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2016 TC XLT LWB Wagon Project Mtn. Biker/Dog Hauler/Camper


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3 hours ago, chong said:

I think you'd likely need a larger vent than the plug in the back. That hole was barely large enough for me to run an extension cord through. Also, how are you planning to power that thing? The answers section on Amazon says its 800-900W. My battery setup is pretty nice, but it would only run that AC unit for about 2.5 hours. Things to consider.

yes I do understand that it needs to be powered by electricity. lol Options are endless there so I'm focusing more on the actual a/c units and arrangements first.

Edited by r1alvin
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The 900 watts are going to require lots of batteries.  Most house sized Solar panels 36X54 "s put out just over 120 watts. Watts are Watts  no mater what the voltage.

I have a  Edgestar  Fridge, Freezer and it works very well. It Draws 5 amps and it too will drain the battery.

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1 hour ago, G B L said:

The 900 watts are going to require lots of batteries.  Most house sized Solar panels 36X54 "s put out just over 120 watts. Watts are Watts  no mater what the voltage.

I have a  Edgestar  Fridge, Freezer and it works very well. It Draws 5 amps and it too will drain the battery.

Time for a new Fridge. The ARB I'm looking at only draws .85Amps per hour

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1 hour ago, r1alvin said:

Time for a new Fridge. The ARB I'm looking at only draws .85Amps per hour

That's probably averaged over a 24 hour period, fridge set to cool and not cold, kept in a place where the temperature is 70 degrees  -   Not hot and never opening the fridge to add warm beverages, etc.  Under real world conditions, expect your average amp draw to be closer to 2.5 amps/hour, maybe even more if you have it set to freeze ice and you frequently open it to get things out or put warm things in

Don

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49 minutes ago, mrtn said:

What type of fridge are you talking about? Mine's just a square bucket with a cooling fan on top. It can keep sandwiches fresh but not cool a six pack of beers down.

That would be a 'cooler' and not a 'fridge' . . . . correct?

A fridge can keep insulin at the proper temperature and keep meat from spoiling . . . . it could even make ice cubes if you need to

Don

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This is the one I am running, I suspect that the Compressors of both units are  very  similar, with the same power requirements. During cool down and if the unit gets hit by the sun the amount of power increases alot.

https://www.amazon.com/43-Portable-Compact-Refrigerator-Freezer/dp/B0012EGZ9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497129469&sr=8-1&keywords=Edgestar+Fridge

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4 hours ago, Beta Don said:

That's probably averaged over a 24 hour period, fridge set to cool and not cold, kept in a place where the temperature is 70 degrees  -   Not hot and never opening the fridge to add warm beverages, etc.  Under real world conditions, expect your average amp draw to be closer to 2.5 amps/hour, maybe even more if you have it set to freeze ice and you frequently open it to get things out or put warm things in

Don

Thanks I'll keep that in mind. Would be cool to see someone put a current clamp on a running unit in different conditions to see some numbers. In any case, an idling Transit Connect should easily keep the fridge up and running with no issues. 

Edited by r1alvin
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3rd and final coat of Durapoxy drying. Wood has soaked it in very nicely. I used a tinted Oil Based Primer before applying the Durapoxy coats. The color should be pretty close if not the exact same color as the interior panels.

19055572_10213298283720991_592558968317322339_o.jpg

18955062_10213298285081025_3031041735544351792_o.jpg

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16 hours ago, r1alvin said:

Thanks I'll keep that in mind. Would be cool to see someone put a current clamp on a running unit in different conditions to see some numbers. In any case, an idling Transit Connect should easily keep the fridge up and running with no issues. 

It's very similar to the technology many of us have used for years on boats, except that on a boat we usually have much better insulation around the fridge than these little portable units have.  It will draw a constant current when it's running, but the compressor will cycle on and off.  The overall average amp draw will depend on the ratio of it's running time vs it's off time and that will vary greatly depending on how cool you have it set, how full you keep it (fuller is better) how warm the ambient temperature around the unit is and how often you're opening it to get things out or put things in.  Putting a warm 6 pack of drinks in it may have it running constantly for a couple hours to cool them down.  Putting a warm tray of water in to make ice cubes, same thing

When you're designing your electrical system to power it, I would figure on 3 amps per hour, about 75 AH per 24 hour period and you should be closer to the actual requirement.  The amp draw in 'normal use' is always much greater than the advertised rate

Don

Edited by Beta Don
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On 6/7/2017 at 2:56 PM, r1alvin said:

I am currently looking at a small 12V fridge/freezer combo unit made by ARB. Leaning towards smaller 37quart size vs. the 50quart model. Anyone have experience with these devices? do they work well? is the 37 to small for 1 person and 2 dogs? i feed my dogs freshpet stuff so it has to stay cool,,,

 

I am also contemplating a small (8,000btu) Portable A/C unit like this:    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B2BSXS2/ref=asc_df_B00B2BSXS25019855/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00B2BSXS2&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167149293059&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1685624209074481986&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026282&hvtargid=pla-274004431568

 

It has a flexible heat vent to run either out a side widow or maybe out the rubber exit plug in the floor on the back of the van. What do you all think?

