Builds building a landcruiser for overland expedition

[sandcruiser]

depending on the climate in which you plan to travel, it could be a challenge to get ventilation without allowing rain to come inside on that side-open configuration.

One of the benefits of the westfalia-style or clamshell opening is that it retains the hard shell as most of the roof surface. Better still is the vertical-opening like some roof top tents as it retains all of the hardshell above the tent.

If you put windows into a sloped canvas surface, it may be difficult to get them to seal at all.

If you don't have any windows along the primary axis of the tent (ie: on the left and right sides) then you are headed towards some very warm nights if you plan to travel in the lowland tropics.

It is often 80+ degrees and raining.

Regardless of the tent design you choose, do yourselves a favor and have at least 1 12v fan. Hella makes excellent 2speed fans aimed at the boating community. The "low" setting is nice on cooler nights when you just want some circulation, also it is very quiet. The "hi"... will never be high enough on some nights, but sure does help!

They also make single speed fans that are a a lot less expensive (around $30 vs $60), but we used the different speeds so often that I would absolutely have at least 1 with the 2speed. I suppose that a second or third fan could be single speed.

Features I like re: this fan are 1) low power draw, 2) "soft" blades. It hurts if it falls off off the wall and the fan blade hits your shoulder, but it doesn't draw blood so I assume it wouldn't cut off a finger. 3) reliable- Hella makes decent 12v stuff.

 

[sandcruiser]

here you go: Marine Lighting Specialist - Hella marine
link to fans @ Hella

 

[rideglobally]

thanks sandcruiser, how much noise does it make can you sleep with it being on?

here you go: Marine Lighting Specialist - Hella marine
link to fans @ Hella

 

[Bogo]

It's easy to sleep with a fan on.

 

[Bogo]

here you go: Marine Lighting Specialist - Hella marine
link to fans @ Hella

Looks interesting. I'd been thinking of using a quiet computer muffin fan mounted on a gimbal. That is a nice efficient fan. At 70 liters a second that is roughly 150cfm, 95l sec is roughly 201cfm. I see a minimum of 11watts for 202CFM from a muffin fan versus 6.5W for the Hella. Of course I don't know if the listed watts for the Hella is average, startup, or running. The muffin fan is startup. BTW muffin fans are available in 12VDC, and 24VDC.

I have a 120mm sq 75CFM 12VDC muffin fan I use as a circulation fan. I gave it 4 3" long legs and it blows air straight up when set on the legs. Works like a ceiling fan when like that. I can also set it on it's side. The legs are just threaded rod with nuts jam locked to hold them in place in the mounting holes. I picked up all the parts surplus so it didn't cost much.

 

[sandcruiser]

the hella has an advantage in simply being larger. Larger blades can move more slowly, use less electricity, and make less noise, while moving more air. I'd love to see someone build a 24" ceiling fan for a roof top tent. Dangerous. But would be awesome for quiet comfort.

as far as noise goes- I'm not a good judge. I've been living in Central America for too long. "Quiet" here is.... Loud. If it isn't the ocean on the beach, then it is the sound of radios/tv/traffic/dogs/roosters/trucks with bad mufflers, or the sound of insects/birds.... the fan is the least noticeable of all of the above.

We rigged the hella up so that it was sitting in the window of the tent, pulling air in and directing it towards our heads (on hot nights) or towards the ceiling on mild nights, or not in the window, on low, simply circulating air on cooler nights, to keep things from being stuffy.

Super versatile. If I were to spend another year on the road, I'd buy another fan. More air movement is rarely objectionable in the tropics.

 

[sandcruiser]

Another option that might be worth looking at:

I've seen that some boat supply places sell solar-powered fans that circulate air. I don't know if they have a battery, or only work during the daytime. If the latter, maybe not so handy. If the former, could be a good way to increase circulation without much noise and no worries re: power.

 

[Bogo]

the hella has an advantage in simply being larger. Larger blades can move more slowly, use less electricity, and make less noise, while moving more air. I'd love to see someone build a 24" ceiling fan for a roof top tent. Dangerous. But would be awesome for quiet comfort.

They have em for RVs... 12VDC even...

RV Ceiling Fan 12V 4 speeds 42 12 Volt Camper - $83.99 42 inch diameter and 1.6 Amp max.

I just googled on "RV ceiling fan".

 

[Bogo]

Another option that might be worth looking at:

I've seen that some boat supply places sell solar-powered fans that circulate air. I don't know if they have a battery, or only work during the daytime. If the latter, maybe not so handy. If the former, could be a good way to increase circulation without much noise and no worries re: power.

Some have batteries and some don't.

