Cuppa's Camper [Archive] - NissanPatrol.com.au Forum

Cuppa

7th April 2011, 07:30 PM

I'm jealous already. Can you tell me a bit about the stuff and their prices. PM me if you prefer.

Ross

PS... The tap on the L/H underneath water tank.... is that an addition or came with the truck? Mine came with a plastic thing thats hard to turn off/on and leaks if not turned off properly.

PSS. Have you ripped out any of the Telstra wiring yet? If so, what?

Hi Ross,
Monitor (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200536717719&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:AU:1123)
Camera (http://www.chinavasion.com/rear-view-cameras/cvshi107/)

The tap came with the truck, but needs replacing 'cos it drips too.

I did rip out a number of Telstra wires when running the cable for the camera. Behind the glove box was an antenna (small nextg type), & several similar cables that had been cut. These ran down the passenger side pillar behind the plastic trim, down to the floor & out through a large grommet to the canopy.

Does yours have these switches on the canopy doors (See pic below)? Any idea where the wires from them go to?

I note on the power distribution box in the canopy the andersen plug is rated at 35amps continuous. Have you looked at the wiring behind yours? If not I'd suggest you do before plugging too much into it. I reckon the main supply cable from the 2nd battery in the engine compartment, is way too light for the job. I intend to upgrade it.

regards
Cuppa

DX grunt

7th April 2011, 07:33 PM

Is your second battery a deep cycle or a cranker?

Cuppa

7th April 2011, 07:45 PM

I haven't removed it yet so I'm not sure, but it is a 'wet' battery. I suspect it is just a cranker. I intend to fit a third, an AGM in the canopy.

Cuppa

DX grunt

7th April 2011, 07:49 PM

Maxhead

7th April 2011, 07:51 PM

Top set up there mate. keep the build up pics coming

Clunk

8th April 2011, 06:23 PM

great start Cuppa, keep it up mate.

Cuppa

3rd June 2011, 11:58 PM

Things have been slow on the camper build, & will likely remain so as we will be heading off to the UK soon, back mid August.
I managed to trace the wires for the canopy door alarms, & found the wire cut at the buzzer. I soldered on a short length of wire & re-connected. All working now - worthwhile I think as I have already driven off with the passenger side up!
I also fitted an 'Engine Saver (http://www.enginesaver.com.au/Toyota_Nissan.htm)' Low coolant alarm today - easy to fit - sensor replaces the bleed fitting on the thermostat housing. Expensive for what it is, but cheap for what it does - peace of mind.

I have also bought a secondhand Shippshape rooftop tent with full awning but haven't fitted it yet. I need some roof bars, The 1500mm heavy duty Rhino crossbars would be perfect, but I'm trying to find a cheaper alternative first. Once fitted I'll have to get the awning made a little longer, seems the canopy is higher than most.

Cuppa

nowoolies

4th June 2011, 12:43 AM

Hi Ross,
Monitor (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200536717719&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:AU:1123)
Camera (http://www.chinavasion.com/rear-view-cameras/cvshi107/)

The tap came with the truck, but needs replacing 'cos it drips too.

I did rip out a number of Telstra wires when running the cable for the camera. Behind the glove box was an antenna (small nextg type), & several similar cables that had been cut. These ran down the passenger side pillar behind the plastic trim, down to the floor & out through a large grommet to the canopy.

Does yours have these switches on the canopy doors (See pic below)? Any idea where the wires from them go to?

I note on the power distribution box in the canopy the andersen plug is rated at 35amps continuous. Have you looked at the wiring behind yours? If not I'd suggest you do before plugging too much into it. I reckon the main supply cable from the 2nd battery in the engine compartment, is way too light for the job. I intend to upgrade it.

regards
Cuppa

g`day cuppa
if yours is extelstra the cabling will be fine behind the board
iv`e had mine apart for additions and the cabling is 6mm i believe
all to govt standards

nowoolies

4th June 2011, 12:48 AM

On mine, the door alarm wires end up on the dash on the right hand side of the steering wheel, where there's a big yellow light and a loud buzzer. I can have the doors closed but not locked and the alarm goes off, or the doors can be open and the alarm goes off. Don't know where they start, but if you work backwards, it'll probably help.

Ross

g`day Ross there is a reid switch behind the cover plate on the door handle inside the back compartment on all locks ,if you want to silence them pull the light out on the dash you will see the wiring to the alarm remove 1 wire and no more noise ,
i have just had to replace the all the door handles on the rear compartment and the switches would`nt match the new door locks so they got replaced as well
cost for 4 door locks $688.00 .....ouch hay

DX grunt

4th June 2011, 04:48 PM

g`day Ross there is a reid switch behind the cover plate on the door handle inside the back compartment on all locks ,if you want to silence them pull the light out on the dash you will see the wiring to the alarm remove 1 wire and no more noise ,
i have just had to replace the all the door handles on the rear compartment and the switches would`nt match the new door locks so they got replaced as well
cost for 4 door locks $688.00 .....ouch hay

Yes. ouch! I'm happy to leave the alarm on.

Woof

4th June 2011, 05:37 PM

Looking great Cuppa, well done mate

Bigrig

4th June 2011, 06:31 PM

What?? A trip to the UK versus finishing the trol?? Nahh .. cancel mate!! LOL

Safe travels and look forward to seeing the progression when you return!!

Cuppa

18th November 2011, 11:00 PM

Well time for an update on my camper fit out.
Little has actually changed since I last posted, but I have been doing some collecting & soon will have to start fitting the stuff I've collected.
Firstly thanks to The Dogman & Dx Grunt I now have a pair of front recovery points to fit. I was amazed at how difficult it was to obtain them, but the guys knew someone over in the west, & they arrived in the mail today. See DX Grunt's pics of the same recovery points. I also got one of those recovery points that slide into a HR tow hitch receiver.

Ok so what goodies have I acquired: Firstly I bought two ARB fridges (http://www.arb.com.au/products/arb-freezer-fridges/100external-features.php), a 60litre & a 35litre model, each with a slide, transit cover & tie down kit.
To run these two fridges (using the 35l one as a freezer & the 60l as a fridge) independently of mains power, I've bought 3 x 120Ah Ritar AGM batteries, 1 x 130w solar panel (mount on cab roof) & 2 x folding 120w solar panels. In addition I got a Redarc BCDC1240 (http://redarc.com.au/products-and-services/dc-battery-chargers/bcdc1240-dc-battery-charger) DC to DC multi stage charger & solar regulator. When travelling the Redarc unit should keep the batteries charged, but when stopping for more than 2 or 3 nights we'll get the folding panels out. My experience is that even on bad solar days you still get some input & bearing this in mind have sized the batteries to give us a 'buffer' of 3 to 5 days of crap weather. I'll keep the existing dual battery setup (winch) as is except for adding a cable with a switch in it beween the winch battery & the fridge batteries for emergency use.

I have also got together with 5 other folks from another forum for a group buy of some Nasa Marine battery monitors (http://www.foxsonline.com/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2efoxsonline% 2ecom%2f&WD=compact%20nasa%20bm1&PN=Nasa%2dBM1%2dCompact%2dBattery%2dMonitor%2dBM1C %2dGR%2ehtml%23aNNBM1C_2dGR#aNNBM1C_2dGR) from the UK. This has saved us around $65 per unit compared to buying off the Aussie distributor. Monitor comes with wiring kit & 100amp shunt, to allow measuring of power going in & out of the batteries. My one gripe about the BCDC1240 is that it has no readout other than a few flashing LED's. I like to know what my batteries are doing. Note: In the wiring diagram below, it is only an 'outline', there will need to be a more detailed one with all all cabling, fuses, relays & wires sizes etc at some point.

The Shippshape rooftop tent (http://www.shippshape.com.au/home.htm) is now mounted on top of the canopy, but I had a little mishap with it recently. It was bought secondhand, & the elastic straps that secure it's outer cover had perished. On a particularly windy day the elastics let go. Other drivers waved & pointed at me so I stopped to see what the problem was. The whole tent was open & billowing in the wind. Luckily a good samaritan stopped to help me get it under control & tied down. I need to get a new outer cover made up anyway, because it folds out to be a wall, & at the moment doesn't reach the ground because the Patrol's canopy is quite high. We got full annexe walls with the tent, that make up a small room, but not one that is mossie & fly proof, something we think is important , especially when cooking. The annexe walls are also a bit of a pain to zip on (probably why they look unused). So we've decided we won't bother with the annexe walls, & instead will get an Oztent (RV-3) for use as a windproof living room & haven from flies & bities when needed. It will fit into one side (the long side) of the under tray compartment if we store it in a slightly wider bag than the one it is supplied with.

Hot water is an essential item to keep MrsTea happy. In the bus we have a Sigmar Marine 20 litre heat exchanger HWS (calorifier) with added insulation. 15 minutes driving gives scalding hot water, which remains hot enough to shower under for up to 3 days. A tempering valve enables safe tap temperatures to be dialled in. It also has a 240v element for when 'shore power' is availlable. Longer stops saw us use the kettle on the stove or the billy on the fire for hot water. It suits us so I decided we'd do much the same thing in the Patrol. However I sourced a 22 litre calorifier (pic below) direct from the UK manufacturer & around half the price of any similar units (Sigmar Marine & Isotemp) available in Oz, & these come standard with a tempering valve, one way valve & pressure relief valve, all fitted. On the others these are expensive 'extras' you have to fit yourself. I'll box it in & add extra insulation. The make is Surecal (http://www.surecal.co.uk/Product/SureCal.aspx), & I found them good to deal with. Because in the bus I always get a slight drip from the PRV once the water is hot & the tank pressurised, for the Patrol system I also got an expansion tank to prevent this.

Haven't got the stove yet, but planning to get a Lido Junior low pressure stove with a griller. http://www.kellyscamping.com.au/resources/F6/6134/resized/4A/15532618_200x200.jpg

I have a rough layout in mind, but I'll need to play around with some cardboard to see what feels best in use. I did a similar mock up for the bus, & would've made a couple of silly (but difficult to reverse) mistakes if I hadn't.

