Project Choose Your Own Adventure
220, 221, whatever it takes.
(09-25-2019, 03:18 PM)V1GiLaNtE Wrote: I think you need to see a mental health professional.
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Ctek maintainers/chargers are great. I have them on 4 things at the house. Love the "intelligence" that they use. Good choice.
http://www.85xr.com

1985 Merkur XR4Ti Track Car
2013 Ford F-150 FX4 Ecoboost
E46 BMW 330Ci Sport 5spd
1973 Honda CL125S
1985 Honda CX500
2013 Arctic Cat 700 ATV
2017 Onewheel +
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Soooooo

When are the remotely-activated paintball turrets to deter the Georgia soccer mom car-missiles going on?
Posting in the banalist of threads since 2004

2017 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD Premium

Past: 2016 GMC Canyon All Terrain Crew Cab / 2010 Jaguar XFR / 2012 Acura RDX AWD Tech / 2008 Cadillac CTS / 2007 Acura TL-S / 1966 5.0 HO Mustang Coupe
2001 Lexus IS300 / 2004 2.8L big turbo WRX STI / 2004 Subaru WRX / A couple of old trucks
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(01-19-2018, 10:54 AM)WRXtranceformed Wrote: Soooooo

When are the remotely-activated paintball turrets to deter the Georgia soccer mom car-missiles going on?

shhhh  Wink

balls to the walls on Sunday, literally.  had ourselves a barn raising.  psychologically i can't describe how it feels going from a flat trailer with a nice floor to "holy crap this is what my brain was trying to picture the last 2 years".
[Image: dWKX39zh.jpg]

marking out dimensions to ensure i can carry my precious, cold beer cargo
[Image: 50Z3097h.jpg]

on a sad note my tongue box bin came in all busted.  not really looking forward to attempting to make this right through the 3rd party walmart shipper i went through.
[Image: C0HtIZVh.jpg]

made a bunch more progress that i didn't get a shot of before i had to get everything cleaned up.  was able to install half the galley wall, my son's loft shelf, and a bunch of interior walnut trim i've been saving for years.
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past:  03 Xterra SE 4x4  |  05 Impreza 2.5RS  |  99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T  |  01 Accord EX  |  90 Maxima GXE  |  96 Explorer XLT
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Your pictures don't work Sad This is super exciting though!
Now:
'16 Ram 1500 | '97 BMW M3 | Some Press Loan

Then:
87 BMW 325e | 91 BMW 535i | 96 BMW 328i | 95 BMW 325i | 95 Mazda Miata | 13 Focus ST | 09 BMW 128i | 00 Pontiac Firebird | 05 Yukon Denali | 96 BMW 328iC | 11 Ford F-150 | 06 BMW M3 | 10 Range Rover SC | '03 Ford Ranger | '18 Ford F-150 | '01 BMW X5 | '98 Volvo S70 T5M
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(01-22-2018, 10:13 AM)Jake Wrote: Your pictures don't work Sad This is super exciting though!

gah.  fixed it.  still trying to figure out my google album.
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past:  03 Xterra SE 4x4  |  05 Impreza 2.5RS  |  99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T  |  01 Accord EX  |  90 Maxima GXE  |  96 Explorer XLT
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ScottyB Wrote:on a sad note my tongue box bin came in all busted.  not really looking forward to attempting to make this right through the 3rd party walmart shipper i went through.

[Image: everything_went_better_than_expected.jpg]

after calling in my dilemma to the 3rd party seller, they were actually really responsive and new contigo bin showed up practically the next day, in waaaaay better shape (the first one was pretty scuffed up in addition to getting cracked) and they said i could just keep the first bin. so i'm going to try to push the plastic back out along the crack (its hung up on the break) and once its flush again, just epoxy the hell out of it and keep is as an organizer for my woodworking bench. not bad for $45!

with the rain forecast this weekend i don't know if i want to tear the whole garage apart to get at the trailer again. thinking i'll probably start setting up a simple "panel" in the tonque box where the breaker, solar controller, and fuse panel will be mounted. probably just a cut-down 2x4 that it'll secure to the back of the box with 2 or 3 simple carriage bolts.
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past:  03 Xterra SE 4x4  |  05 Impreza 2.5RS  |  99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T  |  01 Accord EX  |  90 Maxima GXE  |  96 Explorer XLT
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Will you need any sort of ventilation/fan in the box with the controller and stuff in a small enclosed space?

