Clark 2.0 - 2019 2WD Iridium Silver 144"

POWER! Part 1

If you use the search bar on this forum you will find endless threads on battery/solar/alternator etc...The information is abundant, but that doesn't mean it's correct. Same goes for this post...I may do things that other do and do things that others don't. The great thing about building out your electrical system is that you can build it to your needs or from your experience. When we built out Clark 1.0 I didn't have a ton of 12v experience. I had enough electrical knowledge to understand what I was doing and do it safely. We also learned a lot from Clark 1.0. We had the factory aux battery so i hooked into that initially and then used it as a back for the Epsar. Once we switched over to the lithium system, I never used the Factory Aux back up. So when the extra battery wasn't included in Clark 2.0, it was not big deal.

I never tapped into the Mercedes electrical system for charging. I wanted to keep my build separate from the chassis and not mess with trying to use the alternator for charging. I did do a ton of research on the Sterling B2B (which would be my choice for vehicle charging).

So we can charge two ways...solar and shore power (Progressive Dynamics Lithium charger). That's what we had in Clark 1.0 and it worked beautifully. I will go over the charging system in another post so this one is not too long.

I chose to use all Blue Sea components. Battery switches, fues blocks, breakers, fuses, power bars, usb outlets, etc. I like Blue Sea, yes they are more expensive, but I really like the quality that comes with a little more cost.

I use the 2 Blue Sea fuse block set up. I like having a power block on each side of the van. It allows me to have shorter wire runs and also allows for easy expansion when the kids want to add a usb or something later in the build. I don't have to fish a wire through the ceiling. When we were camping in Clark 1.0, it didn't take long to realize that the kids wanted some extra usb outlets in the bed for led reading lights, so having access to a fuse block made the addition of the usb a breeze.

I also chose to keep my battery inside, I just like being able to access the entire electrical system from inside.

My battery - Battleborn 100ah!!! I love the Battle Born lithium batteries. You can't beat the 10 year warranty and I didn't have a bit of trouble with my previous setup. In Clark 1.0 we had 2 100Ah batteries and the entire time my battery never dipped below 88% (Running Espar all night, watching a movie on computer, cooking dinner in the instant pot, etc) We just had a ton of power. I chose to go down to one battery for Clark 2.0 and so far I do not regret that decision at all. I still have plenty of power (for our set up) Now if you are looking at running a 3000W inverter, you will need more battery power. I am running a 1000W Cotek and can run that with not a problem. I left room in the electrical cabinet to add a second battery if needed, but I honestly think that 1 battery is going to be more than enough.

All my wires are Ancor Marine wire (mix of 16 awg and 14awg and 10awg for Espar power supply)) and the battery cables are 1/0 Windy Nation and 4awg for the Cotek inverter and PD Charger. I tested the inverter under load and the wire stayed nice a cool and the power blocks didn't heat up at all. I build all my own wires, that way they are custom sized and makes me feel more comfortable that I crimped the lugs and tested the crimp. I use the Ancor lugs for all the connections and heatshrink all crimps. I still have a little bit of wire management to do, but the system is up and running.

I will cover solar and shore power in another post. You can check out our IG @cruising.in.clark My wife does a really good job of updating the build process.

Happy wiring!

POWER! Part 2 (Solar and Shore Power Charging)

I like to keep things simple, and with building out an off grid power system, sometimes that can be tough. In Clark 1.0 things were not as simple as Clark 2.0. Clark 1.0 had a factory Aux battery so before I built out the Battery/Solar we tapped into the Factory Aux to power the entire van (Fans, Espar, lights, Fridge) It did great (for a night), but after camping for two nights I had to use a battery charger to give us enough juice for the third night. We learned some things over that weekend...Lithium was the way to go and I wanted a way to charge without plugging in (aka solar) but also wanted the comfort of knowing I could hook up to an extension cord and be ready to go in a couple of hours if we were completely drained.! My wife did not want to worry about watching a number (anything below 12.4 on our factory aux and she was nervous) And being nervous while camping/adventuring in your van defeats the purpose of having a van.

