More design ideas/questions

[Mickldo]

Search "Linear Actuators", quite common in automation and in the suspension of some hot rods. Linear driveway gate openers are sometimes 24VDC if you have that available. If the slides work well I can see only one such actuator being needed.

Mick
Plenty of linear actuators available in 12V here and loots of options with them too such as mine spec, heavy duty/ weather protection, current limiting stops, brackets. clevis ends etc. Let me know if you can't find anything suitable.

John

Thanks guys. I'll go do a bit of a search and see what I find.

 

[Mickldo]

Thanks guys. I'll go do a bit of a search and see what I find.

Found a few likely actuators that might be suitable. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[dhackney]

Speaking of keeping dust out.......

The gold cruiser on http://www.gadabout.com.au/ had a tiny little Donaldson air filter off a small tractor complete with small Donaldson pre-cleaner hooked up to a little blower to pressurise the camper.

By having an exhaust fan as well that can be closed off for traveling on dirt roads and opened while sleeping quite a fair bit of ventilation could be achieved.

I used multiple filters and a computer box fan to pressurize our electrical systems box. It has worked fantastic at keeping the dust out. Much better than I hoped.

 

[Mickldo]

I used multiple filters and a computer box fan to pressurize our electrical systems box. It has worked fantastic at keeping the dust out. Much better than I hoped.

That's a good idea too. Thanks Doug.

After my last trip through the Simpson Desert where my air conditioning died and I had to do the whole thing with the windows down I know just how bad dust gets into everything (and I mean everything). Building this new one I want to make sure I do everything I can to keep the dust out.

 

[whatcharterboat]

he gold cruiser on http://www.gadabout.com.au/ had a tiny little Donaldson air filter off a small tractor complete with small Donaldson pre-cleaner hooked up to a little blower to pressurise the camper.

Mick Do you remember the old Isuzu that was out the front when you came to visit us at the workshop. That was one of the first Isuzu 4x4 that the boss had converted to a bus (early '90s). Anyway it had a Donaldson connected to a blower to pressurize the rear "walk in" boot. Which worked well. The seals must alot better now cause we have never done this since I've been there.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Pressurized compartments.

Mick Just had to drop into work so I took this pic to describe the concept that you and Doug were talking about. Man, this almost belongs in "Blast from the Past" ('91 or "93 build. not sure) but it obvously shows a Donaldson directly coupled to a blower/fan forcing filtered air directly through the roof into the cargo bay/boot/trunk.

Not sure about Donaldsons now but Fleetgaurd do a cool range of plastic Aircleaners. Notice this one has a bit of surface rust on it after 15 years. Don't suppose I'd look that good after sitting up there for 15 years either.

Anyway the pics say it all. In the 1st pic you can just see the top of the Donaldson poking up behind the Air Con unit.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Dust

Mick, when you consider that most people here travel like this (see pic), I am sure that any steps you take (given your skills) to stop dust will be well worth it but if your door sealing systems (on the work truck bodies) are already tested and proven maybe that will be enough.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Or This

or this!!!

 

[Mickldo]

Mick Do you remember the old Isuzu that was out the front when you came to visit us at the workshop. That was one of the first Isuzu 4x4 that the boss had converted to a bus (early '90s). Anyway it had a Donaldson connected to a blower to pressurize the rear "walk in" boot. Which worked well. The seals must alot better now cause we have never done this since I've been there.

Yeah I remember the air con ducting on the roof but I didn't notice the Donaldson hooked up to it.

 

[Mickldo]

Mick Just had to drop into work so I took this pic to describe the concept that you and Doug were talking about. Man, this almost belongs in "Blast from the Past" ('91 or "93 build. not sure) but it obvously shows a Donaldson directly coupled to a blower/fan forcing filtered air directly through the roof into the cargo bay/boot/trunk.

Not sure about Donaldsons now but Fleetgaurd do a cool range of plastic Aircleaners. Notice this one has a bit of surface rust on it after 15 years. Don't suppose I'd look that good after sitting up there for 15 years either.

Anyway the pics say it all. In the 1st pic you can just see the top of the Donaldson poking up behind the Air Con unit.

I think it was on a tractor I saw one time but I recall seeing a Donaldson pre-cleaner attached directly onto the roof with the filter and air-con hidden inside.

That bit of surface rust is nothing a quick scrub up and a lick of paint wouldn't fix and make it good for another 15years.

 

[Mickldo]

Mick, when you consider that most people here travel like this (see pic), I am sure that any steps you take (given your skills) to stop dust will be well worth it but if your door sealing systems (on the work truck bodies) are already tested and proven maybe that will be enough.