Still not sure about how much water we'll be able to carry. I'm hoping we can manage 120 litres in addition to the existing 30 litre tank, but will have to watch the weight.

Geez I've rambled on a bit, hope it's of interest to someone!

Regards
Cuppa

AdrianY60

23rd November 2011, 07:48 AM

That's one cool camper! :D

macca

23rd November 2011, 09:12 AM

DX grunt

23rd November 2011, 09:42 AM

Maaaate they are awesome mods; so much power, cold storage, days of hot water and one of the better roof toppers.
She is a beauty.
Interesting to follow yours and Rossco's work up of your pods.
Mine is quite primative compared to you two.
Cheers
Macca

Awesome, Cuppa. I love pics. Looking forward to seeing pics of the inside set up when it's all opened out.

Macca, Macca, Macca. Realistically, mine really doesn't have any frills. When we pull up, up goes the annex/awning, everything gets pulled out and the only thing left in the pod is the mattress.

I like to keep it simple. At the moment, the only thing I'm settling on is the solar (tomorrow) and getting measured up for a shelf or two so that I can put all my sheet on, and an roof mounted DVD.

Love the rooftop tent. Was going that way, but the missus said "no." I've fallen from my pod and landed on all fours - twice now! So It was a good move. Plus, we're not spring chickens any more. Happy to climb into bed using a 3 step ladder. lol.

Bring on the pics!

Well done, and take care out there.

Rossco

Dark 1

29th November 2011, 11:32 PM

Another top ute setup, keep the pics coming.

Shaunous

31st December 2011, 09:42 PM

mudduck

2nd January 2012, 07:27 PM

Looks great mate, keep those pix coming, thinking of going that way myself down the track.

Cuppa

26th January 2012, 05:53 PM

Hey Cuppa,
Awsome build mate.

Im looking at the BCDC1240 also, what brand solar panels are you running and where did you get them from, I see everyone these days advertises them, but im not sure which ones to stay away from or whats good, i'll probably only want one 120w portable setup.

Cheers,
Shaun..

Hi Shaun, sorry I've been slow to answer, I haven't been here for a while & only just saw your post. My solar panels came from OzPlaza on ebay. 120w folding units for $290 each. I bought two from them, but one was damaged in transit. They replaced it after a minor drama. Panels seem fine & others I know have bought them too & are happy. Another seller on Ebay that folks seem happy with is 'Bit Deals' who also have good prices. That's where I'd go if I were buying again. The folding panels come with lightweight cabling & an el cheapo regulator attached to the rear of the panels. I'll junk the reg, & replace the cabling with heavier wire to avoid voltage drop. The back of the panels is not really a good place for the regulator anyway, best as close to the batteries as possible.

When the broken panel was replaced they did not want the damaged one returned, so I scored half a folding 120 watter for nix, so I now plan on having the fixed 125w panel, plus 2 x 120w folding panels & a single 60w one. The broken panel (glass completely shattered) has reduced output but is in use at home for trickle charging some old batteries I use for electric fencing, utilising one of the el cheapo regulators they came with, & with some clear film stuck over it to prevent me getting glass slivers in my hands. :-)

Regards
Cuppa

mattyh

27th January 2012, 04:58 PM

How did you pick up an ex telstra ute just from an auction??

Cuppa

27th January 2012, 07:06 PM

G'day mattyh,
I bought from a company in Melbourne called Orix. ( http://www.orix.com.au/used-cars/moorabbin.html ). They lease the vehicles to Telstra, & then sell them to the public when they are 4 or 5 years old. As I understand it, they only sell the better ones & send any that might be a bit suss to the auctions. They are like a car yard, & were the first such place I ever bought a vehicle from, all previous vehicles being bought privately. Came with a 3 month warranty, & I got my own inspection done at a 4wd place 'cos I didn't trust the RACV report provided. It was $100 well spent as it resulted in a list of things I wanted them to fix, which they did without a quibble. I'd buy from them again. Vehicle has a full mechanical history from Telstra.

cheers
Cuppa

Woof

27th January 2012, 09:05 PM

Hey Cuppa, how did you go with the recovery points mate?

Cuppa

29th January 2012, 10:57 PM

Hey Cuppa, how did you go with the recovery points mate?

Hi Dogman,
The recovery points from Brett fitted on without problem thanks. I should take some pix ....... I'm due to post a few more, & having made a small start on the camper fit-out have a couple things to point the camera at now. In the past week I've pulled out all the Telstra shelving, fitted additional batteries (3x120Ah) inside the canopy & made storage arrangements for 300w of solar panels. All bolted frameworks as my only welding skills are with oxy, & I no longer have the oxy gear. I do have an arc welder, but have rarely used it, blowing holes in 1.2mm walled square tube when I had a practice run last week convinced me that wasn't the way to go & living way out of town makes getting someone else to do it impractical. Riv nuts (nutserts) are my friend having recently acquired an air operated insertion tool. Will try to get some pix tomorrow.

Regards
Cuppa

Cuppa

30th January 2012, 03:14 PM

Ok, a little done & some pics to prove it! ;-)
Lot's still to do.
'House' batteries secured, Solar panel storage sorted, recovery points fitted & rooftop tent fitted. (You can see the tent is currently secured with ropes, it needs a replacement top tarp to be made up incoprporating a more convenient tie down arrangement. Tool is the air operated nutsert (riv-nut) insertion tool.

cheers
Cuppa

30th January 2012, 03:51 PM

I'm very jealous Cuppa, looks great!

Dark 1

30th January 2012, 11:08 PM

Yours or Rosscoe's ......... I can't decide which one i'll have when you pass on .......... Oh stuff it i'll just have both !

Top stuff Cuppa really looks the goods.

Clunk

30th January 2012, 11:20 PM

Yep have to agree.... would love a set up like these

Woof

31st January 2012, 02:39 AM

Good to see that Brett looked after you mate, you have certainly been very busy lately, Cuppa's Camper is looking good

Cuppa

11th February 2012, 05:18 PM

A bit more progress.
After collecting the various bits & pieces together to plumb in the hot water service, I haven't as yet plumbed it in. Initially I thought I'd start under the bonnet, but when it came to it, decided to start in the canopy. I've built an enclosure for the hot water tank, which I'll fill with extra insulation, probably those little polystyrene balls used for bean bags. I don't want to use anything that will make it impossible to get at the tank in the event of a leak. Making the enclosure has to take this into account too. No pics of the enclosure yet, that'll probably be the next 'installment'. Suffice it to say that a fair bit of time has gone into pre-building the enclosure, which is now dismantled for painting, & can be rebuilt around the tank. My style of building tends to be the 'make it up as you go along' type, as opposed to drawing up plans first. (Maybe the odd 'back of the envelope' type of drawing, but that's about it).Consequently a fair bit of time gets taken up with 'discovering' that something isn't going to work, & having to go back to square one!
After pressure testing the HWS on the bench to ensure that no connections leaked, I fitted it today.
Next job is to plumb it into the motor.
Here's some pics. Two show the HWS bolted into place & hoses connected to fittings that are bolted through the floor. One pic shows those fittings from under the floor. Very limited space, due to the under tray drawers. The fittings & hoses will run behind the underfloor gas bottle cabinet (removed at present to gain access. Rest of the pics show the two ARB fridge slides fitted.

Cuppa

Shaunous

19th March 2012, 07:02 PM

Looking good mate, coming along nicely...

DX grunt

19th March 2012, 10:53 PM

Looking good mate, coming along nicely...

X2. Looking good. It's amazing how differently we think!! lol

Cuppa

24th March 2012, 07:55 PM

After the first attempt to plumb in the hot water service ended up with the HWS working but the cab heater not at all, I had a second go, & got it right second time around. The HWS needs to be in parallel with the heater, not in series. I'd read this before installing it the first time & thought I understood it. I understand it now! Luckily sorting it out only meant changing a few hoses in the engine bay, All the work I'd done running hoses from the engine bay to the canopy, including fitting a heap of that spiral 'armour' stuff intended to protect hydraulic hoses on diggers & dozers didn't need re-doing thankfully. Hopefully next time I want to spend a day or two scrabbling under the vehicle on my back in the dirt, with remnants of the Red Centre dropping into my eyes & mouth I will think to put it up onto the ramps first! Of course by the time I'd thought about doing this, I'd disconnected hoses & lost coolant, so wasn't keen to start the motor. Doh! At least when I finally re-started it I had no leaks. It had been a long job, the chassis & under the vehicleis not a place intended for heater hoses & I put a lot of effort into trying to ensure that all hoses are protected from flying rocks & from rubbing through on anything.

The HWS has yet to have freshwater plumbed to it, this will happen once I have a water tank. Of course the various 'standard' sized RV water tanks are all the wrong size & shape, so I have to get one custom made. So far I've had 5 quotes ranging from $945 (gulp!) to a far more reasonable $320. It will be a lightweight Polypropylene tank with a capacity of about 150 litres.

The HWS is now 'boxed in' with additional insulation around the tank, I used some polystyrene sheet & a couple of those high density foam sleeping mats cut up. Hopefully this will work as well as the set up in our bus, & keep the hot water hot for up to 3 days. Next on the agenda is wiring for the 'house battery charging system - DC to DC and Solar - I've worked out the wiring in a diagram, now have the challenge of transferring this to the vehicle, once I've sussed out the various wire sizes needed.

