Vance Vanz
Well-known member
Heating System & Auxiliary Alternator
Not the most exciting stuff, but all of the items that just consume a lot of time on the build.
I needed to finalize how I was going to route and support the ¾” x two coolant hoses from the engine compartment to the very back of the camper (for the Rixen System). Not too difficult running down the chassis frame, but in the engine compartment was a different story. I wanted the runs as short as possible and the lines out of the way as much as possible (so servicing anything/everything in the engine compartment didn’t become a problem as a result of the lines being in the way/needing to be drained and removed). The simplest and cleanest way (I decided), was across the top of the firewall. I will also be routing all of the electrical for the aftermarket items/upfitter switches along this same path.
Rather than try and hang everything off of the factory plastic, I decided to use some of the existing studs on the fire wall and add two more mounting points. Everything will be thoroughly supported/hard-ish mounted to the fire wall.
I had to pull up the factory plastic (below the windshield/above the firewall) to make sure the rivnuts would not interfere with the wipers. Plenty of room back there, but getting a rivnut tool to fit required some disassembly of the air intake fittings/lines.
Dry fitting the hoses across and squeezing in one last (soon to be fabricated) bracket so the lines avoid all of the steering, exhaust, suspension and route cleanly toward the chassis frame and under the cab. (I know that this is a large nut, for a few threads on the steering housing, but this is a dry fit for templating purposes. I'll have more threads for the nut when everything gets installed 😁
).
Getting the angle juuuuuust right on the bracket, and to fit/lock against the housing (anti-rotational lock) took a couple of tries.
Here is the SS iso valve I will install in the engine to plate exchanger loop. I will wire it to one of my upfitter switches (NO valve). It will allow me to stop flow to/in the loop during the winter, when it is super cold. This way all of the factory engine loop heat stays in the factory loop when I energize the valve. After the truck has warmed up and it is toasty in the cab/windows defrosted, I can de-energize the valve and allow the Rixen/Free heat loop to flow.
Not a huge issue/deal, but in my campervan I hated getting in the truck after a cold day of skiing/mountaineering and it taking forever for the cab to get warm because all of my heat was getting lost in the loop all the way to the back of the van 🥶.
Part of the jumping around process on all of these various random projects included accounting for everything that will need to be mounted in, and/or ran through, the engine compartment and cab. I wanted to account for every aftermarket item and system that enters/exits the engine compartment and cab, so I could consolidate all of my lines and wiring. I want everything to route together and to do it in one shot. This is why there is a lot of random dryfitting and jumping around. The final install will be clean and cohesive. The dry fit everything and put it back on the shelf process is getting old though 😵💫...............
In addition to the process above, I'm also accounting for all of my electrical runs and needed terminals, so I can size all of my wire and make, hopefully, just ONE purchase. Saving some cash on ordering all of my wire and terminals, in one shot, is going to be needed as this beast of a build is getting beastly expensive.
Last shake down on the layout, mounting, routing and wiring before everything gets installed for the auxiliary alternator. Making sure I have EVERYTHING I need.
Not the most exciting stuff, but all of the items that just consume a lot of time on the build.
I needed to finalize how I was going to route and support the ¾” x two coolant hoses from the engine compartment to the very back of the camper (for the Rixen System). Not too difficult running down the chassis frame, but in the engine compartment was a different story. I wanted the runs as short as possible and the lines out of the way as much as possible (so servicing anything/everything in the engine compartment didn’t become a problem as a result of the lines being in the way/needing to be drained and removed). The simplest and cleanest way (I decided), was across the top of the firewall. I will also be routing all of the electrical for the aftermarket items/upfitter switches along this same path.
Rather than try and hang everything off of the factory plastic, I decided to use some of the existing studs on the fire wall and add two more mounting points. Everything will be thoroughly supported/hard-ish mounted to the fire wall.
I had to pull up the factory plastic (below the windshield/above the firewall) to make sure the rivnuts would not interfere with the wipers. Plenty of room back there, but getting a rivnut tool to fit required some disassembly of the air intake fittings/lines.
Dry fitting the hoses across and squeezing in one last (soon to be fabricated) bracket so the lines avoid all of the steering, exhaust, suspension and route cleanly toward the chassis frame and under the cab. (I know that this is a large nut, for a few threads on the steering housing, but this is a dry fit for templating purposes. I'll have more threads for the nut when everything gets installed 😁
).Getting the angle juuuuuust right on the bracket, and to fit/lock against the housing (anti-rotational lock) took a couple of tries.
Here is the SS iso valve I will install in the engine to plate exchanger loop. I will wire it to one of my upfitter switches (NO valve). It will allow me to stop flow to/in the loop during the winter, when it is super cold. This way all of the factory engine loop heat stays in the factory loop when I energize the valve. After the truck has warmed up and it is toasty in the cab/windows defrosted, I can de-energize the valve and allow the Rixen/Free heat loop to flow.
Not a huge issue/deal, but in my campervan I hated getting in the truck after a cold day of skiing/mountaineering and it taking forever for the cab to get warm because all of my heat was getting lost in the loop all the way to the back of the van 🥶.
Part of the jumping around process on all of these various random projects included accounting for everything that will need to be mounted in, and/or ran through, the engine compartment and cab. I wanted to account for every aftermarket item and system that enters/exits the engine compartment and cab, so I could consolidate all of my lines and wiring. I want everything to route together and to do it in one shot. This is why there is a lot of random dryfitting and jumping around. The final install will be clean and cohesive. The dry fit everything and put it back on the shelf process is getting old though 😵💫...............
In addition to the process above, I'm also accounting for all of my electrical runs and needed terminals, so I can size all of my wire and make, hopefully, just ONE purchase. Saving some cash on ordering all of my wire and terminals, in one shot, is going to be needed as this beast of a build is getting beastly expensive.
Last shake down on the layout, mounting, routing and wiring before everything gets installed for the auxiliary alternator. Making sure I have EVERYTHING I need.
