1935 Chevy school bus

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ol trunt
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by ol trunt »

Hello All. We are trying to get "Golden" the motorcycle trailer ready for a camp out tomorrow. I hope to be able to make a weekend of using the little tent trailer, but if It isn't just right we'll be able to move into Honeysuckle Rose as a comfortable backup since I'll be towing Golden behind the bus. I've completed the 120 volt electric and the air conditioner, but still need to assemble the enlarged rack upon which to mount the genny and mini fridge. Nearly done though. I probably won't have the LED lighting completed so I'll probably have to rely on my trusty Coleman lantern. We'll use a one burner propane stove for cooking so no fancy "eats" on this outing.

It has been unusually hot this week with temps in the 100's and coastal humidity to go with it. The garage where I am working on the trailer runs about 110 degrees and even with the fan going, the heat really sucks the energy out of me--welding doesn't help either.

Somewhere, I don't keep track either. It's just when I open my wallet and see nothing but pocket lint that I know I'm over budget!

Tango, Right you are so here is a pic of the expanded trailer tongue on the tent trailer. I added tubing and angle iron to the (black) existing ice chest rack to support the fridge and genny. I'm counter balancing the added tongue weight with sand bags and busted concrete etc behind the axle to keep the trailer balanced. Jack

The decking is 1/2" exterior plywood which is ready for final installation in the morming.

Image
tango
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by tango »

Excellent Jack...can't wait to see it all hooked up and rolling.
ol trunt
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by ol trunt »

Hello All. We finally got a very late start at 5:30 PM Friday on our way to a local KOA. While doing the last minute walk around I discovered that I had mixed a ground plug with the brake lamp plug on this multiplexed light system and blew a fuse. Since the tail lamps worked as well as the directionals and since it would still be light by the time we arrived t the KOA, I decided to pretend the tail lamps were dim stop lamps which I could manually operate while braking--seemed to work OK and only took a short time to identify the blown fuse (one of about 50 in the system) once I got home.

When we arrived at the camp ground we found our reservations had been modified and that we would not be side by side with our traveling companions as we had planned. Bummer. That disappointment was soon forgotten when I learned that the power pole for our site could not be used. I always test the electrical service at a campground with a circuit tester before turning on my on board circuit breakers. Boy am I glad I did. The camp ground power pole had been wired with the hot and ground reversed--no wonder the receptacle was all charred looking and the plug wouldn't stay in place. After an hour's wait, The camp handy man appeared and agreed the wiring was wrong but that nothing could be done about it until Monday morning-------. Since the point of this camp out was to test out the tent trailer, not having power just wasn't in the plan. After making it quite clear that I'd be running both noisy generators all night unless a way was found to get us power, the guy agreed to allow us to poach on a neighbors service with the neighbor using the 50 amp service and us using the 30 amp service. It took both of my power cords to service one or the other of my campers and since it was still about 100 degrees out I lit up the bus as I knew it worked.

The next morning I switched the power to the tent trailer so I could see how the shore power and genny power played together. The shore power ran A/C, microwave and fridge just fine, but as expected, the little genny wouldn't run both the microwave and the A/C at the same time though either the microwave or the A/C could be run with the fridge. We decided to sleep in the tent trailer Saturday night despite the lack of power and it turned out to be quite comfortable. We'll have to leave the cooking and washing for another test run somewhere else.

There are only a few pics to share and none of them shows the A/C unit or how it is set into the tent so that will have to wait until next time. Despite the set backs we did have an enjoyable time out camping with friends so nothing was really lost. Jack

A pic of the platform installed on the tongue of the motorcycle tent trailer. Image


Arrival at the campground. Image


This is how the genny and fridge are arranged. The light duty extension cord is for the microwave and plugs into a receptacle on the trailer body. I'll have a vinyl cover made to protect the fridge and genny while in transit. Image


A view of the tent trailer from under the awning on Honeysuckle Rose. Image
Stealth Camper
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by Stealth Camper »

I know I must have missed it somewhere along the way, but did you build Golden? Or get it already made...?
Stealth Camper
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by Stealth Camper »

I empathize with the electrical issues. Since my "newer" trailer was destroyed by the tornado, I have been living in the "older" trailer at a county fairground campground. Overall, one of the crappiest places I have ever stayed, but that should end in about another week or so.

