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TangoFox posted:
There ya go, I was wondering about the adapters. Centramatics rule. I was hesitant for going the 19.5 route primarily for ride quality. live axles, leaf springs, bench seat, and 19.5s don't mix well. My neck and back are bad enough already. Toyos just seem to ride that way regardless of size or type. Have you had any issues with the Lance over the 90k miles its been on the truck? Dual slides and side entry, that TC is huge! I think the next one I build will have a side entry. Sounds like a well bulletproofed truck. Used is always the way to go in my opinion.
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Oct 26, 2020 03:02
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Day yum, that’s a roomy looking TC!
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Oct 26, 2020 03:19
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Honestly with the truck camper on it, it's really not a bad ride, very smooth with only the occasional jarring when you hit a big pothole. We just did 8000 miles in it over the summer, and for some reason, we're gonna do another 8000 miles in December. On road, it's tame, but it does like to follow the grooves in the road sometimes. It also isn't super responsive for abrupt changes, but I wouldn't expect it to be either. Off road and on gravel, it's a dream. We were doing 55+ on some gravel backroads in North Dakota, and it rode like it was riding on Asphalt. The camper, though, definitely got a little more shaken up, and we had some dishes fall out of the cabinets. Overall, I'd say it's definitely not an upgrade for the faint of heart, at nearly $5000 or so. But I'd do it again. We were right at OR over the weight limit of the previous tires. The biggest I could get on the rim at the time. Now I'm well under. I actually air down still because the load rating allows it. So we're running about 100 psi all around. I've had them as high as 115 PSI. There are some headaches with it. It's hard to change a tire, it's hard to get it right. I had to have the tires shaved because 3 were out of round from Toyo. Finding someone to shave the tires, and then finding someone else to align it. Every once in a while, I get a nice vibration that lasts for a few miles, then goes away. I believe it's probably picking up rocks or something in the tire, and it eventually kicks them out and it smooths out again. I had the balancers on it, the wheel guy after he shaved them put them off, so I had to take the wheels off and put the balancers back on it. They just make everything a little more bulletproof. It doesn't ride as smooth as the stock ones did, but then again, the stock ones only last me about 40k miles, and I'm already just under that on these and almost like there's no wear. My other ones also had no offroad traction, and these do, quite a bit. I'll add some more pictures tomorrow. The TC is huge with both slides out. It's the Lance 1172 model. It's heavy as hell, too. About 7k or 7.5k fully loaded, wet.
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Oct 26, 2020 08:48
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TangoFox posted:Honestly with the truck camper on it, it's really not a bad ride, very smooth with only the occasional jarring when you hit a big pothole. We just did 8000 miles in it over the summer, and for some reason, we're gonna do another 8000 miles in December. On road, it's tame, but it does like to follow the grooves in the road sometimes. It also isn't super responsive for abrupt changes, but I wouldn't expect it to be either. Wow, that weighs more than a lot of bumper pulls. Whats involved in legally changing the GVWR? Nice rig. Wish my tires would last 40k.
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Oct 26, 2020 16:28
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rdb posted:Wow, that weighs more than a lot of bumper pulls. Whats involved in legally changing the GVWR? There are two shops in my state that can legally do it, so I took it to them, they installed the new leafs and then certified the new weight, including a fancy new sticker on the door. The legal part of it was never important to me, but I just wanted it to handle correctly. Having that much weight IN THE BED of the truck really can break a vehicle if it's not done right. And I should have probably a 4500 or 450 for this size camper, but this makes up the difference, and it rides great now. Here's some other spots: Prince Edward Island (orange dirt) right on a cliff, this was a 1 mile or so sand/dirt road.    Meat Cove was a spot in Nova Scotia right on the tip of it. We had to go down this road that was probably 15° grade, rutted, all dirt - the picture includes the drive down. It was pretty fun. The picture never does it justice. The bridge was a wooden bridge over a small creek, and we were about 25 yards from a rock beach. TangoFox fucked around with this message at 17:33 on Oct 26, 2020 |
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Oct 26, 2020 17:27
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TangoFox posted:There are two shops in my state that can legally do it, so I took it to them, they installed the new leafs and then certified the new weight, including a fancy new sticker on the door. Yeah, no kidding, I am shocked at how much weight that is in the bed. And I don’t think a 450 or 4500 would have done the trick. The 450 with a bed has a much smaller leaf pack than a cab and chassis. Maybe a cab and chassis with some sort of a utility bed, but even then, its a lot of weight. You really went above and beyond to make sure it handles right. Hats off for that. Super nice setup.
