Returning to skoolie.net

[bp1791-unleashed]

I was here in the past (different life, different bus: unleashed, different username: baadpuppy), and circumstances and priorities in life shifted for a while. But I'm finally back on the right track with life, and converting a skoolie again.

In memory of the goals for the first conversion attempt, I'm naming this one unleashed 2.0.

Bus: 2004 Thomas Saf-T-Liner, manufactured March 2003
Engine: CAT ER3126E210
Transmission: Allison MD3060 (6th locked out)

Originally bus # 03008 from the Montgomery County Public School system in Maryland. translation: half-a$$ed maintenance and lots of salt/rust

Approximately a 72 passenger bus (nothing written down anywhere, but it's about 34/35 feet long)

This has the higher clearance roof line that Thomas sometimes made.

I'll post more in a build thread as I make progress.

Glad to be back!
Jim

[bp1791-unleashed]

So this is a bit of a long story, and a lesson or two in there somewhere.

A few years ago, I had a long discussion with my parents about their retirement, and what they wanted for the future, etc. The eventual conclusion was that they wanted some land away from the coast, where they could have some animals, a good garden, room to play, etc. This lined up with my own desires to be self sufficient, so we decided to go in together to buy some farmland. There were a lot of criteria for the search, but eventually we found a small 19 acre farm in Kentucky, about a 12-13 hour drive from the current home. An offer was made and accepted, and closing was scheduled for August 6, 2019 (a Tuesday).

We talked about the best way to move everything. There is a LOT of stuff to move. I pointed out that a bus was relatively cheap, could be given a "conversion" to be an "RV", and could carry a LOT of weight. Eventually, that is the path that was chosen.

Basically, the idea was that we would put in a very basic conversion for the move, then once moved, nicen up the conversion a bit for camping trips. A whynter AC/DC chest fridge/freezer, a couple portable a/c units, a bucket with a toilet seat for urgent use only, a folding table for countertops, a couple of bunks for sleeping... that was the plan. We already had all of that stuff laying around. We just needed a bus.

We found the bus we bought at a used vehicle dealership in Delaware. They had several of these busses bought at auction from Montgomery County, MD. They only had 2 left when we went to look at them, and one was missing engine parts, so we looked at this one. They kept pushing us towards the one with missing parts, and insisted their mechanic would get it running for us. The one we looked at had been sitting for months, and refused to start even with new batteries. When you turned the key to the start position, nothing happened. Upon releasing the key, returning to the run position, you were unable to turn back to the start position without first going to the off position. bleeping safety feature. And when you turn the key to off, there was a buzzer that went on and stayed on until you walked to the back of the bus and hit a button.

We quickly figured that there was an interlock keeping the vehicle from cranking. We spent many hours working on it, then left, and the mechanic worked on it that week. We returned the following weekend with a ton of tools, and worked on it several more hours. We finally determined that we could bypass the push button in the back. We also removed the buzzer for the "some interlock isn't right yet" notification. And we bypassed everything else by putting the key in run, then putting 12 volts straight to the starter solenoid. By doing this, we got the engine running.

The air came up rapidly, and held well when pumping the brakes. The engine ran smoothly. Everything seemed quite nice, so we took a test drive. Well, there must have been a coolant leak, as it quickly overheated and didn't have enough coolant. 2 gallons of antifreeze and water later, and it was happy again. There was decent off the line grunt, it was able to hit 60mph and still pulling, but we were in a 55mph zone and we didn't want to push it. Got it back, and finalized a deal. Due to the difficulties with starting it, we got it for only a few hundred over what hey paid for it at the auction, plus dealership fees (including temporary tags).

Air brakes, air ride seat, rear engine, 35ish feet long, air operated door... it seemed like such a great upgrade over the bus I originally had.

Driving home, it overheated again. It also developed a major loil leak.

It took us some time to find a mechanic to work on it. The closest we could find was in Pocomoke City, MD, about 30-40 minutes away. This being June/July time frame, it was their busiest time of year as they maintain the school bus fleets for 2 counties in Maryland, including an inspection.

