Charlie the Airstream

[Magnet18]

Making good progress!

It always goes slower than you think it should

[Kvsterling]

One of my oil coolant lines is leaking. This is for 454 p30. This doesn’t seem to be in any auto parts data bases. One of the fittings is different on the oil filter housing.

Is this something a hydraulics shop would need to fab?

[Kvsterling]

To clarify, i have what looks like a male and female end of the same connection. Maybe 1/2” fitting with O-ring gasket. Tubes about 34” long, and the male side ends at the block by the oil filter housing...

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by Kvsterling

To clarify, i have what looks like a male and female end of the same connection. Maybe 1/2” fitting with O-ring gasket. Tubes about 34” long, and the male side ends at the block by the oil filter housing...

Last time I had to deal with one of those hoses (anno 2002), I had to take it in to an hydraulic hose shop and they custom made it. It wasn't pretty but it worked. Hopefully someone has sourced a better replacement since.

[Kvsterling]

Mystery solved! Not oil coolant line fitting, or hydraulic fitting.....Air Conditioner fittings!!!

Got the rubber replaced and we are good to go! Thanks to Ohio Hydraulics

When I re-install, going to use some kind of heat shield/wrap on the section passing the header. May keep temps down better and hopefully the rubber will last longer this time🤞

[Kvsterling]

Got a couple shots of the cabinets today

We were able to access the distributor who supplies material to The Mothership. Using 1/2” Light Plywood for boxes and will skin with red oak for stain

[Kvsterling]

Gotta love a long weekend!

Made some great headway on the bathroom, got shower red-guarded, tiled, and last step to grout and paint walls

Also fabricated a duct box to combine output of auxiliary heater (MH only) and furnace duct. Then I will have only 1 vent. Replaced all the heater hose inside for this heater and hot water heater heat exchanger. Soldered new shut off valves for aux heater...All this stuff was leaking when we took it apart, major contributor to the floor rot on that side of the beast

[Kvsterling]

Bathroom vanity and wardrobe box coming together

[cesalie2]

Nice work!

[Kvsterling]

I have have had the solar system in boxes for over a year, got a chance to install today! Went with all Renogy products. Flexible panels attached with HD 3M Velcro product. It is holding very strong, will re check after some exposure to the elements

I really didn’t want to drill holes in the roof after so much work to fix leaks and water damage

Display read 85w inside a garage at dusk...confirmed it is working!

[Kvsterling]

I went to do a periodic system check and found the inverter feature of our inverter/charger was not operating and giving a fault message. We had an 2k watt renogy. There are no serviceable components...no fuses or breakers tripped.

I couldn’t get the company to provide support for this “older” model.

Decided to follow the mantra I’ve used with this whole project;

“When given the option to repair or upgrade...try to upgrade”

I’m trying g to keep it simple with the Victron multiplus 3k, Bluetooth dongle, and wall switch.

Of course I tried completing the install today and now have a malfunctioning transfer switch and hard wired surge protector has been acting up (before inverter fail)[emoji35]

The PI EMS 30 surge protector is being replaced under lifetime warranty and think I have a spare transfer switch somewhere. Hoping to get electrical sorted out this weekend...expecting the cabinet install in the next week or 2🤞🤞🤞

[stream3]

Hang in there Kyle - you're doing some nice work!

[Magnet18]

As others said, coming along great!

[Kvsterling]

I’ve been chasing down alternator belt squeal problems since we owned the beast. Ran at about 15.5-16v and didn’t understand why. Narrowed it down to battery isolator...the ones with diode can make the voltage regulator run high. Found this one uses FET valving and the running voltage is back to 14.3 and no belt squeal (for now)🤞

Also, hers are first looks at stained cabinets!!!

[Magnet18]

Good work, looking good!

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by Kvsterling

I’ve been chasing down alternator belt squeal problems since we owned the beast. Ran at about 15.5-16v and didn’t understand why. Narrowed it down to battery isolator...the ones with diode can make the voltage regulator run high. Found this one uses FET valving and the running voltage is back to 14.3 and no belt squeal (for now)��

Also, hers are first looks at stained cabinets!!!

Nice cabinet work and shop !
Interesting and helpful info on the diode type isolator and the replacement option. I also like that it is actually labeled. I am a bit puzzled by the lack of fuses you have at that frame column. I have a whole row and any wire that leaves has to go through a fuse. Some of your wires, like the small gauge green wire on the top is attached to the battery side of the fuse and goes up into the dash unprotected. I understand that it may have a fuse later, but I would not feel comfortable it being unprotected for any length. Unless the Argofet Isolator has a circuit breaker that would prevent a disaster?

[Kvsterling]

Good catch!

The thin gauge wires actually goes to a switch at the dash. I can have the in-dash volt meter give me a read out from the alternator, engine bat, or house bat. Handy to know when the alternator belt snapped, I’m not still reading engine battery volts!

The alternator feed is on a beefy 200a block fuse with screw down terminals viewed at the top

The house bat lead is on a automatic resetting breaker that has screw down terminals, and the engine bat lead is straight back to the battery. I intend to replace all these, no idea how old they are, and the PO used house batt lead to run driving lights🤦*♂️

Also found a couple ring terminals broken and what feels like some wire strands broken (behind the terminal shroud).

Last nights job was to see if the new isolator fixes the voltage...then the fuse/wire upgrade commences. What amp ratings are your fuses?

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by Kvsterling

Good catch!

The thin gauge wires actually goes to a switch at the dash. I can have the in-dash volt meter give me a read out from the alternator, engine bat, or house bat. Handy to know when the alternator belt snapped, I’m not still reading engine battery volts!

The alternator feed is on a beefy 200a block fuse with screw down terminals viewed at the top

The house bat lead is on a automatic resetting breaker that has screw down terminals, and the engine bat lead is straight back to the battery. I intend to replace all these, no idea how old they are, and the PO used house batt lead to run driving lights🤦*♂️

Also found a couple ring terminals broken and what feels like some wire strands broken (behind the terminal shroud).

Last nights job was to see if the new isolator fixes the voltage...then the fuse/wire upgrade commences. What amp ratings are your fuses?

Mine are mostly 30 amp and some 40 amp. I am curious about the 200a Block fuse for the alt. That looks to me a like a shunt versus a fuse. Could that be causing some of your issues? Frankly, I dont know enough about the use of resistor shunts.

[Magnet18]

Resistor shunts are usually for feeding a current gauge, I'm not sure why else you would have one. If it's a shunt it should have (or had) 4 wires coming off it, 2 on each terminal, 2 of which go to a gauge or computer. If you've got a really good ohm or volt meter you might be able to tell the difference between that and a fuse, or it might just look like a fuse with a bit of resistance.

[Kvsterling]

On second thought, that may have been the 200a shunt used for the non-functional ammeter that had been removed. Think replace them both with the fuse/breaker is the best solution