What a hero! I'm a software guy just getting into buses, and my first thought... I have to be able to tap into this airbag system to get it leveled. Lo and behold you have made this fantastic video to help kick off my journey! It will be a couple months until I am starting on my bus, but I'll be sure to give a shout-out if I make my own video :P
My 2000 Monaco dynasty has eight airbags laid out on a roadmaster chassis at the outside of each corner like your map showed. And it auto levels pretty close to the same way of what you have built. Very good video.
The Mexican Hat Dance at the end was great. Juan and Michelle excellent as usual I personally thing the air system in your case is the best for you since you already have the plumbing already there you added the automation is what I would expect of you just because you can do it and you know how. The technical aspects were outstanding hard to follow but as long as it works for you. It is important to dump as much as you can of your gray and black water especially boondocking when you might be away from facilities. I enjoyed your video as usual very informative and fact packed with design to testing. Thank you Ed
Juan does it again... Figures out how to do something I was planning to do on our bus. Thanks Juan! Why buy an expensive hydraulic leveling system when the bus has air bags already... I'll be rebuilding my air bags and air brake lines before we hit the road. That will be an ideal time to do this enhancement. Much appreciated!
Wow! Great job. I've been waiting to do this on my skoolie for awhile, its been at the end of my bus-to-do list though. I have an '03 Bluebird with four air bags. Going to follow your lead. Also love all the wiring and labeling you have done, so organized, makes me want to organize my setup better. Very professional looking. Thanks!
That was fantastic, loved the video. Great to hear it stays aired up so long. The ending made me think about don't bother knocking if the bus is rocking. lol
52:45 full on did the lol and clapped my hands. Awesome. This reminded me a lot of building an air bridge for the custom bagged trucks back in the day. Typically we would use large half inch valves, Parker valves were quite good for this, but there are many you can choose from. Most of those systems were 200 psi and we would charge the system with something like a Viair Compressor like a 380C. This is a nice video for bridging that gap though between the 10 switch box we had on our bagged trucks vs using simple controls to add on the automation and closing the system from the bus system that is already there. We are intending to add on a small closed compressor system that will run things like the door, bay locks, and the bags for leveling for our build. Now that I am seeing the components from you guys, I should be able to design this system with much ease. Thanks for sharing. Back to the automation videos for me.
Hi Juan and Michelle...Ross from Flagstaff here. This is a great modification to your bus. We did something similar, but totally manual, on our "expedition" ambulance conversion and I'm planning a similar setup on our Crown. You did a great job on that and I think you're going to be very happy with it. One suggestion, after watching you wrap all those fittings with teflon tape. Try the Rectorseal Tru-Blu thread sealant. I like it so much we highlighted it in a video (I think I called teflon tape the work of the Devil). Tru-Blu is super easy to apply, it sets up semi-firm so it seals great but is removable, and it's rated for liquids and gases. With the Tru-Blu, I've never had a leak and it makes it easier for me to align fittings...since the joint doesn't have to be cranked as tightly. And did I mention it's easier and faster than tape? 🙂 I think you'll never go back to teflon tape if you try it.
I searched for Nissan Leaf battery and your channel turned up. Been looking at some of the content and have to say that this is the best build channel out there. I’m really impressed - been looking at similar channels for 7 years now. Greetings from Norway 🎉🇳🇴
Wow I turned on super thanks accidentally - Thank you so much. Please send email me your address and I will send you one of our stickers! (juan@beginningfromthismorning.com)
You might want to put some type of hose to the dump valve and point it down about a foot to keep trash and road dirt out of the solenoids or they will probably give trouble eventually. Nice system Juan!!!!
Thank you Rodney for sure! The factory valve has this neat rubber hose on it - I looked for something similar at the hardware store but couldn't find anything like that - I am thinking if I just do a 1/4" to barb fitting I could then just use a small rubber tube on the barb part to accomplish a similar thing.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning A plastic 90 degree with a piece of vacuum hose would work perfectly since there’s no pressure on it. Your bus and family are awesome!!!! Our little boy is almost 5 months old already. Thanks!
If you really want to see the bus dance, at the end of the video, set your playback speed at 2X, the bus rocks. Great job on the D.I.Y. you folks are level headed people.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning a big tongue in cheek moment would have been to photoshop a big Sombrero on the top of the bus, but I have a feeling that might have taken a bit of time to make that happen. Thanks for your reply, enjoy the time and the travels.
G'day all, Great video I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Content spot on. Length of video spot on. 💯 from me. So thanks for sharing the installation of your levelling system. ✌️ Peace from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺.
Very nice work! Thanks for sharing. Our coach has a factory installed 3-point automatic, hydraulic leveling system. But, this was fun to watch. The all-in-one "long" video works well for this. I know that a link at the end of a "Part 1" to "Part 2" should/will work, but this was so much easier, so thanks for that. Coincidentally, I am using the same ball valve with an Arduino for an automatic water flow control project. It has been working flawlessly for months in a very wet environment.
