GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
My Morningstar 300W is completely independent from the main AC system, just 2 identified at 300W outlets.
George.
Orton DIY Transit
- Thread starter Graphite Dave
- Start date
My Morningstar 300W is completely independent from the main AC system, just 2 identified at 300W outlets.
George.
rollerbearing
Well-known member
George,
I agree your system is completely safe. Just pointing out how things can go wrong if those who follow do not set it up the same way. I.E. They wire it up the way I described.
I agree your system is completely safe. Just pointing out how things can go wrong if those who follow do not set it up the same way. I.E. They wire it up the way I described.
Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Have revised the Transit build web site with more information as the build slowly progresses.
http://www.ortontransit.info/
Next major job will be the install of all the 14 ga. 304 SS parts. Drawings done and sent to the laser shop for cutting/forming. Stainless parts are the 23 gallon fresh water tank, 10.4 gallon gray tank, 6 gallon portapotti pedestal/shower water tank, shower pan and the slider step vertical wall.
Completed the final install of the "600" watt microwave and will complete the Macrolux ceiling tomorrow.
http://www.ortontransit.info/
Next major job will be the install of all the 14 ga. 304 SS parts. Drawings done and sent to the laser shop for cutting/forming. Stainless parts are the 23 gallon fresh water tank, 10.4 gallon gray tank, 6 gallon portapotti pedestal/shower water tank, shower pan and the slider step vertical wall.
Completed the final install of the "600" watt microwave and will complete the Macrolux ceiling tomorrow.
Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Questions were asked about the upper cabinet design.
The Transit upper cabinets were similar to the sold Sprinter cabinets with some improvements.
The cabinets were thermally insulated from the van steel and the 15/32" plywood floor was used to anchor the bottom of the cabinets to the van wall. Added a piece of 15/32" plywood between the roof rib support angle and the top cabinet extrusion to thermally isolate the top extrusion. The plywood floor was the thermal isolation at the bottom.
The writeup is on my Transit build web site:
http://www.ortontransit.info/cabinets.php
Did change how the cabinet bottom was attached to the van wall since the writeup was posted. Added a 15/32" plywood ledger on wall to support the cabinet plywood bottom.
Latest drawing in printable PDF format is attached:
The Transit upper cabinets were similar to the sold Sprinter cabinets with some improvements.
The cabinets were thermally insulated from the van steel and the 15/32" plywood floor was used to anchor the bottom of the cabinets to the van wall. Added a piece of 15/32" plywood between the roof rib support angle and the top cabinet extrusion to thermally isolate the top extrusion. The plywood floor was the thermal isolation at the bottom.
The writeup is on my Transit build web site:
http://www.ortontransit.info/cabinets.php
Did change how the cabinet bottom was attached to the van wall since the writeup was posted. Added a 15/32" plywood ledger on wall to support the cabinet plywood bottom.
Latest drawing in printable PDF format is attached:
Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Completed (almost) the 1000 watt vehicle powered pure sine inverter installation. The Transit has three 60 amp terminals on the seat base that are fused and connected to the dual 70 amp-hr AGM batteries. Ford standard is single flooded battery and one 60 amp terminal with option being the three fused terminals and dual AGM batteries. Inverter and components are mounted on the shower enclosure wall directly behind the driver seat.
The inverter is used to supply "shore power" while driving. I use it for three purposes. Primary use is to provide 120 volt AC power to heat 6 gallons of shower water in about 30 minutes. Have a no pressure SS tank with a 625 watt heating element. Second use is to power the 50 amp charger in the Magnum MMS1012 house inverter/charger/transfer switch. The third use is to power an electric 750 watt baseboard heater in back of van.
The initial reason for the inverter was to provide power to the house inverter so I always charged the house 255 amp-hr AGM battery with the correct 3 stage charge. With the single 300 watt solar panel this use is rarely used with my climate and electrical loads. So this becomes a backup method of charging if weather conditions force its use. Not the most efficient method of charging the house battery but even when used it does not notably change the MPG. The sold Sprinter had a similar system and that house battery is still in use after 8 years.
In Sprinter I had to drive to heat the shower water since diesel engine should not be idled. One reason for the Transit was to get a gas engine that can be idled. So now I can heat water without driving.
The cost was about $600. Not much different than the cost of a relay, long heavy cable and an expensive shower water heater.
Samlex inverter and remote: $406.25
4 position bus bar: $18.45
Class T fuse and holder: $45.07
Blue Sea battery switch: $24.81
Cables: $97.43.
The cables were made by the local Interstate battery shop. I make up ropes with tags on each cable describing what I want. The length of the rope is the distance between the eyelets, a red or black tape is added for color, there is a tag denoting the size of the cable and a tag at each end giving hole diameter and if it is a straight or 90 degree fitting. Took about an hour to get then made. First I use a string to determine the length and then cut the cotton rope to double check the length.
