The Land Barge ...

[browncrown]

Looks like your coming along even with the winter ...brrrrr. Keep us posted with the progress

[Hex]

Another couple of not-so-below-freezing days, so more floor progress ...

End of Saturday:


And, I cleaned up the stand-alone bench seat (with four feet!), which included taking off the metal plate you see behind it:


Today, I got the top bar off the seat and cut it down about 7 inches, and did some dirty but functional welding to yield:


In fact, I got all three of the seats set in place to set the underfloor bracing:


And by the end of the day, had all the firring strips and insulation cut for the main seating area:



But at a cost. I killed a wonderbar and my angle grinder chewed up it's teeth :

[Hex]

So, more slow work being done, and I finally uploaded some pics (and more work done since these). But at least there's some progress ...

Some of the wall studs are going up, after the floor (except for the bathroom) get insulated and subbed ...


And, I'll be working it around the roof exit hatches ...


One seat, cut down, and fully bolted down ...


Also, frames around/over the wheel-wells ...


I still need to get a pic of the vintage Drive-In speakers that we picked up. We got five and three of them had perfect speakers, two I have to replace because the bass rattles them badly ...

[Hex]

Well ... Here are some pics of the latest work.

These are the rest of the studs of the bathroom walls ...

[Hex]

So, it's been a long time with no work, due to time and money issues, but recently we got to do some.

Over the 4th, we went down to try to remove/salvage a 1970's RV trailer. It was in a swampy field across from a stream that had eroded the base of the roadway down from the top of the hill where the main road is. It also hadn't been used at all for 5-6 years.

I had loaded the bus with all the tools I could think would be useful, plus lumber and plywood to help with moving the trailer. My wife brought my truck, since it's 4wd, so that we could tow the trailer or have a fixed point to winch from in the field if there wasn't a tree handy. It was a great day for a dive, and the bus did well on the hills, even with the engine temp getting up over 200 degrees. It was only 40-some-odd miles in each direction, and we learned that our dog who -always- throws up on car trips didn't in either direction in the bus.

When we got there we saw that it seemed to have sunk down into the muck around it, and noted that it not only didn't have tires, but no rims either. It was on some wooden blocks that had sunk in, such that the springs for the axles were sunk under the muck. And with the erosion around what was the culvert at the base of the hill, we couldn't get the bus or the truck down there (though the road down the hill was in really decent shape).

We quickly realized that, since it had no wheels, and while I could budge it with the come-along and chains, it wasn't going to be towed up to the barn to be dismantled. So, we started to take out the stuff that was worth salvaging.

We got out a LP pressure regulator and shutoff, a LP fridge, a LP furnace, a LP stove/range, stainless sink, fresh water tank (about 50 gal, I'm guessing), water pump, 30 amp AC breaker box, and RV toilet, as well as associated access hatches and vents. My wife and the boy were huge helps with this (the boy got out the furnace, and my wife got out the sink & got me access to the stove), and the boy salvages a whole bunch of the cabinet hardware he could reach. She also started removing clearance lights and such. But one of the things that I'm really happy about is that we snagged a RIVA plaque.


Unfortunately all of this stuff needs to be cleaned up, since there were mice in there (one escaped from the oven while I was working on removing it) and maybe other animals as well. And a lot of it is rusty, though I'm figuring on painting the stove with some high-temperature paint. I'm hoping that the fridge and stove work, as they're fairly important elements. The toilet is actually porcelain, and the works seem good, so I'm guessing I could rebuild it fairly easily if need be.

All in all a really productive day. We would have done more, but it was the 4th and we were slated to see fireworks with some friends, and that all worked out.


Does anyone know if one of the small propane containers (like for a burns-o-matic torch) will have enough pressure/volume to test the fridge or stove, or should I go and just buy myself a 20lb tank? (And no, I can't just steal the one from the grill, I'm strickly a lump charcoal guy. )

[lornaschinske]

You can probably still get parts for it. We have a vintage Mansfield Traveler 910 (predates Sealand) and I can get parts for it... Regular ROUND toilet seats will fit. You don't have to buy special, just go to Lowes/Home Depot/WalMart and get a ROUND seat.Floor flange we used was for a home toilet. We needed a thread to thread into the black tank. (sit black tank in place, thread toilet flange into the tank from inside bus, shim tank to where the flange is snug to the floor. strap tank in place then screw flange to floor). Buy NEW rust free toilet bolts from hardware store. We set the toilet in place after first putting a dot of silicone/elastometric on the bolts... once they are in correct place -- painters tape to hold snug to top edge of flange until dry-- It seems to greatly reduce the hassle factor.

For Traveler toilets (they never changed the design)...
How to Understand and Repair a SeaLand Marine RV Toilet

You probably need to replace the Vacuum Breaker (pita to get compression fitting out of the china part of the toilet slow and steady pressure (PLUS a "lube" on the rubber seal inside the china part of the toilet helps greatly... dish soap, KY or Vasoline... whichever you have) since it most likely froze or the seals have rotted.

You really need to replace the teflon ball seal & the toilet floor gasket before you install.

Traveler Troubleshooting
Traver Lite 111 parts diagram
Also..
Marks RV Sealand-Mansfield
Diagrams

Sealand 910/911
Mansfield 910


Sealand 110/111
210

[Hex]

Thanks Lorna!

You are a wealth of knowledge as always ...