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Oct 26, 2020 17:35
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Definitely into 450/550 territory at 7500lb wet. Even then you'd be throwing parts and work at it. Hats off to you for making it work out with what you have, and doing it the right way. Do you fulltime?
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Oct 26, 2020 18:25
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cursedshitbox posted:Definitely into 450/550 territory at 7500lb wet. Even then you'd be throwing parts and work at it. Nah, no full time here. I work in aviation so I have alot of vacations and free time, and I don't mind driving long stretches at a time. We usually try to make 12-14 hours a day if I'm trying to get somewhere. If, and big if, I keep it, I'll probably try to find a utility bed, like a sherptek bed that I can put on the truck to further my storage needs. But, we might go 5th wheel / toy hauler and Semi tractor to pull it.
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Oct 27, 2020 01:02
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TangoFox posted:There are two shops in my state that can legally do it, so I took it to them, they installed the new leafs and then certified the new weight, including a fancy new sticker on the door. I don’t see the “in the bed” being as big an issue as it being weight waaaayyyyy behind the rear tires.
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Oct 27, 2020 03:34
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The biggest issue there is the Center of Gravity. These are engineered for a long bed, and they put the CG infront of the axle (in my case about 18 inches), so that the weight of the camper pushes "into" the wheels. If you put the CG Behind the axles, then the camper leans back, and it's pushing aft with a rotational force. That's where the trouble is. Some guys use a short bed with a long bed camper, and you'll have 2 or 3 feet hanging off the back. I wouldn't do that.
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Oct 27, 2020 16:24
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The ability of mice to get into a trailer will never not amaze me.
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Nov 4, 2020 16:46
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Hasselblad posted:The ability of mice to get into a trailer will never not amaze me. Don't know if it's legit, someone says to use an ammonia soaked rag in the area they nest. We don't have mice, so I've never had to try it.
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Nov 7, 2020 18:48
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Just don’t use poison. Then they go somewhere and die and you have to find their stinky corpse.
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Nov 7, 2020 20:21
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Something for the op? https://www.youtube.com/c/KeepYourDaydreamTv Full time trailer living, with 3 kids, channel. Haven't watched much, but send like good info?
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Nov 18, 2020 01:25
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     The build works a treat! cursedshitbox fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Nov 19, 2020 |
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Nov 19, 2020 19:59
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djfooboo posted:Just don’t use poison. Then they go somewhere and die and you have to find their stinky corpse. I think my wife may have been imagining the increase of mouse poop, or the steel wool in the holes did the trick. The old-timey traps with p-butter are still unsprung. cursedshitbox posted:
Nice. I guess the only upside from losing both of our pups this year is the freedom to head to the desert with the camper without worrying about them. Have you got more pictures of the interior? Using a generator for the coffee maker and such? Hasselblad fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Nov 20, 2020 |
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Nov 20, 2020 00:50
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Hasselblad posted:Nice. I guess the only upside from losing both of our pups this year is the freedom to head to the desert with the camper without worrying about them.     Nah, not using the genny for anything other than days of rain. 3.6kW liFePO4 + 900W solar + 3kW inverter. build thread
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Nov 20, 2020 01:00
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I was setting up my truck to do long term remote work/travel in, then I took it for a test run and pooped in a bucket. I dont love the maneuverability of living in a van or truck if it means I have to poop in a bucket, so I'm putting a deposit down on one of these, hopefully gonna get it in January 2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 2100bh  Purchasing 800w of solar and a 300AH lifepo4 battery bank to install when i get it  Nothing beats pandemic depression like spending a bunch of money
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Nov 29, 2020 09:24
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We had an ice storm a few years ago I bought a toilet seat for a 5 gal bucket pooing into a trash bag was not as bad as I thought. But it was below freezing in my workshop. The house stayed around 45-50
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Nov 29, 2020 18:14
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everdave posted:We had an ice storm a few years ago I bought a toilet seat for a 5 gal bucket pooing into a trash bag was not as bad as I thought. But it was below freezing in my workshop. The house stayed around 45-50 Pooping in a bucket in the winter is such a better experience than pooping in a bucket in the summer to be fair 
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Nov 29, 2020 18:41
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ddiddles posted:
What manufacturer are you using for solar and the batteries?
