Lowly the Lorry. . .

[jaleel_da_sheik]

Lowly Update:

With the C-Head toilet now in hand, it was time to design some holsters for a couple of the toilet components. Thinking ahead to how the toilet will be used, I figured both the crank handle and the interior hatch/cover will need a place to hang out while the user is making a deposit. Both holsters were printed in ABS plastic and will likely mount to the chamfer panel sides of the toilet body, but I'll wait to mount them until after the toilet is installed in the truck to verify ergonomics.



- Sheik

 

[jaleel_da_sheik]

Lowly Update:

Design of the interior continues and a large portion of it is contingent on the counterweighted drop-down bed I've been developing for quite some time now.



Two of these prototype beds will be built, both going into Globe Trekker habitats (Lowly being one of them).

This design will hopefully achieve the following goals:
1) stow bed against ceiling to increase living space below
2) provide comfortably adequate headroom when bed is stowed
3) allow comfortably adequate headroom for occupants when bed is deployed
4) allow bed to be easily raised/lowered without the use of electric motors or gas struts
5) allow easy assembly for DIY builders
6) keep weight to a minimum
7) allow for overhead lights to be installed into bottom of bed for living area use when stowed

Fingers crossed all of the design work will pan out into a successful apparatus.

Stay tuned.

- Sheik

 

[Fred Skywalker]

Lowly Update:

Design of the interior continues and a large portion of it is contingent on the counterweighted drop-down bed I've been developing for quite some time now.

View attachment 705957

Two of these prototype beds will be built, both going into Globe Trekker habitats (Lowly being one of them).

This design will hopefully achieve the following goals:
1) stow bed against ceiling to increase living space below
2) provide comfortably adequate headroom when bed is stowed
3) allow comfortably adequate headroom for occupants when bed is deployed
4) allow bed to be easily raised/lowered without the use of electric motors or gas struts
5) allow easy assembly for DIY builders
6) keep weight to a minimum
7) allow for overhead lights to be installed into bottom of bed for living area use when stowed

Fingers crossed all of the design work will pan out into a successful apparatus.

Stay tuned.

- Sheik

Sheik,
Thanks for posting this. I was just about set on an electric linear actuator version of this but if the counter weight system works I'd rather keep it simple and go with that. Please keep us posted on the progress of this system.

 

[Joe917]

The problem with counterweights is they double the weight of the system.

 

[jaleel_da_sheik]

The problem with counterweights is they double the weight of the system.

A penalty I'm willing to take if it reduces the complexity of the system by eliminating motors, screws, gears, cylinders, electrical supply, etc.

Minus the weight of the mattress, the bed frame weight that will need to be counterweighted will likely come in at under 25lbs. We're planning on using a foam mattress in an effort to keep the weight and thickness to a minimum.

- Sheik

 

[RoamIt]

Very interested in your design, I've been stuck on the bed aspect of a build.

 

[Joe917]

The other design issue is one person can't go to bed while the other uses the dinette. A trade off you have considered.

 

[Iain_U1250]

A penalty I'm willing to take if it reduces the complexity of the system by eliminating motors, screws, gears, cylinders, electrical supply, etc.

Minus the weight of the mattress, the bed frame weight that will need to be counterweighted will likely come in at under 25lbs. We're planning on using a foam mattress in an effort to keep the weight and thickness to a minimum.

- Sheik

That is a very lightweight bed, mine weighs over 100kg - with a latex mattress and slatted base. It was more comfortable than the mattress we had in the house, so we replaced that one with on like we had in the truck. Our pillows, sheets, duvet and blankets weigh more than 10kg.

 

[jaleel_da_sheik]

The other design issue is one person can't go to bed while the other uses the dinette. A trade off you have considered.

This was a pretty serious consideration but with the idea 4 of us will be attempting to live in Lowly full time we will need the additional room during the day (especially if the weather turns foul). Just means that we won't be able to laze around in bed! My biggest hang-up is if one of us falls ill and needs to lay down for extended periods; in that case one of the dinette benches is long enough to fully lay out on.

I've come to describe engineering and product design as a process consisting almost entirely of compromise and trade-offs. This is a classic example.

- Sheik

 

[joeblack5]

Lowly Update:

The truck came with all of the equipment for operating a front and rear winch hook using the same winch drum/motor/cable mounted underneath the truck just behind the rear axle. In my redesign of the subframe to hold my habitat I opted to retain this ability to have a winch hook on both ends. I'm using the same cable routing and hardware from Lowly's previous life, just replacing the winch with an electrically driven one. One of those "hopefully it won't ever be used" pieces of kit but if/when the time comes it will likely be worth all of the headache and expense to incorporate the new winch and the old ancillary parts into the new subframe.

