Watch out for shopping tricks

16/04/2018 Charmaine Leopold

Tricks that some shops are doing

There are some tricks I have notice some stores are doing with the shelves of late. So I thought to do this quick little blog about it so you can know what to watch out for so you don’t get caught like I almost did the other day.

Misleading Signage

On one of my scanning trips to the shops for the specials, I noticed this misleading signage on the shelves where to pre prep soups are. This is one of my go to places in the cold sections of the store as you maybe able to pick up a quick meal for a lunch or as add on to a imagination meal for two.

Shelving Positioning

Do you notice that there are the same types of products on two areas of the whole section of shelving? The first picture of ‘special’ products were situated on the top right hand corner of the whole shelving with a totally different price to the lower left hand shelving at the right price.

Same product different area and showing a different price on the sale section as to the normal price section. So just be very observant when buying.

Marked as a sale not always is the cheapest

The other trick I have noticed at the super markets is some sale items in bulk or larger packaging are actually much more expensive. Be very alert when buying as what is mark as sale not always is the cheapest option on the shelves. So be on the lookout for that one.

That’s all I have to say on that….Cheers.

Motorhome fit out

Let’s put some tiles down.

10/03/2018 Bernie Cross 2 Comments

Some tiles for the deck

After the waterproofing membrane had dried, it was time to set out for the tiles. It looks like I’ll need about 7m of tiles. Lucky they had some grey ones at the tiles shop. When Charmaine got home she liked them, so I did OK.

Now to workout where the tiles are going to go. So after laying a row down the middle I could start marking out for the full tile to be glued in first.

Setting out for the tiles before I start gluing then down.

After marking out the area for the full tiles and mixing up some glue< it’s time to through some tiles down on the main floor.

It’s been a long time, but I think I still know how to tile, just. So all I have to do now is all the cut’s after marking each tile.

The side tiles will be all different as the deck slops down to the back so the water doesn’t pool up and then we would have a fish pond.

Edge tile trim cut to shape, now to cut them with only two tiles left.

Well I need to make a tile fit this space, one on earth side. The problem is I’ve only two tiles left so let’s hope I don’t stuff up. Also I’ll have to fill around the top of the tiles were the old air-con cover’s use to go.

Filling up the grove around the top of the tiles.

After cutting the 50X50mm angle to length and fitting in place with Sikaflex. The next job was to paint the fiberglass canopy with a heat reflecting poly paint that also is a waterproofing.

The only bad thing about finishing this job is now we will have to move out of the shed. A big thanks to the Toowoomba Showgrounds for letting us use the shed to fix the leak.

Motorhome fit out

Time to fix that roof leak

29/12/2017 Bernie Cross

Leaking under the top deck

Thank goodness that I’ve been able to park the coach undercover for this job as there has been raining on and off. The Showgrounds have let us use one of the sheds for three weeks, thank you.

Now the fun begins

After trying to get the decking up and failing to do so, as I’d done a too good of a job gluing it down. Great! I had to come up with another solution.

Going over the top of the deck and sealing it instead, this way I can lay down some tiles to finish it off.

Time to seal it up

For some reason the Sikaflex didn’t stick between the decking boards. So after scraping it all out I troweled in some bitumen putty to take its place. The next step was three coats of bitumen paint to go over the decking boards. After the bitumen paint had dried the next day I got the fire hose out and flooded the area for one hour with no water leaking any more.

Now the tile underlay goes down, after cutting it to size. A box of nails later it’s all in place ready for the wet area under tile waterproofing.

The deck painted with bitumen waterproofing paint.

Next will be cutting the reinforcing bandage with bond-breaker for the edges. This will stop any damage to the waterproofing membrane if there is any movement.

Reinforcing bandage just to make it boom proof.

Now to start wet area tile waterproofing.

The under-tile waterproof membrane just paint on nice and easy thank goodness, so after going over the bandage and nail first. Then it was time for the first coat of three.

Next blog will be about the tile set out and the gluing of them in place, with all the other fiddle bits to finish it off.

Motorhome fit out

It looks like coloured spaghetti

19/12/2017 Bernie Cross 2 Comments

Too many wires !!!