Still have to complete the control wiring to only allow the inverter to operate when the engine is running.
The inverter is used to supply "shore power" while driving. I use it for three purposes. Primary use is to provide 120 volt AC power to heat 6 gallons of shower water in about 30 minutes. Have a no pressure SS tank with a 625 watt heating element. Second use is to power the 50 amp charger in the Magnum MMS1012 house inverter/charger/transfer switch. The third use is to power an electric 750 watt baseboard heater in back of van.
The initial reason for the inverter was to provide power to the house inverter so I always charged the house 255 amp-hr AGM battery with the correct 3 stage charge. With the single 300 watt solar panel this use is rarely used with my climate and electrical loads. So this becomes a backup method of charging if weather conditions force its use. Not the most efficient method of charging the house battery but even when used it does not notably change the MPG. The sold Sprinter had a similar system and that house battery is still in use after 8 years.
In Sprinter I had to drive to heat the shower water since diesel engine should not be idled. One reason for the Transit was to get a gas engine that can be idled. So now I can heat water without driving.
The cost was about $600. Not much different than the cost of a relay, long heavy cable and an expensive shower water heater.
Samlex inverter and remote: $406.25
4 position bus bar: $18.45
Class T fuse and holder: $45.07
Blue Sea battery switch: $24.81
Cables: $97.43.
The cables were made by the local Interstate battery shop. I make up ropes with tags on each cable describing what I want. The length of the rope is the distance between the eyelets, a red or black tape is added for color, there is a tag denoting the size of the cable and a tag at each end giving hole diameter and if it is a straight or 90 degree fitting. Took about an hour to get then made. First I use a string to determine the length and then cut the cotton rope to double check the length.
Still have to complete the control wiring to only allow the inverter to operate when the engine is running.
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Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
The inverter remote installation is now completed. The Transit has an option to have four 20 amp "user defined" switches on the dash. They provide power when key is in the accessory position and with engine running. The inverter remote has a spade connector that when 12 volt power is applied will start the inverter. The "user defined" switch provides the power so if switch is on the inverter starts automatically with engine start and stops when engine is off. I can leave the switch off and manually start/stop the inverter with the remote pushbutton. Did add a on-delay time delay so inverter does not start immediately. Want to be sure engine is running before the inverter puts a load on the batteries.
Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Completed the selector switch control panel. It is located above the driver at the ceiling and faces the shower side of the enclosure wall. The shower wall below the controls has not been installed yet.
The panel has two selector switches, a 15 amp two pole shore power circuit breaker, the Magnum remote control, a digital voltmeter for the Transit starting batteries and at the lower left a pull out extension cord for shower water power.
The top selector switch is a three position switch. It selects real shore power from the 3 prong plug located outside under the driver door or "shore power" from the 1000 watt vehicle powered inverter or off.
Below the 3 position selector switch is a 4 position selector switch. The 1000 watt vehicle powered inverter is not large enough to operate all the loads at the same time so the selector switch limits the choice to only one at a time. The loads powered by the switch are the 700 watt shore power charger or the 750 watt electric baseboard air heater under bed platform in back or the 625 watt 120 volt shower water heating element or off.
On the back of the panel is a 4 post bus bar to collect all the 120 volt AC ground wires. One of the posts is wired to the van body for the single ground connection to the vehicle. At the lower left is a pull out orange extension cord. On the opposite shower wall there are two duplex receptacles. One powered by shore power and one powered from the house battery/inverter. Shower water can be heated three ways. Shore power, "shore power" from the vehicle powered inverter or power from the house Magnum MMS1012 1000 watt inverter. I have excess solar power that can be used to heat shower water in good weather.
Both the panel and the two duplex receptacles are close to the ceiling so shower water spray will not be a problem. Do not use a spray nozzle to shower. Use a flood nozzle to almost eliminate water spray and do my head at the bottom of the shower before stepping into the shower to do the rest of the body. Not a shower like home but you get clean. The orange cord to the receptacle is disconnected before showering. There is also a indicator light close to the floor outside the shower that is on when heating water and off when the water heating thermostat has stopped heating water. When light goes out I know water is at the correct shower temperature. All the water in the tank is at the correct temperature so no plumbing or hot/cold water mixing is required. Warm water from the tank is sent to the nozzle from a submersible 12 volt DC pump in the tank. The tank is also the pedestal for the portapotti to bring it up to the correct height. Tank location utilizes the wasted space under the portapotti.
There is also a shelf above the driver for paper map storage with access from the driver side of the wall.
