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DIY Tiny Home/Skoolie project

Bone3421

By Bone3421
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Bone3421

Bone3421 716

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Other wheel well im going to put a closet up...will post later today when done

Tip for anyone who reads this....when trying to make template for curvature of roof make your measurements ceiling to floor every 3 inches

Example...61 inches is height at bus wall
Then i measure 3 inches off of wall and get 69 inches floor to ceiling

6 inches off wall is 70.5 inches

Then you transfer your measurements to some scrap wood and you got a template for all your curved pieces

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utee94

utee94 15867

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2 hours ago, Bone3421 said:

Working on getting my utility area ready...framed up over the wheel well
Plan on having electric on one side and water pump and ??? On other side...will have a wall built off of the middle 2x4be383bee4ca9ea93f38cb4a8a0ca9e8e.jpg

Are you gonna put in freshwater, graywater, and blackwater tanks?  Water heater?  Toilet, sinks, shower?  

For electrical are you going to install both a 120VAC system and a 12VDC system?  

Just wondering how close to a self-contained RV build you're planning, the solar system implies to me you plan to go off-grid with it for at least some of its life?

 

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utee94

utee94 15867

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1 hour ago, Bone3421 said:

Tip still stands for finding curve of roof/ceiling...but now im thinking i can just box closet off above windows and have a shelf/storage on top

Oh boy, I had to do a ton of this in the Airstream.  As far as far as reproducing the curve, what you're talking about is called "scribing" and there are a couple of ways to do it.  This guy uses a small circle/wheel to standoff the wall and scribe the curve onto his template. 

 

This guy uses an actual scribing tool, which is basically just a compass.  He doesn't do a particularly good job of it, but the basic idea is there:

 

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Bone3421

Bone3421 716

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Are you gonna put in freshwater, graywater, and blackwater tanks?  Water heater?  Toilet, sinks, shower?  
For electrical are you going to install both a 120VAC system and a 12VDC system?  
Just wondering how close to a self-contained RV build you're planning, the solar system implies to me you plan to go off-grid with it for at least some of its life?
 
Off grid 100% of the time is the goal....yes i will have a few DC circuits and running rest thru inverter

Greywater yes...blacktank no(composting toilet) in future

Yes to kitchen sink...no on shower currently(probaby will rig something up for outside shower)

All in the air currently but i do want it to be as much open floorplan as i can

Long ways to go
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Bone3421

Bone3421 716

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Had to get a little creative since wheel well didnt match up with steel ribs of the roof...
Already had 1×4's up above windows for future shelve supports and 2×4's under windows for sidewalls. So just screwed 2×4's to those supports with 3in screws. Luckily the gap above windows was perfect fit for scrap 2×4 and was level

Threw in some winter clothes i wont need for 6/7 months....will make it look pretty later when i decide how i want to finish bus

Leaning towards a white/grey distressed wood look to tie cedar ceiling and floor together9735fb0446e4d119c6cd61981e84d56f.jpgba62da58874ed1d9e5dc0dfb7e095288.jpg53cde8de142f0e0a8494905521771105.jpg

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Bone3421

Bone3421 716

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1200w pure sine wave inverter(2400watt surge)
40amp mppt charge controller
2 amg 200amp hour 12v batteries
Will wire in parallel for 400ah

Texting electrician buddy about fuses and what not...hopefully we'll have time to get together this weekend9a2175f7abd92471da409e803c8d225d.jpg

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Bone3421

Bone3421 716

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For anyone reading in future....to figure out your amp pull just divide your watts by volts

 

If i pull the full 1200 watts at 12v(your inverter has to match batteries) then i will be pulling 100amps

 

I shouldnt do that realistically as the most i think i would ever draw at one time would be using tv(200w) with xbox(112w) with mini fridge(200w high end)

So your looking at 500 to 600 if lights are on at most realistically

 

600w÷12v = 50amps

 

So you will want a thick enough wire to handle the amps to inverter from batteries...6gauge will handle 60amps but for surges and if i pull peak we are running 3 gauge that is rated for 110 amps

 

This is only from batteries to inverter...from inverter you can run standard 12/2 romex

 

 

 

 

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utee94

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2 hours ago, Bone3421 said:

For anyone reading in future....to figure out your amp pull just divide your watts by volts

If i pull the full 1200 watts at 12v(your inverter has to match batteries) then i will be pulling 100amps

I shouldnt do that realistically as the most i think i would ever draw at one time would be using tv(200w) with xbox(112w) with mini fridge(200w high end)
So your looking at 500 to 600 if lights are on at most realistically

600w÷12v = 50amps

So you will want a thick enough wire to handle the amps to inverter from batteries...6gauge will handle 60amps but for surges and if i pull peak we are running 3 gauge that is rated for 110 amps

This is only from batteries to inverter...from inverter you can run standard 14/2 romex
 

So, you're saying that P=VI? And consequently I = P/V?  :) 

Will you have A/C?  And if so, it's only going to run when you're plugged into shore power?

