Bingo the Bus

[sproutroot]

I also was really underwhelmed by the wheel wells that Terra Transit had in here. I imagine they were never very good, even when brand new, but at this point they're very rotten. So much so that the floor above them was springy

Anyway, I installed some new wheel wells, which I made out of the radius of an old home heat oil tank. They turned out really well, although I'll definitely be adding great stuff to seal every seam.

[cowlitzcoach]

The alternator is going to be a minimum of about 150 AMPS and could be as large as 300 AMPS. It all depends upon who spe'c'ed the bus originally and what it was supposed to be doing.

If it was in transit use it would more likely be the larger spe'c since in transit use the bus would be doing a lot of stop and go, lots of idling, and not a lot of high speed runs.

If it was in parking shuttle use it would more like be the larger spe'c as well since they rarely went very far but would go back and forth a lot of times each shift.

If it was in paratransit use it would more likely be toward the smaller spe'c as they don't stop nearly as often.

If it was purchased by a senior center it would most likely be the smaller spe'c.

Visually, if it looks similar to what is on a pickup it will most likely not be much more than 150 AMPS. If it looks thicker or bigger around than what is on a pickup it will more likely be well in excess of 150 AMPS.

The only way to tell for sure would be to pull it off and have it tested.

[sproutroot]

I'm pretty much assuming it's ~150A, but unless I want to go through the trouble of pulling off the doghouse, that'll just be an estimate. I'll likely be able to narrow it down using my TM-2030 battery monitor, and the 100A breaker I put in between the starting and house banks.

If it really is a huge alternator, I'll probably need to replace the breaker, the isolator, and all that wiring (4 AWG). We'll see.

[sproutroot]

I recently installed the backup camera. After a ton of research I settled on this setup. Lots of good reviews, the bad reviews were either quickly serviced by customer care, or were by people who didn't read directions well. The pair cost >$60
Camera: Robot Check
Monitor: Robot Check

This camera actually doesn't have many reviews, but an identical camera (it's oriented upside-down rather than vertically) had a ton, and directed me to this one if I wanted this orientation.

I mounted the monitor overhead where the cabin lights and rear A/C controls used to be. It fits almost perfectly, I'll have to put some dome lights in with a switch to fill in the rest of the hole there.

[sproutroot]

Just came across this bed product and thought it made for some inspirational stuff for mini-bus guys. I'll be using a lofted bed, so it's not for me, but it definitely achieves a lot of storage space without needing huge drawers, or walkways down each side of the bed.

https://www.facebook.com/thisisinsid...6/?pnref=story

[leadsled01]

Link is no good.

Originally Posted by sproutroot

Just came across this bed product and thought it made for some inspirational stuff for mini-bus guys. I'll be using a lofted bed, so it's not for me, but it definitely achieves a lot of storage space without needing huge drawers, or walkways down each side of the bed.

http://https://www.facebook.com/this...6068171401486/

[sproutroot]

Think I fixed it.

[sproutroot]

I got my shower stall in today. I found this stall sitting in the barn being used as a storage container. After a lot of cutting, it fits. Now I need to make it pretty, and water tight.

This stall will be both my shower, and my bathroom. I have a sawdust toilet that I'll take out whenever I need to shower.

Let me just add that -if you're going to go this route- make sure you do everything you can to protect your respiratory system, and your eyes. I ended up wearing a dust mask and a full face fleece ski mask over it to keep all the dust away, plus ski goggles for my eyes. It was uncomfortable, but I came to this after trying a bunch of things that didn't work. It was worth the discomfort. I wish I'd had a full on respirator.

[sproutroot]

cool facebook video with examples of RV dream furniture. Hope it works.. https://www.facebook.com/15341285069...8186902840681/

[Scooternj]

Originally Posted by sproutroot

cool facebook video with examples of RV dream furniture. Hope it works.. https://www.facebook.com/15341285069...8186902840681/

It's like IKEA on steroids. I did find that one wall mounted bunk bed interesting. Although, I also like these ideas-

[Robin97396]

Hey, where's the craftmatic with magic fingers and heat?

[sproutroot]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Hey, where's the craftmatic with magic fingers and heat?

I think that's the Tokyo model; not approved for the American market.