 

I have the 50Qt ARB and have had it about 7 years, I ran it off 75 watts of solar panels on a deep cycle battery in my Land Cruiser before getting my Transit.  It is a good size for a family of three and a dog.  They only made the 50 when I got mine so it was an easy choice for me.  I dont know how far you looked but the 37 and 50 share the same foot print so you will not save floor space going smaller.  I had to learn how to rotate new items into the fridge when shopping on the road, I never use a cooler camping anymore.

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On 6/11/2017 at 5:55 PM, thx138 said:

 

I have the 50Qt ARB and have had it about 7 years, I ran it off 75 watts of solar panels on a deep cycle battery in my Land Cruiser before getting my Transit.  It is a good size for a family of three and a dog.  They only made the 50 when I got mine so it was an easy choice for me.  I dont know how far you looked but the 37 and 50 share the same foot print so you will not save floor space going smaller.  I had to learn how to rotate new items into the fridge when shopping on the road, I never use a cooler camping anymore.

Interesting I didn't know they were both on the same footprint,,,glad you told me that thanks! I do see that the 37QT model is 3" smaller in height compared to the 50,,,not much. Hmm...I will have to take a few measurements and see but it seems the 50 may be the way to go since the vertical real estate in the transit is abundant,,,,

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I've followed along Alvin, not that I've understood everything.  Some of you auto mechanic/tech/engineers seem to have the super abilities of a Marvel Comic Hero.  It's incredible what you can do.  Many thanks for sharing.  :clapping:

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18 hours ago, Loafer said:

I've followed along Alvin, not that I've understood everything.  Some of you auto mechanic/tech/engineers seem to have the super abilities of a Marvel Comic Hero.  It's incredible what you can do.  Many thanks for sharing.  :clapping:

You're welcome! I don't understand a whole lot either. Heck I dont even have a manual for this van lol. The biggest help has been a combination of Youtube, a few of the other build threads on this site, and knowing what I need from my van,,,

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 Began Phase 2 Cabinet last night,,,this whole process for me has been 95% gears turning in my brain and measuring, 5% actual cutting and building. I dont use any fancy software or cardboard cutouts,,,just kind of going along with what I think will work and going for it. Although a bit pricey, I bought 2 of these 16" folding shelf  brackets from my local Rockler Woodworking,,,the pair has a combined load rating of 750lbs! As I entered the store, I came across a large stack of very nicely finished 1/2" 30"x 24" Russian Birch plywood for 7.99 a piece. Picked up 2 pieces and plan on going back for some more today. This cabinet will be a bit tricky because I need to figure out a way to not block my rear heat vent by the floor,,,,but the plan is for a single hinged lid and a 30" x 16-17" extension ply that flips up and locks in place. In the down position, I will have full access to the 2nd row area where I originally built up that floor shelf.

20170614_224024.jpg

Edited by r1alvin
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If all your high quality craftsmanship is only 5% of your effort, you must really be racking your brain the other 95% of the time!  It's really looking great.  Amazing that little battery runs that pump as long as it does

Don

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6 hours ago, Beta Don said:

If all your high quality craftsmanship is only 5% of your effort, you must really be racking your brain the other 95% of the time!  It's really looking great.  Amazing that little battery runs that pump as long as it does

Don

Yea its doing well. Since I last charged it, I have taken 3 showers, rinsed my bikes off 3 times, and also used it while making the youtube video and its discharged from 12.6VDC down to 12.0VDC. The cells are discharging evenly as all 3 individually measure in at 3.99VDC. This Venom pack that I had was an anomaly. I was in a bind and needed a 3S pack a while ago and got this from my local hobby shop. I typically purchase Lipo's from Hobbyking. I'm probably going to pick up one of these Zippy Flightmax 8,000mah packs right here : https://hobbyking.com/en_us/zippy-flightmax-8000mah-3s1p-30c-lipo-pack.html?___store=en_us  

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1 hour ago, Beta Don said:

There is a power source in the back of the van  -  Why not run it off the TC's battery and then you don't need to worry about recharging the little ones . . . . or buying a bigger one?

Don

You mean come off that fuse block on the rear passenger side? That option is always there,,,in the future I will look into it  if I ever get my hands on a wiring diagram for the vehicle. For now, the lipo works and it's simple. I have a small Antigravity Micro-Start multi function battery that has a 12V output  (and other useful functions) that I believe will also work yet I haven't made the barrel connector to XT-60 adapter for it yet.

Edited by r1alvin
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Phase 2 Cabinet is mostly complete. The folding shelf brackets are a pain in the YOU KNOW WHAT to align so they release smoothly. I have a few adjustments to make with them but I think I'm real close.

20170621_205727.jpg

Edited by r1alvin
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Alright I got the shelf brackets dialed in! A square, measuring tape and a few clamps were my best friend here....Also spent some time planing, sanding, filling and getting ready for primer,,,,

20170623_204613.thumb.jpg.745e476e9ac7f1f68829108eac8d9143.jpg

Edited by r1alvin
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