Basement Yeti
Explorer
Cool. I'll get working on it this weekend. I need some ventilation.
Yeti and the Marshmallow
- Thread starter Basement Yeti
- Start date
Cool. I'll get working on it this weekend. I need some ventilation.
wrcsixeight
Adventurer
I recommend you get the poor man's secondary battery, a jumper pack, so you can always jumpstart yourself if you need to.
Even after you get a real house bank of batteries installed, these are useful for jumping others.
Jumper cables are not idiot proof, and I cannot tell you how many times people expected me to break down camp and drive over to jump start them.
While these jumper packs can be pricey, you mostly are paying for the convenient package. Most of the smaller jumper packs just have a small 12 ah AGM battery like this and you can just hook up jumper cables to it.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/UB12120-Sealed-Lead-Acid-Battery/dp/B0015NY552"]http://www.amazon.com/UB12120-Sealed-Lead-Acid-Battery/dp/B0015NY552[/ame]
It will not start a v8 engine with a fully depleted battery but will work in 85% of cases when the battery just does not have quite enough juice to crank the starter.
You can also just charge it by putting it in parallel with your engine battery when driving.
Even after you get a real house bank of batteries installed, these are useful for jumping others.
Jumper cables are not idiot proof, and I cannot tell you how many times people expected me to break down camp and drive over to jump start them.
While these jumper packs can be pricey, you mostly are paying for the convenient package. Most of the smaller jumper packs just have a small 12 ah AGM battery like this and you can just hook up jumper cables to it.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/UB12120-Sealed-Lead-Acid-Battery/dp/B0015NY552"]http://www.amazon.com/UB12120-Sealed-Lead-Acid-Battery/dp/B0015NY552[/ame]
It will not start a v8 engine with a fully depleted battery but will work in 85% of cases when the battery just does not have quite enough juice to crank the starter.
You can also just charge it by putting it in parallel with your engine battery when driving.
Basement Yeti
Explorer
Jumper pack is on my high priority list before I leave. Still looking around at some brands.
You make an interesting suggestion about a secondary battery. Would there be any use for a secondary battery when I have my house battery system set up?
You make an interesting suggestion about a secondary battery. Would there be any use for a secondary battery when I have my house battery system set up?
wrcsixeight
Adventurer
Your house battery will be your secondary battery.
If you are looking for a separate use for the jumperpack after you have house batteries, I'd say not to use it, and just make sure you fully charge it monthly so the battery lasts a long time, and will have enough Cranking amps to actually jump a vehicle if/when needed.
When my UB12120 battery from my jumper pack could no longer jump start even a small 4 cylinder engine, I used it as a portable power source for my 12 volt tv, or my 9.6 volt drill. I once let a tent camper the battery with a fan.
I've also used it to power a Incandescent 12 volt light to keep epoxy above 60 degrees while it cured.
But now it is useless and can only power the light for 10 minutes.
If you are looking for a separate use for the jumperpack after you have house batteries, I'd say not to use it, and just make sure you fully charge it monthly so the battery lasts a long time, and will have enough Cranking amps to actually jump a vehicle if/when needed.
When my UB12120 battery from my jumper pack could no longer jump start even a small 4 cylinder engine, I used it as a portable power source for my 12 volt tv, or my 9.6 volt drill. I once let a tent camper the battery with a fan.
I've also used it to power a Incandescent 12 volt light to keep epoxy above 60 degrees while it cured.
But now it is useless and can only power the light for 10 minutes.
Basement Yeti
Explorer
Are you saying I can use my house batteries to jump start my van battery if necessary?
I just got a GREAT deal on a Fantastic Vent. I heard they were very highly rated after some research and was sold. I was going to go with the cheaper 4000 model but I found a ridiculous deal on the model 6000 on Adventure RV for the same price. After calling to confirm it wasn't a mistake I got the model 6000 for 200 shipped.
I need putty tape/butyl tape and RV roof caulking now, right?
I just got a GREAT deal on a Fantastic Vent. I heard they were very highly rated after some research and was sold. I was going to go with the cheaper 4000 model but I found a ridiculous deal on the model 6000 on Adventure RV for the same price. After calling to confirm it wasn't a mistake I got the model 6000 for 200 shipped.
I need putty tape/butyl tape and RV roof caulking now, right?
wrcsixeight
Adventurer
There are numerous ways to start the engine with the house batteries. It depends on which method of isolation you choose on how you go about it.
Do some research over in the 12 volt forum, as the subject is too vast to go into in this 40 page thread.
I have never installed a FF, and do not know what you will need.
