| Author | Message | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
Sorry if this is a dumb question. I have been making things up as I go along on my conversion. It's my first bus conversion and there seems to be many sharp minds around here. Not to mention the collective experience... Here's the deal... I tore out the original bus AC stuff on my Eagle, in favor of 2 hefty basement units, so I will have 2 separate heat/AC zones. I love overkill. :-) Anyway, I now have this rather large space to the right of the engine compartment where the old compressor and heat exchange gadgets and fan were located. It looks to me like I could fit the generator in that space. That way it's real easy to tie into one of the fuel tanks, exhaust goes out the back and I already have a vent cut in the side of the convenient access door for the radiator. I am having an issue with space in my bays and looking for sneaky places to stow things. Do you guys think that is a good idea? Has anyone else done it? Also, I am thinking seriously about putting the LP tanks where the old heat/AC intake & fans were. Dumb? Smart? Comments? Thanks, bob | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
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I think the propane tank should not be near the engine heat...mine is in the last bay...it originally was a tank for a pickup...66 gallons, | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Bob, Easy installation for hookup, problematical for soundbox. Seen lots of Eagles with the genset there, all were noisy. Word of advice, you "sound like" (pun intended, it may just be your form of question!) you need to do some more research and planning, best place to start is the Bussin' 2005 button to the left of this column as I type. 5-6 MAK BC Conventions, 3d Bussin' event coming up and I'm still learning enough to justify the airfare from CA, hotel, car rental. I Apologize for the shameless converter's plug, but, no, Jack doesn't give me a commission! LOL !! Onward and Upward Marc Bourget | ||
| R.J.(Bob) Evans (Bobofthenorth)
Rating: N/A |
Our genset is in the location you are considering on a 1981 Prevost. Marc is right - it is a noisy brute and I am having difficulty figuring out how to build a hush box around it. There is room there for the box but just barely and the previous converter didn't plan for a hush box so that is making my job harder. If you planned ahead IMHO there would have been room to put the gen in that location and make it quiet. Whether I can accomplish that as a retrofit remains to be seen. | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
Twodogs, I like your logic. Perhaps the holding tanks can go there instead. It's a pretty large space. Bob, If I can work it into my schedule, we absolutely plan to be there. We are tentatively scheduled to be in Houston at that time, but things could change. I have bumped into a couple bus folks over the past year and have learned more from those encounters than all my other research. I have also learned a lot from making mistakes, like when I had to take both caps off and start over. I hate learning that way. RJ, Do you think it is possible to keep it quiet, since I have the luxury of building a hush box pretty much any way I want to? I suppose the exhaust is gonna' make racket wherever its located. I kinda' like the idea of having all things diesel tucked in the back. When I am using the recording studio, located directly above it, I'll be hooked to AC and won't need the gen. However, there will be a Murphy bed and we will have to sleep above the thing when we're swampin' it. There are so many options and so many different ways people do things. | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
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everybody sees the problems different...if you put the propane tank back there,how would you fill it..I guess the holding tanks can go back there..seems hard to get to...everything,freshwater,blackwater ,water heater,propane tank,water filter,groundpower cord,water pump,...is in my rear bay....no set rules...whatever floats your boat | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Bob, A hush box might fit but "wadda ya gonna do" if you need to get to that side of the engine? IMHO, You place the minimal maintenence thingies in the center of the bays and the stuff that can give problems in the future in places where you can get to it! Gosh, this would be a good time for my first use of an emoticon, if I knew how to insert one! Onward and Upward Marc Bourget | ||
| Derek (Derek_l)
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Marc, Click on Formatting on the left frame, and then scroll down to "Images, Attachments, and Clipart". Down there you will see the instructions for inserting clipart, along with the "index" of all the clipart you can use..  | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
"A hush box might fit but "wadda ya gonna do" if you need to get to that side of the engine? " Ahhh.... build a box with removable panels and put the gen on a platform with hinges? Just a thought. Obviously, I have to give this a lot more thought. Thanks for all the input. Y'all got my wheels turning now. I can tell by the smell of wood burning. | ||
| H3 (Ace)
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We had an Eagle once! Nice bus! The area your talking about is/as generally used for the generator but newer more modern not to mention quieter times have come and most converters are not installing the genset there. On our Eagle we had to remove a slit system a/c from that bay just to change the starter! It was a pain because it had to be drained of freon, removed, r&r starter, re-install a/c and then re-charge! I wouldn't do it again, Eagle or not! Ace | ||
| Eagle 10 Rating: N/A |
I have an Eagle 10(1984) and put it in the bay because of the heat problems and noise stories I had heard about. I put skin on the door and built in a metal compartment area that is now used for all the tools. I just put in a 8kw Power Tech that came in an insulated metal box. I put it in the bay inside a 3/4 plywood box that has lead flashing and sound down foam as well. It is really quiet. The more lead and foam material you use the quieter is gets. More $$$$$ as while. | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Bob, Wanna keep it quiet you got to seal the joints. Dooable, but not very conducive to a removable box Marc Bourget | ||
| david anderson (Davidanderson)
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I've got my 13kw Kubota in the front bay of my model 10. Cooling air comes through the center of the front bulkhead (between the front wheels) and drafts out the bottom. I built it according to Gene Rochester's advice and Dick Wright's advice, also. You can't hear it at all in the back bedroom and barely hear it when standing next to the coach. Call Dick at Wrico for some great help. 541-744-4333 David | ||
| R.J.(Bob) Evans (Bobofthenorth)
Rating: N/A |
