Cuppa's Camper

[Cuppa]

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. 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]

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

Cuppa

, 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]

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!

Cuppa

[twindiff]

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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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!



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.



Gulp!



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.


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.





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



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.



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.


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.





Overhead storage area on driver side for fishing rods etc.




Overhead storage on passenger side


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'.




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.