Tag Archives: Grey Nomads

Back to the fridge vents

01/12/2018 Bernie Cross

It Pay’s To Read The manual

Being a typical man I put some vents in for the fridge, but now after reading the installation manual I have found out that the vent’s are way to small. So off to the caravan shop to oder the right size vent’s as well as an extension for the flu so the hot air go’s straight out side. The post about putting the small vent’s Prep work for the new fridge. Not what to do !!!

Though’s vent just don’t make the grade.

Should have read the fridge fitting manual be for I started the job.

Time to make a mess & rip out the vent’s

So now is the time to start pulling the vents out, the only problem is I fitted them to well. This is not going to be fun at all, but lesson learnt and I’ll read every manual from now on.

Now that I’ve cut the bottom hole to size, next will be to bend up some sheet metal to fit in the gap so it will be waterproof again. This will be one pice at a time not like the first time when I made up the ducting in one pice.

Nice outlook And the side’s in place too.

The right size vents now

After fixing the bottom and top vent holes, now it’s only a matter of fitting the new right size vent covers. Now this was the best part as I know I’ve got it right this time!!

Now for the top vent

F!#k this is not fun as the top vent is even a bigger pain to get out, as I had timber all the way around the vent hole.

This one was even harder to pull out than the bottom one.

After grinding out the new hole in the fiberglass.

now the gas fitter will be able to fit off the fridge.

Now that job is finish for the last time I think I need a drink. But lesson learnt I will always read the installation manual first before starting another job.

Motorhome fit out

Some Stuff Behind The Driver’s Seat

17/11/2018 Bernie Cross

Just a bit to finish off the wall’s

Finishing off behind the driver’s seat was only a small job, that had to be done. This meant that the driver’s side wall would be finished till I put the final cladding on later on sometime. This will also stop things hitting me in the back of the head later when I’m driving down the road.

Small wall behind the driver’s seat to build now.

We are just making it up as we go a long.

Just some undercoat to finish it off for now.

Well that’s all for the front of the coach for now, I have some small job that have to be done now in the bathroom and kitchen.

Part 1

Motorhome fit out

The last window is going in.

31/07/2018 Bernie Cross

Another job finished.

This is the last window to be fitted and that means one less job that needs to be done. Just have to mark out where the window has to go first, then double check it to make sure it’s in the right place.

Now all I have to do is rip down some timber for the size to fit around the window hole. A little bit more gluing, screwing and that job is all done.

The window frame has been sealed and screwed from the out side.

Well that makes a big difference to the outside, now it’s starting to look like our home on wheels. It’s so nice to see the job list being ticked off one by one. Once I have worked on finishing the front floor and walls,… all that will be left to do is fitting out.

Motorhome fit out

The trim around the fiberglass panels.

17/04/2018 Bernie Cross

Some finishing off bits on the outside

The fiberglass panels needed to be finish off by putting aluminium around them. So off to the shops again, I think I should have shares in Bunnings. I though this was going to be an easy job of just cutting the aluminium to length and gluing then pop rivet into place.

Prep time

To start with I had to remove the old pop rivets that held the old air-con fiberglass top in place. This was a job in itself as it was glued well in place, then clean out all the dust that had built up over 30 years.

Slow job cutting the old glue to lift the fiberglass out.

I’m glad I started this job early in the fixing as I found another place where water could get in that was hidden. This should be the last of them as there is no more places left to fix.

This back part took one day to free up, not happy.

I even had the reciprocal saw going to cut out the old glue and on this part, but the saw died with only 300mm to go. They knew how to glue things back then, too well. The only good news was there was more room under the coach now the saw was in the bin.

Aluminium flat bar time

Well now it’s out with the measuring tape and start cutting things to length, or just make it up as I go along. I made up a templet so they would all end up in a straight line, well that is the plan.

50 X 3mm aluminium flat going into place.

Working off one ladder is not the best idea, but that is all we have. So now the sequence was marking out the holes for the pop rivets, then pre-drill 3mm holes. I had to hold the aluminium in place with tape, and drill into the coach, then drill them out to 5mm C/S pop rivets to fit. Next was to take the aluminium down, counter sink the holes for the pop rivets, put Sikaflex on the back, to fit it into place. I had to put two pop rivet in at arm’s length, climb the ladder holding the aluminium by the pop rivets. This was difficult! Even allocating the pop rivets into their holes to fit the rest of the pop rivets in place was a feat! I had to buy a pneumatic pop rivet gun which made my life much easier 🙂 happy days.

Parked in a new spot for the other side.

The troopy came in handy with the side awning up to work under for the drilling and cutting the aluminium flat bar.

No leak on this side so shouldn’t be as painful as the other side.

So now it’s time to repeat the same process on the driver’s side, I even have some shade from a tree too this time. Life is great some times.

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

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

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.

Motorhome fit out

The bedroom need some wardrobes

25/09/2017 Bernie Cross 2 Comments

New bedroom wardrobes

We bought new wardrobes just to cut them up just because nothing ever fits when your making a motorhome. This will definitely be a custom motorhome with lot’s of storage space, Charmaine’s very happy.

First off we had to make some room to build them as most of the supplies are in the coach as well as being a work place.

Wardrobe time

Making up more boxes again, screwing and gluing them together after cutting them down to size. We had to cut 35mm off the bottom and around 250mm off the top to make them fit the place as well as some where to put the speakers. The off cuts will be used to make up some more cupboards that will sit on top of the wardrobes, the more storage space the better.

One more box on top made up of off cut’s.

The trim around the wardrobe take’s time.

Utility cupboard

Behind the passenger side wardrobe there will be a narrow utility cupboard wide enough to fit the cordless vacuum, the deck ladder for the back hatch roof top deck access and other cleaning things. This one has to be made from scratch as it’s such an odd shape, it will have three to four deep shelves, for laundry washing bottles ect .

Power to charge the cordless vacuum in the utility cupboard.

At this stage I’m just making it up as I go along, but I think its enough for what Charmaine needs for the use of this space. Now it’s time to cut the rest of the pieces up that I need so to finish screwing and gluing it all together. The top of the walls actually lean in around 85mm and by not going all the way to the ceiling I don’t have to worry about the curve for now.

Now for the other side wardrobes

I had already built it so, it’s just a matter of starting on the trim to go down the side between the wall the support under the wardrobe. Then build a small cupboard to go on top and somewhere for the other speaker with the stereo. The passenger’s side has all the wires, 12v lighting as well as the speakers on that side.