palebluewanders
Active member
Good news on the lithium starter batteries! And online woodworking courses are such a good idea. Got links?
1120 AF Build in Norway
- Thread starter Geo.Lander
- Start date
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
Going OK ish
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
We have most of the materials now, just waiting for our 3030 alu profiles now from Motedis and some more tools. I have to come up with some framing options for the ply and profiles, mostly the dynamic stuff like under seat storage and the drawers for the kitchen.. I was going to go "boat" style and just cutout hatches but things tend to get lost in that, so might make the whole seat platforms hinged.. and have slide our drawers on the raised platform for shoes.
Plywood, We decided to go with Norwegian "Furu" (pine) boards in BB/X quality, we could not justify the price of Birch ply which was more than double the cost and we like the look of the Furu more, we were going to veneer the exposed sections but we might not anymore... Lucky to have a great local supplier but it is still super expensive, we have 20 sheets of 15mm and 15 sheets of 4mm now, but some some of that is earmarked for house projects too. Yes its heavy, but we will save quite a bit of weight framing everything in 3030 and 2020 aluminium first. I hope..
Plywood, We decided to go with Norwegian "Furu" (pine) boards in BB/X quality, we could not justify the price of Birch ply which was more than double the cost and we like the look of the Furu more, we were going to veneer the exposed sections but we might not anymore... Lucky to have a great local supplier but it is still super expensive, we have 20 sheets of 15mm and 15 sheets of 4mm now, but some some of that is earmarked for house projects too. Yes its heavy, but we will save quite a bit of weight framing everything in 3030 and 2020 aluminium first. I hope..
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
Thought I had better update this a bit. We only got her back last month so here goes, a quick catch up photo dump!
Diesel leak and air leaks on our first voyage since the box was fitted, obviously teething issues and nice to get the hands dirty, compared to my newish Range Rover V8 the OM3660 LA is a joy to work on!
You know what they say, a little looks a like a lot, in this case a lot looks like a lot!
Some air leaks on the main compressor compression fittings, must be the Norwegian roads!
Getting up to 1500km within a month of having her home again, such a nice driving truck I must say, with very little to compare to apart form super modern ones that feel like modern electric shavers in terms of build quality (I stole that line from 90s Top Gear).
Decided to test the articulation and diffs on some established trails not far from home, it is actually Illegal to drive off-road in Norway, but established trails are fair game and most land owners are very tolerant, luckily there are a lot of trails. Unfortunate that the overlanding/truck genre are acting daft when visting Norway these last few seasons and ruining access to these trails by driving illegally and without regard to the wilderness. I have to say it is mostly German and Dutch number plates we see crossing rivers (when there is not a crossing) and going off trail in the mountains roads.
A massive amount of orders coming through the doors now, our new steps below, plus,
* RUTX50 5G router
* Profiles, Profiles, Profiles!
* Tools and parts chest coming together for onboard workshop
* Consumer electrical cable, about 600 Americas imperial feet of it, conduit and the remaining electrical parts
* Parts for out Hydronic heating system (dedicated post for that one)
Stripping out the drivers cab now for carpet and new auxiliary lights, sounds system, navigation, camera system, etc
Here is Billie apologising for the massive pic dump post, she actually doesn't look too apologetic!
Diesel leak and air leaks on our first voyage since the box was fitted, obviously teething issues and nice to get the hands dirty, compared to my newish Range Rover V8 the OM3660 LA is a joy to work on!
You know what they say, a little looks a like a lot, in this case a lot looks like a lot!
Some air leaks on the main compressor compression fittings, must be the Norwegian roads!
Getting up to 1500km within a month of having her home again, such a nice driving truck I must say, with very little to compare to apart form super modern ones that feel like modern electric shavers in terms of build quality (I stole that line from 90s Top Gear).
Decided to test the articulation and diffs on some established trails not far from home, it is actually Illegal to drive off-road in Norway, but established trails are fair game and most land owners are very tolerant, luckily there are a lot of trails. Unfortunate that the overlanding/truck genre are acting daft when visting Norway these last few seasons and ruining access to these trails by driving illegally and without regard to the wilderness. I have to say it is mostly German and Dutch number plates we see crossing rivers (when there is not a crossing) and going off trail in the mountains roads.
A massive amount of orders coming through the doors now, our new steps below, plus,
* RUTX50 5G router
* Profiles, Profiles, Profiles!
* Tools and parts chest coming together for onboard workshop
* Consumer electrical cable, about 600 Americas imperial feet of it, conduit and the remaining electrical parts
* Parts for out Hydronic heating system (dedicated post for that one)
Stripping out the drivers cab now for carpet and new auxiliary lights, sounds system, navigation, camera system, etc
Here is Billie apologising for the massive pic dump post, she actually doesn't look too apologetic!
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
OK, so here are my heating plans with some logic explained to the side of the diagram, please do not be nice, raise everything of concern it is my first attempt and plumbing and HVAC is not a strong area of mine..
palebluewanders
Active member
Such a cool update! Your truck turned out beautifully and we are living vicariously. Billie is fabulous and has nothing to apologize for.
In your HVAC system, it might be a good idea to add a non return valve before the pump. I believe reverse flow, other than being generally undesirable, can cause a "water hammer" effect and damage the pump.
Also, if you're not running the Webastos and just using engine heat for hot water heating, you may want to limit how much heat is taken away from the engine so it doesn't get too low.
In your HVAC system, it might be a good idea to add a non return valve before the pump. I believe reverse flow, other than being generally undesirable, can cause a "water hammer" effect and damage the pump.
