wildebus
Forum Member
I guess a rope ladder could be an option?
Not a Self-build, but a Tweaker
- Thread starter wildebus
- Start date
wildebus
Forum Member
Weighbridge visit just done. Came in at 3780 total and 2200 at the rear axle. However .... the business I use with the weighbridge is waiting for an engineer to come in and check it as they suspect it is out by maybe 100Kg or so, which I think is likely based on other times I have got weights done there on this van (the last weight was 3500 compared to 3780 today and I don't believe I have added nearly 300Kg of weight in-between the visits)Stuck my new VIN Plate on today
View attachment 4043
Extra 350Kg to play with now
Going to the weighbridge tomorrow to get a current idea of how much the Motorhome comes in at with a full load of water and a full tank. Then the difference will be there to accomodate two occupants, a few clothes and a pair of eBikes and whatever might go sit on the Thule Easybase
Need to send the V5C to DVLA to get the weight updated as well. I think I am ok to run to the new weights whilst waiting for the updated V5C as long as the request has been sent? (could be relevant as DVLA staff are apparently in a dispute and it can take many weeks to get requests completed).
SquirrellCook
Forum Member
Have you been on the scales David?
wildebus
Forum Member
That is without me and my lockdown bikkiesHave you been on the scales David?
wildebus
Forum Member
I know where you are coming from but I would expect a modern weighbridge would have the accuracy as a transport company would want to maximize their loads but not take the risk of going over the limit, so would be able to weigh to pretty small increments?
mb2tv
Forum Member
Increments yes, but what i think that a weighbridge that meant to weigh 20-40 tons might not be as sensitive at 3.5tons. For example, we have a small electronic kitchen scales, and it is quite accurate, but not for the first 20grams. I do not have any information to support that and i might be completely wrong though.
wildebus
Forum Member
I have a terrible memory for some stuff, so thought I would label up my ordnance boxes so I know what 'area' they cover to save picking out the wrong one every time
So screwdrivers, soldering iron, multimeter, crimps &connectors , all that kind of stuff is in "Electrics"; And spanners, duct tape, etc is in "Mechanicals"
(The "Mechanicals" box must have been left outside for many years going by the surface rust so I sprayed with some Hammerite to make it look a bit better. Not bothered about the finish but just a bit more presentable)
And back in the weapons bay - the middle Zebra box is camping gear such as pegs, hammer, guy rope, that kind of stuff.
So screwdrivers, soldering iron, multimeter, crimps &connectors , all that kind of stuff is in "Electrics"; And spanners, duct tape, etc is in "Mechanicals"
(The "Mechanicals" box must have been left outside for many years going by the surface rust so I sprayed with some Hammerite to make it look a bit better. Not bothered about the finish but just a bit more presentable)
And back in the weapons bay - the middle Zebra box is camping gear such as pegs, hammer, guy rope, that kind of stuff.
wildebus
Forum Member
Added a perspex sheet below the seat to cover the electrics for things dropping down when sofa is extended to a bed - but I think that might be restricting ventilation a bit as the batteries are getting much warmer when under load or chart - Lead upto 39C and Lithium to 43C (fairly high charge current admittedly). Think will have to remove it and see what happens.
Made an adjustment to the Fridge autoswitch kit as well.
I had it set with a AutoRelay and SSR so when AC power was available, the AutoRelay would turn on and the settings controlling the SSR would be irrelvent. This is how a setup with a Victron BMV would be setup.
However, the Victron GX system offers more options in controlling the SSR - and one of these is to disable the "Generator" (I am using the "generator" option to control when the SSR turns on and off) when it detects AC1 in use i.e. Mains Hookup available.
So adding this feature allowed me to reconnect the Fridge to the original Autotrail/Sargent wiring, but just going via a SSR, instead of via a junction box with two different mains inputs, a 230V relay and an SSR as well.
This revised method is only applicable with a GX device such as a Venus GX or Cerbo GX or similar though. If you just have a BMV you would still need the original way (which still works great)
Made an adjustment to the Fridge autoswitch kit as well.
