Project Dino Evo - Mitsubishi L300 4x4 Camper

dinoevo

Adventurer

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dinoevo

Adventurer
A lot got done over the last couple month as our departure date is getting very close.

Neoprene Insulation.jpeg
Neoprene Interior Insulation:
http://dinoevo.de/2011/06/insulation/

New Wood Panels.jpeg
New wood headliner and side panels:
http://dinoevo.de/2011/06/interior-panels-and-headliner/

New Interior Upholstery.jpeg
All exposed sheet metal is now covered with carpet:
http://dinoevo.de/2011/07/carpet-panels/

img_0023.jpeg
A new place to store our spare tire:
http://dinoevo.de/2011/07/tire-mount/

New Mudflaps.jpeg
New and bigger mudflaps:
http://dinoevo.de/2011/06/new-mudflaps/

Diesel Heater - Bus Heater Core.jpeg
And finally our Espar Diesel heater and the hot water tank is installed and working as well:
http://dinoevo.de/2011/07/diesel-coolant-heater-hot-water-tank/
 

ersatzknarf

lost, but making time
Hi Dinoevo !
Thank you for sharing so much great information.
The Espar heater and Elgena water heater information is especially helpful.
Does the high altitude adjustment come with the heater or is it extra, please ?
I bet you are getting anxious to start your trip.
Thanks, again !
 

dinoevo

Adventurer
Thanks ersatzknarf. Glad I can help out/inspire other people with my blog. Yeah, actually I can't wait to finally take off. It's now way over a year I'm working on the van to get it ready.
The high altitude compensator is a separate piece and doesn't come with the unit. It's a little additional brain-box that adjusts fuel delivery depending on the altitude.

The Altitude Compensator is an electronic altitude sensing device intended for fuel-rate altitude compensation of vehicle cabin heater units. It is designed to be powered from a vehicle's 12VDC or 24VDC electrical system, installed in-line between the heater controller's fuel-pump drive output and the fuel pump. Ambient atmospheric pressure and the heater controller's fuel pump drive output are continuously monitored, and the vehicle's approximate altitude above sea level is calculated and updated every 5 seconds based on a linear pressure-versus-altitude algorithm. The module's fuel pump drive output is then adjusted to provide a corresponding fuel rate that optimizes fuel combustion efficiency and minimizes exhaust emissions.

Screen shot 2011-07-25 at 1.22.13 PM.jpg
 
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ersatzknarf

lost, but making time
Hi Dinoevo,

Yes, a great inspiration ! Your water/cabin heating system has made me reconsider my plans and this will now be much less cumbersome and costly. Thank you !

Okay, so that is the Altitude Compensator. That makes more sense, now. Thanks. Originally, I was leaning toward Webasto, but their smaller heaters do not have any provision for altitude adjustment. Also, I was looking at the Indel Marine "Slim Square" 16L water heater, but it is a large box for which I am having trouble finding a place. Although 6L less capacity, the Elgena looks like it might be a better fit, especially if using an enclosure similar to your method.

This is really helpful. Thanks, again.

I hope you'll soon be able to leave for your adventure !

We'll be following it :sombrero:
 

dinoevo

Adventurer
Time to update you guys. Many projects got done over the last few months.

We bought an ARB awning with mosquito net which we already like a lot. It is well built and very easy to set up. Works great agains sun and rain.
http://dinoevo.de/2011/08/awning/

View attachment 92522


Additional "free" power is added with a 100W solar panel. Hope that helps to stay at camp without running the engine for a few days longer.
http://dinoevo.de/2011/10/solar-panel/

View attachment 92523


We still don't have any rust and we wanna keep it this way, I rustproofed the undercarriage with Fluid Film.
http://dinoevo.de/2011/10/rustproofing/

1091__580x_img_0123.jpg


My better half made some fantastic working storage curtains for the side where the windows used to be. Now we have a lot of storage for smaller cloth items.
http://dinoevo.de/2011/10/storage-curtains/

