Re-wiring existing roof lights

[Jeremyc]

Hi all,

This is my first post in the forum as my partner and I just purchased a 2006 GMC E350 shuttle bus for our conversion!

I have done a lot of research and the electrical system for me seems to be the hardest part to grasp. It also makes it a bit difficult to think of adding lights to the ceiling when it's just got a whole one piece fiberglass roof rather than individual metals panels that school buses seem to have (same for the walls).

Ideally, I would keep the current wiring and just replace the light itself with power-efficient LED's

I was wondering if it's possible to do this and just make it so they run off the house batteries instead of the car battery?

Any help would be greatly appreciated - It seems to be a lot harder to find info for these fiberglass shuttle buses than skoolies

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Jeremyc

Ideally, I would keep the current wiring and just replace the light itself with power-efficient LED's

I was wondering if it's possible to do this and just make it so they run off the house batteries instead of the car battery?

Any help would be greatly appreciated - It seems to be a lot harder to find info for these fiberglass shuttle buses than skoolies

Sure ! it's easy. You want to take a bulb out and look at the tiny numbers or post a pic.



Decide if you want bluish light or yellower light. That's what they mean by temperature

[Jeremyc]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Sure ! it's easy. You want to take a bulb out and look at the tiny numbers or post a pic.

Attachment 18866

Decide if you want bluish light or yellower light. That's what they mean by temperature

Attachment 18867

Thanks for your response

is it possible to make it so these lights are powered by the deep cycle batteries we put in rather than the car battery that they currently use?

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Jeremyc

Thanks for your response

is it possible to make it so these lights are powered by the deep cycle batteries we put in rather than the car battery that they currently use?

Sure ! remove the current battery and replace with deep cycle battery.


You are going to eventually want to get a DC power distribution system. Something that has some switches, gauges and most importantly- circuit breakers to protect wiring.

something LIKE this- do research, just grabbed this one, but it has a built-in charger for that house battery.



It's all here- start reading before you start spending!!!

Boat dc panel will get you by, but fewer features.

[Gdog 5651]

I would think that for temporary use you could find the fuse that powers the cabin lights you wish to repower remove the fuse and supply power from your house battery to the non power side of the fuse panel circuit BE SURE to fuse the circuit. Temporary only until you get your conversion going and install proper distribution center

[Jeremyc]

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses! I think I will probably use a professional to help me with all of this

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Jeremyc

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses! I think I will probably use a professional to help me with all of this

Professional what? Electricians aren't real fond of these oddball 12V projects. You need to learn at some point...to maintain? It will get real $$$ to farm everything out. We can help.

[Champagne]

Seems there is always someone who whines and moans when anyone resurrects an old post, but there are also complaints when new posts are made that already have existing threads on the topic. Go figure!

Anyway, I am going the resurrection option, so no need to point it out

I have a similar question about reusing existing wiring.

My bus has an existing power distribution center for 12v onboard things such as the floor heaters, lights, cameras, etc. all of which I have removed but saved and kept the wiring in place. Ideally I would like to use the existing wiring and put in new lights and perhaps power a fan or something from the heater cable, assuming the amperage rating on the wire and fuses comply.

My bus just has two big starter batteries and no sort of deep cell auxillary battery. There is a switch left of the drivers seat labeled AUX. This switch turns on the power distribution center with all of the fuses above the drivers seat. I assume this switch just enables the starter batteries to power these devices and is there so that these things don't drain the starter when not in use.

I am planning to add my own deep cycle Lithium battery for the house battery setup. What I would ideally like to do is move the power to the distribution box over to my house battery so that all of these things can just be powered by my house batteries and my starters can be used only for starting.

Now the problem that I haven't worked out yet is that many of these things also require the key in the ignition and switched to the electrical on setting to work. If I switch over the the house battery, I would also want to just be able to flip the aux switch and not have to put the key in every time. I saw something someone posted about a solenoid that controls this. Would it be as simple as removing that solenoid or rewiring it? I don't want to mess up something important like starting the vehicle as I have done that before already

I am still in the early stages of my build despite having my bus for a while now. I am just getting around to all of the wiring and trying to map things out. I have some experience with 12v systems but not in automotive, more with DIY solar projects.

I also prefer the DIY route as long as I can do it (somewhat) safely.

Thanks for the help!

[Rwnielsen]

I usually whine about old threads because I get sucked into them without noticing. Generally, someone is selling a bus and another will respond "is this still available?" and there's a ten year gap between the two
Anyway...what kind of bus are you working on? Is it full size? On some full size busses there's a door outside, under the driver's window with fuses and solenoids that control most of the bus and chassis wiring. The release for it is just behind the left side switch panel, down somewhat low. If that's what you have then the sky's the limit

[Rucker]

Best to keep the house system separate from the chassis system, precisely because of the unknowns and questions you raise. Are you dead set on trying to drive some of the existing with the house battery?

[magnakansas]

telephone me.

i think i can be of help to you.

william 785 207 7600

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

you should have two separate solenoids.
one for the starter and one for everything else and it doesnt care where it gets its power from but if directly wired to the battery in would be energized at all times instead of a switch energizing it like the key switch.
right now your key switch puts power to it and then it puts power to the auxilliary switch.
so you would need re wire things to send battery power to the switch and the switch control the solenoid to send power to your terminal strip.
all wiring from the terminal strip out should be fine but to rewire the battery switch solenoid you will need to question the wire size and length of runs and if the switch can handle it in that configuration.