What about a microwave?

Also keep in mind things like coffee makers and crock pots consume a lot of power, if you ever plan to use any of those in the bus.

 

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Bone3421

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So, you're saying that P=VI? And consequently I = P/V?   
Will you have A/C?  And if so, it's only going to run when you're plugged into shore power?
What about a microwave?
Also keep in mind things like coffee makers and crock pots consume a lot of power, if you ever plan to use any of those in the bus.
 
No microwave...to much juice
Rv ac at some point...will scale up most likely
As for the appliances just cant run them at once keurig is rated at 1500w surge 200-400 continuous

Other coffee makers are 600w - 1200w so in range just cant do to much at once

And i was spelling it out real simple just in case someone stumbles across it in the future... Seen lots of people confused on the googles while i've been researching skoolie builds
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Bone3421

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Maybe this has been covered, but it looks like some of those 2x4s are treated.  Is that for any reason? Seems unnecessary and added weight compared to standard lumber.

More of a just in case....busses are notorious leakers...i think i got it sealed up pretty good though and if i get a leak with plumbing will have less damage

 

 

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utee94

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Just now, Bone3421 said:

No microwave...to much juice
Rv ac at some point...will scale up most likely
As for the appliances just cant run them at once keurig is rated at 1500w surge 200-400 continuous

Other coffee makers are 600w - 1200w so in range just cant do to much at once

And i was spelling it out real simple just in case someone stumbles across it in the future... Seen lots of people confused on the googles while i've been researching skoolie builds

Yeah, sorry, I'm an electrical engineer so I had to have a little fun. :)

You definitely can't run too many small appliances at once.  One year we were RV camping for TX-OU and my friends and I are sitting around outside drinking beer, and a friendly older guy comes around the corner between a couple of RVs and asks if I have a moment.  Says he's borrowed an RV from a friend for the weekend but the interior power is dead-- although it had been working just fine beforehand.  So I follow him up to this huge, brand new half-million dollar Tiffin motorhome, and he has about 8 friends standing around waiting for him to get back-- all decked out in Sooner gear, of course.  I'm walking along in an orange Longhorn t-shirt with my beer can in my "ousux" koozie, and they are not looking very happy at all.

Anyway, first thing I do is check his city/shore power connection and it all looks good, breakers are open and not tripped.  So I go inside to look for his interior breaker panel, and I see in their galley area they have about 7 or 8 crock pots all plugged in.  I just laughed, told them that was going to be a problem, unplugged all but a couple of the crockpots, and reset their circuit breakers.  Told them to keep plugging more crock pots in until it tripped, and then they'd know their limit.

Silly sooners.

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TwiceHorn

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24 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Yeah, sorry, I'm an electrical engineer so I had to have a little fun. :)

You definitely can't run too many small appliances at once.  One year we were RV camping for TX-OU and my friends and I are sitting around outside drinking beer, and a friendly older guy comes around the corner between a couple of RVs and asks if I have a moment.  Says he's borrowed an RV from a friend for the weekend but the interior power is dead-- although it had been working just fine beforehand.  So I follow him up to this huge, brand new half-million dollar Tiffin motorhome, and he has about 8 friends standing around waiting for him to get back-- all decked out in Sooner gear, of course.  I'm walking along in an orange Longhorn t-shirt with my beer can in my "ousux" koozie, and they are not looking very happy at all.

Anyway, first thing I do is check his city/shore power connection and it all looks good, breakers are open and not tripped.  So I go inside to look for his interior breaker panel, and I see in their galley area they have about 7 or 8 crock pots all plugged in.  I just laughed, told them that was going to be a problem, unplugged all but a couple of the crockpots, and reset their circuit breakers.  Told them to keep plugging more crock pots in until it tripped, and then they'd know their limit.

Silly sooners.

Resistance heating elements, how do it work?

Way to represent.

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ChickenSandwich

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1 hour ago, utee94 said:

Yeah, sorry, I'm an electrical engineer so I had to have a little fun. :)

You definitely can't run too many small appliances at once.  One year we were RV camping for TX-OU and my friends and I are sitting around outside drinking beer, and a friendly older guy comes around the corner between a couple of RVs and asks if I have a moment.  Says he's borrowed an RV from a friend for the weekend but the interior power is dead-- although it had been working just fine beforehand.  So I follow him up to this huge, brand new half-million dollar Tiffin motorhome, and he has about 8 friends standing around waiting for him to get back-- all decked out in Sooner gear, of course.  I'm walking along in an orange Longhorn t-shirt with my beer can in my "ousux" koozie, and they are not looking very happy at all.

Anyway, first thing I do is check his city/shore power connection and it all looks good, breakers are open and not tripped.  So I go inside to look for his interior breaker panel, and I see in their galley area they have about 7 or 8 crock pots all plugged in.  I just laughed, told them that was going to be a problem, unplugged all but a couple of the crockpots, and reset their circuit breakers.  Told them to keep plugging more crock pots in until it tripped, and then they'd know their limit.

