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Old 07-11-2022, 02:13 PM   #61
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frochevy View Post
Wow!!! Those look great!
I need to find some of those to upgrade mine in our bus!!



I want those in my RedByrd!!!

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Old 07-11-2022, 02:23 PM   #62
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All 4 seats installed.
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Old 07-16-2022, 06:13 AM   #63
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Took advantage of Prime Day. Ordered two usb powered 12v trucker fans, an off brand roof fan (this will go at the front of the bus and work with the maxxair at the rear to bring in fresh air) and a portable propane tankless water heater.

The plan is to wall mount a trucker fan at the passenger rear side and at the driver front side and use them to circulate air around the bus. They can also be directed to blow onto passengers sitting at the dinette while driving and towards the bed and bunks while sleeping.

I'm also working on building a cabinet for a 10k btu window AC unit that'll bring in fresh air and exhaust the hot air from the unit. I put another 120v port in at the rear of the bus so I can run my generator from the carry-all while traveling and power in the AC unit when its really hot. I discovered my stock AC doesnt have any refrigerant in it and it's probably going to cost a small fortune to see if theres a leak and to refill. The price on refrigerant has gone up a lot compared to 2 years ago when I bought a small 12oz refill can for $20. That same can is pushing $60 today. I think the bus system requires 5-6 pounds.
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Old 07-16-2022, 04:44 PM   #64
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I discovered my stock AC doesnt have any refrigerant in it and it's probably going to cost a small fortune to see if theres a leak and to refill. The price on refrigerant has gone up a lot compared to 2 years ago when I bought a small 12oz refill can for $20. That same can is pushing $60 today. I think the bus system requires 5-6 pounds.
2010 Duramax-based minibus? The factory bus should be using R134a, and that stuff is around 8 bucks per 12oz at Wallyworld. 6lbs would be 8 cans.
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Old 07-16-2022, 06:57 PM   #65
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2010 Duramax-based minibus? The factory bus should be using R134a, and that stuff is around 8 bucks per 12oz at Wallyworld. 6lbs would be 8 cans.
Wow you're right! I guess the "kits" are pushing $50 but I do see the can w no nozzle for $8.88 ea at Wallyworld. Thanks!!
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Old 07-23-2022, 05:15 AM   #66
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This week I installed another roof fan at the front of the bus where the factory air vent was located. I have a vent cover coming in the mail soon. I wasn't going to add the cover but having all of that air moving and hitting me while in the drivers seat felt good and I decided I wanted to use it while driving. Plus I can leave it open when its raining. The maxxair cover was on sale for like $25 on amazon.

This weekend I'll be upgrading the plumbing. The usb powered water cooler pump isnt working so I decided to put on a traditional kitchen sink faucet w pull down sprayer. This means a 12v pump, accumulator and a sink mounted water filter will also be going in. I will also be making connections to a camplux l5 water heater so I'll have hot water at the sink if needed. The camplux will be mounted inside the lift gate door and will be fitted with quick connects. When used the lift gate door will be opened and the pex hose will be quick connected to the feed and return lines of the unit which will be outside the bus during use so no issues with potential CO build up. When not in use the pipes will be disconnected and curled up under the countertop.

Aslo the AC window unit cabinet was scrapped. I didnt like the performance of my test build. I'm just going to mount the 8k btu AC unit out of one of the side windows and secure it with a bracket. Max width of an RV is 102" in most states. I'll have about 6-7" to work with from the outside of the window. I'll make adjustments until I'm in the specs then will mount it. As long as the unit is inside the further point of my side view mirror it'll work.
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Old 07-23-2022, 05:28 AM   #67
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Roadpro trucker fans installed. These are usb powered so I didnt have to run wires. They just plug right into 12v outlets.

They're adjustable. Right now they're both facing the dinette area but they can be turned to face both the queen bed in the back and the bunk beds. They're a little loud but they move a good amount of air.
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Old 07-23-2022, 06:43 AM   #68
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWNJ View Post
Roadpro trucker fans installed. These are usb powered so I didnt have to run wires. They just plug right into 12v outlets.

They're adjustable. Right now they're both facing the dinette area but they can be turned to face both the queen bed in the back and the bunk beds. They're a little loud but they move a good amount of air.
Those fans move a lot of air. I have the factory, two speed,, one on my dash facing the driver and it was loud enough for me to take it all apart and clean/lubricate it. I swear it's louder now than it was before . Your bus is looking good. Cadillackid would be your go to guy for factory A/C, I'm sure he could help you get it working
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Old 07-23-2022, 11:29 AM   #69
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you mentioned going with a 12v water pump and adding an accumulator...you should double check that. the instructions that came with my 12v water pump specifically said not to use an accumulator.
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Old 07-23-2022, 12:11 PM   #70
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window unit hanging out the side of a Bus is just ugly in my opinion.. out the back doesnt look bad.. putting them in a cabinet is usually a bad idea.. they get barely enough airflow as is..



