Freakishly Happy

Tonight I updated our electrical system.  I added a couple more Deka 8A8D batteries (12V / 245 AH AGM) so now we have a total of four.  I also installed a DC breaker (I was using a fuse) in a nice housing and also installed an advanced DC monitoring system.  The DC monitor will work with the charger to more accurately charge the batteries, and also give us a better idea of how much amp hours we have remaining (not just by a voltage measurement.)  But the best part of the updated system is that we are now ready for solar.  All we need is some panels, a way to mount them, a combiner box (circuit breaker type thing) and a MPPT charger.  But don't worry, I think we'll wait until we're on the road for that, given what else we have to do.

Joni and I spent the day helping our friend Stuart put on a living history program for his elementary school.  We taught kids woodworking in the year 1861.  They were able to drill holes, saw and hammer and we made some nice boxes for carrying things, all using hand tools of the era.

With the updated electrical system and some other odds and ends in place, here is the updated list:

1. Water Plumbing
   1. Install Water Tanks
      1. The tanks have been ordered and are on the way.
      2. Design cage: Measure the tanks precisely and design a metal cage to hang them from.
      3. Buy or acquire metal for the cage.
      4. Weld cage
      5. Add tank heater (Need to order)
      6. Add tank level sensor
      7. Insulate Tank.
      8. Mount cage to bus
      9. Install outside plumbing access points (ordered)
      10. Install lines to tanks
      11. Install heaters on lines (Need to order)
      12. Insulate lines
      13. Mount tank inside cage
      14. Fill and test
   2. Install Tank Gauge
      1. Mount Gauge on Interior Wall
      2. Wire 12VDC to Interior for Gauge
      3. Wire Sensors from Tanks to Gauge
      4. Wire Heaters from Tanks to Gauge
   3. Donate old water barrel to Ryan's Liquor Enterprises
2. Kitchen
   1. Upper Cabinets
      1. Finish window sill
      2. Finish window trim
      3. Install upper shelving (need to buy lumber)
      4. Install 12VDC to range hood
      5. Cut hole for range hood outside vent
      6. Mount range hood
   2. Lower Cabinets
      1. Finish Bay Drawers
         1. Design drawers
         2. Acquire Lumber
         3. Build Drawers (plane, chop, join edges, biscuit & glue, sand, wax & oil)
         4. Mount Drawers
      2. Face Drawers
         1. Match wood, join wood, cut, edge, plane, mount
      3. Drawer locking component (to hold drawers shut while driving)
      4. Contact paper drawer bottoms.
   3. Refrigerator
      1. Run 12VDC wiring to refrigerator
3. Living Room
   1. Finish window trim (including sills)
   2. Install Library Shelf
   3. Install automotive wiring channel
4. Cockpit and Entrance
   1. TV and Media Cabinet
      1. Design & Acquire wood and parts
      2. Build
      3. Wire
      4. Mount
      5. Trim and Face
   2. Install handrail
   3. Refinish metal flooring plates
   4. Rivet metal flooring plates in place
   5. Design & Install slate fencing
   6. Design & Install slate
   7. Rework front door
      1. Install and shape hole and bar guides for easier close
5. Sink
   1. Install Electrical for Counter
   2. Window sills and trim
   3. Shelf
   4. Install Water Purifier
   5. Install Sink Brackets and Holders (plumbing)
6. Port Closet & Starboard Closet
   1. Build Drawers (plane, chop, join edges, biscuit & glue, cut, sand, wax & oil...)
   2. Install Drawers
   3. Contact drawer bottoms
   4. Face Drawers
   5. Install Electrical
7. Toilet Closet (TC)
   1. Window sills and trim
   2. Shelving
   3. Lighting
   4. New Ventilation System (ordered)
   5. Wiring for new vents / current 12VDC vents
8. Bath
   1. Window sill and trim
   2. Towel hooks
9. Propane System
   1. Bracket all piping (secure for travel)
   2. Replace appliance hoses with RV safe (vibration safe) hoses. (ordered)
   3. Mount gauge on tank and wire to interior wall
   4. Rewire emergency shutoff / detection system to different interior wall
10. Exterior
    1. Design and order under body storage bays. (Have quote request out there)
    2. Install storage bays / organize storage
    3. Paint Bus
       1. Preparation
          1. De-Goo
          2. De-Silicone
          3. Power Wash
          4. Mineral Wash
          5. Tape
       2. Prime
          1. Roll on
          2. Wet sand down
          3. Repeat
       3. Paint and Top Coat can be done on the road...
    4. Door for propane access (currently a hole) [Measurements are 18" wide x 11" tall]
    5. Design Bicycle Storage...?
11. Obligations
    1. Clean Shed
       1. Unpack Boxes
       2. Give firewood away
       3. Recycle metal and extra parts lying around

