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Our 1985 Eagle 10 Bus Conversion Project Page 6
Since our maiden voyage in March, 2006, I continue to upgrade the bus. For one of our summer trips, I added a third roof air. We had hoped that the two front units would be enough to cool the bus while driving. It turns out that the huge amount of glass, and significant air leakage around the door (and other areas) coupled with very high outside temperatures proved that we need to add dash air. The addition of the third AC really allows us to keep the bus cool under the worst conditions while parked. It also gives us some flexibility as to which AC to use under various conditions. I had previously discussed the muffler that I had planned to use and then ended up building my own baffle system. That system turned out to be unbearably loud. At the Pomona FMCA rally, I purchased a high performance stainless steel muffler that would fit into the rather limited area I had to work with. It is still rather loud, but acceptable. The last photo shows the beginning of an air-over-hydraulic system that I hope to perfect for the bus clutch system. The Volvo clutch pedal and master cylinder I used ended up causing problems. I have installed an automotive master cylinder that currently is operated by a hand lever. I have tried using the brake treadle valve shown, along with an air brake chamber to activate the clutch. My first trial did not give me the control I needed for smooth/predicable engagement. I am again using the hand lever until I get a chance to rework the air-over-hydraulic system.
Screen Capture of Silverleaf Engine Computer Datalogger/GPS computer
One of the best additions to the bus is the Silverleaf VMSpc software which captures the engine information from the Series 60 DDEC computer system. The software is free (http://www.silverleafelectronics.com/). The "black box" adapter which connects to the DDEC diagnostic connector must be purchased from Silverleaf at a cost of about $400.00 I use a laptop and divide the screen into 1/3 Silverleaf and 2/3 Delorme Street Atlas GPS system (see above). When I first installed the system, I thought I was just adding a toy to feed my insatiable need for data. However, it has now become my complete dash. It provides all of the information I need to monitor the engine variables and driving information. I find that the speedometer and tachometer are very accurate and easy to read. The speedometer is of particular value on tight twisty roads where the "advisory" speed signs must be adhered to! The fuel used is measured by the DDEC and is very accurate. I use that as my fuel gauge. The odometer on the left is reset at each fuel-up. This odometer makes it very easy to monitor fuel used since the last fuel stop. I have four odometers to keep track of various situations. The two shown are for the fuel-up information and the trip information. In addition, under the map, I have two additional odometers (one for total miles, and one for daily miles). The Silverleaf is also very good at providing error codes in plain English terms. It keeps a complete history of the PID and SID codes which can be a great help in diagnosing intermittent problems. It stores codes that the DDEC does not retain according to some users.
Dash Air Conditioning/heating information:
I wanted to document the dash AC/heater system I
installed. The dash unit I selected was a RedDot R-5045 shown in the
photo shown above (click here for a spec.
sheet). This unit is rated at 33,000 BTU cooling and 46,000
heating! For the AC I used R134 barrier hose all the way
(expensive, but I got a good deal from a company that wanted to get the
older inventory out of their system). I used -8 (1/2 inch) for the pressure
side and -10 (5/8 inch) for the suction side. Here is the system I
used:
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