Cerberus- The build thread

[JenniferWillow]

Cerberus:The build thread
A couple of weeks ago my wife and I bought a 1997 International 3800, short bus (25’) with a 444E v8 diesel engine. The bus was partially converted and had good components (Victron) but not arranged the way we want it.
This last weekend we cleaned the bus out and were ready to start our conversion.
This is our first post and eventually I add to this thread as we go.

 

[nikitis]

Include pics, and ask away for any help you need. Always good to see another 3 Box Bus on the thread.

 

[JenniferWillow]

Well, I had a week off and got a lot done. I have finished the bed platform and I’m nearly done with the electrical system (all components mounted but not yet wired).
I’ve done something unusual with the electrical. The entire system is on an under drawer slider and pulls out from the side of the bus. I’d love to hear folks think about it. The system uses a Victron 3K inverter/charger, 600 amp/hours battery bank, and 800 watts solar.

 

[Albatross]

Well, I had a week off and got a lot done. I have finished the bed platform and I’m nearly done with the electrical system (all components mounted but not yet wired).
I’ve done something unusual with the electrical. The entire system is on an under drawer slider and pulls out from the side of the bus. I’d love to hear folks think about it. The system uses a Victron 3K inverter/charger, 600 amp/hours battery bank, and 800 watts solar.

I would be leery of overheating in warmer areas, but other than that it looks pretty slick.

I'd just make sure that you can push some air with those fans, and I'd probably also try to rig up some kind of beeper if they fail.

 

[Alt1]

Cool idea with the electrical. I'd be concerned with the wiring lengths needed to make it slide all the way out to service. I see you have the flexible channel on the back side which is a good addition to help keep everything clean and protected. In my bus I've got my batteries on a slide but there are only two cables that are quick disconnect, have lots of length, and are flexible to allow the movement I need. I'll be interested to see if your idea works out well; I hope it does.

I cant tell exactly where your breaker panels are located, but it looks like Blue Sea system? Should make for a nice clean install and easy to work on in the future if needed. Keep it up!

 

[Eli3]

Nice work!

 

[JenniferWillow]

I really haven't been keeping up with this thread. I have finished the electrical system and I have shore, generator, solar, and alternator charging working as planned.
The solar panels are racked and ready to be lifted to the top of the bus. I've got them connected so I can test the panels. So far everything looks good. The slide mechanism works well and I can easily pull the entire system out the side door to work on it.
I have wired each of the 120 volt circuits to a "test" outlet and they all work. I just need the walls finished so I can place the final outlet positions. I've also wired the 12 volt panel and added a secondary fuse block for additional 12 volt sources.
For the next few weeks we're going to concentrate on the roof. We need to paint the roof, install the Maxair fan, and install the racked solar panels. It's going to be a lot of work. Wish us luck!

 

[JenniferWillow]

I would be leery of overheating in warmer areas, but other than that it looks pretty slick.

I'd just make sure that you can push some air with those fans, and I'd probably also try to rig up some kind of beeper if they fail.

The fans are connected to a temperature sensor so they automatically turn on at 80 degrees. The fan controller will raise an audible alarm if the temperature goes over 100. Thanks for the comment.

 

[JenniferWillow]

Just a quick note. You may not have noticed but I had to rearrange the components 3 times before I was satisfied with the way the cable laid out. The first way I had it didn't leave enough room for the cables to lay without stress. The back of the panel looks like Swiss cheese.

 

[JenniferWillow]

Well, we’ve done a lot of work since I last posted. The electrical and plumbing are 95% done. We painted the bus this weekend. We used Summit Racing single stage British Racing Green over epoxy primer and with an additional clear coat. I think it turned out great. I still want to buff the paint job but will wait for the weekend. We’re ready to install the mini split.
Here’s a photo.

 

[Rucker]

Beautiful work!

One thing I wonder about that roll-out magnificent electrical panel-will the four fans be enough to vent the heat that equipment may throw off?

 

[JenniferWillow]

The system has an alarm that goes off if the cabinet gets too hot. I pulled it out this weekend to show a relative and the sun caused the cabinet to overheat (over 100 degrees). I pushed the cabinet back into the bus and the alarm went off within a minute. It was nice to see the alarm worked and that in the normal configuration (i.e., inside the bus) the system stays cool. It's normal temperature is in the high 70's or low 80's most of the time.

 

[Rucker]

Very fine design!

 

[JenniferWillow]

We are almost finished with the build. I’m 2working on the dash area now but I wanted to show a couple of pictures of our door and entryway. Our bus isn’t that big and there is little floor space. We created a drop down floor over the stairs that we can use when the bus is moving. The door is a custom Dutch door that I built for the space.
I’m rather proud of this entryway.

 

[desrtdog]

Nice! Did the same with the stair area on my build - makes it much better for someone sitting in the jump seat …

 

[JenniferWillow]

Nice! Did the same with the stair area on my build - makes it much better for someone sitting in the jump seat …

We put a dog bed on the floor hatch once it’s down so the pups can sit next to the driver.

 

[JenniferWillow]

Well, I think the bus is basically done. I installed the side tables and the awning last weekend and I’m happy with the result. We’ll do a full tour video on our trip to the Owens valley next month and post it here.

 

[nikitis]

Table looks great! Love the door style too.

 

[Busjamin]

I’ve done something unusual with the electrical. The entire system is on an under drawer slider

I had been toying with this concept so it's nice to see someone implement it, and so cleanly, too. Bus is looking great.

 

[nikitis]

Under drawer is fine, just make sure it has an exit and entrance ventilation path to the drawer.