Exciting! My NuWave oven & PIC sit next to the TV in the bedroom. The small fridge is still in the bus & I am now getting to use the larger fridge in the trailer. The rest of the house is loaded with things from the cabin & barn down back. All sitting, gathering dust waiting for that yard sale that I plan to have soon. Many many things gone off to Thrift Stores for others to enjoy.

I made the decision about a month ago to sell the Old Girl. Two years of struggling on my own to empty out the cabin. Empty out the barn. Clear out the trailer & sell the place have finally taking its toll on me. I can't do it all. Age & health are against me. I had to finally admit that the dream of taking her down the road is just that....a dream. One that Clint & I shared for over 5 years.

Clint was the glue that would have made this a reality. He was the bus mechanic, the bus driver, the knowledgable carpenter & electrician, the plumber. I lived in her for over two years, two years that I will always remember. Wishing with all my heart that would have stretched into many many more years.

Lack of knowledge. Lack of income. All working against me. I fought with the VA, I fought with his Pension plan. Monies we both had set up for us to use were no longer available to me. I was stuck with paying for his funeral expenses. The pension that we planned to live off of fell through. Trust me, I did all I could.

That said...If you know of someone who would love to take over where we left off. This "old Girl" is going up for sale. I know she is in excellent condition body wise. Our one trip in her to Tennessee showed us that she goes down the road without a hitch. However, as she has sat for awhile I am currently in the process of having Walter from Wades Bus Cemetery up in Alto, GA come down, check her out, start her up & give her a clean bill of health mechanically. This should happen within the next week or so.

Will post more on my next venture in life....this old girl, me is not done with her plans of travelling yet.
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Old 08-22-2018, 12:56 PM   #114
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Video from 2 years ago

Here is a video a friend took of The Old Girl two years ago. Not much has changed. Though devoid of all my "necessities" she looks a little naked & some things changed but mostly what you see is what she's got.

I also have many pieces of furniture & wood left over stored down back that will be included for the next loving person to do their thing with. Remember I still need to have that huge yard sale so anything & everything can gladly go with the bus.

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Old 08-24-2018, 11:40 PM   #115
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and The Old Girl will rise up again

Walter Wade from Wade's Bus Cemetery in Alto, GA stopped by today with his wife to do a complete check on the Old Girl & get her started up. When I spoke with him last he told me to charge up the battery. Which I did, however she was just shy of having the juice to get her running.

Ne will be back tomorrow with another battery & hooked them together. He expected that she would give him a hard time having sat for 4 years. He mentioned that once he got her happy again he will work on getting the air brakes right. He said they frequently will lock up with sitting & it just takes a little prodding on his part to have them happy.

As I told him that she was tagged & insured he mentioned that he may even take her down the road to see if he can find any other problem with her. When we bought her from him 5 years ago he went over her with a fine tooth comb & made sure that everything was up & running fine. Which she did.

His wife came with him & she mentioned that she felt more comfortable in her than the camper they now had. So when he mentioned that maybe his son might be interested she spoke up & said they would have to talk about it.

I wouldn't be in the least surprised if she don't end up back where we bought her. Will keep y'all posted on where The Old Girl goes next on her adventures.
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Old 08-25-2018, 10:56 AM   #116
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Walter and his wife are downright good people.
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Old 08-25-2018, 12:45 PM   #117
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The OLD GIRL purrs like a kitten.

They are exceptional people. Today was trip #2 from Alto to Gainesville. Once he put his battery in line with hers she started right up & started purring like a kitten. The air brakes released & has no doubt in his mind that she will move on down the road as she should.

He says the Cummin 5.9 need to be moving. That they don't like sitting around. He discovered a pin point leak in the return line & will pick up what she needs & stop back by sometime during the week to replace it.

He put everything back as it should be & started her over & over again. I sat there crying like a baby while Debbie said "There you go, one more step taken for me to move on to my next venture". Oh, I will miss her so much.

The back door alarm went off & tired of listening to it I closed the door & pushed the red handle down only to find it did not stop. Debbie his wife went back there & pushed down on the red handle slightly & the noise stopped. She mentioned that you have to be sure it is completely down & that they had been questioned many times about the noise.

Now to do up a posting & get her sold.
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