Cuppa

Silver

24th March 2012, 07:58 PM

what about a condemned automotive LPG tank as a water tank? Years ago, some were stainless, and were picked up by the inboard engine ski boat crowd

Cuppa

24th March 2012, 09:15 PM

Hi Silver, I had actually considered doing just that, as I have a couple of old LPG tanks sitting around here unused. I decided against it though mainly because of height (& the fact that they aren't stainless & surprisingly heavy). It would protrude up into where I want to have storage in sliding plastic bins so I'm going to get a tank that is only 250mm high, & sits under where the storage bins will be. I know someone who has four of those stainless lpg tanks in their converted bus for fresh & grey water.
Cuppa

Woof

24th March 2012, 09:58 PM

Looking good Cuppa, when it is completed you and Mrs Tea hopefully will visit the wild west mate, so I can see it in the flesh.............got more patience than me for sure

Inkbandit

9th April 2012, 10:21 AM

Shaunous

9th April 2012, 12:59 PM

Nice Rig you got there Cuppa, just a tip with the wiring for the Redarc BCDC, we use circuit breakers instead of the recomended 30A fuse, we have had a few come back where they have actually melted the fuse and fuse holder, ie crank battery to 40A circuit breaker then run 6mm positive wiring to the BCDC and from that we use a 30A circuit breaker to the house battery. hope this makes sense, its harder to explain a circuit than what it is to draw it

Hey Inkbandit,
I've used the 'MEGA bolt in' type fuses and although I havnt had a chance to use the solar panels to charge yet (was to lazy to wire it in on my offshift), charging with the crank battery while driving hasn't cause me any problems, I did however check the modules temperature with a infrared heat gun, and it was around 55degree's while parked after a long drive and engine still running, which Redarc says anything over 50degree's will cause a less efficiant charge, but thats about it, damn glad I spent the extra money and bought a good product... If anything happens though I will look to seek the breaker option.

What battery monitoring systems are you wiring into the vehicles you install the bcdc on. I have yet to install one, and to be honest, probably wont...

Cheers,
Shaun

pjwooly

9th April 2012, 10:46 PM

Had ideas of getting one of these myself sometime back...then the bloody missus went and got up the duff...so looks like i'm keepin' the wagon.
They are a top rig with all the basics there.Ive always liked those canopies with the dual wheel holders.

Looking forward to the changes.

Inkbandit

10th April 2012, 08:16 AM

Sorry for the hijack Cuppa

Hey Inkbandit,
I've used the 'MEGA bolt in' type fuses and although I havnt had a chance to use the solar panels to charge yet (was to lazy to wire it in on my offshift), charging with the crank battery while driving hasn't cause me any problems, I did however check the modules temperature with a infrared heat gun, and it was around 55degree's while parked after a long drive and engine still running, which Redarc says anything over 50degree's will cause a less efficiant charge, but thats about it, damn glad I spent the extra money and bought a good product... If anything happens though I will look to seek the breaker option.

What battery monitoring systems are you wiring into the vehicles you install the bcdc on. I have yet to install one, and to be honest, probably wont...

Cheers,
Shaun

We usually only fit the BCDC chargers to utes that have battery boxes in the rear, it is not reconmennded to have them in the engine bay due to the temps, we also usually stock the baintech gear for monitoring charge/voltage

Shaunous

10th April 2012, 11:30 AM

Yeh Sorry Cuppa :)

Sorry for the hijack Cuppa

We usually only fit the BCDC chargers to utes that have battery boxes in the rear, it is not reconmennded to have them in the engine bay due to the temps, we also usually stock the baintech gear for monitoring charge/voltage

I see some worried people had asked questions about that on the Redarc site, and all the Redarc tec guys said no worries its designed to be installed into the engine bay, mines only ever been clocked as high as 55degrees, this temperature obviously is lower when the vehicle is driving with air flow, or once sat rested for a while, I measured it straight after a long drive and the engine still running on a hot day, and mine is mounted on the firewall, turbo side near the bonnet hinge...

Sorry again for the hijack Cuppa...

Shaun...

Cuppa

11th April 2012, 05:44 PM

Hi Inkbandit, Shaun & pjwooly.welcome the thread. All welcome contributions.
Regarding the fuses vs Contact breakers - For fitting the BCDC I've already bought some fuses (50A as per what Redarc recommend), but they are not your usual type fuses. They seem to be a cross between a Maxi Fuse & a circuit breaker - a self resetting fuse (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/140654360356?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_1309wt_1114). I have been told by others that they are ok, but that it's wise to put some heat shrink around the body of the fuse , as they have been known to loosen the metal body when they get warm, with the potential for the body to short across the contacts. Any thoughts?

Cuppa

Inkbandit

12th April 2012, 08:53 AM

They look the goods Cuppa, from what I can tell from the small description listed they are in fact a circuit breaker, they look like they have been designed to replace a maxi fuse in an existing circuit, I can see what you mean about the heat shrink that may be an issue, these are the type that we use, you will have to scroll down the page a bit till you get to the heading "Water Resistant Breakers, Manual & Auto Reset" https://www.12volt.com.au/redirect.html?a=/General Htmls/webcat2003/breakers.html Hope this helps

Cuppa

25th April 2012, 05:23 PM

Well it's starting to look more like a camper now. I still haven't done any of the wiring, but have been spending my time putting in the frameworks for storage etc, as well as building in a couple more cupboards, fitting the Blueseas Circuit breaker panel & battery monitor, & installing the custom built water tank I got made.
The steel framework has been very slow, all bolted together with brackets. If I still had my Oxy set I could've welded them, but I'm hopeless with arc, hence the bracket & bolt approach. All brackets cut & drilled from angle I had sitting around, it's too far into town just for brackets. http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/51.jpg
This shows the Blueseas circuit breaker panel, the switch panels will all have labels on them which are illuminated at night. The single LED below the panel will indicate that the Redarc charger is doing it's job, & the battery monitor below that will tell me all I want to know about the state of my charging system.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/52.jpg
This shows the 'pre-wired rear of the Bluseas panel. The white board to the right of the panel will house a double mains power point (for battery charging & powered kitchen implements when camped at places with 240v available (not often - but the battery charger will be used when vehicle is in shed). The same panel will also house another double power point connected to an inverter, which will be used to power the laptop, camera battery chargers etc.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/53.jpg
Showing the basic steel framework bolted together to house plastic tubs for storage. Mostly attached to the floor by brackets & bolts into RivNuts as it's impossible to bolt through as the under tray storage area prevent any access, except along the edges (in line with the wheels). To attach the upper full length steel tubes, rather than drill a heap of holes through the canopy front & rear walls I came up with what is probably a unique 'CuppaSolution'. The steel is recessed into, & bracketed to pieces of hardwood which are sikaflexed onto the canopy wall. They're not going to go anywhere! There will be a full length overhead shelf to take chairs etc, & up the back behind the fridge & freezer there is space for the ladder required to access the rooftop tent.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/54.jpg
This is the custom made freshwater tank, held in place by angle on all sides (again RivNutted to the floor, using hi tensile bolts & some threadlock for extra peace of mind) & a single bar bolted across it's top. After getting several quotes & being gobsmacked by some of the prices I finally had this one made by Mick at Award Tanks. He was great to deal with & his prices very reasonable. Some places wanted close to $1000 for a tank exactly the same (to my drawings) as Mick made for me for $400 delivered. That's only about 40 bucks more than a standard size one of the same capacity. It holds around 160 litres, has two outlets, two fillers (one for 'click on, one for a bare hose or funnel) & a breather, & has a single central baffle. It is light but strong, I can sit on it without it deforming.
The space in front of it will have the 12v pump & pipes to & from the hot water service, & in front of that will be the stove. A fold out work surface to the left of the stove & a clip on table with sink (bowl) will be to the right of the fridge. This will be served by a hot & cold water via hoses (with trigger spray guns) that attach to exterior click- on fittings that are controlled by a couple of small lever ball valves close to the stove.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/55.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/56.jpg
A couple of pics from the drivers side. This will give access to most of the plastic boxes, which at this point I'm thinking will be suspended on, & slide in & out on aluminium channel. The box sizes will mean that the front of the boxes (tubs) will sit just behind the fillers in the water tank. The space that this leaves in front of the tank will be handy for my occasional forays into town to buy a bag of goat feed or similar, without needing to remove the plastic boxes.

One thing I decide that was important to me, which has dictated part of the layout, is the ability to be able to look back from the drivers seat through the canopy side window. I found that with this window blocked off on some occasions when turning right iw as completely 'blind' & had to get out of the driver seat (either across the passenger set or actually getting out of the vehicle to see if any traffic was coming. Retaining the ability to see out through the canopy window & positioning the vehicle at a junction helps a lot.

It is a slow & evolving process best described as 'making it up as I go along'. But I am starting to feel like I'm getting somewhere,

Cheers
Cuppa

frenzy

25th April 2012, 06:37 PM

Coming together mate. Top stuff.

Woof

25th April 2012, 06:39 PM

Looking good Cuppa, well done mate

BLKWDW

26th April 2012, 04:09 PM

Luv the car mate. sumfin different to the norm. Do you live near melb i swear i passed this truck heading south on the freeway just past broadford wighbridge today.

GUtsy ute

26th April 2012, 10:31 PM

Hey Cuppa,
Your canopy is looking great, love what you've done with everything fitting in
so neatly.
That electrical setup is a beauty, something I wish I could do.
Looking forward to the next installment.

Cheers Gavin

Cuppa

26th April 2012, 11:45 PM

Luv the car mate. sumfin different to the norm. Do you live near melb i swear i passed this truck heading south on the freeway just past broadford wighbridge today.

Nah, not me mate, I'm down in Gippsland. There's a few of these trucks around. At least one other in my area.

Cuppa

Cuppa

11th June 2012, 06:40 PM

Time for a few more photos :Yahoo!:

First up - I wasn't going to bother installing mains 240v, but when I realised that the ARB fridge freezers can automatically detect what voltage they have available & give priority to 240v I changed my mind. It means I can just plug the vehicle in when in the shed & not have to bother about changing supply cables to the fridges.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/06/23.jpgStandard 240v inlet.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/240v RCD safety switch.jpg
Double pole (as required by the regs) RCD safety switch

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/240v power points.jpg
2 mains power points, also both double pole. One at the rear for the fridge & freezer, one at the front for anything else (Computer, battery chargers, HWS etc).