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Nov 29, 2020 19:18
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Yeah it's definitely not as bad as I thought it would be.cursedshitbox posted:What manufacturer are you using for solar and the batteries? I'm building my own battery with this https://www.aliexpress.com/item/400...earchweb201603_ And probably gonna go with three of these, I think 600W is the max amount of solar I can put on the roof and still be able to walk around and tilt them. https://www.amazon.com/RICH-SOLAR-M...06675326&sr=8-3 Not sure on the charge controller yet, something from amazon I'm guessing. In amazing conditions figuring an 80% efficiency to be conservative, will take probably over 8 hours to recharge from empty, but I dunno wtf I'd be doing to use 300ah in a day since the only 12V stuff i'll be pulling is the lights/awning for a few hours a night and to charge up a macbook from 0-25% every night. I think this setup will make it so my only restrictions on how long I can boondock is how much water I bring/tank capacity as long as I move around to climates that dont require furnace/ac to not be miserable. ddiddles fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Nov 29, 2020 |
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Nov 29, 2020 19:43
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djfooboo posted:Pooping in a bucket in the winter is such a better experience than pooping in a bucket in the summer to be fair You are not wrong on that
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Nov 29, 2020 20:34
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I added a big panasonic 325 watt panel with a victron 90/30 smart controller tied to a battleborn 100 ah battery. I have been happy with it.
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Nov 29, 2020 20:53
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ddiddles posted:
Ballin. are you rolling your own battery management too? Right now I'm averaging 2.45kWh over the span of day parked in the depths of the desert SW. It's nearly break even right now due to winter, solid mount panels, and my fridge. Similar plans with boondocking to stay where HVAC isn't needed, though I burn through a lot of power for other things. Holding tank cap will likely be your limiting factor depending on how efficient you are with water usage. Worth monitoring your daily electrical draw to determine your needs then building from there. Budget for worst case scenario.
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Nov 29, 2020 22:32
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I was going to drain my water heater today but I don't have a socket big enough to pull the plug/anode. It's going to get to 27 tonight. Should I just turn the heat on or is that not even low enough to worry about? First winter with the camper so I have no idea
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Nov 30, 2020 01:32
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cursedshitbox posted:Ballin. are you rolling your own battery management too? Yeah you can get a decent BMS w/balancer to add to it for $40. What would you say is the biggest power sink you have?
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Nov 30, 2020 03:14
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ddiddles posted:Yeah you can get a decent BMS w/balancer to add to it for $40. Oh that's awesome. Any plans for thermal management? Over the span of 24 hours, the fridge. It hungers. Dual compressor, runs on 12V/120. (Isotherm CR195). They're pretty efficent, however the controller has them spinning up more often than I'd prefer. I've done some paper logging, though I'd like to get some actual sensors on the thing and log to find out why. For maximum intermittent draw? Kettle(1500W), A/C(~1350W), Microwave(1300W), 3D printer(~1000W).
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Nov 30, 2020 03:55
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cursedshitbox posted:3D printer(~1000W). Please say more about this item's use cases while on an RV trip?
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Nov 30, 2020 04:13
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You can make RV parts anytime you want! Also it's a super fun toy.
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Nov 30, 2020 05:40
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I think he linked it upthread but in order to "get" CSB's use case, you really should just read his build thread. (And the RV build thread before that, and the truck build, and etc.)
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Nov 30, 2020 14:22
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ddiddles posted:I was setting up my truck to do long term remote work/travel in, then I took it for a test run and pooped in a bucket. Pooping in an RV is not all that different than pooping in a bucket.