[chev49]

the small propane tanks have enough pressure.. problem is that unless you modify the torch valve, they will not put out enough i have found... on a project i was working on a while back, i used a small drill and modified the valve and orifice for a torch, so that i could get liquid propane and lots of flow..
not something i would reccomend someone do who hasnt worked with propane, but it works fine.
also the small tanks last only about 2 min worth of propane before it runs out...

[Redbear]

The pressure in idle LP tanks is more a function of temperature than how much liquid it holds. Stored tanks could be at 100-200 psi in summer heat, and maybe 2-4 psi in sub-Arctic winters. The pressure keeps all the liquid from boiling to a gas, like a radiator cap raises the boiling point of engine coolant.

The pressure regulator in a plumbed propane system usually reduces the boiled-off vapor fed to the appliances to about 0.25 psi (7 water-column inches), and maybe 0.50 psi (14" H20) to a 10 kW generator. A two-stage regulator might have 10 psi (277" H20) between the first and second stages.

When you draw the vapor to an appliance, tank temperature and liquid surface area affect how fast the liquid can boil off to replace what has been drawn off. Draw it much faster than the liquid can boil, and the pressure will plummet. A torch/stove bottle will vaporize faster tilted into the diagonal Coleman Stove position than upright, due to the greater surface area at the liquid/gas boundary.

So, comparing an unregulated stove bottle with a tank and regulator is an apples to oranges type of proposition. The correct answer to your question is, "It depends . . . "

Obviously, Chev49 has some experience with these tests. I only have experience with bottles for torches, lamps, and stoves; and tanks for grilles, ranges, furnaces, and generators.

I did get a tank adapter and hose for our emergency portable catalytic heater, but haven't tested it yet . . .

[chev49]

yeah, you use water column tests to test the appliances... if ya had none, you can make your own.

[Hex]

Thanks guys.

Chev, how would I use the water column to test the appliances? I was assuming I'd just get the propane there and see what lit.

(After checking for leaks in the LP system, of course ... )

[chev49]

you can easily test for leaks cheaply buy buying the bubble and wand kit... that fluid has exactly the right surface tension. the water column is for the fine adjustments to your regulators, they are preset, and will pretty much work as is. mostly what you need to do is to be sure that the orifices are open, and your burner ends like on the stove arent plugged up. to clean them, you can buy cheaply a welding tip cleaner which has many size small wires and that will clean them out. dont take things like the oven thermostat apart as they need sealed properly, and i have never found one that had junk in it.

i think you could find out how to make a water column or purchase gas test equipment on the internet.

hope this helps.

[Redbear]

There are several articles on the internet, RV and otherwise, about making your own water-column tester using clear tubing, a little liquid, and a ruler or marked back-board. http://www.rverscorner.com/manometer.html is one of them.

Just remember the device is designed to measure a fraction of a psi. Connect it to a pressure tank, and you will have a fountain, not a gauge.

Originally Posted by Hex

. . . Does anyone know if one of the small propane containers (like for a burns-o-matic torch) will have enough pressure/volume to test the fridge or stove, or should I go and just buy myself a 20lb tank? (And no, I can't just steal the one from the grill, I'm strickly a lump charcoal guy. )

You might as well go and get a 20 lb. tank. If the appliances work, you would eventually want one, anyway. I might test the stove with a torch bottle lash-up, but personally wouldn't risk the 'fridge without a regulator.

You can get a re-conditioned tank at the exchange places like the box stores or home centers even if you don't have one to trade. Just be aware, most of them, at least around here, sell you 15 lbs of propane in a 20 lb tank in order to make the price look good compared to a refill. You don't have to buy a brand-new empty tank for the price of a 3/4 full reconditioned exchange tank, and then buy the gas elsewhere on top of that cost.

When you empty the tank, if you refill the whole 20 lbs. at a propane dealer you will come out a little bit ahead compared with another swap, and it won't run empty quite as often. If you are going to be refilling the tank instead of swapping it, try to check the certification dates stamped on the swap-out tanks, and pick a tank with the most recent date you can find. After a number of years (12?), the tanks can't be refilled without being re-certified.

If you have friends or neighbors who are not of the charcoal persuasion, they may have old tanks with worn-out grills that they see no value in, and will give you. Even an out-of-date tank can be exchanged at most of the swap places, but if it has an old valve there will be an up-charge to swap it for one with a modern Overfill Protection valve. The old tank will get a new OPD valve when it is re-habbed.

[Hex]

So, I'm back to doing some work on the bus. This time, some wainscotting for the walls. I've been working on some nice oak recessed paneling.



This is along the wall between the bathroom and the kitchen. I've since added a nice panel of 1/4" ply in the open area at the top.




This is some paneling that's right at the entry by the stairs and up to the rail/chair arm for the bench by the front door.

[bansil]

Looks good, I always envy the wood working folks

[eyedeal.ink]

diggin that woodwork, looking forward to seeing this one get trimmed out.

[browncrown]

The wood working looks fantastic. Very nice!

[wmkbailey]

The wood work looks great, how much do you rent out for?

[Hex]

Thanks all. I really enjoy doing the woodwork, but it's a hobby.

I just built a set of stairs for my in-laws and the neighbors wanted my card so I could do some work for them too. They were disappointed to find that I wasn't a professional.

[Hex]

So ... We're going to try an overnight camp in the shell, even if it's not much more than a 'metal tent'. It's only some 80 miles away, but it's a nice opportunity.

Thisafternoon I'll be picking up a used fridge and once I get myself a sandblaster, I'll clean up and paint the salvaged stove/range and I can get to building the galley kitchen.