The panel has two selector switches, a 15 amp two pole shore power circuit breaker, the Magnum remote control, a digital voltmeter for the Transit starting batteries and at the lower left a pull out extension cord for shower water power.
The top selector switch is a three position switch. It selects real shore power from the 3 prong plug located outside under the driver door or "shore power" from the 1000 watt vehicle powered inverter or off.
Below the 3 position selector switch is a 4 position selector switch. The 1000 watt vehicle powered inverter is not large enough to operate all the loads at the same time so the selector switch limits the choice to only one at a time. The loads powered by the switch are the 700 watt shore power charger or the 750 watt electric baseboard air heater under bed platform in back or the 625 watt 120 volt shower water heating element or off.
On the back of the panel is a 4 post bus bar to collect all the 120 volt AC ground wires. One of the posts is wired to the van body for the single ground connection to the vehicle. At the lower left is a pull out orange extension cord. On the opposite shower wall there are two duplex receptacles. One powered by shore power and one powered from the house battery/inverter. Shower water can be heated three ways. Shore power, "shore power" from the vehicle powered inverter or power from the house Magnum MMS1012 1000 watt inverter. I have excess solar power that can be used to heat shower water in good weather.
Both the panel and the two duplex receptacles are close to the ceiling so shower water spray will not be a problem. Do not use a spray nozzle to shower. Use a flood nozzle to almost eliminate water spray and do my head at the bottom of the shower before stepping into the shower to do the rest of the body. Not a shower like home but you get clean. The orange cord to the receptacle is disconnected before showering. There is also a indicator light close to the floor outside the shower that is on when heating water and off when the water heating thermostat has stopped heating water. When light goes out I know water is at the correct shower temperature. All the water in the tank is at the correct temperature so no plumbing or hot/cold water mixing is required. Warm water from the tank is sent to the nozzle from a submersible 12 volt DC pump in the tank. The tank is also the pedestal for the portapotti to bring it up to the correct height. Tank location utilizes the wasted space under the portapotti.
There is also a shelf above the driver for paper map storage with access from the driver side of the wall.
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Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
The electrical diagram has been updated to what I think will be the final design.
A recent changes have been a revised method of heating shower water. I can now heat the water 3 ways. Shore power, "shore power" from the vehicle powered inverter or power from the house battery/inverter. I have excessive solar power available so added the capability to heat water from the house battery.
Another change was automating the start/stop of the vehicle powered inverter. The vehicle powered inverter remote has a 12 volt terminal that starts the inverter when power is to that terminal. I use a ignition on 12 volt source and a on delay time delay relay. Do not want the inverter to start before the engine is running so added the time delay.
Diagram is attached.
A recent changes have been a revised method of heating shower water. I can now heat the water 3 ways. Shore power, "shore power" from the vehicle powered inverter or power from the house battery/inverter. I have excessive solar power available so added the capability to heat water from the house battery.
Another change was automating the start/stop of the vehicle powered inverter. The vehicle powered inverter remote has a 12 volt terminal that starts the inverter when power is to that terminal. I use a ignition on 12 volt source and a on delay time delay relay. Do not want the inverter to start before the engine is running so added the time delay.
Diagram is attached.
Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
The fresh water system is now complete. As usual it is different than most RV's. I did not like the noise of a normal RV positive displacement pump or the large space that is required. Only need cold water at the sink.
The fresh water tank is a custom 14 ga. 304 SS tank that is located under the passenger side bench seat. Front of tank sits on the floor in front of the rear wheel well and back of tank is over the wheel well. Front portion is 15 1/2" tall x 18 1/2" long x 11" wide. Back portion is 6 3/4" tall x 28 1/2" long x 11" wide. Empty tank weighs about 50 lbs. Capacity is about 22 gallons. The advantage of a custom tank is maximizing the capacity in the space available.
The tank has two 3/4" NPT half couplings on front face. Bottom is outlet to the pump and top is the fill opening. To fill tank the slider door is opened and a old fashioned radiator filling valve is used to eliminate spillage. Did not want a hole in side of van or any possibility of pressurizing the tank. On top of the tank about halfway are two 3/8" NPT half couplings. One for the air vent and the other for the pump return water. The air vent is a 3/8" OD nylon tube that runs forward and up to a plastic air valve exhaust muffler located under the sink counter. Muffler is porous plastic to keep out the bugs and let air in/out.
There are also two 4" x 7" cleanout ports with covers on top of the tank.