Thank you Charles! I appreciate the feedback on both the format of the video as well as your experience with the valve. I like one long video too - I always feel torn with the Part 1- Part 2 stuff but I also want to be considerate of people's time.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning Thanks again. I want to mention one more thing that you did that I found VERY helpful. At the beginning of the video you suggested that viewers watch to the very end for an important update/change you needed to make to the project. Without that comment, some of us might have missed the important update. :-) The upfront warning was greatly appreciated.
that was a fantastic video Juan & Michelle. so much good info, you are so smart Juan. see you on the next one. that closing music was cool. sounded like Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass 🎶🎶
Great to see you guys back! I’ve seen public transport busses here in Belgium ‘kneeling’ down their suspension to make the entrance height for older passengers as low as possible. Very nice execution as always, could do with a nicer Home Assistant card 😉. Glad you discovered the wonderful world of ESPHome. Safe travels!
Thank you Freddy! Always great to hear from you! Yes I have done exactly 0 with the Home Assistant interface and look forward to figuring out a better way clean up some of the screens. For now it works but it would be much nicer with a proper interface :)
Juan, outstanding video! That last valve that you are installing is the exact same one that I use in my truck to drain my aux tank into my main tank for diesel. Watching you work on your bus makes me sad that I sold my bus. Maybe I will have another one one of these days.
Well done guys on my first conversion a couple decades ago I used push pull valves for each bag and cut the ride heights out it work beautifully I also had independent gauges for each corner of the bus I would run 75 to 80 psi on the rear valves and 70 on the front. And it gave me the ride height I needed to roll down the road I think I was in the whole thing 300 bucks back then but I like your Set up much better. Well done.
Thank you Brian! I appreciate your feedback. We have really enjoyed using the system we will keep you updated if anything "strange" happens with it - but so far so good.
Thank you Todd ... honestly it is mostly setup and configuration not a ton of programming in this one. I am confident you could learn the programming stuff :)
Interesting project, and great video! I know you are way more knowledge than me, but I still have 2 suggestions for you. 1. Consider add Breather Vent to the air dump valve, so you don't get dust in and still allow air out. 2. My coach have HWH air level from the factory, it doesn't allow individual corner level, but they do side levels. Eg. I can level front, which control front 2 air bags (actually 4, I also have 2 air bag on each corner just like yours). Total of 4 buttons, that control 4 sides (instead of 4 individual corners). There's good reason for this, because level only one corner up or down means frame twisting. It should be easy for you to change this in the software. Btw, I am following you path on the bus automation. I am searching for frames works, and after watching your videos, home assistance is exactly what I needed. You might see me putting up videos about automation as well soon😃
Thank you Timmy! I am no more knowledgable than you - I am sharing so we can all learn together so I very much appreciate your feedback. Breather vent is a great idea - I am looking for one. I got a suggestion of just using a plastic 90 with maybe a rubber hose - and that made a lot of sense to me - I may try that. I honestly do not know enough to fully address your second point. Logically it makes sense but when I consider the forces being put on the chassis as the bus is driving down the road it seems to me that lowering a corner would have less effect than that (again I don't have anything to back this up - just a simple observation). The bus automation stuff is really exciting and has been super fun to work on. Home Assistant checked all the boxes for me. I am looking forward to your automation videos!
@@BeginningfromthisMorning I saw the suggestion about rubber hose for vent, I am sure that will work too. But breather vent is designed exactly for this purpose, and they are 2~3$ each from Grainger. I honestly think it might be easier to buy that instead of making a hose yourself. As to the air level, I think you point is valid. The road does put lots of stress on the frame, most likely more than the amount for you to level. But the HWH factory had this design, I am sure they got a reason for this too.🙂
I also do the tilt trick to empty my holding tanks completely, and I also tilt the bus Way-over opposite of my diesel fuel neck on the tank so I can completely fuel the tank when I’m traveling.
