Bad news is that my van is still in the shop but good news is that the important repair was just a sensor and has been fixed. My mechanic is working on a couple of other issues and will have my van for a few more days. All is well and I look forward to getting my van back in good working order.
Getting excited about starting another batch of improvements. Went to the local army and navy store and purchased a few needed camping items. That's about it...
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Camping trip
Went camping this weekend with a bunch of van dwellers and had a blast. Hickey Gap is a small free campsite up near Chatsworth GA. Got to meet a fine group of people. About half of them are full time dwellers so it was really interesting to see how it was done first hand. Great fellowship and a good time was had by all.
Sadly my check engine light came on during the ride home. That was pretty stressful but I got home safe and now the van is back in the shop. ALWAYS something I tell you. My mechanical troubles did not damper the weekend though and I really did have a good time.
Sadly my check engine light came on during the ride home. That was pretty stressful but I got home safe and now the van is back in the shop. ALWAYS something I tell you. My mechanical troubles did not damper the weekend though and I really did have a good time.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Van Pics
A couple people have asked to see additional photos of my bus so here they are. The silver coverings you see in some of the pics is Reflectix, a insulation covering that keeps heat in or out. LOVE that stuff.
The curtains are old and will be replaced.
The curtains are old and will be replaced.
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| Front seats |
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| Looking back |
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| Queen Size bed |
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| Looking forward |
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| Bus doors open |
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| Bus doors closed |
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| Gull door open Love that !! |
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Van update
It's been a while since I posted and I'm pleased to say the van has come a long way since my last post.
I found a very good mechanic who kept my van for 2 weeks. I won't bore you with all the details but he fixed every thing I asked for and a few nice extras. 619.00 dollars but worth every penny. I haven't had a bit of problems since !!! HAPPY
After that I went to work on the interior. I have the bed the way I want it with 5 inches of firm foam, 2 inches of memory foam, a thick down comforter and another 2 inches of memory foam. It's soft but not too squishy. Very comfortable.
I've added quite a bit to the electrical system. I do have solar on the roof and I rewired to controller to 1 single 12v deep cycle battery. 115 amp hours. It was wired to an additional starting battery under the hood. I had difficulty in finding a deep cycle battery in that space so I put the new 12v under the passenger seat combined with a dc plug and a 400w inverter.
I also have a small 200w inverter in the back for lights and a larger 800w inverter that I don't plan on using much but will be a great backup. I'm really working towards a total 12v system as these inverters need a good bit of juice to run themselves. Might as well avoid that if I can ?
I also finished the vinyl on the interior complete with insulation. I added Reflectix to most of the windows and MAN do I love that stuff. It blocks the ambient light but that's ok. I feel its a good trade off to avoid all that heat here in the steamy south.
I also hired someone to tint a few of the windows which looks great and will help with the heat also.
It's amazing how much time and effort it's taken to get this all done. I've enjoyed it mostly despite a couple of small setbacks.
My next focus will be on organization and comfort. I have more space than a normal size van but will have none to spare especially with my two large dogs.
I'm also trying to decide on the best air conditioning options when away from shore power. The Carrier Air-V works great but my honda 2000 generator wont quite run it. It will however run my smaller 10000 btu portable unit which will do for now. Takes up valuable space though and I don't like the noise. I'll come up with a better option, all it takes is MONEY !!!
Happy to report also that my leaks do seem to be plugged . Hard rain here in Atlanta tonight and I went out to check it. No moisture at all. LOVE It
Ok.. that's it for now.. Kenny OUT
I found a very good mechanic who kept my van for 2 weeks. I won't bore you with all the details but he fixed every thing I asked for and a few nice extras. 619.00 dollars but worth every penny. I haven't had a bit of problems since !!! HAPPY
After that I went to work on the interior. I have the bed the way I want it with 5 inches of firm foam, 2 inches of memory foam, a thick down comforter and another 2 inches of memory foam. It's soft but not too squishy. Very comfortable.
I've added quite a bit to the electrical system. I do have solar on the roof and I rewired to controller to 1 single 12v deep cycle battery. 115 amp hours. It was wired to an additional starting battery under the hood. I had difficulty in finding a deep cycle battery in that space so I put the new 12v under the passenger seat combined with a dc plug and a 400w inverter.
I also have a small 200w inverter in the back for lights and a larger 800w inverter that I don't plan on using much but will be a great backup. I'm really working towards a total 12v system as these inverters need a good bit of juice to run themselves. Might as well avoid that if I can ?
