Mikey's Sprinter Expedition Camper: Cab and Interior

[ersatzknarf]

Hi Mike,

Ahhhh, now I see. Thanks, that makes a lot more sense. It is looking perhaps possible to fit four total 220 Ah 6V AGMs that are set up in series/parallel (still researching). I did not know microwaves were as sensitive to power supply quality as a computer might be, but was planning on using a high quality inverter regardless. I was considering a 2K W one, but might reconsider... I don't think we have run our home microwave for longer than a minute or two or so, anyway, so considering the power draw in amp-minutes makes it all much more clear I had been looking at the Outback website, but it seemed like overkill for our needs (?) and was being somewhat drawn to Blue Sea (like some of their offerings for monitors, etc.) and even looking at one of the RV exclusive sites.

Anyway, this helps a lot ! I will go back and readdress my calculations to look at percentage of capacity reduction, in addition to estimated daily consumption (looking at balancing solar panel input assumptions against estimated battery consumption in terms of days not requiring generator input).

Thanks, again

 

[mhiscox]

Hey, Frank,

Were I in your shoes--which I sort of was--I'd try to get hold of a copy of a paperback book titled Living on 12 Volts with Ample Power. You can go to amplepower.com to see if they are still selling it (it's like 20 years old) or you can search the Internets to see if there's a reasonably priced used copy. It's basically a whole book about adding up your loads and meeting them with battery power through an inverter.

There's also a companion publication (about 50% overlap) titled Wiring 12 Volts for Ample Power which would be worth having if you also found a relatively cheap copy of it.

Blurbs for the books are here:

http://www.amplepower.com/primer/.

BTW, and FWIW, Prosine, Heart and Trace (all owned by Xantrex now, I think) and higher-end Xantrex inverters are the more widely-known credible name brands. Outbacks are the Cadillac of inverters, highly recommended, but smallest is 2.8kw, and they do cost some serious (and non-discounted) money. (You can get Prosines, for example, at 30+ percent off list.).

When you are figuring out this stuff, one of the major concerns is how often you'll be driving the vehicle. In the Sprinter, with a big alternator, just driving for a few hours to the next campsite is enough to bring the batteries bcak up to full power. If you'll be on the move most every day or two, you can get by without as big a battery bank. And, environmental concerns aside, charging from the alternator while driving goes often works 10 times faster than charging from a solar panel on even a sunny day.

Good luck,

Mike

 

[ersatzknarf]

Hi Mike,
Wow ! Thanks for the book references. I will look to acquire them.
I have not priced the Outback yet ( in denial ? ), but do not mind to spend for quality. I had read somewhere on here that some were having issues with Xantrex products, but cannot say exactly (perhaps there are grades within what brands they make ?). I have read the AM Solar website a few times and like how it is sort of a one-stop place and they have been very helpful. However, I have been looking to marine-use products where possible, hoping that would help with quality (but, of course, not with price). We hope to be using the vehicle as much as possible, with the intent (wife's request) that we be able to remain in one place for four to five days without needing to start up anything. I have looked at various combinations of batteries and solar (and batteries, but no solar), etc., looking for a fair balance. Hopefully the books can help steer to a smaller battery bank, too. As for solar, have been looking at the Aurinco panels, as they are the best fit to what we can carry up top (but not at all inexpensive).
Agree that the car's alternator will do a much faster job than solar would. The approach with panels being to extend the time we can remain in one place rather than expecting them to keep the batteries at full charge. That being said, am planning on a small Honda genset (LP fueled) as a just-in-case
The last thing wanted is an "unhappy camper."

 

[mhiscox]

Hey, Frank,

Xantrex is like the General Motors of inverters and some are better than others. Spend good money on a Prosine, Heart or Trace unit, or the level of Xantrex you get at West Marine or similar and you'll likely be fine. I've had four Prosine units and all have been faultless.

But the Outbacks are nice. Good stuff and and I've called and they've been helpful with general advice that clearly had nothing to do with their inverter. And if you're doing solar, well, they know all about that. Beyond the cost, I think the only drawback is that the "Mate" controller is a little behind the curve, though it certainly does everything. And I see that they do make a sealed unit that's "only" 2000 watts.

The little Honda genset is a good idea as a backup. All sorts of ways that it could save a trip.

 

[ersatzknarf]

Mike, Hi,

Ah, hah ! So that is indeed how it is with the Xantrex stuff. Thanks.

I think I do recall seeing the sealed one at the Outback site and that was the one that appealed. I'll have to go back and have another look or three As for chargers, I seem to recall that the current state of the art is now five levels of charging, whereas it had been three, previously ?

Thanks, I thought you might agree on the genset backup idea. I dread the thought of something going kaput in the middle of (hopefully) nowhere and dealing with an unhappy camper... Better to invest well in keeping that possibility (eventuality) to an absolute minimum

 

[mhiscox]

As for chargers, I seem to recall that the current state of the art is now five levels of charging, whereas it had been three, previously?

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the "stages" of the charging, as I've seen chargers with up to eight stages and five-stage chargers can be had for thirty dollars.

