Transit Connect Conversion

[bobs]

For some time now I have followed the forum postings and found them not only interesting but informative. So, I would like to make a small contribution to the site and add some information about what I am doing to convert a transit to a weekend traveler and sleeper. Please go to the welcome forum under now what do I do by bobs and see what it was I used as the main critera for converting the van. I also have posted to the photo gallary some pictures of the basic start up for the conversion.. You will find them under the title of Transit Conversion by bobs.

Photo Gallery link

Edited July 26, 2011 by bobs

[eresweber]

Bob,

Very interesting pictures, thanks for posting them.

My transit connect is due to arrive any day now. I hope to borrow some of your very neat ideas. Of course I'll give you credit. :-)

Eric

[Willie]

Did you ever figure out any good way to ventilate the interior while camping? That seems to me to be the biggest obstacle.

[bobs]

Did you ever figure out any good way to ventilate the interior while camping? That seems to me to be the biggest obstacle.

Working on an idea that will provide some venting. I plan to remove the European brake light filler plate and fabricate a stainless steel hood. (think dryer vent) that will fit the opening. The vent will have to have a duct installed to the inside of the door with a gate type valve to completely close it of when needed. For this to work the cabin will have to be slightly pressurized to force interior air out side through the back door vent. To raise the pressure of the cabin I have purchased a 12v low amp draw 10" fan that will be suspended from the front overhead blowing toward the rear of the van. I have installed rain shields above each window to allow the window to be cracked without rain getting things wet. With the windows down a real concern is security. The idea I have for this yet another story.

The round vents located on the pillars next to the back doors are air vents. I can not get air to flow through these vents. When the rear doors are closed the little flapper valves are held down in place and will not allow a low pressure air flow. It appears that a very high pressure is required to open them slightly. I think that the original use is to lower the pressure in the cabin when the last door is slammed shut

Please follow developments in the photo gallery under Transit Conversion. Note; to see the pictures in order of posting you have to start on the last page and work backward to follow things in sequence. I can't figure out how to reverse the default order of last posting shows first.

bobs

Edited July 26, 2011 by bobs

[bobs]

Bob,

Very interesting pictures, thanks for posting them.

My transit connect is due to arrive any day now. I hope to borrow some of your very neat ideas. Of course I'll give you credit. :-)

Eric

Thanks for the kind word. The TC is really fun to drive. Posted more pictures you may be interested in.

bobs

Edited July 26, 2011 by bobs

[Willie]

Thanks for the answer, Bobs. I've been thinking along the very same lines.

It would not take much of a fan to move a bit of air through there, but I am reluctant to operate even a tiny one overnight. I have asked some "experts" about how many amps could be safely drawn over eight hours or so and still be able to start the car. So far, I have received no real reasoned answers. I don't want to resort to any auxiliary battery set-up just for that, but I might buy one of those capacitor dealies (whatever they are called) used to start a car with a dead battery. They are not terribly expensive and and might be a good thing to own anyhow.

Another possibility might be to install a very small fan directly in the unused backdoor light hole you mentioned.

Edited July 27, 2011 by Willie

[bobs]

Thanks for the answer, Bobs. I've been thinking along the very same lines.

It would not take much of a fan to move a bit of air through there, but I am reluctant to operate even a tiny one overnight. I have asked some "experts" about how many amps could be safely drawn over eight hours or so and still be able to start the car. So far, I have received no real reasoned answers. I don't want to resort to any auxiliary battery set-up just for that, but I might buy one of those capacitor dealies (whatever they are called) used to start a car with a dead battery. They are not terribly expensive and and might be a good thing to own anyhow.

Another possibility might be to install a very small fan directly in the unused backdoor light hole you mentioned.

