A lot of activity happening

[Mrbolly]

Take 2, I don't know what happened, but after typing a post, it disappeared on me, so take 2.

The last few weeks I have been busy finishing off in some areas. The solar panels and their mountings were done quite a long time ago but completion of the cabling was left until I was ready to run the cables through the roof to the control panel (yet to be completed). I got a hurry up from a friend who has been storing his scissor lift with me and I have been keeping the battery exercised for him. He is not far from building a new shed on his property, so the writing is on the wall. So I have been working to "finish" the roof infrastructure and hopefully I have reached to point now that my next visit to the roof will be to clean and polish the panels to hit the road.

Meanwhile, I am working inside, running all the new control circuits into the driver's area has begun so that all the new circuits are run to allow me to line the walls and ceiling.

I have been thinking for some time that the original dash had a number of drawbacks, not least it is dated and could use a freshen up. Removing all the redundant switching was obviously going yo leave lots of gaps as those switches were removed, and I wanted to removed the tachograph and put in seperate speedo and tachograph gauges.

So, it was easy to decide to remove the old dash binnicale and build a new one, and of course easier said than done.

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And so it began, make a pattern, amend the pattern, amend the pattern, flop a mould off the pattern, make a part out of the mould, make all the ancillary parts, it's a good job that I enjoy fibreglassing! So now I have made the new dash binnacle and switch control panel, made the replacement for the original radio panel to the driver's right hand wall. These are both ready for upholstering and then I can assemble and trim it ready for installation.

As the vehicle towed a trailer, there were some air controls including a hand valve on the column which I don't plan to use, but rather than strip it all out, I have re-plumbed and moved the valves so they are still operable but on the side panel rather than on the column. I am replacing the steering column and the new one does not accommodate the hand valve.

Having removed the original dash, I have discovered that over the vehicles life to date, there have been lots of electrical circuits installed and plenty removed or more accurately disconnected and left in situ. Some were insulated, but many just disconnected and left? I am working through all of the wires to trace them back to their source and remove all those that have nourrent use. There is a significant amount of wire for the A/C which I have removed as well as lighting, speakers etc. etc. etc.

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I have decided that I will keep it all together and just for interest sake see how many kilograms of wire was removed.

I am spending lots of time in this area as electrics are not my favourite endeavour, so I need to finish and document each circuit before seniors disease and disdain make me forget what I have done.

So that about covers progress over the past few weeks.

[Dot]

Have fun.... That is what our bus looked like when we got it down from Qld (not authorised to do it they weren't)

[GoinBush]

So clever! Have we seen a pic of your coach here? I saw it somewhere. It's big and white and flash

[jon_d]

A scope iron.

I wish I knew where my old one was.

[Busman]

Ha, pretty much what all convertors find, dunno if there is any value in giving back to the earth all that copper, but up to you.
Alternative, complete rewire, bugger that, want to use this thing before becoming horizontal, just use what you need to.

[Mrbolly]

Have fun.... That is what our bus looked like when we got it down from Qld (not authorised to do it they weren't)

It is cleaning up Dot, I find much of it okay although I have plenty of thought bubbles with the single word "huh". This too will sort in the end

[Mrbolly]

Ha, pretty much what all convertors find, dunno if there is any value in giving back to the earth all that copper, but up to you.
Alternative, complete rewire, bugger that, want to use this thing before becoming horizontal, just use what you need to.

Yes no doubt, I have a growing pile of scrap copper from A/C pipes etc. I don't think I can be bothered burning the wire to get rid of the plastic though. I will be interested to see just how much sits in the scrap wire pile in the end.
Using it before the horizontal thing is well in my thinks too.

[Mrbolly]

A scope iron.

I wish I knew where my old one was.

They are a handy item to have

[Mrbolly]

So clever! Have we seen a pic of your coach here? I saw it somewhere. It's big and white and flash

Yes, I have put up a photo before, but being always happy to share now that I have worked out how to put pics up, here are a couple now.

This is how it looked when I first got it,

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Then the works started,

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Getting closer from a body perspective,

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[Lance]

Goddamit Man, there's a bit of work gone in to that beast.
Any idea of 'man hours' ?