I had it set with a AutoRelay and SSR so when AC power was available, the AutoRelay would turn on and the settings controlling the SSR would be irrelvent. This is how a setup with a Victron BMV would be setup.
However, the Victron GX system offers more options in controlling the SSR - and one of these is to disable the "Generator" (I am using the "generator" option to control when the SSR turns on and off) when it detects AC1 in use i.e. Mains Hookup available.
So adding this feature allowed me to reconnect the Fridge to the original Autotrail/Sargent wiring, but just going via a SSR, instead of via a junction box with two different mains inputs, a 230V relay and an SSR as well.
This revised method is only applicable with a GX device such as a Venus GX or Cerbo GX or similar though. If you just have a BMV you would still need the original way (which still works great)
wildebus
Forum Member
Shortly before heading to the Kelso meet, finally got round to fitting my external electric connections
240V AC with a 16A MK Socket located behind the rear wheel arch.
Don't expect to use this very much (fitted one on the Dakatari Safari Campervan and only used a few times) but when you need an external Mains it is handy
Supplied via a 10A Dedicated MCB on the EasyPlus and will work on both EHU and off Inverter. Can use with the odd power tool if doing some work on/by the van, and when camping run a lead to things like an portable Induction Hob for cooking under the awning without having a trip-hazard cable running out the hab door.
And at the rear, fitted a couple of ports ...
The one on the right is a standard 12V Accessory Socket that is supplied by the LOAD output of a Victron 100/20 MPPT Controller. This limits the output to 20A (which is enough for any likely accessories, especially as the current limit for these type of sockets tends to be around 10-20A anyway) and also allows me to disable the output via the Victron VE.Connect Smartphone App.
The one on the left with the cable attached is a flush-mount SAE Connector (https://amzn.to/3xy7oHF) that goes to the PV Input on the Victron MPPT Controller for use with a portable panel to supplement the Roof Panel.
This is only a 100W Panel and the 100/20 controller supporting upto 290W is overkill really but decided to match the other Victron 100/20 (which has 270W of panels into it) as redundancy.
I might make an extension lead for the panel to allow extra flexibility for positioning if say parked under shade. Simple enough to do with some cable and a pair of 50A Anderson Plugs
This wiring addition just about finalises the Electrics installation on the Autotrail with just one special design item remaining to finish off the Hybrid LiFePO4/Lead-Carbon battery bank installation
240V AC with a 16A MK Socket located behind the rear wheel arch.
Don't expect to use this very much (fitted one on the Dakatari Safari Campervan and only used a few times) but when you need an external Mains it is handy
Supplied via a 10A Dedicated MCB on the EasyPlus and will work on both EHU and off Inverter. Can use with the odd power tool if doing some work on/by the van, and when camping run a lead to things like an portable Induction Hob for cooking under the awning without having a trip-hazard cable running out the hab door.
And at the rear, fitted a couple of ports ...
The one on the right is a standard 12V Accessory Socket that is supplied by the LOAD output of a Victron 100/20 MPPT Controller. This limits the output to 20A (which is enough for any likely accessories, especially as the current limit for these type of sockets tends to be around 10-20A anyway) and also allows me to disable the output via the Victron VE.Connect Smartphone App.
The one on the left with the cable attached is a flush-mount SAE Connector (https://amzn.to/3xy7oHF) that goes to the PV Input on the Victron MPPT Controller for use with a portable panel to supplement the Roof Panel.
This is only a 100W Panel and the 100/20 controller supporting upto 290W is overkill really but decided to match the other Victron 100/20 (which has 270W of panels into it) as redundancy.
I might make an extension lead for the panel to allow extra flexibility for positioning if say parked under shade. Simple enough to do with some cable and a pair of 50A Anderson Plugs
This wiring addition just about finalises the Electrics installation on the Autotrail with just one special design item remaining to finish off the Hybrid LiFePO4/Lead-Carbon battery bank installation
SquirrellCook
Forum Member
Now the electricals are nearly done, are you thinking about a couple of days on your back to get that corrosion under control? Better to do it before it gets cold and wet.
wildebus
Forum Member
I need a couple of days on my back to recover from the work just done!
