Turning a Blown out RV into a Global Expedition Vehicle(GXV)

[LC Garage]

[bmwktmbill]

Originally Posted by Jon Huber

Possibly park it til Spring and start your training.

Guys,
My buddy Jon(the world famous motorcycle traveler and my sometimes partner in the chicka bars in Sud Amerika) refers to the fact that I am signed up for a 30 mile ski race in February.
He thinks I am weakening but look at this pic...all screws I have turned loose by hand. I don't own the proper battery power tools.



Been skiing 3 hours a day...that plus Christmas cuts into work time on the Minnie.
bill

[bmwktmbill]

Originally Posted by H96669

I think I have the very same antique broom, mine is display only now. Yes I do...had to run out and check.

Eh! Get that gas stove under cover,if the white stuff melts you may get the insulation wet and it may (will) pack and then be useless. Took me over a week to restore my old gas range because of that and those you can somehow take apart even if they are not really designed to be.

Even the gas fridge....I am not big on them but they certainly have a market value. New ones are pretty expensive and where I come from hunters are always on the lookout for them to put in their cabins. There may be a little filter screen at the gas inlet, if you are inclined to try it to see if you can get some $$$$ for it, make sure the filter screen is clean.

Guys,
Following your instructions!!
Been digging!!!





As for the propane frig, maybe I will save it...the world economy is poised to self destruct any day and if the power goes I have 500 gallons of propane in my main house tank as a back up to wood.

Well at least I'd have ice cubes.

BTW the little sink is a keeper and behind it are the old corners for the back wall.They might prove useful.

Dump run tomorrow, my place looks like it has been invaded by Zombie hillbillys.

My friends say it's not me.

Yada yada...
bill

PS.
Report from the engine room.
Dog house on the engine, quiet, smooth running.
Got lights, 2 speed heater fan with heat and wipers.
b

[troidus]

Wondering aloud if you can make an air-to-oil heat exchanger for the woodstove, then plumb that to a radiator in the cabin with you. That way there's almost no way to asphyxiate, and if you let the fire burn down, the oil will still give off heat for awhile until you get the fire built back up. Might need a circ pump for the oil, or it might flow on its own if it's designed correctly.

[dirtydeeds]

As a steam fitter, let me add that I like the heat exchanger idea. I'd use water past the wood stove. Leave it open to atmosphere somewhere. (even just a fill point) You don't want to build a bomb.

[bmwktmbill]

You guys are my gods, thinking rocks on the wood stove top now...

Could you imagine a sauna/Adventure van.


Call the foamer. It's getting worse.




bill

[H96669]

I have a couple of them sinks here. All I used was a removeable 3-4 gallons water container under the counter. Easy to switch over and most importantly to me....keep clean.Too many years at sea, having a hard time trusting anything out of a tank. And then at first had an electric pump but switched that to a hand pump,simpler and just as effective for my needs.

I see your oven now, they all suffer from the same problem, the heat deflector plate is too thin, may warp even more if you crank up the heat. Then the pizza will not cook evenly. Or pies or.....whatever.

1/4" steel plate bolted on the bottom without plugging the holes....look around at the dump if they let you, that's where I find that kind of stuff and sometimes even "almost" running motorcycles.

[troidus]

Originally Posted by dirtydeeds

As a steam fitter, let me add that I like the heat exchanger idea. I'd use water past the wood stove. Leave it open to atmosphere somewhere. (even just a fill point) You don't want to build a bomb.

I like the open to atmosphere idea (maybe using a baffle box so vapor escapes, but not liquid), but I wouldn't use straight water because of corrosion and potential for freezing. I like the oil idea because of its higher boiling point, but propylene glycol could be used, too.

[dirtydeeds]

I was thinking that for this application, the water could be cycled through hot water tank. A 1/4hp circulating pump and a check valve would accomplish a very simple tie in.

Oil or glycol would be ideal if you wanted to heat underneath the unit, in the winter.

