Gillig Phantom Dashboard/Cockpit Rehab

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

this is rockin!!!!! love this build out of the dash !!!

as for office .. I have one.. but my real work gets done when im in my "office with a steering wheel"... - dreamin up the next features and fixes for my product line..

-Christopher

Christopher, thank you for the comments. Product line??

Yesterday I finished spraying the dash pieces; it looks much better with the spar urethane applied, and should be very tough.

I also finished wiring up the pod; lots of wires coming from that little pod.


Tonight I hope to at least install the two lower levels of the dash into the bus, and get the main dash assembled and wired up in the house.

[ComfortEagle]

So, more pics of my almost completed dashboard... Still work to be done, like WIRING, installing the switch panel to the left of the glovebox, and mounting the gauge pod on the A-pillar.

And then on to the heater enclosure and the console to the left of the driver seat.

The three dash pieces are securely bolted into a steel tube behind the defrost vents. I will be adding another mounting bolt to the frame in front of the steering wheel.


The middle section will serve as the "top" of the heater box.


The "wicker look" trim in the "trays" is actually non-adhesive drawer and shelf liner material. I considered using toolbox foam, or more heavy duty rubber mat, but I am liking the look of the liner material and at $10 for a 20ft roll, it's almost free.

[BlackJohn]

Nice looking setup you have made. I really like that you have installed a binnacle also, something every bus should have. Does it seem to be affected by any of the electronics so close or the running of the engine? Maybe too early for an answer but am interested how it works. If me I would mount it straight ahead of your view rather than off to the side for accurate readings and staying on a true course. But, hey, I am a boater....


Thanks,


John

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

Nice looking setup you have made. I really like that you have installed a binnacle also, something every bus should have. Does it seem to be affected by any of the electronics so close or the running of the engine? Maybe too early for an answer but am interested how it works. If me I would mount it straight ahead of your view rather than off to the side for accurate readings and staying on a true course. But, hey, I am a boater....

Thank you for the comments John. Bonus points to you for using the word binnacle.

I Incorporated the "binnacle" for two principle reasons: 1) Personally I think it looks really cool (it even has matching red backlighting...), and 2) if given the option, for orienting the bus when we park.

If I ever actually need it for navigation, something will have gone terribly wrong. I haven't talked on a CB radio in years, but I'm putting one of those in too.

[cycle61]

I learned a new word today. Thank you gentlemen. Also, that dashboard looks gorgeous.

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by cycle61

I learned a new word today. Thank you gentlemen. Also, that dashboard looks gorgeous.

Yes, the word of the day is binnacle...

I am hoping to get the dash installed permanently this weekend It has been taking me a long time but it's been a little overwhelming at times. I am jealous of all you skoolie owners with pristine stock dashboards...

Here is the latest; I decided to do away with the traditional ignition switch and key in favor of this cool "Joe's Racing" ignition panel.

Not sure what other switches I will be putting in that rocker switch mount panel...

[Iceni John]

Rick,

One thing you may want to think about now before you're completely locked into the final design is how well those gauges will be visible when low sun is shining on their faces. My bus has a good cowl over the gauges, but I still wish it were even deeper to keep direct and indirect sunlight off the gauges. Aircraft have very deep cowls over the top of their instrument panel for this exact reason, and I may try to replicate something similar for my bus. MCI used to inset the gauges very deeply in the MC9s for the same reason. The only photo I could find of Crown Super II gauge panels is this YouTube video, and it shows the depth of the cowl:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl_xf-_EHhI

Even this is not quite enough for me!

I also have a compass, a small Ritchie X-21 that nicely matches the VDO clock and OAT gauge next to it, but I'm still having difficulty getting it accurately compensated because of stray ferrous interference. I may make a simple compensator similar to an aircraft magnetic compass's, but nothing's simple! Like your's, it's mainly to align my bus when parked so I can get ideal solar insolation. I put these three gauges in a new panel where the radio used to be - I prefer to listen to the engine and everything else while driving!

John

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by Iceni John

Rick,

One thing you may want to think about now before you're completely locked into the final design is how well those gauges will be visible when low sun is shining on their faces. My bus has a good cowl over the gauges, but I still wish it were even deeper to keep direct and indirect sunlight off the gauges. Aircraft have very deep cowls over the top of their instrument panel for this exact reason, and I may try to replicate something similar for my bus. MCI used to inset the gauges very deeply in the MC9s for the same reason. The only photo I could find of Crown Super II gauge panels is this YouTube video, and it shows the depth of the cowl.

I also have a compass, a small Ritchie X-21 that nicely matches the VDO clock and OAT gauge next to it, but I'm still having difficulty getting it accurately compensated because of stray ferrous interference. I may make a simple compensator similar to an aircraft magnetic compass's, but nothing's simple! Like your's, it's mainly to align my bus when parked so I can get ideal solar insolation. I put these three gauges in a new panel where the radio used to be - I prefer to listen to the engine and everything else while driving!

John

John, thank you for your feedback; you make a very good point (a point I am sorry to say I hadn't really considered...) about gauge visibility in direct sunlight. One of my primary goals in the dash redesign was to get the gauges out from under the steering wheel. The Gillig steering wheel sits very flat so the dash also sat relatively flat.