I share your concerns on using the car battery, as many have pointed out a starting battery is best used for just that, starting the car. However, give it dry run try. I too thought that a fan in the back door vent would be the way to go, but have changed my mind. The reason is that if there is a slight breeze moving around you that does help in keeping you more comfortable. That is why I went with a high volume fan at low speed with the lowest amp usage I could find. My needs do require some aux. bat. as I have a medical device I need to run along with the ventilation fan. But like you how to charge it and keep it charged. In your case you could do a dry run by first deciding on the method of air movement you want, then power it up for several hours on the car battery noting the voltage drop on the bat. with a volt meter. This should give you a real life feel as to the real use factor. Also do the math of watts, amps, volts, etc. Info is all over the web how to calculate. Now back to charging the aux. bat. with capacitor dealies. One thing that researching this out is that aux. 12v sockets are not intended for long term use esp. at high amp draw. Who knows? so in the next several days I am going to simulate the truck elect setup and get some readings and especially feel the wires as to how hot they get in the simulation. No doubt the best way is to run wires from car batt. and alternator to the aux. but there has to be a safe alternative to all that cost and work for such occasional usage.

[Willie]

Yeah, I guess the dry run test is the best approach.

I can certainly do the Ohm's law calculation. (Tube electronics was a one time hobby.) The missing data piece for me is just how low the battery can be to still start the car. I understand that the answer to that depends on temperature and other factors, but nobody has been able to give me even a ballpark figure to work with. So that leaves experimentation, as you advise.

As to the twelve volt outlet overheating, I would not be overly concerned. It sure doesn't take a very fat wire to supply a couple amp fan, and I would be amazed if it overheated on that tiny load.

My thinking on the capacitor gizmo is that even if I were to kill the battery, I could start the car with it. I'd use it as a back-up. Another possibility is to simply use the gizmo to power the fan.

Please post any conclusions you reach and I will do the same.

Edited July 28, 2011 by Willie

[Willie]

Y

Edited July 28, 2011 by Willie

[103west43rd]

Yeah, I guess the dry run test is the best approach.

I can certainly do the Ohm's law calculation. (Tube electronics was a one time hobby.) The missing data piece for me is just how low the battery can be to still start the car. I understand that the answer to that depends on temperature and other factors, but nobody has been able to give me even a ballpark figure to work with. So that leaves experimentation, as you advise.

As to the twelve volt outlet overheating, I would not be overly concerned. It sure doesn't take a very fat wire to supply a couple amp fan, and I would be amazed if it overheated on that tiny load.

My thinking on the capacitor gizmo is that even if I were to kill the battery, I could start the car with it. I'd use it as a back-up. Another possibility is to simply use the gizmo to power the fan.

Please post any conclusions you reach and I will do the same.

The Transit Connect battery is rated at 500 CCA (cold cranking amps). That figure does you no good. What you need to know is the RC (reserve capacity). It does not seem to be published for the Transit Connect battery. The RC is the time the battery can supply 25 amps before the battery voltage drops to 10.5 volts, the amount of voltage to still start and run the Transit Connect. On the Sears web site, the replacement battery for the Transit Connect (size 96R) has 590 CCA and 90 minutes RC. Even with a 1 amp fan going for 10 hours you should still be able to start the Transit Connect. The advise for a dry run is correct, try it out.

[bobs]

Yeah, I guess the dry run test is the best approach.

I can certainly do the Ohm's law calculation. (Tube electronics was a one time hobby.) The missing data piece for me is just how low the battery can be to still start the car. I understand that the answer to that depends on temperature and other factors, but nobody has been able to give me even a ballpark figure to work with. So that leaves experimentation, as you advise.

As to the twelve volt outlet overheating, I would not be overly concerned. It sure doesn't take a very fat wire to supply a couple amp fan, and I would be amazed if it overheated on that tiny load.

My thinking on the capacitor gizmo is that even if I were to kill the battery, I could start the car with it. I'd use it as a back-up. Another possibility is to simply use the gizmo to power the fan.

Please post any conclusions you reach and I will do the same.

Auxiliary Battery Charging using Transit Truck 12 v Socket.

Finally got around to do a little study of the feasibility of charging an aux. battery from 12v socket in the TC.

The TC manual states that a usage load should not exceed 135 watts or about a 11 amp draw. The socket is fused with a 20 amp fuse. I don’t think I understand why there is a larger fuse employed than the recommend usage of 135 watts or about 11 amps. Oh well continue on.