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Left Side.jpg
General view from the left side. Stove not yet plumbed in. Water plumbing behind stove. Decided not to have stove on slideout as I want to keep the space above it empty, to allow a view through from the drivers seat at junctions (see next pic). Will have a small fold out kitchen work top to left of stove, plus an external clip on table toward the rear incorporating a sink

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/06/24.jpg
Can still see out - safer when turning right out of a junction

There is to be hot & cold pressurised water availble to the sink (or for showering) via hoses that clip on ouside the canopy, with trigger type garden sprayers attached. The hot water is heated by driving, from the calorifier which is now inside the insulated box to the left of the stove. The 12v 40psi pump is fitted behind the stove under a removable cover. All plumbing is 15mm John Guest stuff, not cheap but very easy & quick to use, as well as having the advantage of being able to pull it apart to re-use it (or when you've cut a pipe too long or too short). Each fitting has a locking clip to prevent the joints coming apart unintentionally. I used two stainless ball valves as internal taps. These will be turned off when travelling to prevent accidental water loss, but when camped the trigger sprayers should be sufficient.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/external water connections.jpg
These exit through the canopy floor just behind the left mudguard. Our hot water hose will connect here, the cold water one (shown with hose attached) feeds through to a filter at the rear of the vehicle.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/External water fittings1.jpg
An internal shot of the through the floor water fittings, which have plenty of clearance for the fridge to slide back & forth over the top of them (phew!).

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Internal taps.jpg
Ball valves. Shut off when driving. Mounted into Dibond which I hope will keep the gasfitter happy given it's proximity to the stove.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Plumbing taps.jpg
Love the John Guest stuff. I only used the 15mm because that was the size on the calorifier (HWS) & the expansion tank, otherwise the 12mm version would have been quite adequate (& cheaper).

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Water pump.jpg
Not an expensive Shurflo like we have in the bus, but an ebay cheapie. I bought two for less than half the price of a Shurflo & will carry one as a spare, also useable in assisting to fill the tank.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Plumbing tank shutoff.jpg
In case any problems arise I thought it wise to fit a shutoff tap to isolate the tank. Just a small garden fitting.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/plumbing cover.jpg
The 'plumbing compartment' with it's cover on. I will build what kitchen storage I can above this which still allows for the clear view through from the drivers seat & also allows for this cover to be removed for access to the plumbing.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Plumbing expansion tank.jpg
This little baby had nowhere else to go without a lot more piping (& expense), so sticking it here was a compromise. It allows for expansion as the water heats up. Experience with a similar set up in our bus, but with no expansion tank, is that we always get a steady drip from the system's pressure relief valve. Fingers crossed that it wont happen in the Patrol.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Inside calorifier.jpg
Inside here is the calorifier with additional insulation which should keep water hot for 3 days hopefully.
The small hatch allows access to the tempering valve to adjust the ouput temperature of the water beteween 45 degC & 65 degC. The coiled cable allows for the unit to be plugged into power & has a thermostat set at 80 deg.C. Removing a little of the insulation gives access to manual control of the pressure relief valve should the tank ever need draining.

More in next post

Cuppa

11th June 2012, 06:41 PM

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Water filter.jpg
The water filter cartridge is mounted at the rear of the vehicle & filters all cold water used. It is a 1 micron silver carbon filter, meaning that water can be taken from rivers, troughs etc if necessary, treated with chlorine in the tank, & have all taste of the chlorine removed for drinking. The cold water 'sink hose' will connect here. A female click on connector, blocked off with sikaflex should keep the crap & wee beasties out. (Reminder to self - need a cover for the hot water outlet too).

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Ladder space.jpg
At the rear is a space to store the ladder we need to access the rooftop tent. I may yet structure it a bit more, although suspect that an 'open' space could be quite useful (in addition to the open full length shelf along the inside top of the canopy). The ladder also fits quite nicely across the drop down spare wheel brackets, so this rear space may be utilised differently when out bush compared to in places where someone might think they deserve to own our ladder more than we do.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Right side1.jpg
Moving around to the other side of the vehicle, this shows the water tank fitted. It has two fillers, one for a click on hose & one for a jerry/funnel. Spaces for storage to be filled with silding plastic boxes.
(As on other side above the fridge)

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Fridge baffles.jpg
The various pieces of 3mm ply are basically 'baffles' for the fridge & freezer. Being back to back, where one blows out hot air the other would suck it in. The baffles are to prevent this. Most of it is removable with a screwdriver for access elsewhere if required.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Tent drawer closed.jpg
And around at the back again shows the under canopy compartments. The right hand one (3/4 length) has not yet been allocated, but the left one will be for storing our second tent, an OzTent, one of the older 'real' canvas models equivalent in size to the current RV3, purchased second hand but virtually brand new/hardly used - another ebay buy. It fits, but only just. To get it in means not having it inside it's carry bag, but it fits into a drawer I made, which has a 3mm ply cover that slides in above the tent to prevent the tent snagging on anything as we pull it out. The second tent will be our daytime 'living room' & evening mossie refuge when needed & it's canopy should match up to the Shippshape's (rooftop tent) canopy fairly well giving a reasonable amount of shade.

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Tent drawer open.jpg

Well that's where I'm up to. Soon I'll have to start on all the 12v supply & charging stuff which I've been putting off a bit. Only because I there is nowhere local to buy supplies (cables etc) at a reasonable cost, that I know of.

Hope you like what you see, feel free to tell me if you think I've stuffed up anywhere, better to know now than out in the middle of woop woop.

regards
Cuppa

aussiemale

11th June 2012, 07:21 PM

That's a damn nice set up mate, seriously!! Would of been the way if I'd gone trayback, love the tray draw you have from the rear. Did you make the spare wheel holders yourself? Trying to work out if I should have a recess in the sides (bit like the landrover 110 6x6s the army have) or on the back like yours

mudduck

11th June 2012, 08:04 PM

Thats all looking awesome mate, lovin watching this build.

DX grunt

11th June 2012, 08:32 PM

I love your sliding drawers!! lol

DX grunt

12th June 2012, 08:14 AM

[QUOTE=Cuppa;235641]

http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Tent drawer closed.jpg[/IMG

[IMG]http://www.cuppa500.com/Webpics/Patrol/Tent drawer open.jpg

Can you please give me a full run down on your drawers? lol

Size, materials used, etc. Any probs lifting them or dragging them over the back locking mechanism, when full?

If you're gunna put a drawer on the RHS, appreciate the measurements for that, too.

I'm so sick of using a rake to drag stuff out that slides down to the front. lol - not

Rossco

DX grunt

12th June 2012, 08:21 AM

Did I read somewhere you're gunna get a roof top tent? If so, how are you going to get into bed from the ground?

Cuppa

12th June 2012, 11:56 AM

Can you please give me a full run down on your drawers? lol

Size, materials used, etc. Any probs lifting them or dragging them over the back locking mechanism, when full?

If you're gunna put a drawer on the RHS, appreciate the measurements for that, too.

I'm so sick of using a rake to drag stuff out that slides down to the front. lol - not

Rossco

Hi Rossco,
The drawer is certainly a tight fit over the top of the locking mechanism, so much so there is only one way to get the drawer in & out, but it does work.
Giving you the measurements won't help, I reckon you have to 'adjust' to your space. Clearance side to side is not a problem, but a chamfer on each low edge of the drawer ensures clearance of the welds where horizontal & vertical ally is joined,
I had to grind part of the locking mechanism bar flat to give clearance getting it in & out, & the the two locking bars have to be 'straight', not 'staggered'(ie turn the handle to the locked position when door is open). I also had to cut what I could off the plate in which the locking bar slides, & cut a corresponding 'groove' along the full length of the drawer to accommodate what was left of it.

As usual (for me) I built it out of what I had handy, most of the drawer is 12mm pine tongue & groove , like is used for wall panelling. It seems rigid enough, wouldn't want to go thicker because of weight.
The end panels are 6mm Dibond, just 'cos I had it sitting there. Originally I was going to do the whole thing out of Dibond, but what I had wasn't quite long enough..... just as well as I wouldn't have had the thickness to allow for the cutting of the groove' to make it fit.

When putting the tent in it, the drawer is removed from the vehicle first, tent put in, & then draer replaced.

Not sure what I'll do on RHS yet.

Actually one measurement that might help is the full height of the drawer (not including the front panel which can be a bit higher) - 122mm, but I needed every millimetre to fit the tent, if making a more 'general drawer' life would be easier at 115 to 120, depending how much you want to grind off the locking bar & plate.

Cuppa

Cuppa

12th June 2012, 11:55 PM

Did I read somewhere you're gunna get a roof top tent? If so, how are you going to get into bed from the ground?

Rooftop tent is a second hand Shippshape (http://www.shippshape.com.au/home.htm). Folds out to the side with sleeping area fully supported by canopy so ladder can be removed when no-one 'upstairs', giving more useable space under awning compared to those that rely on ladder for support. Note in the pic below the rope holding it's top cover on. The original elastics 'let go' on a windy day as I was driving, & the whole bloody tent opened up at about 70kph. No damage done, but I need to get a new top cover made anyway because it's higher up than on it's original vehicle & the outer awning wall needs extending to reach the ground. The step ladder is a double sided one I cut shorter by one rung on each side, & added some aluminium plates which lock onto the rail alongside the tent when ladder is folded out, but still allow the ladder to be fully folded for storage. Flat rungs are easier on bare feet than the two piece heavy steel ladder that came with the tent. It fits easily across the width of the canopy inside at the rear, or can clip onto the spare wheel holders.

Cuppa

Woof

13th June 2012, 02:05 AM

The original elastics 'let go' on a windy day as I was driving, & the whole bloody tent opened up at about 70kph.

Cuppa

:clapping:, sorry Cuppa but the thought of that had me laughing so much I nearly fell off my chair.
Glad that no damage was done to it mate.