Do treat the bare edges of the metal you cut to install it.
Do some research over in the 12 volt forum, as the subject is too vast to go into in this 40 page thread.
I have never installed a FF, and do not know what you will need.
Do treat the bare edges of the metal you cut to install it.
Basement Yeti
Explorer
Riding dirty.
According to the officer at CHP my Colorado temporary dealer plate is not valid in California. One would assume since a normal license plate is good in all states that a temporary dealer plate would be good in all states, not so with California, the great communist regime. There 20 day regulation over rides this.
So I have been driving around, illegally, with no registration and plates for 10 days...oops.
Off to the DMV to give them a lot of money. God I wish I could register this van back home.
According to the officer at CHP my Colorado temporary dealer plate is not valid in California. One would assume since a normal license plate is good in all states that a temporary dealer plate would be good in all states, not so with California, the great communist regime. There 20 day regulation over rides this.
So I have been driving around, illegally, with no registration and plates for 10 days...oops.
Off to the DMV to give them a lot of money. God I wish I could register this van back home.
MrBeast
Explorer
Welcome to the Peoples Democratic Socalist Republic of Californiastan.
Basement Yeti
Explorer
Got my plates and registration. When they were verifying my VIN the guy said he would have to title my van as commercial because it had no seats in the back. He looked at my half insulated van and asked what I was doing with it and I told him. He asked if I planned to add a seat in the back and I said yes. So he didn't title it as commercial, which would have been more expensive. Nice guy.
It cost me nearly 700 bucks to register my van for the first time. I hate this state. It will only cost 200 or so from here on out though, still, it's a lot more than most states.
Gonna get those plates mounted and insulate the rest of the roof today. New priority is to get the floor built and get some kind of seat there.
It cost me nearly 700 bucks to register my van for the first time. I hate this state. It will only cost 200 or so from here on out though, still, it's a lot more than most states.
Gonna get those plates mounted and insulate the rest of the roof today. New priority is to get the floor built and get some kind of seat there.
Basement Yeti
Explorer
Haha, and add a seat belt and a few bolts. :elkgrin:
I have 3 or 4 weeks till I leave. I need to start cracking down and getting some serious work done.
This weekend I want to finish insulating the roof and walls and make the templates I need for the roof and floor and do some wiring plus mount my license plates.
I have 3 or 4 weeks till I leave. I need to start cracking down and getting some serious work done.
This weekend I want to finish insulating the roof and walls and make the templates I need for the roof and floor and do some wiring plus mount my license plates.
Basement Yeti
Explorer
Today I went and got some more expanding foam, a paint brush for the AFM Safecoat primer I got for my floor, and some hardware to mount my plates. I also got some butyl tape and RV roof caulk for my vent.
I got the plates mounted up, no photos of that though. I actually still need to tap a few holes.
I also got the roof 95% insulated. I just need to daisy chain some zip ties to hold the wires from my tail lights, 3rd brake light, etc. I want them in the wall over the vapor barrier and insulation, not the roof, so I let them hang down when I insulated the roof.
I only filled selected gaps with expanding foam to protect the insulation in that area from traveling moisture. I actually used 2 cans because some of the gaps were very big.
On to the photos!
A few spots where I used the expanding foam.
The stuff is messy and got everywhere...including all over my hands.
Glued my goddamn leg to the floor, ow.
I snipped off the shorted out aftermarket dome light. It will be wired to my house batteries anyway.
These crimpers rule!
The days work. Roof is done-ish, started on the walls.
Tomorrow I can go grab some more expanding foam and a few more things and hopefully get the walls knocked out in a day or two.
I got the plates mounted up, no photos of that though. I actually still need to tap a few holes.
I also got the roof 95% insulated. I just need to daisy chain some zip ties to hold the wires from my tail lights, 3rd brake light, etc. I want them in the wall over the vapor barrier and insulation, not the roof, so I let them hang down when I insulated the roof.
I only filled selected gaps with expanding foam to protect the insulation in that area from traveling moisture. I actually used 2 cans because some of the gaps were very big.
On to the photos!
A few spots where I used the expanding foam.
The stuff is messy and got everywhere...including all over my hands.
Glued my goddamn leg to the floor, ow.
I snipped off the shorted out aftermarket dome light. It will be wired to my house batteries anyway.
These crimpers rule!
The days work. Roof is done-ish, started on the walls.
Tomorrow I can go grab some more expanding foam and a few more things and hopefully get the walls knocked out in a day or two.
chasespeed
Explorer
Good on the crimpers. Those are what I use EVERY day at work. Klein makes a great tool.
Chase
Chase
