Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Comment on your rear seat latch rattle: Could you make the pin receiver out of UHMW?
Layout plan.
- Thread starter GeorgeRa
- Start date
GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
To make sure I will not exceed the total weight allowed I am recording weights of installed items. I will need to include weights of removed seats. It is another way to measure progress. Some items are not included such as some lighter gauge wires etc.
George.
George.
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GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
Thank you Dave,
The latching pins rattles in the upper and the lower part of the latching assembly as the front seat section moves fore and aft on the slider bearings. I need to prevent that motion with some kind of device.
The simplest could be to have a sliding plate attached to thick aluminum mount pushing the front seat section back against the bearing stop with thumb screw.
George.
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Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Change the block that the latch is mounted to from aluminum to UHMW? You can tell I am a fan of UHMW. Used it everywhere on my conveyor designs.
GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
I bought the Daewoo 600W microwave oven which is less than 13” in depth – my design limit. Bench testing with Magnum MMS1012 was successful with the microwave drawing about 83A DC measured with the DC clamp meter. The microwave is rated for 950W input power so about 83A is about right with efficiency losses.
The microwave didn’t have sufficient power draw for its electronics to self-activate the Magnum Inverter so I tricked the Magnum with additional load. http://www.frys.com/product/7134382
George.
The microwave didn’t have sufficient power draw for its electronics to self-activate the Magnum Inverter so I tricked the Magnum with additional load. http://www.frys.com/product/7134382
George.
GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
For designing left lower cabinets I had to have the van leveled to get a few accurate dimensions using a plumb bob. A few months ago I put together a spreadsheet/cheat sheet to help leveling my 144” van. I used it yesterday for the first time. The result was great.
The process is simple:
1. Drive to final place
2. With digital level gauge measure fore/aft and side/side angles. My measurements were 0.5 and 1.5 degrees.
3. My spread sheet resolution is at 1 degree steps so I interpolated between 0 to 1 and 1 to 2 degree. The results were FL-1.8”, FR-0”, RR-1.25”, and RL-3.05” so I used FL-2”, FR-0”, RR-1”, and RL-3”.
4. Then place leveling blocks next to tires, drive off, move blocks in line with wheels and drive back on the blocks. I like using stops.
The end result was 0.1 and 0.1 degree.
George.
The process is simple:
1. Drive to final place
2. With digital level gauge measure fore/aft and side/side angles. My measurements were 0.5 and 1.5 degrees.
3. My spread sheet resolution is at 1 degree steps so I interpolated between 0 to 1 and 1 to 2 degree. The results were FL-1.8”, FR-0”, RR-1.25”, and RL-3.05” so I used FL-2”, FR-0”, RR-1”, and RL-3”.
4. Then place leveling blocks next to tires, drive off, move blocks in line with wheels and drive back on the blocks. I like using stops.
The end result was 0.1 and 0.1 degree.
George.
Attachments
Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Another way that works for me is a piece of wood with a two way level on top that has a length 1/16 the length of the Sprinter wheelbase and a width 1/16 the tread. My plastic lego blocks are 1" thick. So I use 1/16" thick steel washers to level the piece of wood on my sink top. Count the number of washers under each corner of the wood block when wood is level and that is the correct number of Lego spacers needed to level the van. The 1/2" thick piece of plywood length is actually 1/16 the wheelbase plus the washer diameter and width is 1/16 the tread plus the washer diameter. So it is a scale model of the Sprinter and the Lego blocks. I set out the blocks to match the number of washers and drive onto the blocks. I use a wood dowell with a v-belt pulley on one end for a base to guide me on how far to move the van to center it on the blocks. Measure the distance from center of tire to center of the Legostack. Set dowell vertically on ground next to open drivers door so it is the measured distance from the front of the Sprinter step. Back up the van until dowell lines up to the reference point and the wheel is centered on the Lego stack.
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See that is why I come here. Spreadsheets and lego scale models to level the van, simply awesome. Gotta give it up for original thinking for dave and george. My solution is geto in comparison, but simple. My bed is hinged to the wall on one side, and I welded a nut to the bottom of each leg. The foot of each leg is simply a bolt that I can then thread up or down until my 9" level says bed is flat, side to side. For fore and aft adjustment, I can sleep with my head at either end so as long as I park the van even moderately level it's cool. Bed gets leveled from inside and stealthily too. All my crap might roll of the counter though.
The parking lot at NASA must be bloody full of sprinters.
The parking lot at NASA must be bloody full of sprinters.
This doesn't sound very accurate for cabinetry. I took my floor as a flat datum and used T-squares - a regular L and a 48" drywall T - quite a bit.
GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
The rear left floor corner is my reference point - Al bar on the floor and left wall/floor corner for this set of cabinets. I needed to know how high and at what depth my hanging closet can be design. It is 50 5/8" high at 13" depth. I am sure there are many ways to arrive to the same measurement results but I found plumb bob a good tool for my application.