Clark 2.0 has 1 100Ah Battleborn Lithium matched with 160W of rooftop solar (with room for an additional 100W panel in front of the fan if necessary). I used Renogy 80W panels and mounted those to the Hein mounting towers and bars. I used Hein's mounts on Clark 1.0 and they were solid (I felt they would last long after the van gave up). They are lightweight and have a really low profile to allow for mounting an awning with no trouble. I like Renogy products. They are lightweight, affordable and the company has been around for while. Some claim that the panels are not as efficient as others on the market. To be honest, I think the proof is in the application and I used Renogy on Clark 1.0 and had zero trouble and trust their panels 100%.

I used the Victron 100/20 Smart Charge Controller and love the Bluetooth capabilities. It was easy to configure using the app and Battleborn's website for the settings.

I also have the Victron BMV 712 Bluetooth battery monitor. This thing is sweet and would recommend to everybody to use this one. Bluetooth monitoring is the way to go. Again, easy to configure through the app by watching the video on Battleborn's website. It just works seamlessly (and looks pretty good up on the wall)

So far so good. I have been running lights and fans almost everyday to test the system and it seems that with just a little bit of solar the battery bounces back to 100% very quickly. Being a "contingency plan" kind of guy, I have left room in the electrical cabinet area to add a second battery, although I do not think I (or the next owner) will ever need to worry about that.

In the event that solar cannot keep up (rainy PNW days) and we are camping in a shaded area I do have a shore power option. Progressive Dynamics 45 Amp Lithium charger. It will take an empty battery to full in about 2 hours. So if we are completely out of power and it's pouring down rain, just a quick stop would get us back to full and on our way. I hooked it up with 4awg cables to the power blocks and tested it out last week. It actually only ran for a couple of minutes because the battery was full already. I do not plan on using this much (in fact, Clark 1.0 had this same charger and I never used it beyond the initial test).

There are other options out there as well. Ken at Ourkaravan.com has a great solution for charging while driving by using an inverter that kicks on when the van is started. You can check out his page and videos for more information. You can also tap into the chassis with a Sterling B2B charger, which is a great solution if you drive a lot. We decided not to go this route for a couple of reasons...One - We don't seem to drive that much when we are on vacation using our van for adventuring. Most of the days we drive for a couple of hours, but a lot of that time is stop and go because we are out of the van exploring. Two - If I can charge my system independently of the Mercedes charging system, why mess with hooking up to it. I did not see the advantage (some on the forum will disagree) but if the new owner of Clark 2.0 wants to add a Sterling B2B I have added a fuse block under the Passenger seat so would be quite simple to add. But again...I don't think we will ever need to charge that way.

I had fun designing this system and happy with the way it turned out. I do have a main battery switch that can turn the entire system off when not in use. I tend to leave it on though, I like that the battery as some activity all the time and that the solar stays connected. There is little (if any) parasitic draw. Just the battery monitor and maybe some of the USBs (some BlueSea usb outlets have little lights that are always on if they are powered for some reason)

Cheers!

Andy
@cruising.in.clark

Congrats! Getting through the electrical is, in my opinion, one of the toughest part of a DIY build. (Besides the obvious money hemorrhaging that occurs simultaneously.)

I have the backup system you described (got the idea from Graphite Dave), but have yet to use it in almost 3 years of travel. The combination of the high voltage solar panel (where the MPPT has overhead) and LiFePO4 means my battery is always charged. I'm not sorry I have the backup charging system, nor am I sorry the rest of the charging system is outperforming my expectations, but I guess you could say it was money that I apparently didn't need to spend.

asimba2 said:

Congrats! Getting through the electrical is, in my opinion, one of the toughest part of a DIY build. (Besides the obvious money hemorrhaging that occurs simultaneously.)

