Birchy [In Progress]

Very nice work! I hope to get that style dash some day myself.

I have the same Mico line lock on my rear brakes. It holds great, but they are not legal parking brakes. Any fluid leak can cause the brakes to release.

I installed Albert Branscombe Electric Parking Brake system (EPB) last year. Still left the line lock in place as well.
 
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Great ideas on the seats, guys. Right now all seats are being reupholstered. Birchy is getting painted as we speak, and hopefully we get her back in a couple of weeks. I think we have a little transmission work, adding the furniture back in, and maybe we are on the road by April!

In the meantime check out what we did to our tub. We used a company called Miracle Method to refinish the tub, and I have to say it looks like a brand new porcelain tub! Before/after below.
Is that real tile?
 
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Todd,

I have seen more than a few coaches that were that level of expense, but please not the wording....
"A reliable and ready to travel coach..... " This does not include new paint (~10K$us), all new upholstery, installing a 1.5KVA inverter and 600 watts of solar to support the big screen TV.

Matt

10 years ago, we used to say 25K$. I think 30K$ is a good starting point. A word of warning, it never ends.
 
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Is that real tile?
Yup!
Very nice work! I hope to get that style dash some day myself.

I have the same Mico line lock on my rear brakes. It holds great, but they are not legal parking brakes. Any fluid leak can cause the brakes to release.

I installed Albert Branscombe Electric Parking Brake system (EPB) last year. Still left the line lock in place as well.
Technically all the disc brakes are on the same fluid, so wouldn't we lose all braking power since we are on all disc brakes now?
 
Yup!

Technically all the disc brakes are on the same fluid, so wouldn't we lose all braking power since we are on all disc brakes now?
The brakes have split into two systems front and rear and each have their own reservoir in the master cylinder. So if you have a leak in either system, the other is still functional. The brass combination valve has a shuttle piston inside with pressure from front and back systems applied to each end. When the pressure is equal in both systems, the shuttle piston stays in the center. But if one system fails, the pressure will be low on the failed side and the piston will move to that side. The piston will then activate the BRAKE warning light on the dash indicating a brake system failure.

Also read the recent article by Dave Lenzi in the GMCMI magazine about using the proper combination valve. There is only one valve that is correct for the GMC. Others reduce the pressure to the rear brakes and are for use on pickups and cars where there is much less weight on the rear wheels than on the front.

When using the brake lock, you are trapping the fluid in the rear brakes from returning when you release the pedal, so the rear brakes stay ON. Problem is if you have even a tiny leak that is not affecting normal braking, the pressure trapping in the rear system will drop and release the brakes. The leak can even be internal, such as back through the line lock device itself.

Or if you have some moisture in the brake fluid, that moisture will turn to steam from brake pad heating during braking and cause some spongy pedal. When you apply the brake lock, the steam will condense back into water as the brakes cool and the brake pressure will drop. This will let the brakes release, or at least have less holding pressure.

The OEM parking brake used cables to engage the brake shoes on the rear wheels. Albert's Electric Parking Brake system uses EPB calipers that have electric motors to activate the brake pads on the rear wheels.
 
Technically all the disc brakes are on the same fluid, so wouldn't we lose all braking power since we are on all disc brakes now?


Well, it depends. If you still have an operational combination (AKA proportional) valve, located on the frame inside of the left front wheel well, that valve is designed so that if you loose pressure because of a broken line, severe leak, or run out of fluid on either the front brakes or rear brakes, the differential pressure will shut off pressure to the faulty brakes and maintain pressure to the others. It also turns on a dash "Brake" light alerting you to the problem. If that valve has been removed, loss of pressure in any part of the system is loss to the whole system.
 
The brakes have split into two systems front and rear and each have their own reservoir in the master cylinder. So if you have a leak in either system, the other is still functional. The brass combination valve has a shuttle piston inside with pressure from front and back systems applied to each end. When the pressure is equal in both systems, the shuttle piston stays in the center. But if one system fails, the pressure will be low on the failed side and the piston will move to that side. The piston will then activate the BRAKE warning light on the dash indicating a brake system failure.

Also read the recent article by Dave Lenzi in the GMCMI magazine about using the proper combination valve. There is only one valve that is correct for the GMC. Others reduce the pressure to the rear brakes and are for use on pickups and cars where there is much less weight on the rear wheels than on the front.

When using the brake lock, you are trapping the fluid in the rear brakes from returning when you release the pedal, so the rear brakes stay ON. Problem is if you have even a tiny leak that is not affecting normal braking, the pressure trapping in the rear system will drop and release the brakes. The leak can even be internal, such as back through the line lock device itself.

Or if you have some moisture in the brake fluid, that moisture will turn to steam from brake pad heating during braking and cause some spongy pedal. When you apply the brake lock, the steam will condense back into water as the brakes cool and the brake pressure will drop. This will let the brakes release, or at least have less holding pressure.

The OEM parking brake used cables to engage the brake shoes on the rear wheels. Albert's Electric Parking Brake system uses EPB calipers that have electric motors to activate the brake pads on the rear wheels.

I would also speak with Wally Anderson, he's been done this road so to speak.....

Hydroboost + 6 wheel disk brakes turned into a real 'project'.
 
Great job! Do you still happen to have a partslist of the items you bought from Vintage Air to do the front cabin and main cabin AC?