Anxious!

[BigPaul367]

It is good that you are tackling the problem, I applaud you. But let's talk about damage control. If your batteries go dead, you are stuck until help arrives. I use a 600 amp cut-off switch to isolate my batteries while I am parked. A separate 12 volt solar charge system keeps the batteries under a trickle charge, a Start Capacitor makes starts really easy. and over come even ice cold batteries. Food for thought!

[Sharee100]

Have you looked at Ross Lukeman's course? His website is alternativehomestoday.com. He goes thru all steps of conversion for a van, most can be adapted for a bus. The course has videos with step by step instructions. He includes written materials for each module and a suggested materials list and where to get them for the best prices. And he tells you the order in which to do them so you don't have to take apart stuff you have just added. And he warns you about things he has learned about while building his own conversion. I am doing the parts I am able to do (I am a 67 year old female) and using resources offered on websites like this one. Jeff Flake is a resource in western North Carolina that I plan to use once I am sure my shuttle is roadworthy.

[Triskite]

re: battery drain, we've had our bus (1999 t444e bluebird) for about 6 years - battery drain issues have been:
1. failed solenoid for glow plug (looks like this test with key out: should be 12V difference between two large posts/terminals and infinite (1) resistance if you test with a multimeter
2. wires that got too hot from heater // failing connection causing a positive wire's housing to melt resulting in a positive touching chassis/ground (happened to the positive going to one of our inverters near the stairwell heater)
3. wires not properly housed eventually fraying and causing a short (or melting due to heat from getting too close to exhaust or other hot engine components) - check for any auxillary (non original factory) parts added on like CB radio, extra heating elements like for mirrors, stuff like that. ironically this happened to us on wires that were added for an aftermarket battery charger/maintainer (NOCO genius).
4. this is a biggie - failing switches // dash panel plugs - especially for high amp circuits like the heater motor or windshield wiper - both started to fail for us recently - check to make sure everything is plugged all the way in and nothing looks melted behind the switch panel. If you can get your hands on one, a thermal imager will show you exactly where you have a short immediately

Originally Posted by trub

The next step for me is removing the rivets in the ceiling so I can get ready for spray foam. I am SO ready to make this happen!!!
Thanks again!

We're in Duluth, MN where it's 6 degrees F right now (and we've been here for weeks) and have had the bus in sub zero temperatures for weeks/months at a time in winters prior - I would spray foam the undercarriage before I opened up the ceiling by drilling through all those rivets. We never did that (but went crazy with floor and walls) and have original fiberglass insulation in the roof and I can tell you (i used a thermal imager to test on our first winter) the floor is without a doubt our weak point - even with all the added insulation + vapor barriers + thermal breaks we installed.

It can be 75 degrees F in the bus // where we are on the couch (80 degrees closer to the ceiling) and I can keep a beverage at near freezing (fridge temp, 35) by leaving it on the vinyl floor.

Right now (I decided to check before posting) it's 61 in the middle (4-5' from floor) of the bus, 45 on the metal ceiling (we put tin-plated steel panels onto the existing ceiling, with an imperfect (screws) thermal break of vinyl wallpaper between), and 15 degrees on the vinyl floor (we have rustoleum paint, rosin paper, 1/2" reflectix-sided foamboard, vapor barrier, 3/4" osb, 2nd vapor barrier, vinyl floor foam underlayment stuff + thick interlocking vinyl planks on our steel). It's 6 degrees F outside.

In case anyone is curious here are some thermal images of extremes we've seen (including temps from tonight//right now).

Sorry to derail for an insulation rant!