No idea how much heat that stuff generates?
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(01-24-2018, 06:30 PM)JustinG Wrote: Will you need any sort of ventilation/fan in the box with the controller and stuff in a small enclosed space?

No idea how much heat that stuff generates?

Dutch oven
(09-25-2019, 03:18 PM)V1GiLaNtE Wrote: I think you need to see a mental health professional.
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(01-24-2018, 06:33 PM).RJ Wrote:
(01-24-2018, 06:30 PM)JustinG Wrote: Will you need any sort of ventilation/fan in the box with the controller and stuff in a small enclosed space?

No idea how much heat that stuff generates?

Dutch oven


Justin is talking about the electronics box but I'm with you on the dutch oven. You got a roof vent or anything? I imagine if you're camping off the grid it might get a little rank in there. Not to mention if someone slips a fart...
2019 Accord Sport 2.0 A/T
2012 Civic Si - Sold
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Solar powered fart fan, problem solved
Posting in the banalist of threads since 2004

2017 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD Premium

Past: 2016 GMC Canyon All Terrain Crew Cab / 2010 Jaguar XFR / 2012 Acura RDX AWD Tech / 2008 Cadillac CTS / 2007 Acura TL-S / 1966 5.0 HO Mustang Coupe
2001 Lexus IS300 / 2004 2.8L big turbo WRX STI / 2004 Subaru WRX / A couple of old trucks
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(01-24-2018, 08:56 PM)WRXtranceformed Wrote: Solar powered fart fan, problem solved

They probably sell those on eTrailer...
Now:
'16 Ram 1500 | '97 BMW M3 | Some Press Loan

Then:
87 BMW 325e | 91 BMW 535i | 96 BMW 328i | 95 BMW 325i | 95 Mazda Miata | 13 Focus ST | 09 BMW 128i | 00 Pontiac Firebird | 05 Yukon Denali | 96 BMW 328iC | 11 Ford F-150 | 06 BMW M3 | 10 Range Rover SC | '03 Ford Ranger | '18 Ford F-150 | '01 BMW X5 | '98 Volvo S70 T5M
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JustinG Wrote:how much heat that stuff generates?

.RJ Wrote:Dutch oven

WRXtranceformed Wrote:Solar fart fan

asking the important questions here.  well all i know is with all the ass ripping we'll be doing, i guess we're our own heating unit in the winter time?  everyone loves their own brand...

but yeah, ventilation is literally a requirement, because the doors shut so tight that you will absolutely suffocate in that small of a space in your sleep whether you smell like a pile of butt or not.

we've planned out our airflow early in the project.  each 32x26 door has a full window that has half a sliding pane over a screen in it for passive ventilation.  we'll be running a 3-speed 14x14 roof vent fan unit, and in the event of heavy rain where we'll have to shut the screen doors and roof vent, we'll also have a "pop vent" on each side near where our heads will lay to provide some amount of protected airflow.  The roof vent runs off the 12v battery system and is very low draw energy-wise...and most nights outside of the summer season, you don't even need the fan, you can just crack the cover open and let the hot farts out.  

