C5500 TopKick 4x4 Crew Cab Build

[dwh]

What generator are you going with? I'll tell ya, I have seen numerous demos for those Fischer-Panda gen sets, and I'm always impressed with how quiet they are...

I would suggest that anyone seriously considering a Fisher-Panda generator should read this detailed report from a real-world user.

http://www.sailwhisper.com/logs/news_20080225.php


I believe Doug Hackney's generator was built by these guys:

http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/


His gen is basically the UC 1-3.5 described here, which can be had in several variations including UCR (RV) and UCM (marine):

http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/Info/Support/NextGenFlyer.pdf


It's a 300cc Kubota horizontal single cylinder diesel engine, water cooled with electric start and a beefy flywheel, using off the shelf parts like a Bosch starter and injector, Racor filter and Goodyear belt; Coupled to a Markon (Cummins) alternator:

http://www.cumminsgeneratortechnologies.com/en/products/markon/b105/


Net result is a generator rated for 3.5kw continuous, but can easily handle surges up to 5kw due to the engine flywheel momentum and the beefy over-sized alternator.

The engine only runs at 2800 rpm (by using pulleys sized to spin the alternator at 3600), and only draws .2 (average) - .4 (max) gallons per hour of fuel to do it.



Absolutely gorgeous. What a little beauty of a generator. I think I'm in love. Yes, it weighs 160 lbs. - as far as I'm concerned, it's worth every ounce. It'll last forever - hell the engine's bloody break-in period is 500 hours! I think that's about what Doug said he had on his after a year and a half.

Note: In his description under the image here:

http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/photos/buildup_album_16/image008.htm

Doug says the gen puts out "modified sine wave"...

No, I don't think so. I think Doug typoed that.

Inverters can put out MSW, but synchronous (non-inverter, constant RPM) type generators put out pure sine wave. Looking at the manual for the marine version of this unit:

http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/Info/Support/UCM1-35.pdf

The voltage is regulated by a capacitor, and the frequency is regulated by RPM.

That is a synchronous generator. If that thing puts out MSW then I'll turn in my hardhat and lineman's pliers.

 

[Riptide]

I would suggest that anyone seriously considering a Fisher-Panda generator should read this detailed report from a real-world user.

http://www.sailwhisper.com/logs/news_20080225.php

Pretty hard to argue with that, huh? Thanks for that - always good to hear good and bad reports.

 

[NeverEnough]

If that thing puts out MSW then I'll turn in my hardhat and lineman's pliers.

Sounds like you should be over at the shop helping out DWH! I'll buy you a plane ticket.

That is a very cool setup. And 160lbs would be hard to beat from the options I explored. The QP40 wieghs 170lbs with its sound enclosure. With the steel-lined box and additional mounting assembly parts the installation will top out around 210lbs. Only time will tell if it's tough enough to get the job done.

 

[dwh]

Sounds like you should be over at the shop helping out DWH! I'll buy you a plane ticket.

Hahaha! Room and board included? The last time I accepted an offer like that, I ended up working at (and living at) The Moonlite Bunny Ranch for 6 months.

Talk about perks! (Or should I say "perkies"?)

That is a very cool setup. And 160lbs would be hard to beat from the options I explored. The QP40 wieghs 170lbs with its sound enclosure. With the steel-lined box and additional mounting assembly parts the installation will top out around 210lbs. Only time will tell if it's tough enough to get the job done.

I think the Generac will be fine, and since you've already got gasoline onboard...why not.

I would bet that it also cost half what Doug's cost. I think his goes for something like 5 grand. Which seems like a lot, but if you consider it's got the same Kubota engine as the Fisher-Panda and costs half what the FP costs...not a bad deal really.

Especially for a long range overlander; Not only is it hell for stout, but I really like that it's field serviceable using fairly common off the shelf parts.

 

[NeverEnough]

The last time I accepted an offer like that, I ended up working at (and living at) The Moonlite Bunny Ranch for 6 months.

You mean here?

That's the only bunny ranching that goes on in Utah.:sombrero:

 

[dwh]

That'd be a helluva ride. I'd hate to have to tote the carrots to feed that thing though...

