Florida
Builds 2013 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab Chinook build (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jaybashant
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- off road camper pop top
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Florida
- Thread starter
- #102
I too love open air nature renago.... this rig will be cool with the pop up open it will act as a stacked ventilation system, most of the time AC will not be needed... but I live in the coastal subtropics and on hot still nights, I shall enjoy a few comforts.
I must say that , fibre glass is a good insulator , plus I hope you have the pop up tent with different openings , in this case fresh air will transit in the car and give a good confort .
at least this is my experience , also in very hot areas .
just my 2 cents
bye Renago
at least this is my experience , also in very hot areas .
just my 2 cents
bye Renago
In addition to the cooling properties, the unit can also be used to dehumidify the air inside the camper. That is an added bonus in colder climates, because you can keep condensation forming overnight. Power consumption isnt that great either.
@Jaybashant , you should look into the next step up on the Haier AC units, the one with the digital display and remote control. I think they are about 15 to 20 dollars more than the unit you picked up.
Also, will you have a drip pan and drain under the unit? They do use the evaporative water to cool the condensor, but in high humidity it can fill up the internal water tray/bottom of the unit. On the camper, we had to angle it slightly downward from front to back, to allow the excess water to drain off. Mine drains outside, but if yours is totally internal, you'll want to make sure you have a place for the water to go. You may also hear some water sloshing around during operation. that is "normal" for the unit. As mentioned above, it splashes up on the condensor coil to cool it some.
I use one in my teardrop camper, and performs nicely.
- Thread starter
- #105
I will have an external drain Steve... thanks for the input on the unit! I had it plugged in for a while yesterday and it put out a pile of condensated water... we were joking about plumbing it to the tank as a water maker.
- Thread starter
- #106
Concentrated on fairing and prep to paint the fiberglass shell.... it is a bigger job than it feels like it should be... body guys make it look easy. Especially the tail lights. Matching all the compound curves is a bitch....
Also osphoed and painted all the welded steel...brush guards and finished step bumper box.
Crawled underneath and touched up undercoating while the utility boxes are uninstalled. Here are a few pics of the clean undercarrage. You can see how well the mounting points worked out.
Also osphoed and painted all the welded steel...brush guards and finished step bumper box.
Crawled underneath and touched up undercoating while the utility boxes are uninstalled. Here are a few pics of the clean undercarrage. You can see how well the mounting points worked out.
- Thread starter
- #107
Lazy day. Got the back step bumper finished with the cable supports crimped in. Used some shrink tube to finish them. I will install a rubber tread material on the inside...or maybe a piece of my grey interior flooring. Note the battery box inside for the house battery.
- Thread starter
- #108
I have a friend who is a boat painter lined up for wednesday to paint the camper shell... shooting it with Awlgrip 545 primer then an off white Awlcraft top coat.... then windows and door go back on.
The back door is ready to hang... it is awesome. The hinge mounting points were reinforced with machined aluminum plates. Way better than factory! I am going to spray a final coat of black wrinkle paint on the black frames... also on the rear bumper.... to match the front winch bumper.
The back door is ready to hang... it is awesome. The hinge mounting points were reinforced with machined aluminum plates. Way better than factory! I am going to spray a final coat of black wrinkle paint on the black frames... also on the rear bumper.... to match the front winch bumper.
Things are looking great! It is a little scary how much we think alike. I was planning to put the Tacoma tail lights into the chinook shell and when I first saw your post I saw that you were doing this already. I planned on using diamond plate in the reconstruction of the back door and now that is what you have done. The scariest thing is that you are using the exact brand, size, and model a/c unit that I already have! I selected that unit because of the lower wattage requirements so my generator could easily handle it.
Before you paint, I would like to say that I am planning to use a tan color for the coach shell - just so you don’t think I am copying, I have stated it before I know what you are doing -just in case LOL.
Do you have any pictures of your reinforcement of the door hinges? That sounds like something worth copying.
Also I noticed that you have removed the 1 inch square tube and channel that seems to reinforce the top and walls. Are you planning to put that back or did you strengthen the walls somehow?
Before you paint, I would like to say that I am planning to use a tan color for the coach shell - just so you don’t think I am copying, I have stated it before I know what you are doing -just in case LOL.
Do you have any pictures of your reinforcement of the door hinges? That sounds like something worth copying.
Also I noticed that you have removed the 1 inch square tube and channel that seems to reinforce the top and walls. Are you planning to put that back or did you strengthen the walls somehow?
I saw someone say that the water in the a/c is there to help cool the condenser. I too plan to just drain that water. I was thinking of putting a huge 1 inch drain so it didn't get clogged and spill water about the cabin. Is this a bad idea? There would be no water left to cool the condenser. What does your drain look like? I was thinking of a through the hull boat fitting in the lowest point of the unit. I am building the unit into my cabinets, so I will need to work out the details of how that would go through the floor. The through the hull fitting may leave the water staying a little high too which again I am afraid will splash about the cabin while traveling.
- Thread starter
- #111
Great minds think alike....I don't have pics of the hinge reinforcement as it is inside but used 1/4" aluminum plate, machined to slide inside the extrusion...drilled and tapped. Same on the outer frame but nothing to slide into so epoxied in place....