When I did the trip last year we were traveling along the Oodnadatta Track up near Lake Eyre. The dust was that thick our traveling companions had to drop back that far to keep out of the dust that we were falling out of range with the UHFs. Remember that this is dead flat country with nothing to block the reception. We decided that we would travel for half an hour, stop wait for the others to catch up, let us get going again while they wait for the dust to clear. Just in case they broke down and we didn't know about it and left them miles down the road. They were driving a petrol Ford Maverick/Nissan Patrol which wasn't the most reliable vehicle up to that point on the trip so our precautions were necessary.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Mick

Yeah I remember the air con ducting on the roof

Yeah That was the first thing I noticed when I saw it too. I think the benchmark is a little higher now. Heh?

he dust was that thick our traveling companions had to drop back that far to keep out of the dust that we were falling out of range with the UHFs. Remember that this is dead flat country with nothing to block the reception.

Never heard bad dust descrbed that way, but I don't doubt it for a second. Bulldust is almost in a liquid state and have heard of it being knee deep (although the deepest I've seen it was about 8inches in Kakadu. A bit like the Landie pic). It's hard to imagine it if you haven't seen it for yourself.

Really important to sort out suitable ventilation for your fridge too or can you keep that in the back seat with the young one? That way it'll stay out of the dust and remain cool when travelling.

 

[Mickldo]

Yeah That was the first thing I noticed when I saw it too. I think the benchmark is a little higher now. Heh?

Yeah I think the new ones have improved a wee bit

Never heard bad dust descrbed that way, but I don't doubt it for a second. Bulldust is almost in a liquid state and have heard of it being knee deep (although the deepest I've seen it was about 8inches in Kakadu. A bit like the Landie pic). It's hard to imagine it if you haven't seen it for yourself.

Really important to sort out suitable ventilation for your fridge too or can you keep that in the back seat with the young one? That way it'll stay out of the dust and remain cool when travelling.

My first time hitting bulldust scared the **** out of me. I was only doing about 10-15kmh along a narrow little bush track, just poking along minding my own business when all of a sudden the front wheels dropped into the 2' deep bulldust hole. I wouldn't have wanted to have been going any faster, I would've ripped the frontend out.

At the moment my fridge is on a slide in the back of the wagon but if I do this ute chop/camper I want to mount the fridge on the slide out kitchen.

I carry all my food in the 40L Engel but I use an esky on the floor behind the drivers seat to carry cold drinks for during the day. Ideally I'd have my 40L Engel next to Kirra in the back seat and have another dual zone fridge/freezer in the camper. This way I have redundancy for the fridges, I can leave the camper set up as a base camp while I do day trips and I can keep the freezer part of the campers fridge running as a freezer to keep the meat frozen (the 40L Engel is only a single compartment fridge/freezer, so it is one or the other).

I'd have the Engel in the cab which is air-cond and the camper I'd like to set up with a filtered, pressurised blower vent system like we have been discussing.

Another thought for the fridge I have been having is to custom make my own fridge/freezer. Kits are available, it's just a case of making the case and insulating it right.

One of my favourite campers http://www.schoensleben.ch/sur/content/challenge/vehicles/oka/oka_nt_backsection_e.shtml uses the heat from the fridge to duct up past their clothes cupboards to help stop condensation and mildew.

I wonder if there is a way I could get the air to get sucked past the filter, cool/heat the camper, cool the fridge, dry the clothes cupboard and then get exhausted outside. :hmm:

 

[Mickldo]

One of my favourite campers http://www.schoensleben.ch/sur/content/challenge/vehicles/oka/oka_nt_backsection_e.shtml uses the heat from the fridge to duct up past their clothes cupboards to help stop condensation and mildew.

I wonder if there is a way I could get the air to get sucked past the filter, cool/heat the camper, cool the fridge, dry the clothes cupboard and then get exhausted outside. :hmm:

Link to a photo of the back of their fridge and cupboard.

http://www.schoensleben.ch/sur/content/challenge/vehicles/oka/images/electro_001.jpg

 

[whatcharterboat]

My first time hitting bulldust scared the **** out of me. I was only doing about 10-15kmh along a narrow little bush track, just poking along minding my own business when all of a sudden the front wheels dropped into the 2' deep bulldust hole. I wouldn't have wanted to have been going any faster, I would've ripped the frontend out.

Haha. Me too but I had the top down in my FJ40 shorty. Stopped dead then got buried in the cloud. Couldn't see Julie for ages. Could just hear all this coughing, gaging and laughing so I knew she was still in the car. Haha.

I'd have the Engel in the cab which is air-cond and the camper I'd like to set up with a filtered, pressurised blower vent system like we have been discussing.

Sounds great.

Another thought for the fridge I have been having is to custom make my own fridge/freezer. Kits are available, it's just a case of making the case and insulating it right.

Mick Have done this before using kits from Engel, Norcoast Refridgeration (now Trailblazer), Isotherm and i think Vitrofriggio. They all make them. Some come pregassed with quick connect fittings. The Engel kit came with one line inside the other. That was cool. Check BLA as well.

Don't get sucked in to getting the optional 240V kit. Spend that money on a bigger charger if you want to run 240v.

Hard to beat a Trailblazer in the way that they run the tubes around the inside skin. IMO the 125mm insulation model although pricey would have to the ultimate camping fridge but you will certainly save a few hundred bucks doing it yourself and it will be the optimum size/shape and not a comprimise.