Electric is and was horrible!! Same charred plug (replaced). The electric was correct polarity, but the dipstick who "designed" the place looked at a table somewhere and saw "30 amps - 10 awg wire". Without knowing there is also a voltage drop component to that...so 330 feet later - from the breaker - the voltage on a hot summer day starts at 97 volts. And goes down to 85, 84, 83 volts...when the a/c is turned on. Then the breakers trip. And then the trailer goes to 105 degrees. (One day saw 115 inside)

I recommend one of those cheap polarity testers and a cheap voltmeter for anyone plugging into electric at campground. So many of them are just as you found - backwards or low voltage or some other wrong thing... Makes ya wonder how anyone every used the space in the past?? Maybe they just didn't. Or suffered in silence...
ol trunt
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by ol trunt »

Stealth Camper, I just saw your query about Golden. That all came about last winter while I was looking at pictures of campers on the net. I had never seen a motorcycle trailer camper but when I did I knew I'd find one somewhere to use with Clearance. The trailer I bought I found on Craig's List in the San Diego area. It was one of a couple hundred made in the 1990's by a company called Kwik Kamp. It weighs 230# empty and has a GVW of 550#. With the additions I've made I still have about 100# to spare--food, clothes,?? We'll see! I expect it was the design that sold me. It is both simple and clever. I think it will be fun to camp in during the spring and fall--probably a little iffy for the heat of summer and the dead of winter. Jack
Stealth Camper
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by Stealth Camper »

I remember Kwik Kamp! I almost bought one to pull with the Harley... Then I thought I would just make one... I got to look at a couple back then and they looked very nice.
tango
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by tango »

Glad to hear it all worked out Jack. The electrical issues sound like a typical KOA BS arrangement so Roger testing before plugging in. Sweet little camper.
ol trunt
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by ol trunt »

I used Clarence (Toad) to take Golden to the upholstery shop today to have a cover made for the frig and genny. I first made up a very light frame to support a polycarbonate cover to shade the frig and keep rain water from shorting out the generator. The cover is hinged at mid point so that it can fold back on itself to fit under the cover. Upon reaching camp, I simply remove the cover and unfold the polycarbonate, velcro the loose end to the tent and I'm good to go.

I didn't set up the tent so I only have a pic of the cover for now. Jack

I found some vinyl tarp material that nearly matches the beige on both Clarence and Honeysuckle Rose. Image
tango
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by tango »

"I found some vinyl tarp material that nearly matches the beige on both Clarence and Honeysuckle Rose. "


Martha Stewart would be proud Jack!
ol trunt
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by ol trunt »

Yea, but can she weld?
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Dennis The Bus Dweller
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

Wow 8)
Peace along the way
Dennis the bus dweller N.Y.
ol trunt
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by ol trunt »

I hate it when this happens! OH well. I wrote an intro to the following which sort of explained what was to follow but the dog ate it so I wasn't able to print it. In fewer words, I'd been having trouble with over temp shut down on my MCI 9 once it reached about fifty mph. Long story short, I found that the water pump impeller had come loose and I tightened it up. I took my bus out for a little run today. I drove around town until the engine got up to operating temp (170 degrees) and then hit the fwy for a forty mile run. I kept the bus at 65 mph and just let 'er run. The temp never went up at all. She took the three or four mile 7% grade at 40 mph for about three quarters of the way after self downshifting to third. The engine began to sound a bit bogged down so I shifted to second and climbed the rest of the way at just under 35 mph. The temperature never increased. Both the dash gauge and the engine compartment gauge now read the same and both heads show the same temp with the heat gun--guess the poor thing had been cooling by convection and pretty well I might add other than the over temp shut down at highway speeds. I really got lucky. The entire repair amounted to two new thermostats and an "O" ring for the water pump who's impeller had worked loose--less than a hundred bucks. I know, it's not nice to crow, but---------------------

Whooppee! Fun to learn new stuff! Jack
tango
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by tango »

MCI 9? --- First I've heard of that one. Sweet rigs! Is it one of the all stainless by any chance?

And BTW...just how many vehicles are in your stable Jack?
ol trunt
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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Post by ol trunt »

Hey Tango. To answer your second question first, I only have a half dozen vehicles at this point--down significantly from the peak when I was operating rental cars and had a hundred or so--long story happy ending.

The MCI 9 followed me home one day and when wiffy was asked if I could keep it the answer seemed to be yes--with conditions to be determined as time went on. You know how that works---. I had gone to a favorite auction to buy a car for a close friend from my PD days--young wife, kid on the way no longer able to work due to injuries--great guy, ugly outcome. Anyway, I saw THE bus, a 1990 Mci prison bus complete with cages--so I offered on it when it didn't sell. A week later it was MINE!!! I love it. It is all stainless steel and a beautiful beyond description (to me). I can't begin to explain what a work of automotive art this machine is. The welds look like sutures and the 450+ and the DD 8v92 engine is, wel,l imense. Love at first sight. Now that I've figured out the heating problem, I'd drive the bus anywhere. I did a light duty conversion on the bus including bed, bath, kitchen etc. and secured mobile home status with the DMV. Wish I could keep it but I know I'll have to part with it soon. I'll include a few pics. Jack

This is the way I found her.Image

Kitchen etc. Image

Bath Image[/b]

bedroom. Image

Shower. Image
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