For waste water I would use one of those collapsible 5 gallon Coleman containers they sell at walmart. That way I don't muck up a rotopax and can replace it cheaply if it gets too foul.
Barn Door for JK factory hardtops
- Thread starter jscherb
- Start date
For waste water I would use one of those collapsible 5 gallon Coleman containers they sell at walmart. That way I don't muck up a rotopax and can replace it cheaply if it gets too foul.
unkamonkey
Explorer
It's much easier to carry 2 containers, one in each hand as I keeps you in a position for better balance.
jgaz
Adventurer
I like the 2.5 gallon can mounted on the side of the fridge. As has been pointed out it's easier (for me at least) to handle 2x2.5 gal containers instead of 1, 5 gal can. I also like the ease of exchanging an empty can for a full unit. Right now I use a pair of 2.5 MWCs and just install a spigot on which ever can I'm using. The thin design of the Rubican might make me rethink my current set up.
Gravity fed has always been fine with me and the simple set up I'm using now. I've always used a dishpan instead of a sink and don't know if I'd really care to try a sink with the necessary extra plumbing and waste water can.
I'm really impressed with the amount of counter space you've designed into your kitchen. It's great that fact really does allow for a sink option for those that would want one.
When your design hits the market I hope the vendor allows for a “pick your options” purchase plan.
On the subject of your power panel. I think the plug and play option is great for many people. However, for off road or even over the road, I would like to see one of the cigarette lighter plug sockets replaced with a bulkhead mounted Anderson Power Pole receptacle. Even if your potential customer doesn't know it yet, they really would benefit from the Anderson connection as opposed to a cigarette lighter plug. I have both harnessses for my Engel and much prefer the reliability of the Anderson harness.
Gravity fed has always been fine with me and the simple set up I'm using now. I've always used a dishpan instead of a sink and don't know if I'd really care to try a sink with the necessary extra plumbing and waste water can.
I'm really impressed with the amount of counter space you've designed into your kitchen. It's great that fact really does allow for a sink option for those that would want one.
When your design hits the market I hope the vendor allows for a “pick your options” purchase plan.
On the subject of your power panel. I think the plug and play option is great for many people. However, for off road or even over the road, I would like to see one of the cigarette lighter plug sockets replaced with a bulkhead mounted Anderson Power Pole receptacle. Even if your potential customer doesn't know it yet, they really would benefit from the Anderson connection as opposed to a cigarette lighter plug. I have both harnessses for my Engel and much prefer the reliability of the Anderson harness.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Shouldn't be too hard for someone to add a filter to the setup. Do you have a filter recommendation? If so I can make sure I accommodate that in the design.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
My gravity feed prototype works very well, and having the water source in a thin Rubican (or Rotopax) on the side of the fridge that works with gravity is very convenient. If all I was designing for was a sink to replace a dishpan, I probably wouldn't include a pump in the design, but by adding a pump a bunch of things are gained - flexibility in the placement of the water source, and additional applications are possible, such as a shower and a hose with reasonable pressure for washing off the Jeep or the dog.
Thanks - counter space was a key design requirement for me. None of the frige slides I've seen on the market seem to have enough space for really preparing a meal, seems like you pretty much have to carry a separate table in the Jeep to have enough space for meal prep. I wanted to make sure the kitchen had enough space without having to carry an extra table.
Definitely, I already have discussed that with them and they are on board. Probably something like this:
Base system: Fridge slide and drawer/table that slides out from underneath the fridge. No-drill installation in JK and JKU Wranglers
Options:
- Fold-down side counter. The base system would provide some counter space on top of the drawer, but this option provides the full counter space of the design. I figure it should be an option because some people may not want or need so much counter space.
- Side Molle/Rotopax/Rubican mounting panel. Optional if you want to carry water on the side of the kitchen as I do or if you want the Molle capacity.
- Sink. Requires the Fold-down side counter option, and replaces one of the panels of that counter with a sink panel. Includes a sink, faucet, pump and appropriate hoses. May include replacement cap for Rotopax containers which includes a water hose output, depending on what the decisions is for the default water source.
- Shower. Includes hose and shower head. Probably requires sink option but perhaps could come with the pump for people who don't want a sink but do want a shower. I'm currently exploring various ways of heating the water, I'm open to suggestions.
- Hose/sprayer. For washing the Jeep or the dog. Requires the sink option.
