84 tmc mc-9

[Stngllhm]

I thought I would share my progress so far. Gutting the coach was a pain. But once that was done and the new floor put in my wife and I have started building it back up. We have a long ways to go but the project is going well.
We plan on putting a 12,000 btu mini split in the front and the back of the coach. We are planning on living in the bus full time. It seems like alot of room till you try to figure out places my wife and I and our 3 kids to sleep.

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by Stngllhm

I thought I would share my progress so far. Gutting the coach was a pain. But once that was done and the new floor put in my wife and I have started building it back up. We have a long ways to go but the project is going well.
We plan on putting a 12,000 btu mini split in the front and the back of the coach. We are planning on living in the bus full time. It seems like alot of room till you try to figure out places my wife and I and our 3 kids to sleep.

you have room in the basement for a couple of spare bedrooms

[caspar.]

Thanks for sharing, I'd love to convert one of those MCIs too in the future.
How bad is the rust in your bus? Doesn't seem like you had to replace wheel wells etc.

Originally Posted by Sleddgracer

you have room in the basement for a couple of spare bedrooms

You could build a little hatch going down from inside the bus so your kids could have a playing cave down there. I am sure they would love it!

[Stngllhm]

My bus was built in New Mexico and has spent its life in New Mexico so I have like no rust. MCI built the buses flat and shipped them to Roswell NM where TMC did the final assembly. It is identical to a MCI it even says MCI on the front of the bus but the vin plate and all the gauges say TMC. You have to love dry climates. As far as the basement goes good ideas for a playroom, but I’m using one bay for my mechanical area, one for my tools, and one for storage.

[WoodenYouKnowIt]

Originally Posted by Stngllhm

We plan on putting a 12,000 btu mini split in the front and the back of the coach.

Deciding to use a mini-split system is very wise.

I've been absolutely heartsick over not knowing anything about mini-split systems. I thought that I would depend upon my original Prevost system for so much of the HVAC needs and so, I left the duckwork all in place. It has been a major PITA working around it. Now that I've been committed to using it, I learn about mini-splits and I realize that I could have ripped all that stuff out of my bus and been way ahead for it.

I will not make this mistake on any future buses.

[Stngllhm]

I took awhile away from the project. Finely got back to working on it thought I would add some more pictures. Unfortunately I am at the stage of wiring and plumbing so it doesn’t look like much progress. On a bright note I got both my mini split compressors mounted and the back one is running now(off an extension cord).

[Iceni John]

I'm just about ready to buy a Pioneer 12K 115V minisplit A/C with heat pump and inverter DC compressor (model WYS012AMFI19RL) for my bus - I have a question however. How vertical does the indoor unit need to be? It would be easier and better-looking if mine were angled slightly top-out / bottom-in, but it would still be level left-to-right. Is the condensate's drain pan the reason Pioneer wants them vertical, or is it because of refrigerant flow? If it's just the drain pan, I can easily make or modify something to prevent water dripping from it. Also, does it matter if the two refrigerant hoses are longer than necessary and have their excess length loosely coiled up? I'll need to order the 25 ft hoses because the 16 ft ones may be slightly too short.

Thanks, John

[Stngllhm]

Originally Posted by Iceni John

I'm just about ready to buy a Pioneer 12K 115V minisplit A/C with heat pump and inverter DC compressor (model WYS012AMFI19RL) for my bus - I have a question however. How vertical does the indoor unit need to be? It would be easier and better-looking if mine were angled slightly top-out / bottom-in, but it would still be level left-to-right. Is the condensate's drain pan the reason Pioneer wants them vertical, or is it because of refrigerant flow? If it's just the drain pan, I can easily make or modify something to prevent water dripping from it. Also, does it matter if the two refrigerant hoses are longer than necessary and have their excess length loosely coiled up? I'll need to order the 25 ft hoses because the 16 ft ones may be slightly too short.

Thanks, John

I’m not the best guy to answer your questions as far as how level I believe as long as you are right left to right it would be ok. But if possible it would be better to install as recommended.
As far as the refrigerant hoses I have coiled the extra underneath. You can cut to length and re flare but I didn’t want to do that.

