Sport bus the Short bus

[brokedown]

I'm enough of a blockhead that I'll keep buying usb wifi adapters and compiling drivers until I get a combination that works reliably. For practical purposes, there's no reason why it shouldn't be a great way to go. I'm just not quite there yet.

[brokedown]

I can't find a cheap source for a j1708 connector. I might design one and have my friend 3d print it while I'm in town. They should really be five dollar parts. Also, while I'm complaining about things, there should really be an affordable j1708+elm325+hc06 ready to go combo....

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[cadillackid]

Elm325 is a niche market, the 327 is obd2 which is all over, 1708 was short lived in the RV market mostly replaced by 1939 now.

The. Connector on my silver leaf box unplugs so I'll just use it for my own board.. , there's just a lot of PID missing in the silver leaf product.. navistar software snags them so I can too..
Christopher

[brokedown]

So one of my next projects is to literally takes everything out of the bus, line all the surfaces with reflectix, and then or everything back in. Unfortunately, with all the rain we have been in combines with a busy that wasn't as soft as it looked, some water managed to get in through a lens cover. Maybe this is the moment where I change my mind and take the metal ceiling out? I don't really see the ceiling going back up intact if I pull it down to replace the pink insulation....

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[cadillackid]

ive been thinking about gutting my DEV bus.. esp since I have the red one to cruise around in.. I cant imagine trying to gut a bus that you are living in and do it at the same time.. thats a serious project.. I hear people talk that the ceiling panels dont go back up nicely mainly because of having to grind off rivets.. my DEV bus has screws.. i suppose its a pipe dream to think that most of them would come out without griding or drilling..
-Christopher

[brokedown]

Mine is screws, about 500 of them across each seam. It's a big job to take them down, for sure. I have a cordless impact drill that makes the screws easier but the sheer number of them is the real problem. But while I wait for the floods to recede at my next destination, I am in friendly territory where this sort of job might be reasonable.

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[brokedown]

I happened to be near a MIcrocenter the other day and bought a Pi Zero for $5. After another $25 worth of adapters and accessories (usb otg, mini-hdmi to hdmi, sd card) and a couple hours of plonking, my network has been migrated and is fully stable.

Next goal is to use virtual interfaces to run both client and access point on the same adapter!

[cadillackid]

when you say client and AP on the same adapter what do you mean? using the same radio to be an AP and a client? or use a 2.4 / 5 split client / AP..

what do you do? client to a public Wifi network and then NAT it to the devices in your bus via an AP?
-Christopher

[brokedown]

Using the same radio for both. This will have an effect on bandwidth, but since the Pi uses a single bus, and public wifi tends to not be amazing, it shouldn't really be a practical difference.

Right now I've got a high gain antenna on the roof from adapter A, connecting to public/store wifi networks, and a smaller antenna inside the bus on adapter B acting as the access point for laptops etc and doing NAT out.

[brokedown]

Once I get to a fairly optimal setup I'll document the whole thing. I've got a software piece that goes along with it as well.

I'm having some teething issues that I had previously that I managed to get worked out, but I've forgotten how I worked them out.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by brokedown

Once I get to a fairly optimal setup I'll document the whole thing. I've got a software piece that goes along with it as well.

I'm having some teething issues that I had previously that I managed to get worked out, but I've forgotten how I worked them out.

I always hate that... I was just dealing with that issue today on my work stuff... had an issue i hacked out before and had forgotten.. luckily id made a sticky about it on my older macbook pro, so i got back quickly.. I often have a window open typing a text file then upload them to my google drive..

in linux its often excerpts from my .bash_history file pasted and commented..

when you connect to a public WiFi how do you get through their auth / splash mechanisms? do you do it with a computer then MAC spoof on your PI?

-Christopher

[1olfart]

I hate to jump in, but since you both drive similar rigs, I was wondering what kind of MPGs (highway) one can expect from those size buses. I realize that Brokedown has a little less weight, than Chris, but the #s I see, seem to be all over the chart.
My son was visiting us this past weekend and I think he may be hooked on the skoolie vib. now. He watched Dredman's site, and that seemed to do it.

[brokedown]

I get 8 on the highway. My bus is geared for a 58mph cruising speed, and governed at 65. I'm not sure Christopher's red bus weighs less than mine, another member had theirs weighed at 12500 empty!

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[cadillackid]

im not sure what mine weighs... i need to get it weighed... its GVWR is 17500. mine is geared with 3.54 rears and a 225/70R19.5 tire.. and the AT545..

usually it gets 9-10.5 or so.. the winter trip to florida I got close to 11.. my guess is because i had zero radiator fan usage and zero A/C usage... now lets play this trip coming from orlando to st pete then ohio over the late last week... it was HOT! the whole trip until I got to about middle kentucky.. I got 8.5 on that trip. it was 100 or so that first day up until it dropped into the upper 80s as i finished in valdosta georgia.. that was orland to st pete to valdosta.. I didnt calc the exact numbers (I always write the miles and gallons filled down but just calc a trip average.. plus my trip computer screen does it.. and the computer is usually a tad bit high but not too much...
I had A/C that i know never cycled out.. and my radiator fan stayed engaged nearly the whole day... this I know because I HEARD it the whole time... my transmission temp also reached about 190.. hottest i ever saw it.. that was running 64 MPH.. (the bus tops out on flat ground about 73 or so i think.. ive got the speed governor set at 75 but it never reaches that...

so it appears A/C useage and radiator fan useage play a big part in fuel mileage...