- Power panel. If all you're using is the fridge, you can plug that into the power outlet in the back of the JKU, or arrange your own outlet in the back of a JK. The power panel is plug-and-play (3 connections to the Jeep, no splicing), and my current design thinking is that it includes 2 power outlets, 2 USB outlets and an LED voltmeter and ammeter. Circuit provides for the fridge to run off a second battery when the Jeep is not running and off the Jeep's power when the Jeep is running; the fridge battery gets recharged when the Jeep is running. Can also be used without a second battery if all you want are the outlets and you want to run the fridge off your main battery (or if you already have a dual battery setup). Of the two outlets, one is constant power (for the fridge), the second outlet can be configured as constant or switched power.
I'm trying to keep the panel as small as possible - if there is a small footprint option for those connectors, like something that could fit in the space of a cigarette lighter plug socket, if would be easy to swap one of the outlets for a Power Pole receptacle. I'll check to see what style receptacles are available, but if you have a suggestion send it my way and I'll see what I can do.
Thanks for the very helpful input!
jeff
There are far better ones out there but I use https://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-Water-Filter-with-Hose/14504321 off of my aev bumper but that is because I already have water hose fittings coming off of the tank and it is easily sourced. I am sure others will chime in with better ones.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Perfect. Several of the spigots I'm looking at have garden-hose style connections so that one would connect right up.
Dan Grec
Expedition Leader
I have a Pura UV 0.5 micron filter with a built-in UV lamp. It's not cheap, though it has been flawless through West Africa. Knowing I have safe drinking water is a must, so I wouldn't change it for the world any time I venture out of North America.
-Dan
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Thanks Dan. That unit appears to have 1/2 NPT input and output ports, so it would be simple to interface it to the Trail Kitchen sink plumbing - the pump uses 3/8" ID tubing, so using 3/8 barb fittings with 1/2 NPT threads would be all that's needed to connect it.
jgaz
Adventurer
Sir, The following is a suggestion for an option to replace a cigarette lighter socket with an Anderson Powerpole receptacle in your proposed power panel
https://powerwerx.com/panelpole-panel-mount-powerpole-housing
https://powerwerx.com/panelpole-panel-mount-powerpole-housing
I used that for my charge inputs on my little solar battery pack. Perfect for this. I wish you could replace everything with power poles but the universe uses the cig lighter type plugs. They do have an adapter though.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Thank you very much for the link. Mechanically that's a direct swap for the outlets I've been using, perfect.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
I've been testing several pumps to understand their behavior and capabilities before I design the mounting for the pump. I've got a test set up by the kitchen sink consisting of a 5 liter Rubican as a water supply, a power supply with clip leads to power the pump, and both a spigot and a hose nozzle to test flow and pressure.
I'm waiting on two spigots to come, but here's a test with a hose nozzle connected. The pump has an integrated demand switch, so when I start water flowing the pump turns on and when I stop the water the pump turns off - you can hear the pump starting and stopping.
Conclusion so far - these pumps provide plenty of pressure and flow. I never doubted they would be adequate for the sink, but the stream from the hose nozzle was better than I expected. The on-demand pump cycling works very well.
I've got another pump to test, but the specs are very similar to this one so I expect similar results. Hopefully will also have a spigot or two tomorrow to test with. More videos to come.
Also, I'll be on the lookout for a low-flow shower head to experiment with. Based on the specs, the flow should be fine for one of today's low-flow heads. Still thinking about how to heat the water. If there's enough rack space, putting the container on the roof in the sun will warm it up pretty nicely - I've got plenty of room on my rack even with the tent up there, but that may not be true for everyone so if anyone has any alternate water-warming ideas let me know.
I'm waiting on two spigots to come, but here's a test with a hose nozzle connected. The pump has an integrated demand switch, so when I start water flowing the pump turns on and when I stop the water the pump turns off - you can hear the pump starting and stopping.
Conclusion so far - these pumps provide plenty of pressure and flow. I never doubted they would be adequate for the sink, but the stream from the hose nozzle was better than I expected. The on-demand pump cycling works very well.
I've got another pump to test, but the specs are very similar to this one so I expect similar results. Hopefully will also have a spigot or two tomorrow to test with. More videos to come.
Also, I'll be on the lookout for a low-flow shower head to experiment with. Based on the specs, the flow should be fine for one of today's low-flow heads. Still thinking about how to heat the water. If there's enough rack space, putting the container on the roof in the sun will warm it up pretty nicely - I've got plenty of room on my rack even with the tent up there, but that may not be true for everyone so if anyone has any alternate water-warming ideas let me know.
Comanche Scott
Expedition Leader
Whoah! 
I saw that first picture, and all I could think of was Breaking Bad...
On demand pumps are definitely the better choice (imo).
I saw that first picture, and all I could think of was Breaking Bad...
On demand pumps are definitely the better choice (imo).