Thanks for sharing and nice job guys! That's quite the nifty little system you built there. Can't wait to see the auto-leveling upgrade. I like the long videos :) This is definitely one of my favorites. I'd have to go way back to battery building, power systems setup and solar array building days to top it. Cheers, Sev
Thank you Sev - I really like the long videos too. Everyone keeps telling us in order to grow our channel we need to make shorts and focus more on that. It makes me a little sad.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning Don't conform to that silly "Shorts" narrative. Firstly, they're more for the youngster's fluffy channels, not your type of channel. Secondly, it's forced vertical video :( Vertical video is the most moronic thing ever, a sign of low intelligence and a bane on our existence as humans! :) Can you tell it's a pet peeve of mine? Haha. I follow fifty or sixty channels and I'd say I only see "Shorts" on a handful of them. And, even then, it's only once in a blue moon. I'd much rather see an hour long video once every other week than a ten to fifteen minute video every few days Have you guys thought of starting a second channel? I have seen some of the channels I follow, starting to do that in the last couple years. That way you could have all the build / technical stuff on one channel and all the family life / exploring stuff on the other. Just a thought. It goes against ever fiber in my being to suggest it, but you could experiment with the *COUGH* "Shorts" on the second channel :) Well, thanks as always for the content! Cheers, Sev
Thank you mate for this amazing tutorials! I also love doing such things from scratch, as it is cheaper and you also get more control about the repair of your system. May I please ask? Where did you buy those airbags? Perhaps even their specs and their size? You did not mention them even in your price sheet. I can find some online, but it will be great to learn anything we need to watch out for or what you have learned about selecting them on this journey. :) Thank you in advance for your time!
Amazing work, guys!! I’ve been thinking about a system like this. If I could make one comment/suggestion. Currently, your isolator valves do not “fail safe” while driving, as they are required to be energized and on. Solenoids can fail and this could cause an issue while going down the road, maybe even unknown at first. I’ve replaced a few continuous duty solenoids on our coach. An alternative might be to use normally open isolator valves. These would be open by default while driving. Then have a switch that moves the leveling system from “travel mode” to “level mode”. This would energize the isolator valves and the bus could be levelled. I would connect an alarm buzzer that would sound if the ignition key was turned on while the leveling system was not in “travel mode”. Just an idea, maybe useful down the road. Outstanding work again and thanks for making these videos!!!
W had a ride height limiter come off going down the road, oh boy did we know it! Might make sense to just wire the isolators into the ignition switch to automatically open when energized and close when ignition is off
@@BeginningfromthisMorning - Juan, if you remember my 5C, it had a "Level-It" leveling system in it. Very simple components: four air-ride seat valves, four small psi gauges, and a switch for driving or parked mode. That was inside. I really never poked around to find out what was outside and underneath. But it worked, as long as you weren't trying to level beyond the shock's travel. Great for dumping the tanks, too! All that to say that I agree with Josh - the "fail safe" mode should be the factory leveling system, and I also agree that a warning buzzer that's as annoying as the factory's "low air" one makes a good subtle reminder to switch modes. Cheers!
One more question, do you ever empty the air tank from the bottom to remove the water in the system. Great video and that’s awesome to see. You have a great job with your buss.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning I was saying the main tank because we try to dump the compressor tanks water from it daily to increase the life of the tank.
Love it!! Another well thought out great project by Juan with lots of control redundancy but I have one critique/question/concern. My concern is about your choice of an energize to open valve to re-enable the factory system. I’m guessing you choose it because the time the bus sits at a campsite would be longer than bus drive time and this minimizes current draw/valve coil heat generation. However, this is not a fail-safe mechanical design. If the ball valve fails closed either because of a mechanical issue or on loss of power while driving, you’ve lost the factory leveling system and you might not realize it and damage the bus’ drive train.
Thank you Kevin! Your guess is indeed correct. I figured that the bus would be parked more often than traveling and this would indeed avoid heating up/burning up the coils as well as reduce the power usage while parked (kind of irrelevant now with the ball valve I guess) You are correct that this is not a fail-safe mechanical design but I am not sure the other way would be fail-safe either. With the original design, I think you are correct, solenoids probably fail in the "open" position rather than closed?. (I actually don't know - might be fun to do an experiment :) ) As William mentioned perhaps more feedback to give the actual state of the valve would be beneficial so you can actually know with some degree of certainty that the valve is functioning correctly. I really appreciate the feedback and these are great things to think through.
Really nice job, as always!! You are sooooo talented!!; just curious; you mentioned a gyroscopic board, I assume that would allow auto-leveling if linked to the processor?? Is that something you will eventually do? I think you mentioned that early on but didn't mention it at the end. Thanks again!!
Thank you Ron. I really appreciate your feedback. Your assumption is indeed correct - I would used it to build an "auto leveling" system which would use feedback from those gyro boards to figure out how to level the bus. This would require some programming and a small integration with the board. Leveling the bus manually has been so easy that I am not 100% sure I will do it. It literally takes us like 30 seconds to level most of the time. If I do it it will likely just be for fun and to show how to integrate with a board like that.
Thank you HamAirman, I appreciate your feedback. I have read a few things that suggested there might be small issues with "drift" - have you experienced that in your applications?
@@BeginningfromthisMorning I am new to RC flying. I hear things about it too but have not experienced it first hand. RUclipsrs that are knowledgeable in these areas are Joshua Bardwell and Painless360.
Thank you - I have seen the debates as well. I find them very interesting and love to see the thinking behind both approaches. I chose four way because it offers the most flexibility. I can always synchronize the two front dump valves with software but I cannot go back later and decide that I want the front to work independently after I chose to do a 3 way leveling system.