I need to replace a whole bunch of clips first and then decide best product to use.
wildebus
Forum Member
Did I say just about finalises the electrics?
Been working on the Thetford Fridge.
Wasn't reliably relighting on the gas and the way the SES (Smart Energy Selection) works, it will switch over from 12V or 240V to Gas when the electrics go off-line and will automatic light. But if it fails to light within 15 seconds (or thereabouts), it will switch back to waiting for 240V and not attempt a relight until the fridge is manually switched off and on again. This meant food in the freezer would defrost and spoil, and if the fridge had 240V appear it would start to cool again and could refreeze the spoilt food and you wouldn't know any difference - not good (and that is of course true of any fridge with intermittant power problems - need a min/max temp guage for the freezer!)
So with that problem, as a Smart Fridge it was at the back of the class with a Dunces cap on
Adjusted the ceramic do-dah (you can tell I am a gas fridge expert ) to be a tad closer to the burner and now she is lighting up like a schoolboy behind the bikesheds and the SES system is working perfectly
However, the fridge itself is not cooling brilliantly - takes an age to get down to just middling temps. This is the same on both Gas and on 240V AC so the common demoninator is the cooling pipework and coolant. The fact that it IS doing some cooling means there must coolant present and it has not all leaked out, so next step would be to turn the thing on its head to resettle it (this apparently is a very common thing and fixes this kind of issue usually).
So as the fridge needed to be fully disconnected and come out the housing, it was a matter of taking it out of the motorhome entirely, try and resolve but get a Compressor Fridge in instead regardless.
Very tight fit as the door gap was 520mm and the Fridge was 523mm wide Removing the rubber trim around the door allowed the fridge to scrape (literally) through the opening.
Whilst deciding what Compressor Fridge to get in replacement, needed a temporary one in place, so brought in an Inventor 240V 94L Fridge. This is the model I fitted in Clarence the Daktari Camperbus and worked brilliantly for well over 3 years (and no doubt still is for the new owners).
Once I decide what I am going here, I can make it look pretty again. Options include getting a like-for-like sized Thetford Compressor Fridge-Freezer to fit in the gap exactly. That would be the "nicest" option but looking at around £1200 or so and it would have to again literally scrape through the door to come in. I could get a slightly thinner 12V Compressor Fridge-Freezer such as a Waeco Cruise 165 - this is slightly narrower and slighty less tall and again is quite pricey at £1100.
Going down the 240V Domestic route is also an option and I have found a Fridge-Freezer that would be a similar fit to the Weaco but only cost £270. That is quite a saving for something that is functionally just as good (with a decent Inverter, a 240V Fridge is just as efficient as a 12V Fridge - and when hooked up is MORE efficient).
Or - and I wasn't expecting to think this - just keep the temporary fridge permanently. The biggest downside is that it has no freezer, just an icebox, but I don't keep any meat in the fridge so really just for Ice Cream, lollys, maybe chips and the like so could be enough? And being just a Fridge and not a Fridge-Freezer is much more efficient in terms of power consumption (this is 80kW/Annum. the LEC Fridge-Freezer I saw and which would fit is 193kW/Annum - a big difference). So this option is looking quite attractive - and the space above will be very useful as well.
Now there is a train of thought which I can see and has some truth to it ... take out a "proper" motorhome fridge and put in a cheap 240V domestic fridge and you are devaluing the vehicle instantly by whatever a "proper" fridge would cost to put back in.
But if fitted neatly (so not left like in my photo of course), would it matter? would anyone actually realise?
Been working on the Thetford Fridge.