My approach for cabinetry design is that, with the exception of the overhead cabinets, everything is mounted to the floor only. I am not matching curvatures of the sidewalls, just need to have sufficient air gap to walls. My sofa/bed, galley, cassette toilet housed in the 80/20, electrical with hanging closet, storage cabinet are all standalone units with 80/20 factory cutting accuracy.
If I had to do it another conversion I would take the same standalone cabinetry approach. Because they are mounted on the floor only they need to be strong enough to survive van’s motion, but, 80/20 is strong enough and it is light. I would not take this approach with particle board based cabinetry.
George.
Count me in as a T-square'r.
It's bad enough that the van wall are curved---but 185 lbs of me standing by one side wall with a plumb line will undoubtedly load the suspension 1/16" or more.
None of us prototyping diy'rs are going to win any weight-saving awards from the auto industry. It is largely beyond our resources to engineer just enough material for the required strength margin.
I agree with George in the design simplicity of using free-standing fixtures---to a certain extent. I thought the bed was a big-ticket weight item and justified tying into the existing walls for support. My version floats the crossbars to decouple it structurally. At least 75lbs are saved with wall support over George's version. They do differ some in function.
My van concept is unlike a Manhattan hotel room---more expedition support vehicle. The former guys have to silence rattling doors and deal with racking frames. The latter guys ask "what do you need doors for?"
So I go George a step further in using "freestanding" duffels, crates, toolboxes instead of drawers and cabinets. Even the food prep goes into bins as that work goes outdoors when feasible. So open shelves and fold-away beds rule in my metal-tent world. This simplifies the design work remarkably.
But it is so ghetto compared to the private-railroad-cars some of you are building!
Dan
It's bad enough that the van wall are curved---but 185 lbs of me standing by one side wall with a plumb line will undoubtedly load the suspension 1/16" or more.
None of us prototyping diy'rs are going to win any weight-saving awards from the auto industry. It is largely beyond our resources to engineer just enough material for the required strength margin.
I agree with George in the design simplicity of using free-standing fixtures---to a certain extent. I thought the bed was a big-ticket weight item and justified tying into the existing walls for support. My version floats the crossbars to decouple it structurally. At least 75lbs are saved with wall support over George's version. They do differ some in function.
My van concept is unlike a Manhattan hotel room---more expedition support vehicle. The former guys have to silence rattling doors and deal with racking frames. The latter guys ask "what do you need doors for?"
So I go George a step further in using "freestanding" duffels, crates, toolboxes instead of drawers and cabinets. Even the food prep goes into bins as that work goes outdoors when feasible. So open shelves and fold-away beds rule in my metal-tent world. This simplifies the design work remarkably.
But it is so ghetto compared to the private-railroad-cars some of you are building!
Dan
GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
I agree that walking in the van while doing plumb type measurements is perhaps good enough to 1/2". Doing measurement while the van is standing still is a different ball game, I was on the ladder and my wife was marking the floor, both of us were outside the van not putting any weight on it. Before measurement I opened doors and added some weight to have the van perfectly leveled.
For precise measurements in the van and at home I often use Leica D3, great tool to have. For many measurements a simple square is the way to go but not necessarily for all.
I agree that using van's walls as cabinet’s structural elements will make construction lighter. If I would not be building this single conversion but many units my choice would be 2 parts fiberglass mold inserts like some of the fiberglass trailers are built, for example the Oliver - http://www.olivertraveltrailers.com/index.html
Over the years we experienced camping in different vehicles; by far our favored ones were 2 VW Westfalias, this Sprinter will to large degree look and feel like our old Westfalias.
George.
For precise measurements in the van and at home I often use Leica D3, great tool to have. For many measurements a simple square is the way to go but not necessarily for all.
I agree that using van's walls as cabinet’s structural elements will make construction lighter. If I would not be building this single conversion but many units my choice would be 2 parts fiberglass mold inserts like some of the fiberglass trailers are built, for example the Oliver - http://www.olivertraveltrailers.com/index.html
Over the years we experienced camping in different vehicles; by far our favored ones were 2 VW Westfalias, this Sprinter will to large degree look and feel like our old Westfalias.
George.
George,
I admire your work---you have a vision of what you want and that design purity is going to look great.
But it's a good thing we don't have to sell what we make for a living.
I figure I could get the costs down after about 100 builds.
I'm impatiently waiting for the automotive state-of-the-art to advance. The 2014 BMW i3 is supposed to have a carbon fiber body. BMW and some other auto mfrs are building their own carbon fiber because the existing airplane/wind turbine/golf club suppliers have not brought material costs down fast enough with the 53 mpg CAFE standards coming soon enough.
Lots of plastics industry news about inexpensive low-percentage carbon fiber parts that don't require more serious structural strength. I can think of some door handles and vent vanes that could appreciate this stuff.