If a relay goes out you can unsolder the board and replace the relay (probably cost $1 for a new relay). to be honest, I would probably do that because I enjoy fixing things but I think most people would just buy a new relay board for $8.
Thank you Ron - I am having fun for sure! I love sharing what we are learning and what has worked for us but please keep in mind that we are not experts. Much of the stuff we do is an experimental and even though we research as much as we can and try to build things in the safest way possible we are not an authority.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning Experimental is understood. The fact that you are willing to research, study, and then apply is admirable. I doubt I would do this particular project for my Prevost, but you have a knack for explaining simply and straightforward the same as AZEXPERT. Still, there are quite a few improvements that you have made/applied on your build that I would undertake on my Prevost under your guidance. Travel, travel, travel, and enjoy life to the fullest. You cannot get back lost time, but you certainly can enjoy the moment. Have fun. You make it to Greenville, SC I would be pleased to make your acquaintance. Ron
A lot of times I will use a 9 volt battery to test 12vdc SOV's. Small and maneuverable. I'll put 2- 9vdc batteries in series for a 24vdc SOV. They will snap together + to -
Nice one. How much programming is involved and what programs (coding, user interface, etc.) are required? I assume the auto leveling feature will require some custom programming.
Thank you William - not too much programming. Home Assistant is not too hard to setup. There are a whole bunch of resources to help you install it or they even just sell a piece of hardware that is ready to go hardware + software all setup. From there I installed ESPHome (VERY easy) and created that file you saw scrolling on the screen (maybe 30 lines of code?). The auto level will require some custom code for sure but it should be very little code.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning --- Cool. I will have to look into Home Automation and ESPHome. I wrote my first computer program on an HP-41C calculator and my first computer program in RPG using punch cards. They did not have desktop computers with VDT terminals then. I wrote a lot of code interfacing test equipment to a computer using the IEEE buss in the late 80s using APL (A Programing Language). Then I migrated to C++. But I am not a professional coder, just an electrical engineer that needed to write custom code to make test equipment work together. I suspect using Home Assistant and ESPHome will not be too much of a challenge.
Hey Joseph I have been taking a little break. I am still trying to decide what I want to do with RUclips. As for now, I am enjoying some time with my family traveling around the country. My oldest will go to college this summer so this is our last hurrah as a family.
Hey Mike! Well ... we built the bus then we started traveling in it and we are still traveling in it. Our oldest starts college this summer so we wanted to get as much time with him as we could before he goes off to college. The good news is we are having a great time and we have documented the vast majority of it - I just need to find the time to put some videos together.
What a hero! I'm a software guy just getting into buses, and my first thought... I have to be able to tap into this airbag system to get it leveled. Lo and behold you have made this fantastic video to help kick off my journey! It will be a couple months until I am starting on my bus, but I'll be sure to give a shout-out if I make my own video :P
I appreciate the love Adam!
My 2000 Monaco dynasty has eight airbags laid out on a roadmaster chassis at the outside of each corner like your map showed. And it auto levels pretty close to the same way of what you have built. Very good video.
The Mexican Hat Dance at the end was great. Juan and Michelle excellent as usual I personally thing the air system in your case is the best for you since you already have the plumbing already there you added the automation is what I would expect of you just because you can do it and you know how. The technical aspects were outstanding hard to follow but as long as it works for you. It is important to dump as much as you can of your gray and black water especially boondocking when you might be away from facilities. I enjoyed your video as usual very informative and fact packed with design to testing. Thank you Ed
Thank you so much Ed! We always look forward to hearing from you!
Juan does it again... Figures out how to do something I was planning to do on our bus. Thanks Juan! Why buy an expensive hydraulic leveling system when the bus has air bags already... I'll be rebuilding my air bags and air brake lines before we hit the road. That will be an ideal time to do this enhancement. Much appreciated!
Thank you Larry! Good luck!
really elegant and cost effective, wow ron you are the man.
Thank you! Cheers!
Wow! Great job. I've been waiting to do this on my skoolie for awhile, its been at the end of my bus-to-do list though. I have an '03 Bluebird with four air bags. Going to follow your lead. Also love all the wiring and labeling you have done, so organized, makes me want to organize my setup better. Very professional looking. Thanks!
That was fantastic, loved the video. Great to hear it stays aired up so long. The ending made me think about don't bother knocking if the bus is rocking. lol
LOL! Thank you David!
52:45 full on did the lol and clapped my hands. Awesome. This reminded me a lot of building an air bridge for the custom bagged trucks back in the day. Typically we would use large half inch valves, Parker valves were quite good for this, but there are many you can choose from. Most of those systems were 200 psi and we would charge the system with something like a Viair Compressor like a 380C. This is a nice video for bridging that gap though between the 10 switch box we had on our bagged trucks vs using simple controls to add on the automation and closing the system from the bus system that is already there. We are intending to add on a small closed compressor system that will run things like the door, bay locks, and the bags for leveling for our build. Now that I am seeing the components from you guys, I should be able to design this system with much ease. Thanks for sharing. Back to the automation videos for me.
