Hodakaguy's 4x4 Sprinter Build

[Hodakaguy]

Time to get the electronics installed. Pic Heavy Post...Lots of work this weekend.

Started off by installing the Victron battery monitor remote display. The Victron unit has Bluetooth capabilities but I like to have the dedicated display as well.

Hmmmm...Right about here on the upper front panel should work nicely.

Panel removed from the van and installation of the display under way.

And back in the van

Next up I decided to fabricate a bracket to hold the Blue Sea fuse holder that will be connected to the Aux battery. This plastic door on the passenger side seat base will be perfect for accessing the fuses if needed without having to pull the seat off to get to them.

Laying out the bracket on a sketch pad

Off to use a brake and sheer to cut and bend the fuse holder bracket along with a couple other brackets that I will be using shortly. Man I wish I had these at home.

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[Hodakaguy]

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And installing the fuse panel into position.

Aux Battery Install: This morning I took a look at placing the aux battery under the passenger side seat area. I want to keep all the electronics out of the cargo area in case I want to quickly convert the van from camper mode into cargo mode, that way I'll have the whole cargo bay available. I was lacking about 1/2" of clearance because of my Espar heater that I previously installed under the passenger side base and I really don't want to move the heater so time to look for somewhere else to mount the battery.

After looking a bit under the drivers side seat there is plenty of room for the Aux batt (100ah Battleborn LI) and a few other components as well (Redarc DC/DC charger/MPPT Solar Charge Controller, 75A Bosch Relay for the BD Lights on the roof rack, Victron Shunt for the battery monitor system).

The factory setup under the drivers side seat

There was only a couple items attached to the rear plastic relay bar........Time to remove it and yard that baby out of there!

Cutting some aluminum. These non-ferrus blades are the only way to cut aluminum!

Fabricating the battery base and mounts.

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[Hodakaguy]

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Marking out the mounting holes for the base

Removing the factory mounting studs on the rear of the seat base as they will interfere with the battery placement. Here a reinforced cutoff wheel on a Dremel makes quick work of removing the studs. I place painters tape around the area to catch metal bits and use a vacuum as well. I use the painters tape to trap shavings when drilling as well.

Test fitting the battery.....perfect.

Next up I fabricated the mounting bracket for the Redarc DC/DC Converter.

The Redarc will be installed in this open space at the front of the seat base.

Creating a beveled notch on the front and rear underside edge of the base plates for the battery hold down strap.

Crappy picture but there is a smooth rounded "notch" here.

Better view of the drivers side mount, you can see it clears the studs on the floor.

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[Hodakaguy]

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Never Seize is your friend when working with Stainless Steel hardware, keeps them from galling together.

Had a couple hard to reach bolts....a little electrical tape and you have a go go gadget nut installation tool for reaching back into holes lol.

Battery mount base installed.

This factory tab on the back side of the E-brake will work perfectly as a brace to lock the battery into position.

Piece of aluminum angle installed.

Time to add some felt to ensure there are no wear points on the battery.

Cutting some relief holes in the felt to go over the remains of the studs on the rear of the seat base.

And some added to the side brace as well.

Felt in position, now I'm drilling and tapping a couple holes for the drivers side battery brace.

Installing a Bosch 75A Relay. This relay will be controlled from the Switch Pro and will carry the load to the 6 LP-9 Lights on the roof rack.

Open spot on the drivers rear of the seat base should work nicely.

Battery hold down bracket completed.

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[Hodakaguy]

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Battery Installed.

I decided to install the Victron Shunt in the front drivers side corner of the drivers seat base.

The transmission ECU was mounted on the bottom of the seat base, right where the battery is now. There was enough slack in the cables to re-locate it to the front right of the base using the factory mounting bracket. I was able to use one factory hole and had to drill one new hole. Fits like a glove.

More to come.....

Hodakaguy

 

[ITTOG]

Very clean installation. Great job.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[Arjan]

Very nice !
Textbook installation.