[Iceni John]

Originally Posted by Stngllhm

I’m not the best guy to answer your questions as far as how level I believe as long as you are right left to right it would be ok. But if possible it would be better to install as recommended.
As far as the refrigerant hoses I have coiled the extra underneath. You can cut to length and re flare but I didn’t want to do that.

Thanks! I bit the bullet and just bought it from Sylvane - $828 delivered. Yeah! I was measuring and neurotically remeasuring under the bus this evening to be sure I have enough space for the outdoor unit: it's a tight fit under the floor and above the front axle (where I have my electric air compressor now), but I'll have 5-1/2" space to the top of the axle so I'll be OK there. Maybe I'll make some bump stops for the front axle "just in case . . ." The compressor will fit in the only other remaining space under the floor if I amputate its tanks and connect it directly to the bus's accessories air tank; there's no need for the compressor's own small air tanks if it's plumbed into the bus's air system. I haven't decided exactly where the indoor unit will go, but that's the least of my concerns right now!

John

[ol trunt]

Other than the concern over collecting condensate installing the indoor unit (evaporator) at a slight angle will be OK as long as air flow remains maximized. Many residential ac units come with an "A" coil evaporator so the angle is built in. I have installed many automotive AC units with the evaporator lying face down and at various angles. Similarly, the condenser operates just fine regardless of orientation. The key is maintaining sufficient air flow over the coils. Although I haven't monkeyed with repositioning coils in a heat pump unit, the mere addition of a couple of non-return valves and a reversing valve really changes nothing functionally (other than flow direction inside the system) from a standard AC unit. I'd be curious to know why the mfg of your unit calls for a vertical installation of the evaporator.
Jack

[Placeholder Bus Name]

I really like your mini-split placement! How are you powering these? My bus already has two Coleman overhead units, but I'm honestly thinking I might ditch them for more effective mini-splits.

[Stngllhm]

Originally Posted by Placeholder Bus Name

I really like your mini-split placement! How are you powering these? My bus already has two Coleman overhead units, but I'm honestly thinking I might ditch them for more effective mini-splits.

They are both 12,000 btu the largest I could find and still be 120v. I cut into the 1-1/4” ac line for the busses old ac system and pulled the 12-2 romex through. It worked out well since one of the outside units sits where the old compressor sat and the other one sits where the old condenser sat. They each pull less than 20 watts and are super quiet you hardly know they are running

[Stngllhm]

If your exiting units are working well I’m not sure I would swap them. You might consider a soft start conversion. Once they are running the power consumption should be fairly comparable. They main reason I went with the mini splits is I hope to install enough solar panels on the roof to run them and being the inverter type they don’t have a shock load at start up so it should be easier to accomplish. But I might be chasing in impossibility with wanting to run my ac off solar but with the improvement in the last decade it could be possible in a few more years. The battery technology is almost there

[Native]

Originally Posted by Stngllhm

They are both 12,000 btu the largest I could find and still be 120v. I cut into the 1-1/4” ac line for the busses old ac system and pulled the 12-2 romex through. It worked out well since one of the outside units sits where the old compressor sat and the other one sits where the old condenser sat. They each pull less than 20 watts and are super quiet you hardly know they are running

Did you mean no more than 20 AMPS for the units, not 20 watts?

[Stngllhm]

Originally Posted by Native

Did you mean no more than 20 AMPS for the units, not 20 watts?

Yes thanks for catching that major brain fart.

[Stngllhm]

I got both a/c installed and running. It felt like such a milestone to get them running

[Stngllhm]

Made some more progress I got all the plywood up. Cutting it along the arch is a major pain. You would think you could make a template for one and reuse but nope each one is a bit different.

At this point all the electrical is all done both ac are installed and running. Plumbing is almost done except connecting in the tanks in the basement and installing the Rinnai tankless water heater. Tomorrow I will start putting the paneling on the walls and finish the bunk beds. I might actually get this thing finished(whatever it will never be done😒)

[Stngllhm]

Thought I would add the progress I am a few days from starting to move into the coach I believe I have finely settled on a name “Glory Bound”. My main reason for building the coach was to keep my bills low so I can work in ministry.

[Rovobay]

What a beast. good work, keep it up.

[Native]

The curved openings for the bunks are a nice touch.