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21st February 2015, 04:20 PM
#1
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Flex For This Useful Post:
AB (21st February 2015), Badball (21st February 2015)
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21st February 2015 04:20 PM
# ADS
Circuit advertisement
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21st February 2015, 04:27 PM
#2
Administrator
Originally Posted by
Flex
The Coleman hot water service is an awesome piece of camping equipment, it allows you to have a shower anywhere when you are out camping.
However the only issue (that I have found) with the unit is the battery. More times that I can remember I've only got one shower out of the unit (as the battery died) or I have forgotten to charge the battery before heading out bush. Plus you can't run the unit when you are charging the battery.
So to solve my problem, I decided to make a power supply for the unit (as the unit runs of 6V) so I could run it off my car's 12V socket. I wanted the power supply to be integrated, as I didn't want switches to flick or extra cables coming out of the unit.
My power supply allows the unit to function like original with the extra bonus when the battery dies you just plug it in and the unit will keep on giving you hot water and charge the battery.
The power supply plugs into the original connectors inside and is attached to the case via stick on mounting posts.
I also incorporated a low voltage (12V side) shut-down so not to flatten your car battery and a detection circuit so you can't run the hot water service while you are charging the battery from the (240VAC) wall charger. (Also the wall charger can't handle the current.)
I was also toying with the idea of making some more of these if anyone is interested.
Below is pictures of the power supply installed into my hot water service:
I'm interested!
Noticing my battery is not lasting long these days and shutting off whilst charging is very frustrating.
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21st February 2015, 08:05 PM
#3
Travelling Podologist
Batteries for a hws..... strewth! next you’ll be telling me ya need gas too!.
2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. 425w roof mounted solar, 360Ah Aux batts, BCDC1240, Onboard hot & cold pressurised & filtered water, (25 litre hot water calorifier), ARB fridge, ARB freezer, Built in kitchen, heaps of easy access storage, 240v, 3” Genie exhaust + dynotune, 2” lift, 3900kg GVM upgrade, second glovebox, ROH Blaktrak steel wheels, Bridgestone D697's (now Toyo RT's), Redarc gauges/pillarpod, Hema HX-1, Icom 450 CB, dual rear view cameras, Onboard 30amp Victron mains charger, second glovebox, dual seat conversion, TPMS, Boss PX7 onboard air with 9 litre tank, 350w inverter, Steel bullbar, Harrop Eaton diff lock (front), Warn winch, Snorkel, Dual spares , 160 litre water tank, 180 litre fuel in two tanks (approx 1200km range) 2010 Tvan Tanami. (incl another 70 litre water tank) with matching wheels/tyres (& 3rd spare)
A Nomadic Life (Blog)
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24th February 2015, 08:44 AM
#4
Advanced
Crunch the numbers last night and work out if I make a batch of them the minimum order would have to be around 50 to keep the price down. Sell price would be around $80 which would include the circuit board, loom and mounts
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24th February 2015, 01:43 PM
#5
Patrol God
these Coleman showers most pull a heap of amps,
so what is the voltage and how many watts is it???
04 ST 3lt auto, not enough Mods to keep me happy, but getting there
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24th February 2015, 02:01 PM
#6
I am he, fear me
Originally Posted by
threedogs
these Coleman showers most pull a heap of amps,
so what is the voltage and how many watts is it???
Nah, they pull bugger all really.
The battery runs the dinky little supply pump and some minor electronics.
They use a 6 Volt battery so it can be portable but recharged from a 12 volt source which is good in some ways but a bit of a PIA in others.
I used to leave mine plugged in to the Camper 12 volts overnight when it isn't being used.
That way it is 100% charged each morning and assuming the 6 volt battery is in reasonable nick should have ample capacity for general camp use and showering.
I don't know how many showers it stops at because it never went flat for teh two of us but most we used it was for 5 a couple of times and was still going.
A 12 volt power supply will mean it will run without disconnecting the charge source and while ever you keep the Gas up to it so very handy for some I reckon.
Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
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24th February 2015, 02:07 PM
#7
Patrol God
Oh so it has a canister to heat the water and a small pump to circulate it.
clever
04 ST 3lt auto, not enough Mods to keep me happy, but getting there
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24th February 2015, 02:09 PM
#8
I am he, fear me
Canister or normal LPG using an adapter and hose but you lose the portability.
I have a filler that connects LPG to the canister and refills the unit as the Coleman Canisters aren't exactly cheap.
Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
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24th February 2015, 02:23 PM
#9
Advanced
The hot water service draws 3A max and 2.6A while running. So around 20W of power.
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The Following User Says Thank You to Flex For This Useful Post:
threedogs (24th February 2015)
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24th February 2015, 04:45 PM
#10
Administrator
Sounds like my battery is on its way out then.
I would get a third of that usage time ET!!!
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