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Message |
Cory Dane (66.155.188.110)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 19, 2004 - 7:04 pm: | |
As I continue to work with my brother and struggle with systems and building this frankenstein, I read a lot of articles about the "virtues" of all electric or electric with Gas heating.
When I started planning for the bus, my hopes had been for the ultimate bus (do I have high reaching hopes or not?).
In my mind, the ultimate bus would be the most economic, that would be heating with propane or diesel, power free heaters which require no power to run, extremely efficient lighting, etc, etc, with a solar panel that can keep the batts up under light to normal conditions. This bus would be able to dry camp most the time (exception would be air con) with the gen set off.
I read an article about an all electric coach and I talked to the owner who stated that his bus, other than aircon, was self sustainable with minimal genset use. In fact, they rarely plugged in even at the parks.
What was the criteria some of you had for the building of your coach and what did you do to attempt to acheive this goal
for instance
Mine would be PAID FOR, as ENERGY EFFICIENT as possible, (I was shooting for a bus that, like the All elec, would rarely NEED to be plugged in at the park (except for air), comfortable, well lit during the day with outside light(I hated my dark RV), stay cost effective yet stay with the technology at the time. Hopefully this would help with the efficeincy of the coach. My heaters use no power to run.
I am looking for additional ideas and hopefully, with others posts, new BusNutz will have an idea to look at and perhaps set a goal. |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.113)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 19, 2004 - 10:11 pm: | |
Cory, it is nice to see you posting again. How about a progress report?
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
Scott Whitney (69.35.6.233)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 19, 2004 - 11:03 pm: | |
Soooo much depends on how you use it. If you are gone all day long doing sight seeing, and solar can collect energy while you are away, and all you need is some reading lights at night, your powerpole-free goal is totally obtainable. But if you are in the coach all day, running power items, even small ones like a TV or a PC, or big ones like heater blowers or A/Cs, then you can quickly exceed your power requirements.
Also summer versus winter daylight hours makes a big difference in lighting.
Guess what I am saying is that "energy efficient" is totally related to your needs. If you are booning in AK, efficient probably means low cost heating. For example, I am here in Arizona now with 70 deg. daytime temps, no heat required, but I am running PCs all day long. So my current needs are for electricity in the day and some solar juice to add to the batteries would be real nice. But propane is cheap here, so hard to justify a big cash layout for solar. I could save genset runtime with every watt of free sun power.
But other times I need good ol heat BTUs and what I want then is a big oak log fire or some other cheap heat producing fuel.
My idea of an all-around, general-purpose effiecient coach would be diesel fired Webasto main heating system, diesel genset, propane catalytic bedroom heater, propane oven/stove, solar panels installed on left over roof real estate, large battery bank, and good charger/inverter with monitor panel.
Scott |
Dale MC8 (69.19.170.109)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 12:32 pm: | |
My ideas are almost the same as Scott's. I would also have a microwave/convection oven in addition or instead of a propane oven.
Dale |
CoryDane RTSII (66.155.188.122)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 2:23 pm: | |
Hello Geoff, nice to hear from you and the others.
Progress?
A lot has happened since I bought her and now, and unfortunately, not all to her (the bus) which has made this a very unusually long project.
Right now, I am stalled, it is cold up here in Northern Illinois! Propane tank is installed and the gas lines and reg was supposed to be in last Fall, had fitting problems so no heat till Spring.
Progress had not been good, while I was working, 1 1/2 hour commute one way and 12 hour shifts took my breath away and the bus is on a farm North of me. But I did keep at it as I can but I am FAR from the completion date I had originally estimated. (I also have the very old RV that I use so I had no BIG pressure to attack it alone). The folks that own the farm have watched me and say a lot has been done so I must be doing ok???
I will say, I have kept planning, preparing, designing, AND CHANGING DESIGNS/LAYOUTs as we go. And the fact that the "help" I had could'nt help because of other pressing things that life brings upon us. lol, what is that saying about Good Intentions? I enjoy going up there, when I can, to work on her, its quiet and peaceful, the people are nice and my spoiled GreyHound would'nt have it, being left home when he can come up there. lol
OK, today.....
One big trial, besides time, help etc, was insulation. The other was how to apply walls without losing all the space of an additional 2x4 on each wall. The recent comments about LED lighting has me looking for parts to experiment and see how well that low-current lighting might work for me. (When I played with LEDs a while back they did not have enough light for much and were not correct for lighting in a bus).
Ok, Wall problem was solved the other day, as was insulation. The plan is coming together. (Again)
I have all the outside panels and doors, the rear passenger door will stay for awhile to get the bus done then I would like to do a door that is hinged at the top, lifts up at the bottom making a kinda canopy, did'nt you do that Geoff?? you like it?
Storage compartment racks are in, storage compt floors cut, ready for paint and install. The welder was late with the GenSet Rack, but I have it now so that install happens soon, with that,outside work DONE.
Well NOW with the company I worked for downsizing and my UNTIMELY Early Retirement, LOL, as far as this project is concerned, its like I am on the crest of a hill in a SoapBox Racer, once I can get started, there will be no stopping. lol (yeah, no brakes!)
I am at a point where somethings can be changed, others cannot without other considerations to the prep work already completed to the layout.
MOST of the wiring is DONE! Imagine that. When it warms a bit, the walls will go up and the last of the wiring will be completed. Plumbing looks easy, should go fast, then cabinets.
I asked the above question to see if anyone has any better ideas than I already have planned to implement. Being an RTSII, I will have a good Battery Bank but it won't be huge so I am looking to save every little bit of juice and space, hmm some give and take there.
One thing I did do, and I think it was a great idea, I connected the solar panels to keep the buss battery charged since they will sit a lot, and to keep the coach batteries charged. It dawned on me that they will work opposite each other so the charges will be alternate as well and the bus batt should be up to charge most the time anyway. This is verified with the Regulator meters.
My Bus Air con came "disassembled" and I am not going to fix it. The condensor is still in place, and probably will remain for awhile. Anyone know if the rear shroud has to be removed to get rid of it? I'm probably gonna try to cut it up someday and use the space for water storage.
I have had some recent "sight" problems so don't know what the future has in store there. I have always built into this bus the ability to be a parked "cabin" if something extreme should happen so she could become a nice comfy cabin somewhere for me, so all this work will not be for "naught".
WELL ya'll, it's a new year, and Next Year, I just might get to go to Buss'n 2005 LOLOL, unless it is on a Holiday week and my friend can't come as navagator. I dunno if I would be comfortable driving her solo. I still wonder about the mountains LOL. Talk about thinking ahead!
Thanks for your comments and thoughts.
"Imagine Your Dreams"
cdcdcd |
Adame (129.82.229.195)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 2:42 pm: | |
My plan is to use solar panels, 300 watts to begin with, to pump up batteries to serve the refer which is a Sundanzer 6 ft. cu. model and to power the 12 vdc lighting and electrical needs.
My heating system is made by Rixen enterprises. It burns diesel to heat water and its control is also 12vdc. The pumps are brushless, El Cid units which require I think about 10 watts to move about 5 gpm. The heated water is pumped through baseboard type copper/ aluminum fin tube which runs the length of the bus and then loops back to the heater. There is no fan, its all radiant. Flow direction changes are made with long hose sweeps instead of 90 degree ells.
Of course to optimise these systems I'm using as much insulation as I can everywhere I can. Also shaded glass.
My generator will mostly be used to power the air conditioner and as a back up for the solar cells. Also there is a 130 amp alternator dedicated to the house bank. The only thing I need an inverter for is for a TV, small microwave, and also to charge the batteries when 110 is available and needed. |
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