Building my Fastlane

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Fastlane

Looks like the glue protected a lot of the metal floor in addition to the paint. I’m happy to see that there are no rust holes at the back end of the wheel wells.

I find a square blade shovel to be the best tool for lifting pieces of crumbling plywood, after pouring a gallon of water to it. It’s actually tolerable to remove the floor now as I suppressed the dust and mold.

Heh, that floor looks familiar. I kind of miss painting Ospho onto stuff like that - very satisfying.

[Inner Love]

After watching a video from Sweet Project Cars (amazing tips and recommendations!), I bought a jar of vasoline and smeared it over the left tires that get the most sun, as I can't afford a gallon of 303 Aerospace Protectant until I have a job. I just submitted applications to 9 of my closest Dollar Tree locations, hopefully they have a job for me. This should keep the tires from cracking and bubbling from sun until I can get tire covers. I also put the petroleum jelly onto some window seals.

Also, had to take the weekend off as I tripped over my garden cart in the backyard, causing a gnarly bump and painful bruising on my right shin. If it doesn't heal in a week, or it gets worse, I'm going to go to Urgent Care.

Since I'm only planning to drive it a couple times before our Burning Man trip, and then not much after that, I'm going to need a leveling jack solution.

Until I'm past the start up phase, Fastlane will be in the parking lane nearly every day (doing what others won't now, to be able to do what others can't later). Years ago I read about modifying jack stands to make skoolie leveling jacks, a very rednecky idea. While I don't scorn these ideas if you can make them work and you're satified with it, I also don't scorn the $10,000 dollar commercial solutions either. I do the best I can afford, and take care of it in the best way I can afford.

Has anybody built a leveling jack system using failsafe, pneumatic-driven bottle or screw jacks with over a foot of extension travel? I could install four jacks on the frame with load spreading feet, use the airbrake system with some servos and an actuator, and then manually level with inside switches (or a controller). To raise the jacks while inside, use manual throttle cables or electric actuators / motors.

Other than that, Is there a long-lasting, failsafe (no stuck jacks), non-hydraulic RV leveling jack kit available on the market in the low thousands all-in? Would prefer to avoid building out a hydraulic system just for leveling jacks.

[Inner Love]

Originally Posted by Fastlane

I need best practices for securing appliances, cabinets, furnishings, heavy items to the bus body so they stay in place incase the bus is ever in a tip-over event. I know this will cause some more thermal bridging but really now, were talking the cross section of three dozen postage stamps if using high grade steel and welding to frame columns.

I think concerns about thermal bridging are overblown in many cases. I'm going for 2" high density professionally sprayed 2-part foam insulation throughout the walls and ceiling, and adding adhesive insulation on the roof and sides, with durable paint followed by ceramic clear coat.

In absence of best practices, here is my working plan. How I am planning to secure interior elements is highlighted in bold.

-Basic Spartan build for direct RV Registration, Install basic shower stall and flush toilet, which will be upgraded later if needed for this step.

-Remediate all interior rust, prep for insulation

-Weld zinc plated, threaded anchor rods to vertical body channels (Grade 5 minimum), to be structural anchors and mounting for horizontal steel tracks behind plywood. At least Three tracks running the entire length of the living space. One row at midpoint of floor and windows, one row just below windows, one row above windows. Weld two or three steel tracks directly to ceiling cross members legnthwise to to support cabinets, hang a punching bag from. Zinc plated steel tracks bolted and permanently welded to be inset into sprayed foam insulation to minimize thermal conduction and bridging, tracks becoming a guide for pros to shave excess foam with. Will support 3/4” best-grade-I-can-afford load bearing plywood walls, fully loaded cabinets, hold appliances to the walls so they stay in place during a tip-over event. I will be reconfiguring my bus throughout my life.

-Insulation before summer (professionally sprayed), provision for future skylight by fabbing load bearing frame for 4x3” section of ceiling to be unsprayed.

-Install window air conditioner, evaporative cooling, and $400 Chinese diesel heater for basic climate control until I can afford cube wood stove, mini-split, and propane system.

