Birdie

[fo4imtippin]

Battery Box Locks

So i have finally started mounting things that have been sitting around for the 2 years i have owned the bus.. My shelves are finally emptying.


I have been wanting to be able to lock my battery boxes to prevent tempering and discourage theft. I had originally planned on replacing the factory paddle latches with new ones with integrated key. I couldn't find anything the same side, so i made my own out of cabinet locks. I also want one key to open all of these locks on the bus, but some are different lengths than others and cant get them all keyed the same. For about $30 i can buy a rekey kit and make them all match later.

 

[fo4imtippin]

New Batteries

I replaced the failed 8D Battery that i got with the bus. I went with the same 130lb version. They have a cheaper version that has battery caps and about 15lb less, but no where had it on the shelf. I almost bought another BlueBird bus this year that had the same 8D Batteries with an (03) year sticker on the original battery. It had a diesel coolant heater and always remained on a float charger, but i think its amazing if these batteries have a chance of lasting 20 years...

I have installed the 12v lifepo4 house battery. 460ah waterproof from LiTime. I went ahead and hooked up the shunt to the battery monitor. I still have future plans to add solar and 48v all in one to the bus, but probably not going to do all that for the maiden voyage. 460ah 12v should be enough to run my fans lights and fridge for a few days before they have be recharged.


Each battery has a shut off switch. I have the house battery hooked to a 200amp circut breaker. I also added another circut breaker where i can join the batteries if needed (jump start, charging, etc).

Its not recommended to charge lithium from a dumb alternator, so i should receive my LiTime 60a DC-DC charger this week. This should be enough charging to not overtax my 200a alternator and charge fast enough to refill my battery. Currently, Victron's biggest charger is 30a. They have just come out with a 50a, but the price is over triple. The LiTime is well reviewed, so i thought i would give theirs a shot over renogy or some other Chinese no name brand.


I went ahead and got LiTime's 120v 80a charger. This will top me up on shore power as well as when my generator is running. I dont know if i should have gotten an RV 12v converter with a lithium setting, but figured it was a safe bet to get a charger from the battery manufacturer.



I couldve saved a few hundred bucks by getting the Vatrer 460ah battery for $1200. It has bluetooth and integrated low temp charging cutoff. Its a crazy good deal. I dont think the cells are quite as good as Litime. I think realist tests were getting 458ah instead of the 470ah seen on the LiTime. I would totally take the trade off for the price and features except it is not identical to 8D in dimensions. The LiTime fits so well in my battery tray. Secondly the Vatrer is vented steel case. I don't think that would hold up in my salty, rainy environment as well as the sealed plastic LiTime. Hopefully i get 5-10 years out of it.

 

[fo4imtippin]

UnderBed Tank Mounting

Two 100gallon water tanks. I added some XPS foam on each side of them so that my screws have some space to not puncture the tanks. I felt that i wanted to reinforce the tank walls to really lock things down from sliding under braking or turning. All of the plywood will get some steel angle brackets and the steel bed frame will have some tabs to grab the top of the plywood. Both tanks sit within 2ft of the center of rear axle. This is probably the most ideal place to put all this weight.

Like everything else, clearances are tight. Ill have a fun time snaking hoses through all this. I plan to dump my overflow and vent through the floor, just behind the mudflaps. Ill also probably run my shore water in through the floor here to bypass the tank.

I have an 11gallon heat exchanger water heater. This will be plumbed to the diesel generator and Chinese diesel coolant heater.


I added a 2gallon accumulator tank since there seemed to be room.
And lastly, i finished off with a 3 stage water filter Copycat clearsource. I dont plan on drinking the water, but i have showered in some dank well water before and thought it would be nice to filter all of the water.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Water Inlets

I ran my shore water (garden hose with pressure) underneath the bus. This is the inlet to bypass the water pump. I figured i would avoid a hard bend in a hose and something that could leak with rain. I drilled through my tank overflow and vents to drain out on the ground here as well. Added a pressure regulator as well as a filter. Dont plan on using this often, but i guess i have it if needed.

I dont have an outside picture handy, but i used a stainless marine deck fill to go into my 100gallon tanks. I didnt want to come into the bedroom above the frame, so i snaked it into the garage. This version has to be opened with a key to prevent tampering with my water supply.

 

[fo4imtippin]

New Front Lights

my bus came with amber lens turn signals. They were cracked and faded. I never reinstalled them after i painted. I had snagged one new amber one on ebay for cheap, but was still missing a set. I ended up getting a pair of clear ones on ebay when they came up and just upgraded the bulbs to LEDs.


