1947 Flxible RV restoration (1 Viewer)

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kex66

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Hi Kerry, I cannot see why they cannot put in stuff-fridges etc that work on 220v , if they are unable to get compatable things them simply leave holes with wires and pipes-gas- etc so that you can fit uk ones when it gets here.The inverter is a massive one :Eeek: and will cost a bomb :Eeek:half size will be more than sufficient and probably cost half price over there :winky:
terry

Thanks terry for the reply. As it turns out, it was just the foreman asking questions before the auto electrician came on site. The auto electrician has put him straight on everything now and all of the necessary parts have been ordered.
 

Terry

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Hi Kerry you need to get as much as poss over there thats compatable ---:thumb: what we pay in £ s is roughly what they pay in $ s plus most things are cheaper anyway --I would get them to lay a couple of extra spare wires down each side full lenght of the bus for reversing cameras etc -always handy for extras :winky:::bigsmile:
terry
 
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kex66

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Hi Kerry you need to get as much as poss over there thats compatable ---:thumb: what we pay in £ s is roughly what they pay in $ s plus most things are cheaper anyway --I would get them to lay a couple of extra spare wires down each side full lenght of the bus for reversing cameras etc -always handy for extras :winky:::bigsmile:
terry

Good idea!! Reversing camera already in the build spec but I'm bound to have missed things.

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kex66

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The walkway down the centre of the bus is very narrow. The restoration shop has found that on one side of the raised part of the floor, there is a ducting which is no longer in use. They are removing this in order to get a much wider walkway along the entire length of the Flxible. This will increase the isle width from 17" to 24".

Doesn't look much work but it is!!

The first image shows the existing walkway and the second shows the subfloor removed and the channel exposed.
 

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Terry

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Hi Kerry I don't understand why you cannot have your island bed in the rear ? the bus looks a good 7ft wide and a island bed could be anything from 4ft 6ins to 5ft wide giving you around a foot or more either side :thumb:this would allow you access to the rear emergncy door unless you intend to use it as a enterence door-- thought you said about 5 ft max width for a transverse bed :winky: so a longtitude bed would only interfere with around the bottom 18 ins which you could always cut the bottom rt cnr off (say a 1ft)at 45 degrees for door access (viewed from front to rear) this would give you the bed you wanted :thumb: unles you have changed your mind ::bigsmile:
terry
 
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kex66

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Hi Kerry I don't understand why you cannot have your island bed in the rear ? the bus looks a good 7ft wide and a island bed could be anything from 4ft 6ins to 5ft wide giving you around a foot or more either side :thumb:this would allow you access to the rear emergncy door unless you intend to use it as a enterence door-- thought you said about 5 ft max width for a transverse bed :winky: so a longtitude bed would only interfere with around the bottom 18 ins which you could always cut the bottom rt cnr off (say a 1ft)at 45 degrees for door access (viewed from front to rear) this would give you the bed you wanted :thumb: unles you have changed your mind ::bigsmile:
terry

It's the length of the bed that's the problem. If we have a 6' bed then the bottom of the bed would touch the bathroom wall on one side and the storage wall on the other. This would mean you had to climb over the bed to get to the gap on either side of it. Also you would have to climb over the bed to get to the emergency door. A 4'6" bed positioned east to west would give an 18" gap between the bed and the bathroom/ storage wall. This would also give an adequate space to evacuate through the emergency door.

The shop is producing some scale drawings so I'll post on here when they arrive.

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kex66

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Hi Kerry I don't understand why you cannot have your island bed in the rear ? the bus looks a good 7ft wide and a island bed could be anything from 4ft 6ins to 5ft wide giving you around a foot or more either side :thumb:this would allow you access to the rear emergncy door unless you intend to use it as a enterence door-- thought you said about 5 ft max width for a transverse bed :winky: so a longtitude bed would only interfere with around the bottom 18 ins which you could always cut the bottom rt cnr off (say a 1ft)at 45 degrees for door access (viewed from front to rear) this would give you the bed you wanted :thumb: unles you have changed your mind ::bigsmile:
terry

Hi terry,

been back through the posts and haven't come across a 5ft max statement but I could have missed it? The bus is just over 7ft wide and we have about 28ft of length to play with. We have 10ft up front for the settee/ single bed, entry step and dashboard and 12ft for the fridge, storage cupboards and shower/ toilet. That gives us 6ft for the main bedroom so a transvrse bed of 4ft 6in will allow 1ft 6in for a gap between the bed and bedroom door.

The only way I've seen this overcome is to have two single beds on the outside walls and butt them up to the walls leading out of the bedroom. Which is actually the original layout in my bus.
 

Terry

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Hi Kerry not been back through all the post ::bigsmile: but just on what you say shorten the 10ft front bed/seat to 6ft 6 ins giving you another 3ft 6 ins and move things up etc
terry
 
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kex66

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Hi Kerry not been back through all the post ::bigsmile: but just on what you say shorten the 10ft front bed/seat to 6ft 6 ins giving you another 3ft 6 ins and move things up etc
terry

Sorry, i'm just confusing the issue now. We have 10ft up front but thats 6 ft for the settee/ bed, 2ft for the entry step and 1ft for the dash = 10ft. I think we'll just about get away with a 6ft convertible bed even though our 13 year old twin boys are already at 5ft 10in:Eeek:

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kex66

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I've updated the flickr account this morning. Although most of the images are in this thread, the flickr account just lumps them together and makes them easier to view. The Flxible is in the paint shop now but the outside temperature over the last few days in their part of California has been at freezing point or just above so still a little cold to paint. Not too bad indoors as they have heaters but it's putting the bus in a cold shed with soft paint that's worrying them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/95137559@N04/sets/72157635089781485/

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kex66

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Work continues on the Clipper this week. Widening the walkway has proved to be a very expensive alteration (and probably why previous RV conversions on Clippers have left the walkway as a narrow channel). The sub floor and structure of the chassis have been altered to make a wide isle possible (image 1). This has loaded the bill quite considerably but makes our Clipper quite unique as it's probably the only one with this modification (I'm trying to see the positive here but I'm struggling!!)