>RJ, Do you think it is possible to keep it >quiet, since I have the luxury of building a >hush box pretty much any way I want to? Short answer "Yes" If I could start from scratch it wouldn't be that big a challenge. There is physically room for a good hush box with a ventilation fan and there would still be reasonable access to the curb side of the engine from the rear. The problem I have is that the original converter has all sorts of stuff hung around and on the gen box that now need to be relocated with varying degrees of difficulty attached to that relocation. As far as access to the side of the engine is concerned that is largely a red herring. The starter is on that side but it would be accessed from underneath the coach anyway. The throttle assembly is easier to access from the rear. I can't think of a reason why you would want to get at that "side" of the block unless you were doing an overhaul in which case the engine would be out of the bus anyway. IMHO 1981 Prevost 8-92 10 spd. | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
I know I can build a sound proof box. I have built studios and understand about a material's ability to isolate, deflect, diffuse, etc. I guess the challenge is in making it removable... Just in case. I can imagine just how to do it with some large hinges like the ones from the radiator I pulled out of there, but it would take some careful fabrication. Careful is one thing I am not. The need to relocate many of the gadgets associated with the Gen some distance away isn't really a happy thought either. Putting it in the front bay, like David, may be a good option. Not sure I want to vent the exhaust anywhere but the back of the bus though. Now I'm really confused.  It's alright. I spend a lot of time in that state. Again. Folks are really helpful around here. Thanks everyone! | ||
| R.C.Bishop
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Interesting thread.... Has anyone used Hardie-Backer as a sound proofing "box" around a genset? It is fireproof, has good heat resistance and seems to me with an exterior skin of 3/4 foil insulation, plus maybe a cover of masonite, formica or the like, would be a pretty good solution to heat and sound in a bay. I have a large "trunk" in the rear of my coach. Engine is amidships, "pancake" style The genset is located there along with the Webasto, all plumbing valves and a propane tank.....all, of course, separated by bulkhead material. The genset is located in the center of the bay...east to west...and is ventilated from the rear door with exhaust and heat thru the floor. Problem is, there is way too much heat in the bay, caused by the genset. Noise is not necessarily a big factor as I have two mufflers on the generator. Heat is the thing. Ideas, please. Thanx, RCB '64 Crown Supercoach | ||
| david anderson (Davidanderson)
Rating: N/A |
Sorry, I wasn't clear on the venting. The cooling air vents under the coach. The exhaust pipe vents just in front of the bogie wheel. I carry a 1" conduit and a 1" electrical conduit ell to attach an up pipe to my gutter to vent exhaust up above the coach when parked. Use it for the webasto, also. I carry the 10' conduit under the coach in a little pipe holder that I made. David Anderson | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
David, Do you ever have a problem with the cooling vent kicking up dust when you're parked? Approximate measurements of the usable space I have on the port side of the engine... Hight: 37" Width:41.5" Depth: Tapering from 20" to 19" There is actually a little more depth. That measurement isn't up to the frame work. It leaves room for the one of the rear air tanks, which protrudes into the space a bit. I think my second choice is to put the gen in the front bay, sacrificing some storage space. My first choice is still back by the engine. No final decision yet though. Everyone has good points to consider and I'm sure I haven't yet discovered all the potential problems. The idea so far is to build a hardwood box lined on the inside with 3/4", fire/water proof drywall (good sound isolation) and a layer of galvanized tin, with some kind of heat reflective substance on the outside. Then I'd like to put the whole box on hinges, so I can swing the entire box and genset out of the way for access to the port side of the engine. That would mean the radiator for the gen would need to be built into the access side of the box. Thinking of attaching the outside bus skin and frame right to the said box. It would also mean that I loose a little width on the box to allow for the radius of the swing if the hinges are flush with the outside of the bus. This still leaves space where the old AC compressor was to mount the associated gadgets, with enough cable to allow for the swinging generator. I haven't purchased the gen yet. weather it will all fit into the space is yet to be seen. Interesting observation made while dinkin' around back there... An air operated valve to dump the blue water right on the ground. The driver had control of the valve. In the buss's border patrol days, it seems that she operated very much like a real Eagle, taking a dump out in the Mexican desert while in motion and whenever the need was apparent. Maybe I should keep that option. | ||
| Robert Wood (Bobwoodsocal)
Rating: N/A |
Eeeewww! don't do it on a bridge! Hehe! | ||
| david anderson (Davidanderson)
Rating: N/A |
The venting under the coach could blow up some dust, but I've never found it to be a problem. I have a two compartment box. One side for radiator and squirrel cage fan, the other holds the genny. Outside box dimensions is 48"w by 31"h by about 40"d. It takes up about 1/2 the front bay. You can make a genny fit in the engine bay curbside, but if you cannot isolate the noise, you will be very dissapointed. Without remote mounting a radiator, it is very difficult to kill the noise. Richard Bower plumbed into his eagle radiator and had a second fan to draw air over the bus radiator when parked. You might search the archives for "generator cooling" or search "Driving Miss Lazy" or "DML". Those terms might get you to some threads that Richard described his system. | ||
| R.C.Bishop
Rating: N/A |
Where'd I mess up???? Thanx, anyway. RCB | ||
| R.J.(Bob) Evans (Bobofthenorth)
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>Then I'd like to put the whole box on hinges, so >I can swing the entire box and genset out of the >way for access to the port side of the engine. There was one set up that way at Bus'N USA last July. Dick Wright had either helped with the install or consulted on it. If you talk to him he'll probably be able to help you. He did a really informative seminar on building hush boxes and then toured us through the parking lot to some really quiet installations. | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Dave Galey gives the design and engineering details on a GenSet "swing", in an Eagle, in the bus converter's bible. Dave, Winlock Galey, is an advertiser to this BB Onward and Upward | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
I have Dave's book and CDR. Hindsight tells me I should have studied it more carefully before this point. Always learnig, bob |