- Sheik

Actually I meant that now the winch forces are transferred thru the sub frame mounts to the real chassis.

Johan

 

[jaleel_da_sheik]

Lowly Update:

Continuing to spend money on the truck like we are in the midst of record inflation!

Pulled the trigger on 4 x 445 watt solar panels from the fine folks at www.solarflexion.com . Also spent some freedom chips on a 135 gallon fresh water tank at www.ntotank.com . Arranged for will-call pick up for these items while down in Southern California visiting my snowbird parents and taking the family climbing in Joshua Tree NP.

Here's what 1780 watts of solar look like in the back of our fun-mobile (aka 2006 Sprinter Van):


Here's the full compliment of panels and empty water tank:


I was pretty sure it was all going to fit on the bed in back of the van but fitting it through the door and onto the bed was the unknown factor. When loading the water tank I told the fella helping me that he should think about buying a lotto ticket if it fit without a problem; it did and I'm hoping he did!

Another miracle of miracles was making it through the greater Los Angeles basin freeway system on a Friday afternoon without being held up for too long it traffic; maybe I should be the one buying a lotto ticket today!

Headed home now with a van full of truck goodies with the dark clouds of continued truck building once again on my horizon.

- Sheik

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Great build thread with even better character!

Comments:
-Carry a jerry can of diesel.
-Constructing shop just for your build is proper.
-Everyone should have access to child labor.
-Is that a Unimog? ?

 

[jaleel_da_sheik]

Drop-down Bed Update:

Late winter/early spring for my rafting/expedition equipment business (www.sdgrivergear.com) is busy season as I batch build product to fill orders for shops and individuals. Just an excuse to not make as much headway on Lowly as I would like.

I have been chipping away at fabricating components on my 3D printer in anticipation of various aluminum extrusion and sheetmetal components arriving for the drop-down bed.




Lowly Update:

While I've been beavering away at other projects I was notified by the gents at Globe Trekker that my order of Tern Overland windows, cargo doors and man door arrived at their facility.



- Sheik

 

[jaleel_da_sheik]

Drop-down Bed Update:

Finally finished printing, assembling and kitting the parts needed for the drop down beds in Lowly and Globe Trekker's truck. The sliding action of the 3D printed parts on the 80/20 extrusion is very pleasing. Fitment of the complete assembly will no doubt require some learning as we go, but it is still looking like a viable solution to our needs.



Globe Trekker took on the task of having the Sheik designed sheet metal components fabricated by a shop up in Portland. GT is much farther along in their build (check out @rvglobetrekker on instagram) and will be installing this contraption first in their truck. I'm hoping we work out all of the bugs (fingers crossed there won't be any) during their install so Lowly's goes smoothly.

Stay tuned.

- Sheik

 

[jaleel_da_sheik]

Lowly Update:

A few things have been needed in order to finish constructing the habitat walls/edges:
1) interior layout needed to be firmed up in order to locate electrical items (lights, fans, switches, etc) along with the habitat's electric command/distribution center
2) these electrical items needed their circuitry designed so the appropriate wiring could be run thru the ceiling and wall panels where appropriate
3) interior layout needed to be firmed up to also locate at least one window, cargo hatch or entry door
4) this item needs their hole cut in the wall in order to gain access to the inside of the habitat once the top and rear wall are installed

While I have a basic understanding of electronics, I tend to distance myself from anything having to do with sparky things; it just isn't my bag. I finally had to knuckle down and start designing some circuitry in order to run the correct wiring for the habitat's can lights. A need for two switches along with a dimmer to control the bank of lights within the habitat complicated things but with the help of a friend, the internet and some trial-n-error I finally figured out how to make it work.

I've got a little more head scratching to do with regards to items 1 & 2 above, but the 3-way switching circuit was the biggest hurdle needing to be cleared.

Then it was on to laying out my interior design. I started off with a dimensional drawing from my CAD program and transferred the main components onto the floor of the habitat.


I was able to move in the 125 gallon fresh water tank and one of the chest coolers we will be using to help get a feeling for the layout.


This was a good exercise for us to grasp how open/cramped the current layout is. I will likely mock up some of the cabinetry using cardboard to get a better feel for how much volume we will lose with the installation of cabinetry. Access to the bathroom will likely need to be modified along with how we access the chest coolers. I'll probably end up gaining access to the habitat's interior through one of the rear window cutouts as these are the holes that are least likely to be shuffled around on any upcoming interior design tweaks.

Speaking of windows (and doors and cargo hatches), I finally now have all of our Tern Overland components in-hand. Besides firming up the electrical circuits and interior layout, these items were needed so I could use them to double check cut-out templates.


Lots of progress is occurring below the surface with the very real chance of actual headway happening sometime in the near future!

- Sheik