-Decide on where the wire / cable raceways will go and begin the permanent electrical system, starting with the heavy gauge 12v and 120v backbone. future-proofing for Solar, multiple 15amp circuits, thru-roof wire piping, and exterior flood lights. Any wire runs above the windows, set aside 2’ of wire in zip tied bundles for possible future roof raise. Run as many extra wires as I can afford before installing stuff that blocks the access panels.
Is it better to to place the main wire gutter just below the windows or just above the windows? In terms of access and ease of servicing?


-if means allow, fabricate first segment of underframe superstructure. to hold basic house systems including the first fresh, grey and black tanks. All of this will be upgraded and expanded as means allow.

[Inner Love]

I just took the rear heat exchanger out of the coolant loop and used a 5" length of appropriately sized PVC pipe to close the loop, until I can add it back in.

I am not comfortable with dissembling the heat exchanger, and don't want to make the areas of fin surface discoloration any larger. Plain water is out of the question. Along with the dirt, there are tiny pebbles stuck between the fins.

Unless I get any better recommendations, I'm going to buy two cans of AC Safe at Home Depot, flip the heat exchanger belly-up, empty both cans onto the heater core, then let it soak.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

Originally Posted by Fastlane

I just took the rear heat exchanger out of the coolant loop and used a 5" length of appropriately sized PVC pipe to close the loop, until I can add it back in.

I am not comfortable with dissembling the heat exchanger, and don't want to make the areas of fin surface discoloration any larger. Plain water is out of the question. Along with the dirt, there are tiny pebbles stuck between the fins.

Unless I get any better recommendations, I'm going to buy two cans of AC Safe at Home Depot, flip the heat exchanger belly-up, empty both cans onto the heater core, then let it soak.

they make a fin comb to clean the heater.
why the zinc strut?
black steel strut is cheaper and do the same thing.
everywhere you weld on the zinc strut defeats the purpose of zinc strut and you have to burn through the zinc into the steel for a solid weld.
and if you have never welded zinc then have full ventilation running or have a gallon of milk ready.
thats my opinion.

[Inner Love]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223

they make a fin comb to clean the heater.
why the zinc strut?
black steel strut is cheaper and do the same thing.
everywhere you weld on the zinc strut defeats the purpose of zinc strut and you have to burn through the zinc into the steel for a solid weld.
and if you have never welded zinc then have full ventilation running or have a gallon of milk ready.
thats my opinion.

I’m going to try a pick, as the fins are over a mm apart.

Sacrificial anode. I already knew that to weld it I’d need to acid strip the zinc plating where I weld. If I don’t use zinc plated rods and tracks then I will use a zinc based primer (made to stick to steel) then paint. Which is probably easier and provides corrosion resistance. Just another layer of metal encapsulation as I boondock on the salt flats.

Once I’m off the salt flats, I want to rid the exterior of salt dust asap. I’m thinking about a retractable PVC spraying & rainmaking system for flash cooling and to rinse off salt and Playa dust, finishing with a spot free rinse water additive. Load up 50 gallons of water from a spigot, drive away from other cars and people, pull the pipes out, and turn a valve. 5 minutes later, 98% of corrosive dirt or salt is washed away. Or I can spray it with my onboard gas power washer.

Pre-and-post salt flats boondocking, I’m going to fog the engine bay, axles and everything else exposed to the elements with ACF-50, expensive but totally worth its cost for its ease of application, corrosion inhibition and prevention. A little ACF-50 goes a long way, so one gallon will last for multiple trips.

When on Playa or salt flats, I’ll have a foot wash station at the door, to minimize salt in my home.

Since I have S-channels in the walls, It makes things easy. Drill holes, insert threaded rod, tighten bolts on both sides, puddle weld bolts or fuse with acetylene torch. Despeckle, solvent clean, prime and paint. Affix rails, bolt then weld. Clean, prep, prime and paint everywhere so all the pros have to do is spray the insulation after a final check. After its cured, bolt and tap water sealed 3/4 inch structural plywood to the steel tracks.