The pump is a solar centrifugal pump that is located at the back of the slider door step below the tank. The installation requires about 1/4 the space a traditional pump requires and is almost silent. At the discharge of the pump there is a tee. One tee outlet goes to a ball valve and the drain/pressure outlet with a quick disconnect. One advantage of the centrifugal pump is you can drain the tank through the pump. The other outlet from the tee goes to a second tee. One outlet of the second tee goes up to the sink faucet. The other outlet of the second tee is the return line to the tank. The centrifugal pump will get hot if pump is running and faucet is off. Letting a small amount of water run through the pump will keep it cool. The pump requires a on/off switch. No pressure switch. The water system is not pressurized. Did not want a pressurized system to avoid any leaks from plumbing failures.
In the vertical hose run up to the sink I used a piece of clear tubing. I can see the tank water level in the clear tubing.
The fresh water tank is a custom 14 ga. 304 SS tank that is located under the passenger side bench seat. Front of tank sits on the floor in front of the rear wheel well and back of tank is over the wheel well. Front portion is 15 1/2" tall x 18 1/2" long x 11" wide. Back portion is 6 3/4" tall x 28 1/2" long x 11" wide. Empty tank weighs about 50 lbs. Capacity is about 22 gallons. The advantage of a custom tank is maximizing the capacity in the space available.
The tank has two 3/4" NPT half couplings on front face. Bottom is outlet to the pump and top is the fill opening. To fill tank the slider door is opened and a old fashioned radiator filling valve is used to eliminate spillage. Did not want a hole in side of van or any possibility of pressurizing the tank. On top of the tank about halfway are two 3/8" NPT half couplings. One for the air vent and the other for the pump return water. The air vent is a 3/8" OD nylon tube that runs forward and up to a plastic air valve exhaust muffler located under the sink counter. Muffler is porous plastic to keep out the bugs and let air in/out.
There are also two 4" x 7" cleanout ports with covers on top of the tank.
The pump is a solar centrifugal pump that is located at the back of the slider door step below the tank. The installation requires about 1/4 the space a traditional pump requires and is almost silent. At the discharge of the pump there is a tee. One tee outlet goes to a ball valve and the drain/pressure outlet with a quick disconnect. One advantage of the centrifugal pump is you can drain the tank through the pump. The other outlet from the tee goes to a second tee. One outlet of the second tee goes up to the sink faucet. The other outlet of the second tee is the return line to the tank. The centrifugal pump will get hot if pump is running and faucet is off. Letting a small amount of water run through the pump will keep it cool. The pump requires a on/off switch. No pressure switch. The water system is not pressurized. Did not want a pressurized system to avoid any leaks from plumbing failures.
In the vertical hose run up to the sink I used a piece of clear tubing. I can see the tank water level in the clear tubing.
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Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Completed grey water tank installation.
10 gallon 14 ga. SS tank is mounted parallel to the slider door next to the frame rail. Tank is 41" long x 7" tall x 9" wide. There are no openings in the top of the tank, ends or sides. There are three openings in the bottom. A 1" OD SS tube, a 1" square SS overflow/air vent and a 4" x 7" cleanout with a cover. The overflow/air vent is welded to the tank side inside the tank and ends 1/2" from the tank top. Putting it inside allowed a wider tank.
The reason for the bottom entry is to eliminate the need for traditional traps at the sink and shower pan. The piping path is the trap. Pipe goes down past the bottom of the tank, then horizontal and then back up to the tank bottom. The piping forms the trap.
The tank is supported by a 80/20 framework bolted to the van.
The piping is a combination of 1" OD SS tubing, 1" ID rubber hose and a 3/4" copper tube that goes across van from the shower on the driver side of van to the passenger side where tank is located. 3/4" copper fittings are close to 1" OD so work with 1" ID hose. Was concerned that 3/4" copper would be too small but it works fine.
The tank drain is a short length to hose from the 1" SS manifold with a 1" marine expanding transom drain plug. End of hose sits on a shelf. To drain the hose is bent and pulled off the shelf so it hangs down below the van side and then plug removed. Wanted to keep the full 1" ID so did not want to use a valve.
10 gallon 14 ga. SS tank is mounted parallel to the slider door next to the frame rail. Tank is 41" long x 7" tall x 9" wide. There are no openings in the top of the tank, ends or sides. There are three openings in the bottom. A 1" OD SS tube, a 1" square SS overflow/air vent and a 4" x 7" cleanout with a cover. The overflow/air vent is welded to the tank side inside the tank and ends 1/2" from the tank top. Putting it inside allowed a wider tank.
The reason for the bottom entry is to eliminate the need for traditional traps at the sink and shower pan. The piping path is the trap. Pipe goes down past the bottom of the tank, then horizontal and then back up to the tank bottom. The piping forms the trap.
The tank is supported by a 80/20 framework bolted to the van.
The piping is a combination of 1" OD SS tubing, 1" ID rubber hose and a 3/4" copper tube that goes across van from the shower on the driver side of van to the passenger side where tank is located. 3/4" copper fittings are close to 1" OD so work with 1" ID hose. Was concerned that 3/4" copper would be too small but it works fine.