Off white paint... Hattaras white!
- Thread starter
- #112
I will post pics of the AC setup when I work it all out...
- Thread starter
- #113
I sprayed the door frames with the wrinkle paint.... I like it! Sprayed 3 coats with a 5 minute tack off between coats... then warmed them up with the heat gun and the magic happens. Very much Luke the paint texture on the front bumper. Very happy!
The camper shell is primed with Awlgrip 545!
The camper shell is primed with Awlgrip 545!
I can’t speak to the specific unit you’re using, but typically the moisture that condenses on the coils does help with the cooling action - no need to keep extra water around, so you want the pan/tray to drain.
Love the way the wrinkle finish turned out! I was going to have all the aluminum trim powder coated black but that looks like a very nice option. Would I need to do anything special to prime the aluminum before applying the wrinkle finish? I am using the original windows and door and the aluminum is very oxidized and dull so I don’t have a great base to start with. Maybe I should just stick to my original plan, the powder coater was going to sandblast and guarantees it will adhere. Your finish looks way superior though.
I don’t know allot about paint finishes. I am assuming the Awlgrip is a boat finish. Are you using the Awlgrip because it adheres better to the fiberglass? Should I look into that? I checked their color chart and they have a color that would work for me. Would any special equipment be necessary for that type of paint or just a regular automotive spray gun?
I don’t know allot about paint finishes. I am assuming the Awlgrip is a boat finish. Are you using the Awlgrip because it adheres better to the fiberglass? Should I look into that? I checked their color chart and they have a color that would work for me. Would any special equipment be necessary for that type of paint or just a regular automotive spray gun?
- Thread starter
- #116
I like this wrinkle paint a bunch too... I hope it is as durable as I am being told it is... it is a high heat and impact paint designed for painting automotive headers and other engine parts.
You for sure need to get any corrosion gone before painting aluminum. Mine were pretty clean. I used Alumaprep first... acid based chemical cleaner. Rinsed good and dried. Then I used XIM primer. Zinc chromate is good too but the XIM is badass. Sticks to almost everything, even galvanized steel... then painted with the wrinkle... they look nice!
I am using the awlcraft because my buddy had it left from a yacht paint job... Awlcraft is better than regular awlgrip because it repairable if you have a ding... Awlgrip is tougher to do repairs on. The awlcraft is formulated like Imron, aircraft paint.... I would not hesitate to use a good automotive cataloged paint... and clear coat. I have used a lot of marine products in my project because we are boat people and I know and have used them on boat projects...
- Thread starter
- #117
It is painted! Shiny and white.... all the windows and door are finished in wrinkle paint and ready to install. I need to do some interior upholstery work prior to bedding the windows as the trim rings are the finish...I also want to install the pop up headliner before I reinstall the roof.... it will come together now!
- Thread starter
- #118
Felt good to get a start on the interior upholstery... started with the headliner... kept it simple with a no sew method. Grey marine vinyl stapled up with money staples through stiff 3/8" seam cardboard. Staple an edge then put the next panel upside down edge to edge, staple and then flip it down, stretch it and staple the other side...the fold over covers the staples and looks very tidy.... still have to stretch and staple the perimeter so there will be no wrinkles. The pop up tent will cover my perimeter staples....
Have a bit a hullliner to install before the windows can go in.
Have a bit a hullliner to install before the windows can go in.
- Thread starter
- #119
Felt good to get a start on the interior upholstery... started with the headliner... kept it simple with a no sew method. Grey marine vinyl stapled up with money staples through stiff 3/8" seam cardboard. Staple an edge then put the next panel upside down edge to edge, staple and then flip it down, stretch it and staple the other side...the fold over covers the staples and looks very tidy.... still have to stretch and staple the perimeter so there will be no wrinkles. The pop up tent will cover my perimeter staples....
Have a bit a hullliner to install before the windows can go in.
Have a bit a hullliner to install before the windows can go in.
- Thread starter
- #120
Great day today... finished the headliner project and upholstered the inside of the shell where the front Windows are being installed... also the wooden spacers for the side windows got done... the windows were dry fitted and can now be bedded and permanently installed.. .. there are black wrinkle finished trim rings that finish out the interior window openings.
The wall covering is a marine hullliner used for boat interiors... a nonwoven polipropelene felt that is flexible and hood for compound inside and outside curved surfaces. Glue on using spray 3M 77 adhesive....My wife helped me and I think the curved front piece we did today is the hardest one we will have to tackle! Left the edges unglued so we can double cut and get clean joints on the next pieces.
Installed the fill and vent for the extra fuel tank and dry fit the diamond plate side hatch. The side hatch will get stainless steel cables to secure it at 90° when open. It will be the shelf for a small propane grill.....
The wall covering is a marine hullliner used for boat interiors... a nonwoven polipropelene felt that is flexible and hood for compound inside and outside curved surfaces. Glue on using spray 3M 77 adhesive....My wife helped me and I think the curved front piece we did today is the hardest one we will have to tackle! Left the edges unglued so we can double cut and get clean joints on the next pieces.
Installed the fill and vent for the extra fuel tank and dry fit the diamond plate side hatch. The side hatch will get stainless steel cables to secure it at 90° when open. It will be the shelf for a small propane grill.....