Hi Juan and Michelle...Ross from Flagstaff here. This is a great modification to your bus. We did something similar, but totally manual, on our "expedition" ambulance conversion and I'm planning a similar setup on our Crown. You did a great job on that and I think you're going to be very happy with it.
One suggestion, after watching you wrap all those fittings with teflon tape. Try the Rectorseal Tru-Blu thread sealant. I like it so much we highlighted it in a video (I think I called teflon tape the work of the Devil). Tru-Blu is super easy to apply, it sets up semi-firm so it seals great but is removable, and it's rated for liquids and gases. With the Tru-Blu, I've never had a leak and it makes it easier for me to align fittings...since the joint doesn't have to be cranked as tightly. And did I mention it's easier and faster than tape? 🙂 I think you'll never go back to teflon tape if you try it.
Hey Ross and Kara! Thank you so much for the tip! I will have to look that stuff up!
I searched for Nissan Leaf battery and your channel turned up. Been looking at some of the content and have to say that this is the best build channel out there. I’m really impressed - been looking at similar channels for 7 years now. Greetings from Norway 🎉🇳🇴
Thank you so much Francis
Awesome job, very nice.
Less than 350 for this system is super cheap!
Another excellent project you guys :)
I much prefer the full video rather than the smaller pieces.
Thank you Gregory - the longer video does feel better for me too! Thank you for the feedback!
Great video, I watched the whole thing so that format works great!
Wow thanks Josh! Great to hear from you!
Thank you for such a great walkthrough, loved the longer video.
Wow I turned on super thanks accidentally - Thank you so much. Please send email me your address and I will send you one of our stickers! (juan@beginningfromthismorning.com)
Absolutely awesome. What a great modification for just your time a a few dollars. Congrats.
Thanks 👍
You might want to put some type of hose to the dump valve and point it down about a foot to keep trash and road dirt out of the solenoids or they will probably give trouble eventually. Nice system Juan!!!!
Thank you Rodney for sure! The factory valve has this neat rubber hose on it - I looked for something similar at the hardware store but couldn't find anything like that - I am thinking if I just do a 1/4" to barb fitting I could then just use a small rubber tube on the barb part to accomplish a similar thing.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning A plastic 90 degree with a piece of vacuum hose would work perfectly since there’s no pressure on it. Your bus and family are awesome!!!! Our little boy is almost 5 months old already. Thanks!
@@rodneymiddleton9624 Wow 5 months!! Man enjoy it - with our oldest making preparations for college let me tell you it really does FLY by!
If you really want to see the bus dance, at the end of the video, set your playback speed at 2X, the bus rocks. Great job on the D.I.Y. you folks are level headed people.
Thank you Paul - the end was done a little tongue-in-cheek glad you enjoyed it!
I need to look at this a few times as I'm contemplating fitting a system here in the UK
@@BeginningfromthisMorning a big tongue in cheek moment would have been to photoshop a big Sombrero on the top of the bus, but I have a feeling that might have taken a bit of time to make that happen. Thanks for your reply, enjoy the time and the travels.
G'day all,
Great video I thoroughly enjoyed watching this.
Content spot on.
Length of video spot on.
💯 from me.
So thanks for sharing the installation of your levelling system.
✌️ Peace from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺.
I really appreciate that feedback Kevin! Thank you very much for your support.
As always good to see you guys.. and to see good work too.. be safe and be well to all of you..see you all on the next one.
Thank you Anura! Seeing you in the comments always puts a smile on our faces!
Very nice work! Thanks for sharing. Our coach has a factory installed 3-point automatic, hydraulic leveling system. But, this was fun to watch.
The all-in-one "long" video works well for this. I know that a link at the end of a "Part 1" to "Part 2" should/will work, but this was so much easier, so thanks for that.
Coincidentally, I am using the same ball valve with an Arduino for an automatic water flow control project. It has been working flawlessly for months in a very wet environment.
Thank you Charles! I appreciate the feedback on both the format of the video as well as your experience with the valve. I like one long video too - I always feel torn with the Part 1- Part 2 stuff but I also want to be considerate of people's time.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning Thanks again. I want to mention one more thing that you did that I found VERY helpful. At the beginning of the video you suggested that viewers watch to the very end for an important update/change you needed to make to the project. Without that comment, some of us might have missed the important update. :-) The upfront warning was greatly appreciated.
that was a fantastic video Juan & Michelle. so much good info, you are so smart Juan. see you on the next one. that closing music was cool. sounded like Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass 🎶🎶
Love hearing from you Rich! Thank you for your support!