I also finally hooked up the over windshield lights.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Maxxair Dome

Wish i would have done this before paint. I ran a 7in holesaw from the outside. metal chip management was not fun, but its over and this will work great for the bathroom. I love that the eyebrow covers the outside like a perfect shingle.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Garage Wall Framing

I plan to hang some heavy batteries, inverters on this back wall as well as have some E track to tie down bikes and things, so i wanted some steel to reduce bowing. Im also using the steel from this wall to hold back my water tanks from sliding across the floor. There will be another 3/4 sheet anchored to this steel and ill put pink foamboard in between the framing.

And i welded up my bedframe. It is in 3 sections so i can remove if needed and the wood slats come out so i can pull out the water heater or access the plumbing without having to take everything out. The steel frame has a tab welded across the middle to hold the plywood water tank wall from bowing on the top.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Fass Lift Pump upgrade

As i was crawling under the bus, i found that my rubber diesel supply and return hoses were leaking fuel onto my airbags. After removing the wireloom, most of the hose was cracked. Bus still ran great and i dont feel like i was getting air in the system. The leak appeared to be in a spot the fuel return was running past a fitting on my rear air tank.


It has been on my list to protect my VP44 by upgrading the factory lift pump with a FASS or airdog. It always seemed like a hastle for everything already not leaking and working correctly. Also of note, my cummins went through a service bulliten and had a fuel pressure warning light installed at some point just before it was out of service along with new lift pumps, new vp44, new ECM and most things taken off the cold side of the motor.


I suppose i couldve just replaced the fuel return hose, but by the time i freed all the factory brackets and got super dirty, i might as well replace both since the pressure line would be failing on me soon.


FASS Mount to Frame

First step was to remove the racor and fab up a bracket to mount the FASS to. Luckily, the bracket that the FASS came with happened to fit between the cross channels bolting into the factory racor mount.

FASS Fuel Return

The FASS came with 16ft of rubbber hose for its own return to tank.



1/2 Factory Fuel Supply
I bought 30ft of 8AN (1/2in) PTFE with an assortment of connectors. Dont quote this as bible, but 8AN has an oring and threads right onto 1/2 SAE Flares. I had to buy two aluminum 8AN to 1/2 NPT connectors to thread into each end of the FASS. I ran the supply line to the secondary filter on the side of the block. I bought a 8AN to Banjo fitting to fill the fuel cup. Ideally one would go straight to the VP44, but it seemed awfully difficult to get that banjo bolt out and a new fitting in with the aircompressor being about 1in away. Secondly, with the lift pump service bulletin having installed some sensors that detect fuel pressure, I wanted to keep all that in place. Also, i don't need the large flow that those 600HP guys need. I took the carter pump off to clean up space on the side of the block and its in the parts bin now. I put a connector on the FASS relay to trigger off the deutsch plug that originally ran the carter pump. This will prevent error codes that are looking for lift pump issues and retain any factory logic.



3/8 Factory Fuel return


I screwed up here and bought 30ft of 6AN PTFE hose. 6AN is not an equivilent thread or size to 3/8 SAE or "-6SAE" I could not get adapters to make my expensive hose fit or new ends pressed on. I did a quote from the local hydraulic hose shop and they were $450 for PTFE with pressed on -6SAE ends. A lot more than my $100 kit. I normally couldve returned the kit, but i opened it, put the ends on and got it dirty running it over the tranny until i figured out it didnt thread on the flare. I decided PTFE was way overkill especially for the return to tank and was able to get 25ft of stainless steel wrapped CPE hose for $40 and just buy push connecter ends from hydraulic hose supply locally. I did hate that stainless braid at the end as it had be trimmed slightly shorter than the hose end. Getting this threaded on the fuel rail was one of the hardest fittings i have had on the bus, they buried it above the transmission below three giant wire bundles. I tried for about 30 minutes to tie it all off and get the threads to bite, but finally had to get a 3 and 4th hand from my sister who lives with us.


Fuel Tank fittings
I was able to get to all my tank fittings through my tiny hole in the garage. Those nice guys at bluebird had (3) 3/4 npt holes in the top that i could drop the FASS return into with a 1/2SAE elbow. I have an aux tank below the rear deck that i will have a transfer pump for and that will be a breeze to add. It stinks for those people that have to drill their tanks for this stuff. I did route the hoses in a bit different area to keep them isolated from air lines and electrical. The external stainless eliminated the need for split loom.