I felt that to view the gauges I had to take my eyes off the road for longer than I was comfortable with. However, in getting the gauges up higher it looks like I am definitely going to compromise view-ability in direct sunlight. At this point my design is complete, so I may need to consider some type of retrofit.

When I was riding motorcycles, I used a product called a Glarestomper over my GPS to minimize glare. Maybe I will design a similar fabric hood that does the same thing. In fact I may mock up a prototype in cardboard to see how it looks and works.

I also will have no dashboard (or other built-in) radio; my phone and a BT headset for driving and a couple BT speakers for the "house" stereo. My JBL Extreme sounds fantastic in the bus; two of them linked should be more than sufficient for me. As for the compass (and gauge glare), I long for the day that I am actually able get the Gillig out on the road and test it all out; right now it seems a long way off...

[plfking]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

The three dash pieces are securely bolted into a steel tube behind the defrost vents. I will be adding another mounting bolt to the frame in front of the steering wheel.

Very impressive work....I really like the look of that.

Was it hard to find an adapter for your steering wheel? I'll eventually drop down to a 15" or 16" wheel.

[Iceni John]

Originally Posted by plfking

Very impressive work....I really like the look of that.

Was it hard to find an adapter for your steering wheel? I'll eventually drop down to a 15" or 16" wheel.

It's all well and good having a small steering wheel, but what happens when (not if) all your power steering fails one day? Any number of things can cause this to happen - the PS pump drive gear fails or its drive belt breaks, the PS pump itself suffers a serious internal problem, a hose breaks or bursts, the PS box leaks or a poppet blows out, etc etc. Some years ago a high-pressure hydraulic hose, actually the one for the radiator fan motor that shares the same fluid as the PS, burst while driving home on the 91 freeway near here, and after a minute I had lost so much hydraulic fluid that my PS went away. I had to get the bus off the road without delay, and it was HARD WORK maneuvering it to somewhere safe. That's when you're glad you still have a full-size steering wheel. I've heard of other folk on the BCM forum who've used smaller steering wheels and had similar problems when their PS failed. There's good reason to have a 20" steering wheel in a large heavy vehicle!

John

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by Iceni John

It's all well and good having a small steering wheel, but what happens when (not if) all your power steering fails one day?

Any number of things can cause this to happen
- the PS pump drive gear fails or
- its drive belt breaks,
- the PS pump itself suffers a serious internal problem,
- a hose breaks or bursts,
- the PS box leaks or a poppet blows out
- etc etc.

Some years ago...

John, I will accept the above as your tailored failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) submittal, but please have your complete failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) report on my desk NLT COB Monday...

Originally Posted by plfking

Very impressive work....I really like the look of that. Was it hard to find an adapter for your steering wheel? I'll eventually drop down to a 15" or 16" wheel.

Thank you for your comments, but FWIW it's just a cover on the gigantic 20" wheel.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

Thank you for your comments, but FWIW it's just a cover on the gigantic 20" wheel.

Yes....I thought maybe you had mentioned the install so I went back and looked through your thread, then noticed it was a cover. Haven't started searching for a wheel, but also never remember seeing an adapter listed for a 'bus'.

I've put smaller steering wheels on everything I've ever owned, from trucks to motorcycles, because I just prefer the wheel as low as possible while driving. I HAVE lost a pump a couple of times, but it's a risk I accept. At least I'm not putting a 12" or 13" on it.

[EastCoastCB]

FWIW there are some pretty cool custom steering wheels available at truck shops.
Most of them are in the 16" -20" range.
https://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/int...4_109_245.html

[plfking]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

FWIW there are some pretty cool custom steering wheels available at truck shops.
Most of them are in the 16" -20" range.
https://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/int...4_109_245.html

Bookmarked.....thanks Charlie.

And, for once in my life, the adapter I need is the LOWEST-priced one on their list! How did THAT happen??

[ComfortEagle]

I finally got the dash permanently bolted in place this weekend; it is very secure. I also started the rewiring process but that's gonna take a little time.

For the few Gillig owners (and others) who may be interested, sometime this week I will post a few pics to show the method I used to mount the dash. In the meantime, here is the view thru the windshield...

[o1marc]

Nice, looks racy

[ComfortEagle]

I temporarily re-installed the driver seat today. I did it to check the dash ergonomics, and to help finalize the design of the driver side console and what will go behind the driver seat.

I am pretty happy with layout of the dash gauges. That steering wheel is huge...


The bad news is that it looks like the closet behind the seat may have to be eliminated. Not sure yet; back to SketchUp to figure it out.


I also started cleaning up the storage bays and preparing to replace and reroute the bus heater hoses.

Gotta love that cavernous storage space.


This space doesn't even include the two forward bays. You can see the passenger side front bay door in this pic.

[cadillackid]

this is a totally bad *** looking setup I love it!!!! Big riggin style and simple to look at / use!!


-Christopher

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

this is a totally bad *** looking setup I love it!!!! Big riggin style and simple to look at / use!!

I love you man.

To all other forum members ^^^^this is how to give feedback...

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

I love you man.

To all other forum members ^^^^this is how to give feedback...

Chris is a very cheerful and honest person.