where_the_heffalump_roams
Active member
Curious to hear what your alternator changes are. I"m replacing my 200 amp with a 155 amp. My goals is to eventually get a 200 amp again and keep the 155 amp unit as a spare.
MB 1120 Coming to America! Purchase, Build and Now Travel!
- Thread starter VerMonsterRV
- Start date
Curious to hear what your alternator changes are. I"m replacing my 200 amp with a 155 amp. My goals is to eventually get a 200 amp again and keep the 155 amp unit as a spare.
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
If I remember right your truck is a 12v truck? Ours is a 24v and a couple of years ago I updated our alternator with a 100amp 24v dual internal fan one. It requires a little bit of wiring as it uses a more modern Bosch style plug. The one I just put in is similar but with a 110amp rating. I am guessing that with just 2 V belts that this is about as big of an alternator it can handle, though I could be wrong and am no expert.
Iain_U1250
Explorer
Do you monitor what current your system draws?
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
I don't, but really would like that capability. Pretty sure with the DC air-conditioning, B2B chargers and demand from the truck the alternator is busy.
Just sent in our shipping deposit for going to Argentina from Panama. Now we need to wait till June 7th to get confirmation from the shipping line. With any luck the AC will not need to be used much soon.
where_the_heffalump_roams
Active member
I'm 24v as well. I've found 2 sources for the OEM 200 amp unit it had, but they are very expensive. I'm still trying to find other more economical sources. I've bought a 155 amp unit to hold me over for now.
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
One question, do you really need a 200amp alternator? Our 2 biggest power draws are the DC cab aircon and our B2B battery chargers. I think your truck is one of the rare ones that have a factory installed AC (really wish we had that). I am guessing you also have some version of truck to house charging but past that what are your other large draws? 200amps at 24v is a ton of power.
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
Kind of a big moment for us in our trip south. We have just dropped the truck off in Colon Panama for a cruise to Argentina. I know this is not the common route of shipping from Panama to Columbia, but we just were more excited about the thought of getting going further south. Really hope things all work out smoothly but I am expecting delays. Using ship tracking our scheduled ship is in Mexico at anchor. And it was supposed to depart Panama on the 22nd. Have to say it is not really relaxing to hand the keys to your home off to complete strangers. Good thing (well if no one tries to break in) is we were able to not hand the habitat/storage keys over. Plus I removed the radios and any other valuables from the truck cab. Will take us a few hours to reassemble everything once we get our truck back. This route is supposed to be about 2 1/2 weeks and strangely enough it was pretty much the same price as going to Columbia, which means both routes are pretty crazy expensive now.
where_the_heffalump_roams
Active member
I'm currently replacing it with a 155amp because that is what is affordable and available. But I'd like return it back to its OEM specs. A big reason is newer a/c system that is going in. The current a/c in the habitat is powered by a generator or shore power (European phase). So it has limited uses. I'm changing it to a 12v system that will draw from the house batteries so that the habitat can be cooled when driving in hot weather. That system in itself will pull up to 55amp/hr. I don't know how much output the original alternator was putting since the only monitoring system is in the habitat. But at idle, it's putting 65-70 amps. So I guess I'd like some ceiling room.
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
Well our truck was successfully loaded onto the RORO ship and is underway down the western coast of South America! Although we never sailed around Cape Horn (it sounded way more fun to cross the Pacific) our truck will, or maybe go through the Straights of Magellan. We'll see. But if anyone wants to watch along with the progress here is a link
Tracking of our truck
The scheduled ETA is the 16th, and getting released from the port in 2-3 days.
So to fill our time we decided to visit family in the States and go to Curacao for a week of shore diving. This is the first time to Curacao, but we have been to Bonaire and loved it.
Tracking of our truck
The scheduled ETA is the 16th, and getting released from the port in 2-3 days.
So to fill our time we decided to visit family in the States and go to Curacao for a week of shore diving. This is the first time to Curacao, but we have been to Bonaire and loved it.
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
It's starting to get close! Revised ETA is the 17th.
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
Both the ship and Heather and I have arrived into Buenos Aires. With any luck in a couple of days we will be picking the truck up and resuming our travels. Can't wait, we've been a bit homesick since we have been out of the truck for about a month.
Did our first "blue dollar" black market money exchange. Although it is referred to as black market it is widely accepted and happens all over. We ended up in a small shop that sells magazines/flowers and in a small room changes money. Walk in with $500 USD and walk out with a quarter of a million pesos. If you do it this way you end up with over twice the number of pesos than if you went to a bank and about 20% than is you used a credit card.
So far we're really liking Buenos Aires. Seems like a nice city with a lot of things to see and do.