Edit: Oh wow! I totally thought you were kidding, hahahah! "Enjoy Relief and Relaxation. A Craftmatic® Adjustable Bed with optional heat and massage may provide temporary relief from..."

[Robin97396]

It does a pretty good job of making a bus rattle when you get the vibration frequency just right on the massage mechanism on a craftmatic. Actually I think the bed in overkill and most people use them as just a bed. No storage underneath but just enough room to loose one shoe.

[sproutroot]

This guy is a Powerstroke genius. His website is an incredible resource for any Powerstroke owner; tons of interesting instructional/informational videos about typical problem areas, how to address them, and how to maximize performance without killing your rig: POWERSTROKEHELP.COM - The Information Source for Ford Power Stroke Diesel Owners & Mechanics

I'd always heard that 7.3L Powerstrokes were the only ones that wouldn't leave you stranded, but this video opened my eyes to the pros and cons of each generation, and there's much more info on the particulars at his website:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o2LGuzl0go

[sproutroot]

Originally Posted by sproutroot

I bought a DIY spray foam insulation kit, and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks they found successful for keeping the nozzle clean after use. I've read that this is the issue that makes these kits a one-time-use item; but I don't want to have to do the entire bus in one headlong rush, and I'm not one to accept defeat easily.

My dad thought that perhaps you could jam pipe cleaners into the nozzle right after use to keep it from clogging. I thought maybe cleaning it with acetone while the foam is still wet would work.

Has anyone had success trying something like this?

I asked this question last year, and I finally got around to testing it today. My answer is acetone.

I found that when I was done spraying the foam I could remove the nozzle and toss it in a shot glass full of acetone. After a few minutes I took it out, popped out the mixer insert, and was able to scrub it clean with a wire brush (picture is after scrubbing). This relieves a lot of the pressure of doing the whole job at one time, although you're still supposed to use the whole kit up within 30 days of initial use.

The product I bought is called Foam It Green, and I'm using it as an adhesive layer behind my board insulation. I'm attempting to spray a very light layer of foam and then press board insulation into it. I'm hoping this will fill in all the air gaps, seal the exterior, and be a lot cheaper than a full spray foam job. That being said, it's significantly more work than just spraying foam in.

There is definitely a bit of a learning curve to the application. The foam sprays and dries very quickly, so not only will it require two people to perform my plan, but the sprayperson will need to be pretty adept so as not to overspray and waste the foam. The quick drying will also limit the size of the boards I can use, although that's not such a big deal.

[sproutroot]

Haven't posted in a while, so updating this thread with some of the pictures I have sitting in my procrastination folder. I'm well ahead of these pictures, but my phone is on the fritz, so I can't take new photos or upload them to my computer right now.



This group is while I was doing a second layer of insulation. You can see the first layer was flush with the frame. Vehicles are tough to insulate well, so rather than being incredibly detail-oriented in the cab, or rebuilding the floor (future plan), or minimizing windows, I've put my effort into eliminating cold bridging behind/above the cab. I'm hoping this will make the other shortcomings more manageable. Unfortunately, this means that none of my friends over 6'1" can stand up inside anymore You can also see here that the wiring is in, as is the shower's skeleton. Once my phone is back up I'll be able to go into more detail there.

In this overhead shot, you can see just a little bit of snow melting around the hatch. I was trying to show how well the roof is holding its heat now that there are 2" of insulation. The snow had been there for 2 days, and the space heater was keeping the inside of the bus warm (50F - 65F) that entire time. The tarp is because the roof has a few leaks
I stopped using the expensive Foam-It-Green spray foam insulation, and instead I'm just using Great Stuff. It's cheaper, it's easier to use intermittently, and it's very sticky (I'm using it for my 1/8" plywood paneling as well). Foam-It-Green is incredible if you're doing non-stop work on a stud wall, but what I'm doing isn't so straightforward.

[sproutroot]

As I've said, I'm further along than these pics, but since my phone broke I've been panicking about losing pictures, and updating this thread is my therapy.

This is the process I've been using for all the gluing on the walls and ceilings. It's a huge pain. You can only do as much gluing as you have bracing for, and once you've done that, you can't walk around in the bus anymore. It makes for a very slow process. I've taken to running out and gluing up a panel right before I leave home, letting it dry while I'm gone. It's still quite slow. No question that screws have the advantage here.


