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11-24-2007, 05:57 AM
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#321
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 263
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
good point.
so why not free up the rest of the undercarriage with a ginormous pair of glossy chromed diesel stacks forward? run them up to the legal height limit. That ought to be about 6 inches above the roof!
it seems to be the latest fad with local rednecks and their diesel pickemups. there are a few around town here which you can here before you see. i think they got turbos bigger than the engines bolted to them.
that turbo diesel whistle has got to be one of the coolest sounds there is. i suspect you have a slightly lower opinion of it having listened to it up close for a few million hours.
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11-24-2007, 07:34 AM
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#322
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Yes, I confess, I have thought of mounting stacks at the front corners of the bus! But thinking it and doing it are -- hopefully -- two different things!
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01-05-2008, 09:20 PM
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#323
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Monthly report: (Or every-other-month report, or some such.)
Happy New Year!
In our last episode, we took a nice trip to Ventura. But not before we slapped some more bunks in, so six of us could enjoy the trip. Well, five bunks, and one victim on the floor, for now.
These are Millicent’s two Main Bunks:
This is the only permanent lower bunk in the bus (with colorful blanket), and its upstairs companion (with white sheet). The square aluminum pole, which supports the outer corner of the upper bunk, is a “find” at a Sacramento surplus metal store, with a home made bracket on it. At the other end, there is a bracket screwed to the plywood bulkhead. A permanent holder-upper device is yet to be made.
Then we start getting clever:
Remember those wrecked Freightliners at my Place Of Gainful Employment, and their hinged bunks? The bottom bunk lifts to reveal storage space.
And the top bunk...
...lifts to make headroom so the bottom bunk can be used as a couch with minimal risk of heads-bumping-into-upper-bunk. (Wall paneling and couch backrest pillows are not there yet.)
Note that I built a steel frame under this bunk. In the big truck, the bunk is supported by the structural members of the storage compartment (part of the cab itself), so I welded up a simple frame of 1x1 steel to make sure the plywood will not sag or break.
Then we get to the Left Forward Bunk:
There is no room for a pole here, so this bunk is supported by a chain from a crossmember in the ceiling.
And...
...an other bracket screwed to a handy vertical surface (the inside of Millicent’s famous forehead).
Finally:
With this bunk down, there is precious little headroom for the driver, so this bunk will probably live in the up position except when somebody is sleeping in it -- and we are parked. This bunk does NOT YET have its steel reinforcement. It will also go much higher when I get done with it.
Now, on the Right Side of the... you know... bus. We’ll sneak up on this by admiring...
...the layout of the dinette and the bunk behind it.
Again, the bunk lifts for headroom...
...which will be important, because this is where the kitchen will be! In the meantime, there is a temporary bottom bunk there -- just a blank solid wood door blade from Home Depot -- a future work bench, probably.
Here’s a close up of the bracket on the aluminum pole:
Look closely smack in the middle of the picture. There is a little round peg sticking up in the middle of the “saddle” that the bunk's reinforcing frame rests in. Between the “saddle” and the peg -- which goes into a corresponding hole in the bunk’s reinforcing frame -- the bunk CANNOT fall down no matter how hard some accidental force might try to bend the pole. (Strictly speaking, the “saddle” is not needed now that there is a peg there -- I invented the peg after building the saddle.) The other bunk-on-a-pole will get a similar safety feature now that I have invented it. The other end of this bunk is held up by a chain.
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01-05-2008, 11:49 PM
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#324
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Northeastern CO
Posts: 247
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: International
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Thinking of such (wrecked trucks) you don't happen to have a newer IH nose clip out there do you? along the lines of this thing or this one
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01-06-2008, 12:36 AM
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#325
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
No, I sure don't. Check your PM.
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01-06-2008, 01:08 AM
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#326
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Edmond, OK
Posts: 529
Year: 1993
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International
Engine: 7.3 International diesel
Rated Cap: 60
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Very nice! So, when are you going to paint that beast? Any ideas on a scheme yet?