Wasn't reliably relighting on the gas and the way the SES (Smart Energy Selection) works, it will switch over from 12V or 240V to Gas when the electrics go off-line and will automatic light. But if it fails to light within 15 seconds (or thereabouts), it will switch back to waiting for 240V and not attempt a relight until the fridge is manually switched off and on again. This meant food in the freezer would defrost and spoil, and if the fridge had 240V appear it would start to cool again and could refreeze the spoilt food and you wouldn't know any difference - not good (and that is of course true of any fridge with intermittant power problems - need a min/max temp guage for the freezer!)
So with that problem, as a Smart Fridge it was at the back of the class with a Dunces cap on
Adjusted the ceramic do-dah (you can tell I am a gas fridge expert
) to be a tad closer to the burner and now she is lighting up like a schoolboy behind the bikesheds and the SES system is working perfectly However, the fridge itself is not cooling brilliantly - takes an age to get down to just middling temps. This is the same on both Gas and on 240V AC so the common demoninator is the cooling pipework and coolant. The fact that it IS doing some cooling means there must coolant present and it has not all leaked out, so next step would be to turn the thing on its head to resettle it (this apparently is a very common thing and fixes this kind of issue usually).
So as the fridge needed to be fully disconnected and come out the housing, it was a matter of taking it out of the motorhome entirely, try and resolve but get a Compressor Fridge in instead regardless.
Very tight fit as the door gap was 520mm and the Fridge was 523mm wide
Removing the rubber trim around the door allowed the fridge to scrape (literally) through the opening.Whilst deciding what Compressor Fridge to get in replacement, needed a temporary one in place, so brought in an Inventor 240V 94L Fridge. This is the model I fitted in Clarence the Daktari Camperbus and worked brilliantly for well over 3 years (and no doubt still is for the new owners).
Once I decide what I am going here, I can make it look pretty again. Options include getting a like-for-like sized Thetford Compressor Fridge-Freezer to fit in the gap exactly. That would be the "nicest" option but looking at around £1200 or so and it would have to again literally scrape through the door to come in. I could get a slightly thinner 12V Compressor Fridge-Freezer such as a Waeco Cruise 165 - this is slightly narrower and slighty less tall and again is quite pricey at £1100.
Going down the 240V Domestic route is also an option and I have found a Fridge-Freezer that would be a similar fit to the Weaco but only cost £270. That is quite a saving for something that is functionally just as good (with a decent Inverter, a 240V Fridge is just as efficient as a 12V Fridge - and when hooked up is MORE efficient).
Or - and I wasn't expecting to think this - just keep the temporary fridge permanently. The biggest downside is that it has no freezer, just an icebox, but I don't keep any meat in the fridge so really just for Ice Cream, lollys, maybe chips and the like so could be enough? And being just a Fridge and not a Fridge-Freezer is much more efficient in terms of power consumption (this is 80kW/Annum. the LEC Fridge-Freezer I saw and which would fit is 193kW/Annum - a big difference). So this option is looking quite attractive - and the space above will be very useful as well.
Now there is a train of thought which I can see and has some truth to it ... take out a "proper" motorhome fridge and put in a cheap 240V domestic fridge and you are devaluing the vehicle instantly by whatever a "proper" fridge would cost to put back in.
But if fitted neatly (so not left like in my photo of course), would it matter? would anyone actually realise?
wildebus
Forum Member
One thing that is definately missing on just about every Domestic fridges is a lock to stop the door opening around corners (kitchens are usually fairly static).
In the Campervan I added a Childlock strap and that worked very well, but admittedly it looked a bit basic. In the Motorhome things are a bit prettier and more 'refined' so wanted a different solution.
Cut up a bit of thick plastic from a components box, found some bolts and made up a lock using the mounting holes that are there to allow you to reverse the door swing
And in action ...
Again, as a temporary thing I think it will work well and if I keep this fridge will refine it to make it look nicer.
In the Campervan I added a Childlock strap and that worked very well, but admittedly it looked a bit basic. In the Motorhome things are a bit prettier and more 'refined' so wanted a different solution.
Cut up a bit of thick plastic from a components box, found some bolts and made up a lock using the mounting holes that are there to allow you to reverse the door swing
And in action ...
