2010 3500 RV build

hein

Van Guru
Hi Hein
what an awesome built, congratulations. I wonder if you will ship 3m thinsulate also to austria, because i can´t find a distributor in europe who sells 3m thinsulate.

best regards from (upper) Austria ?

Michael
Thank you for the compliment. You can use global shipping on ebay to ship Thinsulate to Austria.

All the best,
Hein
Impact Products on ebay
 

Jonnyfive

Member
Hein - with the water heater installed under the hood, you must have long cold and hot water tube runs outside the vehicle.

How has this design held up in the winter, since you have water running outside the vehicle in long, exposed lengths?

Secondly, does it take some time for hot water to exit your faucet / shower head due to this long length of tube?

The alternative here is of course to minimize the length of water tube runs in exchange for coolant line length. This seems to offer little drawback other than damage to the line being more cautostrophic, which should be able to be mitigated by proper routing.
 

Jonnyfive

Member
One other question regarding the water heater.

It seems most people that install these hook into the coolant lines in parallel. Any idea what the MB recommendation is? It would seem more logical to connect it in series, but I may be overlooking some reason?
 

PNW Overlander

New member
Heading to my grandson's Birthday party in Colorado and decided we would take our mountain bikes. We previously had our rear door rack set up for our old cruiser bikes so an update was needed. I used the lolo handle bar brackets and some aluminum channels I had formed up for a solar install. Came out alright and super sturdy. I hung my entire weight of the front forks of each bike.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan

I've always wondered about the weight capacity of the back doors...seems like they could easily handle a couple of bikes, and I actually bought an aluminum box to use as a propane locker on the back of my AWD GMC Savana. Never quite found the time or gumption to do it; I would have had to weld some supports into the door to make it solid enough.

All that said, I've got a Sprinter on the way and I'll be coming to see you soon for some Thinsulate, Hein!
 

hein

Van Guru
Hein - with the water heater installed under the hood, you must have long cold and hot water tube runs outside the vehicle.
How has this design held up in the winter, since you have water running outside the vehicle in long, exposed lengths?
Sorry for late reply. Haven't checked this thread in a while.

Our plumbing is designed to freeze solid without failure. I have to drain the hot water heater or keep it running when it is cold. The under vehicle fresh tank can be heated as well. There are some limitations. We don't use our van a lot in really cold weather but can always drain or winterize the main water system if needed. We have an inside drinking water system that can still function in extreme cold.

Secondly, does it take some time for hot water to exit your faucet / shower head due to this long length of tube?
We have a purge line that runs from the near the faucet back to the tank. A momentary push button operates a latching relay that energizes a solenoid that allows water to flow back into the tank until hot water is sensed by a temperature sensor.

I've always wondered about the weight capacity of the back doors...seems like they could easily handle a couple of bikes, and I actually bought an aluminum box to use as a propane locker on the back of my AWD GMC Savana. Never quite found the time or gumption to do it; I would have had to weld some supports into the door to make it solid enough.

All that said, I've got a Sprinter on the way and I'll be coming to see you soon for some Thinsulate, Hein!
We have had no trouble with the hinges with bikes hanging off the back door. I did adjust the latches so the doors close firmly. And hung my weight off one of the bikes for a static test. The 8020 tracks are attached with VHB and thru-bolts with large backing plates also with VHB on them. Key part of the design is the channel between the upper and lower track which significantly reduces torsion on the tracks.



Thank you for supporting our business with your Thinsulate purchase. We very much appreciate it.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
 
Last edited:

keithr

Member
No problems so far. I do have the Sterling wired to a SPDT center off switch so it can be run in auto or ignition modes and also disabled manually. I did purchase the remote so I can monitor chassis and house voltages. This really show's the capability of the DC-to-DC capability which allows the two systems to operate at different voltages while also drawing power from the alternator. But does not show current flow so I am considering adding an inductive current meter.

In this case, connecting directly to the alternator (with internal regulator) is functionally the same as connecting to battery. (big cable connects them already). Benefit is that it avoids placing the additional load on the (notorious) Y-cable.

Not sure why Sterling advises against the alternator connection. Might be a requirement that applies to alternators with external regulators.
 

tschwuchow

New member
Re: 2010 3500 RV build (formerly painted seat pedestals)

To make the Isotemp water heater fit under the hood, I'll need to relocate the washer bottle to the passenger side. I designed a sheet metal bracket that supports the OEM reservoir. I purchased another reservoir but the OEM bottle actually fits better.



cardboard test part:


...More progress. Floor plugs modeled and programmed. I can make extras if anyone needs any.
I am measuring the OEM plywood floor at .330" (8.5mm) thick.

 

hein

Van Guru
I do have some more washer bottle brackets if anyone needs one.
Will only fit 3500 Sprinters with larger DEF tank underneath van.

Also just released seat filler strips for the VS30.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
 

brownvan

2017 4X4 HR 144"
So I went to stuff insulation in the area around the rear door and feel some water in there. Either there is a leak in the seal between the rear cap and the body or it's getting in past the brake light or one of the plugs where the OEM backup cam would mount. No worries. I'll track it down and fix it before putting any insulation in there.

So based on the leaks I've found & fixed in my 2010 3500, my guess is there are a lot of wet vans out there.

Edit: Pretty sure water is leaking past the plug where the OEM camera would go.
hey hein, I'm on the road in the PNW currently in the middle of a very nice rainstorm and I think I also have a slow drip due to the backup camera. Haven't seen it before until now after 4 years of ownership. Assuming it is this backup camera (and I won't go into full detail right now but I don't think it is the seam sealer or plug)....Can you provide some guidance on how to repair/reseal in this area, either temporarily to hold it for a few weeks until I'm back home, or a more comprehensive way to fix? Any info appreciated on disassembly to diagnose if this is the source of my leak and resealing too. Thanks!
 

hein

Van Guru
Recently had struts/shocks replaced and alignment done. Had to leave van at the shop over the weekend so ask them to plug it in so the fridge wouldn't run the batteries down. They did that but then forgot to unplug the cord before moving the van and broke the shore power plug receptacle. They fixed that but cord insulation was also pulled loose of plug which they did not notice. Things happen so no hard feelings.

So took opportunity to install a SmartPlug which I had been meaning to do anyway. Much, much better than twist lock style shore connection. Super easy to connect/disconnect.

Happy ending.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan





 

hein

Van Guru
Definitely planning on some 'blingy' wheels, window tint and a Zamp 100w Obsidian panel for maintaining the battery. It's an AWD even.

All the best,
Hein
 

pipsqueak87

Big McLargeHuge
I have to say that I am enjoying this thread with all the information that will help on our build. Thank you! While We won't be making a RV/Camper style build, this information is greatly appreciated.
 

Top Bottom