 

[rideglobally]

boxing the chassis

i am now moving to the next phase of the project which is to strengthen the chassis prior to the installation of my wider axel from Diamond Axel. here is my thread about this on the 40-55 series tech: https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/316085-strengthening-chassis-pros-con.html

see picture below, i will be boxing the whole chassis from the transfer case back with a 3//16 or a 1/4 inches .... thanks

 

[rideglobally]

rebuilding my turbo with a larger turbine

i started a thread on diesel tech about rebuilding my turbo and replacing my current turbine with a larger one. my question is, what is the largest turbine i can install without too much compromise on reliability. i will also be installing an inter cooler when i install the rebuild turbo. here is the link to that thread, https://forum.ih8mud.com/diesel-tec...8784-larger-turbine-my-turbo.html#post4826124

picture of my turbo below

thanks

 

[desertguy]

57 trim is the biggest you should go. That's good in the 7m Supras for over 400whp with all the other mods so I'm sure it would be big enough here. There are some guys that go 60-1 but they break or have problems a lot faster. Plus, after about 14psi it blows really hot air and just messes stuff up, so if you're planning on going higher than that you should get a different turbo before upgrading this one.

Turbonetics or Driftmotion do these upgrades for like $500. That's a complete rebuld (new seals, etc) with I believe a bored housing and a new wheel.

Make sure you know your supporting mods before you go boosting the crap out of whatever you're putting it on.

 

[rideglobally]

designing the intercooler instalation

i have started the design to install the intercooler on my 12th while waiting for the rebuild of my turbo and the rear axel from Diamond Axel. here is the link on the intercooler, i very much appreciate your input https://forum.ih8mud.com/diesel-tech-24-volts-systems/320279-intercooler-12ht-pictures-pls.html

thanks you

 

[desertguy]

The intercooler isn't nearly as important as your air to fuel ratio and tune. I don't know if it's different for diesels, but for gas you lean out under boost and your motors toast. If you do raise the boost or tweak how much air is going in there you have to account for it. Most of the time on stock injection systems, even though your AFM/MAF reads more air going in, it won't adjust fuel right and your engines a lot more likely to lean out. Also, you've got to be really careful what fuel you use as not all are equal, some will be more likely to detonate even for the same octane rating. Unless it is a diesel, but still. You still have to make sure your engine and everything else are up to par to take the extra power.

You really should get a wideband 02 or something to watch your AFR's as you boost because you don't want a blown motor because an injector gets plugged or your fuel pump goes out.

Like I was saying if your truck is a diesel some of this may not apply. Diesels handle boost better than gas in some cases, but I can't say for sure what to prep your motor for to handle more boost. Might want to look that up or talk to someone that knows diesels well before you throw that turbo on.

But the build looks sick so far. Keep it up.

 

[Tapage]

The intercooler isn't nearly as important as your air to fuel ratio and tune. I don't know if it's different for diesels, but for gas you lean out under boost and your motors toast.

one of the reasons to love the diesel .. it's really to easy to tune up a diesel with turbo .. it's just easy .. more boost and you can add more diesel .. it's just take care of your EGT and that's it . .

 

[lulo]

Great Project!

 

[sandcruiser]

can't think of a downside to adding an intercooler besides $ and space. the rest is all benefits.

ok- some may say "turbo lag" but I think that only applies to finely tuned systems running at high rpms. I could be wrong,

 

[rideglobally]

air hood scoop for the intercooler

here is the first draft of the air scoop, it is 24 inches wide in the front, 21 inches wide in the rear and 4 inches tall, my hood is fiber glass i will also make the air scoop with fiber glass..... what do you think? see picture.

i think the intercooler will be 21 inches long x 12 inches tall x 3 inches thick. my current plan is to install it at an angle over the engine facing the air scoop with a fan. i am thinking of a manually operated switch to operate the fan. basically turn it on at low speed and when the temperature is hot or when needed. i will post mock up picture soon as i get my engine put together ..... thanks

this is just the first draft, i am very open to change!

 

[sandcruiser]

4" tall seems excessive

the stock scoop on a new 4 runner is more like 1.5" tall
stock scoop on a Td Montero is less than 2" tall, and less than 14" wide.

I think it would look a lot better if you keep it a little lower profile, just my opinion. Maybe 2" in front and taper it down to 1" in the rear. I do like scoops that are very wide--- looks good that way.

for the sake of symmetry, you might make the scoop opening mimic the opening on the front of the hood (above the grill). ie: make it the same width and height. If you have the skills, matching the contour would be a nice touch.

 

[rideglobally]

hood scoop

mimicking the front of the grill is a good idea, i did not think about that. i am also gonna make it lower i will try to get it to about 2 inches. it really depends on how much room i am gonna need for the inter cooler because i am placing the intercooler at an angle, facing the front so that i get maximum benefit from the wind coming into the scoop, i am also thinking about putting a fan on the inter cooler to lessen the heat sink..... thanks

4" tall seems excessive

the stock scoop on a new 4 runner is more like 1.5" tall
stock scoop on a Td Montero is less than 2" tall, and less than 14" wide.

I think it would look a lot better if you keep it a little lower profile, just my opinion. Maybe 2" in front and taper it down to 1" in the rear. I do like scoops that are very wide--- looks good that way.

for the sake of symmetry, you might make the scoop opening mimic the opening on the front of the hood (above the grill). ie: make it the same width and height. If you have the skills, matching the contour would be a nice touch.