Had to have some kind of base line as to what the battery does while charging. So put the aux battery on an 8 amp charger just to get some kind of readings. The battery before putting on the charger was 12.4 volts, put it on the charger and voltage now measured 12.6, also used a inductive type amp meter and the reading was 7.5 amps. Now let’s take the aux battery to the truck and hook up the jumper cables. Connected cables to the battery started truck let ideal and took the reading on the aux battery 12.6 volts just like on the charger. Took amp meter reading. no or minimal reading 0+. What? I don’t think I under stand no Amp reading. Now I took a volt reading of the truck battery while idealing 13.8 v. Put amp meter around Positive battery lead ,0+ again. Wellllllllll back to the bench with question in hand. Why no amp reading? Set every thing up like the first base line check and sure enough my meter was not broken the reading from the charger Pos lead was apx 7.5 amps. Oh well continue on.

Installed a female 12 v socket and affixed to the aux battery. Found male 12 v plug with 18g wire took every thing back to the TC hooked up male socket bare end wires to the jumper cables and connected jumpers to truck battery. Started the truck let ideal and pluged the male end to the aux battery female socket on the aux bttery. Took readings 12.6 v and 0+ amps. Took this set up back to the bench only now connected bare end wires of the male plug to the charger gater clips and plug male end to the aux battery and took readings, 12.6 volts and apx 7.5 amps. Now for some question. Why is there not an amp reading on the truck but there is one using the charger with the same set up? Why is the voltage on the truck set up only 12.6 and not the 13.8 volts at the truck battery. Oh well continue on.

Maybe the 18g wire is to small? But using the jumper cables on the truck still had only 12.6 volts and the truck battery had 13.8 volts. So lets make a plug that goes into the TC socket with a larger wire than18g. Found some 12g stranded and put a male plug on and fused it at just 10 amps that should be safe enough if the max for the plug is about 11 amps. Took every thing back to the truck, started up and let ideal clamped bare end wires of male plug to aux battery and plugged male end into the TC socket. Took measurements 12.7 volts and still 0+ amps. Let the TC ideal for about a 30 min run and monitored volts, amps, and heat. Everything is still the same except metal tip were fuse is of the male plug when remove from TC socket was uncomfortable to hold on too. Why is it I am not getting the 13.8 volts that I am getting at the truck battery. Measured voltage at TC socket and it was 13.8volts. Oh well continue on.

Took every thing back to the bench. Same result I have gotten on the bench before while on the charger. The socket on the battery should be the same 12g wire as the male plug so made new socket for the Auxiliary battery, also put another male plug on the one already made. Now I have a 2 foot section with a male plug on both ends of 12g wire and a 12” section with a female plug one end and copper battery terminals on the other end of the two wires and reconnected to auxiliary battery. Took all back to the TC and measured auxiliary battery voltage 12.4. Started TC and plugged one end of 2 foot male wire into auxiliary battery socket and plugged other end into the TC 12 v socket. Voltage reading was 12.6 and still minimal amp reading. Let the TC ideal with and occasional ideal speed at 2000 rpm after another 30 min the battery was showing sings of charging up to 12.8 volts.

Conclusion; There is sufficient current to charge the aux battery and the 10 amp fuse will allow charging with out blowing and well below the 20 amp fuse in the 12v socket circuit. More to come. How does it react to a fully charge aux battery?

bobs

[Willie]

Nice work, Bobs!!

I hadn't previously realized that you intended to recharge via the socket, but it looks as though you are going to be okay with that.

[Tarkus]

I've had good luck with a marine deep-cycle battery. I've run a 12 inch box fan using a small inverter all night and had plenty of power to get her started in the morning. The alternator is more than up to the task. If all else fails I carry a jump starter. Even a small one will bring the little four to life. So far I've never used it.

In the summer I use a old small boat trick to cool the cargo area off. I fill a 64 quart with dry ice, easy to find in FL, and place the fan on a grate just above the ice. Amazingly effective in all but the hottest weather.

All the best.