Did our first "blue dollar" black market money exchange. Although it is referred to as black market it is widely accepted and happens all over. We ended up in a small shop that sells magazines/flowers and in a small room changes money. Walk in with $500 USD and walk out with a quarter of a million pesos. If you do it this way you end up with over twice the number of pesos than if you went to a bank and about 20% than is you used a credit card.
So far we're really liking Buenos Aires. Seems like a nice city with a lot of things to see and do.
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
And we're reunited with our truck! This is our first night back and we're camped in the town next to the shipping port. Picking up the truck was an all day affair at the port starting at 9:30am ending at 4pm. The truck looked great and we haven't noticed any damage. We only had to hand over the cab keys so the only thing missing was a pair of cheap sunglasses and a USB cable (I removed the radios and stored them outback). Our friend in the white Sprinter wasn't able to block off his living space so someone went through his stuff and took some tools. Luckily we stored some of his more valuable stuff in our truck. Anyway after just over a month is sure was good to be back home. I have to say though, after our sailing life this was pretty painless. With sailing it can takes weeks to sail to another continent. You watch the charts all the time so it seems real. With the truck you just put it on a ship, go and play then fly in and collect it. Hard to believe we're in Argentina!
We're in a campground a bit outside of Buenos Aires, in order to get the truck back together and rest a bit. We were invited by a local family yesterday for their asado lunch. Was nice to try a real Argentinian asado and spend some time with them. It did though reinforce my need to learn more Spanish.
We're in a campground a bit outside of Buenos Aires, in order to get the truck back together and rest a bit. We were invited by a local family yesterday for their asado lunch. Was nice to try a real Argentinian asado and spend some time with them. It did though reinforce my need to learn more Spanish.
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
Time for a quick trip update. During our visit back to the USA while the truck was being shipped I went to the dermatologist. Well, 2 biopsies later I learned I had a couple of small skin cancers (nothing serious) that needed to get removed. But no time to get it scheduled before we left the USA. So we setup an appointment in Buenos Aires to get them taken care of. That delayed us a little bit but other than changing bandages we are under way towards Iguazu Falls.
While driving north on a lesser traveled route we stumbled upon a Fiesta Tradicional. From what were able to figure out is that horseman would ride as fast as they could with a little stick in their hand and try to remove a small metal ring from a suspended string. Only one guy actually accomplished this feat to horsemanship. And this is where it gets slightly strange. Seems they don't get too many foreigners there and we stood out a bit (guess everyone knows everyone else there). So the organizer pulls us aside, announces us to the crowd who and where we are from and we end up on a local TV station. Along with lots of photos with us with them.
Then we were off to a park that was setup by the foundation started and funded by the people who founded North Face and Patagonia. Those people really are leaving a legacy. Not too shabby of a camp spot. The entrance is about 30km from town with about half of the way on some pretty sandy roads. They recommend only 4wd high clearance vehicles.
This was in the park and is a baby Capybara. There are hundreds of them all around and this one was very curious.
While in the park we could arrange a short guided boat trip on the river.
With heaps of caimans all around. We would have just taken our pack rafts but the river is supposed to be full of piranhas. Started to wonder if it would be smart to take inflatable rafts with very thin, lightweight fabric paddling on a river with fish with teeth.
And then we headed to a border town with Paraguay. We decided to stop and get some groceries. When I put the clutch pedal to the floor while stopping I heard a pop and then pedal stayed on the floor (luckily I had already taken it out of gear). Ends up the little plastic/metal plunger rod that actuates the master cylinder when you depress the pedal snapped. For some reason they made the eye end out of plastic which has a metal rod pressed into it. The plastic bit snapped. So no clutch and we can not stay in the lot overnight and it's already 4pm. With a lot of luck there is a Mercedes truck dealer close by so we jump into our friends van and head there. Well, this part is not available, even in Europe according to the parts guy. So off to an aftermarket parts store. They don't have the part either but find an old similar part off something else. It's old but the eye end is metal with the same diameter. Well not being a mechanic I didn't bring the rod part as I didn't know it just slid out. Ends up the rod is a but too short which I found out back at the truck when I tried to install it. Back we go to the head of security for the parking lot to ask again if we can stay overnight as it's dark now. Still no, but when we tell him we need to get the "new" rod lengthened a little by welding he says no problem, the mall maintenance guy can do it! So he radios the guy, who then comes by and gets the parts. After waiting well over an hour, with me starting to get nervous he returns with a very nicely lengthened rod! 15 minutes later it is all installed and we are back in business. A bit of stress but total cost was only about $10 and we are back on the road. So any of you with an LN2 (and maybe others) I would recommend carrying one of these . Stefan (retired Mercedes mechanic I have mentioned before) that these are common to fail. The plastic bit gets brittle and they break.