Here's the beginning of my countertop. Live edge white cedar. It's all fitted and pretty now, but of course I have no pictures of that.

Aside from plumbing in the water fixtures, the big project on the ticket right now is the LP. I have a shelf built for mounting in the belly where the old A/C condenser used to hang. I don't have any current pics of this, but here's an old one. I'm talking about behind the grill on the skirt.

Once that is mounted, it'll be LP plumbing, water plumbing, then I'll probably start using this beast (as I continue to work on it). I can't tell you how many times I've wished it just had a bed and a stovetop so I could take it out for a weekend.

[sproutroot]

My phone's contents were rescued, but I've been out of town for 3 weeks. So, no real progress since my last post, but at least now you can see all my lost pictures and get caught up.

Here are some kitchen counter pictures.


Before any trimming. I'd been planning a full-height cabinet on the kitchen side of the shower wall, but I'm "forgetting" it these days for simplicity's sake. If it bothers me later, I can always retrofit one.


For whatever reason, I decided to use an oscillating tool to trim around the windows, rather than using a circular saw to trim straight along the back. I don't hate it, so we'll see how it works. It could be an advantage depending on whether I steal Roach's(?) window box trick (http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...l-7156-22.html).


Starting to fit a scrap piece for my backsplash. I will be trying to keep as much bark on these live-edge pieces as possible. So far so good, but if pieces wear off...


This was my solution for 1 of 3 outlets that stick way out of the wall (another attempt to avoid cold-bridging) in my bus. We'll see how the others buff out, but I don't think they'll be as easy to blend as this one.


Fitting the sink! I made this way more difficult than it needed to be. Never having installed a sink before, I tried to carve out every individual hole I'd need to get the sink to fit.

Just cut one big hole, guys. Just one.


Remember when I said this outlet was an easy one to blend? I'm sure the placement right behind the sink won't be too inconvenient, but it was definitely a facepalm moment.

That's where I stopped on the counter install. This project got sidelined when I stole the miter, etc. for my metal project (same tools, different blades).

[sproutroot]

I need an under-body cabinet to house my LP tanks (2 x 20lb. tanks). It will also house my generator (2000 watt), a gas tank, and a tool box. I needed to finish it so I could start plumbing my propane appliances, so I really committed to getting the cabinet done and installed before my trip.

I almost succeeded.

Some pictures of the progress:


I'd like to say this was the starting point, but frankly, it's not even close. I had never welded before starting this conversion, so a little difficulty was a reasonable expectation. My setup is as basic as it gets. A 220V AC stick welder with 3/32" 6011 rod. Many people call this Farmer's rod. It can make some rugged welds, and it doesn't require much cleanliness, so it's perfect for field work. Not so great for a beginner welding 1" tubing.
Long story short, if anyone was counting we might be calling this the 10th iteration. I will say that progress gained considerable momentum when I bought an auto-darkening welding helmet (great deal, great helmet, slow(ish) shipping: https://www.amazon.com/Weldcote-Meta...welding+helmet).
But I digress!


Test fit #8/15.
This used to be where the air conditioner's condenser was. The skirt dips down just right for a LP tank to fit upright through the opening I cut. Unfortunately, the skirt dips down just right to make fitting the cabinet a huge PITA. Another perfect combination of convenience, elegance, and unyielding difficulty.


Floors and test fit #11/26
I made the floor under the propane tanks out of expanded steel because propane is heavier than air, so any leaks will drain easily through the floor and waft away. If too much dirt gets in because of that, I'll just cover it with a mat or something.


Walls and ready for paint (black VHT epoxy, simply because it's self etching).


Progress doesn't wait for paint to cure.

I did manage to get this mounted under the bus before I left, but I don't have any pictures of it. To finish this project I'll need to weld up a door frame, figure out what to use for trim, and throw a bunch of rivets at it. I also think I'd like some sort of rubber/plastic mat to protect the solid side of the floor, and a removable divider between the propane and gasoline.

Hopefully, that update will come soon. I'll be home Tuesday, and I have the rest of the week to work on the bus before work next Monday.

[joeblack5]

Looks great, I really like the artsy look of the life edge, wish i had that in me. How far is the underbody frame below the frame rails?

nice progress with bingo as well.

later j