Cuppa

13th June 2012, 04:05 PM

Yeah I can laugh about it now, but it wasn't bloody funny at the time. Lucky that a) I had some ropes to tie it down, & b) that someone stopped to help. The wind was that strong there was no way I'd have got it down myself. The funniest part was that a couple of cars coming the other way flashed their lights at me & pointed, I looked in the mirror to see what they were pointing at & saw nothing & just carried on! It was the bloke who helped who overtook me & pulled up in front wildy waving that got me to stop! :driving2:

Cuppa

twindiff

25th July 2012, 12:08 PM

Hi Cuppa,

I've enjoyed reading the story on your build up while plotting and planning my own build of an ex-telstra patrol (see Moby the white whale). Thanks for all the details and pics, you've given me lots of ideas.

Cheers,

Errol

Cuppa

17th August 2012, 12:47 AM

Progress continues. An update.
All the electrics are now done. 240v electrics are fairly simple, consisting of an external 15amps input socket set into the pod behind the passenger door. This then feeds two double sockets via and RCD/safety switch. One double socket is for the fridege & freezer (which gives priority to 240v automatically when available). The other for a mains battery charger. Checked & given a certificate of safety by a local electrician.

In addition a 350w Victron Phoenix pure sine wave inverter provides 240v sufficient for my battery power tools charger, kitchen mixer, laptop recharging etc. if anyone is looking for an inverter I'd recommend Victron. I've had a couple of cheap pure sine wave inverters that have failed, but have a Victron now in our bus that has done what it's supposed to. Generally they are pretty pricey, but I bought this one for the Patrol from http://www.marineequip.com.au/victron-inverters.html who were both very good to deal with & significantly cheaper than anywhere else. They charged me $201 delivered & supplied it with a standard aussie power outlet.

The Redarc BCDC1240 is fitted, & working as it should according to the NASA BM1 'Compact' battery monitor. External Anderson plug connection for solar panels added to front of pod (will sit behind panel yet to be fitted to cab roof). ....... Anyone have a pair of roof bars you want to sell?

Wiring up the Blueseas circuit breaker distribution panel was fairly simple as it was partially pre-wired & just needed connections to the various circuits made. It works as expected, with a little led to show when each circuit is switched. The label for each circuit is backlit, but I fitted an additional switch to allow me to switch this feature on or or off, rather than leaving it switched on all the time.
I also added a switch to allow the battery monitor to be switched on & off, as the means of resetting is to disconnect it from the battery & then reconnect whilst holding down one of it's two buttons. A switch next to the monitor makes this task far easier.

From the CB distribution board there are 6 circuits.
1 - Lights .... Currently still the 'Telstra' fluoros, but to be changed to LEDs once other work is completed
2 - Compressor - this is essentially just using the CB board as a convenient switch to operate the 100 amp solenoid that came with the compressor. The compressor itself will run directly from the 'crank' battery via a separate 100 amp circuit breaker.
3 - Water pump. With this now wired up I have been able to fill the water tank & test the pressurized water system and the hot water system. Apart from an initial couple of small leaks (needed additional Teflon tape on some threads) all works ok. The cheap eBay pump is fairly quiet.
4 - Fridge and freezer. Supplied with 6mm2 cable, & original ciggie lighter type plug cut off & replaced with Anderson plugs. Also added an inline fuse to each as the original plugs incorporated a fuse.
5 - Power outlets. In our bus I put outlets all over the place & found that we didn't use most of them, so in the Patrol I've only fitted two. One externally up high on the passenger side of the pod (for an led extension light for use in the rooftop tent or the ground based 'Oztent'). The other an Anderson plug inside the pod on the driver side which can be used for a water pump to fill the tank, portable shower, or whatever.
6 - Inverter. This is connected to a twin output power point. Switching the inverter on & off with a circuit breaker makes life more convenient allowing mounting of the inverter to be out of easy reach.

The auxiliary battery under the bonnet has been removed, along with the ARB battery tray it sat in. (Anyone with a GU interested in buying a used battery tray) and the starter battery connected to the batteries in the pod via some very heavy duty cables (70mm2), & some high amperage Blueseas battery switches which allow the charging via the Redarc BCDC or a direct connection. As a reminder not to forget a direct connection (& risk flattening the starter battery if left long enough) I've also fitted a small voltage meter in the driving cab, in addition to the battery monitor in the pod.

I am now in the process of fitting the storage bins. Having looked around at Bunnings, BCF etc I was less than impressed with the quality of plastic boxes available, & decided I wanted something more durable ..... Like those black recycling bins that councils use for empty bottles etc. I found a place in Melbourne called Richmond Castors & Wheels (http://www.richmondau.com/plastics/products/recycling.html) who make them & sell at reasonable prices. I paid $14 each for the 52l & $13 each for the 32l bins. $8.50 each for lids. Also bought a couple of colored 20l bins (no lids) which were $18.50 each as the colored bins are food safe, whereas the black ones are made from recycled plastic & not considered food safe, but as any food inside these bins will be in other containers, the black ones will be fine.

They are strong enough to be suspended by their 'lips', so I'm using aluminium 'rub rail' to slide them on to, which also has plastic end pieces to finish it off. Mounting the rails is very time consuming as the spaces between the 'uprights' were made to accommodate the water tank & the fridges, so at the moment I'm working as a contortionist come bracket maker. (remember I live way out of town, so as usual it's all fabricate it myself out of materials to hand).

I plan to take some more pics of my progress once all the plastic bins are mounted, but if anyone is interested in seeing some pics of anything in particular that I've mentioned, just say.

Regards
Cuppa.

Woof

17th August 2012, 01:27 AM

WOW you have been busy Cuppa, just read your post and I have one question mate........................power tools charger and laptop recharging etc I can understand, but kitchen mixer?????....hahahaha
Sounds like you and Mrs Tea are getting closer to head off on a trip soon mate, when is it planned?

DX grunt

17th August 2012, 06:34 AM

Nice.

Would love to see lotsa pics.

Hope you left enough room to sit in your seat and change gears! Very impressed with the work.

Take care out there.

Rossco

macca

17th August 2012, 07:05 AM

Going to be at Yarragon over xmas, if your home I would enjoy popping round and comparing notes, You certainly have an impressive tourer now.
Cheers Macca

Cuppa

17th August 2012, 08:52 AM

Sounds like you and Mrs Tea are getting closer to head off on a trip soon mate, when is it planned?

Now there's the rub, actually using the thing for extended trips is still some way off in the future. Vague plan is to finish the Patrol, do some house renovations, sell the property
& move elsewhere to a more easily 'leavable' place, & then do lots more travelling. So still long term plans really. Hopefully we'll still manage to fit a few short breaks in during the summer though

Hope you left enough room to sit in your seat and change gears!

Rossco

Haven't done much in the cab yet! Still looking for a single passenger seat. A local wrecker has one that he wants $200 for, but it's sat out in the weather & is a bit grubby. Gonna struggle to find somewhere to mount the iPad I got for my birthday. I want to use it as a gps navigator.

Going to be at Yarragon over xmas, if your home I would enjoy popping round and comparing notes,

That'd be good.
Yarragon's not too far away, so if we are here you would be more than welcome. Plenty of room to camp as well if you wanted to. Just let me know nearer the time.

Regards
Cuppa. ♨

Cuppa

6th September 2012, 03:01 PM

Hi folks, time for a few more pics of my progress. It may not look like a lot more has been achieved, but believe me there has been a a heap of time spent since my last batch of photos!

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/16.jpg

All looks neat & tidy, but the reality is a little less so behind the distribution board, but the important factor is that it all works now.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/17.jpg

Gulp!

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/18.jpg

Passenger side, gas stove still to be installed. False ceiling now fitted giving overhead storage space for lighter gear like camp chairs etc. Plastic storage bin above fridge, on rails so it can slid out.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/19.jpg
Driver side showing more plastic storage bins, all can be slid in & out independent of each other. At the front you can see the 9 litre air tank which goes with the air compressor. 300 watts of portable solar panels store between where the air tank is & the plastic bins.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/20.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/21.jpg

But wait, there's more. Slide out the two outer storage bins, & these 4 bins sit behind them.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/22.jpg

These all have a spot, plus all sorts of nooks & crannies between them. All should remain in position with lids on (except the blue ones that have no lids) when traveling.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/23.jpg

On board air tank, 9 litres. It was a close fit, needing long fingers & more contortionist moves. This & the compressor have to be removable to allow access to the batteries when they eventually need to be replaced. Similarly the false ceiling also had to be removable for the same reason.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/24.jpg
Boss PX7 compressor. Powered from the crank battery under the bonnet, but switched from the 'house' batteries in the canopy. I'm waiting for delivery of a few more fittings to run air hose to either side of the canopy. Fired up the compressor for the first time this morning & was pretty chuffed when it worked as it should. Have used heavier cabling than recommended after reading of of others experiences with thin cabling causing overheating of the armature problems. Boss said to use a minimum of 15mm2 cable, I utilized the 70mm2 I have to connect starter & house batteries, plus chassis earth. Additional cables are 35mm2. Probably overkill but better too much than too little when it comes to sufficient copper to prevent voltage drop.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/25.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/26.jpg

Overhead storage area on driver side for fishing rods etc.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/27.jpg
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/28.jpg

Overhead storage on passenger side

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/29.jpg
Inverter & Redarc charger/solar regulator. Redarc starts charging about 30 seconds after motor is started. Remote led underneath the electrical distribution board replaces need to look directly at the unit if an error ever occurs. Haven't tried plugging in the solar yet, but have fitted an Anderson plug for this purpose to the outside of the canopy. I now have a couple of Rhino roof bars to fit to the cab roof to attach another 125w panel to, but still need to decide what sort of framework will be best to angle it as a 'wind deflector'.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/30.jpg

Small voltmeter in dash serves as a 'telltale' to remind me to switch back from winch use to dc to dc charging, just in case I should forget.

Still to do in the canopy - fit led lighting - I measured the current that the full 5 metres of led strip lighting I bought for under $20 yesterday - 1.3 amps. Happy with that!

Make a table/sink to clip onto side of canopy, plus hooks to hang the hot & cold water hoses.

Make kitchen work surface. (fold out) & laminate it.

Work out how best to carry gas bottles - may junk the under tray storage cabinet & get someone to weld me up a frame.

