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  1. DiploStrat

    A Few Auxiliary Battery Questions

    Ran AGM's for years. Lifeline makes a great product. Read and understand the manual and you will be good for at least five years. All the best!
  2. DiploStrat

    A Few Auxiliary Battery Questions

    Some random thoughts, having had AGM and now having built my own lithium iron bank. -- Lead acid batteries (AGM) are actually much harder to live with as they demand a full, plate shaking charge, ideally once a week. -- Lead acid batteries HATE sitting at less than full charge; they love to be...
  3. DiploStrat

    A Few Auxiliary Battery Questions

    If it worked two years ago and now it doesn't, and nothing has changed, and you only have a 100A alternator, and the batteries date from 2018 ... -- The batteries have aged out, especially if they did not get a full absorb cycle ever two weeks or so. (That would require solar or shore power...
  4. DiploStrat

    Adventure Tool Company's (ATC) 4wd Provan Tiger adventures

    We are now on our second year, with interruptions for the 90 days in/90 days out of the Schengen Agreement. (United Airlines loves us!) Starts here: https://diplostrat.net/2023/04/23/the-euro-saga-begins/
  5. DiploStrat

    Adventure Tool Company's (ATC) 4wd Provan Tiger adventures

    We are in Remagen, having dinner behind our camper, 200 meters from the ruins of the famous bridge.
  6. DiploStrat

    Reliable vendors for North America?

    Confess I haven't actually measured - comes from chatter. Get out your tape measure and get under the truck. Also take a look at what you have for mounting points.
  7. DiploStrat

    Reliable vendors for North America?

    Sadly, I could only find EU spec. There is a really nice, if expensive, heated LED from these folks: https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlights-model-8910-evolution-2/ But would take some fabrication to mount. Might be temped if we ship back to the US, but, in reality, we rarely drive at...
  8. DiploStrat

    Adventure Tool Company's (ATC) 4wd Provan Tiger adventures

    The Valley of the Gods is really pretty. Lovely photo of the clouds. Kind of a way-out-west fantasy as you can pretty much camp anywhere, not usually crowded, and world class scenery. Glad the Tiger is still working. As is, I might note, my tool roll!
  9. DiploStrat

    Reliable vendors for North America?

    The short answer is, no, there are none. See if these folks will ship to the US: https://www.braem.com/nl/ They were most helpful in speccing a headlight and shipping to UK.
  10. DiploStrat

    Redarc TVMS + Manager30 Not Reporting Battery State of Charge

    No need to tie to the chassis if you already have a properly sized wire connecting the negatives of the two batteries. The chassis is simply an alternative to running a wire, assuming that: -- Both batteries are tied to the chassis, and, -- The chassis has no breaks/high resistance points.
  11. DiploStrat

    Redarc TVMS + Manager30 Not Reporting Battery State of Charge

    Having spent literally years chasing a voltage-but-no-amps gremlin, I can only advise to be absolutely sure that your camper battery shares a common (and good) ground with the starter battery. REDARC gear requires a common ground. In my case, it took way too long to trace every wire only to...
  12. DiploStrat

    MB Oil Spec OM366 LA, Fully Synthetic?

    FWI - I have been using synthetic oil since I bought the truck. The folks at Atkinson Vos simply use conventional oils in older vehicles. I suspect that Dr. Arrons has done good research.
  13. DiploStrat

    BLITZEN goes Lithium

    There used to be a really neat product, designed especially for this purpose, the AMP-L-Start, but they appear to have gone out of business. Pity as it was small, neat, and even had a lithium to lead acid setting. Adding a second B2B is pricy, but you may be able to find a small one.
  14. DiploStrat

    BLITZEN goes Lithium

    Yes, the "Twisted Sister™" set up with two B2B. (Given to me by REDARC.) Basically: -- One B2B charges from the starter battery to the camper battery, with an added relay to assure that it only does this with the ignition on. In our case, this takes from 24v lead acid and outputs 12v with a...
  15. DiploStrat

    No Starter - No Problem

    Trickier with air brakes.
  16. DiploStrat

    Checking out a 1017a soon what should I look for

    TANX! E-mail sent. Headlights are easy; it is the mounting bracket that has been elusive.
  17. DiploStrat

    Checking out a 1017a soon what should I look for

    Greetings from Sweden! If you are staying in North America, get a North American truck, for all the reasons (and more) that the VerMonster mentioned. Even if you want to do the world, you may be better off with a US truck. Friends of ours took their Chevrolet to over 60 countries with no more or...
  18. DiploStrat

    Aux fuel tank idea - Tell me why this won't work

    Back in the day, Hickey Enterprises sold a "Pacemaker" valve. Consisted of a metal tube with a Rochester carburetor valve on the top and a cork on the the bottom. You mounted it inside your fuel tank at the top and mounted a feed line from a physically higher auxiliary tank. Fill both tanks...
  19. DiploStrat

    MB 1120 Coming to America! Purchase, Build and Now Travel!

    All this is why we are taking our truck back for another spa days at Atkinson Vos. So far, all is good and the truck is actually pulling a bit better on Yorkshire grades.
  20. DiploStrat

    Portugal Expedition: SUV Challenges in Lisbon & Beyond

    We are heading back to our camper, stored in UK, this week. Haven't driven to Portugal (been with a tour group), but would offer this advice for Lisbon or ANY European city. DON'T! Find a hotel/campsite out of town and use public transport. In our case, our old Mercedes Benz can't pass any...
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