My 2013 Cab Chassis

[Grant209]

Hi all,

Well up at my Fathers in a nice out of the way little Place called Mungindi on the Queensland/NSW Boarder, so with time to kill sitting around doing nothing . . . so I thought I'd share what I've been up too/done to my Patrol in the past 6 months, especially the past 2 months since April with the COVID-19 lock down which has side lined my extra work on the side.

So . . . My 2013 Patrol Cab Chassis, was delivered on the 16th December 2019 with 147,000klm for $19,000, a week before Christmas while I was on a road trip to Longreach with my Father on holidays, so My Son Ryan got first drive.

My Patrol was Originally an Essential Energy Work Ute down Southern NSW, and already came fitted with the following:
- Fiberglas Trade Canopy
- Internal Shelves
- Heavy Duty 12v Power Supply to Canopy
- Ladder Rack
- 180Lt Water Tank & Pump
- 12v Water Pump
- Pest Control Spray System.
- PVC Tubes
- Dual Battery System
- UHF Radio
- GRN Radio Harness
- Mobile Phone Bluetooth
- 500w Inverter in Cabin
- Amber Beacon

So a good base to start of with.

What was on the Drawing Board and Wish List:
Added by me so far:
- Fridge Slide & Power "Done"
- Amateur Radio Units "Done"
- Up-Graded UHF Radio "Done"
- 8" tablet/Navigator "Done"
- Upgraded Mobile Phone Cradle "Done"
- Car Alarm/Central Locking Up-grade "Done"
- Cruise Control. "Done"
- LED Warning Light Upgrade "Done"
- Auxbeam Electronic Switch Control System "Done"
- Roof OzTent/Cargo Cage "Done"
- Re-plumb Water Pump "Done"
- Bush Shower Outlet. "Done"
- Side/Rear Scene Lighting "Done"

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Day of Delivery

Ozzy Car's Advert Photos

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[Grant209]

Following my 14 day Trip up to Longreach in December 2019, I headed back to Sydney for a Days work, which also allowed me my first real look over and get read My New to Me Patrol.

First thing up, was to install my WEACO Fridge, so off to 4WD Supacentre to pickup and install a 60Lts Fridge Slide for my WEACO

The Australian Work Leisure Canopy (AWLC), Panel Lift Doors, have a threshold 50mm above the tray, so the Fridge Slide needed to sit 50mm abave the Tray to allow the slide to open over the threshold. This was achieved with a trip to Bunnings for two lengths of 50mm Retain-It Retaining Wall Uprights.

Power hookup, half already done as the Patrol already had 15mm Battery Cable run to the rear section of the Storage Rack, protected with a 100amp circuit barker and terminated with a Large Anderson Plug. A quick wack-up of a basic power board and ready to go

Also looked at, was the removal of old communications wiring from the cabin and fitting of a New UHF Radio, 7" Tablet for Navigation and Mobile Phone Cradle.

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Fridge Installed

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Basic Power Board

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Removal of old communications wiring from the cabin and fitting of a New UHF Radio, 7" Tablet for Navigation and Mobile Phone Cradle.

[mudski]

Nice work. Why 100amp for the circuit breaker? Im no expert but that seems high. What amp rating is the wire? As far as I know the fuse or breaker should match or be lower than the wire's rating, so you don't start melting things before you've reached the breakers trigger point.

[Cuppa]

Nice work. Why 100amp for the circuit breaker? Im no expert but that seems high. What amp rating is the wire? As far as I know the fuse or breaker should match or be lower than the wire's rating, so you don't start melting things before you've reached the breakers trigger point.

On my set up I have a 100Amp circuit breaker (on right) between the battery & the power distribution board (on left) which houses half a dozen smaller circuit breakers for individual circuits. The 100amp circuit breaker provides protection to the power distribution board which has an overall max current capacity of 100amps. If you look closely at the CB's in the power distribution board you can see that they add up to a total of 120 amps if all switched on at the same time. They never are, but the 100amp CB provides the additional protection to prevent potential 'frying' of the distribution board's own wiring. The 100amp CB also acts as a convenient means of isolating the battery for distribution board maintenance or in an electrical emergency.

