Lookin at a new Rig

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

Hi gang

I'm going next week to take a look at a 1989 MCI-9 for my new home. I really love livin in my skoolie but it's time for some more room. The big exspence will be buying the bus. I will be using the 2200 watts of PV's and the little wind turbine and the fridg, water heater furnace and wood stove from my skoolie/home. To have all the under belly storage is going to be great. My skoolie is 27 feet X 7 1/2 feet one the inside and the new rig will be almost 39 feet by 90 inches with 6 foot 7 head room.

[Griff]

. . . the little wind turbine. . .

Can you supply details on "the little wind turbine"? I am currently experimenting with building a small Savonius turbine to see if I can use one for supplemental electricity.

Thanx,

Griff

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

I have a 400 watt Air-X wind turbine on a 25 foot mast on the side of my skoolie/home. It works great in the winte when the winds are heavy here. Do a google for it and check it out. It's a nice little unit.

[Griff]

Thanks a lot, I'll check it out! Hmmm. . .a 25' mast. . .how does it travel i.e. set up, break down, stow. . .when you take your bus on a trip?

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

Hi Griff
When I hit the dusty trail I take the mast, the the wind gen comes right off with 2 allen type bolts and slides off. The 1 1/2" pipe just slides under the bus on a hook kind of like a plumber truck has except I put it under the bus because there is lots of free space under there. If I get the MCI I think I will try to dream up some kind of lift that I can put up and down fairly quickly. I exspect to do alot more traveling with the big coach then I do with my skoolie/home. As to the PV panels, I will build a rack on the roof the raises and lowers by electric in some way.

[Griff]

Sounds like a sweet set up! I checked out the Air-X, and while it's a very nice unit, it's priced above my means. I'm gonna continue working on my Savonius model and see what I can come up with. I can scrounge most of the parts I need to make a full size unit if the model tests prove worthwhile. Thanx again for the info!

[roasting8]

Hey Griff,

If you can get your hands on some old "Mother Earth News," there are plans for wind turbines. When I say old, I mean "Mother Earth News" from the 70s.

Robert

[Griff]

If you can get your hands on some old "Mother Earth News," there are plans for wind turbines. When I say old, I mean "Mother Earth News" from the 70s. Robert

Thanks for the tip, I'll try to get to the library & see if they have any archived back that far. I am familiar w/Mother Earth News, used to read it many moons ago.

I also have a complete set of the Foxfire Books which shed much practical light on how people USED to live without electricity & all of todays modern conveniences.

[roasting8]

As we used to say in the olden days; Right on.

I used to have a copy of the "Mother Earth News" in question but, I lost all copies on one of my military moves

I also lost my colection of Foxfire books in the same move.

Robert

BTW, GIs were also looking for a simpler life.

[Griff]

As we used to say in the olden days; Right on.

I used to have a copy of the "Mother Earth News" in question but, I lost all copies on one of my military moves

I also lost my colection of Foxfire books in the same move.

Robert

BTW, GIs were also looking for a simpler life.

I've been through ALL of the above, too. I'm still working my way to the edge of the grid until I can finally go off-grid and have that simpler life. (I know I will still want a LITTLE electricity but, it will be via renewable source.)

[Sharkey]

Wind is still the hands-down cheapest-per-installed-watt renewable energy source available, but you have to actually have wind, lots of it, for it to work.

Home-built wind machines aren't impossible, but like any device with moving parts, they need to be put together properly in order to withstand the stresses of being blown around. You just have to decide if DIY vs. purchased makes more sense.

Right now, I have a Southwest Wind Power AIR 403 installed, It's a 400 watt, 12 volt machine. Takes quite a lot of wind to get it moving, and once it starts making power, it's a noisy bugger. When it tops out and begins feathering, it sounds like a weed eater going full tilt. I couldn't stand having it around if I had enough wind to make any useful amounts of power with it.

My old machine is a Winco Wincharger 6 volt rewound to 12 volts. This thing would begin moving in a whisper of wind, but I never left it up in winter, when we get actual wind, because it's a 75-year-old antique and I didn't want to expose it to the weather.

If you are looking for wind machine comparisons, Home Power magazine has done several "apples and oranges" comparison articles, and they also have a lot of back issues with wind machine tips and tricks. AFAIK, there aren't any effective DIY projects there, but then I have better things to do with my time, and would rather work for $$ and buy a machine rather than build it.

[Griff]

Wind is still the hands-down cheapest-per-installed-watt renewable energy source available, but you have to actually have wind, lots of it, for it to work.
<snip>

I get PLENTY of wind for my particular needs.

<snip>
Home-built wind machines aren't impossible, but like any device with moving parts, they need to be put together properly in order to withstand the stresses of being blown around. You just have to decide if DIY vs. purchased makes more sense.
<snip>

Due to financial limitations, my lot is to build my own. I have (or have access) to the tools, and can scrounge most (if not all) the parts, as well as enough knowledge to be fairly dangerous(lol) when putting all the pieces together.

<snip>
If you are looking for wind machine comparisons, Home Power magazine has done several "apples and oranges" comparison articles, and they also have a lot of back issues with wind machine tips and tricks. AFAIK, there aren't any effective DIY projects there, but then I have better things to do with my time, and would rather work for $$ and buy a machine rather than build it.
<snip>

I have read many of Home Powers comparisons as well as many other sites' pros and cons (mostly cons) of vertical shaft vs horizontal shaft turbines, but I like the idea of not needing an exceedingly tall pole or having to mount it high enough for the blades to clear my punkin head, and the vertical shaft model(s) can probably supply my small requirements. Yeah, in most cases I'd rather buy than build, but until I'm independently wealthy, I've gotta "make do" with the resources at my disposal and believe me, I have learned how to be resourceful!

[Willy]

Mother Earth News has a website with a searcheable archive. They've got tons of stuff, going way back to when thunder lizards stalked the earth. ...Willy.

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

Hi Gang

Well, I wanted an MCI for my new bus/home but I ended up buying a 1974 GAMIC Buffalo It was never a greyhound. It came off an Air force base here in N.Y. I has 142,000 original miles on it. ( 8-71 ) 6 new tires and about 400 cubic feet of under belly storage space It's 40 feet from bumper to bumper. I has a few small spots of surface rust above the winds on one side but nothing big. It's already stripped inside. It has 1 pretty new roof AC that's suppose to work fine. It even comes with a new toilet still in the box. The guy gave me ton's of parts manuals and other books. Theres even 4 sheets of aluminum for blocking out the middle side windows ( I'm not sure that I want to though ) He just had a new air throttle installed. All and all I think I got a good deal at $7500.00 I would post a couple of pic's but I'm not sure how to. This is some pretty exciting stuff for me

[Griff]

Sounds like a nice find, Dennis! I hope you can get some pics posted so we can see it.