Then there's changing the passenger seat in the cab & building some additional storage between the seats, fitting the cab top solar, & getting new (& extended) canvas cover for the rooftop tent.

Oh yeah, fit a CB radio, mount the iPad for gps navigation ........ & that'll be about it!

............... Unless I've forgotten anything ......... Oops yep, there's the driver side under tray storage area, which I guess is where the recovery gear will live, possibly in plastic trays??

Cuppa.

threedogs

6th September 2012, 03:49 PM

Coming along nicely, you could put a drop of 5 min Araldite on the back of connections on your circuit board.
It may stop wires from sparking and causing a fire, may that never happen though.

Just looking at more pics, that led strip light could go around the inside of your lift up doors?
I've just fitted some on my awning 120 leds a mtr great light output plus off cuts for other jobs.

macca

6th September 2012, 04:58 PM

WOW Cuppa that is amazing

Cuppa

20th September 2012, 11:53 PM

Just looking at more pics, that led strip light could go around the inside of your lift up doors?

Hi threedogs,
I gave that idea some thought, but decided against it. My experience with LEDs is that they have a high 'dazzle factor' & are best mounted out of the line of sight or behind a diffuser if possible. Today I got the soldering iron out & cut the LEDs into shorter strips, soldering them back together in parallel strips which I stuck to a piece of 3 mm ply to replace the twin fluoro tubes in one of the ex Telstra light fittings. I re-located this to the rear of the passenger side canopy door, over where the sink will be (clip on).
I stuck a couple of 700mm strips onto the false ceiling over where the cooker will be, & another almost 2 metres long higher on the roof, both hidden from view by framework. I checked them out tonight once dark & am pleased with their effectiveness. I used 'warm white' rather than the brighter 'cool white' so they should not make my steaks look too 'washed out & insipid'.

On the other side of the canopy I removed the fluoro light & fitted a 10w Cree led wide angle spotlight, this is really bright & makes a great work light. The 4 area lights can all be switched on independent lay of each other (using normal household light switches - ok for such low currents). With all lights switched on the current draw totals a little over 2 amps.
I have another strip led light coming in the mail (with more LEDs per metre) but I don't think I'll need it after all. Maybe I'll fit it under the bonnet as a permanent work light.

Hoses from the air tank are now fitted, with an outlet on each side of the vehicle. Only problem I had with leaks was from a brass tee piece - an eBay special supposedly the correct size for the ID of my hose, but in reality was a bit undersized. Some tape around it & over tightening of the hose clamps has fixed it provided I don't move it around too much. I'll have to get another tee piece to fix it properly.

125w solar panel is now fitted onto the cab roof. I made a framework for it out of aluminium angle (50mm x 50mm x 3mm.) Rivetted & Sikaflexed together. The panel is Rivetted to the frame, which in turn is bolted to a pair of Rhino roof bars. I had intended to attach to the lower side of the roof bars to keep the gap between the front of the panel (it's on an angle like a spoiler) & the cab roof as small as I could, but unfortunately the width of the panel was about 15mm wider than the distance between the roof bar supports, so I had to sit the frame on top of the bars. If it is too noisy I may have to consider some way of blocking the gap.
Today I cut the connections off the panel & fitted an Anderson plug, together with extra cables from it's rear going to another Anderson plug. One connects to one I had previously fitted to the front of the canopy (going to the Redarc regulator) & the other mounted onto the frame, into which I will connect the portable panels.

The redarc regulator (BCDC1240) charges the house batteries from either solar or from the alternator (dc to dc), not both at the same time. The way I wired it up using a changeover relay it should charge from solar whenever the sun shines, unless I start the motor, in which case 3 stage smart charging automatically kicks in about 30 seconds after the motor starts. Having connected up the roof panel today it was the first time to see if I had managed to wire things correctly. Result, when I saw the remote redarc led indicator light up, & a few solar amps charge showing on the battery monitor, was a big grin. :-). Fired up the motor & watched it switch over. Grin got bigger.

Cuppa. ♨

Cuppa

22nd September 2012, 05:55 PM

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/93.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/94.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/95.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/96.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/97.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/98.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/99.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/100.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/101.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/102.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/103.jpga

threedogs

22nd September 2012, 06:41 PM

Hate to say it Cuppa but thats one butt ugly dog. I noticed the other day that Jaycar Electronics sell mouldings to suit 8-10mm LED strips along with disfusers and end caps to make everything neat. Have you used the push in teflon air fittings??. Looking good by the way ,but your dogs a worry

Cuppa

22nd September 2012, 06:55 PM

TD I'm gonna tell Gloria you said she was ugly! Tell me more about teflon air fittings.

Cuppa

threedogs

22nd September 2012, 07:08 PM

You know as they say "a good goat will do that" but anyway give me a bit of time to take some pictures and I'll get back to you.
So its a goat named Gloria go figure, weell doogy lol

threedogs

22nd September 2012, 07:22 PM

Bumped... this is wat they look like, come in elbows ,tee's, 4ways, you name it. also a variety of sizes common ones are 6mm to 12mm
I get them off Ebay and make up diff breather kits, cheap ,easy as to put together . you just push hose into fittin and it locks, also
easy to remove. great if you run an air tank or air horns, I like you had air outlets front and rear of last 4x4 only requiring 2mtrs of hose
to reach all wheels. if you get stuck findind them just PM, very pricey here in OZ maybe $10 a fitting OS you can get 25 depending on size
Hose cheap as
you may find this pir sensor handy somewhere, I have one when I exit camper at night, light comes on

Cuppa

22nd September 2012, 11:29 PM

Aha, now I know what you meant. Very similar to the John guest fittings i used for pressurised water. The air tank was supplied with one of those type of fittings, but because I had a heap of 'normal' air hose sitting around unused I used that instead with hose clamps.

The PIR sensor is a good idea.

Cuppa. ♨

threedogs

23rd September 2012, 06:53 PM

You may find this handy as well, I buy all this stuff and look at it long long enough
to find where I can use it, I have one for general camp lighting as very bright so as the night wears on we dim it. bear in mind I take every thing to camp for 10 plus people,Saves doubling up

Cuppa

28th October 2012, 02:39 PM

Time for another update. The 'kitchen' is now basically finished, just need to get the gas supply to the stove sorted. Bit of a hiccup with that though. I plan to have a gas bottle in the under tray tool box, like Telstra did, but with a bayonet fitting in it's side. To use the stove ..... pull it out & connect hose to bayonet fitting. The biggest size bottle I can fit inside the cabinet is a 3kg one...... BUT ...... an older type of 3kg bottle which is 235mm diameter & 300mm high ..... No longer sold in Oz as far as I can tell, but I had two out of date ones & had them sent away to be retested ..... & they've lost the bloody things. Grrrr. If they don't find them I may be restricted to 2kg bottles. Current 3kg bottles are 250mm diameter which is a smidgen too much to fit. Will get a frame made to hold two (hopefully) spare bottles under the tray behind the rear driver side mudguard. I have since turned up a 3rd out of date suitable 3kg bottle which needs retesting.

Anyway, enough about gas here's some of my woodwork.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/10/93.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/10/94.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/10/95.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/10/96.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/10/97.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/10/98.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/10/99.jpg

Small worktop to left of stove folds out. Table with sink has telescopic leg with 'peggable' foot. Table clips to side of vehicle in a couple of seconds & leg fitted afterward. There are hot & cold hose connections under the tray to supply water to bowl ( or shower). Stove slides lock in both in & out positions, & complete stove can be removed in moments. (We have a second tent & may sometimes cook inside it when, for example flies/mozzies/sand flies are unbearable). Normally though we only expect to be under the awning that the rooftop tent provides. Stove wind guards (made from the sides of a dead microwave oven) are held on with rare earth magnets. Shelving for commonly used foodstuffs were sized to fit the containers, which are the 1kg 'SPC' plastic fruit jars. These are very durable ( have used them for years in our bus) a good shape & cost around the same full as many empty (& less useful shape) storage containers. Having the lid a bit narrower than the body of the container makes it easier to build storage where they won't move around on rough roads. The peaches are lasting us a long time though! :-). All other food will be stored in the fridge, freezer & the larger plastic bins. Remember it is our hope to eventually be able to go bus for a month or two at a time.

Left to do - cabin - I have a possible ST single passenger seat lined up. If the chap comes through I'll look at fitting a std centre console, or possibly building extra storage myself. Fit a cb radio & maybe a mount for the iPad. (To use it as a navigator).

Rooftop tent - needs a bit of canvas work - local bloke is well booked out - not possible until after new year.

That'll be about it, although I'm sure there will be little enhancements made over time.

threedogs

28th October 2012, 03:22 PM

Hi Cuppa coming along great,

is this bottle any good to you?? only gunna throw it out.
Also have a small bright PIR led that might be handy to you
The PIR led only about $6 but very bright I love it
I'll grab a pic for you

Cuppa

28th October 2012, 03:59 PM

Hi 3d,
Thanks, but the gas bottle is way too big, I need the old 3kg camping cylinder - the type with a left hand 3/8ths thread fitting.
Like this (http://www.torpedo7.com.au/products/GAC1LW7C3).

I'm not certain i need the light either but can see it would be useful if i can find somewhere to mount it. Might be good for those middle of the night , climb down the ladder, calls of nature. What did you want for it? Is the length of time the light stays on adjustable How sensitive is it. Something that was set off by every waving tree branch could be a pain.

Cheers
Cuppa

Cuppa

4th November 2012, 08:31 PM

Some more pics taken whilst I had the tents erected for the first time this arvo.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/9.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/10.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/11.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/12.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/13.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/14.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/15.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/16.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/17.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/18.jpg

Cuppa

threedogs

4th November 2012, 08:46 PM

I'm liking your set up heaps Cuppa, can't wait to see it if you're going to the meet up.

Old Wal

4th November 2012, 09:47 PM

Great set up , Cuppa. I must admit that I will be " pinching " a few of your ideas when I actually get time to finish my slide on camper canopy.
Will post progress photo's at some stage.
Recently received an email from Kulkyne Kampers detailing their latest camper top ( not rooftop tent ) designed to mount on top of owner's custom built canopies. Look good.

