The Newman Skoolie! - Page 11

cadillackid · 05-15-2016, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

If you have a Rural King nearby they have batteries CHEAP.
Mine have been stone reliable for like 2 years now. I start it every month or two. G31's were $75 when I bought mine.

wow! I never even heard of rural king.. turns out there are several in ohio within an hour from my home.. are they similar to a tractor supply or a quality farm and fleet?

I have no idea what shape my batteries are in.. I do know they are stil ldecent but ill have them tested for sure.. but with ohio winters and no glow plugs or grid.. im going to be sure to want strong batteries

-Christopher

EastCoastCB · 05-15-2016, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadillackid

wow! I never even heard of rural king.. turns out there are several in ohio within an hour from my home.. are they similar to a tractor supply or a quality farm and fleet?

I have no idea what shape my batteries are in.. I do know they are stil ldecent but ill have them tested for sure.. but with ohio winters and no glow plugs or grid.. im going to be sure to want strong batteries

-Christopher

They're like Tractor Supply but WAY better pricing on a lot of the stuff, and way more selection. Ours is HUGE inside. I got 5 gal jugs of 15w40 for my bus for like $30 on sale, man. Can't beat em for buying oils, fluids, or batteries. Every bus owner should check em out.
The batteries I've gotten from them have been EXCELLENT, especially for the price. 2 years of infrequent starting and only a 90 amp alternator and my batteries are holding up perfectly.

Jman6631 · 05-15-2016, 11:19 AM

Thanks, I've never heard of Rural King but I'll see if I can find them.

Jman6631 · 05-17-2016, 10:22 AM

Thanks to EastCoastCB's tip on another thread I picked some catalyst to add to my Valspar (similar to rustoleum but tintable) at Tractor Supply, my first time there, and it worked beautifully.

I went ahead and used the full container to the gallon. It was a little late to start, 5pm, but I enlisted my kids and we went for it.

I ended up painting until 10pm so that I wouldn't waste any. With the outside done I still had about a quart left so I moved inside and used the rest on the interior framing and panels until I ran out. As advertised it went on very smooth and set up well. It needed to because I was getting rain overnight and I needed it done.

This morning I took a look at it and for a first coat it really looks good. It laid down very smooth and the flat area we rollered ended up with just enough of that nice, subtle texture while the rub rails that we brushed on looked smooth as glass.

The pic is hard to judge in the rain and low light but it's not bad at all. It still needs to be a bit darker and browner for our taste but I can definitely live with the really high quality finish as the base coat.

GREAT stuff!

Jman6631 · 05-17-2016, 11:15 AM

I need to quickly - and easily - add 110v power to pass registration inspection and insurance. Have an inverter from my passenger car and was thinking about just wiring that into the bus temporarily. Without a cigarette socket in the bus can anyone recommend a fast path to hooking this thing up just for the inspections?

Thanks in advance!

Docsgsxr · 05-17-2016, 04:56 PM

2 things,

#1 - I told you to replace those d@mn batteries NORTON!!!!

#2 You have a harbor freight close by? http://http://www.harborfreight.com/...ter-66817.html

it has the clips you can just clamp onto the posts of the coach batteries for a temp use. (I'd find a way to cover the lines to the battery compartment though!)

Looking good!

-Doc

Jman6631 · 05-17-2016, 05:04 PM

Ha! Yeah, the existing batts will get replaced soon.

Until then do you mean clamp this inverter onto the existing soon-to-be-replaced engine batteries just for the dog-n-pony show? Meaning, they'll do double duty just for the inspection?

Docsgsxr · 05-17-2016, 05:09 PM

Yeah, why not? Does the regulation say you have to have seperate coach and starter batteries??? I'd do it in a second! Build a small cabinet on the floor, run the wire down to the battery, clamp on, screw the inverter to the side of the cabinet, plug in your cell phone, and show them it works!

Docsgsxr · 05-17-2016, 05:10 PM

if you really want to get fancy, put an inline switch on it so you can turn it off and on when you "need" it.

EastCoastCB · 05-17-2016, 05:15 PM

Awesome stuff man, glad its working out.

Rustoleum IS tintable, FWIW though. Valspar and Rustoleum are pretty much the same thing, just different labels. I think they're even made by the same parent company.

Jman6631 · 05-17-2016, 05:49 PM

Thanks Doc, sounds like a plan. I would have eventually caught up to your thinking, I hope!

EastCoastCB: I figured rustoleum must be tintable somewhere but it's not available as such around me. There is one Lowes that has the tintable Valspar base, but not the others that are closer to me, of course, go figure....

Jolly Roger · 05-17-2016, 06:22 PM

I would reccomend checking auto body paint suppliers? Sometimes they get surplus off base paints they haven't sold and can tint to your liking (if they are willing to make a sale)for a good price, but you have to buy and add the enamel and most is spray gun grade? But I as a kid have painted some tractors with a brush with decent results.
I know tractors and buses ain't the same and even my wife will tell you I ain't a painter and never planned on it but wish I had payed more attention to it now. But it is an idea.