Silly sooners.

This is a lovely story told well

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Bone3421

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Everything running good...this step is quite simple...i have batteries in parallel(+ to +) and (- to -) then just runwire to (+) battery spot on charge controller. You want a fuse here, im using 50a anl fuse for 40amp mppt charge controller.

Then from other battery run wire from negative, no fuse on negatives

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Bone3421

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You'll want to check your panels just to be sure but most positive leads will be the male adapter. You can also tell by the stripe on the diode(grey if it shows in picture) the stripe should on positive side.

So when you connect to charge controller you need to make sure know which is which to avoid ruining equipment first time you connect it.

So if the male adapter is your positive on panels you need to hook up the wire with female adapter to your PV+ spot on charge controller...and then of course your male adapter from charge controller will be connecting with the negative on solar panel84f046962cee3f77672863770877b744.jpg

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Bone3421

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For comparison yesterdays test run had 2 solar panels getting 3.5 amps and 31v around 6

All 4 today at 5pm are pulling 13.25 amps and 60volts. Tomorrow will make some temporary mounts to boost efficiency.
For my ft.worth location the math says i need panels mounted at 28 degrees

Math for solar panel tilt is.....if latitude is below 25° times it by .87

If latitude is between 25° and 50° times it by
.76 and then add 3.1° to it

If above 50° it gets trickier so google it lol

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Bone3421

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Abc supply in burleson will let you have all the pallets you can haul fyi....got these 10ft ones yesterday

When i strip them down will have about 45/50 free 10ft 2x4 for some projects

Anyone close by that wants some free lumber thats the place688decca96a6948b24032dc3138350f2.jpg

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utee94

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2 hours ago, Bone3421 said:

Abc supply in burleson will let you have all the pallets you can haul fyi....got these 10ft ones yesterday

When i strip them down will have about 45/50 free 10ft 2x4 for some projects

Anyone close by that wants some free lumber thats the place688decca96a6948b24032dc3138350f2.jpg

I used to make some side-money building furniture out of pallet wood and selling it to hipsters that dug the "upcycling."  But then a lot of the large stores and warehouses started having recycling companies come by and take all of their used pallets, so that source dried up.  I wonder if there's a similar place near Austin?

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Bone3421

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I used to make some side-money building furniture out of pallet wood and selling it to hipsters that dug the "upcycling."  But then a lot of the large stores and warehouses started having recycling companies come by and take all of their used pallets, so that source dried up.  I wonder if there's a similar place near Austin?
Dont think im going that far...think i will make a small lounge area under a tree with one of them

Thinking about making a outhouse/outdoor shower on the land so another one could be base for that...but we shall see
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Your Mom

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Are your solar panels going to be easily moveable?  I follow a board of off-road expedition drivers and it seems like the guys who can remove their panels and move them around throughout the day get a lot more power than the guys who keep it fixed on the roof the whole time.  Seems like the best set up is one where they can be mounted flat on the roof when you're driving and then removed and aimed properly when you set up camp somewhere.  The biggest benefit, besides just a better angle, is that you can park in the shade and run the panels out into the sun.  More comfort for you, less demand for your fridge, etc.. 

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Bone3421

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I dont think i mentioned it earlier but the 4 panels,mppt charge controller and the wires were 700$ renogy kit....2 agm 200ah batteries 600$ and the 1200w/2400w surge was 170$

Wires, outlets, and fuses probably another 120$ with romex taking up 70$ of that total

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utee94

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18 hours ago, Bone3421 said:

Panels for now are off the bus and moveable...would like the idea of that set-up, should be simple to execute.

Yeah I know some folks that have removable panels on the tops of their RVs.  They set them up with some kind of quick-disconnects and when they move them to the ground, they put them on tripod-style stands that swivel in two directions to angle the panels exactly as they need them based on the location of the panels wrt the sun.

\

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Bone3421

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Can your solar set up run an AC? RV style 30 amp?
I could run a 10,000 btu rv ac on my setup for a few hours per math....but wouldnt have power for anything else

I would have to add more battery storage plus maybe 2/3 more panels to handle load plus have power for tv,fan,lights,...

Which i plan on doing in future....current set up can run tv,fan,lights and appliances for 2 days with some rationing.(ie dont run tv 8 hours a day)
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utee94

utee94 15867

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On 7/28/2019 at 2:35 PM, Bone3421 said:

I could run a 10,000 btu rv ac on my setup for a few hours per math....but wouldnt have power for anything else

I would have to add more battery storage plus maybe 2/3 more panels to handle load plus have power for tv,fan,lights,...

Which I plan on doing in future....current set up can run tv,fan,lights and appliances for 2 days with some rationing.(ie dont run tv 8 hours a day)

I wouldn't bother with a 10K BTU RV AC in Texas.  Even my 15K struggled at the height of summer and my RV was a lot smaller than your bus.

Hope you're able to get some more work done with the cooler temps!

 

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