More important would be to review the manual and verify that you can set the charger for your batteries exact charge characteristics. My Outback has about a dozen parameters that can be set to the minute or hundreth of a volt, and I had to talk to an engineer at the battery manufacturer to get all of the data. Kind of a pain, but now I feel like I've really got the system optimized. Worth doing when the batteries are worth a couple thousand.

 

[ersatzknarf]

Agreed ! For all the effort and cost, it doesn't make sense to have a charger that is not the best fit for the batteries. Probably need to investigate the different AGM battery manufacturers for what is the best choice, next... Looks like another plus for Outback.

More important would be to review the manual and verify that you can set the charger for your batteries exact charge characteristics. My Outback has about a dozen parameters that can be set to the minute or hundreth of a volt, and I had to talk to an engineer at the battery manufacturer to get all of the data. Kind of a pain, but now I feel like I've really got the system optimized. Worth doing when the batteries are worth a couple thousand.

 

[Ford Prefect]

Hi Mike,
I don't think we have run our home microwave for longer than a minute or two or so, anyway, so considering the power draw in amp-minutes makes it all much more clear

One of the main things that people seem to run the microwave for, that is time consuming, would be to thaw out frozen items. Simple solution, take the things out of the freezer before you are ready to use it. Most folks (in my experience) do not bring a lot of frozen items (such as meats) on long trips in an RV anyway so it may not be a problem.

Of course if you have chicken, to thaw it, it is recommended that you keep it under cool running water, or at the very least cool water and chance the water completely every X minutes (seems like ten to fifteen, but I could be way off so look it up if you need to use this idea.)

Anyhow... Beyond that I would speculate that when running the microwave at home we average two minutes per run. Now if you take into account how many little thirty second jobs you do, that is a lot of running it for longer times to even things out.

Just a thought.


MIKE WOW love reading about your sprinter every time, but this has been really neat to see the inside and how it is built. Very creative. The use of marine and land items has been an interesting, and insightful, combination.

So when are we going to read about one of your trips? (Or have I just missed them?)

Brian

 

[mhiscox]

So when are we going to read about one of your trips? (Or have I just missed them?)

WAIT A SECOND . . . you mean I'm actually supposed to GO somewhere in the trucks?! I thought you just bought them and spent money on them. :sombrero:

Seriously, the Sprinter's been a number of places, but nothing worthy of the sort of trip reports we post up here. The situation will improve when I've got the EarthRoamer reassembled and start taking it and the Tacoma out together this summer. But I can post up one of the "Sprinter in Death Valley" pictures to prove that I occasionally leave home.

along with a cute picture of the Sprinter with a road-blocking calf in Wyoming:

 

[daniel ruops]

Retire and visit us on your next roadtrip

Mike
Your room is ready. Glad to know that you will be here soon.

 

[mhiscox]

Mike
Your room is ready. Glad to know that you will be here soon.

As is yours, Daniel, along with a large parking area. Thank you. We'll have to see who manages the trip first.

 

[someguy]

What kind of heater is that ? How much heat does it put out and where did you get it ?

Awesome build !

Thanks

 

[mhiscox]

What kind of heater is that ? How much heat does it put out and where did you get it ?

Awesome build !

Thank you for the compliment. The heater you can see is a Olympian Wave 8 Catalytic Safety Heater made by Camco. You can get them from Camping World:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/olympian-wave-catalytic-safety-heaters/1630

and dozens of other places.

Some people don't like catalytic heaters, considering them unsafe, but I am very fond of them as an alternative to both forced air propane furnaces and the expensive (and sometimes finicky) diesel furnaces. I've never had a problem providing the small amount of ventilation required and am very fond of their silent operation.

The Wave 8 is bigger than ideal for the size of my van, but at the time, the Wave 8 had a thermostat, whereas the smaller ones didn't. The thermostat didn't work all that well and it looks to have been removed in the current models. The heater is also not positioned ideally for a radiant heater, but it's in the space that was available. Running the low-speed/fan-only setting on the air conditioner for a few minutes helps circulate the warm air.

I have two other heaters. There is a forced air convection heater mounted into the cabinet over the stove that is ideal for when you have shore power, and there's an auxiliary engine mounted diesel heater that works with a heat exchanger to provide modest amounts of heat, However, that furnace is pretty noisy outside of the vehicle, so it's use is limited.

 

[someguy]

Thanks for the info.

I am looking to use one as the base heat supplier in a large RV.

It has a 30K BTU forced air furnace, but its noisy, inefficient and draws 5A from the battery when it runs. I'd like to use it as little as possible.

Can you tell me more about the positioning of a catalytic heater such as this ?

Does it just heat a small area or does warmth tend to move naturally through convection air currents ?

After seeing your unit I am thinking of building something similar for travel in Europe and various 3rd world countries. I've always wanted to travel to these areas but was turned off by the thought of sleeping in terrible hotels and eating poorly. With my own travelling sleeping and cooking unit I would be insulated from that.

Thanks again.

 

[someguy]

Is the white bubble on the roof a mobile satellite system ? If so, please tell me more... sorry if I missed it somewhere in the multiple threads on your unit.

Someguy