The tank drain is a short length to hose from the 1" SS manifold with a 1" marine expanding transom drain plug. End of hose sits on a shelf. To drain the hose is bent and pulled off the shelf so it hangs down below the van side and then plug removed. Wanted to keep the full 1" ID so did not want to use a valve.
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D
Deleted member 50714
Guest
Looks like excellent design and Craftsmanship Dave!
GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
Looks good Dave, a couple of questions:
1. From your Sprinter experience in percentage points how many ideas did you reuse, just approximately. A big one form would be going LPG in a next conversion, not in my plans.
2. How did you attach a cleaning port plates, was it just sealant or also sheet metal screws? I had difficult time drilling SS for WEMA level sensors screws.
Seems as you are almost done, congratulations. Having your Boxster I am surprise you have time for anything else, any plans for your Boxster conversion, ceiling is very high under the, nostalgic for me, California Sun.
Cheers,
George.
1. From your Sprinter experience in percentage points how many ideas did you reuse, just approximately. A big one form would be going LPG in a next conversion, not in my plans.
2. How did you attach a cleaning port plates, was it just sealant or also sheet metal screws? I had difficult time drilling SS for WEMA level sensors screws.
Seems as you are almost done, congratulations. Having your Boxster I am surprise you have time for anything else, any plans for your Boxster conversion, ceiling is very high under the, nostalgic for me, California Sun.
Cheers,
George.
Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
The floor plan is almost exactly the same as the Sprinter. That worked very well. The 8D battery had to be located in front of the left rear wheel well instead of behind it. That forced the shower enclosure to be smaller. 80/20 structure is very similar.
Have a list of 127 items that I changed or improved on. Sprinter worked but anytime I design anything the second try is always better. Some neat improvements.
Use portable LPG tanks for the Camp Chef Ranger II two burner propane stove. The Sprinter stove had 10,000 btu burners that could not boil water in the wind so bought the Camp Chef that has 17,000 btu burners. Stove needs to be portable to use outside on sink drop down table or a picnic table.
The tank cleaning plates have a 1/4" x 1" flatbar welded "H" with two 5/6-18NC bolts welded to the plates. Loosely bolt cover to the "H" and then slide two legs of the "H" under the tank top edge, set cover down on tank, slide cover and "H" back the other way to center cover on hole and then tighten the bolts. Used silicone II to seal. Leaked like a sieve. Added silicone to stop the leaks. Probably should have used the Dicor I used on the roof vent or added a gasket. Cover plate is 2" wider and longer than the hole.
You would like my level gage on my fresh water tank. The tank is in front of the right rear wheel well and over the top of the wheel well. The outlet goes down to the back of the slider step where the centrifugal pump is located. On pump outlet to the sink faucet which is above the pump, I used a length of clear hose. The tank level is shown in the clear hose. Did learn I have to open the faucet to let in air after the pump is shut off for water level to show in the hose.
Boxster has not been driven much. I need to finish the conversion. I thought a second conversion could be done in half the time because I had some experience. This one seems like it is taking longer.
Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Gave myself a Christmas present. Finished the back 1/3 of the van.
The design requirements were van to be used for cargo, as a office/tailgate configuration, a bed platform for one person with seats for two with a table or bed platform for two people.
The choices:
1. Table removed with four bed platforms stored vertically for cargo usage. Two table is legs are bolted to the floor 80/20 with four modified carriage bolts. Table can be removed in less than 5 minutes.
2. Table installed and used with the permanent bench seats to seat four people.
3. Back half of table used to support the back two of 27" wide fold down bed panels. This configuration sleeps one person and leaves the front half of the table to be used for eating.
4. All four of the fold down bed panels down on top of the table to provide 54" wide bed platform for two people sleeping.
Bench seats:
The passenger side bench seat is 67 1/2" long with the 24 gallon SS fresh water tank in front of and over the wheel well. A 120 volt AC 750 watt baseboard heater is installed next to the wheel well and door end of the seat open for storage between the door and the wheel well. On the driver side there is a 8D AGM battery located in front of the wheel well. Above the battery and the wheel well is the electrical and the house inverter. The back end of the driver side seat is also open for storage. The 1/2" cherry plywood seat and seat back are removable for access. The three openings in front of both seats are removable 1/4" cherry plywood panels.
Table:
32" wide table is 48" long. Made from 1/2" cherry plywood with a 3/4" x 3" 80/20 stringer under the table top and down the middle. The two 3/4" x 3" 80/20 legs bolt to the floor and to the 80/20 stringer with 1 1/2" x 3/16" aluminum angles. There are also two plywood supports bolted to the 80/20 legs and glues to the bottom of the table. Table is easily removed by unbolting 4 bolts at the floor.