We would take the bus up on Sunday evenings hoping they would get to it, then bring it home on Friday evenings so we could work on it. The week before we had to leave, they finally worked on the bus. They flushed gunk out of the coolant system, changed all fluids and filters, fixed the oil leak (HEUI bolts were loose, and it almost fell off the engine), and pronounced the bus fit for any cross country trip.

Seats were cut out, insulation and plywood put down on the floor, a trailer hitch tube was bolted to the front and rear bumpers. 220v split phase 50A marine hookup was added, with a breaker box installed. a closet was built for the bucket room. A trailer electrical hookup was added. A fused push button was added in the front with a relay to activate the starter solenoid, bypassing all that interlock mess entirely. A generator was put on the front in a hitch-carrier, with spare fuel tanks, and wired to the 50A input (only 26 amps of generator output, barely enough to run both a/c units).

We worked every weekend daylight hour for 2 months that vehicle ready for the trip. I even mounted the 3rd row seat from my SUV over the front right wheel hump so a passenger could ride.

We put a bucket in the bucket room, with bags, and a toilet seat designed to fit it. We put a futon in the back, a recliner, the 2 portable a/c units with ducting out the window for the hot side intake/exhaust, the portable fridge, a propane camp stove, a few folding chairs and tables, and a LOT of boxes strapped down.

We also loaded our 7x14 cargo trailer with a ton of stuff. It was on the rear bumper hitch mount.

We also loaded mom's pickup truck with more stuff, and the plan was for her to follow the bus with the truck, and we would allow 2 days to get there, and dad would work one of the days, then meet us along the trip. That did not happen. We didn't get on the road until nearly noon on Monday, August 5, 2019. We made it about 10 miles, stopped to check on everything, and the rear bumper was at a 45 degree angle, with the hitch nearly dragging. I sent mom back home to get the farm jack and weight distributing hitch, and we swapped that in, which helped, but while she was getting all that, I checked into *why* the bumper was angled.

The front bumper is bolted to the frame with massive bolts. It is extremely secure.

The rear bumper is bolted to the frame with 1 massive bolt per frame rail, through a rubber bushing. This rubber bushing had flexed, allowing the bumper to angle down. The bolts were still ok, just being hellaciously stressed.

After putting the weight distributing hitch on, the bumper was straight, but our confidence in making it 700 miles with that setup was gone. We discussed it, and decided to return home and work on the problem more. Incidentally, the drive back to the house with the WD hitch and trailer was the smoothest ride I've ever had with that bus. No porpoising at all.

At home, we discussed putting the trailer on mom's truck, but without a brake controller, that was ruled out. That left my SUV, but who would drive it? While figuring all this out, dad got off work early, giving us another driver.

So, trailer went on the SUV, which I drove. Mom drove her truck. Dad drove the bus for the first time. And off we went. The dog was riding with mom in her truck.

You'd think that would be the end of the bad luck. If only...

[bp1791-unleashed]

So we hit the road I think around 4 or 4:30 pm on August 5, 2019. We're confident in the engine of the bus because a shop that specializes in school busses said it was in good shape. We've moved the trailer from the bus to the SUV because we didn't do a good job installing the receiver on the bus (do not use the bumper on a rear engine bus as your mounting point). Dad's driving the bus, I'm driving the SUV + Trailer, and Mom is driving the loaded pickup truck with the dog. We need to be in Kentucky by 10am for a walkthrough of the property, and closing at 2pm on the 6th. Plenty of time. Ha!

They say man plans, and God laughs. Well, I'm sure he busted a gut this time.

We made it just fine after getting used to the way everything was towing/driving and a couple stops for drinks and bathroom breaks. Then we got to Interstate 70 westbound, and started climbing. As the altitude increased, the engine temperature increased, until we had to stop and let it cool down. Being 4 hours into a 12 hour journey, with nightfall approaching, we figure we can still make it since it'll be cooler.

