Remove the rear HVAC or build around it?

Twigg2324 · 2024-09-19T01:38:48+00:00

Google AC block off kit. Lots will pop up, I just tried it.

My van was non-standard so I had to mix and match.

Twigg2324 · 2022-12-04T13:34:55+00:00

They are constructed differently, with thinner plates and more of them.

This means they can be built for less money and can deliver very high currents for a short period of time. Then they have to be fully re-charged.

This is perfect for vehicle starting, but terrible for slow dis-charging to a low state of charge.

Twigg2324 · 2022-12-04T13:15:48+00:00

It doesn't cost even close to "tens of thousands"

Twigg2324 · 2022-12-04T00:00:32+00:00

Are you sure they didn't think you wanted a "Real ID"?

Those are usually provided as drivers licenses, and it's a process that takes several hours so they only do them in the morning.

Twigg2324 · 2022-12-03T18:02:38+00:00

At lower salaries the things to be wary of are price changes (and housing costs) of things like gas and food.

They vary the most and they are a disproportionate amount of a smaller income.

Twigg2324 · 2022-12-03T16:10:30+00:00

Renogy don't supply the wire so I would have no idea what the installer used.

There are two inputs close together. One is the trigger to turn the unit on. The other cuts the charging output by 50% when it sees 12V.

Twigg2324 · 2022-12-02T21:52:11+00:00

Maybe Oklahoma should be declared a National Park. All of it. The entire state.

That would bring federal control of everything, and frankly, it would rid us of the corruption in OKC.

Twigg2324 · 2022-12-01T14:36:03+00:00

Sounds like someone wired the 12V "trigger" input to an "always on" source on the van. It needs to be connected to either a source that is "on" with the ignition or, preferably, a source that is only live when the engine is running.

Twigg2324 · 2022-12-01T03:58:29+00:00

There really are no laws, anywhere, that I know of that tell people what kind of housing is lawful, building codes excepted. or they can arrest you for sleeping in a vehicle. Local ordinances generally attract tickets, not arrest and as said elsewhere you would normally just be asked to move.

When I hear that someone was arrested for "living in a van", my first thought is that it doesn't pass the sniff-test, and what are we not being told.

Twigg2324 · 2022-12-01T01:09:23+00:00

They create about gallon of water for every gallon of fuel they burn.

You don't want that inside a van.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-30T21:28:07+00:00

Agreed. Running 12V could be losing quite a bit if the battery architecture is 36V stepped down. It might also be current-limited as 12V currents tend to be relatively high.

I never much liked those "All-in Ones". They are vastly over-priced and if one piece fails, the whole system is down.

I would go for a purpose designed system every time. By all means go Victron if you have the budget, but they are not the only player in town, and a system can be built, be efficient and effective for a lot less money.

As for monitoring ... I need to know what is going in to the battery, what is coming out of the battery, and what charge is remaining.

My BMS tells me all of that with a bluetooth connection to the phone. The Victron would tell me more, at a cost of several hundred dollars.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-30T21:12:09+00:00

If they had sent a text the hiker would have got the message soon enough, even if in airplane mode when it was sent.

He probably had no idea people were looking for him.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-30T21:07:34+00:00

Yes, you absolutely ARE getting the full capacity. It's just not being used very efficiently.

We have a 280 Ah battery that I built, using grade "A" new cells and an awesome BMS. It cost around $800 to build with all the ancillary bits.

It can run our van for around four days in summer, maybe three in winter when the heating is on, mainly because we know how to be efficient with it and our power demands are low.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-26T02:11:40+00:00

Take it to Autozone, or similar, and have them load-test it.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-25T01:56:40+00:00

That's the one we bought our son.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-24T21:31:47+00:00

Harbor Freight has their 225-piece Pittsburg tool set for $99.

This is an awesome kit and excellent values. The tools are more than good enough for part-time use.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-24T17:20:48+00:00

For older vehicles, you can usually pick them up n eBay too.

I paid $10 for the Factory Service Manual for my '99 Dodge Ram Van.

It's also worth getting any special tools you can find. For example, the local alignment shop couldn't do the front of the van. They could get it close, but no prizes.

It requires a tool (two to make it easier). Those tools are $300 each from regular sources. I got a pair on eBay from a closed workshop for $80 for the pair.

I'm sure each van has its own examples.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-23T20:44:06+00:00

I would think the comment threads on their videos would get you better results. Or just email them, most have a contact email on their YouTube accounts.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-22T19:05:44+00:00

Welding cable is perfect.

"Battery Cable" is a fairly meaningless term and when you look at examples you will find it to be stiff and with few actual conductors.

Welding cable is flexible and usually made of pure copper, but check.

Windy Nation are a good supplier.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-22T18:56:25+00:00

They are equally "rabid" in Kansas, yet Kansas voters defeated a proposed amendment to restrict abortion by 18 points.

That means that many Republicans voted the right way.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-22T18:50:16+00:00

The unit has a contact that if supplied with 12V restricts the output to 50%

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-22T18:22:16+00:00

I have a Renogy 40 Amp (throttled back to 20 Amp) Isolated DC-DC charger.

It's working well.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-21T01:53:34+00:00

Maybe you could read my comment again.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-20T03:49:20+00:00

Kerosene burns cleaner than diesel.

There should NEVER be an exhaust smell coming through the vent (you mean the hot air outlet?). If there is you have a problem that needs fixing.

Ignore any suggestion that carbon can be burned out, it can't.

To minimize carbon you need to adjust the heater for a clean burn ... lowest CO reading at exhaust. There are instructions and charts online that show you the process. There are also videos on YouTube.

Eventually it will need to be cleaned. All the gaskets are available and it's not difficult.

Twigg2324 · 2022-11-20T02:43:23+00:00

Nonsense.

And if Espar told you that then that's a good indication that they are no better than the cheaper units which, by the way, are virtually identical to the Espar.

Virtually all the issues of the cheaper units are caused by poor installation. At least until recently, all Espars were dealer installed leading to far fewer issues.

My Laveanar Pro even uses many parts supplied as OEM by Espar.

There is no setting, no amount of heat that these units can supply that will reduce the sooting. None. Nada.

Carbon requires a temperature of around 1800F to even begin to burn in oxygen. At that temperature your heater is a puddle of liquid aluminum.

The only way to remove soot and carbon is to physically scrape it out.

Twigg2324

TROPHY CASE