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Grant, what are you planning to run off that inverter?

[Grant209]

Grant, what are you planning to run off that inverter?

Cuppa the inverter is mainly to power minor stuff - computer, printer, Sat phone charger etc . . . . such as if I'm working as a Event Medic and need to print Casualty Reports for injured parties etc.

I know it will run my Vac Vacuum and angle grinder . . . but they are extreme

[Cuppa]

Cuppa the inverter is mainly to power minor stuff - computer, printer, Sat phone charger etc . . . . such as if I'm working as a Event Medic and need to print Casualty Reports for injured parties etc.

I know it will run my Vac Vacuum and angle grinder . . . but they are extreme

Was hoping you wouldn't say that, but it's why I asked.

Modified Square wave output & sensitive switchmode electronics as found in computers & their chargers are not a good mix. It will run them, but will slowly damage them. I was running my laptop from the modified square wave output from a large solar system where we were caretaking for 6 months. At around the 3 month mark the power supply on the motherboard failed. Major inconvenience (but at least I had it backed up), & a new laptop required. Ran the new laptop off the 350w Pure sine wave inverter in our car only. The charger ran cooler & without the very slight buzzing sound it would make if plugged into the modified square wave supply. You may get away with it, but if you have stuff on the computer you don't want to lose (as most of us do) & don't want something you depend upon failing when you need it, it's not a risk I would take.

No problem using it for the angle grinder, vacuum etc. Not sure about the printer, & I'd be cautious about using it with any chargers which may contain any electronic 'smarts'.

A smaller wattage pure sine wave inverter would suit the computer & charging. I also use a 180w for that purpose in our Tvan. My 350w one in the car covers me for the fast charger for my Makita 18v batteries.

Personally I consider the Victron Phoenix range of small pure sine wave inverters to be great - reliable & dependable (unlike some I've had) at very affordable prices..... & they come with a 5 year warranty. No affiliation - just a very satisfied customer.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Victron-...8AAOSwwgBcOAcx

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Victron-...kAAOSwhrpcRVHf

Couldn't find a 12v 180 model listed on ebay at the moment, but they are often there. As it is the 250w is cheap enough not to worry about it.


Ps. Is the micro switch box thingo wireless? Do you have a link for it? Just interested - haven't seen anything like that before.

[Grant209]

Was hoping you wouldn't say that, but it's why I asked.

Modified Square wave output & sensitive switchmode electronics as found in computers & their chargers are not a good mix. It will run them, but will slowly damage them. I was running my laptop from the modified square wave output from a large solar system where we were caretaking for 6 months. At around the 3 month mark the power supply on the motherboard failed. Major inconvenience (but at least I had it backed up), & a new laptop required. Ran the new laptop off the 350w Pure sine wave inverter in our car only. The charger ran cooler & without the very slight buzzing sound it would make if plugged into the modified square wave supply. You may get away with it, but if you have stuff on the computer you don't want to lose (as most of us do) & don't want something you depend upon failing when you need it, it's not a risk I would take.

No problem using it for the angle grinder, vacuum etc. Not sure about the printer, & I'd be cautious about using it with any chargers which may contain any electronic 'smarts'.

A smaller wattage pure sine wave inverter would suit the computer & charging. I also use a 180w for that purpose in our Tvan. My 350w one in the car covers me for the fast charger for my Makita 18v batteries.

Personally I consider the Victron Phoenix range of small pure sine wave inverters to be great - reliable & dependable (unlike some I've had) at very affordable prices..... & they come with a 5 year warranty. No affiliation - just a very satisfied customer.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Victron-...8AAOSwwgBcOAcx

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Victron-...kAAOSwhrpcRVHf

Couldn't find a 12v 180 model listed on ebay at the moment, but they are often there. As it is the 250w is cheap enough not to worry about it.