Also, if you're not running the Webastos and just using engine heat for hot water heating, you may want to limit how much heat is taken away from the engine so it doesn't get too low.
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
Thanks! It has been a long time coming, approaching 3 years now since we bought our truck. Hopefully one more year to go!
I noticed a lot of the kits for the Webasto PRO90 heater included circulation pumps with them, so I am not 100% certain I will need another pump or not. One scenario is when I want to just heat hot water in the box from engine heat ill need to run coolant past the engine loop heat exchanger.
Good point about the engine temp, the engine thermostat or dashboard gauge on my truck seem broken, it only goes to 40 or so C and never above. Need to look into that. But I did notice driving in -15C or approx last weekend the cab fans started to blow much cooler air on the downhill sections.. Do you have a plan for this?
palebluewanders
Active member
Yeah I remember you bought your truck suuuuuper quickly! It took us another half a year to finally settle on a truck. Crazy that that was nearly 3 years ago.
Even if the Webasto kit comes with a pump you may still want a non return valve somewhere just to make sure the flow is always in the right direction. Also if there's a situation where you want to use engine heat but not the Webastos, would it make sense to bypass the Webasto altogether?
Yes, we have a thermostatically controlled bypass in the engine loop, so if the coolant temp gets too low then it will bypass the heat exchanger when taking heat away from the engine. And when pre-heating the engine, it also limits how much heat the engine takes away from living cabin circuit by limiting flow through the heat exchanger.
Even if the Webasto kit comes with a pump you may still want a non return valve somewhere just to make sure the flow is always in the right direction. Also if there's a situation where you want to use engine heat but not the Webastos, would it make sense to bypass the Webasto altogether?
Yes, we have a thermostatically controlled bypass in the engine loop, so if the coolant temp gets too low then it will bypass the heat exchanger when taking heat away from the engine. And when pre-heating the engine, it also limits how much heat the engine takes away from living cabin circuit by limiting flow through the heat exchanger.
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
Yea, we didn't actually know what we were buying to be honest, I had tried to import a eurocargo 4x4 (amoungest other trucks) from Germany but the sellers we encountered were really hard to deal with.
Do you have a plan of this you can share including the parts used and the engine hookups you used? I am findind it really difficuly sourcing the valves I need, partly because I do not know what I need, your suggestion seems really smart!
These are the engine loops I am currently plumbed into that are connected to the boiler loop, will have to make some mounts for the furnaces here too:
Do you have a plan of this you can share including the parts used and the engine hookups you used? I am findind it really difficuly sourcing the valves I need, partly because I do not know what I need, your suggestion seems really smart!
These are the engine loops I am currently plumbed into that are connected to the boiler loop, will have to make some mounts for the furnaces here too:
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Joe917
Explorer
There is no need to bypass the Webasto units, they are designed to pass coolant when not in operation. The Webasto coolant pump will only operate when the Webasto is on. so if you want to use a plate exchanger between the camper and engine you will need the second pump.
Our system is simpler, no plate exchanger. coolant is allowed to flow around camper and engine loop, so when the engine is running the engine water pump circulates, when the vehicle is parked the Webasto pump circulates. A manual valve between the cab and cabin can isolate the two loops.
Our system is simpler, no plate exchanger. coolant is allowed to flow around camper and engine loop, so when the engine is running the engine water pump circulates, when the vehicle is parked the Webasto pump circulates. A manual valve between the cab and cabin can isolate the two loops.
Joe917
Explorer
Diagram is Italian, Basically 2 loops with the Webasto in the middle. The three radiators in the camper all have shut off valves so you can heat water with the engine without heating the camper (warm weather operation). The valve that shuts off the two circuits was electric now manual.
This simple set up allows engine pre-heat, camper heat, individual radiator heat, hot water heat or any combination. It has run flawlessly for 30 years, the only issues being Webasto related (maintenance requ'd)
This simple set up allows engine pre-heat, camper heat, individual radiator heat, hot water heat or any combination. It has run flawlessly for 30 years, the only issues being Webasto related (maintenance requ'd)
palebluewanders
Active member
We got our HVAC system designed by Thomas from https://www.fabhabs.com/ (highly, highly recommended btw!) who owns the sharing rights but I'll DM you.
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
Thanks! I like the design, esp the underfloor circuit is genius! I see its quite similar to what I have, I am working on a V2 model. Here are the most common critiques of my design and some explanations.
- Having a bypass valve for the engine loop is smart in case the engine is struggling with heat on those long cold mountain road descents, but this is also why I added a second heater, so the dedicated engine loop heater can kick in a help out, also keep us warm in the cab without the need for another air blower in there. I think ill keep my engine heater and forgo the thermostatic bypass option. On really cold days the 2 heaters can control the coolant temps and traverse both circuits.
- Both heaters have the power to heat both loops if needed with no issues, some wasted heat of course. If needed I can add one more by-pass loop from the circulation pump directly to the habitat heater, I do not think i will thou. If the coolant is not circulating in the engine loop there will not be a great deal of heat loss..
- I do not want too many valves, I can get away with one solenoid operated valve by also having 2 heaters. I'll set this as NO (normally open) and link it to my Gerbo GX relay panel. There will also be a backup 2 way valve as, umm, backup to the NO circuit end.
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
I really like how simple this is, just wanted to have some sort of separation because the height of the trucks expansion coolant tank will be lower than our radiators etc.. Isnt that an issue?
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
I see you have no additional coolant pumps, so the pumps attached to the furnaces should be enough for all the loops?