NPS Camper Build

[Gatsma]

Sooo, there are silly laws in Australia too? And I thought we Americans had the exclusive on that.....

And Happy Birthday, LeishaShannon!

 

[SkiFreak]

You'd need to check with your local transport authority / engineer / approved person to see if they're Ok with your truck.

Do you know if they could be approved for a 6 tonne GVM?
I am not asking for me, rather others that might be interested in this as another possible option.

 

[LeishaShannon]

I can't see why not from a load rating perspective for our truck (4480KG for the rear axle) , the heavy vehicle code doesn't appear to have a section for wheel / tyre swaps so it'd be up the approved person/engineer doing the work I guess?
I like that the tyres are 16ply all steel construction like the M608Z you have, they weigh 36KG and appear to be built like a brick outhouse. The 2240Kg load rating is a little ridiculous considering our 1100Kg per wheel actual weight but its always nice to have some headroom. Total weight for the wheel and tyre is 49KG from memory, so its reasonably easy to handle single handedly.
For those interested there is an 18ply tyre available in 235/75R 17.5 with a whopping 143 (2725KG) load rating called the D905 LEAO

They were available for under $330 from memory

There is also the long march 235/75/17.5 LM508 with the same 143 load rating but a more highway friendly tread

 

[Alastair D(Aus)]

Gluing

Shannon,
I am not far off starting gluing together my composite panels = 2mm f/g each side of 25mm foam in the walls and 35mm in floor & roof. I am going to use Terostat which is very like Sika 252 but is what the panel makers recommend. My question is did you use 252 to glue the internal Al corner pieces or the 3M tape? Sorry if it is in your posts but I did read through and could not be sure.

My worry is that the glue can be messy and the clean up hard. I don't want the inside looking grotty otherwise the QC manager will not give her approval !!!!!!

I know you used the tape for all the fixings just wondering if you think it was strong enough for the corner sections.

cheers
Alastair

 

[LeishaShannon]

We used glue for the internal corner pieces although most of them are hidden in cupboards. Where they're visible we used less glue and leisha has used a white silicon product to fill the gap which provides a nice smooth finish.

That said I think the panels will delaminate before 3M VHB tape gives way so the glue is probably overkill on the inside.

Proper surface preparation is key whichever method you choose. We lightly sanded, cleaned, isopropyled and then applied the appropriate primer for each surface.

 

[LeishaShannon]

Its been awhile since we've done an update so I figured now was as good a time as any. We're still waiting on our cupboard doors (don't ask... ) but otherwise all the other components are installed and working well.

Dining / Lounge

Bathroom / Fridge

Sink, Oven, and Bed lowered into place

Slide out pantry with caffeination device strapped in


Its taken a lot longer than I (naively) expected but now we're looking forward to actually using the bloody thing

 

[IGBT]

Leisha,

I am about to mount four of the LG Neon X mono panels like you have on our camper roof. Did you do anything special or just use the existing holes on the long sides of the panels?

 

[LeishaShannon]

We bolted 1700mm lengths of 40x40x4 aluminium angle to the existing holes which are then attached to 100x50x6mm angle that runs across the camper. We did this to provide 100mm+ of clearance under the panels for cooling and to allow the panels to tilt in the future. I didn't feel too comfortable with 1.6m long unsupported sheets of glass bouncing around so we glued some supports half way along the panels.

 

[IGBT]

Thanks. I am using similar aluminum angle but not quite as high a clearance under the panels. I am not sure what you mean by supports halfway along the panels. The glass is on the top and is supported by the aluminum frame of the panel.

 

[GR8ADV]

Its been awhile since we've done an update so I figured now was as good a time as any. We're still waiting on our cupboard doors (don't ask... ) but otherwise all the other components are installed and working well.

Dining / Lounge
View attachment 272650
Bathroom / Fridge
View attachment 272652
Sink, Oven, and Bed lowered into place
View attachment 272654
Slide out pantry with caffeination device strapped in
View attachment 272655

Its taken a lot longer than I (naively) expected but now we're looking forward to actually using the bloody thing

Can you tell me the dimensions of that dining table? Thanks!

 

[LeishaShannon]

Thanks. I am using similar aluminum angle but not quite as high a clearance under the panels. I am not sure what you mean by supports halfway along the panels. The glass is on the top and is supported by the aluminum frame of the panel.

I noticed a bunch of flex even with the extra 40x40x4 angle so I added the little white supports along the edge of the panels in the photo.

 

[LeishaShannon]

Can you tell me the dimensions of that dining table? Thanks!

Table is 700mm x 1300mm. We've found its big enough for 6 people drinking or 4 people dining. The lounges are 2000mm long so there is plenty of room to sit without the table getting in your way.

 

[Fender]

LeishaShannon,

What are your thoughts on the Victron charge controller? I am trying to decide between the Tristar MPPT-45 and the Victron 75/50. So far I have not been able to find any reviews of the Victron charge controllers.

Thanks!

Ben

 

[LeishaShannon]

We really like the Victron gear as its very efficient (98%) and has a 5 year warranty. Because our inverters, BMV, solar controllers etc are all Victron they all play nicely together and can be controlled from a single panel. The MPPT controllers are fully programmable for any battery type so they're future proofed for charging lithium or any new chemistries that might become available.

 

[SkiFreak]

One advantage of the Victron is that it is user programmable; I don't know if that is the same for the Tristar or if that is something you require.