I have the backup system you described (got the idea from Graphite Dave), but have yet to use it in almost 3 years of travel. The combination of the high voltage solar panel (where the MPPT has overhead) and LiFePO4 means my battery is always charged. I'm not sorry I have the backup charging system, nor am I sorry the rest of the charging system is outperforming my expectations, but I guess you could say it was money that I apparently didn't need to spend.

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I definitely overdesigned Clark 1.0's electrical system, but you are correct, there is comfort knowing the system is outperforming the expectations. I think the family who bought Clark 1.0 will never have to worry about the electrical. I was more deliberate with designing Clark 2.0's system therefore was able to spend the money exactly where I needed based on my experience. It's been up and running for about a week now (and I'm testing it daily) and I think this setup will be perfect. Once I add the Espar (hopefully this weekend) and get the Isotherm up and running I will be able to give it a good test and see how it all works together.

Hi Andy, Fantastic build! I have a T1N but love the grey T&G you did with the pVC on the ribs. Can I ask where you get that stuff? Thank you, Nubes

Nubes said:

Hi Andy, Fantastic build! I have a T1N but love the grey T&G you did with the pVC on the ribs. Can I ask where you get that stuff? Thank you, Nubes

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Thanks! It's all about having fun, and I love building these vans! I get the Celtec from a company up here called Multi-Craft Plastics. I get it in 1/2" and they sell it in 4x8 sheets. I'm sure a quick google search and you would be able to find a supplier down in your area. Celtec is the name brand...it is expanded PVC and might be sold under different brands as well.

Good luck in your build!

Cheers,

Andy

Andy, I just got a new 2019 Passenger and am absolutely confused about the relationship between the auxiliary battery and the starting battery. Any leads you can give me on the auxiliary battery setup would be most appreciated.

Koert

cacaw said:

Andy, I just got a new 2019 Passenger and am absolutely confused about the relationship between the auxiliary battery and the starting battery.

I'm hoping to use the auxiliary battery (perhaps upgrading it) to power interior lights, USB ports, fans, dashboard systems, etc. The MBUX comes with an impressive looking battery monitor but all it shows is alternator output while driving.

Our 2006 Sprinter camper now has two golf cart batteries to power all the old stuff (lights, water pump, fans) and a new LifeBlue battery to power the new stuff (compressor refrigerator, 43" TV, box fans, etc.) I was torn between the warranty of the Battle Born batteries and the built-in Bluetooth battery monitor in the LifeBlue batteries, but for this retrofit it was nice to not have to install a shunt and wire in a battery monitor.

Any leads you can give me on the auxiliary battery setup would be most appreciated.

Koert

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Hi Koert, I sent you a PM.

Cabinets!!! (upper)

The information on cabinet installations is abundant. Steel framed, welded aluminum, 80/20 Aluminum, wood, etc. Whatever you choose there is one question you need to consider before embarking on your cabinet journey. What are you putting in your cabinets? If you have a beloved cast iron cooking pan that you take with you everywhere and can't imagine cooking without it, then you need to take your pan out to the van with a measuring tape. We pack our clothes in packing cubes and have a plastic tote we use to keep all of our kitchen stuff and food in, so those are our guides. The material you choose to use to build your cabinets is not all that relevant. Obviously the lighter and more secure the better.

I chose to work with wood. Not because it's better than any of the other alternatives, it was actual driven by my wife's desire to not have an "automotive" look to the van. I really like the 80/20 material and might work with it in the future, but for Clark 2.0, the cabinets will be similar to Clark 1.0.

The cabinets are custom built in the van and secured to the van wall with Plus nuts. The vertical pieces are installed first and the horizontal pieces are installed next which creates the framing for our plywood bottom. I choose not use face frames, but frame them up with a 1x2 poplar edge that keeps everything inside the cabinets and allows me to have our doors extend to the edges creating a very clean modern look. I use soft close hinges and a 40N gas struts to hold the doors open. I love these cabinets, they are very well built, lightweight, strong and are built to last for years and years and be able to put up with the abuse from vanlife shenanigans.