[bmwktmbill]

Originally Posted by H96669

I have a couple of them sinks here. All I used was a removeable 3-4 gallons water container under the counter. Easy to switch over and most importantly to me....keep clean.Too many years at sea, having a hard time trusting anything out of a tank. And then at first had an electric pump but switched that to a hand pump,simpler and just as effective for my needs.

I see your oven now, they all suffer from the same problem, the heat deflector plate is too thin, may warp even more if you crank up the heat. Then the pizza will not cook evenly. Or pies or.....whatever.

1/4" steel plate bolted on the bottom without plugging the holes....look around at the dump if they let you, that's where I find that kind of stuff and sometimes even "almost" running motorcycles.

OK, I'll check the oven out as soon as I can find a gas cylinder, I'll cook a pizza to test it. I'll look for a piece of steel to fit.

As for the sink, my water tank has a 12V pump. Hope to have drinking water in jugs and washing/toilet water in the tank.

More snow is coming tonight, I moved the rig and moved the scrap.
I am ready even if we get a foot. The RV is still a big piece to me to drive...it's like herding elephants.

I know a toilet is a thread in itself. I have the grey water tank. Thought about turning the old wet toilet unit into a dry more direct deposit type.
Gravity drop.
My goal is nothing electric.
Deeds, what hand water pump did you use for water?

I am a kayaker, thought of using a hand operated bilge pump for the sink and toilet?

bill

[dirtydeeds]

The circ pump would be electric. You're staying away from that though.
If you want to get away from black water, I've seen incinolets. They burn the waste. The one our rig had was propane fired iirc. Or diesel.

[dirtydeeds]

Also, if you're parking in one spot for awhile, I'd consider a bladder to put on roof. (How strong is your roof?)
That way it would absorb a bit of energy so you'd have warm water. It would also shield the camper from direct sun. It would keep the place just a bit cooler.
Gravity would be your friend too. No pumping for showers, toilet, sink etc. just once, to get water up top. You could use a little 12v bilge pump for that.

I'll be starting my own project soon. I may use some of the ideas that come up in this thread.

The seller of this (soon to be GXV) will be dropping it off in a week.



There is a power tailgate coming with it too.

It's really slow, but it ain't for racing.

[bmwktmbill]

Originally Posted by dirtydeeds

Also, if you're parking in one spot for awhile, I'd consider a bladder to put on roof. (How strong is your roof?)
That way it would absorb a bit of energy so you'd have warm water. It would also shield the camper from direct sun. It would keep the place just a bit cooler.
Gravity would be your friend too. No pumping for showers, toilet, sink etc. just once, to get water up top. You could use a little 12v bilge pump for that.

I'll be starting my own project soon. I may use some of the ideas that come up in this thread.

The seller of this (soon to be GXV) will be dropping it off in a week.



There is a power tailgate coming with it too.

It's really slow, but it ain't for racing.

Deeds,
Very cool...you have more guts than I do.
The bladder idea is a good one for hot water. I have always been a tent camper so washing is an option especially in the desert, otherwise the lake or trout stream works for me but I dream of hot springs most nights.
bill

[bmwktmbill]

More progress and near disaster.

After digging in the snow....
Got lumber drying in the dining room for resizing tomorrow.



Turning the RV around in my driveway it started sliding backwards down the hill and stopped right at the edge of a drop...





That would not have been good.



More snow and sleet today...very slippery.
bill

[dirtydeeds]

Originally Posted by bmwktmbill

Deeds,
Very cool...you have more guts than I do.
The bladder idea is a good one for hot water. I have always been a tent camper so washing is an option especially in the desert, otherwise the lake or trout stream works for me but I dream of hot springs most nights.
bill

Not guts. I just have no options. Really, this truck will be used as a minimalist camper/work shop while I'm at camp up north. Company does not allow RVs or any type of trailer in the parking lot. I can put bikes in a truck but I don't want to leave them out for a couple weeks at a time. Things go missing like that. I looked at Sprinters too. In the end, I got this for less than a third of the cost of a Sprinter, it's bigger and more easily serviceable.