2003 Dodge Ram Van 3500 Build - Part Time Traveler

[faded1004]

okay, so it looks like 10 pics per thread post is the limit.

i also took out the headliner and tried to fix it. it was detached about 50% of the area. for a long time. when i tried to glue it again, i think i waited too long and it got all stretched out.



i thinking, if it doesn't hold... i will go ahead and tear it off and get some fancy cloth... something fun? something darker then light grey so you can't see many stains.



here is a final picture of the panel installed and hooked up. i had a little mishap where i dropped the panel and ripped out 2 grounds. but all is well now and all the cables are good. i really like how it turned out. that 1/4" baltic birch is super strong. i might add a few more screws to hold it down secure. i will have to see how i feel later.



so now that electrical is kinda done, i need to finish up the insulation in the driver cab area where i pulled in the solar wires. then pull the bed parts back into the van tonight. i am hoping to get a nice test on tuesday. we are going to go for a afternoon/overnight test at a local campground. make sure there are no major changes i need to do before progressing to other things.

over night test items:
lights - 32.5w
mini rice cooker/ steamer - 200w
charger x2 - 25w
maxxfan - 65w

over night testing issues:
sleeping areas for whole family?
humidity and ventilation problems?
water leaks anywhere?

next few steps:
put 1 wall panel up and attach monitor panels
attach inverter for testing?
front cab ceiling insulation
attach bank 2 to system

 

[faded1004]

okay, so today... i got a few good hours of sun and managed to pull in 30 AH into my battery banks according to my charge controller. according to my cheapo ebay fuel gauge style meter, i went from 60% to 95%, which later settled at around 80%



so it looks like the system is working as it should. tomorrow i am hoping to top off the banks and go out for a test camping over night trip.

when i got home from work today, i finished up my wiring bridge to the other side box. i used 2awg pure copper wire and went under the car to the other side. this will hook up both battery banks and also the inverter.

i couldn't find a mini cube fridge yet, so i threw in my office one for now. it is really big, and should get the job done. i would love to get a dometic, but budget right now doens't permit that.

i attached a wood bar to the ribs and attached some d rings to them. this should hold the fridge while i drive and when i get to my destination, i am going to move it to between the driver and passenger seats for more room.



when i get my mini cube, i want to attach d rings to the fridge too so it will hold in a bad accident.

i put in a little work into insulating the front cab ceiling area, but soon ran out of reflectix. i need to get 1 more roll to finish up the car.

next few steps:

finish front cab insulation
finish side door insulation
carpet the top of driver side box
need to get new clips for headliner so i can put it back on the van
think about how to cover walls, want to start this in 2 weeks max
start design on water tank setup so i can order parts this week and build next week.
work on cutting curtain fabric and hem in magnets by next week

possible addons:
i kinda want some type of rug in the middle area. i put a movers blanket and even walking around on that barefoot felt nice.
organizational tray on top of fridge out of wood? cup holder and 20pcs nugget box holder?

 

[Desert Dan]

Nice build.
I like the versatility and that you can still use if for hauling.

 

[TRDFAN]

great work so far. thanks for posting all your progress!

 

[faded1004]

Nice build.
I like the versatility and that you can still use if for hauling.

oh yea, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when you use things for multiple uses...

great work so far. thanks for posting all your progress!

oh yea, your welcome. but this is for me... i wanna look back at this an enjoy the build when it comes time to reminisce... all the hard work that went into it. okay, may be alittle to show what other people can try also. enjoy!

okay, so here is another update!!!!

i took the van out to a 1 night over night test!!! it was very successful!!! i have a few things i want to work on. but over all... no major issues.

from the start... uhm... well, it has been very cloudy, rainy, and gloomy ever since i installed my solar. i pulled in 20ah yesterday so i started the trip at about 75% battery capacity according to my meter. i tested the fridge the night before for a few hours testing for overload issues and also if the fridge actually worked. it was an old fridge i had at my work and didn't even knew if it worked.

everything worked the way i wanted it to. in place of the water tank below the bed i threw in the fire wood, folding chairs, and some clothes in a low profile plastic box.



baby was comfy and i had plenty of room for her sleeping area. i am glad she still uses crib cause there were alot of things she might bump into if sleeping on the floor. i thought, may be when she doesn't want it any more, i can move to the floor and the girls can sleep on the bed?