After registration, I’m going to make a wind tunnel using two Ryobi drum fans and cardboard as a respirator isn’t enough.

I watched SV Seeker’s rust-related videos and learned a lot. It looks like Coal Tar coating is the gold standard if you want a super durable, flexible coating provided you can afford it.

If it doesn’t get done right the first time, are your chances ever going to be better the next time?

[Inner Love]

Just ordered a respirator with my stimulus check, so I’ll be able to continue floor stripping without dirtying my lungs. Last time was so bad I hacked up red iron oxide from my windpipe, and blew loads of black snot. This body damage was after only a few hours of work.

Also beginning the registration process, which is now 3 1/2 months overdue. Earmarked $600 to acquire SD RV registration using America’s Mailbox. If that doesn’t pan out (because it’s 4 months after the sale date on BoS and title) I’ll register in Vermont. Once I have my RV title and plates Fastlane (and my future) is no longer in jeopardy.

[Maligator.]

Just a piece of advice from Navy vet who was exposed to all sorts of respiratory toxins and toxicants, you need to detox that stuff asap. Your body cannot handle that amount of toxic exposure and will store all the toxins in your fat cells where they will continue to do damage, for years even. I use Milk Thistle, Mullein, dandelion root and fulvic acid to detox my heavy metal and respiratory toxic exposures. Without assistance from Silybum, Taraxacum and fulvic or humic chelator it is nearly impossible for the body to remove these toxins alone.
No joke, even one exposure with symptoms like you've described can stay with you for decades, mine stayed for 15 years until recently when I detoxed them all. Good luck with your recovery, I feel for you.

[Inner Love]

That’s probably why I’m feeling different these last few months. I’m going to look for a product that has all 4 of those ingredients together and order it online so I can save an afternoon and $10 in car costs going to three different stores after calling 7 different stores. If anybody has a recommendation I’m all ears.

I just found out today that as part of the SD RV registration process, I need the entire bus in a color that is not yellow. They don’t care what color, or the texture.

I need to do a proper old-paint-removal & priming job regardless. I can’t afford to do the $50 roll-on paint method (why work twice?). Does good, outdoor exposed primer degrades in one - two months? I’m planning on having that be my color to satisfy the requirement.

Since this is going to be my permanent primer, I’m after the best I can afford. Prefer to brush instead of spray for flexibility, but only if the result is just as durable and long lasting as a spray-on primer.

Since I like nice things and see nothing wrong or unethical in having nice things, provided you pay for them with the results of mutual value exchanges (what the Fastlane is about). I hate value cheaters (scammers) and cronies. Since I want to love looking at my stuff, Before I’m going to apply permanent paint I’m going to smooth the primed surface via wet sanding.

[Inner Love]

I am pleased to see 3 long sheets of metal, bolted on (with the exception of the skeleton where it’s riveted), whereas other buses have more than 10 sheets of metal, riveted on.

Also did some research on my engine and the CAT 3208 is a marine engine, which I love as it’s made for even harsher use and poorer environments than a road engine. I’ve read that newer marine diesels, in a bid to save weight, use less metal which results in sooner non-reparable damage (Block cracks). I would love to know how far I can safely bog (with little to no increase in wear rate) so I can factor that when I raise gearing. What metric is this called?

All of this Just confirms that I couldn’t have bought a better bus.

[Inner Love]

Today I upgraded the trickle charger. I replaced the 6 amp Harbor Freight battery charger (set to 2 amps) with a 2 amp NoCo smart battery maintainer. I learned two things. One is that I need a close quarters drill (I had to fasten the included bracket in a sub-optimal spot with my impact driver, as I wasn't going to remove the 150 pound battery as sliding it back on the tray wouldn't have helped with the tools I had), and the box needs to be road proofed better.

I need to change the color of Fastlane ASAP for the purposes of RV certification.

If I strip to bare metal, the primer I use is going to be the permanent primer, so I want the best. I'm looking at Rust-Oleum Spray Cans, and the coverage states 12 square feet, which is a 3'x4' rectangle. At $5 a can, to prime the Fastlane with spray cans would be nearly $300! I need help comparing primer options.

