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Old 03-28-2021, 05:26 PM   #1
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Help in Iowa with AC and wiring

We are starting a bus conversion on a 25ft low floor mobility bus on a 2010 Chevy 4500 chassis. We seem to be a little over our head at this point with all of the wiring and AC/heat. We would love some help from someone who has done this before or is able to make a bit of sense out of the mess of wires we currently have!

We would like to eliminate the AC that is in the back of the bus and delete excess wiring that is related to some of the functions that are not needed such as the lift system.

Our bus also came with an Espar Diesel heater which we think is a good thing but not exactly sure what we need/want to do with it.

What advice does everyone have for someone that is just getting started in this process?

Anyone in Eastern or Central Iowa that would be interested in assisting? .

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Old 03-28-2021, 05:36 PM   #2
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ther rear A/C can be eleminated however it might also destroy your front A/C unless the bus was buiolt with 2 complete systems.. a bus on a 4500 chassis has a much better chance at there being 2 compressors so your dashboard AC still works if you pull out the rear system.


your espar heater heats the coolant loops.. so for instance if you want to pre-heat the engine before you drive in really cold weather.. or with my bus I kept all my bus heaters and my espar style heater heats the coolant loops and I turn on my heater fans and have interior heat even when im not running the engine..
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Old 03-28-2021, 09:23 PM   #3
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WARNING:

Do NOT eliminate wiring without absolutely knowing what you are doing.

There are many a threads of those that have simply cut wires, thrown away switches, etc. only to discover those items were part of security or safety systems that caused the bus not to crank or start.

If you do want to "thin out" your electrical, it can be done, but surgically. Pictures, labeling what you're taking out and leaving (what it use to be used for). Go one thing at a time, then assure the bus still starts, drives, etc. so you know you didn't accidentally disable something you didn't mean to.

Okay, with that said, welcome.

Definitely keep that heater!

Go to this link https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f10/ and scroll down to about the 10th thread about bus electrical ac and bus electrical dc.

Go to this link - Think before removing your AC https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f9/th...a-c-27952.html (the first person who responded to your thread wrote this).

Best of luck.
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Old 03-30-2021, 07:04 AM   #4
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Thanks for the advise. We plan on going through the wiring 1 at a time and will hopefully get a lot of it eliminated. I will check out the suggested posts .
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Old 03-30-2021, 08:42 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by gilldk View Post
Thanks for the advise. We plan on going through the wiring 1 at a time and will hopefully get a lot of it eliminated. I will check out the suggested posts .
Why are you so quick to remove the wiring? Do you plan on replacing the wiring? If the wiring is not causing you a problem, leave it and mark it so it can be used for other items you may need to hook up.
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Old 04-09-2021, 07:39 AM   #6
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Why are you so quick to remove the wiring? Do you plan on replacing the wiring? If the wiring is not causing you a problem, leave it and mark it so it can be used for other items you may need to hook up.

In industrial work there are many times the old wiring can't be removed for a variety of reasons. Common practice is to label the old wire "DIP" or "Dead In Place". I label it with example "DIP, Element Outlet Temparature, 01/01/2021"

That let's the next tech know when it was replaced and what it went to.
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Old 04-09-2021, 09:18 AM   #7
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Removing “unused” wiring is a fools errand. This forum is full of posts like this: Help my bus won’t start. All I did was cut a few UN-needed wires out.
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Old 04-09-2021, 10:27 AM   #8
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Removing “unused” wiring is a fools errand. This forum is full of posts like this: Help my bus won’t start. All I did was cut a few UN-needed wires out.
Yes sir you are correct. The only time I would remove wires from a conduit would because the wire needed to be replaced
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