The next problem has been the way the heater and A/C were fitted when the Flxible was first converted to an RV. The only thing that was holding the units in place was the outside and inside skin of the vehicle. The restoration shop has fabricated and welded in place supporting structures that tie everything to the actual structure of the vehicle (image 2,3. Not very clear in the images but it's everything in black).

Finally, the dashboard has been stripped and primed ready for final paint (last image)
 

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Terry

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Hi Kerry you should have got them to move the units to where you wanted them for your layout /desired layout :winky:
Terry

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kex66

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Had a few problems recently with this restoration so haven't been up to posting anything on it for a while.

Hopefully I'll get back on track soon:Smile:

The interior walls are going up and all of the insulation is now fixed into place. As you can see the interior is being built by an experienced RV builder. Not a 4" x 2" stud wall in sight - at least that's what I would have usedLink Removed

Trying to use the latest technology for the interior build but will keep a retro feel to the overall appearance.
 

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Mel

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Nice job.

When it gets to the UK I hope we are at a meeting at the same time.

Mel
 

lee52

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hi kerry just read throu the entire thread and wow ::bigsmile:

given me some really good ideas for my ole girl. I noticed they are using the metal c stud walling to do the frame work I cant believe i didnt think of that :Doh: I was going to use 2x2 wood, the metal c section is so much easier to work with and a lot lighter with the comments about the furnance and ac been 110v cant you just use a 240v to 110v drop down transformer (like the yellow builders jobs) is that not a cheaper option?, please feel free to shoot me down in flames :RollEyes:
 
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SuperMike

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hi kerry just read throu the entire thread and wow ::bigsmile:

given me some really good ideas for my ole girl. I noticed they are using the metal c stud walling to do the frame work I cant believe i didnt think of that :Doh: I was going to use 2x2 wood, the metal c section is so much easier to work with and a lot lighter with the comments about the furnance and ac been 110v cant you just use a 240v to 110v drop down transformer (like the yellow builders jobs) is that not a cheaper option, please feel free to shoot me down in flames :RollEyes:


Yes a transformer, but not one of those yellow jobbies, as they are not rated for continuous use, amongs other things. :Eeek:
 

SuperMike

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is that from a heat point of view? just wondering


Yes, they are often filled with sand, modern ones with resin, and if loaded continuously can get dangerously warm. The average builder only uses them in short bursts, with power tools, or at low power continuous use, say with a light, so then they are ok. Further they use them out in the open and not tucked away in a cupboard or locker, where air flow and cooling is reduced.

Never seen one go up in smoke in a motorhome, but have on site. :Cool:
 

lee52

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Yes, they are often filled with sand, modern ones with resin, and if loaded continuously can get dangerously warm. The average builder only uses them in short bursts, with power tools, or at low power continuous use, say with a light, so then they are ok. Further they use them out in the open and not tucked away in a cupboard or locker, where air flow and cooling is reduced.

Never seen one go up in smoke in a motorhome, but have on site. :Cool:

I imagine if you ran it only at half duty heat wont be a issue the furnace and ac wouldnt be running flat out all the time but like u say if you get one thats only just say capable rating wise its gonna over heat oh well just a idea:Cool:
 
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kex66

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Both the furnace and A/C have been replaced with new 240v units so the 110v issue doesn't exist anymore. The interior is being fitted out by a custom coach company that normally take Prevost shells and turn them into motorhomes so I'm confident their work will be OK.

I'll keep this thread updated so you can see how they form the interior.

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pappajohn

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I imagine if you ran it only at half duty heat wont be a issue the furnace and ac wouldnt be running flat out all the time but like u say if you get one thats only just say capable rating wise its gonna over heat oh well just a idea:Cool:

you have to realise American motorhomes just love electric....they cant get enough.

Thats why the manufacturers fit big onboard generators.
Most are between 4kw and 7kw
Hookup cables are rated at 50amps and as thick as your thumb

Mine has a 5.5kw generator....makes suitcase generators look pathetic.
 

TheBig1

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I imagine if you ran it only at half duty heat wont be a issue the furnace and ac wouldnt be running flat out all the time but like u say if you get one thats only just say capable rating wise its gonna over heat oh well just a idea:Cool:
when youve seen several fail over the years, you wouldnt put it as first choice to be in a motorhome especially one worth so much

one catastrophic failure later and van burnt to its chassis and the insurance investigator finds the remains of a cheap yellow site transformer theres no way you will get a payout
 

TheBig1

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I think I have been shot down in flames lol lol
nah! its just stuff you learn over the years. just so happens that my working life was electrical engineering based including building sites etc

on here its just friendly banter and advice. amazes me somedays at some of the knowledge being passed on. we all come from different backgrounds so theres a huge knowledge base, not just motorhomes:thumb:
 
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kex66

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I think I have been shot down in flames lol lol

I wish It was as easy as using a cheap site transformer Lee!!!

Not the same thing but just the pure sine wave inverter for the bus was $2,000:Doh:
 

lee52

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I wish It was as easy as using a cheap site transformer Lee!!!

Not the same thing but just the pure sine wave inverter for the bus was $2,000:Doh:
like your self the hardest bit is the planing I have 28ft x 7.5ft of floor space and had a plan set out then I gutted the bus and all of a sudden I see all this space and plans change lol and i keep seeing these fantastically built and planned out interiors

Really cant wait to see your MH finished

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