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Old 04-03-2014, 10:18 AM   #21
Bus Geek
 
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Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
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Year: 1992
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Rated Cap: 72
Re: My Baby

I here you on that. I still have over 5 feet of snow condensed into 2 feet of ice everywhere, with more falling daily.

By next week we are going to start climbing above the freezing mark.

Nat

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Old 04-03-2014, 10:28 AM   #22
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Year: 1960
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Re: My Baby

This post is to see if TinyPic can host my pictures


If this works I will post the rest of the pictures
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Old 04-03-2014, 10:46 AM   #23
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Year: 1960
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Re: My Baby

Ok, Wow, Even an old dog can learn something new. The following are pictures of the bus as it was when I bought it.







There are a lot more pictures, but please let us start slow. As you can see the door was changed to a standard RV type door. It has all but two bus windows (which only slow down the wind). The pot was built with a drop floor (about 6" drop with a plastic pan which broke in the corners). There was a propane heater which does not work. The kitchen sink drains on the ground. No hot water heater, but does have a shower (cold water only), this drains on the ground also). Looking back I wonder just why I bought it. But it is my Baby and the more I do to it the more I love it. Guess I'm just weird. the old man
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Old 04-03-2014, 11:00 AM   #24
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Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
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Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Re: My Baby

Do you mind if I host re post all your pics? Your bus is rare.

Many of the old threads have lost their pics due to the member that started them not keeping up their hosting account, hosting sites closing, changing ect. If I re host them, they will never go down as long as I keep my paid subscription with Photo Bucket. I renew every year as all my personal pics are also backed up on Photo Bucket.

Nat
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Old 04-04-2014, 02:31 PM   #25
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Re: My Baby

Just a few more pictures. I know that some I have already posted, I am still learning how to do this and I know I will make many mistakes. Please forgive me.




























As I am sure you can see that I live in her. We are parked on a small ranch way back near the back fence. There is no water - electric - sewer. Just open space. On top of my enclosed trailer I have solar panels with a batter bank inside. There is a home made generator on the front which I use to charge the battery bank when there are clouds. All in all it is very messy and nothing is to hand, but slowly I am getting her put together.
the old man

P.S. Nat the answer to your PM is yes. If there is anything I can do to help just PM me.
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Old 04-04-2014, 09:42 PM   #26
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Rated Cap: 19
Re: My Baby

Working on it while living in it has to be a challenge, particularly when the weather's not too comfortable.

What's the purpose of the propane cylinder thingy attached to the top of the stove?
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Old 04-05-2014, 01:20 PM   #27
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Re: My Baby

Hi roach711 - My stove is a design of my own. I wanted a stove which would put out a lot of heat with very little wood. With this in mind I made a modified "rocket" stove. The cylinder on top is a heat exchange. I get enough heat from a small fire to turn it a dull red. If you look at some of the pictures of the stove you will see that the burn chamber is only 6x6x18. The bottom 6" tube is a ash chamber as I burn sage brush which is very dirty (sage brush is free). I can put one press log which I can buy at Wal-Mart. The log will burn for about 5 hours (on the box it says 3hr burn). To move the heat I use a "O so cool" (bought at Wal-Mart) made to run on batteries and is plug into my 12v system. I will post a few pictures of it working. the old man
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Old 04-05-2014, 01:33 PM   #28
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Re: My Baby

Hi roach711 - Here it is working and inside is about 75-80. If I remember it was 20 some outside. By the way it was sage brush that was burning. Oh yes - the propane is/was for the buddy heater. But I get more heat from the stove and it is cheap.



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Old 04-05-2014, 04:02 PM   #29
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Rated Cap: 19
Re: My Baby

Neat idea. Being able to use larger diameter wood would be a big plus. Re-purposing a propane cylinder for the re-burn chamber was genius. I'll have to file that one away for future use.
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Old 04-05-2014, 06:11 PM   #30
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Year: 1960
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Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Hello everyone - I have been looking for some way to put fuses in the coach wiring. Other then using a old fuse block from a car, I thought that I might buy a fuse block like this. The cost is about $50.00 which I feel is a little high. But I need something that I can trust. Does any one have an idea on this, or know where I can buy something like it cheaper? Will wait for some feedback. Thanks the old man

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Old 04-05-2014, 07:15 PM   #31
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Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Re: My Baby

Do you have a princes auto where you are?

That fuse block has a few features I like.

One
It has screws to secure the wires onto each circuit vs blade terminals.

Second
The ability to continue the main power circuit with the big stud at the bottom. This would allow you to daisy chain as many fuse blocks as needed.

Last
The cover. Some cheaper fuse blocks don't have one.

Here is a link to look at.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=blade+te ... l&tbm=isch

Click any of the pics to go to the links. You may find a product you like better.