1094__580x_img_0210.jpg


Finally one of the most time consuming work is done too. The sleeping platform with all the little details and storage.
http://dinoevo.de/2012/02/sleeping-platform/

1129__580x_cabinet_drawing1.jpg


If you guys wonder how the entire fresh water system works including hot showers, here is a write up:
http://dinoevo.de/2012/03/fresh-water-system/

1079__580x_img_0109.jpg


Dino Evo also got a nice little compressor unit from ARB as well.
http://dinoevo.de/2012/03/air-compressor/

1184__580x_img_0044.jpg


It is all came along nicely and beside a few hiccups and some time pressure the van turned out the way we envisioned it. Unfortunately I couldn't finish all the write-ups before we left. By now the van is already in good use travelling from Canada to Argentina over the next couple years. If time permits I'll finish all posts over the next couple month.
Hope you guys get inspired to do similar projects on your vehicle as well. And most important have fun overlanding!!

Cheers
 
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dinoevo

Adventurer
Update from the road

I received a few PMs from people asking how the project/travel is coming along. So, I guess it's time for an update on this thread. We are on the road now for 17 month and having a trip of our lifetime. So far we made it from Canada to Bolivia, but still have many month till we are done. All modifications work like charm. There are not many things I would do different next time.
In case of a mechanical issue (knock on wood so far just a couple), spare parts are very easy to come by as l300s are almost everywhere in Central/South America.

Enough said, let's see some photos:

img_5512.jpg

Enjoying a nice beach in Mexico

img_6167.jpg

Getting dirty to discover some remote Maya ruins in Guatemala

img_1462.jpg

Watching active volcanos in Costa Rica

img_0872.jpg

Shipping the van in Panama

img_9376.jpg

Driving to the most Northern point of South America in Colombia

img_1662.jpg

Looking at amazing rock formations in Ecuador

panorama_quito_campspot2.jpg

Urban camping in Quito, Ecuador

img_2896_0.jpg

Realizing the huge size of the mountains in Peru

panorama_canon_de_pato2_0.jpg

Getting the tunnel vision at the Canon de Pato in Peru

img_5510.jpg

Exploring the desert in Peru (Photo by kontraer.com)

img_5706.jpg

Checking out how air-tight our doors are in Peru

panorama_valle_de_volcanos_campspot3.jpg

Camping in the middle of a gigantic lava field in Peru

panorama_chacha_pass7.jpg

Getting high (5100m/17.000ft altitude) in Peru

panorama_apolo2.jpg

Enjoying the drive down to the jungle in Bolivia

panorama_floos.jpg

A different way to cross a deep river in Bolivia

img_0523.jpg

Urban camp in front of the police station in Bolivia

img_0549.jpg

**** my pants while driving over a couple scary hanging bridges in Bolivia

panorama_campspot.jpg

Appreciate an early morning in Bolivia


That's about it for now, if you are interested in more photos, here is a link to my flickr album.


Also you might like this video about some fun in the dunes as well as some deep river crossing

Enjoy!


p.s.
I hope you realize that Bolivia won't let you enter the country with a right-hand-drive vehicle!! Just thought I let you know before you get all excited.
By the way getting into Bolivia is no problem at all for RHD tourist vehicles.
 
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DR1665

Gearheads United
Thanks for the update! Yours is one of my favorite builds.

Should you make it back home by next summer, you should consider showing the DinoEvo at ElbeTreffen. It's the biggest Mitsubishi meet in Germany and there are usually quite a few Pajero/Shogun owners in attendance - but very few Delicas!

Press on regardless.
 

dinoevo

Adventurer
Thanks Brian! It would be great to go to Misubishi meets in Germany, but we are not sure if we are taking DinoEvo back to Europe. It might be time to sell it after the trip as our family plans going to change...
 

DR1665

Gearheads United
Thanks Brian! It would be great to go to Misubishi meets in Germany, but we are not sure if we are taking DinoEvo back to Europe. It might be time to sell it after the trip as our family plans going to change...
I hope the Dino Evo goes to a good home (and makes its way back up through Phoenix one day)!

Thanks for sharing, mate.
 

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