Comments on: A Day at the Dump: Goodbye, Furniture; Hello, Weight http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:05:26 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: neufeld http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51&cpage=1#comment-81 neufeld Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:25:57 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51#comment-81 David, thanks for the notes! I especially like your remark about the schoolie having been converted by a lunatic -- unfortunately, a lot of schoolie conversions seem to be incompletely, poorly, or bizarrely done; and I think it gives campground operators a bad taste for conversions. Regarding the range, I've reached the same conclusion about the kitchen cutout. If you read further, you'll find that I have a lovely (after cleaning) donated cooktop now installed there. I'm interested in having a full oven at some point, but I'm not ready to spend money on it yet. I have a list at least in my head of the priorities before I can begin to use the bus/RV, and the cooktop I have will certainly tide me over for a long time. The household range idea is an interesting one for the long term, though -- and wouldn't it be great to find a Viking lurking in a salvage yard somewhere, just waiting for a little refinishing love? :-) David, thanks for the notes! I especially like your remark about the schoolie having been converted by a lunatic — unfortunately, a lot of schoolie conversions seem to be incompletely, poorly, or bizarrely done; and I think it gives campground operators a bad taste for conversions.

Regarding the range, I’ve reached the same conclusion about the kitchen cutout. If you read further, you’ll find that I have a lovely (after cleaning) donated cooktop now installed there.

I’m interested in having a full oven at some point, but I’m not ready to spend money on it yet. I have a list at least in my head of the priorities before I can begin to use the bus/RV, and the cooktop I have will certainly tide me over for a long time. The household range idea is an interesting one for the long term, though — and wouldn’t it be great to find a Viking lurking in a salvage yard somewhere, just waiting for a little refinishing love? :-)

]]> By: David Church http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51&cpage=1#comment-80 David Church Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:19:05 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51#comment-80 Just came across your school bus blog. I've always wanted to do some similar. I once rented a schoolie at a campground which obviously been converted by lunatic, although it seemed to me that doing it well would not have much more work or expense. (I had asked for a cabin, so I thankfully I didn't intend to actually drive it off the campsite.) The cutout in the counter behind your driver's seat was probably for an RV Range (cooktop and oven.) RV Ranges run on propane, which explains the gas line. They 'drop' into a cabinet, rather than being freestanding. Under the RV Range in my park model trailer there is a short, wide cabinet door where I keep pots and pans. Atwood, Suburban and Magic Chef all make RV Ranges. The best equipped ones run about $500-$600. Some park model trailers and large RVs come equipped with standard household ranges which are bolted to the floor and use propane gas. I think it's just the orifice in the burners which are different from regular natural gas burners. Maytag sells conversion kits for their ranges, the other manufacturers probably do also. The advantage of normal range is that they have 4 burners (instead of 2 or 3 in RV models), more room on the cooktop for pots and pans, and a bigger oven. They don't take up much more physical space than an RV Range, and the extra weight probably isn't an issue for a schoolie. It should be fairly easy to find a good used propane range for a reasonable price. Just came across your school bus blog. I’ve always wanted to do some similar. I once rented a schoolie at a campground which obviously been converted by lunatic, although it seemed to me that doing it well would not have much more work or expense. (I had asked for a cabin, so I thankfully I didn’t intend to actually drive it off the campsite.)

The cutout in the counter behind your driver’s seat was probably for an RV Range (cooktop and oven.) RV Ranges run on propane, which explains the gas line. They ‘drop’ into a cabinet, rather than being freestanding. Under the RV Range in my park model trailer there is a short, wide cabinet door where I keep pots and pans.

Atwood, Suburban and Magic Chef all make RV Ranges. The best equipped ones run about $500-$600.

Some park model trailers and large RVs come equipped with standard household ranges which are bolted to the floor and use propane gas. I think it’s just the orifice in the burners which are different from regular natural gas burners. Maytag sells conversion kits for their ranges, the other manufacturers probably do also. The advantage of normal range is that they have 4 burners (instead of 2 or 3 in RV models), more room on the cooktop for pots and pans, and a bigger oven. They don’t take up much more physical space than an RV Range, and the extra weight probably isn’t an issue for a schoolie. It should be fairly easy to find a good used propane range for a reasonable price.

]]> By: neufeld http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51&cpage=1#comment-47 neufeld Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:30:47 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51#comment-47 Jon, thanks for the note about the LED lights. I've certainly considered building some LED replacements myself. For now, I bought a couple of replacement automotive bulbs and they're working just fine. Which reminds me, I need to see about getting some more Bluebird dome light bezels when I go to a salvage yard for some other parts. Jon, thanks for the note about the LED lights. I’ve certainly considered building some LED replacements myself.

For now, I bought a couple of replacement automotive bulbs and they’re working just fine.

Which reminds me, I need to see about getting some more Bluebird dome light bezels when I go to a salvage yard for some other parts.

]]> By: Jon http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51&cpage=1#comment-45 Jon Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:38:29 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51#comment-45 Regarding dome lights, I recently came across something that may be a good solution. The the Richmond BC Canada "Night Market" (think Hong Kong style market with a hundred and fifty 10' x 10' booths selling everything from Korean socks to every USB gadget imaginable including an awesome food section with all sorts of tasty things on sticks) there was a booth selling LED lamps and lasers. They had an LED "dome light kit" with 24 white LEDs in a 4x6 arrangement. It came with several adapters to connect to different bulb sockets and provides an amazing amount of light at 100 mA (12v). My application wasn't as a dome light replacement, but for lighting my assembly microscope. A very nice bright white light source. I looked on eBay for similar kits and they come in many styles (and much less than I paid of course!). These could cut your power draw tremendously and reducing heating too. Jon Regarding dome lights, I recently came across something that may be a good solution. The the Richmond BC Canada “Night Market” (think Hong Kong style market with a hundred and fifty 10′ x 10′ booths selling everything from Korean socks to every USB gadget imaginable including an awesome food section with all sorts of tasty things on sticks) there was a booth selling LED lamps and lasers.

They had an LED “dome light kit” with 24 white LEDs in a 4×6 arrangement. It came with several adapters to connect to different bulb sockets and provides an amazing amount of light at 100 mA (12v). My application wasn’t as a dome light replacement, but for lighting my assembly microscope. A very nice bright white light source.

I looked on eBay for similar kits and they come in many styles (and much less than I paid of course!).

These could cut your power draw tremendously and reducing heating too.

Jon

]]> By: neufeld http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51&cpage=1#comment-37 neufeld Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:38:45 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51#comment-37 Fun idea -- before replacing a broken window, break it some more and see if it's really auto safety glass. :-) Fun idea — before replacing a broken window, break it some more and see if it’s really auto safety glass. :-)

]]> By: Dave http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51&cpage=1#comment-36 Dave Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:37:31 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51#comment-36 Make sure any windows you replace are with the correct type of glass. If the thing should ever be involved in an accident, you don't want a lot of glass shards flying around. Dave Make sure any windows you replace are with the correct type of glass. If the thing should ever be involved in an accident, you don’t want a lot of glass shards flying around.

Dave

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51&cpage=1#comment-30 Jonathan Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:35:32 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/bus/?p=51#comment-30 Remove 2 screws from each side of the window. The frame and windows are one piece and they come out together. Looks similar to a storm window but the panes are not removable as far as I can tell. Remove 2 screws from each side of the window. The frame and windows are one piece and they come out together. Looks similar to a storm window but the panes are not removable as far as I can tell.

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