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G'day folks,
I thought I might start a thread to document & share the changes I make to our '06 ex Telstra Patrol to convert it to a 'remote area camper. At this stage I have no idea how long it might be before it is completed, all a matter of priorities I guess.
My aim is to to fit out the camper to be self sufficient for lengthy outback adventures.
As I bought it - complete with ladder racks & handwash unit.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum.../2011/04/8.jpg
Cuppa
Cab stripped out to dry everything after discovering it filled like a swimming pool in the rain.
Leaks now sealed
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum.../2011/04/9.jpg
Cuppa
Ladder racks & handwash unit removed (& sold via ebay)
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2011/04/10.jpg
Cuppa
Dual rear vision camera fitted. One camera has 60 degree view (for rear vision), one has 180 degree view for reversing.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2011/04/11.jpg
Cuppa
Rear vision monitor. Not the best shot due to shadow behind the vehicle. In practice it works pretty well.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2011/04/12.jpg
Cuppa
Very impressive Cuppa, Can't wait to see this all done up!
Keep up the pics and info mate!
Mirror extension. This drivers side one was fitted already, but missing one on passenger side means I can't see stuff all in the passenger mirror. Have discovered that the extension is a Nissan accessory & costs just $14. Have ordered one.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2011/04/13.jpg
Cuppa
EDIT................... Dealer phoned this arvo to say it had arrived, Wife picked it up & brought it home this evening. Dunno why, but it was even cheaper than quoted - $10.85
i have an idea that this will be an extended thread. Lots of work still to do and as AB said keep the Pics coming.
Although bought to be a camper, the patrol will have to earn it's keep. Have been out in the bush collecting firewood today. Have been impressed how easily it pulls a full trailer up some fairly steep tracks. Nissan Civilian on left, & Troopy for sale on right.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2011/04/14.jpg
Cuppa
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?
Lookn forward to watching the build up cuppa
Looks tops cuppa, I want one.
Looking good cuppa,ideal for getting wood with excellent workhorses
Hi Ross,Quote:
Originally Posted by DX grunt
Monitor
Camera
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
Is your second battery a deep cycle or a cranker?
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
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
Top set up there mate. keep the build up pics coming
great start Cuppa, keep it up mate.
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' 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
g`day cuppaQuote:
Originally Posted by 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
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 ,Quote:
Originally Posted by DX grunt
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by nowoolies
Looking great Cuppa, well done mate
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!!
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, 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 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 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 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, & 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/reso...18_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
That's one cool camper! :D
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by macca
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
Another top ute setup, keep the pics coming.
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..
Looks great mate, keep those pix coming, thinking of going that way myself down the track.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaunous
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
How did you pick up an ex telstra ute just from an auction??
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
Hey Cuppa, how did you go with the recovery points mate?
Hi Dogman,Quote:
Originally Posted by The 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
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
I'm very jealous Cuppa, looks great!
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.