1998 VanHool 45' coach conversion

[Piersg]

Wow, great work!

[Offgr1d]

30 gallons of water cooled from 86deg to 47deg in 15min...time lapse..
Working on the other internal air exchangers this weekend. So for the rear of the bus rooftop unit is operational (needs a bigger water pump) but keeps the bus at a cool 72deg so far running only one compressor and pulling only 10amps 240v. So far so good - continuing to iron out the kinks.

[cadillackid]

wow! not bad at all.. thats serious cooldown quick! just what you need for a bus that may be parked shutdown for a time.. cant wait to see what you get when you have all 4 air handlers and both compressors maxxed out..

you'll spin some condensor fans then!
-Chrisrtopher

[Tango]

Are you planning on transporting seafood in that rig?

[Robin97396]

Flash frozen. Jackets are hanging on the outside of the bus.

[KandS]

Might have to borrow that slide out idea if I ever build out a van!

[M1031A1]

Offgr1d,

I sent you an e-mail.

M1031

[cadillackid]

Wow ! I never realized just how big a vanhool coach was until I just saw one parked t a local Home Depot.. That's one massive bus and lots of under belly storage too.. I see why you chose this to make your motor home from!
Christopher

[KandS]

@offgr1d

Are you on Instagram?

Thanks

[Offgr1d]

Yeah I have an Instagram account, sort of, but no pics are up. Can you use Instagram to post pictures in this forum?

Cadillac - yeah, she is a big bus.. Smooth ride and lots of room for a crazy buildout..
Been running and testing chiller last few days. Thinking I want to add glycol so I can drop the water temp closer to 30-35 deg... Been running water at 47 because at that temp the plate exchanger runs at about 37... I don't want to get to close to freezing temps without the glycol in the system. I can't add that till the rest of the other 3 exchangers are installed. As of right now - the back of bus gets nice and cool, more so than the front area with the minisplit...

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Offgr1d

Yeah I have an Instagram account, sort of, but no pics are up. Can you use Instagram to post pictures in this forum?

Cadillac - yeah, she is a big bus.. Smooth ride and lots of room for a crazy buildout..
Been running and testing chiller last few days. Thinking I want to add glycol so I can drop the water temp closer to 30-35 deg... Been running water at 47 because at that temp the plate exchanger runs at about 37... I don't want to get to close to freezing temps without the glycol in the system. I can't add that till the rest of the other 3 exchangers are installed. As of right now - the back of bus gets nice and cool, more so than the front area with the minisplit...

are you keeping the minisplit or is it getting replaced with one of the new fan coils?

I been working to bring up the A/C on mine.. I dont have any of my ducting installed yet.. having an issue with my TxV hunting... I wanted an electronic or adjustable TxV.. they sent me an evaporator with an 'H' valve... my least favorite.... ..will see if i can make it work or if I have to get them to send me a different coil box that has what I really wanted... they claim that their 'H' valve is better than a standard mechanical Bulb-type TxV... .. not convinced yet.. I may just nit have enough charge in it.. it DOES blow nice cold air which is a plus.... my suction pressure just stays low all the time...

-Christopher

[Oregon's bus guy]

subbed. damn fine work.

[Offgr1d]

I will not be keeping the mini split once the other air coils are installed. They get air routes through grills, down the front lounge Windows and to the driver area. 2 coils go up front (basically directly above driver and above the front door. I'm leaving the huge front window unobstructed because the view is awesome when driving.

Mini split goes away - some bay storage will be gained.

Congrats Cadillac on getting your ac started. Saw your pics/post. Does look like a little off pressures for some reason. When I have 90deg water through my plate exchanger, the head is a little high, but drops dramatically as I maintain the cold water...

I actually thought that super low pressure on low side is a refrigerant starvation?? I lol ask my guy on 134a and see what he thinks.
What amount of charge does the system call for?

[cadillackid]

the base manual calls for 52 oz of R-134a.. However it doesnt state how many feet of liquid line that includes.. the base A/C kit is designed for multiple vehicles.. and talks about 3oz of refrigerant charge change for every 10 feet of liquid line.. but doesnt give me a base ot start from.. it came with 25 feet of liquid line... however my evaporator since almost directly above the condensor.. so im at about 10 feet of liquid line..

today i put a base charge of 36 oz in and worked up from there... easily at 36 oz I could see im undercharged as my evaporator superheat was way off... however omnce i got to about 46 oz.. and up to the 52 it calls for i saw no difference.. the expansion valve hunts... and the head pressure moves a little..