Murphy bed panels:
The four panels are 27" wide by 31 7/8" long. They have a continuous aluminum hinge bolted to the top of the seat back. They are either stored vertically against the van wall or are folded down to be horizontal and sit on top of the table top. Two back panels down to form a bed platform for one person or all four down to make a bed platform for two people. Panels are a composite with the top surface 1/4" cherry plywood, the middle is 1" polyiso insulation and the bottom cover is 3/16" indoor/outdoor carpet. Carpet required to prevent wood to wood rattles. When stored vertically they rest against indoor/outdoor carpet and are retained by a 3/8" thick rubber tab that is installed on a 1/2" wood dowel.
Bedding:
The "mattress" for each person is two 2 1/2" x 25" x 70" self inflating REI camp pads. A zero degree sleeping bag is use on top of the camp pads. A 12 volt DC heating pad is used during the winter to stay warm. During the day the front camp pads and sleeping bag are lifted up and placed on the back bed. Then the two front bed panels are lifted and stored vertically against the van walls to expose front half of the table and bench seats.
The table top is about 30" above the floor and the bottom of the upper cabinets are 31 3/4" above the top of the bed panels. I can sit up in bed without hitting my head on the upper cabinet. There is a 12 volt plug at each end of the bed platform between the front and back panels. There is a light switch for LED lights on bottom of the upper cabinets that is reachable from bed. The floor vent opening/closing rope handle is reachable from bed as are the manual controls of the Maxxair roof vent.
On Transit I have 73 1/2" long bed. Glued 1 1/2" polyiso insulation to the window indent sheet metal and 1" polyiso to the steel stiffeners to provide a flat surface. Glued 3/16" indoor/outdoor carpet to the polyiso with 3M 90 spray glue. Made the mistake on the sold Sprinter by filling the window indents with insulation which yielded a 70" bed length. Had to sleep slightly diagonal which I thought would not be a problem but it was.
Working on a insulated tent to enclose the sleeping area. From top of platform to the ceiling on the front and back of the enclosure. Expect to retain some of the body and heating pad heat inside the tent.
The design requirements were van to be used for cargo, as a office/tailgate configuration, a bed platform for one person with seats for two with a table or bed platform for two people.
The choices:
1. Table removed with four bed platforms stored vertically for cargo usage. Two table is legs are bolted to the floor 80/20 with four modified carriage bolts. Table can be removed in less than 5 minutes.
2. Table installed and used with the permanent bench seats to seat four people.
3. Back half of table used to support the back two of 27" wide fold down bed panels. This configuration sleeps one person and leaves the front half of the table to be used for eating.
4. All four of the fold down bed panels down on top of the table to provide 54" wide bed platform for two people sleeping.
Bench seats:
The passenger side bench seat is 67 1/2" long with the 24 gallon SS fresh water tank in front of and over the wheel well. A 120 volt AC 750 watt baseboard heater is installed next to the wheel well and door end of the seat open for storage between the door and the wheel well. On the driver side there is a 8D AGM battery located in front of the wheel well. Above the battery and the wheel well is the electrical and the house inverter. The back end of the driver side seat is also open for storage. The 1/2" cherry plywood seat and seat back are removable for access. The three openings in front of both seats are removable 1/4" cherry plywood panels.
Table:
32" wide table is 48" long. Made from 1/2" cherry plywood with a 3/4" x 3" 80/20 stringer under the table top and down the middle. The two 3/4" x 3" 80/20 legs bolt to the floor and to the 80/20 stringer with 1 1/2" x 3/16" aluminum angles. There are also two plywood supports bolted to the 80/20 legs and glues to the bottom of the table. Table is easily removed by unbolting 4 bolts at the floor.
Murphy bed panels:
The four panels are 27" wide by 31 7/8" long. They have a continuous aluminum hinge bolted to the top of the seat back. They are either stored vertically against the van wall or are folded down to be horizontal and sit on top of the table top. Two back panels down to form a bed platform for one person or all four down to make a bed platform for two people. Panels are a composite with the top surface 1/4" cherry plywood, the middle is 1" polyiso insulation and the bottom cover is 3/16" indoor/outdoor carpet. Carpet required to prevent wood to wood rattles. When stored vertically they rest against indoor/outdoor carpet and are retained by a 3/8" thick rubber tab that is installed on a 1/2" wood dowel.
Bedding:
The "mattress" for each person is two 2 1/2" x 25" x 70" self inflating REI camp pads. A zero degree sleeping bag is use on top of the camp pads. A 12 volt DC heating pad is used during the winter to stay warm. During the day the front camp pads and sleeping bag are lifted up and placed on the back bed. Then the two front bed panels are lifted and stored vertically against the van walls to expose front half of the table and bench seats.