Cheers!

IG: cruising.in.clark

Walls and ceiling trim!

This is my wife's favorite part of the build! For me, it just means I'm covering up all my hard work up to this point. All those hours seem to vanish into thin air.

In Clark 1.0 we used 1/4' plywood as the wall covering and it worked great. Granted the only wall we had to worry about was above the top bunk, so it didn't make sense to do anything extraordinary and I knew that getting up and down out of the bed the walls were going to take a beating. So a really nice coat of paint was all that was needed. My wife made it clear in 2.0 that plywood walls (unless covered) were not going to fly. We decided on shiplap. Durable, easy to install and maintain and has a nice clean look to it.

I used Celtec PVC as furring strips for the walls to create the thermal break that is needed. In the "window cavity" I installed 3/16 flat bar steel with plus nuts to support the L-track and installed Celtec on the flat bar with 3M VHB. If you haven't discovered VHB yet, I highly recommend buying a roll for your build. The uses are limitless.

The top corner (wire loom alley) is covered with a T&G Cedar board (same as ceiling) but painted to match the walls. It creates a "taller looking" wall and does a nice job of finishing up the ceiling/wall transition.

In Clark 1.0 I built a cabinet right behind the sliding door for the electrical components. In 2.0 I didn't want to take up that space with a cabinet so I mounted these components in the wall (Espar controller, Victron BMV 712 and Cotek Inverter remote) I wasn't sure how I would like seeing them all the time, but actually love the outcome. And lets be honest...these components just look sexy so why cover them up!

I used the same idea in the back for the top bed USB outlet and light switch so the kids can charge their devices and have control over the lights while in bed.

I have not painted the walls yet (still have to fill the holes and sand/paint) but we are using an ultra low VOC cabinet grade paint that cures to a hard, furniture quality finish. We used this in 1.0 and it works beautifully. It's certainly not the cheapest paint, but then again we are only painting inside a van, so one gallon is more than enough so it's worth the extra expense.

Now it's decision time...Install Espar, flooring, kitchen cabinet or plumbing system. The rainy days are becoming more frequent up here, so I have to prioritize based on the forecast, haha.
Cheers!

AndyMAC said:

Wheels and Tires!

So 17x7.5 is was...paired with BFG KO2 255/70 R17. The fit is perfect and the set looks really good. I could have gone with a bigger tire by using Agile Off Roads mud flap kit ($349) but I don't think larger tires would have looked as good on the 2WD.

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So this size fits with no lift or other modification? I have the same van and am wondering what size tire can be put on with no additional mods. For me it would be more about aesthetics than because of a real need. I wish it was different, but the reality is that I will be on dirt or in snow at most a few times a year. The rest of the time is just a daily driver. So, I can't justify spending too much, but the off road tires and rims really do improve the look.

oldblue said:

So this size fits with no lift or other modification? I have the same van and am wondering what size tire can be put on with no additional mods. For me it would be more about aesthetics than because of a real need. I wish it was different, but the reality is that I will be on dirt or in snow at most a few times a year. The rest of the time is just a daily driver. So, I can't justify spending too much, but the off road tires and rims really do improve the look.

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Yes! Fits with zero modification. I also haven't noticed a difference in MPG and I think it drives a little better with the softer tire.

Thanks. Did you change the spare too? If so, does it fit in the underneath cage?

oldblue said:

Thanks. Did you change the spare too? If so, does it fit in the underneath cage?

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I have not changed the spare yet. I’m waiting on Owl vans to release the rear tire carrier for the 2019. They said probably by the end of October. In the event of a flat I do have the regular steel spare and full set of lugs, because the lugs for the Method wheels will not fit the steel spare. I do not think the Method wheel with that size tire would fit in the underneath cage without some sort of modification though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fresh Water!