doors (screen section is lower half):
[Image: 61UPCvImHJL._SL1067_.jpg]

roof vent.  there is a screen panel under the fan, so if you aren't running it you can still crack the cover and not have bugs get in:
[Image: 514mqSpr-oL._SX463_.jpg]

pop vents, roughly 11x5.  you'll see these mounted vertically on the sides of delivery trucks sometimes as cowl vents.  these will be installed horizontally as a torrential rain vent so that you can crack them open with the cover deflecting rain off of the screened opening.  we'll be spending a lot of time in the appalachians, where storms come up fast in the summer so we needed some kind of protected vent solution.  they ratchet out to 3 or 4 different opening angles.
[Image: RV-626-062_7_1000.jpg]
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past:  03 Xterra SE 4x4  |  05 Impreza 2.5RS  |  99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T  |  01 Accord EX  |  90 Maxima GXE  |  96 Explorer XLT
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You have thought of everything. Carry on, this is looking awesome!
2019 Accord Sport 2.0 A/T
2012 Civic Si - Sold
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What kind of solar setup are you planning?
1991 Miata - Phillis
2003 Xterra - Sarah



"America is all about speed. Hot, nasty speed." Eleanor Roosevelt
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(01-25-2018, 10:43 AM)balactm Wrote: What kind of solar setup are you planning?

i really need to post a proper wiring diagram but the parts rundown is:

• Renogy 100W rigid panel (purchased, en route)
• 10ft of MC4 cable extension (purchased)
• VmaxTanks 125ah AGM battery (purchased)
• BlueSolar 75/10 MPPT solar charge controller (purchased)
• BlueSea Systems 6-circuit fuse block (purchased)
• 30amp breaker between battery/solar controller (purchased)
• cheapie voltmeter mounted in a cig lighter socket (purchased)

the panel will mount horizontally on the forward roof curve and i'm going to make brackets that will allow me to swivel the panel upward or downward to either hug the roof contour for transport or flip up to better catch the sun.  i intended to originally run a flexible panel that would flush mount on the roof countour directly but those panels have too many issues with heat, vibration, and efficiency when bent around a curve.

i considered a PLM charger but due to our panel size/mounting limitations, and the fact we'll be parked under partial shade sometimes, i wanted to get the most out of any lighting and MPPT's do it best.  they've also come WAY down in price, to the point where it just wasn't a big deal to spend an extra $50 for that level of tech.

our power needs are minimal but required - charging for phones, lantern, and battery packs, powering a small stereo and roof vent fan, and running our LED lighting for the galley, exterior, and cabin.  we'll occassionally charge a laptop or run a small travel hairdryer.  no power refrigerated cooler, TV, A/C unit or microwave...and we will probably only run lights for an hour or two at night.  we don't intend to be in the trailer at all during the day when we'll be out hiking/fishing/adventuring, unless weather is completely inclement.  the solar setup will let us camp wherever we want and not be limited to either whatever battery charge we can string out from home or having to only choose sites that offer power hookups.
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past:  03 Xterra SE 4x4  |  05 Impreza 2.5RS  |  99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T  |  01 Accord EX  |  90 Maxima GXE  |  96 Explorer XLT
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Are you planning on a way to hookup at a campsite to charge the battery or do a charge at home before a trip?

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Current:
2011 F150 Platinum | 1995 BMW 325i 1983 BMW 320i  The MMoped | 2008 BMW 128i
Past:
1996 Toyota Tacoma: | 1992 Mazda Miata | 2002 BMW 325i |
2003 Toyota Tacoma | 1995 Miata M Edition | 1997 Subaru Outback |
1992 Mazda Miata | 1990 BMW 325i  | 2007 Toyota 4Runner | 
1995 Ford Windstar 1987 BMW 325i | 1987 BMW 325 | 1990 BMW 325i Vert |
2018 VW GTI | 1990 Mazda Miata | 
1989 BMW 325i Vert 2015 Fiesta ST | 1983 BMW 320i parts car
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(01-25-2018, 04:44 PM)Senor_Taylor Wrote: Are you planning on a way to hookup at a campsite to charge the battery or do a charge at home before a trip?