The table top is about 30" above the floor and the bottom of the upper cabinets are 31 3/4" above the top of the bed panels. I can sit up in bed without hitting my head on the upper cabinet. There is a 12 volt plug at each end of the bed platform between the front and back panels. There is a light switch for LED lights on bottom of the upper cabinets that is reachable from bed. The floor vent opening/closing rope handle is reachable from bed as are the manual controls of the Maxxair roof vent.
On Transit I have 73 1/2" long bed. Glued 1 1/2" polyiso insulation to the window indent sheet metal and 1" polyiso to the steel stiffeners to provide a flat surface. Glued 3/16" indoor/outdoor carpet to the polyiso with 3M 90 spray glue. Made the mistake on the sold Sprinter by filling the window indents with insulation which yielded a 70" bed length. Had to sleep slightly diagonal which I thought would not be a problem but it was.
Working on a insulated tent to enclose the sleeping area. From top of platform to the ceiling on the front and back of the enclosure. Expect to retain some of the body and heating pad heat inside the tent.
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Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Next I am working on determining if a small insulated enclosure around the sleeping platform works. Have four double wall curtains that I installed Thinsulate between the two pieces of cloth in the winter and remove the insulation in the summer. Want to try and retain some of the body and heating pad heat inside the enclosure. Do not want to heat the entire van and do not want a noisy heater cycling on/off during the night.
The back curtain goes from top of sleeping platform up to the ceiling. The front curtain has three parts. The two side curtains go from top of bench seats to bottom of the upper cabinets. The front center curtain goes from the floor up to the ceiling. The center curtain is opened for entering and exiting.
Have used curtains one time and found four issues.
1. The back curtain sagged in the center so did not close off that end.
2. I only had a 1" overlap between the side curtains and the center curtain that was not enough to close the gaps.
3. The insulation in the front center curtain dropped to the bottom of the curtain.
4. There are two large openings between the front two panels when they are stored vertically that need to be plugged.
Even with those mistakes the enclosure does work. Outside temperature was 39 degrees, inside front section of van was 46 degrees and inside the tent was 54 degrees.
I am working on the mistakes.
1. Added a short piece of 3M dual-lock (velcro) to hold up center of back curtain.
2. Having Strawfoot remake the two side curtains to add 3" to the curtain width to make the overlap 4" instead of 1"
3. Added four magnets at top of the front center curtain to hold the insulation up.
4. Will plug the two gaps between the front panels and the van wall with 1" closed cell foam.
Will report the results after I get the new side curtains. Looks like it will be worth the effort.
I bought the Transit remote start and have a vehicle powered inverter that I can set to power a 750 watt electric heater with the engine running. One of the reasons for getting rid of the diesel Sprinter was to get a gas engine that can be idled. I push the remote start button before I get out of bed to warm the van interior in the morning. The gas engine is not any noisier than an Espar.
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Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Completed multipurpose shower enclosure. Did not want to waste the shower space for only a shower so made it serve multiple functions. No shower door or shower curtain. Portapotti remains in the shower enclosure when showering.
The normal configuration has two hinged/removable shelves, two storage containers and three removable towel rods at the top. Top shelf is at sink counter height so it more than doubles my counter space.
For portapotti use the two storage containers are removed and both shelves are pivoted up against the shower back wall.
To use as an additional seat the two storage containers are removed and the top shelve is pivoted up against the shower back wall.
To use as a shower the three towel rods are removed, the top shelf is removed, the two storage containers are removed and the bottom shelf is removed. The 10' garden hose with a old fashioned radiator fill valve is plugged into the DC pump outlet on top of tank behind the portapotti.
The shower is not like the one at home but you do get clean. First I put a towel down on floor in front of the shower to catch any overspray. Second I kneel down in front of shower and stick my head into shower between the portapotti and the shower wall to do my hair. Third I get in shower to do the rest of the body. Very little water hits the towel because I do not use a spray nozzle but use a full flow water stream to get wet and to rinse off the soap.
The normal configuration has two hinged/removable shelves, two storage containers and three removable towel rods at the top. Top shelf is at sink counter height so it more than doubles my counter space.
For portapotti use the two storage containers are removed and both shelves are pivoted up against the shower back wall.
To use as an additional seat the two storage containers are removed and the top shelve is pivoted up against the shower back wall.
To use as a shower the three towel rods are removed, the top shelf is removed, the two storage containers are removed and the bottom shelf is removed. The 10' garden hose with a old fashioned radiator fill valve is plugged into the DC pump outlet on top of tank behind the portapotti.