TPC

4th November 2012, 10:28 PM

That is a real impressive setup, you have done a great job. Thanks for sharing.

threedogs

4th November 2012, 11:08 PM

Cuppa back to your gas bottle dilemma, why not those disposable green cannisters from Kmart etc, only $6 a pop
get a few meals out of each , so with those and those fly can gasmate cookers you'd be right, those cannisters are whatt 200mm tall and 100mm wide
we love them, might be worth looking into. you going to Viv meet up. you can go with Winnie?? Plus those flycan cannisters are what $4 for 6.that'll
give over 8 hrs of cooking for $4, thats not too bad in my books

Cuppa

4th November 2012, 11:39 PM

Hi td,
I've found a bloke locally who recertifies gas bottles, & who has one of the size I need, I've still got one too which I found in the shed after I sent the first two off for re-certification (which they lost), just need to find one more. This will give me 9kg total, which I reckon should be good for maybe 3 months of daily use. I had one of those cannister cookers for outdoor cooking in the bus, mounted on a fold down bin door. I know they are very popular, but I've heard too many accounts of flaring up & of leaks & decided to remove it. I had a number of gas cannisters left, so bought one of those blow torch accessories to fit them, but it leaked, so I chucked it & got a decent one (needed it for soldering wires into Anderson plugs). Sorry I think it pretty unlikely that I'll be getting to the meet up 'cos I think that's the weekend the shearer's coming to do ours & next door's sheep. If you want another weekend away sometime you're welcome to come down to camp at our place, you could even take a few gas cannisters home with you, as well maybe drive around some of our 4wd tracks.

Cuppa

threedogs

4th November 2012, 11:47 PM

Great thanks for invite, I'm still going fishing on the 29 th of Nov up Bearii, Think Roofy coming nothing flash just campfire cooking and dropping a line in the drink more than welcome if free,

Cuppa

5th November 2012, 12:03 AM

Ta. Still have a few things to finish off before taking the patrol out camping. The bus is drive able but really needs new springs (has sagged on one side), so probably unlikely I'll make it, but in the unlikely event that that the canvas work is done, on the Patrol I could quite enjoy throwing a rod in & driving up. Probably more likely on a later date though the way things are looking.

Cheers
Cuppa

threedogs

5th November 2012, 12:09 AM

Invite is always there, next trip after this is around Aust day.

bindoonblu

6th November 2012, 11:57 PM

Cuppa I am inspired... firstly by your resourcefulness and the finsihed job although I suspec that the setup will never be quite complete.
pity I have to go to work in the morning

dunwurkin

10th November 2012, 06:57 PM

Cuppa

10th November 2012, 09:25 PM

Cuppa love your set up, can you explain how you use ipad for maps and gp,s how do you plan a trip on it, we have a polaris indash unit and its a nightmare to use I am considering an ipad would love your input
thank Kate

Hi Kate,
I reckon there will be others here who can much better answer your question, because as yet I haven't done it, but fully intend to. As I understand it, provided you buy an iPad with built in GPS (or purchase a separate GPS dongle the non GPS iPads) it is just a matter of buying a navigation 'app'. One which has been recommended to me, which as yet I haven,t seen is 'Metroview', but I,m unsure how good this is for 4wd'ing. The Hema app is apparently very good & will do all you ask, but has a fairly steep purchase price. I expect the Hema will be what I end up getting.The main advantages I see of using the ipad is that a separate purchase of a navigator isn't necessary, & having a larger screen makes it easier to see. The disadvantage is the need to find space for it in the Patrol cab where space is at a bit of a premium. For more info from those who already use iPads in this way I'd suggest starting a new thread, & I'll also follow it with interest.

Cuppa

Cuppa

24th November 2012, 01:54 PM

Was parked outside BCF in town the other day & noticed water dripping out of the front of the canopy. Not green, so not coolant. The dripping was from the front left corner, right underneath where the hot water service is housed. Not looking good, but little I could do there & then. Stopped off at my mailbox on the way home & the drip looked more like a tap had been switched on. I drove on home (another 20kms) ad by the time I arrived home was resigned to having to go through the fairly major task of removing much of the canopy 'infrastructure' to gain access to the water heater. At least I had had the foresight to ensure that all was removeable, albeit a right royal pain in the arse! As you can imagine, I was not smiling.
Upon arriving home I set to trying to establish exactly where the water was coming from. There was plenty of it all over the floor of the canopy, but nothing to suggest it was hot. Pulled out the stove etc to gain access to the pump - nothing to suggest a leak anywhere, other than the water all over the floor. Hmmm. Then it hit me ..... I had filled the tank the day before .... Couldn't just be coincidence could it...... My thoughts turned to the possibility of a split tank & my heart sank.
Opening up the drivers' side canopy door the cause became immediately obvious, & I whooped out loud with joy & relief. Guess who had failed to properly tighten the water tank's filler cap, which was now laying on the floor ! Woo hoo!

Won't do that again!

Whilst on the subject of water ....... I tested out the water pump with the external hoses/trigger spray guns recently ...... And found a problem. Followers of my build up may recall I had purchased & fitted an eBay 'cheapie' pump. Nothing wrong with the pump per se, but basically it's flow rate of 17 litres per minute @ 40psi was just too much. It was almost impossible to fill a washing up bowl without getting spray back in the face. Trying to reduce the flow to a minimum using ing a combination of the stop taps & the trigger on the spray guns was still difficult, & also kept the pump 'chirping' at it's highest current draw which would now & then trip the 15 amp circuit breaker.

My solution was to buy what I should have bought in the first place, a Shurflo pump li,e we have in the bus. It's a 2088 model costing about double the eBay cheapie, & with a flow rate of 10.5 lpm @ 45psi. It still has a bit more of a powerful jet than we really need, but is far more controllable, with the current draw never going above 6.7amps, is much quieter, & half the weight. Changing pumps was pretty straightforward.

Still vaguely water related ...... I wanted to fid a storage solution for my fishing rods, which I've now done. The aim was to be able to store them 'made up'. Whilst travelling in our bus we would often decide not to stop at a spot for a fish because it involved having to unpack a rod & set it up. Once I rectified that so that the rods travelled made up, I found that stopping for a 'bit of a go' whenever passing a likely bit of water was more common. In the patrol I've managed to store my light & my medium rods made up, whilst my 3 piece surf rod is stored along with tent awning poles (for both tents) in a cut down version of the Rhino conduit carrier which came with the Telstra truck.
I was quite pleased to be able to utilise a bit of only 'unallocated' space' for this.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/110.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/11/111.jpg

Cuppa

Sir Roofy

24th November 2012, 05:08 PM

threedogs

24th November 2012, 05:18 PM

Cuppa

24th November 2012, 08:52 PM

c,mon cuppa ,its good enough to try out now travel up with me on the 29th ,we,ll be home on the sunday ???

No promises, but it's tempting, shoot me a PM with your phone number & when you might be around & I'll give you a ring.

Cuppa

Cuppa

24th November 2012, 09:16 PM

Yeah don't think I didn't notice the pic of the fishing rod packed, now just leave some feed and water for Amelia,
So Cuppa can't go now because...........????? roofy knows where to go. Not sure about Winne either I'll pop him a PM
Seems a lot of excuses emerging...

Now now. I'll see what I can sort out 3D
A few questions :
Is the camp spot shaded or will I be able to use my solar panels?
Any dunny there or is it byo arrangements?
Is there somewhere up there to get a fishing license. (NSW or VIC?)
Is 'Cod opening' a busy time like Easter & new year on the Murray with every man & his dog camping up there or are we likely to have the camp spot to ourselves?
Can bait be bought up there or should it brought along - if so what?

Oh & it's Gloria, not Amelia. :o
Cuppa

threedogs

24th November 2012, 09:29 PM

Cuppa

25th November 2012, 09:22 PM

Can buy all bait etc NSW licence in Shep, Everyone will be at Yarrawonga going for the $$$$$ prizes, dig your own toilet. Plenty of sunshine and room for solar panels . Apologies to Gloria and more so to Amelia my bad big time sorry. Might be better shooting Roofy a PM as he's down Your way. Ice, smokes and all that stuff not far away if you run out. as I said Roofy has co-ords or turn left at Bearii find suttons lane/track UHF channel 26. only about 5 kS into forrest down stream. Easy to find can see camp from road on the RHS

Ok, have obtained leave of absence from swmbo & plan to drive up with Roofy on Thursday. It'll be the 'maiden run' for the camper so no doubt I'll have a few things to sort at camp. Will need edumacating about cod catching & all things fishing. Ownership of fishing implements does not imply any knowledge of their use.

Will look forward to meeting a few forum members.

Cuppa

fracster

9th December 2012, 01:48 PM

Good read fella. Truck looks spot on for what you need.

Given me some ideas as well, thanks.

threedogs

9th December 2012, 03:22 PM

Was just reading another thread on GVM and wondering if
you know how much your set up weighs????

Cuppa

10th December 2012, 10:29 AM

Was just reading another thread on GVM and wondering if
you know how much your set up weighs????

Ummmm ...... Nup...... Not yet. Gvm is 3400kgs. I am hopeful that I'll be within that fully loaded. Anyone know the approx weight of an unloaded DX cab chassis (with tray & full fuel tanks)?

Cuppa

threedogs

10th December 2012, 12:00 PM

my manual says GVM of the coil cab is 3150kg and leaf 3400kg, wagons vary but they are around 2960kg
how does that go with you???
weight is unladen 2120kg
wagons are around 2400kg

Sir Roofy

10th December 2012, 12:11 PM

ummmm ...... Nup...... Not yet. Gvm is 3400kgs. I am hopeful that i'll be within that fully loaded. Anyone know the approx weight of an unloaded dx cab chassis (with tray & full fuel tanks)?