I like those USB fans.. I need to snag a couple of those!!
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Old 07-23-2022, 12:14 PM   #71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BarnYardCamp View Post
you mentioned going with a 12v water pump and adding an accumulator...you should double check that. the instructions that came with my 12v water pump specifically said not to use an accumulator.
what brand water pump did you buy?
yes bigger plumbing systems could go without an expansion tank/accumulator because the extra piping will hold the volume if you are only using one appliance and a small amount of water at a time.
expansion tank or not at dishes time or shower time the pump is going to run.
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Old 07-23-2022, 04:11 PM   #72
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I got a seaflo model 33 and seaflo accumulator. Mostly just for washing hands and to extend the pump life.

My 8k btu unit wouldn’t fit out the rear window so side was the only option. Not a big fan of how it looks but I got over it quickly when it took the bus down from 96* to 83* in 30 mins lol.
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Old 07-23-2022, 05:18 PM   #73
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96/to/ 83 in 10 minutes doesnt matter? what matters is does it make your comfort zone?
for example.
my children have moved back in with me and leaving a dog at home we keep our thermostat at 78.
coming from a day at work for all three of us 78 is air conditioning.
my wife liked 70 and we felt like we were freezing at home.
so acclimation is a true thing.
fine build for what you want but when it doesnt meet your expectation just learn how to deal with it and enjoy what you have.
you did what you did and you got what you got.
backing up is not an option.
i have a pic of a frog with his hands on a pelican neck? and it says never give up
to computer stupid to share.
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Old 07-23-2022, 05:32 PM   #74
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manufacturer for the pump you buy shoulg give you install redquirements for that pump if they didnt send the info with it then reach out to them.
sometimes you have to be the butt head and call BS.
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Old 07-25-2022, 06:42 AM   #75
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Aaaaaand we have running water The pump is super quiet. I still need to get the tubing routed and connected for the hot side but the cold water was flowing without any leaks. The faucet seems pretty decent. It was an amazon buy, Wewe brand, with the pull down head and 2 settings.

I opted to use two 7 gallon Aquatainers for my sink supply. I used a piece of pex for a feed tube inside the container and put a barbed fitting on the outside of the cap. For the shower I have two 5 gallon water cooler jugs that'll be stored under the bed. I can use those for the sink in a pinch. 24 gallons of fresh water should be plenty for camping/hunting trips.


It was 100* outside yesterday and with the bus parked in the shade and the AC running the inside temp ranged between 72-75 during the day.

I also installed a cover on my basic rv roof fan so I can leave it open w/o worrying about rain and can drive with it during operation.
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Old 07-25-2022, 11:58 AM   #76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post

I like those USB fans.. I need to snag a couple of those!!
I have one of those by my computer upstairs, plugged into one of those little 10000 mAh battery packs. It's around 5" and two-speed, runs for hours. Amazon, the whole setup was inexpensive and 100% portable.
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Old 07-29-2022, 06:25 AM   #77
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Window AC is mounted. Its set up to be removed at the end of the season (or left in there) but its solidly mounted so I can drive around with it. Beats installing and removing every time we move the bus during the warm months.

I did put some refrigerant in the bus system and I heard a leak hissing at the big unit under the bus behind the driver's seat. It sounded like it was coming from inside the housing of the unit, not an external hose or fitting.
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Old 07-29-2022, 10:48 AM   #78
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Cadillac Kid is somewhat of the in-house guru on factory AC units. Blast him with a PM if he doesn't see this
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Old 07-29-2022, 02:01 PM   #79
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that is your condensor.
if you have a brazing torch and know how to braze you can pressurize it and find your leak.
if its in the fins you can seperate them and take a shot at brazing up the pin hole.
but especially in that location they do rot out.
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Old 07-30-2022, 09:28 AM   #80
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you are in NJ if the bus came from anywhere around you chances are the condensor is being eaten away by road salt.. ive fixed a few and condemned a few..



if you know how to put a torch on a pipe and can disassemble the unit you can fix it.. rather than Braze I use Staybright8 (its strong enough for even R410A.. my home A/C units have been staybright8 for 14 years... it melts at a much lower temperature so you can usually get the pipe hot enough and not melt the aluminum fins..



that said, a visual on the outsides of the under skirt coil usually tell the story.. if there is a lot of corrosion at the bottom of the visible parts of the coil it usually means its eating itself alive.. while its probably repairable.. replace the damn thing for reliability.. if it looks good still then test the external connections by getting a bottle of soapy water(I use dawn and water) and spray down the external connections and even spray down the visible parts of the coil.. then give it a little gas (nitrogen if you have it).. and look for the bubbles.. it doesnt take much.. in fact too much gas will blow right past the bubble stuff..
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