Now this is all great info as to lets see what it does in the summer heat after I have the upgraded transmission installed... the 545 thats in there is starting to get tired.. it appears i ran it with a bad electric modulator since I bought the bus.. and I understand thats a bad thing... now it sometimes doesnt know what gear to go into.. doesnt slip.. the midulator is replaced but it still occasionally fails to shift to first at a stop (until after Ive stopped for a minute or so).. and sometimes going from 2-3 at light throttle it goes 2-3-2-3 quickly...

so ive set the wheels in motion.. an old hot-rodders analogy.. a positive way to deal with something Breaking is to UPGRADE!! so a 1000 (6 speed lockup OD auto) will be going in its place... im told that I may see as much as a 25-30% increase in mileage.. for one the T-444E engine is happier when its not running at its near redline all day long.. runs cooler, so less radiator fan useage.. plus the lockup converter means not making useless heat with an unlocked transmission.. its an expensive upgrade to do it right.. so I'll never recoup it in fuel savings.. however I'll have a real highway runner when im done... plus there is a Lot of electronics involved which is right up my alley.. so the idea of the swap itself being fun too is worth part of the cost of the upgrade..

-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

I have no working fuel gauge.
But it seems I'm getting around 10mpg or maybe even a bit more with my 444/545 shorty.
The 40 footer with 466/643 gets 8.

[brokedown]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

im not sure what mine weighs... i need to get it weighed... its GVWR is 17500. mine is geared with 3.54 rears and a 225/70R19.5 tire.. and the AT545..

usually it gets 9-10.5 or so.. the winter trip to florida I got close to 11.. my guess is because i had zero radiator fan usage and zero A/C usage... now lets play this trip coming from orlando to st pete then ohio over the late last week... it was HOT! the whole trip until I got to about middle kentucky.. I got 8.5 on that trip. it was 100 or so that first day up until it dropped into the upper 80s as i finished in valdosta georgia.. that was orland to st pete to valdosta.. I didnt calc the exact numbers (I always write the miles and gallons filled down but just calc a trip average.. plus my trip computer screen does it.. and the computer is usually a tad bit high but not too much...
I had A/C that i know never cycled out.. and my radiator fan stayed engaged nearly the whole day... this I know because I HEARD it the whole time... my transmission temp also reached about 190.. hottest i ever saw it.. that was running 64 MPH.. (the bus tops out on flat ground about 73 or so i think.. ive got the speed governor set at 75 but it never reaches that...

so it appears A/C useage and radiator fan useage play a big part in fuel mileage...

Now this is all great info as to lets see what it does in the summer heat after I have the upgraded transmission installed... the 545 thats in there is starting to get tired.. it appears i ran it with a bad electric modulator since I bought the bus.. and I understand thats a bad thing... now it sometimes doesnt know what gear to go into.. doesnt slip.. the midulator is replaced but it still occasionally fails to shift to first at a stop (until after Ive stopped for a minute or so).. and sometimes going from 2-3 at light throttle it goes 2-3-2-3 quickly...

so ive set the wheels in motion.. an old hot-rodders analogy.. a positive way to deal with something Breaking is to UPGRADE!! so a 1000 (6 speed lockup OD auto) will be going in its place... im told that I may see as much as a 25-30% increase in mileage.. for one the T-444E engine is happier when its not running at its near redline all day long.. runs cooler, so less radiator fan useage.. plus the lockup converter means not making useless heat with an unlocked transmission.. its an expensive upgrade to do it right.. so I'll never recoup it in fuel savings.. however I'll have a real highway runner when im done... plus there is a Lot of electronics involved which is right up my alley.. so the idea of the swap itself being fun too is worth part of the cost of the upgrade..

-Christopher

What's your rpm at 60mph right now? I drove​ mine at 62mph for a bit yesterday...

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[cadillackid]

At 60,I'm usually in that 2200 range, up and down from that as it's a 545 so under load the rpm is up.

Your bus has the perfect shape for a shortie, gives you more aerodynamics .. other than it being tough to get to stuff for repair.

Christopher

[brokedown]

I'm running around 2400rpm at 60 so a bit higher than you. My aerodynamics aren't as good since I added a kayak.

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[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by brokedown

I'm running around 2400rpm at 60 so a bit higher than you. My aerodynamics aren't as good since I added a kayak.

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Your bus is geared a bit lower than mine, or maybe its the smaller tires, but 62 sounds about right.
I'll admit I'm not a big fan of the Vistas, but your lil shorty is SWEET.
Heard yall were painting it?? Roxy said you were.

[cadillackid]

my gearing is all jacked right now since my tranny cant always decide what gear to be in...
-Christopher