Expedition Truck build

[MrHorsepower]

Just popped up on the ATW Facebook page ????

 

[Albynsw]

Just popped up on the ATW Facebook page ????

Not my one but very similar

 

[Albynsw]

Working through the various bits required while I wait to take delivery of truck, have started buying items taking advantage of sales, just bought a bit of Victron gear and my driving lights
the composite panels and kinetic subframe have also been ordered

Update of other items I am looking to fit in no particular order just dropping items as I think of them, feel free to comment as it is a work in progress so open to suggestions

-2x 300ah lithium batteries ( brand yet to be decided) I am tossing up between going cheaper ones that can easily be replaced on the road if I have dramas plus can upgrade a few years down the track as better technology becomes available or going midrange. I don’t see the value in top end products as they will be superceded before their end of use date
-balance of electrical components to be Victron
- sunman flexible solar panels https://www.solar4rvs.com.au/sunman-earc-430w-flexible-solar-panel I am heading in this direction over conventional panels to save weight and their slim profile. These appear to be the best on the market . Will start with 2x 430 watt panels but have the room to fit up to 4
- I was looking at diesel hotwater but have decided on an electric system for simplicity and I have the capacity to run it https://ausj.com.au/products/duoett...kWYKREqYnyPOJTLsLpp59b-n85s79OWgaAvzKEALw_wcB
These are getting great reviews and you have hot water in 20 minutes and hold the heat for several hours
- I considered reverse cycle ac and was looking at the Truema under bed unit but we don’t think we will use it much as never missed having A/C to date so decided to save the space and will opt for a Ecoflow down the track if needed
- can see the value in having heating for the cooler climates so intend on fitting a diesel heater, the AC units are reverse cycle but can’t run it in heating very long if there isn’t good solar charging available plus they don’t recommend for temps below 4 degrees which isn’t much use whereas diesel can be run without restriction
-not a fan of cassette toilets so fitting a composting toilet https://compocloset.com.au/products/cuddy.
- having a pair of passenger seats engineered fir the body so will seat a total of 5 , theses additional seats will double as dining seats when it is just the two of us which will be most of the time
- haven’t decided on a fridge but will be an upright in the 130 ish capacity probably a Bushman plus will run a second drawer or conventional fridge for backup and drinks, we have no need for a freezer
- the main kitchen will be a slideout external one with a sink and small benchspace internally for bad weather use. The pantry will be double fronted so is accessible from inside and out
- cooktop will be portable induction so can be used inside when required, we will carry a small backup gas cooker setup one but avoiding using gas as a mainstay
- I have been considering various air compressors and can go 12 or 24volt but likely will just fit a small 240 volt unit as they are cheaper,more efficient and have the ability to run one easily with my power setup
- water tanks will be poly and either custom made but will wait until I get the truck to see if I can fit a few off the shelf tanks in between the chassis, I am thinking around 250 - 300 litres of fresh water and 40ish of grey water capacity. I haven’t researched them yet but will look into filtration systems to replenish water supply from creeks etc
-will fit starlink unless there is something else coming on the market soon

That is where I am up to for now, hope to pick the truck in 4ish weeks after ATW have completed their mods

 

[discomatt]

If you’re going down the diesel heater path why not incorporate the hot water with that?
We have a diesel water heater and ducted heating in the van, uses stuff all fuel, small and compact, heats the van and water at the same time if you need both which you often do when the better half showers and heats water o full temperature in about 10 minutes

 

[discomatt]

Just looked up the solar panels, are you planning to stick them straight onto the roof?
Complete Campsite used to glue that type of panel to the roof of the Exodus range.
They stopped using them due to failure rate over long term plus performance dropping dramatically on hot days due to the lack of air flow and getting to hot
They have now gone back to solid panels mounted with a gap under them which also keeps the van a lot cooler inside

 

[Albynsw]

Just looked up the solar panels, are you planning to stick them straight onto the roof?
Complete Campsite used to glue that type of panel to the roof of the Exodus range.
They stopped using them due to failure rate over long term plus performance dropping dramatically on hot days due to the lack of air flow and getting to hot
They have now gone back to solid panels mounted with a gap under them which also keeps the van a lot cooler inside

They sell a kit where they sit 10mm off the mounting surface for airflow to maintain performance, yes you are right that a lot of those panels fail from uv exposure but this particular brand has got a patented version and are the only ones approved by the clean energy council and get used in commercial applications on trains, boats etc.
They are expensive by comparison but I like the slim profile and more important the weight savings as I am having a pop top . Don’t know how I would go with normal panels on a roof 2.2x4.5 long lifting it without fitting actuators which I was hoping to avoid the added complications

 

[Albynsw]

If you’re going down the diesel heater path why not incorporate the hot water with that?
We have a diesel water heater and ducted heating in the van, uses stuff all fuel, small and compact, heats the van and water at the same time if you need both which you often do when the better half showers and heats water o full temperature in about 10 minutes

I did think of that and is still an option, maybe better in the long run?

 

[CTL]

Couple of comments for what they are worth.
Combi diesel heaters work well. Their space heating is not as hot as a stand alone space heater but is adequate for Australian temps.
If you are thinking of a slide out external kitchen, have you considered its working height. Would probably need to be a drop down design on a truck (or carry a fold up work platform to use it )
Consider plumbing your fresh water tanks separately with change over taps, if you need to fill up remotely with say bore water, you can choose to only fill and use one tank for showering etc and keep the other for just drinking water. And put in twin, 10” water filters after the tanks. And a tempering valve for the shower or a flick mixer shower tap, saves water getting the temps right.
Instead of carrying a back up LPG cooker and bottle/s, consider a butane portable.