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01-06-2008, 01:42 AM
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#327
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
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01-06-2008, 03:16 AM
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#328
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 382
Year: 1981
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Crown
Engine: 671 DD
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Elliot I like the idea, that you used on the bunks, they look real solid and they don't look like the Rube Goldberg device that you had on the other thread (thank God).
On the paint job, are you still thinking of painting an eye ball in front?
Robert
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01-06-2008, 10:46 AM
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#329
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Eyeball, maybe. Or the Kinetic Chicken -- symbol of the sport.
No shortage of ideas.
The "fenders" and the mural wouldn't go together, but you get to see a couple of options.
I also want to measure the grille on a Peterbilt 335, in case it fits between the windshield wipers.
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01-06-2008, 03:36 PM
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#330
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 382
Year: 1981
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Crown
Engine: 671 DD
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Hey Elliot,
I have an idea. See if you can get the whole hood of a Peterbuilt, install it on the front, and use it for storage. that way you can have room for the eye ball and the Kinetic Chicken, one on the hood and the other on top.
Wow, the all knowing, all seeing, Kinetic Chicken.
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01-06-2008, 04:33 PM
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#331
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Alas, Millicent is already 40 feet long -- generally the legal limit. Yes, there are some buses and RVs up to 45 feet now, but if I understand it correctly, Barney Fife doesn't always see the humor in that.
Eyeball on forehead and giant Kinetic Chicken on tailgate?
We also plan to have some lettering, like
INCIDENT INSTIGATION TEAM
MOBILE COMMAND CENTER AND TEA PARLOUR
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01-06-2008, 05:13 PM
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#332
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Here we go:
Peterbilt 335 grille, Glorious Kinetic Chicken, and properly sized and placed mural of The Two Ton Tricycle.
If I had gone outside and worked on it, instead of sitting here with scissors and glue and computor, it would have been done by now.
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01-06-2008, 07:13 PM
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#333
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 263
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
why would you want one of them newfangled aerodynamic wimpy looking grilles? gotta be one of the older squared off rolls royce looking things.
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01-06-2008, 07:35 PM
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#334
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Well, that's a 2008 grille, yes. I think the older style 335 grille is closer to square, but I cannot seem to find a photo.
I have not even measured one. I just notice that the 335 grille looks smaller than the full size grille -- when I see them on the road. I mesured a full size grille at work, and it is about four feet, which is too wide. There is only room for 37 inches between the windshield wipers -- without modifying things.
Of course, a fancy grille is low priority. I need to get the plumbing done!
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01-06-2008, 11:13 PM
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#335
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
I agree with your hunch that "psych ward" would not be quite... mature. And I'm not the only one who has a relative in such a facility, so....
I bet you can do better. Look for a good pun. Did you catch the pun in "incident instigation team"? It does not say "investigation". It says "instigation". We instigate (start) incidents.
That may not be entirely mature either, but I would be careful about picking on people with illnesses and injuries.
You'll get more laughs -- and girls -- with something light and funny, like my "Command Center and Tea Parlour". I think.
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01-08-2008, 07:22 AM
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#336
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Skoolie
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 226
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Nice Elliot. I was thinking along those same lines for the paint scheme above my wheel wells also.
And remember,
When you think that you're in danger,
When you're threatened by a stranger'
When it looks like you will take a lickin'
You will never need to worry, if you call out in a hurry
And look down the road for,
KINETIC CHICKEN!
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01-08-2008, 12:01 PM
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#337
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Off-Grid
Posts: 740
Year: 1982
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: IH S1723
Engine: IH V345 Gas V8
Rated Cap: 66
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
__________________
~(G)Q Arduously Avoiding Assimilation
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01-09-2008, 09:20 AM
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#338
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 382
Year: 1981
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Crown
Engine: 671 DD
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
Heck, I've got a trunk in my Crown which is holding two Coleman A/Cs, a 45 gallon fresh water tank, tools, and parts for my conversion. I really like the storage.
If I didn't have the trunk, I would probably think of another way to provide storage (besides, using the under carriage).
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01-09-2008, 09:47 PM
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#339
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
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01-09-2008, 10:27 PM
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#340
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate
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