We could probably drive 15-30 minutes at a stretch before needing a cooldown on the side of the road, or a rest area, or gas station. We got to a Pilot at Hagerstown, MD a little before 1am. We are all exhausted, frazzled from all the stops, and realizing we won't make our deadline, but Dad wants to push on. Back on the road a little after 1am, heading west. About 3am, I finally convince dad we need to pull off and get some rest, or at least figure out what we're going to do, so we stop at the Walmart in Cumberland, MD. That's 65.5 miles in 2 hours if anyone is counting.

Dad was wired from the coffee he was drinking, and we were only approximately halfway to the destination. The hard reality was, we weren't going to make it unless something changed. So, the decision was made to have Mom and Dad go on in the pickup truck without the dog, so they could do the official closing on the property, while the dog and I stayed at Walmart until they could come back for us.

They made it with a minor misadventure. Around 4-4:30am, on Interstate 79 southbound in WV, dad fell asleep at the wheel. The truck went across the median, bouncing severely and waking them both up, ending up southbound in the northbound lane. Dad quickly and carefully went back across the median, and pulled off to check the truck. One runner board had pushed back, no other damage. Anyone that has driven that Interstate knows how few places there are where crossing he median is relatively level to the oncoming lane. They are lucky to have lived through the experience. After that, adrenaline was sufficient to keep them awake. They got to the town an hour early, got some breakfast, toured the property, unloaded the pickup truck with permission of the seller, got lunch, went to the closing, bought appliances, went back to the property and finished unloading stuff, moving things around, etc. Then mom fell on the back deck and sliced her arm open, requiring an ER visit and several stitches.

In the meantime, I woke up around 5:30 or 6am due to pressing hydraulic concerns for myself and the dog. After walking him, I closed him up in the bus, went into walmart for my own needs, bought something for breakfast, and fixed a burned out turn signal on the bus. While I was tinkering with the bus, it occurred to me that we were being stupid at 3am, and I could leave the SUV + Trailer for a short time, and take the bus on to KY. So, I moved the contents of the SUV into the bus, strapped it all down, left a note in the driver's window saying I would be back ASAP, left my cell number, and moved the SUV to a place that was more of long term storage for large items for the store, and as out of the way as I could put it. Also, under a light where a security camera was, because I'm a little paranoid.

So the dog and I hit the road around 7am or so, with the bus nicely cooled down, the generator running, and the a/c units going. I had to baby the bus through the mountains, and stop frequently to let the temps come down. I watched that gauge like a hawk, and only 3 times on the trip did it hit the point where it screamed an alarm and retarded the output to limp mode. The rest of the times, I pulled over and cooled it down before that could happen.

I busted a tire trying to get into a gas station in Bridgeport, WV. The sidewall on the outer dually passenger side got pinched between the rim and the curb because some idiot in a van was reading their phone instead of driving and nearly drove into me as I was entering the lot. BTW, only ever use truck stops in WV, most of the businesses there are carve out of mountains and don't have much maneuvering room. After driving very slowly 3 miles to a local tire shop, I got the tire replaced. They didn't even remove it from the bus, just wiggled the old one off the rim, wiggled the new one on, and used an air bazooka thing to set the bead. I thought it was cool. The dog was definitely not amused, and let everyone know for a good 5 minutes. After they finished up and I paid my bill, I was back on the road. It had started raining pretty hard by this point, and that made it more fun. Not less cool, but definitely more interesting.

I was in KY when I got the text about mom's fall. I was only about 80 miles from the farm so I kept driving. I got there around 8pm, and they got back from the ER around 9pm. We were all exhausted, so we crashed out in the bus, with only one A/C running. It cools down nicely overnight there in KY. That night, a massive thunderstorm rolled through, with hard driving rain, lightning everywhere, and dumped about 7 inches of rain in about 90 minutes. We discovered new leaks in the bus. We woke up on the 7th to find that there was now a new gulley cut down the middle of the driveway, the runoff ponds were full, and the bridge that is closest to the property to get out was flooded.

We ate breakfast, moved the bus around to be a little more level and less in the watery places, and Dad and I got in the pickup and went back to Cumberland to get the SUV + Trailer. There were no surprises on that trip, but it was 10pm when we got back to the farm. We just parked, crawled into the bus, and had our second night of sleep in the bus. It rained again, taking more of the driveway away.