@@BeginningfromthisMorning you guys will always have our support 👍 Rich & Lily
Great job Juan very interesting I just wish I was smart enough to keep up with you
Great to see you guys back! I’ve seen public transport busses here in Belgium ‘kneeling’ down their suspension to make the entrance height for older passengers as low as possible. Very nice execution as always, could do with a nicer Home Assistant card 😉. Glad you discovered the wonderful world of ESPHome. Safe travels!
Thank you Freddy! Always great to hear from you! Yes I have done exactly 0 with the Home Assistant interface and look forward to figuring out a better way clean up some of the screens. For now it works but it would be much nicer with a proper interface :)
For big rigs self-leveling is a must. Good video👍
Thank you! It has been very satisfying to use.
Juan, outstanding video! That last valve that you are installing is the exact same one that I use in my truck to drain my aux tank into my main tank for diesel. Watching you work on your bus makes me sad that I sold my bus. Maybe I will have another one one of these days.
Oh wow Dennis I was not aware that you sold your bus! Keep your head up - there will be more buses :)
Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing
Well done guys on my first conversion a couple decades ago I used push pull valves for each bag and cut the ride heights out it work beautifully I also had independent gauges for each corner of the bus I would run 75 to 80 psi on the rear valves and 70 on the front. And it gave me the ride height I needed to roll down the road I think I was in the whole thing 300 bucks back then but I like your Set up much better.
Well done.
Thank you Brian! I appreciate your feedback. We have really enjoyed using the system we will keep you updated if anything "strange" happens with it - but so far so good.
What level of wizard are you? 😵💫Wow! Miss you bro.
Miss you too brother!
Still don't own a 99 cent round bubble level.. Might be worth the investment! Nice work!
Ingenious as usual!
Thank you Lamar!
Awesome job! I need to learn that programming stuff.
Thank you Todd ... honestly it is mostly setup and configuration not a ton of programming in this one. I am confident you could learn the programming stuff :)
Interesting project, and great video!
I know you are way more knowledge than me, but I still have 2 suggestions for you.
1. Consider add Breather Vent to the air dump valve, so you don't get dust in and still allow air out.
2. My coach have HWH air level from the factory, it doesn't allow individual corner level, but they do side levels. Eg. I can level front, which control front 2 air bags (actually 4, I also have 2 air bag on each corner just like yours). Total of 4 buttons, that control 4 sides (instead of 4 individual corners). There's good reason for this, because level only one corner up or down means frame twisting. It should be easy for you to change this in the software.
Btw, I am following you path on the bus automation. I am searching for frames works, and after watching your videos, home assistance is exactly what I needed. You might see me putting up videos about automation as well soon😃
Thank you Timmy! I am no more knowledgable than you - I am sharing so we can all learn together so I very much appreciate your feedback. Breather vent is a great idea - I am looking for one. I got a suggestion of just using a plastic 90 with maybe a rubber hose - and that made a lot of sense to me - I may try that. I honestly do not know enough to fully address your second point. Logically it makes sense but when I consider the forces being put on the chassis as the bus is driving down the road it seems to me that lowering a corner would have less effect than that (again I don't have anything to back this up - just a simple observation). The bus automation stuff is really exciting and has been super fun to work on. Home Assistant checked all the boxes for me. I am looking forward to your automation videos!
@@BeginningfromthisMorning I saw the suggestion about rubber hose for vent, I am sure that will work too. But breather vent is designed exactly for this purpose, and they are 2~3$ each from Grainger. I honestly think it might be easier to buy that instead of making a hose yourself.
As to the air level, I think you point is valid. The road does put lots of stress on the frame, most likely more than the amount for you to level. But the HWH factory had this design, I am sure they got a reason for this too.🙂
Jaun, that is so cool!!
Than you Mark!
I also do the tilt trick to empty my holding tanks completely, and I also tilt the bus Way-over opposite of my diesel fuel neck on the tank so I can completely fuel the tank when I’m traveling.
Thanks for sharing and nice job guys! That's quite the nifty little system you built there. Can't wait to see the auto-leveling upgrade. I like the long videos :) This is definitely one of my favorites. I'd have to go way back to battery building, power systems setup and solar array building days to top it.
Cheers, Sev
Thank you Sev - I really like the long videos too. Everyone keeps telling us in order to grow our channel we need to make shorts and focus more on that. It makes me a little sad.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning Don't conform to that silly "Shorts" narrative. Firstly, they're more for the youngster's fluffy channels, not your type of channel. Secondly, it's forced vertical video :( Vertical video is the most moronic thing ever, a sign of low intelligence and a bane on our existence as humans! :) Can you tell it's a pet peeve of mine? Haha.