the campsite was very nice. hard to remember exactly how it was since i haven't been here in so long. but just being out here was really nice. very short, but nice.



roads were curvy so i took my time. this place is only about 1 hour and some away from where i live. once we got above the clouds, weather was just amazingly perfect.



space was plenty. of course fridge was more then enough, i just needed room for some meats and a few drinks and the carton of milk for the baby. i was able to run the 325w rice cooker one cycle and keep the fridge on all night with out any issues. dinner was just amazing. i think when i camp, i eat better then 80% of my meals when i am home! not sure if you guys experience that phenomenon also?



so at the end of the trip, around 7am... the battery bank (4 x 75ah optima bluetop @24v) was down to about 52%. i think if i get the cube mini fridge i wanted, i can save some power there and when i add the other 4 batteries i planned... i should have plenty for a full weekend with out stressing about sun light charging. i am keeping in mind also, if i were to turn the inverter off, the voltage will jump up alittle also. the goal here is to try and make it through a weekend with minimal sun dependency. that would be ideal.



i hope to return soon and get more then just one evening here... weather was good, lots of shade. that had running water spouts, but bathrooms were really dirty as usual. i need to get a plan for a toilet soon. it would help us out alot in the future if this traveling takes off.



for our first trip, we used about 3-4g of water for various cooking, drinking, and cleaning. i am estimating my thought for 21g is good to start with and plans for 42g will be perfect!

things i want to prepare for the next trip i forgot:
bring dang memory card in the camera! i had to use my phone for pics the whole time.
bring walkie talkie charger


next few steps:
continue work on front cab ceiling insulation
plan out water tank setup
think about wall coverings
think about ceiling coverings
carpet the other box

 

[Shocker]

Great build! Thanks especially for the insulation pics. It helps me greatly with the plan for my rig.

What has been your fuel economy?

 

[fog cutter]

fantastic. good fortune to you and your family.

 

[faded1004]

Great build! Thanks especially for the insulation pics. It helps me greatly with the plan for my rig.

What has been your fuel economy?

i am glad it helped get the brainstorm juices flowing. also, misc tips... clean the walls before adhesive. use super 90, the regular one didn't have enough strength in my curved wall application. the ones were i used the regular 3m spray came off with in a day. make sure to spray both sides, wait until tacky, then mate together. it really enhances the holding power. my ceiling panels are solid since i practiced on the walls first.

so when i started this, i started to daily drive my van. for the sole cause to check mileage before and after.

so before, empty mostly with just the a few things here and there. may be 60lbs of misc straps and goodies. i got 17mpg across the last 3 tanks. this was slowly being loaded up with wood and stuff. very happy with that. but my dreams are still of getting a diesel shorty van.

i only made 1 trip and it took less then 1 notch on the gauge so, i don't know the "fully loaded" yet. by the end of next month, i am planning a trip to big sur area (about 4.5 hours each way with a little travel on PCH to the campground). i will post fuel mileage then. cause it will be very comparable to being fully loaded for trips. and i will be very conscious about that.

fantastic. good fortune to you and your family.

thank you, we got 1 or 2 more surgeries planned at the end of october, so we should be able to get in a few trips before then. for now, energy levels are up and that last trip wasn't too tiresome. the dirty toilet was the only problem. so it looks like i need to work on a plan for the toilet while i do the water tank next week in preparation for the next trip. i think once i get those 2 things planned and squared away... it will be open season on family fun time.

------------------------

updates, yesterday and today, i have been trying to get a handle on a few things:

i repaired (kinda with creases) the headliner, but the dealer says, the pop pins are all discontinued!!!! so i am not sure how i am going to put it back on. i am going to search today online to find a replacement if possible. which it should be.



i found the actual fridge i want to get. haier 1.7 which will go between the 2 front seats. easy for me to hop over it to enter the rear of the van with out going outside. southern california edision is having a rebate for the fridge too. so i buy it for 88 (use lowes card for 5% off) and get 35 back. not bad and right on my budget i planned for a brand new fridge! woohoo. since it is so short, i was thinking also, gluing a wood panel, raised... so i can put a few things on top... box of 20pcs chicken nuggets, a slot for the sauce, and a hole for my phone? may be also my... camera? like, think organizer. i was laying in bed, thinking... that would be cool...