Thursday, August 8, we were all tired of sleeping in a leaky bus on a slope, and moved all the sleeping stuff into the house. We unloaded the bus, trailer, and SUV. We talked about the future of the bus. At this point, it was obviously in need of major cooling system work, and some weatherproofing at a minimum. Plus, the trailer hitch needed to be fixed properly.

We stopped by a local shop, and they said they could fix the bus up for us. So we got the generator, fridge, a/c units, etc out of the bus and took it there.

They were in their busy time of year fixing tractors and UTVs for farmers. So it was a couple months before they got to it. They removed the radiator entirely, and sent it to a specialty shop for testing, and it was 60% clogged. We had it re-cored. The shop also relocated the heater hoses under the floor for us so the front defroster could work again (we had bypassed the heater circuit entirely and removed the under seat heaters). They used some seriously massive steel to build a new plate tied to the frame for the hitch, and cut a hole through the bumper for the hitch receiver to stick out. All told, they did a great job, but it was a low priority job for them, and it was November before we could get the bus out of the shop.

Thanksgiving, dad and I went out to KY, and I drove the bus back with the trailer behind it, and had no issues other than a lack of heat in the driver area. We later discovered one of the heater hoses in the engine compartment had too much bend on it, and when it got hot, it kinked, closing off the flow. That's why the defroster didn't do much. The main dash heater is non-functional. I plan to put one of the under seat heaters behind the driver seat as part of the conversion.

After getting the bus back to Virginia, we did the math. Averaging 7mpg for the trips, and 700 miles each way, that's 100 gallons each way. So take the price of diesel and multiply times 100, and that's the fuel cost of a trip each way. Amount of weight seems to not make a difference in the economy.

Mom and Dad decided it just isn't worth it to make frequent back and forth trips, compared to 19mpg for the Chevy Express 2500 van we have. They were basically fed up with the bus, the delays it caused, and the expense. And it was hard to blame them. There's no way we could get out of it what was put into it already.

So, I offered to buy it for what they had in it, so I could convert it. And they agreed.

On the plus side: This bus drives 65mph at around 2250/2300 RPM. It can go faster downhill with a tail wind. The cooling system has been brought back to near-factory condition. Everything works as expected. The bus has already been stripped down, and I'm very familiar with driving it.

On the minus side: There are still leaks. The original "conversion" efforts mostly needed to be undone to start over. The fuel economy SUCKS. It does not do mountains well at all. I was doing 35 in the slow lane at one point, and these are just the east coast mountains. I dread to think what the rockies would be like.

It was an adventure to say the least. But now the bus is my problem, and not theirs. I have a lot of ideas, and first on the list is closing in the windows to stop the leaks, then putting in better windows in the new walls. Also, I'm looking into that MD3060 6th gear unlock. I also want to pull the injectors and have them tested.

And that's the end of the story. Now it's ready for a new story, becoming a living space for me.

[kazetsukai]

Welcome back.



The overheating issue would be number one worry- I'd be very hesitant to accept that as anything remotely normal, and would be looking to beef up the cooling if it were the case. Going to beef up the TX cooling at some point if not swap/upgrade.


What level of interior furnishing were you thinking of doing- between lets say, ultra-simple (5 gallon bucket toilet, self-contained sink, basic electrical etc) and ultra-refined (full black/grey system, elaborate plumbing infrastructure, full electrical with shore/offshore capabilities)?

[bp1791-unleashed]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

Welcome back.



The overheating issue would be number one worry- I'd be very hesitant to accept that as anything remotely normal, and would be looking to beef up the cooling if it were the case. Going to beef up the TX cooling at some point if not swap/upgrade.

Thank you.

The re-core of the radiator fixed the overheating issue. It runs around 185-195 degrees now. In fact, driving back from KY took 13 hours, towing a trailer, and never hit 200 degrees. This past weekend I drove about 25 miles in 100 degree temperatures, and barely hit 200 degrees on the gauge. I do have some auxiliary electric fans that are thermostatically controlled that I want to add, because rear engine school busses don't have the best engine air flow, and that hydraulic fan can certainly use an assist. I never want to hit the heat limiter again, that's some scary feeling.