For paint stripping, the cleanest and easiest method is adding grit to a power washer jet.

I don't want to paint over the original bus paint, as it's fully faded and oxidized. Plus there are dried moss colonies in multiple places.

So, in some places where paint has worn off, the primer is still there, which I think shows how durable it is. I also think the primer has rust inhibiting properties, as there's a spot in the corner where the primer has worn away that is black. What does everybody think about stripping the paint, spot treating rust spots, filling in missing primer, and painting over the original primer?

[Inner Love]

Today I prepared to strip the other half of the floor today, I picked the 5 seats that will be in the spartain build. Four A grade seats, and the narrow seat that was by the emergency exit. I am keeping the front row in the permanent build, and I picked the two best seats for that. I only have three right hand seats left, and I swapped a “pristine” cover and foam from a left hand seat to fit onto a right hand seat.

I am still unemployed, closing in on 5 months until Burning Man (we have a plan B if there is no burn this year). I am working to be in a job by the end of this month.

Edit: I uploaded the photos straight from my iPhone, and they showed up in Portrait, I wish there was a rotate feature when you upload photos to Skoolie.net.

[Inner Love]

Spent 4 hours reclaiming materials from the seats, keeping screws, brackets, good sheet metal and thick tubular steel.

Then hauling to Sims Metal for drop off. 500 pound minimum for steel, good thing too as scrap steel prices are so low it wouldn’t be worth the time going through the selling process, even though there were only two people in line.

[Inner Love]

Ready to strip floor.

[Rivetboy]

Work work work Keep it up. Funny how much hard asp work is involved.

[Inner Love]

I started sanding with an orbital sander today, with a respirator and coveralls, as well as a evaporative cooler blowing the particles away from me.

Doing test patches, with different grit sanding discs, different stripping chemicals and application methods.

If I can’t remove most of the yellow, leaving the primer layer(s), then I’ll strip to bare metal.

My current game plan is to weaken / flake up the paint with chemicals, then see if the paint will strip with my power washer.

I see a brown layer below or above the primer (not sure). What do you think this is?

[Mountain Yawp]

If you haven't picked a paint method yet, I highly recommend spraying, both primer and paint. Check out the youtube videos on using the cheap HF sprayer with good success. You will spend way too much on spray cans and not like the end finish.

[Inner Love]

Originally Posted by Mountain Yawp

If you haven't picked a paint method yet, I highly recommend spraying, both primer and paint. Check out the youtube videos on using the cheap HF sprayer with good success. You will spend way too much on spray cans and not like the end finish.

Spray cans were on the bottom on my list, now they’re off my list for exterior painting.

Most of the work is in the prep, so spraying is at the top of my list as I’m painting a single color. I’m going to use industrial or tractor paint.

Rolling on is top of my list, as I’m in a tight driveway, with the right side only have 2’ of clearance and 4 feet between the cypress trees. I like the idea of rolling on a thick coat of primer, then two thick coats of industrial or tractor paint. Then I’ll have my permanent paint which I’ll finish sand and clear coat later. Rolling on eliminates overspray onto adjacent cars or objects, and is more compatible with my build environment.

Spraying is also top of my list, if I can move Inner Love on spray day and spray the paint out of direct sun. I would need to reposition back to its spot in the driveway before the paint could cure.

[Mountain Yawp]

Yeah, if there is any chance of over spray to an adjacent building or vehicle than spraying is not a good idea. Rolling should work fine for your purposes. I used Rust-oleum Professional oil enamel (gallon can) and have been happy with it so far, plus there are enough standard colors that you can mix up whatever custom color you want fairly easily.

[Inner Love]

Also, Inner Love’s first owner was the Eugene School District. On the side I uncovered “Eugene School District No. 4J”

What kind of steel am I looking at? It looks like very high quality steel, as it hasn’t visibly oxidized in the days since sanding.

Wow this paint is tough. Going to test the heat gun method next. Is there a chemical that can strip only paint and not primer that I can afford? If I can’t strip just the paint and not primer with chemicals, it’s not worth it.