Project Victory_Overland 08 LR3 Build Thread!

[Victory_Overland]

@perkj Any issues thus far with the Intimidator AGMs since you have been using them? I.e. charging or battery life, getting a full use out of your topped off batteries? Full 100ah, etc.? I know that is a lot of hoopla, just curious as we all know batteries are expensive and we only want to do it once.

 

[perkj]

I’ve had zero issues with my Deka Intimidators and they charge just fine with the LR3’s stock alternator. I have the Deka Int 9A49 as the primary/start battery which is a 92 ah battery and then the group 31 100 ah as the secondary. With the Traxide 160 in the share mode, there’s a nice number of ahs available. Though I typically run the Traxide in the non share mode to keep the primary deticated to starting the LR3...like to play it safe when I’m camped out far from civilization w/o cell service (though always have my InReach). My 100w flexible and foldable brief case panel paired with the Morningstar SunSaver MPPT programmed with the Deka charging profile tops the batteries off nice also. I have things set up so the solar can only charge the secondary-Group 31 only (when Traxide in non share mode) or charge the primary and secondary together (in either mode of the Traxide). I also only run power to the MPPT (adding or removing it’s fuse) when I have solar deployed. No sense powering the MPPT when solar isn’t deployed as it sucks up power...sure it’s a little but it can add up over days/weeks. Got all, and I mean all, interior lights switched to leds to cut down significantly on power draw from the primary.

 

[Victory_Overland]

@perkj all of this makes total sense; I appreciate your experience on this. As I said, I am willing and have the opportunity through my fab buddy to cut and move and make brackets and battery boxes etc. to stuff the biggest battery I can under the hood so I plan to do so. When the price of a 100ah + sized battery climbs in the hundreds of dollars range, I want to ensure I have the right set up so I do not burn up a perfectly good battery due to my lack of charging/maintenance knowledge.

I've decided to stay with the Traxide 160 set-up as it is, however, the 10ga going to the rear cargo/caravan plug will be tied off to a Bluesea 6 or 12 pole panel for a variety of accessories in the sleeping area. I can switch most of those accessories so power is on demand only and not constant to allow for better power management. The fridge, winch (eventually), and Yaesu or Icom will be directly wired (fused) to the auxiliary. I'm considering running the air compressor to the primary as I do not have any intention of usage unless the truck is running while I air-up coming off the trail.

I plan to stick to the suitcase panel on a 30' cable and I will y-connect the pigtail as such (a picture I found on AULRO from Aussie Jeepster below) to allow me to run off the roof mount panel or the ground panel (ideal) and/or both depending on my needs.

This is how he is running it and how I plan to. Difference being the caravan set up for the Andersen rear plug is going to go into a Bluesea accessory box instead and he is running two portable panel systems where one of mine will be roof mount.

Pictures courtesy of Aussie Jeepster (AULRO)

 

[perkj]

@Victory_Overland above you mention eventually running a winch and wiring to up to the AUX battery. I caution you on this as I’ve always read and have been told the winch always gets wired to your primary as it almost always has the shortest path to the alternator. In the case of your LR3 and the Traxide the AUX is tapped off the primary and then a long positive run over to the AUX, thus AUX is not directly connected to the Alternator.

Other than that your plan looks good!

 

[Victory_Overland]

@Victory_Overland above you mention eventually running a winch and wiring to up to the AUX battery. I caution you on this as I’ve always read and have been told the winch always gets wired to your primary as it almost always has the shortest path to the alternator.

Other than that your plan looks good!

Correct, I believe I corrected that somewhere along the line but you are correct on this. My plan will be to go to the primary for the winch if I ever do put on in as I plan the vehicle will be running during any type of winching.

Good catch though and I hope I clarified the intent if I go the winch route.

 

[Victory_Overland]

The Victory Project has been a bit slow over the weeks as I finished up some school and have the family out this week. In some spare time, I was able to drop the headliner and panels off for covering at a local hotrod shop here. The new headliner covering and side panels were all done for a remarkable cash price and in Opel Gray flat knit material which is a much nicer upgrade than OEM. I hope it will last another ten years! lol!

I'll post pictures of the newly recovered parts later after install but if anyone wants to know what the headliner looks like underneath, here you go! My 2nd/3rd sun shades are removed in this pic and most of the lighting, etc., but the wiring is in there for the various gadgets in the overhead. The main harness runs down the NAS passenger A-pillar and plugs in under the A-pillar airbag cover.


Finally, since my interior is out, I decided to use Dynamat sound barrier on the interior panels that I had on the shelf from my previous auto projects. Without the carpet or headliner installed, Victory is quite loud to drive and the plan is after she goes back together to be nice and quiet and comfortable again. Right now, she's like riding in a tin can.....UGH!

Before Decibel Reading at 55mph (NO interior installed): 90db


I then installed the Dynamat in all reachable areas. Keep in mind, it is not required to cover the entire panel but I did my best to get it over much of the panel separated areas and the tin can hollow noise is significantly reduced. Also, the best place is inside the rear cabin area on the inside of the exterior body panels. I still have to pull the door panels and the tailgate panel to install Dynamat inside the exterior door panels. I can't wait to get the interior back in, she's gonna be so quiet.