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

What level of interior furnishing were you thinking of doing- between lets say, ultra-simple (5 gallon bucket toilet, self-contained sink, basic electrical etc) and ultra-refined (full black/grey system, elaborate plumbing infrastructure, full electrical with shore/offshore capabilities)?

For the conversion, I want to be able to live in the bus. Galley with stove/oven, microwave, dishwasher, sink, coffee maker, fridge, and freezer. Bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink. Living room with 2 recliners, TV and associated entertainment gear. Bedroom. Place to keep clothes. Place to operate amateur radio. HVAC as well with 2 mini-split systems, 12K BTU each. Full black/grey/fresh tank systems. BBQ propane bottles in a vented compartment for propane source.

I already have the propane range from an RV, an upright ~10 cu ft AC fridge/freezer, a whynter 80qt AC/DC fridge/freezer to be the chest freezer, countertop dishwasher that can be mounted inside a cabinet, microwave, coffee maker. I've sourced the shower pan and RV toilet, but not ordered them yet. I am still deciding about the bathroom sink. I already have the mini split units. These were chosen before it was intended to be a full time livable space, but they're already paid for so I will use them.

In my latest iteration of a floor plan, I do have a space I can put a splendide washer/dryer all-in-one unit some day.

For the bedroom and living room, I'm thinking of combining them at the back of the bus. I want to build cabinetry into the step-up area over the engine compartment. There is no access hatch for the engine in this one, so I can bury it safely. I want to have a fold up/down bed base, sorta like a murphy bed, that tucks the bed up when not needed, with the TV mounted to the underside of the bed, so it's the TV wall when raised. I'm not convinced this will work, but I intend to try it.

I have a line on a pair of recliners that are meant for RVs, need little space, and look nice and comfortable. We'll see how they are when reality meets the specs.

I just spent time looking at your compressor install on the back of your bus, and I intend to do something very similar with mine. That is a sweet installation. I'm reading the rest of the thread still.

I want to put solar on top eventually, but the primary design at this time is to be able to plug in or run from generator. I do eventually want a battery bank, inverter, solar, etc, either a 24v or 48v battery bank most likely. I'm a fan of the Victron Energy stuff, and want to keep using their products, so it'll all be based around that. When I do get to this project, I want LiFePO batteries, at least 400AH, maybe more. That'll be a future project though, due to budget considerations.

I have a 7x14 enclosed cargo trailer that can act as auxiliary space, either for amateur radio operations, or as a garage, or whatever. I need to give that a lot more consideration as well.

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by bp1791-unleashed

For the conversion, I want to be able to live in the bus. Galley with stove/oven, microwave, dishwasher, sink, coffee maker, fridge, and freezer. Bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink. Living room with 2 recliners, TV and associated entertainment gear. Bedroom. Place to keep clothes. Place to operate amateur radio. HVAC as well with 2 mini-split systems, 12K BTU each. Full black/grey/fresh tank systems. BBQ propane bottles in a vented compartment for propane source.

So more of a "full conversion" like mine. I see a lot of folks leave in the ceiling, leave in the windows and the walls. For good climate control, not a winning strategy. For a fast warmer climate build, probably faster and easier.



Roof raise? I opted against one as I had zero metal cutting/welding experience going in, but I might do one if I build another full size bus.

Originally Posted by bp1791-unleashed

I already have the propane range from an RV, an upright ~10 cu ft AC fridge/freezer, a whynter 80qt AC/DC fridge/freezer to be the chest freezer, countertop dishwasher that can be mounted inside a cabinet, microwave, coffee maker. I've sourced the shower pan and RV toilet, but not ordered them yet. I am still deciding about the bathroom sink. I already have the mini split units. These were chosen before it was intended to be a full time livable space, but they're already paid for so I will use them.

If you want to power them off solar, during sun will be pretty easy, just fill the roof with panels. If you plan on battery power for any length of time, get high efficiency units... you will end up saving money over additional batteries needed to make up for the efficiency differences.


