Unimogadventures - Our build and travel thread

[Joe917]

It has been really quiet here on the forum, so here is just something I made for my truck. The exhaust brake on my truck is activated by a foot switch, and on a long downhill, keeping you foot hard on the switch gets a bit irritating.

I decided to make another way of activating the exhaust brake. I have an air switch on the gearstick left over from the Claas overdrive with I removed when fitted the new transmission.

View attachment 724855


I decided to use a shuttle valve I was given a long time ago, this allow two sources of air to work with one out put. The valve closes the opposite source, so that mean I can use either the foot switch or the gearstick swtich to activate the exhaust brake. Both switches are vented, to release the exhaust brake, so not having the shuttle valve would not work.


View attachment 724854
After a bit of re-pluming the air lines, with a new t-piece, and some 6mm air line, it was ready to test.

View attachment 724856

This is it in action. You have to have the sound on to hear the exhaust brake activating with either the gearstick switch or the foot switch.



I looked at way to make it automatic, so that it would come on if I took foot off the accelerator, but the problem was always how to make it disengage when I was stopped at a traffic light, I have no sensor on the gearbox that says it is in neutral, and rigging a microswitch would be very difficult and just not worth the hassle. I could have made this work with a solenoid and electric switch as well, but I had the air switch on the gearstick spare already.

OK so first thought is you have just introduced one more failure point. Second thought is it sure would have been nice on some of our 1 hour and more descents in south America.

 

[Iain_U1250]

OK so first thought is you have just introduced one more failure point. Second thought is it sure would have been nice on some of our 1 hour and more descents in south America.

Good point, the shuttle valve is the only real failure point, and it is easy to bypass on go back, as I used the push-fit fittings. The one I have from a Unimog U2450 - designed to do the same thing on that truck, so should be reliable.

An alternative view is that it adds some redundancy, if the foot switch was to fail, then I would have no exhaust brake, this way I have a redundant method.

Every toy or gadget adds a failure point, but as long as there is an easy way to bypass it, no big deal.

I have a lot of redundancy built into the truck. I have dual alternators, and can start the truck from the dedicated starter battery or from the house batteries, both completely independent, unless I push a button to connect the two alternator and batteries in parallel, or disconnect either. I have dual air compressors, one mechanical the other a pair of electric ones, so I can charge the air system up without the engine running.

Each of those does add an extra thing to fail, but also a back-up if one does fail.

I only carry one spare wheel, but have an extensive array of tyre repair patches including some really big radial patches and a TPMS to warm me before they get shredded. I carry a lot of spares, the things that could stop the truck from going mainly. I carry complete set of hoses for everything, fuel lines , joiners and clamps. Alsot hings like clutch slave and master cylinders, brake treadle valve, univeral joints, seal kits for brakes, spare hard brake line, brake hoses, starter solenoids and brushes, alternator regulators, water pump seals, injectors, thermostats, I even have a complete gasket set for the engine under the bed Having built the truck, I can say quite confidently there is not much I can't repair, and I carry all the tools need to do these repairs.

If we were heading out on our around the world trip, I'd have a spare overhauled portal box in the truck as well, but right now I just have a couple packaged up and ready to post. I have things like spare CV joints, half shafts, brake calipers, water pumps, a crown wheel and pinion for my diff ratio, and various other rare or discontinued things, all packaged and labelled so that they can be posted out if we need them.

If all else fails, we have a Sat phone, and EPIRB/PLB, and a Garmin InReach as well.

 

[Iain_U1250]

We have just uploaded another video.

 

[Iain_U1250]

DIlithium yellow stripes now, so I can travel at Warp 1 at least


When I stop the impulse engines and engage Warp drive, this happens.

 

[RoamIt]

Ha! I have the firetruck reflective strips on my rig. The other night I walked out to take out the trash and the motion detector kicked on the lights. Truck lit up! caught me by surprise

 

[Iain_U1250]

I got a 360 Degree camera the other day, been playing around with it.

You can stop the video and just scroll around in all directions. This are Facebook videos, let me know if I should rather put them in YouTube

https://fb.watch/e6a5fEJAx8/

https://fb.watch/e6a6rOTLNA/

https://fb.watch/e6a9a3-F5i/

 

[RoamIt]

Nice Lain!

 

[Madoxen]

Or Iain ? rather than Lain ?

 

[RoamIt]

Or Iain ? rather than Lain ?

I have fat fingers, poor eyesight, and a bad hip, don't judge....

 

[Iain_U1250]

For those who don't FB

 

[Iain_U1250]

Upgrading my four core radiator to an offset 5 core radiator. I got it second hand so decided to get it cleaned and rodded. Turns out 25-30% of the tubes were blocked.

 

[Iain_U1250]

Getting ready for a trip up north for a week or so, so time for a few more gadgets

I upgraded my main monitor on the home computer, so had this 32" monitor spare. I have an 19V power supply brick, so I got a step up power supply of Aliexpress, and set it to 19V. It is rated at 40A, so should handle the 3A the monitor draws. It doesn't even get warm, and the voltage is very stable, even when I switch on the inverter with 150A draw, so I am pretty confident it will be OK.


Next was to get a support arm. I got a simple one off Amazon, and with a few modifications fitted it to the frame of the pass through. I tapped the frame for three high tensile bolts, and then shortened the tube, as I don't need much height adjustment.


The arm folds away behind the cupboard when no in use.

I can use the monitor when editing photos or video, and we can also use it to play DVD or some of the movies we have on disk.



The monitor folds out the way when we need to get into the cupboards or just want it out the way.



Putting the monitor on is easy, as it tilts flat, and give access to the plugs.




This is going to make it easier to edit the videos and photo when we are travelling.

 

[clydeps]

Nice job. I just put a 32" Sony TV in my rig - works as a monitor, TV and has all the streaming apps - which is very handy now we have Starlink. It's also 19.5V - very hard to find 12V TVs that have decent software. The DCDC power supply I used is under $10 (AUD.) Details here:

https://github.com/clydebarrow/rvstuff/tree/main/tv-power

 

[Iain_U1250]

I went with a bigger power supply, just in case Australia has stronger amps. This way it is not stressed at all, cooling fan should never come one. $35 delivered and another $10 for a case.

 

[Iain_U1250]

We decided t completely unpack the truck. We have made a few changes since last time we weighed it, so time to weigh it with Trish and I, full fuel and water tank, and see how much it all is.