2003 Mitsubushi FG Overland Camper Renovation

[PaulJensen]

20

(above) The shower sink base gets the first, generous, coat of epoxy in and out...I will also fiberglass the entire outside before adding a thin, stone top...

(above) Temporary placement in the rough shower...

(above) Kitchen wall cabinet with face frame, still needing final sanding...

(above) Wall cabinet behind shower installed... Doors will cover the opening...

(above) Kitchen base cabinet side panel installed...It is 1/4" ply with veneer...

(above) The lower cabinet face frame is biscuit joined together...More to do, later...

(above) There will be two cutting boards...One is a simple friction fit, pull-out on the right side of the sink...The other is the stove cover that will be flush with the stainless steel countertop... VG fir I am awash in... I have a huge stack of 1x3 x 19" window company throw-outs...Gorgeous stuff...
The edges were made square, then slotted for splines...

(above) Days end and the first cutting board is clamped for the night...

 

[PaulJensen]

20

(above) Kitchen wall cabinet hung...

(above) Another fir slab is glued and clamped... They are turning out so good that the cabinet doors will be all VG fir...I got so much...

(above) Ken wanted opinions on what do to protect that stuff...

(above) Another view...

(above) Well...???...

 

[k9lestat]

How bout some type rack with solid top that let the solid sheet section slide off the side to reveal the panels and the becomes a hard top awning.

 

[njtacoma]

[QUOTE

(above) Well...???...[/QUOTE]

My first thought was, "Wow can't wait to see what elegant solution Paul comes up with!"

All I can think is aluminum rack or some sort to keep weight down and keep them from being ripped off by branches.

 

[screwball48]

What about an angled aluminum framework made from 80/20 extrusion located front and rear with fiberglas poles (tent pole style) connected between them. The framework would deflect branches up and they could slide along the poles over the panels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pugslyyy]

Well the issue is you want the panels exposed all the time, ideally. I think damage by a strike from above is pretty unlikely. It's being hit from the front that you need to avoid.

This solution has worked well for us (as in no panels broken since installation) -

 

[Haf-E]

I think that there should be a guard on the forward edge of the solar array that keeps branches and cables from getting UNDER the solar array - that could result in a real mess if that happened. A branch brushing or even hitting the front glass of the solar panel probably wouldn't cause any damage. The air gap under the solar module is good to have but it being open on the front edge is risky.

 

[mcc272]

Deflectors on the Front & Sides

I am wrestling with the same questions for the installation of 2x160W solar panels on a Northern Lite 10-2 CD SE. In my case the branch snagging gap is greater as my panels are going on to aluminum bars running for and aft on the roof rack so no penetrations of the fiberglas shell will be required. The panels will be on the right side of the camper with one forward and the other immediately behind it. The cable will feed through the fridge vent. Given that my rig is tall, although the panels will be several inches lower than the roof mount AC, I am worried about a branch going into the front or side gap and ripping everything off the roof. The solution that I am seriously considering is front and side deflectors. They would be made of Lexan or some similar UV resistant polycarbonate. The deflector would have an angle in it and be fastened between the panel and the mounting feet so that the bolt would go through the foot, the Lexan and thence into the panel frame. The Lexan would have an angle. One surface would be parallel to the panel. The angle would be under the outer edge of the panel where the Lexan would slope down to the camper shell/roof hitting it outboard of the edge of the panel by an inch or so. The lower edge would rest on the roof and be held in place by a strip of Eternabond tape to keep it from rising due to air flow.

I have not yet installed the panels as I am working through design issues and installation issues including relocation of the battery bank to accommodate larger batteries prior to ordering panels. However, what is described above is my working solution to the tree branch rip off problem. Perhaps the concept will be useful to Paul & Ken. Feedback, suggestions, and especially improvements would be most welcome.

 

[k9lestat]

What about expanded aluminum on the sides,aluminum frame and solid deflector up front.

 

[westyss]

I think that there should be a guard on the forward edge of the solar array that keeps branches and cables from getting UNDER the solar array - that could result in a real mess if that happened. A branch brushing or even hitting the front glass of the solar panel probably wouldn't cause any damage. The air gap under the solar module is good to have but it being open on the front edge is risky.

Thats what I would say too! From some extensive experience in the trees I saw the need to ramp the approach and have roof sliders to deflect the branches upward away from the panels, in your application filling in the gaps so that a continuous flow from branches dragging along would be good too.

 

[mcc272]

That is Basically What I Am Talking About

Westyss -- That is basically what I am talking about. Ramps on the side and the front so that if a branch hits, it slide up and over rather than getting between the underside of the panel and the roof where it can do a great amount of damage. I think that the side of the panel exposed to the side of the truck is an area of vulnerability as well. Basically, if a stout branch gets under the front or the side and the vehicle proceeds forward, there is the potential for some serious damage. It is reassuring to see that someone else has thought it through and gone in the same direction.

 

[screwball48]

You could always use PVC pipe cut into quarters and fiberglasses over a sub frame to make a limb guard. Something similar to the bottom portion of the upper cabinets in the last Hiscox sprinter.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PaulJensen]

I was thinking of something like that...

Glass and epoxy is easy, or just get a large diameter plastic pipe and cut that for the shields...

 

[garybo]

Since the roof hasn't needed any protection visiting 40+ countries, why now? Don't forget that one has to get up on the cabin roof by stepping up first onto the cab roof and then crawling onto the cabin roof. There is no rear ladder. Any raised obstruction on the front of the cabin roof will hinder getting on top.

 

[PaulJensen]

1`

(above) 3/4" x 19" fir, sorted...

(above) Boards for specific doors, edges squared, slots and splines cut, glued and clamped...
That there, is a lot of work.

(above) Typical clamping scheme...

(above) The lid for the shower was table built....
1/8" ply w/veneer, poly-U'd to a clean ceiling, then perimeter nailed...
Pressure fit in the middle...

(above) Back in the main cabinet,
with all the ceiling/wall edges close to complete,
it was finally time to finish paneling the ceiling...
Hammered aluminum, leftover from another job...

(above) The speaker triangles were veneer backed with high-strength-pressure-sensitive-adhesive sheeting...
Good stuff if not going porous on porous...
Pressure fit...
Easy...

(above) Felt so good to start the ceiling trim...
1/2 " x 1.25" ply with 1/2" x 3/4" cedar under it...

(above) Compound angles...
Hand cut...

Much more to come...