The shower is not like the one at home but you do get clean. First I put a towel down on floor in front of the shower to catch any overspray. Second I kneel down in front of shower and stick my head into shower between the portapotti and the shower wall to do my hair. Third I get in shower to do the rest of the body. Very little water hits the towel because I do not use a spray nozzle but use a full flow water stream to get wet and to rinse off the soap.
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Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
Completed sink cabinet. Aisle side of cabinet had 3 drawers on the left and a door on the right. The forward sink end has a lift up table to be used with rotated swivel passenger seat. The table slides 6" toward van center to line up with the passenger seat. The forward end also has a sink overhead light switch, a 120 volt duplex outlet and a 12 volt receptacle. The back end has a paper towel holder a electric heater thermostat and a 120 volt duplex outlet. The slider door side has a fold down table that is supported by a hinged door below the table.
Some comments:
1. The right door on aisle side has a pocket on back of door for a cutting board.
2. The sink overhead light switch can be reached when standing in front of the sink or when standing outside the slider door.
3. The Corian counter top extends out 3 1/2" past cabinet toward the slider door to increase counter depth.
4. Drawers are shortened so I could create a storage location for the water fill hose, water filter and drain pipe.
5. The Transit jack was located in sink cabinet because it had to be removed from under passenger seat due to seat swivel.
6. No sink trap because the drain hose goes down past the grey water tank and then up into the tank bottom. The piping path creates a "trap".
7. The slider side bottom door supports the fold down door and hides the centrifugal water pump located at back of step.
8. There is a 4" square LED light aimed out the slider door.
9. There is a 120 volt duplex receptacle and a 12 volt receptacle under the sink.
10. There is a 6 position fuse block under the sink fed from the 12 position fuse block under the refrigerator. All 12 volt stuff on passenger side fed from the 6 position block.
11. The fresh water fill tube is accessible under sink. Fill tank through the open slider door.
12. Water supply to the sink has a clear tube to display the fresh water tank level.
13. Only cold water to the single knob water faucet.
14. Pump on/off switch on wall above the sink.
15. Drawers bought from Western Dovetail completely assembled.
16. Latches are Southco M1-63 with the latch plate made from 3/8" rubber to prevent rattling.
17. I added the drawer pulls, drawer fronts and the bottom drawer guides to the purchased drawer boxes.
18. Cabinet frame is 80/20.
19. The two burner Camp Chef Ranger II propane stove and the vacuum cleaner are stored at bottom of the sink.
Some comments:
1. The right door on aisle side has a pocket on back of door for a cutting board.
2. The sink overhead light switch can be reached when standing in front of the sink or when standing outside the slider door.
3. The Corian counter top extends out 3 1/2" past cabinet toward the slider door to increase counter depth.
4. Drawers are shortened so I could create a storage location for the water fill hose, water filter and drain pipe.
5. The Transit jack was located in sink cabinet because it had to be removed from under passenger seat due to seat swivel.
6. No sink trap because the drain hose goes down past the grey water tank and then up into the tank bottom. The piping path creates a "trap".
7. The slider side bottom door supports the fold down door and hides the centrifugal water pump located at back of step.
8. There is a 4" square LED light aimed out the slider door.
9. There is a 120 volt duplex receptacle and a 12 volt receptacle under the sink.
10. There is a 6 position fuse block under the sink fed from the 12 position fuse block under the refrigerator. All 12 volt stuff on passenger side fed from the 6 position block.
11. The fresh water fill tube is accessible under sink. Fill tank through the open slider door.
12. Water supply to the sink has a clear tube to display the fresh water tank level.
13. Only cold water to the single knob water faucet.
14. Pump on/off switch on wall above the sink.
15. Drawers bought from Western Dovetail completely assembled.
16. Latches are Southco M1-63 with the latch plate made from 3/8" rubber to prevent rattling.
17. I added the drawer pulls, drawer fronts and the bottom drawer guides to the purchased drawer boxes.
18. Cabinet frame is 80/20.
19. The two burner Camp Chef Ranger II propane stove and the vacuum cleaner are stored at bottom of the sink.
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GeorgeRa
2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
Looks great - congratulation. Noticed distance between the Southco latch and the top of the door, seems long. I decided to change my black latches to SS, more expensive but more inconspicuous and blend well with my gray HDPE, SS screws and aluminum.
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Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
The drawers slide on 15/32" thick plywood shelves with old fashioned wood center guides. The two lower drawers require an aluminum angle screwed to bottom of plywood to support the 3/8" rubber latch plate/drawer stop. That required the 2 3/8" top of drawer to center of latch dimension. Top drawer could have been less but I wanted all 3 to be in the same location.
I prefer the black latches to match the microwave and refrigerator color. What we do know is these latches work very well.