my personal opinion of H-valve expansion vales is that the thermal measurement of the suction temperature also bleeds heat over in the aluminum block from the inlet... if my inlet is too cold and affects the thermal disc then its going to starve the evaporator as it excaserbates the issue... the inlet gets colder when you starve it more as the oressure is so low the liquid boild off instantly.. giving me exactly what im seeing...

charging more in doesnt affect it as its actually the TxV causing the starvation... my site glass goes clear which means there is plenty of liquid supply ready to go into the evaporator...

the manufacturer covered the H-valve in that insulating black gooo tar... makes me wonder if that insulation is hurting things,.. normally you only insulate the bulb on an external TxV.. not the whole valve.. even my thermal disc is covered up.. which is going to tend to make it run colder.. and starve the coil...

tomorrow's test will be to let the bus hot soak.. start it up and see how long it takes the suction pressure to come down ... my guess is while that thermal disc is warm I'll see a normal suction pressure till that whole block cools down... then i have the task of removing that god awful goo from the valve to see if that helps.. I notice in All normal automotive applications that H-valve is never covered up with insulation...

the air is cold so maybe I should analyze any further... however its the OCD in me that builds an A/C to run right not just run cold.. after all a starved evaporatir iftenb leads to oil starving a compressor..

-Christopher

[KandS]

Originally Posted by Offgr1d

Yeah I have an Instagram account, sort of, but no pics are up. Can you use Instagram to post pictures in this forum?

You can indeed!

I use Instagram to follow a ton of bus and van life builds is all, and was hoping to add yours for the inspiration and ideas

[Van Hooligan]

Greetings!
I've been following this build and just have to say it's one of the most amazing efforts I've ever seen.
Quick question about the chiller vs. AC choice.. I'm a complete novice on the subject.
Would the chiller work as well in a high humidity environment, or is it designed to work best in the desert?
Keep up the astounding work.
I was leaning towards a bus conversion, but watching your build has converted me, for better or worse, to converting a coach..
Any more pics? Floor plan? Designs in-process?
Mark

[cadillackid]

you can run a chiller in humid environments.. in fact you can much more precisely control fan-coil temperatures with a glycol loop than you cvan a refrigerant loop..

since the refrigerant is cooling the glycol you have a nice Load Ballast for the compressors to work with.. you get good efficiency when your glycol pipes are well insulated.. which they need to be or you'll get condensate in your walls.. but thats EASY to solve.. plus your compressors arent constantly hunting for the proper rate of expansion.. your TxV's have time to react... its an excellent setup when done right (which this build is)...

you can technically achieve a coil temperature right at freezing if you wish which will pull out humidity very quickly...

when I built chiller systems for large buildings we ran our loop temperatures based on of course cooling load but also humidity load.. so as humidity increased we dropped our loop temps down and slowed our airflow...

the OP can get as precise as he wants with this system..!!

in my house im using VRV (variable refrigerant flow).. and im really good at getting precision but I cannot match the precision of a chiller... with refrigerant I have to let it vary or im always changing the rate of expansion which wrecks efficiency...

-Christopher

[Offgr1d]

Yep - Chris hit it in the button. The idea is the ability to control coil temps. In my case of choosing this method (other than a great challenge) was easier distribution of the air with efficiency. I just run insulated water lines to multiple air exchangers. I'm still working out kinks - like water pressure / rate / flow / plate temps etc...

Very cool Hooligan that you want to go a coach route!!! I'm excited for you. It is a great platform to build on
I love all builds and its the personal touch that makes them all unique be it a skoolie or coach!

I have yet to draw a "nice" layout of my floor plan. It is different than any I have seen. I have a side isle or more so an "S" isle and a near rear kitchen, mid bath, huge front lounge / theater - lol....
It is designed around my needs and common uses rather than a weekender or vacation style unit. I do live fultime in it - so those are main decision factors in layout.

I'll try to sketch something up. As for interior pics - just due to the fact I have so few interior finishing a done / I'm kinda weird about sharing - don't know why, but I like to surprise people with a finished looking product more than my strange way I end up getting there.

But they are coming. I enjoy this forum and its always full of knowledge and ideas

[Offgr1d]

Rest of my parts for getting the generator installed came... Flexible exhaust line, fuel fittings etc... I'm using the Parker HTFS diesel lines with quick push fittings. I was so excited to find the aluminum tank for bus has 4 extra pickups and return lines already on top with 1/4 npt threads! Yay - literally a screw in fitting add and route fuel lines and tie into genset. Also picked up the wire and fez conduit to tie it into my electrical panel (which needs dire need of cleanup) as so many things were wired temporarily until finish walls and conduit runs get it...

This weekend I should be able to fire the beast up!!!

[GnatMan515]

Wow! Beautiful work! I'll be following you guys now for sure! Thank you for sharing! C-Ya!,,,, Peace!