Jman6631 · 05-17-2016, 06:42 PM

Yeah that is an idea. I was planning on manually applying it all in order to keep the kids involved, and this is very "accessible" to them, and I don't have a spraying rig.

And the Lowes that does carry the tintable Valspar isn't far from me. There is one closer but this one is the only one that carries it, which I find odd. But it's not inconvenient, just weird.

Jman6631 · 05-18-2016, 11:13 AM

Speaking of roof raises...with mine coming up soon I am prepping and studying, studying and prepping...re-reading the Millicent Chronicles, etc. I'm going with the modified farm jacks like Millicent. I considered the scaffolding method but the jackscrews don't go high enough for my ~3' raise, but the modified jacks can and will "hopefully" keep me raised and out of trouble, mostly...

As far as the roof profile goes, I'm thinking I'd like to try something I haven't seen yet and that's a two level roof. If you have seen one please direct me to that brave soul's posting...

What I have in mind is this:

The front half will be raised the full height, ~13'0", to give me room for a sleeping/storage loft up front and more storage towards the rear. The back half will be kept ~12" shorter to allow for future rooftop solar panels, a solar hot water coil, etc.

The first question is how to design the transition from the high side to the low side. I'd prefer a flat vertical drop to allow for the most usable square footage on the rear, lower roof, but I can't quite decide on the best framing method.

At that transition there will be only the one framing member, so do I keep it fully attached to the front, higher roof section or the rear, lower roof section? I'm thinking the front section but then that immediately raises the question of how to frame the now frameless lower section.

- Or - I could do the opposite and leave the frame attached to the lower section and have the same framing challenge with the upper frameless section.

- Or - I could literally split the difference and split the framing member in half and leave the lower roof panel attached to the rear side of the hat channel frame and the upper roof panel attached to the front side of the hat channel frame.

Then I'd have to figure out how to connect the split frame. I think the only way would be to buy one of the hat channel frames (which you can only buy in a full piece) from Freightliner, cut the legs off and then figure out how to modify and weld it into place from the upper section to the lower section.

- Or -

And this is where it gets interesting...I could go with an angled transition, not unlike the front of the bus above the driver's seat, and suck up the lost square footage and have a much simpler installation and fabrication.

Check out this artwork! Not even close to scale but you get the idea:

Thoughts?

jbohall001 · 05-18-2016, 11:29 AM

I would definetly go with a slopped rear section. Turbulence will likely be created if it's a 90* drop. Could produce noise?

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Robin97396 · 05-18-2016, 11:32 AM

You appear to be doing something quite unique. I've seen people raise the rear half or three quarters of the roof. I'm still admiring your ability to get things done and that you involve your kids.
My only concerns would be leakage with that many intrusions in the roof. I think the wind swept design would be better at draining water than a squared off drop to the rear section. That's an ambitious roof design but you're very well organized so I think it's going to work out.

Jman6631 · 05-18-2016, 11:48 AM

Thanks fellas!

The 90* drop is a much more complicated framing job and I would just tempt fate with leakage, delaming, etc. The sloped transition would be easier to frame and finish and seems like it would be more stable.

Hadn't even thought about the turbulence but you are exactly right. I'm no engineer but I do know that good aerodynamics requires that the air flow returns to it's original place. That's why wings, propellers (and rudders) are tapered, so that once the air passes over them it returns as much as possible to its original position. When it doesn't it swirls and you get turbulence, drag, noise, etc. DOH!

So then it's decided, a sloped transition from the high roof to the low roof. Now I just need to decide where to make the transition!

Docsgsxr · 05-18-2016, 01:13 PM

Why not just put solar panels on a slope from the rear? You could angle them off the higher to lower section and still keep your right angle...... just a thought.

Jman6631 · 05-18-2016, 03:49 PM

Thanks Doc,

The slope won't be big enough, I need more s.f. than that. In fact I plan filling the rear roof with the panels, I just don't know exactly how big of an area to allow for them. I haven't selected them yet so I don't know how big they will ultimately be.

I'll probably put a fixed window or two on that slope, depending on where exactly it will be over the floor plan.

Jman6631 · 05-20-2016, 09:53 PM

I could use some welder input. I know rudimentary welding enough to get me through this project. What I don't know is if the Harbor Freight gas-less welder I just picked up for cheap off Craigslist will get the job done (yes it works).

I know it's borderline but it was so cheap I couldn't pass it up. I'd rather not upgrade if I don't absolutely have to since it will only take money away from the rest of the project. After seeing what it can do it sure seems like it will be adequate, if only barely.

I will be doing a roof raise and will build storage boxes below deck, so it will be used.

Thoughts?

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