 

[fo4imtippin]

New Leveling Valve

In order to cut some of the zip ties and reroute my fuel lines, i had to drop my air ride tank. This left me with the opportunity to replace the valve. I suspect i had a leaky one as i could hear a slight hiss and it took about 4 days for my rear to drop. I went ahead an ordered a new one, but after looking a bit more, i think they can be rebuilt for a few o rings. I may take my original apart and put some orings back into it.

This is the area that behind this hole had the most chaffing on the hose.


Manifold

I ran all new air fittings and added a manifold. This entire tank is behind a pressure protection valve that ran the air door, air ride seats, stop sign, and this rear tank. From the manifold, i added a connection to the retractable air hose reel that i have in the rear bumper.

Gauge Port

I added a 1/4 NPT Tee to one of the airbag inlets so that i could add a pressure gauge. I can then weigh my rear axle and come up with a sort of chart to estimate my weight based on airbag pressure. I finally had to crawl under there today with a spray bottle of soapy water as this tee took 3 attempts with teflon tape to seal the leaks.

Dump Valve

I also wanted to add the ability to dump my air for hooking up trailers or giving myself 6 inches of adjustment to deal with slope. The factory valve had a pilot port the whole time to send air pressure to it and it would let the air out of the bags, but not through the exhaust port. Well it all works, but i screwed up by getting an air solenoid without an exhaust port, so when i dump, it never depressurizes and i have to drain the tank to relieve the pressure. Ill be shopping for a new valve to put in its place.


I bought a 10cfm 12v compressor that i can use to air up my tanks with the engine off and fill up rafts and things. Will do a writeup once thats on the install list.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Air Ride Captains Chairs

Got my brackets mounted. These chairs came out of a local Dynamax Super C RV. They come with brackets made to fit the hump on a Freightliner M2-106 They made the trip from Indiana to Florida and were taken out and replaced with some Bostrom seats. After closing the deal and bringing them home, i think i realized why i got such a good deal. They used freightliner seat frames that don't recline. I fumbled with the mechanism a bunch and probably cant modify them. They are really comfy in the upright position, but i might hear some complaints from the navigator.


I had to weld a bracket up out of 1/4 plate steel and make a flat bottom for them. Will be adding another steel spacer to get it leveled up. They both rotate 180.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Black Tank Mount

Not much to say here, i ordered the exact perfect black tank. I did have to slot my holes though to scoot it away from my rear leaf spring bolt. I did everything to fit thing and barely made it. 32 gallons directly below the throne. Held to 3/16 angle iron floor supports. It all gets painted tomorrow so i can get it out of my way.

 

[fo4imtippin]

New Toy/Project

The whole purpose of the deck extension was to haul 2 full sized dirt bikes, gas and gear. I also wanted the crane to be able to load safe and fast. I hadnt planned on getting one until after the build was done, but it was too good a deal to pass up. We will see if that hold true, because it was cheap as it needs some work on the top end of the motor and a new front rim. It does run well and fits my use case really well. 50 state street legal, passenger pegs, and a load of fun.

Ill cover the rear deck soon, once i get all my flooring in, but i have a nylon loop chain that hooks around the handlebars and goes back to the rear frame. I can go from dismounting the bike to having it in its spot on the trailer in about 2 minutes.


I kept all my l track from my bus floor and im going to router 5 slots into my rear deck to mount l track for tie downs. I can either do ratchet straps which always take me forever, but i am thinking about doing bikebinderz or motocinch which cam lock the footpegs on the bikes for 15 second strapping.


While the bus it at my house, i plan to store the dirt bikes in the bus garage. Picked up a ramp on Facebook marketplace that will fold out on the existing ramp. This will be handy for loading our longer bikes as well.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Winch Battery

i utilized the front bumper space to mount an airhorn, 12v air compressor, winch, and battery.


Rather than have to run high gauge cables from the bus battery to the winch, i opted to run some 4awg cables from the lugs under the steering wheel to a voltage sensitive relay to join the battery while alternator is on. The auxiliary battery runs the winch, and 12v air compressor. I will also tie this in to be my generator start battery which is actually the machine i pulled this battery out of.