Again, as a temporary thing I think it will work well and if I keep this fridge will refine it to make it look nicer.
wildebus
Forum Member
Thought I would add a little reminder of something mentioned in the thread about using a domestic Fridge in a Camper/Motorhome ... There is an initial current in-rush surge each time the compressor starts up - which will be every hour or so at least - and your inverter needs to be able to cope with that.
I have a Victron EasyPlus 12/1600 in my Motorhome - which has a 1600VA Inverter. 1600VA (Volt-Amps) is 1300W (Watts).
1300W is easily enough to deal with the inrush current of the fridge.
However, if you have other loads on the Inverter, you need to take those off and that gives you the spare capacity available to deal with the inrush. So for example, I use the inverter to heat the water (around 800W). This leaves me with 500W (1300W- 800W) to start the fridge during the times the Boiler is on - and the inrush is for sure more than 500W! (and I also use the Inverter with a microwave, which gives very little spare capacity for the Fridge).
This is what I see when the fridge is on and the Water Boiler comes on ...
On the top graph the constant little "ripple" at the bottom is the fridge as it turns on and off again in usual operation.
But when the fridge inrush coincides with the Boiler running (the taller spikes) - such as the initial running at 15:00 and then a couple more times when the fridge kicks on at the same time, the inverter load exceeds 1300W - and an overload situation occurs (as shown by the bottom chart)
Zooming in a bit, you can see that those overload times definately coincide with the Boiler - and when there is a overload, the output power goes up a touch (37W to be exact) over the boiler use. (I added the SOC graph to show how the battery drops with the boiler to confirm it was not just a long fridge spike).
It is important to know how YOUR inverter reacts to putting a higher load than the rated number.
In the case of the Victron Inverters, they have their rated continuous power, and also have a Peak Power number that they can deal with for generally upto 30 seconds (this is for the very purpose of dealing with inrush currents in fact).
In the case of the 12/1600 Inverter, whilst the Continuous Power is 1300W, the Peak Power is actually 3000W, so whilst the fridge inrush is causing an overload, it does not affect the operation as the duration is so much shorter than than the amount of time Peak Power is allowed.
This is quite unusual and most inverters will at best cut out if overloaded for even 2 seconds, and some may even blow a fuse or two.
It would often be best to have a dedicated inverter if using a 240V Compressor Fridge, or turn off the fridge for the time you are using a high-load device (eg a Microwave, or maybe a hairdryer, say?) that shares the same inverter.
Hope this may be of interest. 240V fridges in Campers work brilliantly and represent a big saving over 12V versions but a little thought does need to go into how you are powering them.
I have a Victron EasyPlus 12/1600 in my Motorhome - which has a 1600VA Inverter. 1600VA (Volt-Amps) is 1300W (Watts).
1300W is easily enough to deal with the inrush current of the fridge.
However, if you have other loads on the Inverter, you need to take those off and that gives you the spare capacity available to deal with the inrush. So for example, I use the inverter to heat the water (around 800W). This leaves me with 500W (1300W- 800W) to start the fridge during the times the Boiler is on - and the inrush is for sure more than 500W! (and I also use the Inverter with a microwave, which gives very little spare capacity for the Fridge).
This is what I see when the fridge is on and the Water Boiler comes on ...
On the top graph the constant little "ripple" at the bottom is the fridge as it turns on and off again in usual operation.
But when the fridge inrush coincides with the Boiler running (the taller spikes) - such as the initial running at 15:00 and then a couple more times when the fridge kicks on at the same time, the inverter load exceeds 1300W - and an overload situation occurs (as shown by the bottom chart)
Zooming in a bit, you can see that those overload times definately coincide with the Boiler - and when there is a overload, the output power goes up a touch (37W to be exact) over the boiler use. (I added the SOC graph to show how the battery drops with the boiler to confirm it was not just a long fridge spike).
It is important to know how YOUR inverter reacts to putting a higher load than the rated number.