In Clark 1.0 we went with a very simple "5 gallon" jug water system that worked flawlessly. In Clark 2.0 we would have gone with the exact same set up, but we didn't have the room under the sink for the jugs because of the isotherm fridge. Clark 1.0 had the room for a Dometic CFX Fridge stored in a bench seat so the space under the sink was free, but 2.0 doesn't have that option so we went with an Isotherm Cruise 65 under the sink. I have enjoyed the challenges of trying something new and the plumbing system would not disappoint.

I wanted to keep all water in the van so that I did not have to worry about anything freezing and so I could monitor the entire system. I chose to use a custom 13 gallon fresh water tank that fit perfectly between the wheel wheel and the framing of the bench seat. The tank is very well made and probably used in thousands of van conversion across the country. Clark 1.0 had two 5 Gal LCI water cans for fresh water, so I knew that bumping that up to 13 was going to provide us plenty of water for our usage.

The family that bought Clark 1.0 asked (at some point throughout the buying process) if it would be possible to add an outside faucet to wash off dirty shoes or dogs and of course you can add it to Clark 1.0 (pretty easily in fact) so I decided to go ahead and add an exterior spray nozzle to 2.0.

The tank is located on the drivers side with the pump mounted to the wall with supply hoses going to the front for the kitchen and to the back for the rear shower. Since the kitchen will be removable, I installed a shut off valve to the kitchen supply so I can detach the faucet without too much trouble.

The rear shower is installed in the back of the bench along with the fill valve. Which brings me to the challenging part. This is a gravity fill and if anybody out there has put a tank where I have you know that gravity fill usually means the inlet HAS to be above the inlet on the tank, otherwise...well you get the idea (driving would force the water out of the tank via the inlet) . So instead of giving up and just putting a elbow with a cap on the tank which would require filling the tank after lifting the bench seat, etc. I decided to seek out a one way valve that would allow me to fill the tank with a hose and not worry about the water spilling out of the tank while driving. I found the one way valve at Home Depot and happy to say that is is working beautifully. I actually use a 1/2' filler tube connected to my fresh water hose that I feed up through the valve and into the tank to fill to minimize spilling any water.

I have done lots of driving with water in the tank and have't seen a single drop of water coming out of the fill hose.

The rear shower is awesome! I even got a "that's a really cool idea, Dad" from my teenagers...and that is a win!

So far so good on the water system...easy to maintain, worry free and no leaks!

I will go over our gray water solution in another post. Having the kitchen be removable has presented yet another challenge...but the solution (in my opinion) works beautifully.

Cheers!

Kitchen!

Whether it be a weekend trip to the coast, hiking trip to the mountains or just an overnight Walmart boondocking excursion, one thing is for sure...having running water in your van and a place to brush your teeth and cook a meal is paramount!

Clark 2.0 will not be lived in full time, but that doesn't mean you can't focus on making the most of the 144's room for a kitchen. The van kitchen doesn't have to be big, functionality is king when you are working with limited room. After planning for the convertible dinette, I knew I had about 22" from the back of the bench seat to the edge of the dinette. Plenty of room (if you choose the right components). Clark 1.0 had a 48" galley, so we went with a really nice 15" Kohler stainless steel deep sink, we had to change directions in Clark 2.0 so we could utilize the sink area as counter space as well. Enter the Dometic RV sink (not cheap) but with the tempered glass lid, it makes for the perfect counter space for food prep. I get it, some are saying how do you meal prep without the sink...we are not in a house with a huge kitchen and disposal. We cook most of our inside meals with the Instant Pot, or end up making sandwiches for the kids. A majority of our cooking was outside Clark 1.0, even when we stopped at a rest area we pulled the camp stove out and found a picnic table.

So 22" wide and 36" tall gave me enough room for the Dometic sink, a 3" drawer, vent for the fridge and our fridge. We went with the Isotherm Cruise Elegance 65. So far we love it. We used the Dometic CFX28 in Clark 1.0, which we also loved, but logistically could not fit it in this van due to the cooler style opening of the CFX.