The engine’s brakes had not been working properly since I bought the bus and I didn’t have to use them anyway as it was so flat in South Australia and the Northern Territory. This is going to be a job the will take some time as I will have to trace the wiring loom from one end of the coach to the other. The main problem is info, I’ve have most of the manuals that I need to be able to fix most things but finding out the colour codes for the wires is not so easy as nothing matches what is on the drawings that I have. I have searched the internet for more wiring diagram but to no avail and I can’t seem to find anything that looks even remotely the same.

So with a multimeter in hand, I thought the best place was to start with power to the switch, then start tracing the wires from there. Well the good thing is I’ve got 24v at the switch, the bad news is now people have been here before me modifying the wiring loom.

The main board outside, below the driver’s seat.

Looks nice and tidy in here, but somewhere in there may be the problem of the J brakes.

Mmmmm some one has been here before me, lot’s of cut wires.

Doesn’t look so nice now as there are lots of wires that have been cut or have never been used. The fuse holders that have been burnt out (3 of them) after being moved, as well as modifications over the years to fix or been up graded.

This job just got bigger

So now its time to trace all the wires not being used and tagging both ends of them, this will help find where they go. After making a 9v system to clip onto the wires its just a matter of finding the other ends of the loom.

Now the fun begins, just have to find out where they are going.

Sub board down the back of the coach in the battery bay.

Somewhere in here is the wires for the J breaks that are not working.

Look more wires behind the dash. Ahhhhhh!

Some switches work and some will not be needed any more.

The J breaks will have to wait

I’ve just been told that I can move into the equestrian shed so the wiring will have to wait for now, as the main problem is the roof leak under the top decking. This started after we move up to Toowoomba, it may be a small pop rivet as it’s not a big leak more like some capillary action going on.

Just a small shed 🙂 Makes the couch look small.

Motorhome fit out

Some new running lights for the old coach

10/12/2017 Bernie Cross 2 Comments

Upgrading time for the running lights

It was one of the jobs that was started down at Leigh Creek, but I ran out of time before heading up north to Yulara. The old running lights did make it to QLD with a quick fix up here and there. We are waiting to move under cover in to the big equestrian indoor arena at the Toowoomba Showgrounds to start fixing the roof leak found on a good down pour while up here.

We have been in the Toowoomba area now for four weeks and I must say it’s quite a nice place. Apart from having to move out of the Showgrounds for one week as the place was booked out. We decided to stayed on a farm for that week at a farmstay called The Chookhouse. It was great, the owners were very nice, it was the first time for them having a 12m motorhome parked there.

LED light time

The old running light had seen better days and as the front of the coach had already been fix in S.A , we now thought it was a good time to finish them.

The former owner had already fitted new LED indicators/reflectors which made the old running lights at the side of the bus look even older.

Just a little bit stuffed, how where they even working?

I’ll have to patch up the holes later before the paint job.

More soldered and insulation under the coach.

That will do for now

Until the inside is finished, the outside will have to stay looking like someone does not love it. I’m really looking forward to the outside being all painted, it’s going to make such a big difference, that will have to wait for another day.

Motorhome fit out

Time to clean up from Chuwar

05/11/2017 Bernie Cross 2 Comments

Our first house sitting 6 month stay

With the bedroom done to a point that we are happy with it’s time to clean up. The house sit has been great! We looked after two dogs, Lexy and Kingston. The cat, Charlie who had a swagger about him strutting around like he owned the place. Walking the dogs every day kept them happy and me a bit fitter.

A bit of a mess

The rubbish bin’s were full for about 2-3 weeks as we cleaned up and set up the trailer for a tip run to get rid for more stuff …..that we really don’t need.

We need to sort out if we store it or get rid of it ?

Setting up for a kitchen

For the time being (as we will be living onboard again), we need a make shift kitchen again. This time it’s going to be a bit bigger then last time with more storage and bench space.

This will do for the time being, on this side.

Still have a lot more to set up, but for now this is stage of the cleaning up, a lot more will be done later. I have to cleaning out the bins under the coach so we can start packing the tools from the shed away.

Where is the drivers seat?

Think the driver’s seat is here some where ?

Sometimes I think we are mad fitting out a motorhome on the road while at the different times living in it. It has had it’s moments, but life is good and we are having fun most of the time. But now it’s time to head off up the range to Toowoomba. Charmaine will be much happy with no more having to sleep in the troopy for a week at a time.