Cuppa

hi cuppa jeeze mate i dunno about the 3400ks mate its cutting it fine fully loaded

threedogs

10th December 2012, 12:17 PM

I'm with you Roofy ,thinking way over, you'd be surprised how it all adds up.
Maybe everyone will go and weigh their 4x4s now

Sir Roofy

10th December 2012, 12:23 PM

i'm with you roofy ,thinking way over, you'd be surprised how it all adds up.
Maybe everyone will go and weigh their 4x4s now

may be td but i dought it,i wonder about mine at times when she,s loaded up

threedogs

10th December 2012, 12:38 PM

I'll put mine over next time I'm near a weigh bridge ,just to see,

oncedisturbed

30th January 2013, 11:22 PM

how did i miss this thread?? this is a great setup :) top job Cuppa

PMC

30th January 2013, 11:43 PM

G'evening Cuppa.

Great build, good onya mate!

Regards,

RLI

Lieney

21st March 2013, 09:34 PM

Cuppa, I finally spent the time to see the rig that is at the top left corner of your posts.
I love what you have done regarding hot and cold water, and the storage and facilities that you have installed.
I have been researching solar and other things and thanks to one of your posts, and I now don't think this one, have some more information on sola and how I want to set mine up.
I'm travelling from SA to Wodonga at the end of April and will be there in May.
I'll check the map to see if I will pass your way, as I would love to see your rig up close and talk about the effort you have put in.
Might be out of the way at a guess, but when there is an opportunity to expand ones mind with awesome stuff like this I cannot have enough.

Cuppa

21st March 2013, 11:24 PM

Thanks for the kind words Lieney.
I reckon it unlikely you'll be passing by my way en route to Wodonga, but if you want to detour south you'd be most welcome to visit. We have plenty of room for camping. We will however be away camping during the first weekend of May. (3rd to 6th).

Having now used the camper for some time away with both of us, I am quite pleased how it's turned out, & MrsTea has given it her approval. However , as always there are compromises, & and things I wish I'd done a bit differently, but nothing major. Basically just stuff to adapt to, rather than change. Par for the course for a fit out made up as I went along. I had an overall picture in my mind of what I wanted, but the means of achieving/constructing this was a process of evolution. I wish I could have planned all of the construction before getting start red, but my head just doesn't work like that. I'm better at working out that sort of stuff when I physically have it in my hands in front of me.
The main issue of course is being over the GVM, but this is now hopefully in hand.

I have changed the water pump yet again, now on the 3rd pump & finally got one suitable. It is a lot smaller, draws only a maximum of 3 amps, & has a flow rate of just 4.3 litres per minute, with a max pressure of 35psi. Initial opening of the 'tap' (trigger gun') needs a little care as 35psi will still cause 'splash back' (if running it into a cup for example), but as soon as this initial pressure is relieved flow is ideal. As hoped for the hot water remained hot for 3 days, & was still luke warm on day 4. Camped for 5 days saw us use about half the contents of the water tank, but we could have been a fair bit more frugal. With the under tray 30 litre tank utilised, I am confident we could make our water supply last for two weeks as planned.
I was particularly pleased with the solar. With the 35 litre freezer set on minus 17 throughout the day & turned up to minus 13 once the sun had gone in each day, & the 60 litre fridge set on minus two, plus minor stuff like recharging the iPad, lights etc we found the batteries were fully recharged by between midday & 1pm each day. On the day we drove home we arrived home with fully charged batteries. The main thing I found I want to change is to our chairs. Basically I enjoy my comfort & found that the lack of somewhere to lay down in comfort during the day unacceptable (kitchen needs to be closed to access the bed). MrsTea has a reclining chair, but my one isn't. Being able to recline made a huge difference & it was sometimes a squabble over who got which chair. I have just ordered two reclining chairs for the Patrol, both with alloy frames, (OzTrail Cascade 5's) almost half the weight of our existing ones. Nothing fancy, but allow for laying back with feet up (Eee looxury lud!).
The rooftop tent was great, but possibly needs a new mattress. The tent was *much' easier to put up with two of us, going up in 2 or 3 minutes. MrsTea pushes on one side with an extended tent pole, whilst I pull down on the awning. Very quick compared to struggling by myself. Once open two guy ropes attach to the side of the vehicle & that is basically it. Two poles & two more guys pegged into the ground give the full awning. Packing the tent away took a bit longer, but practice will speed this up.
The sliding plastic box system worked quite well. We kept the boxes out once camped & have decided that the extra camp table we were going to buy is not necessary as a couple of boxes piled one on top of the other make a reasonable table. Tools & spares & recovery gear now fit into 3 plastic 'tote trays' in the driver side under tray 'drawer space'. Took a while to find some the right size & of durable construction. They have cord attached to them to retrieve them, which worked well. I have junked the long drawer I made to store the OzTent under the tray on the passenger side to save a bit of weight, finding we can slide the tent in, inside it's original bag.
Probably the biggest issue was remembering where stuff was stored, often requiring a number of boxes to be opened to find what was wanted. This will improve with familiarity.
The driving cab will undergo a few changes when I finally manage to get a single passenger bucket seat at a reasonable cost.

Cuppa

TPC

21st March 2013, 11:46 PM

Good to hear it worked well for you, like hearing about other people's setup and stealing the ocassional idea.

BigRAWesty

22nd March 2013, 12:24 AM

Top job cuppa. So did you reduce the payload or up the GMV?

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

Cuppa

22nd March 2013, 09:09 AM

Top job cuppa. So did you reduce the payload or up the GMV?

Both Kallen
The GVM upgrade is in train, & I'm hoping to have it sorted within the next week or two.

Cuppa

Bob

22nd March 2013, 09:31 AM

so how long before the big trip Cuppa ???

Cuppa

22nd March 2013, 10:11 AM

so how long before the big trip Cuppa ???

Ah, that's the big question Bob. No fixed dates as the hope is that when it happens it won't just be a 'trip', but rather a complete change in lifestyle. A few small things like fixing up the house here & selling it, buying another more easily 'leavable' home base etc etc need to happen first. Realistically we could be looking at a few years away still. In the meantime we prepare & save every $ we can. One step at a time.

We are dreamers, but have found previously that sticking with our dreams has eventually enabled them to come true.

Cuppa

BigRAWesty

22nd March 2013, 10:41 AM

Ah, that's the big question Bob. No fixed dates as the hope is that when it happens it won't just be a 'trip', but rather a complete change in lifestyle. A few small things like fixing up the house here & selling it, buying another more easily 'leavable' home base etc etc need to happen first. Realistically we could be looking at a few years away still. In the meantime we prepare & save every $ we can. One step at a time.

We are dreamers, but have found previously that sticking with our dreams has eventually enabled them to come true.

Cuppa

I'm trying to get the wife to do it now... While the kids are young and not in school... But she's worried of the might be's.

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

Cuppa

22nd March 2013, 01:02 PM

I'm trying to get the wife to do it now... While the kids are young and not in school... But she's worried of the might be's.

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

That was our plan years ago, but the Pyramid building society crash put paid to that...... & we were so close!
There are plenty of young families out there doing it, & when you are younger it is easier to 'rough it' a bit more.
The family that sticks in my mind was Mum, Dad & two kids travelling in an old beat up old FJ (I think) Cruiser. Running it on used veggie oil. Met them at Uluru. They had just come across from Laverton, had been to the hotels/cafe at Uluru & managed to get a heap of used cooking oil & were in the process of straining it for use. It was a hard way to travel, but they were out there & doing it, rather than sitting home watching the idiot box. The kids, both under 6 were having a ball.
There are folks from all walks of life out there seeing the country, from those in the huge mansions on wheels, to the pensioners who camp up between pension cheques, & then move on as their shoestring allows..... & everything else in between.
When we eventually take off again (when, not if) we expect to have a reasonable 'nest egg', but hope to dip into it as little as possible, finding casual work, & house/farm sitting as much as we can. Some folk sell up everything, but we all need more or less in terms of a security blanket. For us it is essential to have some sort of homebase we can return to if our health dictates the need.

One couple we met had worked the season at a beautiful & remote resort, making beds, cleaning toilets etc. low hourly rates, but all food accommodation provided (along with living in a fantastic place & a few perks - like free tours etc). When the 5 month season finished they had saved enough to continue travelling for the next 7 months.

We had lots of worries about the 'what if's' before our big trip ..... But it's amazing how silly most of them seemed once out there & doing it. Worries about extended family - stay in touch just the same. Nowhere is more than a day or two away in an emergency. Worries about mechanical breakdown - tell me about it - ours was about as bad as it gets - thankfully we had budgeted for an 'emergency kitty' which we hoped not to use, but which paid for a replacement motor in Katherine. Worries about safety - often a big one for some - all I can say is that in 18 months on the road we never once felt threatened or unsafe - it's a state of mind as long as you use a modicum of common sense. There are probably many other worries, (believe me , I'm a worrier!) but they really all just melt away once the reality of life on the road kicks in.

As a result of my blog, we had all sorts of people following our trip, & it wasn't uncommon to receive invitations to visit from strangers when in their neck of the woods. Often this was because one partner wanted to 'prove' to the other that 'normal' people were in fact able to travel like this & survive! As part of the 'convincing' process.

Maybe suggesting to your wife that she read my, or other travellers blogs might help.
All our circumstances are different, but for most, us included, if you don't do it before the kids start school, it is likely to be a long long time before you do manage it.

All relationships differ too. I was the one who drove the desire to travel. MrsTea wasn't keen, she has always tended to be a 'homebody'. However she recognised it was my dream & reluctantly agreed. When I got cold feet shortly before taking off, it was her that pushed to keep the dream alive.

After the first few weeks of adapting to being together 24 hours a day & life on the road in general, she started to enjoy the thrill & freedom of a different million dollar view each morning. By the end of the 3rd month, we were both knew that when referring to 'home' we meant our bus. The trip changed her outlook, although still a homebody she now recognises that 'home' does not have to be in one place, & the dream to travel more is no longer just mine, it is our shared dream.

We only get one life.

Cuppa.