I hand built the cabinet out of 1/2" birch plywood and poplar for all the fronts and drawer. The counter is 1.5" birch butcher block finished with 5 coats of Waterlox Sealer/Finisher. Since we wanted to make the kitchen removable (more on that later) it is attached to the van via L track and tripe lug stud fittings. I attached L track to the van with plus nuts and then used Aluminum bar stock as the mounting surface in the cabinet. I used 2" bolts (3/8 x 24) to bolt directly to the L track fittings. Trust me...with 4 attachment points that kitchen is solid. However with the removal of the 4 bolts and disconnecting the sink plumbing and the 4 screws holding in the fridge (so about 15 minutes) the kitchen can be completely removed from the van. We brought the theme of the bronze Method wheels inside and used bronze for an accent color.

Why removable? Great question...the 2019 Crew Van bench seat design was completely changed. Mercedes made the seat easier to remove by having tracks that the bench seat slides back on before you can remove it. Actually to get it out, the very first movement after you unlock it is to rock it back then pull it up onto the tracks. For any upfitter using a Crew van you have to consider the fact that you need 2 feet behind the seat to remove it. I have no idea why they designed it this way, but they did, so it presented a challenge. Now, the seat may never have to be removed, however, if something needs to be worked on down the road, or your kid takes a sharp object and decides to "draw" on the seat thus resulting in the seat being reupholstered, it will need to come out. Hence...removable kitchen.

The drawer (also hand built) was modified to accommodate the sink drain. I used the common Camco RV sink drain because I like the built in P trap design to keep the gray water tank smell down. It has soft closing slides with an inset drawer front. It stays shut just fine while driving so we used a low profile cabinet pull on the top of the drawer (same cabinet pulls as top cabinets)

Fridge airflow...I wanted to make sure the Isotherm had plenty of airflow so I drilled holes in the back of the cabinet floor and did not put a back on the cabinet at all. It will have plenty of room to breathe for sure.

Dometic sink. We went with the square-ish Dometic sink. I know some people like the round one and it does look cool in IG pics, but for me if you have a couple of kids brushing their teeth at the sink you need the extra room the square sink provides. We also went with a Dometic folding faucet. Both are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. I was actually shocked at how expensive Dometic kitchen products were. But the quality is there, so I can't really complain.

Overall it came out really nice and solid. I used cabinet grade low VOC paint for a durable long lasting finish.

Cheers!

Thank bench seat info is gold, thank you

Thank you for the wealth of information you have shared here on your build process.

I'm converting a 158" T1N myself, but am so glad I dipped into the VS30 subforum to see what my well-to-do neighbors are up to! Seriously such an immense help. You are very skilled.

I have a floor in and standalone solar setup running. Feel like I found this thread at the perfect time. Just contacted Hein this morning regarding thinsulate and was doing research on planning all my wire runs for future lights/appliances.

90d said:

Thank you for the wealth of information you have shared here on your build process.

I'm converting a 158" T1N myself, but am so glad I dipped into the VS30 subforum to see what my well-to-do neighbors are up to! Seriously such an immense help. You are very skilled.

I have a floor in and standalone solar setup running. Feel like I found this thread at the perfect time. Just contacted Hein this morning regarding thinsulate and was doing research on planning all my wire runs for future lights/appliances.

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You are very welcome! I have used this forum so much! My first build was very intimidating and while the second van hasn't been any less stressful, haha, I am much more confident in making decisions. Feel free to reach out via PM with any questions, and check out out IG for up to date pics. @cruising.in.clark

Good luck on the buiild!

Clark 2.0 is SOLD and headed to San Francisco with a new adventuring family! I have a few more build write-ups to post to 2.0, so look for those soon. I will be starting Clark 3 very soon, might just be a 4x4 if anybody is interested in the build just let me know. I only build one at a time and really enjoy the custom aspect of building, so I take my time and do it right. Although I wrapped 2.0 up in 2 months it seemed quite a bit longer. (long nights and busy weekends)

Keep on building....

Andy