 

[boobook]

They sell a kit where they sit 10mm off the mounting surface for airflow to maintain performance, yes you are right that a lot of those panels fail from uv exposure but this particular brand has got a patented version and are the only ones approved by the clean energy council and get used in commercial applications on trains, boats etc.
They are expensive by comparison but I like the slim profile and more important the weight savings as I am having a pop top . Don’t know how I would go with normal panels on a riof 2.2x4.5 long lifting it without fitting actuators which I was hoping to avoid the added complications

That's the proper way to do it. Flexible panels should never be stuck directly to a surface, in addition to greatly reduced output from heat, they will overheat and die prematurely.

 

[Albynsw]

Couple of comments for what they are worth.
Combi diesel heaters work well. Their space heating is not as hot as a stand alone space heater but is adequate for Australian temps.
If you are thinking of a slide out external kitchen, have you considered its working height. Would probably need to be a drop down design on a truck (or carry a fold up work platform to use it )
Consider plumbing your fresh water tanks separately with change over taps, if you need to fill up remotely with say bore water, you can choose to only fill and use one tank for showering etc and keep the other for just drinking water. And put in twin, 10” water filters after the tanks. And a tempering valve for the shower or a flick mixer shower tap, saves water getting the temps right.
Instead of carrying a back up LPG cooker and bottle/s, consider a butane portable.

Will look closer at the heaters.

The trays on these trucks are high, most people use a stool to cook off but want to do a drop down arrangement so that it is more comfortable and safer to use ( my wife likes to cook with a glass of wine in her hand ) I am thinking something along these lines but will wait to see how much space I have to work with

Or maybe I can do something like this if there is room in an under tray locker, it will be much less complicated this way.

Yes I was planning on being able to isolate water tanks for the reasons you mentioned , will see what tank combinations work best. What sort of filters do you use ?

Yes when I said gas it will just be a butane unit for occasional use,

 

[CTL]

Water filters 10”x2.5”
Poly spun 1 micron
Omnipure OMB-934-1MPB

 

[Albynsw]

Can anyone recommend a water pump? Something that isn’t too noisy

 

[smitty_r51]

Can anyone recommend a water pump? Something that isn’t too noisy

When I asked this question of a seller he recommended going higher lpm. The smaller ones are noisier. If you can find something in the higher ranges they tend to be quieter. I can't find which company it was I was taking to... It might have been at a show.

 

[boobook]

Can anyone recommend a water pump? Something that isn’t too noisy

Get an accumulator tank so it doesn't turn on and off all the time.

 

[Albynsw]

Just a guy taking delivery of this new OKA

I feel like I am being unfaithful having feelings for one but I really like them
Very Impressive off-road

 

[Albynsw]

I am thinking 600amps of storage capacity will do me fine coupked with a decent solar array and only want middle of the road quality. The reasoning for that is whilst I want them to be reliable I think they can become redundant with technology advances before their end of life so rather be in a position to easily upgrade or in the case of failure just swap them out for what is readily accessible

Ebay has a sale and can pick up 2 x Renogy 300ah for around $1300 each which has me thinking……..thoughts?

Renogy Core 12V 24V 48V 300Ah Lithium Iron Battery 4WD LiFePO4 in Series | eBay

Get the extra capacity to brace for unexpected storms, hurricanes, wildfires, and other challenges whenever you need it. You're just a step away from transforming your fishing boat into a haven of modern comfort.

www.ebay.com.au

 

[smitty_r51]

I am thinking 600amps of storage capacity will do me fine coupked with a decent solar array and only want middle of the road quality. The reasoning for that is whilst I want them to be reliable I think they can become redundant with technology advances before their end of life so rather be in a position to easily upgrade or in the case of failure just swap them out for what is readily accessible

Ebay has a sale and can pick up 2 x Renogy 300ah for around $1300 each which has me thinking……..thoughts?

Renogy Core 12V 24V 48V 300Ah Lithium Iron Battery 4WD LiFePO4 in Series | eBay

Get the extra capacity to brace for unexpected storms, hurricanes, wildfires, and other challenges whenever you need it. You're just a step away from transforming your fishing boat into a haven of modern comfort.

www.ebay.com.au

I had the renology dcdc and it was flawless especially considering the price. Had two mates who have both now used their stuff.

I reckon you will be fine with it

 

[CTL]

@Albynsw Saw a massive, but short, Earth Cruiser Unimog in our travels this week. Impressive. It had Sherpa winches front and rear if you are still thinking about winch choices.

 

[Albynsw]

@Albynsw Saw a massive, but short, Earth Cruiser Unimog in our travels this week. Impressive. It had Sherpa winches front and rear if you are still thinking about winch choices.

Those Mogs are a great setup, I saw them at their factory. Big $$$$
I have wiped Sherpa and ordered two Carbon Tank winches.
Sherpa has a phone line for sales so happy to talk to you to take your money but for warranty all correspondence is via email and have heard mixed reviews about them.
I spoke with them about their product but as soon as they told me I can only correspond by email for after sales service I told them I wasn’t interested in their product any more.
On the flip side I spoke with Carbon at length and they even invited me to their factory to look at their products or if I need help. All Terrain Warriors is starting to fit them more now too

 

[CTL]

This just rumbled into camp. Travelling with a Patrol with Chinese hybrid and an old LR Perentie. What a contrast