 

[Choff]

Nice Job!!!!! That's what I would call a "HOT SEAT"

 

[Farfrumwork]

Nice work as always! Though as clean and professional as your install is, I'm still glad I ordered the factory Aux Battery. I don't get a Lithium, but the 95Ah AGM has been plenty for our uses. (we had a 74Ah setup in our Syncro that never ran out of power either)

I also mounted a Blue Seas fuse panel in the passenger seat pedestal, but your placement is better for fuse accessibility. Mine is on the forward wall, but it is visible and reachable through the plastic panel. (I have a 4 channel amp under there instead of a heater).

I want one of those battery monitors!


Question - where do you sleep your family of three? I have a pop-top so it's easy to sleep four, but I don't know how people do it in high tops(?) without Karl Farbman-like sleeping drawers (Seinfeld reference).

-Chad

 

[Hodakaguy]

Nice Job!!!!! That's what I would call a "HOT SEAT"

Thanks Mate. Should run pretty cool as the top will be plenty ventilated under the seat.

Hodakaguy

 

[Hodakaguy]

Nice work as always! Though as clean and professional as your install is, I'm still glad I ordered the factory Aux Battery. I don't get a Lithium, but the 95Ah AGM has been plenty for our uses. (we had a 74Ah setup in our Syncro that never ran out of power either)

I also mounted a Blue Seas fuse panel in the passenger seat pedestal, but your placement is better for fuse accessibility. Mine is on the forward wall, but it is visible and reachable through the plastic panel. (I have a 4 channel amp under there instead of a heater).

I want one of those battery monitors!


Question - where do you sleep your family of three? I have a pop-top so it's easy to sleep four, but I don't know how people do it in high tops(?) without Karl Farbman-like sleeping drawers (Seinfeld reference).

-Chad

Thanks Mate. Sounds like your electrical needs are very similar to ours...minimal. For sleeping arrangements wife and I sleep on the bed and the kiddo sleeps under on an air mattress, it's working really well right now. Eventually I'll set him up with something more permanent down there.

Hodakaguy

 

[Hodakaguy]

Starting the layout for the Switch Pro mount.

I'm using Rivet Nuts on the bottom support mount since I can't get behind them to install lock nuts.

Mount going in

Wiring the Switch Pro to the terminal strip.

Terminating wires.

Making heat shrink labels....so handy to have wiring clearly labeled for future trouble shooting etc.

Installing a master disconnect that will kill all power from the aux battery. This is a great safety feature as you can quickly kill all electrical power if a short was ever to develop in the system. There is a nice our of the way spot on the front passenger seat base to locate the disconnect.

Some tape and a magnet helps keep the metal shavings as bay.

Cleaning up the edges of the hole with the deburring tool.

Painting the edges

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[Hodakaguy]

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And installed....

More cables....

Testing to verify if the van has a smart alternator or not by running the engine for a good 15 min and watching the voltage, voltage stayed above 14v the whole time.....perfect no smart alternator!

The Sprinter has a sweet bus bar off the positive terminal of the Start Batt for upfitting and adding additional power, the unit is even fused....perfect!

More wiring....

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[Hodakaguy]

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Aux fuse panel getting wired.

Relay installed for the LP9 lights on the roof rack. The lights pull 55 amps so a relay is needed as the may on the Switch Pro is 35A on a circuit.

Installing the Victron 712 Battery Monitor. The battery voltage sense leads are crimped with crappy crimps from the factory so I changed them out.

Mounted the remote for the overhead fans in a easy to reach central location.

Lots-O-Wiring

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[Hodakaguy]

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All wired up. Redarc DC/DC charger/Solar MPPT controller wired up along with the Victron Shunt.

Wiring cleaned up on the B-pillar and the trim pieces going back in.

Tight Fit.

Drilling some quick vent holes in the foam top covers. I'll eventually make a better cover but this will work for now.

Now to plug in the IcarSoft MBII scan tool and clear the SRS Airbag codes that triggered when I was cycling power to test voltage without the seats plugged in.

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