Yes, it’s been a while since we’ve worked on the bus. Be the last few days we’ve finally had some decent weather and sunshine which has given us the motivation to get out there and work. Yesterday John took out all of the windows in the bus so that we could begin taking out the metal paneling on the sides. We needed them gone so that we could rust protect the walls beneath them and so we could also re-do the weather stripping and caulking around the windows that has been eaten away. He was also able to remove the remaining heater that was in the front of the bus near the driver's seat. He'll have to tell you more about that process as I was unfortunately called away to house-wifery errands like grocery shopping and making baklava.

Today took a trip to Wendy's (American Hardware) one of our favorite area hardware stores, and bought a load of supplies including ventilating masks, goggles, weather stripping and caulk. Then we came home and I went window-sill by window-sill and scraped off all of the remaining gunk and weather-striping while John did the ardeous task of removing the metal panels below the windows. Again, I"m not really sure what the full story was with this, other than the fact that it seemed really taxing, so he'll have to go in to it more later. Our friend Rich stopped by for awhile to act as our foreman, and to keep us on task and in line. He’s proving to be a really good resource and fount of knowledge and not only that fun to have around. And even better he’s going to be our go-to guy for much of our welding.

We were a little dismayed when read the forecast last night, and because said that we'll be getting some more snow tonight and the day after and the day after and the day after... This is a little distressing for us because we currently have no windows in the bus and a wet interior could set us back a few more days. So we weighed our options and decided that a tarp would be the best course of action. So we took another trip to Wendy’s and bought a huge tarp to put over the bus. (I have a feeling they're going to be seeing a lot of us in the next few weeks)

When we got back it was still sunny with no signs of a change in the weather, so we worked on scraping the black tacky residue off the bottoms of the windows using gasoline to help un-stick it, (under the guidance of my father). After a while the weather began to quickly change, and the sky went to a sickly grey color and we decided we’d better get the tarp on before anything worse set in. As I said the tarp is huge and it was a little tricky to get the thing unraveled. Once we did, it took some creativity to get it up and over the back of the bus. Just as we began to devise a plan, our friend JodyFenton showed up to cheer us on. We used the skills that we learned in PE in second grade with the parachutes and did a “1… 2… 3.. up and over” action while each holding a corner of the tarp on either side of the bus and taking a good run for it. We made it about ¼ of the way down the bus before the weight of the rest of the tarp set in. John worked from the top and I worked from below and we were able to get the tarp all the way situated.

The tarp goes just to the front of the bus and hangs around the “face” of the bus so that it looks like a nun in a habit. We put the green side of the tarp facing in, and the brown side of the tarp facing out. From the outside the bus looks either like a giant tootsie roll or an oversized Swiss Cake roll.

We spent a little more time working on the goopy windows, before I decided I had to go in and get warm. John, being the trooper that he is, stayed out in the bus until well after dark getting the remainder of the metal paneling off the walls.

  We finally got the sealant we've been waiting for in the mail, so we should be working in the bus a lot this week. Please feel free to check out our progress on the bus-cam, and to drop us a line at Johnandjoni@freakishlyhappy.net

So I’ll admit it, I’m a little self-conscious being on camera. I’ll be working away and then suddenly realize that there are potential people I don’t know watching me. Especially when I realize that my pants have slipped down and the top of my posterior has been visible for the past 20 minutes. It’s really embarrassing. So I’ve decided to make a game of it, and put my fanny to a good cause. The game will begin as soon as we appear on camera each day we work on the bus. For first person to spot my *ahem* “plumber’s crack”, and can correctly state the time of it's occurance with a two minute margin of error, (*** or takes and reports the first screenshot of my lily white backside,) we will donate $5 to your choice of one of these charities.

• Tibet House Trust (http://www.tibet.com/Trust/trust.html)
• Heifer International (http://www.heifer.org/)
• Reading is Fundamental(http://www.rif.org/)
• Action Against Hunger (http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/)
• The ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Association (http://www.alsa.org/donate/default.cfm)

Let the Game Begin!

*** In order to make a screen shot:
- Hit the FN (function key) and then hit the “print screen” key (mine is located at F11).
-Then email it to me at joni@freakishlyhappy.net

**Thanks to our friend Jody for this fabulous idea!