Kingston

Lexy

Charlie

An interesting next 12 months

The next 6-12 months are going to be more interesting as we will be living and working on the coach at the same time, not sure how that’s going to work out at this stage, but we are thinking of how we are going to manage it.

Toowoomba Time

Living back in the coach for now, it’s nice to be back on the road. I am thinking about looking for some part time work while still working on the coach. I’ve fortunately found a small water leak on the roof with all that ran we got the last few weeks, so will be fixing that first. I have some sparky stuff in and around the coach that’s needs a good redoing and rewiring, then onto the water tanks with some plumbing work.

Temporary living

Ok it’s still needs lots of work, but who cares. We are in our own place and it’s a comfy home for us.

Temporary dinning area till the bathroom is finished.

Motorhome fit out

Bathroom vanity wall time

31/10/2017 Bernie Cross

Setting up for the black mirror area

But first I’ll have to run some 12v cables for the LED lights for the vanity as well as the laundry area so they can be switch on by them self. Than we will need 240v power for the front load washing machine under the bench, some were as well as a power point.

240v ran in the conduit and 12v for the vanity light.

More power bits. On this side will be the start of the kitchen.

12v power for the LED lights and a 240v power point.

I’m leaning the wall back at the top so I can see in the mirror.

Clean up time

Now that is done it will be time to start cleaning up as I’ve made a mess, our house sit is getting close to ending and we will need time to organize the coach back into some kind of a place we can live in again. I’ve still have to put the sola panels back on and rewire then and a bit more to tidy up outside before we can start packing up.

Motorhome fit out

Bathroom over head cupbroad

22/10/2017 Bernie Cross

More cupboard space

If one thing for shaw, this motorhome will have lots of storage space which puts a smile on Charmaine’s face. With this next cupboard there’s no smile on my face, it’s going to be a pain to fit into place as well as make. Good thing is no body can hear me cursing from inside the coach. First off I’ll just finish off the bathroom vanity side wall for some were for the overhead cupboard to be fitted too.

Now that I’ve worked out where it will be going I’ve screwed some scrap to the wall to hold the cupboard in place till it’s all screwed into place. It’s modification time let the fun begin.

Overhead cupboard needs some modification.

I think it’s coffee time now, maybe after I clean up a bit. Well that was not to bad after wall, I just like to bitch sometimes. So the next job will be the back wall behind the sink area as well as some sparky stuff.

Motorhome fit out

Time to get my draws on

15/10/2017 Bernie Cross 1 Comment

Draws for the vanity

After finishing the vanity and fitting the sink in place with all the plumbing, now was the time for the draws. There will be three a deep draw down the bottom and two smaller draws above that, which will have to be modified to fit around the plumbing.

Now the fun begins

The bottom draw just missed the s/trap which was good, but the next two won’t be so lucky. I’ve even dropped the draw runners down as fare as I can go so we have more room for the top draw.

Now that was not to bad, but the top draw is going to be another thing. I’ll be left with only around 220mm of draw space on either side of the sink and 60mm at the front of the draw, but that should be heaps of space for Charmaine.

Even have somewhere for the toothbrushes.

Didn’t lose to much space in the second draw.

Well I’m glad that’s over, but I will properly going to have the same thing in the kitchen though.

Motorhome fit out

Bathroom vanity and laundry time.

09/10/2017 Bernie Cross

Let’s make more box’s

Out of the bedroom and now into the bathroom. Starting on the vanity and laundry side, it was time to make some more cupboards up. There will be a 900mm three draw as well as a 300mm cupboard and beside that we will be putting in a front load washing machine under the bench top.

Vanity in place just needs something to sit on.

Time for the plumber’s hat

Now I can fit the sink to set up for the drain pipe as well we need to put in the hot and cold water pipe’s, as the wall lean in at the top I’ve offset the cupboards off the wall. This will give me some space to run the pip work and drop it through the floor.

Drain hole for the sink and washing machine.

Water all plumed up for washing machine.

Most for the plumbing has been done, but now I’ve got to put in the back wall behind the washing machine area before I can run the drain pipe all the way.

Drain and tapes finished for the washing machine.

I’ve built a wall so I can finish off the washing machine area and on the other side will be the start of the kitchen, but thats an other day.

Well that was fun

The next job will be to fit the draws under the sink, and as you can see the sink will be in the way for some of them. Looks like it will be modification time again.