Fiat Ducato camper build

Electric water heating you say? They come in 12V too.

colm_mcm

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Electric water heating you say? They come in 12V too.

The electric is just to save using the gas when hooked up, don’t worry there’ll be some 12v goodness going on soon, you’ll probably vomit a bit when you see it though

Ah well, I build live-aboard electrics not week-enders. There's a big differencea, a lottov people can't justify spending more on the electrics than the vehicle is worth. We're all different. Throwing a battery at it every coupla years is often an affordable solution.

I'm thinking of colorifier, 24v element with solar excess diversion, hydronic underfloor, recirculating shower, hydronic diesel heater and engine coolant feed. Ah the joys ova 7.5ton base vehicle.

The battery alone is a quarter ton.

colm_mcm

Finished the last recessed LED strip today.


Just in case anyone’s planning on doing these at some point, here’s how I do them

Router out the slot for the aluminium frame, I usually just clamp something to the piece on both ends and use a palm router. Depth for this one is 7mm.


For the LED strips, you can use domestic ones that run off a 12v transformer, just chop the transformer off. Usually these strips can be cut to length too at various points along the strip.


Stick the strip to the amuninium housing, they’re usually self-adhesive


Drill a hole through the plywood to run the cable through. In this case i routered a slot too for the cable ro run to the right, the cable will sit in the aluminium corner profile and run through to the fridge cabinet




Last thing is to mount the light frame to the plywood, I use epoxy resin for this


Wiring then runs to a junction box and to switch etc.

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

For the LED strips, you can use domestic ones that run off a 12v transformer, just chop the transformer off.

I buy high density, high CRI, super cheap 12v Chinese jobbers by the geansaí load.


I get the trunking for €3 per meter off amazon.

These dimmers are super cheap too.



They're a little whiney if you're frequency sensitive.



I take the gubbins out and put them in posh(er) boxes.

colm_mcm

Nice!
We have the CBE dimmer (top left of pic) fitted that feeds a pair of 2 gang 2 way switches at either end of the van. these control the 4 LED strips on the skylights,

It doesn’t give any issues with noise, or any flashing of the LEDs



For the under cabinet lighting, they’ll be used when extra lighting is needed, and aren’t overly bright anyway so we won’t be using dimmers for them.

colm_mcm

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

I buy high density, high CRI, super cheap 12v Chinese jobbers by the geansaí load.


I get the trunking for €3 per meter off amazon.

That’s probably where we should have got the LEDs but they were pretty cheap in Lidl and we could try the colour out in person.

The aluminium housings were tricky enough to get with a lip hiding the recess, have you a link for the ones you get?

I use normal house switches, Varilight do some right posh woody ones.

Trunking here.

colm_mcm

I think domestic switches and plugs just look out of place in campers.

The trunking is certainly cheaper on Amazon! I rather the ones that have a bit of an overlap though, they’re a bit harder to get. We got the one I fitted today online, the others from B&Q (they’ve since stopped doing them)

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

I think domestic switches and plugs just look out of place in campers.

:pac: I hear that about batteries, fridges, hobs, solar panels, chargers and power supplies all the time. Why buy a €100 piece of kit when the €700 camper one will match the magazine.


Cheap, standard size, ubiquitous and proven. Sure they're not art. I do like the toggle woody ones though.



I had a cheaper source on Amazon but it seems to have dried up. It's very light ali, doesn't need to be stronger but you do get what you pay for. The Irish wholesalers are charging €10 per meter...that's madness.

colm_mcm

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

:pac: I hear that about batteries, fridges, hobs, solar panels, chargers and power supplies all the time. Why buy a €100 piece of kit when the €700 camper one will match the magazine.
.

There’s definitely an element of that around. There are huge variations in price out there.

310W "domestic" solar panel: €100
150W "12 volt" solar panel: €200

the fridges are madness.

Camper fridge = domestic fridge + big inverter.

My dometic gas hob grills are rusty steel.
€600 unit and they still didn't use stainless.

I could go on, especially about the "power" electronics but l'll save for a rainy day.

colm_mcm

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

310W "domestic" solar panel: €100
150W "12 volt" solar panel: €200
.

Yep, we copped that

That said, there’s more to a camper fridge than you’re making out. You won’t run an inverter and a standard domestic fridge on anything like what some of the modern 12v ones will run on.
I have seen some guys converting fridges and claiming some great efficiencies, I and most other DIYers wouldn’t have the skills to do something like that.

