80 series 1HDFT diesel conversion and Expedition build (1 Viewer)

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Location
Palo Alto, CA
Big Red is 1993 FZJ80. We had the vehicle since 1998. Bought it with 60K miles to be our family car. We drove it for 22 years and after an unsuccessful attempt to sell it for $3K, we decided to spend $50K and build an expedition vehicle. Took about 2 years to find the drive train. We sent it to Georg Esterer at Valley Hybrids, Stockton CA. We have been good friends and with his diesel expertise we could not make a better decision. They serviced the engine and on a hot summer day I picked the drivetrain and brought it to San Jose where we can install it. While waiting for the engine we painted the car. Once it was driven and registered in CA, we test drove it and started building the camper in the back. It is all steel/alumiun construction.

I've written a very detailed blog with links and there is a Youtube video of the build. But... here are a few photos to get an idea of what we have done.

Also @big_red_adventures

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Nice choice - glad you didn't sell it and went this route. Was this registered in CA? I have considered switching to diesel when the time comes but didn't think that I could register it.
 
Nice choice - glad you didn't sell it and went this route. Was this registered in CA? I have considered switching to diesel when the time comes but didn't think that I could register it.
I've done two diesel conversions. A 60 that Georg Esterer did and an 80 that I did. I also built two 40 series but the 79 was registered as diesel and the other is a 71.

The key is that you have to go to a remote area. Stockton, Modesto, Shasta at the DMV there. Any big city will send you to a ref station and you are doomed. Also bringing from another state to CA is impossible.

Here is the 40 that I am converting from a 2F to a 1HDT. Work in progress.

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Your heat exchanger hot water setup is inspired.
Thanks, We carry 9+9 gallons under the rig (hot/cold) + 10 gallons injerrycan + 4 stage filter pump 1 gpm. Used it for the last two years with zero problems (45K miles). There is nothing like a hot shower on a top of a mountain in the middle of the dessert...

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Thanks, We carry 9+9 gallons under the rig (hot/cold) + 10 gallons injerrycan + 4 stage filter pump 1 gym. Used it for the last two years with zero problems (45K miles). There is nothing like a hot shower on a top of a mountain in the middle of the dessert...

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I am gald I stumbled upon this. I have been planning a similar on board water setup under the rear as well.

Nice setup. As soon as all my kids are grown, I am doing the same as you lol. For now I still need my 2nd row...
 
Watching the video and reading your blog, it looks like you supply pressure to the water tanks via your air pump, correct? I want to use my on board air to do the same. If the above I ask is correct, do you also have a traditional air pressure regulator in addition to the pressure reducing valve before the tank?

Do you have more pictures of the port locations on your tank set up?

Is there a best place you have learned to install the water discharge port? Guessing the bottom or close to it? Or maybe even top side with a pickup tube?


To give a better picture, I will be installing a York air compressor. I have a 2.5 air tank and currently is unregulated pressure besides the unloader valve on the wits' End manifold.
 
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Hi Paul,

There is one pressure regulator to the air tanks. It is set to a few PSI, no more. There is an air vent in each tank and they connect to a single manual valve. It is crucial that the valve be open at all times because when you heat the water (that expand) there is no pressure relieve valve.

I have a photo album of the build - just photos, and you may find some more info there.

Photo 1 - tanks upside down. The 3/4 PVC pipe thread fitting was removed at the end. There is just a short copper pipe stub and a silicon hose attached to it. The filler hose has a copper pipe at the end and I just plug it into the silicon. It's low pressure. My daughter took the rig to the Sierras this weekend, but I'll shoot a photo when it''s back.
Photo 2 - Pressure test before installation.

Procedure 1/2 hour before getting to camp:
1. Make sure air valve is open.
2. Move knob to hot on the dash. The heat exchange replaced the rear heater, so to make sure there is flow through it.
3. Turn cycling pump on. It is thermostatic controlled to 50C.
4. When get to camp, turn engine and pump off.
5. Close the manual air vent valve. It's under the car and can be replaced with an electric one.
6. Turn on the compressor.
7. Take a nice hot shower.
8. When done, turn off the compressor not to wake everyone in camp.
.
9. In the morning before leave open the air vent.

If you need any more specifics, LMK. I have used this shower over 50K miles in the last 2.5 years probably over 100 showers and it has never failed.

Cheers


--o

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Thank you!

Did I label this correctly? What is the one way check valve top left?

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Watching the video and reading your blog, it looks like you supply pressure to the water tanks via your air pump, correct? I want to use my on board air to do the same. If the above I ask is correct, do you also have a traditional air pressure regulator in addition to the pressure reducing valve before the tank?

Do you have more pictures of the port locations on your tank set up?

Is there a best place you have learned to install the water discharge port? Guessing the bottom or close to it? Or maybe even top side with a pickup tube?


To give a better picture, I will be installing a York air compressor. I have a 2.5 air tank and currently is unregulated pressure besides the unloader valve on the wits' End manifold.
Thank you!

Did I label this correctly? What is the one way check valve top left?

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That is the low pressure line coming from the compressor.
 
So, here are the photos I promised...

This fitting screws into a filler hose and sticks into that orange/black silicon hose to fill the tanks. It serves dual purpose, and is attached to the faucet in the jerrycan also. Hope that helps. 😊


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So, here are the photos I promised...

This fitting screws into a filler hose and sticks into that orange/black silicon hose to fill the tanks. It serves dual purpose, and is attached to the faucet in the jerrycan also. Hope that helps. 😊


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It does, thank you. I love having a spigot on a can in the back. I did the same...
 
Just came back from a 9000 miles trip in 25 days. Trying to draw some animal on the US map. The rig was perfect. Never paid for camping nor hotel. We slept in the car, showered and cooked. Food buy every 10 days. 28 gallons of water every 5 days. Gas every 550-600 miles.
26 states, 406 gallos of diesel. 22.1 mpg. One oil change on the way at a friends house. Our house seemed so big when we came back...

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Just upgraded the water tanks to stainless. We now carry two tanks of 12.5 gallons each. Front one is insulated and heated. It's in contact with the rear (cold) tank so it will not freeze. We tested the system driving to Seattle in a severe snow storm. Outside temp was 21F and the jerrycan in the back froze solid. Water system work perfectly but we did not shower outside in this cold weather. We would heat the water before camp so it will not freeze overnight.

Had to reroute the exhaust, because its tight down there.

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