Nat
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Old 04-05-2014, 09:06 PM   #32
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Re: My Baby

Nat - I thank-you for the information. There area lot of them, so I will be spending some time looking at each one. Since the fire I have put a battery in the belly. Now the coach has it own battery. Later I will set up a charge wire from the engine for charging while running. But EVERYTHING will go through a fuse. In this way I hope there will be no more fires. Once again thank-you Nat. the old man
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Old 04-09-2014, 11:35 AM   #33
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Re: My Baby

Hi everybody - Today it is a sunny day and no wind so I am working on the kitchen cabinet and closet wall. Please forgive the mess as I cooked breakfast and didn't put away the stove. I am looking forward to the day I have a working kitchen with a table which I don't have to tie down when I move the "Baby". Bye for now the old man



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Old 04-10-2014, 10:09 AM   #34
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Re: My Baby

Last night while watching TV and swatting flies I decided to run my AC through the wall. This way I would get rid of the power cord through the window. I will never need more amps then 15 as I run on solar and a small battery bank (5 deep cycle). In the summer there will be no AC, with luck just a swamp cooler if water is available. If not I will use the cool air under the bus. I should be able to stay conformable that way.





Ground not hooked up yet. The fuse box from a old camper that I got for nothing. It also gave me the windows I used when I took out the bus windows.
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Old 04-10-2014, 07:48 PM   #35
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Re: My Baby

Hi Everyone - Today I did very little work as I went over to my friend who now has the donor parts for "My Baby". I lived in this motorhome for about two years. It went up and down a washboard road at least four times a month. After running up and this road it just started falling apart. Walls coming loose from the floor. Door frame always coming lose. Leaks from the roof where strong back over door broke. When going down the road I could look in the mirror and watch the coach sway back and forth. I gave it to my friend so he could get the engine. All of the rest was mine to put into my bus. So I got a water tank - gray water tank - black water tank - 12v-AC-propane refrigerator - power panel - propane belly tank(full) - stove - water pump, and any other stuff I need that is there. To bad the windows were to far gone to be used. When I bought it I only paid $1000.00 for it and a small tractor. Yes it has a converter and 12v charger, but it always boiled the batteries. I got to the point where I used a battery charger to keep up the batteries. Have a nice day the old man













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Old 04-11-2014, 12:19 PM   #36
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Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Hi everyone - this morning I spent wiring the 12v coach batteries to the alternator. Yesterday I got the relay solenoid from the ford , it turns on only when the engine switch is on. That way the batteries will not discharge and it is automatic (I will not forget to turn it on/off). Also there is no drop going through a diode. I will put a inline fuse (30 amp) on the first of next month. The belly will hold 4 deep cycle which should be enough to run every thing while I am running without the trailer (saving gas). Next comes the small inverter which will be hooked through battery clips, (need a piece of hard board) in this way I can unhook it when I need to use it somewhere else. If "Baby" was a little bigger I could have an electric closet, but every thing will be in a box in the closet. The inverter is only 400 watt so 10 gauge wire will more than carry the load. Also by using a small inverter I will never plug in heavy loads. Well this is all for today. I hope everyone is having good luck with there builds. the old man



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Old 04-11-2014, 12:22 PM   #37
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Re: My Baby

Looks good. You probably are going to do this but just incase, you might want to think about a grommet or a piece of fuel line for the wire that goes through the metal box. ;)
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Old 04-11-2014, 04:02 PM   #38
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Year: 1960
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Re: My Baby

opus I want to thank-you. The only thing is that I need to go to town to buy some fuel hose. So for now it will have to stay as it is. I am sorry for this, but when my friend died I had to move. I no longer have a nice shop with just about everything. It is now a trailer with what I thought I needed to build the bus. But that is life and I am building even if it is slow. Oh another point to self - slow down when running across field full of sagebrush. It is strong enough to tear out brake lines - wires - gas lines and anything hanging down. I am repairing my friends pick-up now. Like he said "we will not chase the cows this way again". Bye for now the old man
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Old 04-12-2014, 11:53 AM   #39
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Year: 1960
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Re: My Baby

Hello everyone - As most of you know I live in a pasture with no electricity, between the solar panels and my home made generator I am able to supply my needs. Today I thought that I would share with all of you my generator. It is a 5hp engine which I run just above a idle belted to a "Wind Blue" wind alternator turning at low RPM's. It will put out 0 to 80 amps, but I find that 20 to 30 amps are more then enough to charge without boiling the batteries. A word of caution - This alternator hooked to a big engine will blow a battery apart (to much amps). With the engine I use I get about a 6 hour run time which is long enough to charge the bank. If anyone wants more information please ask as I find that this set-up is better than a AC unit, also it is quieter to run. This unit is about 6 years old and has never been stored inside. Rebuilt 3 times as each trailer had a different shape of tongue. With hope I believe that built this way is best for my needs. This is the one I use -

http://www.windbluepower.com/Permanent_ ... dc-440.htm

If you are interest be sure to check out the other ones. Good-bye for now the old man





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Old 04-12-2014, 12:12 PM   #40
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Re: My Baby

Mighty slick little set up you have there. And it sounds like it is just right for your needs.
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