 

[K2ZJ]

Alright, I gave you two weeks! Wheres the update?

 

[Ford Prefect]

^^^

HA HA

What a crack up!

Love it, also waiting...

Cheers

 

[NeverEnough]

Alright, I gave you two weeks! Wheres the update?

Sorry to neglect my posting duties. It's been a little busy at home, work, and travel. I just got back from another shake-down trip, taking a group of 48 youth and adults on a biking/rafting/hiking trip in the San Rafael Swell. Nice to have a truck that I can load up with rafts and 20 kayaks! (The San Rafael River was at 1860 cfs when we floated it, almost a record!). The trailer worked great, even though the bathroom and galley aren't finished inside, and the solar panels still have to be mounted. It can hold an amazing amound of gear and it pulls great.

I actually had a little trouble with the truck on the way down- several instances of belching white/blue smoke and losing power for several seconds. I stopped in Green River and replaced the fuel filter (which had just been replaced during a dealer service in late April) and had no further trouble. I was able to induce the problem again a few miles from home by stomping on the throttle on a very steep grade, so I'll take it in tomorrow to see what the computer says. My guess is that I've got a fuel supply problem, since the only thing that's been messed with is the fuel tanks since the last trip (and the 4wd selector switch).

The camper is moving along. The electricians are just about wrapped up. It's amazing how much wire I had to buy.

Here's a shot of the electrical closet in all it's glory.

It contains the AC/DC distribution panel, inverter (not shown at the bottom), converter (for redundancy), transfer switch, charge controller, main distribution/disconnect panel (solar, generator, shore power, batteries), and ALS boxes (prioritizes and sheds AC loads to allow a 30AMP configuration).

We also got to install and test the main jacks last week. Here's a shot of the front jacks. Each front jack can be pulled out to the side 12" to allow the truck to be backed in under the camper. The jacks have a 30" power stroke and 26" drop legs.

This is a shot of the first lift of the entire camper body off of the subframe. It takes about 45 seconds to lift the camper clear of the frame. The camper body was perfectly solid, even perched on 4 relatively skinny legs.

So while most aspects of the build have gone according to plan, we've run into one snag that is requiring some considerable time and attention. The coating material (Scorpion), which was subjected to extensive "small scale" testing, is not behaving as expected. We're having trouble with consistency in color, hardness, and adhesion, despite going to great lengths to be consistent with the substrate and material preparation, as well as the application method. The door and the body were coated with the EXACT same mix and prepared in the exact same manner, and neither was exposed to UV before this shot was taken. I actually decided to strip the coating from the slide-out bodies until we get it figured out. At a minimum, the trailer will have to be over-coated.

Another challenge has been the door/compartment hardware. Trimark has ZERO documentation for their product configurations. So fiddling around with that stuff has also created some delays.

I promised my family that we'd keep our adventure schedule going even if the camper isn't finished, so we're off to Lake Powell this week. I'm looking forward to a big progress update when I get back.

 

[K2ZJ]

It's great to see that thing out and about!

 

[Ford Prefect]

Wow, the paint is nuts. I would love to hear what you find out about that.

I also love the extendable jack stands. That is a really good call IMHO. Can you tell me, though, how concerned are you about the distance increasing the weight? IE the increase of the moment arm will doubtless increase the torque placed on the extensions. This should not concern the jack, nor the body of the camper, but the extension should be fairly strong to hold it, no? Wow that came out feeling rather long-winded, sorry.

So the plan is to keep the bed of the truck demountable as well then? IE remove the bed and put on the camper and visa versa?

 

[NeverEnough]

I also love the extendable jack stands. That is a really good call IMHO. Can you tell me, though, how concerned are you about the distance increasing the weight? IE the increase of the moment arm will doubtless increase the torque placed on the extensions. This should not concern the jack, nor the body of the camper, but the extension should be fairly strong to hold it, no? Wow that came out feeling rather long-winded, sorry.

So the plan is to keep the bed of the truck demountable as well then? IE remove the bed and put on the camper and visa versa?

