Tidying up wiring

For a very long time, possibly two years maybe three I have been considering tidying the wiring for the front door. Well, the top where it mushrooms into my relay and battery pack, it’s harder to actually tidy but I might have another go at that at some future point. Currently the door controller runs off AA batteries. If I felt the urge, I’d change to D cells on the basis that they last far longer since they are of far greater capacity. Some would ask why use independent batteries when the emergency door unlocker is powered by solar. The fact is that it’s backwards - my emergency unlocker should run off lithium batteries but as the digital keypad needs constant power, that’s not an option. I would rather have three key systems - an ordinary lock on the emergency exits, a code key for use with solar power and an electric lock for the front door. Any one of those can fail and still leave me with two ways in.

The electric key lock wiring having been secured and tidied, I moved on to the bathroom. There I’d installed wires in sheath and not properly secured one section. That was on purpose because I wired an extra circuit into the system. It’s not employed but if I need extra power either in the galley or the bathroom, it’s there to provide it.

It’s all hidden away behind the shower where it won’t be bothered. Now there are a couple of bits of wiring left to be done in the cockpit. First the emergency door unlocker wire needs to be tucked out of the way inside the heater compartment and secondly I need to put in two sets of cigarette lighter sockets. The first takes power from two solar panels I might place in the windshield and feeds it to my solar batter and the second takes power from a solar panel in the windshield and feeds it to the bus battery. The bus battery wiring will involve getting under the bus again and passing a wire into the battery compartment. Then while I’m down there, I might as well install the kill switch that came with the bus. It just seems easier to reach underneath to flip a switch than to unlock the battery door to remove the cable.

Now, a piece of fun. I had a can of Great Stuff expanding foam sealant that refused to disgorge its contents. Clearing the nozzle with a twist drill bit I found the drill bit was going deeper and deeper into the can until I was almost half way down. Obviously no foam was going to be forthcoming so I did what every self-respecting American would do and put the can at the end of the backyard rifle range and shot it with some .22LR. Foam immediately spewed from the can and when it set hard I found the shape interesting so I sprayed it pink and put it online as art. I wonder whether it’ll sell.

Finally, I’m still waiting for a couple of bits to come from eBay. These likely will be my last eBay orders. I’m jolly glad to have got to the end of the bus project because until now thing bought via eBay have not been taxed. Some vandals up North decided to disrupt the process and so now one state can now charge tax on everything bought online. I just wonder how they’re going to enforce that. So, remaining to be done... Add a solar input at the rear of the bus, finish the solar input wiring at the front, today the code unlocker wiring and that should be it. I’ll need to test the fresh water inlet but can’t do that where I’m currently parked.

Next follows a lengthy process of cleaning and removing tools and supplies from the bus. Then a period of going through my stuff for things that I have no interest in now and clothes that do not fit. The question of insurance comes up to and whether to retitle or not.