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

I could go on, especially about the "power" electronics but l'll save for a rainy day.

You’ve been remarkably quiet about that!

I've seen people complain they're too big!! then spend €120 on a 50W job instead. :eek::rolleyes:

Now if you use a 50W panel with PWM it's a 40W panel.

You haveta use MPPT with 60 cell panels and larger but at least then you can use all of the panel. Oh and that's the list price. I can get them for as low as €65 when they're a little dinged from literally falling off the back of a truck or being old end of palette stock.

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

That said, there’s more to a camper fridge than you’re making out. You won’t run an inverter and a standard domestic fridge on anything like what some of the modern 12v ones will run on.

That's probably due to the inverter efficiency. Some are woeful.
A++ fridges are more efficient than danfoss.
I've a loada Studer inverters and their efficiency, specifically the quiescent is excellent. So I might haveta prove it to you...:P

I'm sure the fridge data is true^
Ironically I've tested their inverter quiescent and it's absolutely dire.

colm_mcm wrote: »

I have seen some guys converting fridges and claiming some great efficiencies, I and most other DIYers wouldn’t have the skills to do something like that.

My 12V jobber is 15Ah per day after I insulated it with "car insulation", used the fan terminals on the unit to drive 4 x 120mm condenser cooling fans and atmospherically vented it.

I bought it used so the saving was a moot point.

colm_mcm wrote: »

You’ve been remarkably quiet about that!

I reckoned

A: You've heard me say it all before

& B: Don't Care :pac:



I finished building this today;





Portable Mains/Solar Hybrid Charger
4kW Solar capable
2kW Mains Capable
9V > 72V Battery Voltage Compatible inclusive.
Load Compensating 4 Stage Charger

Current Limited 60A
Passive Cooling
Remote Battery Sense
Remote Temperature Sense with compensation.
Fully programmable
Data logging.


I'd say I'm ~€350 + 3 days into it.
I don't think you can buy a better one. :cool:

Kramer

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

I finished building this today;

What's the IP rating? 67 or 68?

Only joking :P.

Great thread with lots of tips & advice.

Go price a comparable one...p-sah :P

IP put it in a box...

colm_mcm

Now for something completely different


We had this birch plywood veneered a few weeks ago, I love birch ply, and the gloss veneer will hopefully reflect the light and make the interior feel more airy.
There were hundreds of shades to choose from, but it was relatively easy for us to agree on one. This still has the protective plastic on. The one on the left shows the front side of the sheet.



My mate knows someone with a CNC router, so this really saved us a lot of time

colm_mcm

Still has plastic on but you get the idea!

colm_mcm

Made a start on the kitchen unit too

Buford T Justice

Nice work with the CNC - handy out

colm_mcm

More of the same

colm_mcm

We added this gutter/LED light tonight

colm_mcm

Awning support brackets finally in

Buford T Justice

What thickness quinn therm did you end up using for the insulation?

colm_mcm

Buford T Justice wrote: »

What thickness quinn therm did you end up using for the insulation?

25mm for walls and roof

colm_mcm

Whipped up a couple of brackets from 40mm angle



Gave the roof a clean

The astute amongst you will know what’s happening next!

Buford T Justice

colm_mcm wrote: »

Whipped up a couple of brackets from 40mm angle

Gave the roof a clean

The astute amongst you will know what’s happening next!

Van wash?

New paint job?


no....wait a roofbox!

Buford T Justice

colm_mcm wrote: »

Finished the last recessed LED strip today.


Just in case anyone’s planning on doing these at some point, here’s how I do them

Router out the slot for the aluminium frame, I usually just clamp something to the piece on both ends and use a palm router. Depth for this one is 7mm.


For the LED strips, you can use domestic ones that run off a 12v transformer, just chop the transformer off. Usually these strips can be cut to length too at various points along the strip.


Stick the strip to the amuninium housing, they’re usually self-adhesive


Drill a hole through the plywood to run the cable through. In this case i routered a slot too for the cable ro run to the right, the cable will sit in the aluminium corner profile and run through to the fridge cabinet

Last thing is to mount the light frame to the plywood, I use epoxy resin for this


Wiring then runs to a junction box and to switch etc.

What kelvin is the LED strip you used?