In the case of the Victron Inverters, they have their rated continuous power, and also have a Peak Power number that they can deal with for generally upto 30 seconds (this is for the very purpose of dealing with inrush currents in fact).
In the case of the 12/1600 Inverter, whilst the Continuous Power is 1300W, the Peak Power is actually 3000W, so whilst the fridge inrush is causing an overload, it does not affect the operation as the duration is so much shorter than than the amount of time Peak Power is allowed.
This is quite unusual and most inverters will at best cut out if overloaded for even 2 seconds, and some may even blow a fuse or two.
It would often be best to have a dedicated inverter if using a 240V Compressor Fridge, or turn off the fridge for the time you are using a high-load device (eg a Microwave, or maybe a hairdryer, say?) that shares the same inverter.
Hope this may be of interest. 240V fridges in Campers work brilliantly and represent a big saving over 12V versions but a little thought does need to go into how you are powering them.
wildebus
Forum Member
Came across a feature in the settings of the Cerbo that not seen before (not sure if it is new or just never noticed) and that is to have more than just the default battery monitor in the VRM Dashboard.
I tend to go to 'advanced' so I can see the different battery info, but now it is all on the Dashboard
I can now see the PbC (Lead Carbon) Battery banks SOC and current, plus the same for the LiFePO4 Lithium, whilst keeping the overall battery picture on the main section
Handy feature for anyone monitoring multiple batteries individually.
I tend to go to 'advanced' so I can see the different battery info, but now it is all on the Dashboard
I can now see the PbC (Lead Carbon) Battery banks SOC and current, plus the same for the LiFePO4 Lithium, whilst keeping the overall battery picture on the main section
Handy feature for anyone monitoring multiple batteries individually.
wildebus
Forum Member
Main Focus for the Motorhome currently is replacing the 3-way fridge with a Compressor Model
As said earlier, the 3-way I got working again but it was a real hassle to remove and would be equally a hassle to put back, plus the energy use is just not what I want from a fridge, so a Compresor Fridge is what will go back in.
First step was preparing for the new fridge ...
As left by the original Thetford ...
The foam strip closes round the rear sides of the fridge and would act as a barrier for heat but primarily gases from the burner. the top vent is quite a bit higher than the flue (or more precisely, the flue stops a fair bit down from the top of the fridge, which surprises me a bit).
At the rear we have the electrics and the gas pipe.
Ready for the new Fridge....
added some side packing to compensate for the thinner profile (only 30mm less though) and added a board to raise the floor
Removed the foam and ran some additional electrical wiring for an add-on, plus we have a 240V socket to allow the new fridge to easily plug in (yup, getting a 240V Compressor Fridge, not a 12V )
The fridge turned out to be spot on with respect to the depth.
Pushed in to have the fridge side front positioned to the edge of the opening, there is just a few mm space between the rear base and the (now capped) gas supply
I guess it would be possible to cut and cap off the pipe so it fully out the way and have the electrics pushed to one side, but I both like the idea that it would be possible for someone to go back to standard and the extra ventilation with the rear space would not hurt either
Talking ventilation, for this installation I decided to fit a commercially produced fan kit rather than the classic DIY computer fan option and bought the Titan 120mm Twin Fan kit.
I have to say whilst it is rather expensive, I am impressed with the kit. The fans themselves are a perfect fit onto the Thetford vent fly-mesh
I do like that they are IP55 rated - handy for an installation where there could be splashing potentially.
I just attached them using tiewraps
the kit is rated at just 1A at 12V and I reused the permenant 12V wire that fed the 3-Way electronics to run the fan kit, so very simple in that respect.
And installed ready for the vent cover to be refitted.
The fans are installed so they are bringing in air from outside and blowing onto the Compressor. I left enough cable length to allow the fans to be fitted to the top vent instead, in which case the fans would be fitted the other way round to extract air from the cabinet and blow it outside. I think fitting on the lower vent will be best, but good to keep your options open
The Titan kit has a little controller with which you can select "Manual" mode - so fans are on and you choose speeds from 5 presets; or you choose "Auto", where the fans come on at 20C, the speed increases with higher temps and at 40C the fans are on full speed.