My unit is a single 9k and aside from air circulation (opposite end gets a little hot) is has done a stellar job. I left room on my rack for a second unit and I'll probably end up using it.

Originally Posted by bp1791-unleashed

In my latest iteration of a floor plan, I do have a space I can put a splendide washer/dryer all-in-one unit some day.

How much do those run?

Originally Posted by bp1791-unleashed

For the bedroom and living room, I'm thinking of combining them at the back of the bus. I want to build cabinetry into the step-up area over the engine compartment. There is no access hatch for the engine in this one, so I can bury it safely. I want to have a fold up/down bed base, sorta like a murphy bed, that tucks the bed up when not needed, with the TV mounted to the underside of the bed, so it's the TV wall when raised. I'm not convinced this will work, but I intend to try it.

Interesting, I combined my bed/living room in the front/middle. Murphy bed: Queen will be hard to fit without a roof raise, king is impossible without. TwinXL and below you can easily fit a murphy bed even off of the floor by a couple feet.



TV mount: Just make sure the bed has some clearance, and that the TV mount will hold your TV even facing down. And consider compartments for cable management.

Originally Posted by bp1791-unleashed

I just spent time looking at your compressor install on the back of your bus, and I intend to do something very similar with mine. That is a sweet installation. I'm reading the rest of the thread still.

Thanks for the compliments. It looked whacky until it was finished.

Originally Posted by bp1791-unleashed

I want to put solar on top eventually, but the primary design at this time is to be able to plug in or run from generator. I do eventually want a battery bank, inverter, solar, etc, either a 24v or 48v battery bank most likely. I'm a fan of the Victron Energy stuff, and want to keep using their products, so it'll all be based around that. When I do get to this project, I want LiFePO batteries, at least 400AH, maybe more. That'll be a future project though, due to budget considerations.

Well as you may have noticed in my thread I have lots of thoughts, success and failure in the realm of electrical. I've done 12V, 24V and 48V systems. I do intend to upgrade to a custom built LiFePO4 bank later (after selling my home) as like you, currently that's not in the budget.

Originally Posted by bp1791-unleashed

I have a 7x14 enclosed cargo trailer that can act as auxiliary space, either for amateur radio operations, or as a garage, or whatever. I need to give that a lot more consideration as well.

My shorty fills that use case. I'm also going to try to use my shorty as a mobile laundromat. Oh it is nice having a moving garage, you'll love it.

[bp1791-unleashed]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

So more of a "full conversion" like mine. I see a lot of folks leave in the ceiling, leave in the windows and the walls. For good climate control, not a winning strategy. For a fast warmer climate build, probably faster and easier.

Yep, a full conversion, to live in full time for some unknown length of time. Basically, I have a decent job with decent income, but the apartment I'm in won't be available to me once my parents finish moving and sell the old place. I'm not looking to be homeless, and I really want to avoid any more renting. By living in the bus, I can either find a place near work to park and live, or live in it on the farm in KY should I find a job there. I'll need the income either way it goes, and not having to worry where my home is will be one less stressor. No mortgage and no rent = more debt paid off more quickly. Removing all the windows and closing that in, and adding windows where I need them within the ribs. The current windows leak way too much, and I don't want to live in a mold infested home.

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

Roof raise? I opted against one as I had zero metal cutting/welding experience going in, but I might do one if I build another full size bus.

I wanted to do one on my first conversion, and put a LOT of effort into the design. This time my time is more constrained, it just is not doable. Maybe the next bus...

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

If you want to power them off solar, during sun will be pretty easy, just fill the roof with panels. If you plan on battery power for any length of time, get high efficiency units... you will end up saving money over additional batteries needed to make up for the efficiency differences.


My unit is a single 9k and aside from air circulation (opposite end gets a little hot) is has done a stellar job. I left room on my rack for a second unit and I'll probably end up using it.

My apartment (about 390 sq ft) has a single 220v 12,000 BTU mini split. It pulls 7 amps peak, or 1540 watts, when it engages the compressor. The rest of the time it is significantly lower.

