Let There Be Light (Post #719) 12/14/2025

In this post I rough-in the wiring for the lights on the outside of the Big White Bus. My plan is to have external lighting that I can control from the comfort of the sleeping area in the back of the Range Rover Classic.

I have selected the lights I’m confident will provide the light I might need… setting up camp, entertaining guest and generally lighting up the exterior so I can see any threats that might be lurking while I relax in the the comfort of the sleeping area.

Three of these strategically placed on the roof rack should be sufficient lighting. There is a a minor concern about how the wiring will go from the lights back into the sleeping area. The wire I bought has a significant shield. I sorted out how they should run past the D pillar beauty panel.

I think it will work the way I have it, but if not, I will cut the beauty panel to accommodate the wires. I had a thought to run the wires through the tubing on the roof rack. The thickness of the shielding will likely prevent that. I also didn’t have black zip ties. So I’ll have to source those to complete the wiring.

That’s the gist of it for this week. I do explain my recent absence from posting videos. I have had a few weeks of medical issues that all culminated into a possible muscle tear or pull in my abdomen. I then had family over for Thanksgiving, then I reinjured myself helping Mrs. Okierover’s cousin with a tree that would have fell on his rent house. I then got bronchitis and it has been a battle to beat that. Better living through chemistry.

Congrats to the Midshipmen as they defeated the Cadets of Westpoint in a thrilling football game. My first Army/Navy game was on TV when I was probably 11 years old (1975, Navy won). I had just begun to enjoy college football. I was watching the game on my black and white TV in my room. My dad walked by and I asked, “Who do we route for in the Army Navy game?” Dad said, “Always Navy.” That should have been obvious but I was only eleven and didn’t have a full grasp of the universe at that age. I know, shocking.
My dad served in the Navy when, “Ships were wood, and men were iron.” That was 1947-1950. Sailors learned knots and morse code and nautical things subjects no squids today learn. My uncle also served with my dad on the USS Wiltsie. Uncle Bob lied about his age and joined when he was 16 years old. Epic. Dad was 19 years old. They fought the Chinese communists during the Chinese Civil War.

Thanks for all the emails and messages checking on me. I’m getting better every day.

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Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

Weekend Repairs (Post #358) 6/21/2013


Guess what I’m working on this weekend? My dear wife Mrs. OkieRover “accidentally” damaged my door handle. She was unaware of the adjustment problem with the driver’s side door and instead of asking for help, kept pulling the already damaged (by Diet Mountain Drew) door handle.

I know the “trick” to opening the door and have been limping along. This changes everything as the door is now hard to open. I ordered a used door handle off eBay and it arrived yesterday. I’ll be installing the replacement handle this weekend. At the time of this writing getting a left side door handle is very difficult.

What the sweet hell is this? I’ve noticed in the last week that the rust here on the windshield wiper shafts is amazingly bad. I have a really bad feeling about this problem. First is removing the bonnet. Maybe with it removed I’ll find the leak that is flooding the carpets. In any event I hope it is repairable.

Think good thoughts.

I also have to clean up from the latest storm. Yeah, we had a little blow of a storm that dumped an inch of rain on us on Sunday. I had planned to drive out to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon. So when I got home from church I didn’t roll up any of the windows, nor did I close the sunroof. Yeah, second time I’ve done that in a month.

The inside got pretty wet. As did I when I went out at 0330 in the morning to roll up the windows. The leather is looking pretty rough now and the windshield has water drop markings on it…on the inside! The storm was blowing in from the north and the orientation of the Range Rover directed that rain on to the dash.

What ever rain drained out brought a couple of nasty stains on the concrete under the Big White Bus. That’s nasty. So a good cleaning is in order. I may even pull the carpets and hose them off. The leather seats need quite a lot of loving care. Sadly I think they are mostly past it and I may need to investigate getting the covers replaced. That’s not going to be cheap.