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Nov 30, 2020 18:14
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not to speak for him but CSB works on the road
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Nov 30, 2020 20:21
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Currently in my build the 12v solar/leisure system is totally separate from the vehicle electrics, but I'm thinking I may want to be able to top up the leisure battery from the alternator if solar can't keep up and to keep the starter battery from dying when the vehicle is unused for a bit. I don't have hook-up/shore power so that isn't in the equation. I currently have a cheapo 30amp split charge relay that I've never fitted, but I don't think 30amps is going to be safe anyway. I've been looking at DC-DC chargers but am yet to find one that can charge in both directions and isn't super expensive. Anyone have any suggestions for cheaper approaches or a charger that does what I want at a reasonable price?
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Dec 1, 2020 11:59
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Blacknose posted:Currently in my build the 12v solar/leisure system is totally separate from the vehicle electrics, but I'm thinking I may want to be able to top up the leisure battery from the alternator if solar can't keep up and to keep the starter battery from dying when the vehicle is unused for a bit. I don't have hook-up/shore power so that isn't in the equation. Anything cheap will be a hack or diy-land from my experience. I was thinking of doing a similar thing but in the end just dropped it due to costs.(I wanted to move 2-3kW) 30A isn't much, you can find solenoids rated for 100% duty cycle at that current. Even if you wanted to transfer 100A back and forth there's solenoids/contactors available. you could scrap together a little embedded project that compares the voltage of the two batteries, with the state of the engine's alternator being active. I'm gonna assume your MPPT solar controller will stop power backflow so we'll remove it from the diagram below. If the alternator is active, close the contactor and charge all batteries. however if the alternator is not active, the starting battery is lower than 12V and the leisure battery is charged, close the contactor and charge the starter battery. Open contactor when voltages equalize. on 30A you should see some kind of log graph as the voltage of the leisure battery slowly drops as the starter battery rises. Pop the contactor open when they're roughly equal. it isn't pretty but it'll work. You'd want to set some boundary conditions, as in open the contactor if the voltage dips too low, or too high. If you double up your voltage sense inputs (1 per battery, 1 per leg of contactor) You can check the fuse state remotely and have it warn you that it popped a fuse. I personally would want some kind of switch or indicator panel telling me that it's equalizing the batteries and why. Fuse everything appropriately. If you wanted to go deep into the rabbithole you can spin a board with a power fet on it to reduce moving parts. (this, safety margins, and boundary conditions is basically what you're paying for in a DC-DC charger) You could do this with some analog logic as old-school alternator regulators work in a similar fashion, though a microcontroller and some resistor dividers will get you to where you want to go. Rooted Vegetable posted:Please say more about this item's use cases while on an RV trip? Go on a trip long enough and you can rely on your genuine Dometic parts to take a dump in a bucket. cursedshitbox fucked around with this message at 19:20 on Dec 1, 2020 |
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Dec 1, 2020 19:16
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That's an amazingly detailed response, thanks. I'm a bit rusty on that kind of stuff but I guess a couple of voltage dividers and an arduino nano is all it would take, definitely not outside my ability. Going to put some serious thought into that option. I've got plenty of time because I really don't want to have to run two 10mm cables the length of the van, so am not about to rush out to the van and start work.
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Dec 1, 2020 21:31
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Did some late season camping in October.  Weather got cold and snowy towards the end of the weekend.  Fortunately we had lots of wood, the propane tanks were full, and we brought a little electric heater because this park has power (right next to Canmore Alberta).  Unfortunately, the holding tank drain pipes froze, so I had to wait until it warmed up enough again for me to haul the trailer back to town and empty them. An unfortunate inconvenience, but not a big deal. I had to break out the catalytic heater to thaw the freshwater drains though, I needed to empty the tank and winterize it when we got home.
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Dec 2, 2020 21:26
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Slung Blade posted:Did some late season camping in October. No tank heaters? Side note: if you are dry camping and run your tank heaters overnight, prepare to have dead batteries by morning.
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Dec 2, 2020 22:41
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Hasselblad posted:No tank heaters? Nope, never needed them before. I might invest in a set if you can retro-fit them to an existing RV.
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Dec 2, 2020 22:57
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Deposit put down on the Micro Minnie, expecting it in the beginning of February, and I shall truly be able to join this thread. I have no idea what I'm doinnnggggggggg
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Dec 3, 2020 21:34
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