incase anyone is looking for a similar setup, you can go here to https://www.sce.com/wps/portal/home/residential/rebates-savings/rebates/!ut/p/b1/hc9NC4JAEAbg39LBY-7okh_dNhBbkcS00r2Ehm2CuqKW9O-z8BKVze0dnhdmEEMRYlVyy3nS5aJKimdm2lExbLKmAVDbWhCgKzDDhavhna4NIB4A_BgC__oHxKaIr-APsNVVoM7ecr2VooKhjsC0wVo73gBCHwPFPmwCQjCANoKJIx3EeCHS18MxqVJscMSa7Jw1WSNfm2F96bq6XUogQd_3MheCF5l8EqUE3yoX0XYoepeoLiPI6Zyl9372AOPHzEg!/dl4/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?from=rebates

and look for "ENERGY STAR® Certified Refrigerator Rebate", you can search which ones are valid and stuff. there is also a list for the 75$ rebate for bigger fridges. so even if you dont' use it in a van, you can take advantage of it for your house or something.

i found the pex style push fittings are best at lowes. they offer all plastic ones that are light and easy to use. also cheaper then the nice copper ones. which should be plenty for my application.



here is the rough plan for my water pallet module, tank is 9" tall, with 2.5" pallet... should fit like a glove! everythign else will lay flat on a pallet. (pallet i am goign to make, 1/2 inch ply wood board solid, with 2x4 and 1x2 for fork holders? regular pallet is too much wasted space. and i can be careful to get it in and out. the position for "optional tank #2" will be my firewood holding area until i need a second 21g tank. i love having options for upgrades!



i am going to use an old filter housing set with new filter elements. 5 micron sediment and 1 micron active carbon? i have it laying around... might as well use them?



added with a shurflo pump and most likely a eccotemp portable water heater... i should get clean drinking water and shower water where ever i go. and it will be removable when i need the van for work. this will all fit under the 13" bed clearance area.

i have also been thinking about how i am going to match any batteries from the voltages being really off. and also when i want to top off the charge from shore power. so i scored this charger off amazon for 160 and it should be enough for me to get individual batteries charged and matched, and also top off the whole system if i need to. i have one other noco, but it only goes 6v and 12v at 1.1amp... which is ridiculously slow. 26 amps will be enough to not have to wait days when i need to charge up a low cell now. so this model does 12v and 24v... so i should have all my bases covered now.

 

[faded1004]

oh man, last night was slow going. spent a good chunk researching toilets and which method to use. and at this point, i am leaning towards getting the dometic 2.5g portable toilet. easier to carry then the 5g version but more comfy then the bucket top attachment style. i really need to find a more comfortable way for my wife cause most campgrounds will not be well maintained. i don't want the toilet to be the thorn in having a fun time.

i worked on the carpet for the driver side box. i really like the carpet. i am actually thinking about staining the sides of the boxes to match the floors and calling it quits.



and wow, i don't know why, but i decided to try out the locktite brand adhesive... since it wasn't a wall or ceiling, i wanted to see if the cheaper brand would be okay. uhm, NO. it isn't the same. it doesn't come close to the over all performance of the super 90. the way it sprays, it doesn't bounce off the surface, when tacky it holds stronger, it never soaked through the carpet, and i don't have to go back and fix edges. so, i suggest... super 90 all the way.

super 90 doesn't do well with foam, so you need the covered foam insulation. most rigid insulation will be covered with plastic or foil. so just be aware of it. you can get better adhesion with regular sprays, but you need double coats... which means, 9 dollar "lower cost" can will cost 18, when super 90 costs 12? so yea... but if you are like me... try it out in test areas... i don't mind testing and stuff... much of the fun is trying new ways.



after pulling in 60ah in the last 2 days, charging stopped mid afternoon and i found that evening... i was at only 75%... so i first tried to calibrate the ebay "state of charge meter" and got the voltages to match everything as my fluke says. so now i am happy they all say the same thing now and i don't have to keep taking out the multi meter.



after checking my voltages... i noticed that my batteries were:

12.5v batt 1 string 1
12.5v batt 2 string 1
13.1v batt 1 string 2
12.0v batt 2 string 2

so i spent the whole evening charging up the last battery and today, i left only string #1 attached to see how high the voltage goes on the solar charger. i am hoping to hit 12.7 magical number. this was the battery i threw in after finding the previous battery had a very small leak (crystals around the neg terminal), and i didn't charge it to full before attaching it. totally my fault for rushing.

i also finished up the insulation in the front cab ceiling and now just need those pop pins to put the head liner back in. going to the local auto store to see if they have any compatible today.

next few steps:

equalize the batteries and make sure they get topped off
return extra bolts to homedepot that i didn't use and pick up ones i need
test out cosmetic cover idea for 1 wall(wood+carpet in middle for high contact area and carpet for the rest, hard to explain... i will show soon)
find pop pins for ceiling
pickup fridge (so far, slept on it for a few nights, and it is the right size) then add extra insulation to inside
cut rear curtains, hem with magnets

 

[philos]

Try Amazon for the missing trim retainers/clips...

http://smile.amazon.com/Gray-Plasti...1437755051&sr=8-15&keywords=plastic+trim+clip

...and you work pretty fast!

 

[faded1004]

Try Amazon for the missing trim retainers/clips...

http://smile.amazon.com/Gray-Plasti...1437755051&sr=8-15&keywords=plastic+trim+clip

...and you work pretty fast!

holy pop pins batman... those might work! mine look like that have a chubbier head (mine are 35mm and these are 26mm)... but i think it will do for now? i will order a set... good thing i have prime!

dealer and online wanted $10+ for each lame pop pin! and most say out of stock. anyways, thanks!

yes, i am trying to work fast... you know how it is... when you want something so badly... you will find the time and energy... but i do have to admit, i am making mistakes now. going on a month of working full time, spending time with baby, working on van until 2am... like just now, i am trying to figure out why my batteries are stopping charge at 12.5v, and i found... i didn't setup the battery dip switch right. 1 dip was off. so when i turned everything back on... i was charging at 6amps right away (instead of .80a). so i am hoping by tonight i will have a good charge finally.


------------------------------------

i was able to get my system to 12.7v+ average for a full charge. but not sure why it was so hard.



okay, in more efforts to find out bugs in my battery bank, i went and borrowed a battery internal resistance meter. so here are my 5 results:

batt 1 string 1
batt 2 string 1
batt 1 string 2
batt 2 string 2
spare battery

looks like there is one with abnormally higher resistance then my others. it was my battery 2 string 1 that was the problem. maybe possibly batt 1 string 2 also might be close... but not going to worry about that one right now


i am going to pull that one out and see if that helps out the system. i am also trying to setup a meeting with a guy to possibly pick up 2 more optimas for 70 each. going to test them when i meet him and see if i can get my hands on 2 with matching internal resistance so i have a bank of 6 batts. if i can score something close to my current 2.5 mOhm set... i would feel so comfy...

on a positive note... i was able to dial in my reverse camera finally. no more guessing on where the edges should be or where my bumper started. now that i layed down the wood, i know where things are now. the wood beams are 8 feet long and the ratio is correct now. 2 feet per unit on the screen.

 

[philos]

Haha, no worries.
They have LOTS more styles on Amazon, but they're not all under the same name so you have to do multiple searches sometimes to find what yer after


Sent via flux capacitor

 

[Shocker]

Thanks for the tip on the Super 90!

 

[arz]

on a positive note... i was able to dial in my reverse camera finally. no more guessing on where the edges should be or where my bumper started. now that i layed down the wood, i know where things are now. the wood beams are 8 feet long and the ratio is correct now. 2 feet per unit on the screen.

View attachment 296487

What camera is that?

 

[faded1004]

What camera is that?

http://www.amazon.com/Rear-View-Saf...71&sr=8-1&keywords=wireless+backup+camera+rvs

i got mine used... check on ebay and craigslist as they pop up every once in a while. so far this is the third system i have tried. easiest to install. okay quality of video... but over all... best so far.

plugs into lighter socket all the time. but only turns on when video signal is present. i wish it has 2 channels... but it only can handle 1. you can also turn off the assist lines.

i think people can get okay signal even with a 30ft trailer? i am only using it on the inside of my van, at most 14 feet. camera has held up well to a week of rain and 1 trip to mountains. so far so good.