I follow fifty or sixty channels and I'd say I only see "Shorts" on a handful of them. And, even then, it's only once in a blue moon. I'd much rather see an hour long video once every other week than a ten to fifteen minute video every few days
Have you guys thought of starting a second channel? I have seen some of the channels I follow, starting to do that in the last couple years. That way you could have all the build / technical stuff on one channel and all the family life / exploring stuff on the other. Just a thought. It goes against ever fiber in my being to suggest it, but you could experiment with the *COUGH* "Shorts" on the second channel :)
Well, thanks as always for the content!
Cheers, Sev
Thank you mate for this amazing tutorials! I also love doing such things from scratch, as it is cheaper and you also get more control about the repair of your system.
May I please ask? Where did you buy those airbags? Perhaps even their specs and their size? You did not mention them even in your price sheet. I can find some online, but it will be great to learn anything we need to watch out for or what you have learned about selecting them on this journey. :) Thank you in advance for your time!
Amazing work, guys!! I’ve been thinking about a system like this. If I could make one comment/suggestion. Currently, your isolator valves do not “fail safe” while driving, as they are required to be energized and on. Solenoids can fail and this could cause an issue while going down the road, maybe even unknown at first. I’ve replaced a few continuous duty solenoids on our coach.
An alternative might be to use normally open isolator valves. These would be open by default while driving. Then have a switch that moves the leveling system from “travel mode” to “level mode”. This would energize the isolator valves and the bus could be levelled. I would connect an alarm buzzer that would sound if the ignition key was turned on while the leveling system was not in “travel mode”. Just an idea, maybe useful down the road. Outstanding work again and thanks for making these videos!!!
Thank you Josh, the more I think about this the more I like your suggestion!
W had a ride height limiter come off going down the road, oh boy did we know it! Might make sense to just wire the isolators into the ignition switch to automatically open when energized and close when ignition is off
@@BeginningfromthisMorning - Juan, if you remember my 5C, it had a "Level-It" leveling system in it. Very simple components: four air-ride seat valves, four small psi gauges, and a switch for driving or parked mode. That was inside. I really never poked around to find out what was outside and underneath. But it worked, as long as you weren't trying to level beyond the shock's travel. Great for dumping the tanks, too!
All that to say that I agree with Josh - the "fail safe" mode should be the factory leveling system, and I also agree that a warning buzzer that's as annoying as the factory's "low air" one makes a good subtle reminder to switch modes. Cheers!
Saw you all on tiny shiny... amazing family
We love them!
@@BeginningfromthisMorning I meant your family . Going through all your videos.. and yes,, they are an inspiring family too
@@sevenonfive1968 Aww thank you so much - you made my day!
Very cool.
Thank you!
One more question, do you ever empty the air tank from the bottom to remove the water in the system. Great video and that’s awesome to see. You have a great job with your buss.
LOL - Scott made me promise to empty it every time I stop. All 4 of them get purged religiously.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning I was saying the main tank because we try to dump the compressor tanks water from it daily to increase the life of the tank.
Love it!! Another well thought out great project by Juan with lots of control redundancy but I have one critique/question/concern. My concern is about your choice of an energize to open valve to re-enable the factory system. I’m guessing you choose it because the time the bus sits at a campsite would be longer than bus drive time and this minimizes current draw/valve coil heat generation. However, this is not a fail-safe mechanical design. If the ball valve fails closed either because of a mechanical issue or on loss of power while driving, you’ve lost the factory leveling system and you might not realize it and damage the bus’ drive train.
I suspect such is what the 5-wire ball valve is for - gives one feedback verifying the valve has transitioned states correctly. Just a guess.
Thank you William I suspect this as well.
Thank you Kevin! Your guess is indeed correct. I figured that the bus would be parked more often than traveling and this would indeed avoid heating up/burning up the coils as well as reduce the power usage while parked (kind of irrelevant now with the ball valve I guess) You are correct that this is not a fail-safe mechanical design but I am not sure the other way would be fail-safe either. With the original design, I think you are correct, solenoids probably fail in the "open" position rather than closed?. (I actually don't know - might be fun to do an experiment :) ) As William mentioned perhaps more feedback to give the actual state of the valve would be beneficial so you can actually know with some degree of certainty that the valve is functioning correctly. I really appreciate the feedback and these are great things to think through.
Hey that's pretty tricky! We may adapt that for our build!
Thanks Jaime and Patrick!
I just wish I could find a bus like that here in north Texas.
Really nice job, as always!! You are sooooo talented!!; just curious; you mentioned a gyroscopic board, I assume that would allow auto-leveling if linked to the processor?? Is that something you will eventually do? I think you mentioned that early on but didn't mention it at the end. Thanks again!!
Thank you Ron. I really appreciate your feedback. Your assumption is indeed correct - I would used it to build an "auto leveling" system which would use feedback from those gyro boards to figure out how to level the bus. This would require some programming and a small integration with the board. Leveling the bus manually has been so easy that I am not 100% sure I will do it. It literally takes us like 30 seconds to level most of the time. If I do it it will likely just be for fun and to show how to integrate with a board like that.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning Makes complete sense when it only takes you 30 seconds to do manually!! Keep up the great content!! Thank you!!