While driving north on a lesser traveled route we stumbled upon a Fiesta Tradicional. From what were able to figure out is that horseman would ride as fast as they could with a little stick in their hand and try to remove a small metal ring from a suspended string. Only one guy actually accomplished this feat to horsemanship. And this is where it gets slightly strange. Seems they don't get too many foreigners there and we stood out a bit (guess everyone knows everyone else there). So the organizer pulls us aside, announces us to the crowd who and where we are from and we end up on a local TV station. Along with lots of photos with us with them.
Then we were off to a park that was setup by the foundation started and funded by the people who founded North Face and Patagonia. Those people really are leaving a legacy. Not too shabby of a camp spot. The entrance is about 30km from town with about half of the way on some pretty sandy roads. They recommend only 4wd high clearance vehicles.
This was in the park and is a baby Capybara. There are hundreds of them all around and this one was very curious.
While in the park we could arrange a short guided boat trip on the river.
With heaps of caimans all around. We would have just taken our pack rafts but the river is supposed to be full of piranhas. Started to wonder if it would be smart to take inflatable rafts with very thin, lightweight fabric paddling on a river with fish with teeth.
And then we headed to a border town with Paraguay. We decided to stop and get some groceries. When I put the clutch pedal to the floor while stopping I heard a pop and then pedal stayed on the floor (luckily I had already taken it out of gear). Ends up the little plastic/metal plunger rod that actuates the master cylinder when you depress the pedal snapped. For some reason they made the eye end out of plastic which has a metal rod pressed into it. The plastic bit snapped. So no clutch and we can not stay in the lot overnight and it's already 4pm. With a lot of luck there is a Mercedes truck dealer close by so we jump into our friends van and head there. Well, this part is not available, even in Europe according to the parts guy. So off to an aftermarket parts store. They don't have the part either but find an old similar part off something else. It's old but the eye end is metal with the same diameter. Well not being a mechanic I didn't bring the rod part as I didn't know it just slid out. Ends up the rod is a but too short which I found out back at the truck when I tried to install it. Back we go to the head of security for the parking lot to ask again if we can stay overnight as it's dark now. Still no, but when we tell him we need to get the "new" rod lengthened a little by welding he says no problem, the mall maintenance guy can do it! So he radios the guy, who then comes by and gets the parts. After waiting well over an hour, with me starting to get nervous he returns with a very nicely lengthened rod! 15 minutes later it is all installed and we are back in business. A bit of stress but total cost was only about $10 and we are back on the road. So any of you with an LN2 (and maybe others) I would recommend carrying one of these . Stefan (retired Mercedes mechanic I have mentioned before) that these are common to fail. The plastic bit gets brittle and they break.
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
Update time, here are a few pics from our last few weeks.
Got a great look at a tapir, we saw it walking on the road a ways ahead so we stopped and got out of the truck. It then walked right over to us.
A capybara family on the river bank.
This was a snorkel river float. The river is spring fed and is crystal clear. Spent about 2 hours drifting down the river and finished it with a great lunch buffet!
Some storks, there we lots of them in this area fishing.
I've been wanting to see a caiman in clear water while swimming, unfortunately this one was in the aquarium in Campo Grande. Largest fresh water aquarium in the world.
Love seeing armadillos.
Haven't looked up what this bird is yet, they are fairly common.
Heather sneaking up on a mom and baby anteater. The baby will ride on the mom's back. It looked like it was approaching the age/size where it will soon stop doing it.
The same fresh water aquarium as the caiman photo.
5:30am on a "Jaguar Tour", which unfortunately we didn't see any.
To be continued as I hit the 10 photo limit.
Got a great look at a tapir, we saw it walking on the road a ways ahead so we stopped and got out of the truck. It then walked right over to us.
A capybara family on the river bank.
This was a snorkel river float. The river is spring fed and is crystal clear. Spent about 2 hours drifting down the river and finished it with a great lunch buffet!
Some storks, there we lots of them in this area fishing.
I've been wanting to see a caiman in clear water while swimming, unfortunately this one was in the aquarium in Campo Grande. Largest fresh water aquarium in the world.
Love seeing armadillos.
Haven't looked up what this bird is yet, they are fairly common.
Heather sneaking up on a mom and baby anteater. The baby will ride on the mom's back. It looked like it was approaching the age/size where it will soon stop doing it.
The same fresh water aquarium as the caiman photo.
5:30am on a "Jaguar Tour", which unfortunately we didn't see any.
To be continued as I hit the 10 photo limit.