The jacks are way over-kill for the load, as is the entire frame/connection setup. Every bolt goes all the way through the steel, aluminum, the body, and an internal backing plate. The extensions are steel tube and the setup is a knock-off of what the upfitter uses on crane trucks.

The bed of the truck can be removed when needed, and it only takes about 20 minutes, but it will probably only come off in order to service something or to modify the bed itself. We had it in the shop for a few weeks to make sure the camper fit appropriately, etc. etc.

 

[NeverEnough]

A little bit here, a little bit there...

Between my travel schedule and my brother having to go offline for a big project last month, it's been slow going. I've also been enjoying some of the woes of prototyping, including a fairly serious re-engineer of the "big" slide mechanism on the camper. I had originally designed it to "roll out" onto a ramp, but thought it would be cool to cantilever the damn thing for demployment, then drop stabilization jacks. Attempt one failed, attempt two came close, and next week I'll find out if three's the charm. If not, I'll go back to the original, unsexy design.

The trailer is finally getting it's finishing touches. Here's a shot of the 3 185 watt panels installed on the roof, complete with dirty rain spots from a dusty thunderstorm this week.

You can also see the two Fantastic Fans (one over the bathroom and the other above the galley area) and the waste water vent stack.

The trailer has two propane appliances: A Wave 6 catalytic heater and a SMEV stove. Both are installed and working perfectly.

You'll notice the 120VAC and 12VDC outlets on the wall. I've mounted both throughout the camper and the trailer for easy access to both AC and DC power.

While the interior color scheme is almost identical for both rigs, I stuck with a simple laminate counter for the galley in the trailer, as well as a simple stainless sink and less expensive faucet.

The SMEV, like most european caravan stoves, has a very nice flush cover to maximize counter space. I'm not sure why US manufacturers haven't figured this out yet.

I'm looking forward to testing out the new Drainmaster "trapless" traps. The have rave reviews, so I'm not too worried. And they save space, but I wanted a plunger drain so I added the drop.

I've also decided to have almost no rigid plumbing except where ablsolutely required. All of the runs and most of the fittings are flexible, and everything has been strapped and anchored. My hope is that I won't have to worry about cracked fittings, something I've had to deal with many times in the past.

Here's the camper's galley countertop. Moen fixture, Blanco Silgranit sink, and a Spinflo Triplex range. The photo doesn't really show off the custom solid-surface countertop, which is actually honey-comb cored, making it very light.

And the bathroom sink and countertop (the flash made the color look different from the galley, but they're identical):

Just a few more strands of wire, a little more plumbing, and the ceiling and wall paneling will go on. All the LED light fixtures FINALLY arrived today, so we can finish up the electrical on the camper.

 

[thetonka]

Couple of questions if you don't mind.

How do you like the wave 6? I need to add heat to my toyhauler and am debating over a cat heater or traditional furnace. I know pros and cons just looking for real world experience.

Where did you get the flush stove? I'd love to regain some counterspace, especially since we rarely use it inside.

Thanks

 

[NeverEnough]

Couple of questions if you don't mind.

How do you like the wave 6? I need to add heat to my toyhauler and am debating over a cat heater or traditional furnace. I know pros and cons just looking for real world experience.

Where did you get the flush stove? I'd love to regain some counterspace, especially since we rarely use it inside.

Thanks

This is my first Wave, so I've only tested it in the trailer (hard to do in the middle of summer!), but I bought it because I have a number of friends that use them in their snowmobile trailers with great results. It's a far less complicated solution for a large open space than a forced-air unit. I didn't want radiant floors in the trailer like I have in the camper because it's primarily a cargo deck.

I picked up my SMEV on eBay. To the best of my knowledge, SMEV distribution in the US has been interrupted. The eBay seller happened to be located in Salt Lake City, just a few blocks from my office, so I was able to go over and check it out before buying. He had 4 of them and they were all sold that day. I think Dometic owns them now and is working on US certification and distribution. Thetford owns Spinflo in the UK and is also working on US certification. You could probably order a SMEV out of the EU or AU. The Atwood and Suburban units in the US are not even close in build quality, functionality, and aesthetics.