Total weight of Dynamat: 18lbs -ish



After Dynamat Installed at 55mph (NO interior, Dynomat only): 82db

 

[krick3tt]

Yes adding sound deadening to the sheet metal will quiet almost any vehicle as it dampens the vibration of the metal and that transfers to the inside of the vehicle as noise. Just don't open the windows.

 

[Victory_Overland]

Today I was messing around a bit with my sweet LR3 switch panel bezel from @Abran. My plan was to wire it up to read volts off my primary and house battery on the truck but have it switched so I can monitor battery volts with the key off; "Camp Mode" as I shall call it!

So, after running through a few different ideas, I bounced this off a friend and this is the schematic we came up with. Now, understandably, I feel like I can find maybe a better way in the final layout, but with the two position switch I picked up at West Marine, this is what I came up with.

As always, please provide CONSTRUCTIVE criticism if you have better ideas. I want to make sure I have a stand-alone way to monitor my power with a flip of a switch in the middle of the night, regardless of what SMART monitoring/switching system I have on my dual battery/solar set-up.



I ran a mock-up set up off two Odyssey motorcycle batteries I have in the garage and was able to switch to ground to allow for both batteries to read independently off one switch. Switching ON also gives me power to all four USB ports on the two monitors.

I found my problem with the wiring to "ground" in the switching mode; my switch must be in the OFF position when it is actually ON. I flipped the switch housing upside down in the bezel and then flipped the switch rocker cover upside down to configure it in the direction I needed. Unless I am wrong, this is the only way I can do this with the current configuration by using ground and not power. Since I am not using the powered LED pin on the switch, I lose the lighted switch option so switching the rocker does nothing for operation outside of covering the non-lighted LED under the switch rocker.

 

[krick3tt]

Some of the ideas voiced on this site could very well be added to the design of many vehicles in the production stage. It might be that added features will add to the cost enough that they are scrapped 'on the drawing board' before the thing ever leaves the factory. It is encouraging to see so many designs done after the fact that might actually improve the quality of a vehicle. Of course, some of them are subjective, and not all would be necessary for everyone.
Yours sound deadening is a feature that many would want.

 

[t42beal13t]

I’m excited to see your bezel install. I just received mine from @Abran as well.

 

[DiscoDavis]

Eric,

I like the idea of the voltmeters for each battery. Especially a manual disconnect between the two. Your wiring is as far as I see (I am NOT an electrician), sound.

May consider:
>using a little blue sea (or other) fuse box between the batteries and each gauge/plug set, at very least an inline fuse on each feed wire
>use a maxi or ANL fuse from battery feed to your fuse box
>use a maxi or ANL fuse for the battery to battery, OR battery to solenoid (switch) to battery connections.
>A manual switch AND a large solenoid to switch the batteries together for charging/winch purposes. This way you can either use a large marine cutoff (2-3 position switch, marine plastic key thing) directly for a large feed wire for safety or theft purposes (winch emergency stop, alternator, starter, idk), or use a small remote mounted switch to activate or disconnect the solenoid that lives closer to your batteries.
>Better to connect the neg terminals of each battery to a good chassis ground, so they each have their own dedicated ground wire.

My one ten has a system (much simpler) like yours with only one volt meter (on auxiliary battery), but when they are connected for driving it will show both as they are connected in parallel by the solenoid. When stopped all I care about is the house, but can put the key in and they will connect by solenoid and I get the average of the two (aux is an older weaker battery so I guestimate the main battery is always in slightly better shape).

if you add a fuse box, it will also give you a good set of grounds if you ground the box itself to chassis (saves you multiple wires v one big wire)

 

[DiscoDavis]

Correct, I believe I corrected that somewhere along the line but you are correct on this. My plan will be to go to the primary for the winch if I ever do put on in as I plan the vehicle will be running during any type of winching.

Good catch though and I hope I clarified the intent if I go the winch route.

Recommend using your traxide kit or DIY to make your two batteries run in parallel as one big battery for driving/lighting/winching purposes. You can make it so that the two batteries are separate when you are stopped or camped and only need to run house items.

 

[Victory_Overland]

Installed the bezel and ran my main Traxide harness into the cab through the firewall yesterday. Things are slowly coming together as I piece the interior together and get ready to cut my sleeping platform and take the seats back out since Mom and Dad are gone!

Here is the bezel install, I picked up some cheap switch blank-off plates on Amazon for the interim use until more accessories are installed. I only have my "Primary" battery installed at the moment!

Amazon Switch Blank-off Plates

BATT Monitor Switch ON........KEY OFF! (12.9 volts)


BATT Monitor Switch ON........KEY ON, Truck Running on the Alternator! (13.7 volts)

 

[MAX4433]

Awning mounted ok and fit was great... BUT, didn't realize that the Shadow Awning needs support at the rear hinge point. The Prospeed roof rack needs to have something fabricated or some ingenious mounts made that are floating out there in the overland world. The C-channel that the awning is incased in started bending fro the stress of no support
No pics yet until I can figure this debacle.

Hi there, I'm thinking about doing the same thing, since I also have a prospeed rack. I have two of the prospeed awning mounts, and was wondering if you could mount that aluminum support bar they sell, to the prospeed mounts and let the aluminum bar overhang the rear about 18 to 20 inches and mount the shadow awning to that. Think that would be strong enough?

 

[krick3tt]

Letting things overshoot the back can be a problem but as long as the rear hatch, when lifted, doesn't conflict, all should be reasonably OK. Although, almost 2 feet might look a bit odd.