Anyway, we diy'rs are probably going to have to learn some new fab technologies soon.
Dan
I admire your work---you have a vision of what you want and that design purity is going to look great.
But it's a good thing we don't have to sell what we make for a living.
I figure I could get the costs down after about 100 builds.I'm impatiently waiting for the automotive state-of-the-art to advance. The 2014 BMW i3 is supposed to have a carbon fiber body. BMW and some other auto mfrs are building their own carbon fiber because the existing airplane/wind turbine/golf club suppliers have not brought material costs down fast enough with the 53 mpg CAFE standards coming soon enough.
Lots of plastics industry news about inexpensive low-percentage carbon fiber parts that don't require more serious structural strength. I can think of some door handles and vent vanes that could appreciate this stuff.
Anyway, we diy'rs are probably going to have to learn some new fab technologies soon.
Dan
GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
Dan, thank you for good word. Plastics are one of the indicators of major changes in the automotive industry going back from Corvette’s chassis or suspension. Adhesives are becoming ubiquitous in automotive designs; most of them are dispensed with robots with limited time for assembly so even for DIYer using sophisticated automotive adhesives is difficult.George,
I admire your work---you have a vision of what you want and that design purity is going to look great.
But it's a good thing we don't have to sell what we make for a living.
I'm impatiently waiting for the automotive state-of-the-art to advance. The 2014 BMW i3 is supposed to have a carbon fiber body. BMW and some other auto mfrs are building their own carbon fiber because the existing airplane/wind turbine/golf club suppliers have not brought material costs down fast enough with the 53 mpg CAFE standards coming soon enough.
Lots of plastics industry news about inexpensive low-percentage carbon fiber parts that don't require more serious structural strength. I can think of some door handles and vent vanes that could appreciate this stuff.
Anyway, we diy'rs are probably going to have to learn some new fab technologies soon.
Dan
Building one DIY conversion has some major limitation in materials, tools and design choices so we do our best to meet our needs. Perhaps one day, our children will drive to a conversion place, pick a 3D van interior conversion design, and have the van ready the next day with all multicolor cabinets, wiring, and plumbing 3D printed ready to accept appliances.
George.
GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
I am beginning to install HDPE panels routed by this forum's member Hein from Hood River. He did an excellent job from my .dxf files. Four sofa/bed doors are finished I just need to get less industrial looking hinge bolts. The countertop is almost finished and electric panel is ready to accept all goodies.
Thank you Hein,
George.
Thank you Hein,
George.
Attachments
GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
I loaded the main control panel with the Magnum monitor, dual level indicator (fresh/grey) and control panels. Shore power and Inverter are on two separate circuits. After assembling the panel I realized, wow, there are a lot circuit breakers, well, at least any troubleshooting will be quick. I am going to get custom labels from Blue Sea.
This panel will be accessible from the inside of the van and solar controls will be accessible through the rear doors.
I am contemplating to connect all below 7A draw wires to multipole connector to simplify wiring job. http://www.mcmaster.com/#multipole-connectors/=ntipw3
For the next couple of months I will focus on finishing designing the left side and overhead cabinets, and the cassette toilet housing.
George.
This panel will be accessible from the inside of the van and solar controls will be accessible through the rear doors.
I am contemplating to connect all below 7A draw wires to multipole connector to simplify wiring job. http://www.mcmaster.com/#multipole-connectors/=ntipw3
For the next couple of months I will focus on finishing designing the left side and overhead cabinets, and the cassette toilet housing.
George.
Attachments
Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
As usual, your work is impressive. Enjoy watching your progress. Thanks for doing such a good job on your postings.
I take it the fridge runs dc except when shore power is available.
I split my dc lighting into two circuits to avoid working in the dark to fix them...
I split my ac outlets into three circuits figuring this was the most likely problem area. I wanted a replacement outlet to be close by in case an ac circuit died.
I think worst case would have been a wire short behind the walls somewhere.
Seems to have been unnecessary. Tripped one ac circuit breaker once running the coffee grinder while the induction burner was trying to boil the water. Not bad for 8 years camping.
Perhaps spending the $$$ on the stranded marine-grade wire was worth it. Certainly having the help of an industrial electrician friend to make strong, non-soldered mechanical connections paid off for all my tough off-pavement miles.
Dan
I split my dc lighting into two circuits to avoid working in the dark to fix them...
I split my ac outlets into three circuits figuring this was the most likely problem area. I wanted a replacement outlet to be close by in case an ac circuit died.
I think worst case would have been a wire short behind the walls somewhere.
Seems to have been unnecessary. Tripped one ac circuit breaker once running the coffee grinder while the induction burner was trying to boil the water. Not bad for 8 years camping.
Perhaps spending the $$$ on the stranded marine-grade wire was worth it. Certainly having the help of an industrial electrician friend to make strong, non-soldered mechanical connections paid off for all my tough off-pavement miles.
Dan