I also finished the vinyl on the interior complete with insulation. I added Reflectix to most of the windows and MAN do I love that stuff. It blocks the ambient light but that's ok. I feel its a good trade off to avoid all that heat here in the steamy south.
I also hired someone to tint a few of the windows which looks great and will help with the heat also.
It's amazing how much time and effort it's taken to get this all done. I've enjoyed it mostly despite a couple of small setbacks.
My next focus will be on organization and comfort. I have more space than a normal size van but will have none to spare especially with my two large dogs.
I'm also trying to decide on the best air conditioning options when away from shore power. The Carrier Air-V works great but my honda 2000 generator wont quite run it. It will however run my smaller 10000 btu portable unit which will do for now. Takes up valuable space though and I don't like the noise. I'll come up with a better option, all it takes is MONEY !!!
Happy to report also that my leaks do seem to be plugged . Hard rain here in Atlanta tonight and I went out to check it. No moisture at all. LOVE It
Ok.. that's it for now.. Kenny OUT
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Continue with van repair
The van is coming along nicely with a few setbacks but I can take them in stride. Asked a friend to work on it for me and that was a mistake. Somehow damage was done to the engine while in his care and it got a little ugly. I was able to get the van to a repair shop and now it's back on the road.
Faulty wiring was found and now the next step is to have the electrical system checked out. That should happen tomorrow.
I was also able to add a new car stereo and also fixed my dash lights. Very happy with both of those upgrades.
I am a bit worried about the electrical as it can be expensive. All I can do is hope for the best !
Looking forward to putting the mechanical aspects of this thing behind me if that's possible? Working on the interior will be much more enjoyable.
Faulty wiring was found and now the next step is to have the electrical system checked out. That should happen tomorrow.
I was also able to add a new car stereo and also fixed my dash lights. Very happy with both of those upgrades.
I am a bit worried about the electrical as it can be expensive. All I can do is hope for the best !
Looking forward to putting the mechanical aspects of this thing behind me if that's possible? Working on the interior will be much more enjoyable.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Interior work
Noticed some wood rot on the inside of the van around the two gull doors. Decided to tear into it. I've been a boat owner for 14 years so a bit of wood rot isn't scary to me. Happy to find the repairs will be easy. Noticed some decent insulation which made me happy. I'll hit home depot for supplies this week and ordered some automotive vinyl off of ebay. Will have him looking spiffy in no time.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Automotive woes
OK I have to admit that the van broke down on me. Thankfully my brother in law Steve was with me with transportation so I wasn't stranded. I made an on the spot decision to tow the van to a Ford dealer that I kinda trusted. I had wanted to have it checked out anyway so it wasn't too bad of a experience except for the 103.00 towing charge.
The Ford dealer found I had a bent valve cover and I was down 5 quarts of oil which made the engine shut down with no low oil light (odd)
The complete inspection yielded a mixed results of good/bad news. The good news was that the engine and drive train were in good shape except for the valve cover. Compression was good as well as the glow plugs and injectors. Keep in mind the van has a 7.3 powerstroke diesel.
The bad news was that the front end was shot. In the end I authorized 2600.00 in repairs including towing which included a long list of maintenance items. I generally don't go to the dealer but I must admit they were extremely professional and I feel good about having OEM parts. I anticipate further work being done at independent garages.
I had anticipated money being spent when I purchased the van but not quite that amount. I had saved some money so I won't have any debt and I feel good that the van is now (or should be) sound. That money buys me a lot of piece of mind. My goal is 100,000 additional miles of dependable driving.
So I get to pick the van up tomorrow and look forward to checking it out. Hopefully it will drive most excellent and I'll feel as my money was well spent? Time will tell.
The Ford dealer found I had a bent valve cover and I was down 5 quarts of oil which made the engine shut down with no low oil light (odd)
The complete inspection yielded a mixed results of good/bad news. The good news was that the engine and drive train were in good shape except for the valve cover. Compression was good as well as the glow plugs and injectors. Keep in mind the van has a 7.3 powerstroke diesel.
The bad news was that the front end was shot. In the end I authorized 2600.00 in repairs including towing which included a long list of maintenance items. I generally don't go to the dealer but I must admit they were extremely professional and I feel good about having OEM parts. I anticipate further work being done at independent garages.
I had anticipated money being spent when I purchased the van but not quite that amount. I had saved some money so I won't have any debt and I feel good that the van is now (or should be) sound. That money buys me a lot of piece of mind. My goal is 100,000 additional miles of dependable driving.
So I get to pick the van up tomorrow and look forward to checking it out. Hopefully it will drive most excellent and I'll feel as my money was well spent? Time will tell.
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