We use MPU6000 chips in flight controllers for radio controlled airplanes. It's a great technology.
Thank you HamAirman, I appreciate your feedback. I have read a few things that suggested there might be small issues with "drift" - have you experienced that in your applications?
@@BeginningfromthisMorning I am new to RC flying. I hear things about it too but have not experienced it first hand. RUclipsrs that are knowledgeable in these areas are Joshua Bardwell and Painless360.
@@hamairman6840 Thank you so much!
What is the system you are using to control the processor. I really like this idea and would like to incorporate it into my bus build.
We are using EspHome with a link to home assistant
Hello, In the coach community there is some debate between three way and four way leveling systems. Why did you choose the four way?
Thank you - I have seen the debates as well. I find them very interesting and love to see the thinking behind both approaches. I chose four way because it offers the most flexibility. I can always synchronize the two front dump valves with software but I cannot go back later and decide that I want the front to work independently after I chose to do a 3 way leveling system.
The ball valves are rated for one Bar? Isn’t that only 14 or so PSI?
Sorry I misspoke - they are rated for 1Mpa - closer to 145 psi
If a relay goes out on the board can you replace the defective relay or do you need to replace the whole board?
If a relay goes out you can unsolder the board and replace the relay (probably cost $1 for a new relay). to be honest, I would probably do that because I enjoy fixing things but I think most people would just buy a new relay board for $8.
You do have fun. Enjoy this lifestyle. When you decide to go into consulting on the things you have done such as this, send me a PM. Happy Travels.
Thank you Ron - I am having fun for sure! I love sharing what we are learning and what has worked for us but please keep in mind that we are not experts. Much of the stuff we do is an experimental and even though we research as much as we can and try to build things in the safest way possible we are not an authority.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning Experimental is understood. The fact that you are willing to research, study, and then apply is admirable. I doubt I would do this particular project for my Prevost, but you have a knack for explaining simply and straightforward the same as AZEXPERT.
Still, there are quite a few improvements that you have made/applied on your build that I would undertake on my Prevost under your guidance.
Travel, travel, travel, and enjoy life to the fullest. You cannot get back lost time, but you certainly can enjoy the moment. Have fun.
You make it to Greenville, SC I would be pleased to make your acquaintance.
Ron
@@rsbolin I really appreciate that Ron. Please email me at juan@beginningfromthismorning.com and maybe we can set something up.
Awesome project. But what about the rest of the DIYers Skoolies (Bluebird & Thomas Built).
If you are on air bags you can do a very similar thing. If not there are a few other options but they get considerably more expensive.
Don’t forget an update when you install the gyro thingy!
Will do - thank you Richard!
A lot of times I will use a 9 volt battery to test 12vdc SOV's. Small and maneuverable. I'll put 2- 9vdc batteries in series for a 24vdc SOV. They will snap together + to -
Awesome tip! Thank you for that!
Nice one. How much programming is involved and what programs (coding, user interface, etc.) are required?
I assume the auto leveling feature will require some custom programming.
Thank you William - not too much programming. Home Assistant is not too hard to setup. There are a whole bunch of resources to help you install it or they even just sell a piece of hardware that is ready to go hardware + software all setup. From there I installed ESPHome (VERY easy) and created that file you saw scrolling on the screen (maybe 30 lines of code?). The auto level will require some custom code for sure but it should be very little code.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning --- Cool. I will have to look into Home Automation and ESPHome. I wrote my first computer program on an HP-41C calculator and my first computer program in RPG using punch cards. They did not have desktop computers with VDT terminals then. I wrote a lot of code interfacing test equipment to a computer using the IEEE buss in the late 80s using APL (A Programing Language). Then I migrated to C++. But I am not a professional coder, just an electrical engineer that needed to write custom code to make test equipment work together. I suspect using Home Assistant and ESPHome will not be too much of a challenge.
Juan could be working for SpaceX
You guys are too kind - thank you!
5 months and no videos? Did you guys give up the RUclips project?
Hey Joseph I have been taking a little break. I am still trying to decide what I want to do with RUclips. As for now, I am enjoying some time with my family traveling around the country. My oldest will go to college this summer so this is our last hurrah as a family.
HELLO!! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU GUYS??
Hey Mike! Well ... we built the bus then we started traveling in it and we are still traveling in it. Our oldest starts college this summer so we wanted to get as much time with him as we could before he goes off to college. The good news is we are having a great time and we have documented the vast majority of it - I just need to find the time to put some videos together.
@@BeginningfromthisMorning ok just worried. Glad you and your family are ok. Can't wait
Your bus can now boogy.