Superchief

Chief · 03-01-2017, 09:40 PM

Here we go! Ended up with a 98 72 passenger AmTran off of Govdeals from TN the other week. Pretty excited to jump into this, this will be a camper more than a Tiny Home, as we like to travel to dirt tracks across the Midwest. We have a rough estimate of a floor plan but I'm sure that will get tweaked a tad once we start building.

Has anyone found a decent site to buy water tanks? I found one site and 110G fresh water was around $700 pre shipping.

Chief · 03-01-2017, 10:17 PM

Also two quick questions.

They listed it as the dash not working, but on the trip home it randomly started working, is it possible it has a loose ground somewhere.

Finally after a little bit of driving it will leak a little oil, any tips on where to look for a leak? If I just let it idle for a bit in the driveway it doesn't leak.

Stewzer55 · 03-01-2017, 10:36 PM

It's mentioned around here quite a bit that the International guage clusters can be a little temperamental, usually its just an issue in the electrical connecter to the cluster. cadillackid knows about this pretty well and can probably walk you through fixing it.

Chief · 03-01-2017, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stewzer55

It's mentioned around here quite a bit that the International guage clusters can be a little temperamental, usually its just an issue in the electrical connecter to the cluster. cadillackid knows about this pretty well and can probably walk you through fixing it.

Awesome, I was hoping it would be something simple.

Stewzer55 · 03-01-2017, 11:02 PM

No problem, If I can help others with what I have learned by lurking and reading on here I will!

PNW_Steve · 03-02-2017, 12:20 AM

When I converted my last bus I bought tanks from Ronco Plastics and they were very reasonable. Not so much today. Ronco Plastics - Marine Water Tanks, RV Water Tank, Auto Detail Tanks, Water Tanks

I am looking at using 55 gallon poly drums on my Bluebird. You can install plumbing fittings using a "spinweld" fitting. I am going to set them up in pairs. Two for fresh water and two for grey. Spin Weld Fittings

I have seen some good buys at the RV surplus places. They are small for what I want but may be a good solution for a more modest setup.

cowlitzcoach · 03-02-2017, 01:42 AM

You may want to consider purchasing a trashed RV. You can usually pick them up for under $1K.

For that price you will get black, grey, potable, and LPG tanks. You will get some appliances that may or may not work. Most will have a roof top A/C unit. Some even have a genset onboard. And you will get fixtures like sinks and toilets.

I know of at least two people who did just that and spent less on the conversion than they did on the bus purchase.

Njsurf73 · 03-02-2017, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief

Also two quick questions.

They listed it as the dash not working, but on the trip home it randomly started working, is it possible it has a loose ground somewhere.

Finally after a little bit of driving it will leak a little oil, any tips on where to look for a leak? If I just let it idle for a bit in the driveway it doesn't leak.

If you search YouTube and Skoolie there are some resources to help. It's an issue with solder connections on the actual circuit board. The fix looks pretty simple, just remove the dash cluster and re-flow the solder. I was looking at a bus with a similar problem and after seeing the YouTube video I wasn't worried. If it's not in your wheelhouse there are services that take your dash and refurb it for a couple hundred dollars (a new one is about 400 I think)
Congratulations on the bus and good luck!

lucasd · 03-02-2017, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I am looking at using 55 gallon poly drums on my Bluebird. You can install plumbing fittings using a "spinweld" fitting. I am going to set them up in pairs. Two for fresh water and two for grey. Spin Weld Fittings

I have seen some good buys at the RV surplus places. They are small for what I want but may be a good solution for a more modest setup.

Interesting, those spin weld fittings... Otherwise you are pretty much stuck with bulkhead style fittings. They work, but of course you have to have access to both sides of the fitting to tighten them down. If the barrels have sealed tops, that could be an issue.

Then again, those spin weld fittings appear to require at least a 3hp router to do the bigger diameter (2" and up) fittings that you would need for black or grey tankd. I could probably buy many bulkhead fittings for what that would cost.

Chief · 03-02-2017, 07:59 AM

Found a RV surplus in northern Indiana that has tanks for a really good price, I'll just take a drive up there to save on shipping costs. Does anyone actually have luck selling seats? Or should I just take them to the scrap yard?

Njsurf73 · 03-02-2017, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief

Found a RV surplus in northern Indiana that has tanks for a really good price, I'll just take a drive up there to save on shipping costs. Does anyone actually have luck selling seats? Or should I just take them to the scrap yard?

Could you share the surplus place?

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Tango · 03-02-2017, 10:40 AM

And watch Ebay. I found a brand new, perfectly sized 44 gal. gray tank for a little over a hundred bucks...including shipping!

PNW_Steve · 03-02-2017, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucasd

Interesting, those spin weld fittings... Otherwise you are pretty much stuck with bulkhead style fittings. They work, but of course you have to have access to both sides of the fitting to tighten them down. If the barrels have sealed tops, that could be an issue.

Then again, those spin weld fittings appear to require at least a 3hp router to do the bigger diameter (2" and up) fittings that you would need for black or grey tankd. I could probably buy many bulkhead fittings for what that would cost.

If you need a black tank then you definitely need the bigger fittings. If you go with a composting toilet you can eliminate the black tank.

If I recall correctly, the 1.25" fitting can be installed with a more modest router. I figured that was the largest I could install and will work fine for the grey water tank.

You are correct on the bulkhead fittings. Most require access to the inside of the tank. One exception is the Uniseal: Uniseals the Bulkhead Alternative - The Uniseal Warehouse

I have used a bunch of these in poly drums and other tanks in stationary applications. They are a quick & simple solution but...

The bigger ones (2" +) are a real PITA to install and I have had a lot of small leaks over time.

CowlitzCoach made a good point. A donor RV can save you a ton of shopping. If you are good with the quality of fixtures that are used in modern RV manufacture it can be a great deal.

Chief · 03-02-2017, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Njsurf73

Could you share the surplus place?

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RV Furniture RV Cushions Bedding Skylights RV Water Tanks RV Holding Tanks RV Roof Vent RV Escape Hatch RV Range Hood RV Tire Carrier Pleated Shades DayNight Shades RV Sinks RV Jack RV Accessories Camper Accessories

Njsurf73 · 03-02-2017, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief

RV Furniture RV Cushions Bedding Skylights RV Water Tanks RV Holding Tanks RV Roof Vent RV Escape Hatch RV Range Hood RV Tire Carrier Pleated Shades DayNight Shades RV Sinks RV Jack RV Accessories Camper Accessories

Thanks!

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Chief · 03-02-2017, 07:39 PM

I won't be doing a roof raise on this one as headroom will be enough for now. I thibk this will be more of a practice bus! Man do I love cruise control!

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