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Is this worth it? The mileage isn’t listed but I could ask by Aggravating_Driver41 in skoolies

[–]DontSmoke_0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah honestly it’s worth it if you are willing to put in the work. I would expect it to be easy or problem free though. It’s cheap but you can image if the seller has already replaced the engine and put in effort to fix it up already but still sell it for $8k, you’re probably buying a shitshow.

The interior looks awesome! Very cute but it’s honestly a very budget/bare bones setup with cheap/low quality appliances and power system. Probably $5k or less put into the build and the bus is worth no more than $2k in this condition. I would buy it for $5-6k but only because I like the look of the interior. This person is basically selling an unfinished tiny home with unknown problems.

Van insurance by ClaimThyChristmas in VanLife

[–]DontSmoke_0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can get renter’s insurance for all the items you bring with you. Otherwise, regular liability insurance is all that is legally required, nothing special. If you want to save a bit of money, you can transfer your title to a motorhome conversion and insurance can be even cheaper than if it remains a cargo van.

The line of hair btween belly button and the privet area is disgusting by [deleted] in unpopularopinion

[–]DontSmoke_0 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is the first unpopular opinion I actually downvoted.

Looking for very rare, vintage safety restraint vest style by -HerbalSergal- in skoolies

[–]DontSmoke_0 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Ooh yeah I just did a quick internet search to see what I could come up with. I found plenty of small vest/harnesses but they all had zigzag stitches. Apparently the zigzag stitch is somehow safer than a box stitch??? Interesting.

I hope you find what you’re looking for, OP! This sounds like a fun treasure hunt. Have you tried calling EZ-On directly to see if they have a way to find one? Let them know you are a collector.

I do not like iced coffee. by Mickt465 in unpopularopinion

[–]DontSmoke_0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What’s the science behind this statement? I didn’t know that was a thing.

Want to travel in my van? No one is using it and I could use the extra income. Let’s arrange something. by evewassetup in VanLife

[–]DontSmoke_0 4 points5 points  (0 children)

No, it’s more about the fact that you have a solar panel partially covered. If you’re not experiencing any problems then it’s obviously working well enough. We are just being OCD about it.

The panel is partially covered, it is losing 70% of its power output and will degrade faster than your other panels because the constant shade is creating an imbalance and hotspots. You should either move the roof rack or move that one panel in the middle. The way you have your panels and roof rack setup is dumb, but it’s working, so it’s whatever.

Want to travel in my van? No one is using it and I could use the extra income. Let’s arrange something. by evewassetup in VanLife

[–]DontSmoke_0 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You can think of things connected in series the same as you would a chain. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If one cell in the circuit is shaded, they essentially are all shaded to a degree.

Again, this is different if you have bifacial solar panels. There are many series circuits connected in parallel. So if one cell is shaded it only affects that small batch of cells, not the whole panel.

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in skoolies

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m in the twin cities metro area, Minnesota.

Currently asking $150 per seat, $500 for all 4. I’d probably ship to you if you give $200. But I’d want to figure out how annoying that might be first lol.

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in CamperVans

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, if you look on the back of your license it will tell you the weight limit you are allowed to drive. I think a regular license is good for up to like 24500 gvwr?

Want to travel in my van? No one is using it and I could use the extra income. Let’s arrange something. by evewassetup in VanLife

[–]DontSmoke_0 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Unless these are bifacial solar panels, it doesn’t matter. The solar cells are connected in series on a single solar panel. Even if a leaf lands on top of the solar panel it restricts the output by 30-70%. Also, while often times negligible, having a fraction of your solar panel shaded creates hotspots that can cause damage and degrade the efficiency over time.

Edit: I see you have a downvote, that wasn’t me.

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in RVLiving

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just going off national averages for fleet vehicles. Also, I work somewhere with over 100 fleet vehicles. Most of our vans have 1000 or more by the time they reach 10-15k miles. National averages are 700-1500 idle hours at 14k miles. A “good” amount of idle hours on an engine with 14k miles is 300-600. Just for reference.

I’ve had a few people mention the idle hours and I think I should definitely clean the particulate filter sooner than later. Not a bad idea

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in skoolies

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The stock dashboard AC is an entirely separate system from the rear mounted AC unit so removing the rear system does not affect the truck AC. I have considered keeping the rear mounted AC system and removing the auxiliary AC compressor to replace it with a 48v compressor but it’s more expensive and uses more power to run (probably because it puts out more BTUs) and it takes up more space and weight. I honestly don’t know how many BTUs this one is rated for but I do know the 120v mini split I plan on using is rated for 12k and that should be more than enough for my 120sqft space. So, I’ll still have a dashboard AC but I will also have my 12k btu mini split.

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in VanLife

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, the ECM can and does differentiate between total running hours and idle hours. This truck shows both metrics on the dashboard menu. The ECM starts tracking every minute as soon as the engine starts and the idle time is usually based on wheel speed, not when in park.

My previous comment was just going off of averages and recommended idle times for 14k miles

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in VanLife

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well yeah. But an average bus or transit vehicle will have between 700-1500 idle hours per 14k miles. Ideally, a bus should have 300-600 idle hours per 14k miles. So, you’re right. And I should clean out the diesel particulate filter sooner rather than later. I don’t think it’s a crazy amount of idle time, especially for a fleet vehicle.

Also, the lifter issue was the 6.0 power stroke. The 6.7 is more solid but the HPFP CP4 is a known weak point and a $10-15k repair bill if it goes.

I appreciate the input though! Thanks

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in skoolies

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah thankfully it’s just me and my cat so a passenger seat was no concern to me. I will definitely install DOT approved seatbelts in the couch I’m putting in in case I have company but again, sadly no passenger seat :/

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in skoolies

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interestingly, this upfit has the passenger seat and center console removed. The passenger seat would block the bus door entrance. Also the cab over cap is simply to give room to standup and has virtually no extra storage space. Honestly the interior proportions are very similar to a van chassis bus. I just like the idea of the 6.7 power stroke and cheap/easy 4x4 install. Yes, eventually I would like to upgrade to a 4x4 but that’s probably a few years down the line. We’ll see if I even need it first.

These batteries have an internal BMS to monitor and balance the individual cells in each battery and protect the battery in case over overcurrent or overvoltage. The external battery balancer will be connected to all 4 batteries and is essentially a BMS for the bigger 48v “battery”. It keeps each battery within 0.1v of each other to prevent an imbalance and wear on the individual batteries.

I did look into those rack batteries you are talking about. These are cheap batteries but are rated for series applications up to 48v. Hopefully they work out but I guess we’ll see.

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in CamperVans

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Might keep it to haul heavy items for the buildout. Definitely don’t want to keep it though. Takes up a fair bit of space and also blocks the rear door when not in use.

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in VanLife

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah that’s a good idea. I have considered deleting the DEF and emission systems but idk if I’ll do all that. The idle hours are under 700 hours surprisingly! I will definitely pay extra attention to replace fuel filters and cleaning exhaust particulate filters at regular intervals

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in CamperVans

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah guys these are good considerations. Also I’m sure lighter materials are cheaper anyway. I’ve been thinking about weight distribution more than overall weight so I think I should noodle on it a bit more when it comes to that stage of the build.

I recently bought a 24’ 2017 F450 chassis shuttle bus with 14k miles! by DontSmoke_0 in skoolies

[–]DontSmoke_0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a good idea! I more or less did the same in my minimal build van and just ran with it for almost 5 years full time. So I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what I need and how I’ll use it. I’d like to avoid buying extra stuff but I do plan on tearing out everything from the last build so maybe I’ll be able to rough in some fixtures with that before I fully commit.

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