The Broccoli Bus

[cadillackid]

lookin good!! I love the metal framing for like you say.. plenty of room for wires, pipes, even insulation if you want things really quiet..

I havent delved into my stairs yet... im dsure they look just like yours! or worse..

lookin good! im interested to know what you coat them with.. as I am ready to get rid of the worn out rubber mat on mine.
-Christopher

[aaronsb]

Got the stairwell wall and handrail thing built. I'll cover with an upholstery panel soon. This frame was difficult, because of all the little connectors and features it needed.

[aaronsb]

Got the final design for the pneumatic door latch actuator. Tomorrow I'll add the inside handle.

Its neat having a latching, locking pneumatic swing door.

[browncrown]

Looking very nice!!!

[Whiskeyjr]

Could you take a video of it in operation?


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[aaronsb]

Sure, I'll get some tonight. I have to clean up my workspace mess in front of the bus to pull it forward enough so the door opens all the way.

Originally Posted by Whiskeyjr

Could you take a video of it in operation?


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[aaronsb]

Here ya go.

https://goo.gl/photos/yjRZ3b6fBmK3nYWv8

Originally Posted by Whiskeyjr

Could you take a video of it in operation?


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[Whiskeyjr]

That is awesome! Fantastic work!


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[Asetechrail]

Love the door! Very cool! 👍

[dgorila1]

Originally Posted by aaronsb

Here ya go.

https://goo.gl/photos/yjRZ3b6fBmK3nYWv8

Dude, that is so cool! Can you sketch up a crude diagram of the components and steps the circuit operates in to open/close the door. Many of us may want to "borrow" your design

[ol trunt]

Very nice job on the pneumatic door!

You have no doubt thought of this, but I will mention it anyway. When I built the pneumatic door for my bus I added an air valve near the door which when turned releases the air pressure and allows the door to be opened simply by pushing it. Though I originally planned it to be an emergency release, I now find it very useful at a campsite for easy access to the bus without having to have the air compressor working all the time. I found a pic of the valve as it looked while I was building the door--it has the "things left to do" note pad hanging from it. Jack
.

[aaronsb]

Yep, you make a good point. Bluebird made it easy - they left an "emergency release" lever right above the door, very prominent. For now, the last one out just flips the lever, which turns the whole door into a manual access door, no air required.

I have assigned the task to my future self the job of adding a solenoid release for that same switch, so it can be remotely activated (like say with a wireless keyfob)

I haven't really figured out the comings and goings of the family and daily living in the vehicle yet, so I haven't gone further than the minimum. Tricky door maneuvers will come later.

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Very nice job on the pneumatic door!

You have no doubt thought of this, but I will mention it anyway. When I built the pneumatic door for my bus I added an air valve near the door which when turned releases the air pressure and allows the door to be opened simply by pushing it. Though I originally planned it to be an emergency release, I now find it very useful at a campsite for easy access to the bus without having to have the air compressor working all the time. I found a pic of the valve as it looked while I was building the door--it has the "things left to do" note pad hanging from it. Jack
.

[ol trunt]

I set mine up with a "hall way light" switching system. SPDT toggle on the inside and a SPDT keyed (fob) on the outside. I used a similar switch set up for turning the compressor on/off from either inside or outside the bus. Jack

[aaronsb]

Feels like every panel and finish piece is a struggle. It looks good enough so I'm happy with the result.

Carpet/ply panels in riding cabin area keep noise down. I have picked the hardest panels to complete first, naturally.



Stairwell entrance gets the same sorta thing.


Preview of the other areas. Birch with teak oil finish and aluminum trim over black painted steel frame.

[cadillackid]

its lookin good!! what do you use to trim out your carpet on those panels? I like that look. !

I love those seats!!.. i want seats like that!!

-Christopher

[aaronsb]

A little more.



Looks kinda like

[aaronsb]

Just wrapping the carpet around the edge of the panel. Its an uncut thread so the carpet has a tendancy to snag when putting screws through it.

Angle aluminum channel. Seats from a parted out casino coach undergoing conversion to a camper. They are made by freedman seating.

Originally Posted by cadillackid

its lookin good!! what do you use to trim out your carpet on those panels? I like that look. !

I love those seats!!.. i want seats like that!!

-Christopher

[family wagon]

Originally Posted by aaronsb

At some point I'm going to have to paint this beast for real. I was thinking of Sherwin williams shurthane 2k. Any thoughts? It'll be about 3 weeks of sanding prep I bet. Ugh.

How's the paint plan looking? I'm just about to drop a metric ton of coin on paint as well, and have been looking at the Sherwin-Williams automotive line. My local dealer is steering me toward the ATX (under "refinish") or Genesis (under "fleet" or "heavy truck/bus") products. An obvious difference in the two is that ATX is a base-clear system whereas Genesis G2 is single-stage. Cost for the ATX base and the G2 are about the same; the clear coat on top of the ATX adds about $1000. I really wanted to do a base-clear system because of a perception that it would have longer life, but the fleet users of Genesis seem to feel like the service life they get from that is fine.. Either way it seems I'm looking at a DTM epoxy primer (E2A933 in gray for example) to go over my new galvanized and galvanneal sheeting.

Initially I had been thinking industrial enamel (that's what ShurThane is, right?) but the information I could find seemed to indicate enamels might go chalky or otherwise not endure well sitting in the sun for more than a few years between re-coats.

[aaronsb]

You're following the same line of reasoning I have.

There's a Sherwin-Williams store south of where I'm at that sells the industrial automotive paints. ShurThane is on my mind, but I'm also considering a single stage polyureathane.

It's not completely off the table that I might get a metric-ass-ton of green water based carc and call it a day, since I need to re-paint my unimog too.

So, OD green - that would lend itself well to making the bus get turned away at every rv park, you think?

I am aiming for an ivory or off-white overall color, and a black skirt trim (from the lowest rub rail to the bottom)

I don't think there's a longevity difference with base/clear vs. single stage. When the surface starts to fail on a base/clear it's usually the clear that needs re-application. You have to be careful to only remove clear and as little color as possible. However, it lends itself well to color matching since the underlying coating is generally the same color.

When single stage starts to fade or loose luster, you can re-buff back but you have to basically buff the entire vehicle to match.

Originally Posted by family wagon

How's the paint plan looking? I'm just about to drop a metric ton of coin on paint as well, and have been looking at the Sherwin-Williams automotive line. My local dealer is steering me toward the ATX (under "refinish") or Genesis (under "fleet" or "heavy truck/bus") products. An obvious difference in the two is that ATX is a base-clear system whereas Genesis G2 is single-stage. Cost for the ATX base and the G2 are about the same; the clear coat on top of the ATX adds about $1000. I really wanted to do a base-clear system because of a perception that it would have longer life, but the fleet users of Genesis seem to feel like the service life they get from that is fine.. Either way it seems I'm looking at a DTM epoxy primer (E2A933 in gray for example) to go over my new galvanized and galvanneal sheeting.

Initially I had been thinking industrial enamel (that's what ShurThane is, right?) but the information I could find seemed to indicate enamels might go chalky or otherwise not endure well sitting in the sun for more than a few years between re-coats.

[aaronsb]

Lots of gluing plastic to ply backing going on. This stuff never ends it seems. The finished panels seem to take the temperature swing and durability test when done though.