Experience With Preparing ISUZU NPS Camper: Running Gear

IcedVolvo

Observer
I have sort of put these things in the order that I think is the priority, however you make prioritise the order in which you think they should be done


1: One of the first things you will have to to is to fit sealed breathers to both differentials, the gearbox and transfer cases. These can be done as a do it yourself effort with some neoprene tubing or you can buy special kits from most four-wheel-drive stores. a block of chocolate to the first person who finds the breather on the transfer case (believe me it's not easy to find!)

2: The second thing you will have to do is find some stainless steel mesh i.e. like the stuff they use in stainless steel security windows. This is an absolute necessity to be fitted as a protective screen between the radiator and the intercooler as this gap readily fills up with sticks, leaves, mud and other crap. Previous NPS models had one of these screens fitted as standard but the new model doesn't.

3: Many of the electrical connections to sensors and other devices are well below normal wading level heights. Especially vulnerable is the fuse box which is only about 250 mm off the ground behind the left-hand front wheel. I have either sealed or moved many of the connectors up as high as possible but it is impossible to move the fuse box any significant distance because the leads coming into it are very restrictive however what I did do was turn the fuse box on its side and released the first zip tie to allow the fuse box to be mounted sideways on a new bracket at about 550 mm high behind the cab.

4: The air conditioning heat exchanger is in the most ridiculous position you can possibly imagine: directly in front of the left-hand footstep. It's not a terribly expensive venture to get the whole thing moved to the back of the cab with its own cooling fan fixed. Keep in mind that you still need to be able to tilt the cab so it needs to be supported on its own bracket fixed to the chassis not the back of the cab.

We are up to here ......

5: The existing 140 L fuel tank is directly inherited from the road going brothers of the NPS series however it is simply the lowest point of the truck and only approximately 200 mm from ground level right ********** in the middle of your ramp over angle. We are having a trapezoid shaped tank made which will hold the same amount of fuel to run the whole length of the chassis and give us an extra 200 mm at ground clearance in the middle of the chassis.

6: The new series of NPS trucks incorporates a specific type of particulate filter which requires the occasional burning of diesel fuel injected directly into the catalytic converter. As a direct result of this at some point in time the catalytic converter becomes extremely hot i.e. nearly red hot. I'm not sure what the status of other states years but in New South Wales this is such a serious problem that the RTA is considering allowing modifications to this system for 4WD trucks which can show cause. I know that the New South Wales rural Fire service has already had several instances of these trucks setting fire to grass and other foliage beneath the truck even without standing still!

More to come.....
 

whatcharterboat

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
What model NPS300 are you working on

Dave, this is the most recent pic I've got of Jon's NPS.

4331774713_cd832cc84f.jpg


Jon, got any offroad pics from your Crescent head trip?? Good write up too.

S'pose you know the points have been OK? Regards John.
 

1Engine

Observer
1: One of the first things you will have to to is to fit sealed breathers to both differentials, the gearbox and transfer cases. These can be done as a do it yourself effort with some neoprene tubing or you can buy special kits from most four-wheel-drive stores. a block of chocolate to the first person who finds the breather on the transfer case (believe me it's not easy to find!)

Try near the Neutral position switch on top of the transfer box.

2: The second thing you will have to do is find some stainless steel mesh i.e. like the stuff they use in stainless steel security windows. This is an absolute necessity to be fitted as a protective screen between the radiator and the intercooler as this gap readily fills up with sticks, leaves, mud and other crap. Previous NPS models had one of these screens fitted as standard but the new model doesn't.

Have a look here-
http://www.metalmesh.com.au/cfm/index.cfm?newLocation=cfm/home.cfm.
We use it as spark arrestors - not cheap

3: Many of the electrical connections to sensors and other devices are well below normal wading level heights. Especially vulnerable is the fuse box which is only about 250 mm off the ground behind the left-hand front wheel. I have either sealed or moved many of the connectors up as high as possible but it is impossible to move the fuse box any significant distance because the leads coming into it are very restrictive however what I did do was turn the fuse box on its side and released the first zip tie to allow the fuse box to be mounted sideways on a new bracket at about 550 mm high behind the cab..