yep on both. the CTEK battery charger mentioned on the last page has a standard wall plug and will live in the tongue box. its either plugged in at home to charge/tend the battery between trips, or plugged in at a site depending on power options. if we know we'll be out in the boonies we'll just leave home with a full charge and try to maintain as good of an exposure to the sun as we can while we camp to allow the solar panel to keep it topped off.
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past:  03 Xterra SE 4x4  |  05 Impreza 2.5RS  |  99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T  |  01 Accord EX  |  90 Maxima GXE  |  96 Explorer XLT
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first test of the battery system worked!  the solar panel isn't wired in yet (just 2 wires) and no formal wiring runs to the interior lights, but i was able to confirm that:
• the main fuse panel is getting power
• the kill switch works
• the solar charge controller is seeing power and sending it to the fuse panel
• and the battery charger is doing its job.

here's the contigo bin turned into a tongue box.  i fitted 1x1 aluminum square tubing to the bottom front/back to support the bin across the frame.  it'll need it - the battery alone is 75lbs.  the tubing is attached at each corner with grade8 bolts and nylock nuts.
[Image: dnY0qrkh.jpg]

i wanted the charger and a 3-way extension cord splitter to live onboard in the bin at all times, so i needed a way to get AC power through the side in a weatherproof way.  this Marinco 15A charger inlet did the trick and will keep water out as its intended as a hookup for boats and has nice rubber gasketing.  on the other side of the inlet, i chopped the plug off the splitter and the wires plug easily into ports on the back side of the inlet.
[Image: 22XcLHah.jpg]

the guts.  from right to left - power comes through the inlet to the yellow outdoor rated GFCI 3-way splitter.  from there i have the CTEK charger/tender plugged in to charge the battery whenever we have AC power to hook up to.  the 6-circuit fuse panel, solar controller, and kill switch live on a piece of scrap 1x4 bolted to the back of the bin because i'm SEW FAHNSEH.  the kill switch leads to a 10A fuse and finally the battery itself.  the battery is then grounded to the frame.  10AWG wire throughout which should be very capable of handling my power needs as its good up to 30 amps, waaaay more than i should ever be pulling from my gaggle of LED lights, a fan, and maybe a 2 speaker stereo at most.  i'm in the process of adding some 1.5" round mini vents along the back at the top, and more will go at the bottom to allow air circulation for the electronics, and being on the back they'll be protected from rain spray during transit.  ignore the crappy weather stripping around the edge, i'm working on it.
[Image: CJXNqvPh.jpg]

kill switch to "ON", solar controller status light is green ("PV" is photovoltaic, aka solar panel wires)!  let the power flow, huzzah!  the controller's job is to not only meter out the solar power to the battery, but in turn also send power from the battery to the fuse panel, so it was critical to see that it was getting power and happy.  it has its own internal replaceable 20A fuse just in case something short circuits or the controller bricks.  lots of redundant fusing and extra headroom here just in case. 
[Image: 4dfzNzih.jpg]

lastly, the party piece - had to see if the fuse panel was live and ready to send power.  grabbed one of the "porch lights" aka outdoor light that will live above each door so we don't trip onto our faces and piss our pants trying to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and tossed a red wire on the positive side and a black wire on the negative buss.  BAM SON.  illuminati, i mean illumination, confirmed.  now i know if i send my wires through the camper structure right, i should see working lights on the other end.
[Image: Ee4zYZQh.jpg]

oh yeah, here's a wiring diagram.  i forgot to add that the charger has its own 10A fuse on the positive line as well.  FUSE ALL THE THINGS
[Image: sxzCVudh.jpg]
"overhead lights" is basically the galley lighting, "porch lights" are the outdoor lights over the doors, and "stereo" will basically just consist of a cheap headunit and 2 6-in speakers mounted in the galley hatch.
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past:  03 Xterra SE 4x4  |  05 Impreza 2.5RS  |  99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T  |  01 Accord EX  |  90 Maxima GXE  |  96 Explorer XLT
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Your pictures are broken
2019 Accord Sport 2.0 A/T
2012 Civic Si - Sold
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