Cuppa to my best approach, near 80% of my Electronic gear - Printer, UHF Radio, Amateur Radio Equipment . . . powered within the canopy . . . are all 12volt. I try my best to keep all my Electrical gear a 12 volt base capability, to allow for the ease of power supply and charging etc.

About the only thing I use the Inverter for, is for my Bunnings Al Cheap'o Ozito 18v Drill, and for when I am working as a Event Medic, with my very Old & Basic Small Windows Netbook Computer that the Battery is shoot, but has still run ok off the Inverter for the past 8 years. Not much worth stealing by anyone if seen at Events, can be knocked around 4WD'ing, and if the Inverter dose blow it up, I can print from my tablet if needed, so all up the inverter get's very little use.

But thanks for the heads up, if my shitty little Notebook dose finally die, I'll take note and look at something more suitable as you have suggested.

[Cuppa]

Ps. Is the micro switch box thingo wireless? Do you have a link for it? Just interested - haven't seen anything like that before.

I found the link you posted to this unit which I'd missed 1st time around.

It does look like a neat solution, but try as I might I can't quite get my head around how it does what it does. I've watched the video & looked at advertising material, & even a couple of youtube video of self installations.
Sooo.... the switch box replaces the need for multiple relays in multiple circuits. A relay utilises a a thin cable & low current to operate a 'switch' to carry higher current via heavier cables between power source (battery) & the 'appliance' eg. driving lights. There do not appear to be any relays in the 'control box', it looks to be a box containing multiple fuse holders & fuses with common busbars? So nothing in the control box is switched? If so then all the switching must be done inside the switch panel inside the cab, but that is where I'm confused. Depending on where you look, the unit is supplied with either a 60amp or a 100amp circuit breaker meaning that this is the unit's max capacity. But the cable running to the switch panel, doesn't, from what I can see look anything like heavy enough to carry that sort of current. I also find it hard to believe that the 'micro switches' would be intended to pass currents of up to 30 amps, but it's possible there is something about micro switches I don't understand, never having used them. Somewhere in the 'system' there surely has to be something capable of switching up to 30 amps dc at a time, & this needs to be fairly robust to resist the tendency to arc that dc has at that level of current.

I'm sure the product must be suitable for the job it does, just wondering if you, or anyone else can throw any light on how it does it for me? It's got me interested.

[Grant209]

Nice work. Why 100amp for the circuit breaker? Im no expert but that seems high. What amp rating is the wire? As far as I know the fuse or breaker should match or be lower than the wire's rating, so you don't start melting things before you've reached the breakers trigger point.

Mudki . . . there was an 100amp circuit breaker in the Patrol's original dual battery system when I got it, connected to it was a heavy power cable running to the rear of the canopy, terminated with an 150amp Anderson Plug.

I don't know what the heavy duty cable was originally used for to supply power too, maybe a 2nd auxiliary battery somewhere under the canopy . . . but in the long run I was going to use a Micro relay Switch Unit (https://www.auxbeam.com/led-light-wirings/qp002559) which had the following Fused outputs and what I ended up connecting up to them:
30amp Outlet - Fridge.
30amp Outlet - Amber LED's
20amp Outlet - Red LED's & Reverse/Scene Lights
20amp Outlet - Reverse/Scene Lights
10amp Outlet - Left Scene Lights
10amp Outlet - Right Scene Lights
10amp Outlet - UHF CB, HAM Dual Band Radio
5amp Outlet - 2x Handheld Radios, 12v/USB Accessory Power Box

So in the long run, I thought the 100amp circuit breaker would meet the overall needs fine.

[Grant209]

My Patrol, had three jammed drawer slides. The small one on the Near Side, I was able to free up with some CRC and repetitive opening & closing, it now works fine and holds my socket and spanner sets.

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On the Off Side, the Drawer which is large enough to hold my 45Lt WEACO Fridge, the ball bearings in the drawer run had started falling out, so dismantled and purchased a New Set of Draw Runners and replaced them, the drawer now holds my medical Packs and allows ease removal from the storage shelve area without catching them on the shelving in the process.

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