The 12v compressor is tied to a rocker switch by the driver that goes through a pressure switch to a high amp relay. It is tied into the bus auxiliary air system through a check valve. It states that it fills at 10cfm which i believe it certainly does do at a lower psi. It does get blazing hot, so not sure how long it will last. So far my air system stays pretty full, but if i have to air up before driving, i can now do it before starting the engine.

 

[fo4imtippin]

I will finally call it a camper

Until now, i would say i have a really expensive bus.. I have been waiting for my dad to come visit to help me knock out some of the carpentry. He is very fast and efficient and helped push a lot progress in a week of work.


Dinette booth

 

[fo4imtippin]

Slide out bed with giant storage drawers underneath.

The couch is 28x80 and it will extend to 44inches for the back cusion to fold down into a custom size bed between a twin and full. I wanted the full 80 inches so that tall adults can fit on it fine. I have 4 sets of seatbelts all going through the frame and bolted to the seat rail. After i add the 6inch mattress, i will need to add seatbelt extenders to get them long enough. The backrest tilts forward so i can get to my wiring chase or storing anything long that doesn't need retrieved quickly.


The biggest design challenge was that i wanted it to come out, but i wanted to keep large drawers underneath. Most the designs i have seen have the face piece of the drawers bring the drawers out slide across the floor. I didnt think my floor will wear very well with sliding the weight of the drawers and futon across it. The 500lb drawer slides are rock solid and handle the weight with no flex. Bonus is that if someone has some duffell bags on the floor, the bed will slide over them. I also retained about a 12in walkway to scoot by when the bed is out.



I have ordered a 6inch tall King size memory foam mattress that will be cut into a bottom and back cusion for the couch. Additionally, it should have enough extra to cut the bunkbed above the couch out of it.

 

[fo4imtippin]

End Table

This table was needed to house my jegs coolant heater (piped to generator and diesel boiler). The bottom "drawer" will house the heater and some coolant lines coming in from underneath to run to marine water heater. The top two drawers are 27in deep x 9 x 9. I will put a piece of my leftover countertop on the top edge. This table also reinforces the shower wall and will likely get used as a step up to the bunkbed im putting above it.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Kitchenette

ended up with a 48in kitchenette that is also the "bathroom sink". sink is a 17x15 sink and went for full drawers everywhere else. Plan is for 8ft of upper cabinets above this and dinette for more storage.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Bathroom Taking Shape

Getting ready to drill through my bus floor and the transtone shower base. Black tank is directly below the toilet flange. Gray tank is directly below the shower drain. I thought the trench drain may help if im out of level left or right.


Went with a Dometic 320 ceremic elongated toilet. So far, feels like my home throne. I thought it would take up more room, but feels more roomy than expected.



The shower valve is going on the back wall in a PVC trim piece and the flexible hose will run to hook for head at the highest spot by the door. There is a maxxair dome in the wall for venting.



Currently the plan is the Nautilus retractable shower door. Not certain if i will add a wall with a barn door over the front.


My wife didn't want anything fancy for the walls. We plan to run FRP fiberglass panels glued over the plywood. I will probably add a galvanized or aluminum angle behind the joint before caulking the corners.

 

[fo4imtippin]

Solar and AC System Mostly done

4 370w bifacial panels on each side for a total of about 3000w on the roof. I was going to start from the front, but thought the wind might be less gusty a bit further back behind the bulbus bow, but i mainly went from the back to shade the garage where the equipment is at.

Room in the middle to walk and tie down a 12ft kayak on each side if needed. Will stain dark gray to match my rear deck.

6 1/4 bolts through each frame on the high side and 4 1/4 bolts through each frame on the low side.

Went a bit overboard with the All in One inverter. Battery weighs over 350lb and inverter weighs 110lbs. It is IP65 rated to be outside. The reason i went with this one is that when i am at home, I will plug a groundmount into it, and it will backfeed my entire house with a zero export grid feedback setup. I also added a chargeverter to keep compatibility with utilizing a 120v 15a 120v 30a or a 240v 50a setup. This also isolates my expensive inverter from taking power directly from an uncertain power pedestal.

 

[nikitis]

Nice sturdy looking solar panel rails.

Let me know how the power charging goes with panels on opposite angles though cause if they all aren't on the same angle you can have issues.

If you are doing it like that I'd create 2 banks, a right side and a left side bank because only one side at a time will be peak solar power creation at a time with the way you have it laid out. If they are on the same bank and one side is lower, it will lower the other side even in direct sunlight down to the lowest generating cell.

If you separate the sides, then you won't have that problem.

Just how it works.