Think more good thoughts…

We have an interested party for the Honda Civic. He is my son-in-law’s youngest brother. He has had his eye on the Civic since we bought it. He mentioned to me a year ago that if I were ever to sell it, he wanted it. He is coming out to test drive it tonight. This will eliminate a car from our car insurance and a car payment as well. This will make Mrs. OkieRover very happy.

Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

September 30th, 2004 (Post #52)

September 30th, 2004
House going fine, console back in
Everything is going well on the house. Waiting on brick to arrive now.

I started to put the console back in this weekend. The broken bits I have had
to glue held up well. The parts that were not broke are now broke. So I spent
Sunday gluing those pieces. The front part connects to the cubby box so they will
need to be glued together. I have noticed with my glue in place that they no longer
fit well together. I will have to chop part of the rear portion of the gear
selector section back. I also glued a new piece to attach the window switch panel
to. The previous holes were destroyed and the panel with the switches mostly danced
around there. I will be able to secure it now.

The switch relay that powers the rear windows that don’t normally operate correctly still needs to be replace. I have fitted it in the Rover anyway and will inquire with Rover Cannibal about getting another to see if it fixes the problem.

Tossed, and I mean literally tossed, a ladder up on the top to haul down to the new house in order to run cable for the computers. Just as I released it I realized I have a sun roof. I thought for sure I had just broke it out. But I hadn’t. That was a close call. Just another reason I need a roof rack. Maybe Santa will bring me one? Who am I kidding? Santa is going to have to buy window treatments for the new house. I’ll be lucky if I get a lump of coal in my stocking.

I fired off an email to Ozzie at Ozzie’s Offroad asking for his pics of the bracket to move the ECU up to the dash. I told him I’ve been jonesing for something new to read about Rovers. Seems this lack of getting out and my lack of being able to work on the Big White Bus has got me down in the dumps.

The water in the floor boards has to be from a leaking wind screen (wind shield). I will have to find a good shop to pull that and reseal it. Any suggestions you might have just send me an email.

January 13th, 2003 (Post #18)

January 13, 2003
RovErica asked me while I was doing my duty of delivering her “taxi style” to another of her activities, “so, do you have any work to on the Rover?”

What a question. I knew I only had 5 minutes to tell her an answer before she got out
of the truck so I gave her a short list. To which she asked, “was any of that under the hood?”
Yes and told her which of the things would be under the hood. On the way home that got me thinking, that there is a lot to do on the Rover and I’m not doing any of it. You probably have a list of want-to-dos, have-to-dos, and should-dos, too. I encourage you to write it down and then let it eat a whole in you as you continue to ignore the work you have just made for yourself.
What follows is a list of the things I know about and should start work on when the days and funds allow.

In no particular order.

  • Cooling Problem.
  • The cooling problem only raises it’s ugly head during the summer months in Oklahoma. I have done some work on this the last two years but have not found the problem yet.

  • Power Steering Leak, Part Duex
  • I had a hose fail in the past. Now I have another leak but it has been too cold to find it.

  • Broken fog lamp
  • The Big White Bus was driven by my daughter and the next day I had a broken lamp. Coincidence?

  • Trouble Light
  • Want to add a trouble light I got off a 1995 GMC truck under my hood.

  • Driver’s Seat
  • Heater never worked. A warm butt is a happy butt. Memory switches quit working. No biggy but annoying.

  • Air Conditioning Compressor
  • Has a leak. Actually the entire seal around the compressor is showing the tell tale green
    ooze we put in to find the leak. Probably a new compressor sometime next year.

  • Suspension
  • I know I should replace the shocks and the bushings. Ryan has suggested new springs too.

  • Exhaust.
  • The exhaust is in bad shape. I forgot to include this on the list with the rest last week.

  • Mysterious leak
  • There is a mysterious leak that wets the carpet up front during the rainy months. Windshield is probably the culprit. I need to have it pulled and resealed.

    So if you were wondering if you were the only one with a naggy list of Rover To-Dos, wonder no more you are among friends.