Yesterday's photo

Yesterday I neglected to take a photo. Today I show that photo. I masked off the solar panels and sprayed the aluminum parts grey to make them less attention seeking. Meanwhile, I also masked and sprayed my reversing camera. It's a little less obvious now.

It's not that I care at this point about anonymity but more that I want it to look less than sparkly new. Notice the white foam board inside the window. I put that there yesterday to see if it makes a difference with the temperature. Today, I squirted a container of great stuff into the aperture where the 8 way flashers used to be. If that works, I might squirt some more and try to fill the apertures on each side.

Today is yet another day of 100F (38C) temperatures, thunderstorms and high humidity. I went to the bus with the intention of doing something but ended up not doing much. I picked away at the old no guns sign but it is slow, tedious progress. I'd imagine that it'll take a week or two more before it is totally gone.

There are things that need doing. It's just so hot that it's very hard to think. At one point, the bedroom was 97F and the galley was 106F. The high point last year was 140F but I think I have the edge taken off the temperatures. Feeling the ceiling proved its hottest near the uninsulated ends. I'm not sure how much insulation I can squeeze into the 8 way lighting bays. I know I cannot insulate the center bay but the 8 way bays insulated should make a big difference.

I sat in the cockpit and thought. I certainly have a lot of leftover screws and so on. More than I'd really like but to be honest, not a huge quantity. I think I've managed my supplies quite reasonably. Sweat dripped off me as I sat considering things.

What I'd like to do is:

• Put my main fuse box in place.
• Install a fresh water tank
• Insulate the 8 way bays
• Install 4 solar panels similar to those I have on the back, on the front.
• Install a charge controller that feeds off the solar panels or perhaps off my 5W panel and maintains the charge in the bus batteries.
• Install a 10 - 20AH lithium battery with a charge controller that feeds off the front solar panels.
• Fix the reversing horn
• Fix the shoddy under bus wiring.
• Fix the main horn
• Install a cool air intake fan or perhaps two, each one filtered.
• Install USB and 12V charging points accessed from the lithium battery. Probably 3 USB and one 12V in the galley and the same in the bedroom.
• Install tie downs for the closet at the back.
• Install coat hooks in the closet at the front.
• Tidy up my wiring in a few places.
• Fix the hole in the bedroom floor.

I'm thinking of moving the waste tanks to a point behind the rear wheels. I really do have reservations about whether they will break loose and I can do without things breaking loose to fall under my wheels. The mathematics works out. Each of the 12 nuts used per barrel has a maximum of 12.5 static pounds to support. Each of the 6 turnbuckles used per barrel will support 130lbs while a full barrel will weigh 125lbs. Thus each turnbuckle holds a maximum of 21 static pounds. Each chain will hold 540lbs. Each chain joined will hold 600lbs. The nuts used are all non slip nuts. It all works out in my favor but I'm still not happy. I still have reservations. Kinda safe is not in my vocabulary.

The bus is pretty much usable as it is. I just need to clean it up and take the supplies and tools off. Cooling is the one thing that's foxing me at the moment. The only quick fix would be to make a window unit. Seriously, that doesn't have to be complex. I could do that with PVC planking or with Perspex/Plexiglass. All it needs is for a 24x11.125 inch sheet of reasonable thickness then for me to install fans, mesh and some form of catch. Clearly there'll have to be some form of rain guard. Heavens, it could even be made from plywood as an interim measure.

As I wrote yesterday, I'm pretty close to V1 completion. I'll have to try it after its cleaned up and see what else needs doing. Today though I didn't do much because of the heat and the sudden thunderstorm.