Wanted to fit this so it is handy to use but not 'jarring' as it is not a really attractive control unit
in this cupboard that houses the table could be useful?
The gap between the inside vertical panel and the door is just enough for the depth of the controller
Next step is securing and finishing off the fridge installation.
As said earlier, the 3-way I got working again but it was a real hassle to remove and would be equally a hassle to put back, plus the energy use is just not what I want from a fridge, so a Compresor Fridge is what will go back in.
First step was preparing for the new fridge ...
As left by the original Thetford ...
The foam strip closes round the rear sides of the fridge and would act as a barrier for heat but primarily gases from the burner. the top vent is quite a bit higher than the flue (or more precisely, the flue stops a fair bit down from the top of the fridge, which surprises me a bit).
At the rear we have the electrics and the gas pipe.
Ready for the new Fridge....
added some side packing to compensate for the thinner profile (only 30mm less though) and added a board to raise the floor
Removed the foam and ran some additional electrical wiring for an add-on, plus we have a 240V socket to allow the new fridge to easily plug in (yup, getting a 240V Compressor Fridge, not a 12V
)The fridge turned out to be spot on with respect to the depth.
Pushed in to have the fridge side front positioned to the edge of the opening, there is just a few mm space between the rear base and the (now capped) gas supply
I guess it would be possible to cut and cap off the pipe so it fully out the way and have the electrics pushed to one side, but I both like the idea that it would be possible for someone to go back to standard and the extra ventilation with the rear space would not hurt either
Talking ventilation, for this installation I decided to fit a commercially produced fan kit rather than the classic DIY computer fan option and bought the Titan 120mm Twin Fan kit.
I have to say whilst it is rather expensive, I am impressed with the kit. The fans themselves are a perfect fit onto the Thetford vent fly-mesh
I do like that they are IP55 rated - handy for an installation where there could be splashing potentially.
I just attached them using tiewraps
the kit is rated at just 1A at 12V and I reused the permenant 12V wire that fed the 3-Way electronics to run the fan kit, so very simple in that respect.
And installed ready for the vent cover to be refitted.
The fans are installed so they are bringing in air from outside and blowing onto the Compressor. I left enough cable length to allow the fans to be fitted to the top vent instead, in which case the fans would be fitted the other way round to extract air from the cabinet and blow it outside. I think fitting on the lower vent will be best, but good to keep your options open
The Titan kit has a little controller with which you can select "Manual" mode - so fans are on and you choose speeds from 5 presets; or you choose "Auto", where the fans come on at 20C, the speed increases with higher temps and at 40C the fans are on full speed.
Wanted to fit this so it is handy to use but not 'jarring' as it is not a really attractive control unit
in this cupboard that houses the table could be useful?
The gap between the inside vertical panel and the door is just enough for the depth of the controller
Next step is securing and finishing off the fridge installation.
wildebus
Forum Member
Fridge roughly in place ...
It is a very close size to the Thetford that was removed, with the distinct advantage that it fitted through the door! (still had to lift it to avoid it snagging on the lock, but at least it didn't have to be literally scraped though it).
Can't finalise the physical installation as waiting for some brackets to secure. Also got a couple of parts on order which I will be converting into door transit locks, but in the meantime I made up a plastic lock strip similar to the one I did on the inventor fridge, but this time a bit tidier
The 'proper' locks will actually be pretty similar
It is a very close size to the Thetford that was removed, with the distinct advantage that it fitted through the door! (still had to lift it to avoid it snagging on the lock, but at least it didn't have to be literally scraped though it).
Can't finalise the physical installation as waiting for some brackets to secure. Also got a couple of parts on order which I will be converting into door transit locks, but in the meantime I made up a plastic lock strip similar to the one I did on the inventor fridge, but this time a bit tidier
The 'proper' locks will actually be pretty similar