The 2 mini splits I have for the bus are 110v 12,000 BTU "inverter" units, rated at 19 SEER. Only 9.5 HSPF for the heat pump side. The nice thing is that they can be balanced across from each other in a split phase panel, and not overload either side. They are rated at 8.87A 115v peak, and being "inverter" models should not have that initial surge that traditional compressors have. My math says 1020.05 watts peak.

My thinking is that I can run one, the other, or both as needed. The use of a small fan to help with moving air around will help. I intend to treat the drivers area as more of a mud room / arctic entrance. Let's face it, that's a huge solar oven up there. I've not solved how to keep the driver from cooking yet, but I'm thinking on it.

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

How much do those run?

The Splendide WD2100XC White Vented Combo Washer/Dryer is $1,182.86 + $129.00 shipping on amazon right now. These are widely used in Europe and in RVs, are relatively efficient, and take up only a little space compared to a home washer/dryer setup. I figure you just toss the dirties in each evening, and when it fills up you hit the "go" button, and a few hours later they are clean. Future dream.

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

Interesting, I combined my bed/living room in the front/middle. Murphy bed: Queen will be hard to fit without a roof raise, king is impossible without. TwinXL and below you can easily fit a murphy bed even off of the floor by a couple feet.

You make a good point, but I intend to articulate the fold-up about 2-4 foot from the head of the bed, "curving" the mattress up. The head of the bed would basically be up against the rear emergency exit window above the engine. I'm not sure how well that'll work with the compressors being on the other side of that wall, but I intend to insulate well right there.

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

TV mount: Just make sure the bed has some clearance, and that the TV mount will hold your TV even facing down. And consider compartments for cable management.

Compartments for the cable management is a great idea. I hadn't considered that yet. Yes, the mount needs to be very strong. I do not want to have to unmount the TV every time the bed comes down.

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

Thanks for the compliments. It looked whacky until it was finished.

Well as you may have noticed in my thread I have lots of thoughts, success and failure in the realm of electrical. I've done 12V, 24V and 48V systems. I do intend to upgrade to a custom built LiFePO4 bank later (after selling my home) as like you, currently that's not in the budget.

I think it looks great, and Dad and I have been kicking around a very similar design. There's not really good space below for the bracing, so we've been looking at bracing from above, but otherwise it's the same idea. I've also toyed with putting expended steel down on the platform so it's walkable for servicing rooftop stuff. I like how you did your panels, and I need to crib a lot more ideas from you.

The 12/24/48 v stuff is something I have put a lot of research and thought into. I've been wanting to build a skoolie since around 2007 or 2008.

I'm designing for what I want long term. I'm building for what I absolutely need minimum to live in it. Once I'm in it, I can add a lot of other stuff, like inverter, solar, battery banks, etc.

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

My shorty fills that use case. I'm also going to try to use my shorty as a mobile laundromat. Oh it is nice having a moving garage, you'll love it.

Wait, you have a short bus as well? Wow. Back when I was doing my previous design, my gf at the time and I kicked around the idea of having a short bus as the towed vehicle. I still want to get a short transit/shuttle bus for my daily driver. Not that there's any daily driving right now, but the idea stands.

I like what you're doing with all the automation stuff as well. I have a pile of solenoid based bi-stable flip-flop switches (commonly used in older style pinball games, and more modern conveyer belt applications). I've also seen them used in soda vending machines. Basically, a momentary pulse of power changes the state from A to B or B to A, and it stays that way until another momentary power source. I bought them for the first conversion, planning to use momentary switches with indicator lamps for all my on/off switches, using cat5 cable to carry up to 4 indicators and signal to any location, with all the control actually being on a relay panel using these relays. I also intended to use either an arduino or a pi to be able to both monitor the state of the relays as well as trigger them to change state.

I'm still planning to do something similar in this bus, with the automation piece being easy to add "later". With these relays, any number of controls for a single item can be added. They only use energy when changing state, otherwise there's no power consumption. I see from googling that there are a lot smaller units available now. The ones I have can switch up to 250vac.