You can put an extension in with using sureseal connectors & put it where you like.
http://www.connectortech.com.au/datasheets/Sureseal.pdf, they can be immersed up to 1 metre - the tooling will cost around $200 then connectors- once fitted never a problem

4: The air conditioning heat exchanger is in the most ridiculous position you can possibly imagine: directly in front of the left-hand footstep. It's not a terribly expensive venture to get the whole thing moved to the back of the cab with its own cooling fan fixed. Keep in mind that you still need to be able to tilt the cab so it needs to be supported on its own bracket fixed to the chassis not the back of the cab.

Run the lines in pipe as the R134A gas leaks trough rubber hoses - less rubber the better

6: The new series of NPS trucks incorporates a specific type of particulate filter which requires the occasional burning of diesel fuel injected directly into the catalytic converter. As a direct result of this at some point in time the catalytic converter becomes extremely hot i.e. nearly red hot. I'm not sure what the status of other states years but in New South Wales this is such a serious problem that the RTA is considering allowing modifications to this system for 4WD trucks which can show cause. I know that the New South Wales rural Fire service has already had several instances of these trucks setting fire to grass and other foliage beneath the truck even without standing still!

The mod will most likely only be approved for the fire trucks-they do not do many miles:, I cannot see it will be approved for anyone who travels bush.

Just a point to be aware of, I had my truck floating last wet season & the water depth was just under 1 metre, so the air intake is an issue:snorkel:
 

whatcharterboat

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Hey John,What make of Bull Bar is fitted to that NPS.

John Not 100%sure. You'll have to ask Jon to confirm. Looks like a Custom Alloy. I don't think it's an ECB. We haven't done any airbag testing yet on our Isuzu bars so I guess we better start taking more notice of what else is available till we get sorted. Times are a changin'. Next batch of FG's will be the first ones with airbags too.

Jon. Am I still in the hunt for some chocolate. I'll try and take a pic of the gearbox / transfer breathers tomorrow on a new NPS cab chassis at work. I know it'll be hard for you to locate yours with the body being so close to the box. Maybe tomorrow night. Tim Tams will be fine. Haha.
 

whatcharterboat

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Interior pics here > http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20313&page=3

Jon If this helps . That's the transfercase breather for sure.

4416624704_09d378f4a4.jpg


And wow, you're right . The gearbox is a bit tricky to identify. I'm fairly certain it's what I'm pointing here but it doesn't look like any Japanese box breather I've ever seen before. What do you think? I can't see any other reason for that hose coming out of there.

4416625198_9a5bce9d0b.jpg


BTW This NPS is going to be another pop top camper like yours.
 

4x4coaster

Adventurer
I found something to add to 1:

"1: One of the first things you will have to to is to fit sealed breathers to both differentials, the gearbox and transfer cases. These can be done as a do it yourself effort with some neoprene tubing or you can buy special kits from most four-wheel-drive stores. a block of chocolate to the first person who finds the breather on the transfer case (believe me it's not easy to find!)"

If you are concerned about the height of the diff, t/case and gearbox breathers then add fuel tank breather to the list. It is currently about middle height of the chassis inside the rear fuel tank mounting bracket so it is about the same height as the gearbox breather.
 

IcedVolvo

Observer
OK we have finally managed to move the air filter up out of the water! Its now about 1.5m high.

HOWEVER THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST TROUBLESOME MODS WE HAVE DONE! IT ENDED UP COSTING >$4000!!

THIS IS NOT JUST THE LOGISTICS OF MOVING BUT ELECTRONICALLY/COMPUTER WISE SO BEWARE: DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS YOU REALLY (and I mean really!) UNDERSTAND THE TRUCKS COMPUTER SYSTEM (or have had both the EGR and DPD disabled).


IMG_20150904_120255448[1].jpg IMG_20150904_120303930[1].jpg
 

Mr Rehab

Traveller
Yes, some more info would be good.

"(or have had both the EGR and DPD disabled)." - presumably you've had both done IcedVolvo ?

I've had the EGR disabled and DPD removed from my Isuzu but the work was done in Austria earlier this year as the truck is OS. I've found several workshops here that say they can do the work but not seen any 'customer' reports. If you've had it done, what was your experience?
 

IcedVolvo

Observer
Yes, some more info would be good.

"(or have had both the EGR and DPD disabled)." - presumably you've had both done IcedVolvo ?

I've had the EGR disabled and DPD removed from my Isuzu but the work was done in Austria earlier this year as the truck is OS. I've found several workshops here that say they can do the work but not seen any 'customer' reports. If you've had it done, what was your experience?

No not yet! Have only found one to do it in WA and will have it done when we get there as this stuff is a real PITA :)
 

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