It barely makes a differnce. But its worth it!
Featured 100 - spressomon
- Thread starter spressomon
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- Thread starter
- #102
The aux fuel tank project has been completed! Joe at Christo's did a fantastic job getting the fuel and wiring circuits fabbed, installed and working! I can't say enough great things about Slee Offroad and Christo's right hand man Joe! They are in a league of their own: Literally!!! The only bad part is that they are 1,000 miles from where I currently live!
So now I have an OEM dual fuel tank system. I have redundancy with two OEM fuel pumps, senders, etc. 25-gallon main + 23-gallon aux. I'll post a few pics later...but not much to see really other than a nice low profile fuel tank.
So now I have an OEM dual fuel tank system. I have redundancy with two OEM fuel pumps, senders, etc. 25-gallon main + 23-gallon aux. I'll post a few pics later...but not much to see really other than a nice low profile fuel tank.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
No SAS while you were there?
That will be some nice range with close to 50 gallons on board.
That will be some nice range with close to 50 gallons on board.
- Thread starter
- #104
No SAS while you were there?
That will be some nice range with close to 50 gallons on board.
I am waiting for Gary to pave the way
. BTW: He completed the 4.7L drop into his 45 while I was there; neat!I think you meant to say "13" gal auxiliary, and where is the write up for your fellow Americans Dan?
hoser
SILVER Star
I believe Spresso has the OEM set-up except with a custom tank to accommodate his custom suspension.
- Thread starter
- #107
Correct: OEM duplicate fuel pump system with 24.5-gallon custom aux tank.
The write up is a ways off...I'm on to fixing other s*** on this rig and trying to get on a 5-week trail journey.
And as soon as everyone hears how much (including me as I refuse to add up the receipts) the whole damn thing costs NO ONE will be interested
. In fact if you told me how much I would spend getting the whole aux tank pieced (there's a very loooooonnnnnnnggggggg story here) together I wouldn't have done it myself.My mistake, I was under the impression you went with an OEM subtank
- Thread starter
- #109
Well...it had taken me a few months to get this ROTM updated with a few changes I've made over the past year...and then, about 3-hours after I posted up the details and photos of my custom aux tank, Solstice LED lights, custom battery tray & integrated aux fuse box platform along with my 3rd gen slider build Woody accidentally hit the 'format ALL' button and wiped it out.
So I'll start the updates with my battery holder. Originally I bought Christo Slee's (of Slee Offroad) aux battery tray kit. However after a few years of running my rig back and forth to the mall
one of the struts that attach the battery tray portion to the firewall stress cracked.
One of the big reasons I have and continue to purchase from Christo is his after sale support and guarantee: This broken battery tray notwithstanding. Christo had since redesigned these battery trays to eliminate the very issue that cropped up with mine. And he sent me a brand new kit at no charge even though it had seen several years of wheel'n! That's GREAT customer support in my book!
But I'd been mulling a different design altogether and decided to do something a little different. I took the broken base, eliminated the firewall attachment/strut, kept the brackets that attach to the fender and PS reservoir bracket. I made two additional struts that provide for a very secure attachment to the top of the fender utilizing existing holes.
Then I incorporated an integral 'shelf' for my aux fuse box/panel and circuit breaker.
Here are photos of the finished product (sorry for the dirty engine) bay and after several months of use I like it!
and wiped it out.So I'll start the updates with my battery holder. Originally I bought Christo Slee's (of Slee Offroad) aux battery tray kit. However after a few years of running my rig back and forth to the mall
one of the struts that attach the battery tray portion to the firewall stress cracked. One of the big reasons I have and continue to purchase from Christo is his after sale support and guarantee: This broken battery tray notwithstanding. Christo had since redesigned these battery trays to eliminate the very issue that cropped up with mine. And he sent me a brand new kit at no charge even though it had seen several years of wheel'n! That's GREAT customer support in my book!
But I'd been mulling a different design altogether and decided to do something a little different. I took the broken base, eliminated the firewall attachment/strut, kept the brackets that attach to the fender and PS reservoir bracket. I made two additional struts that provide for a very secure attachment to the top of the fender utilizing existing holes.
Then I incorporated an integral 'shelf' for my aux fuse box/panel and circuit breaker.
Here are photos of the finished product (sorry for the dirty engine
) bay and after several months of use I like it!
Spresso:
Is that black square looking thing to the right of the blue sea fuse block an auxiliary fuse thats between the fuse block and aux battery positive cable??
Trying to figure out the best way to wire my blue sea to my aux battery.
Thanks!
Is that black square looking thing to the right of the blue sea fuse block an auxiliary fuse thats between the fuse block and aux battery positive cable??
Trying to figure out the best way to wire my blue sea to my aux battery.
Thanks!
- Thread starter
- #112
That is a circuit breaker that protects the aux/2nd fuse panel circuit from the aux/2nd battery (ideally you want the capacity of the circuit breaker to be somewhat closely matched to the total load on the fuse panel: In my case I think I'm either using a 50A or 60A CB).
yup. gotcha thats what I thought.
Just so I completely understand and do this correctly.... the 50- 60 amp circuit is between your blue sea fuse block and aux battery?
Just so I completely understand and do this correctly.... the 50- 60 amp circuit is between your blue sea fuse block and aux battery?
yes, you put the CB between the batt and the block. Thats how I have mine setup.
- Thread starter
- #115
Yes: It protects the entire 2nd circuit/aux fuse box just in case. Again you may, depending upon the total load of your aux panel, need a different rated CB. Add up the total load of your loads or at least the total load of all possible appliances/whatever that might be "on" simultaneously. To be honest I'm a hack electrician. This advice came to me by my buddy Ali who is an Electrical Engineer by education and trade.
Trunk Monkey
Moderator
CB = circuit breaker, not CB radio. Someone's going to ask, you know it.
Another way to do it is to size the circuit breaker to the max capability of the downstream system. What you would do in this case is to find out the max Amp capability of the fuse box, then size the wire from the battery to the fuse box for a few amps more than the fuse box and insert the circuit breaker in between. The circuit breaker should be rated just under the fuse box's max capability so that it becomes the weakest link. Also it should be mounted as close to the source (battery) as practically possible. This method will give you the option of increasing your load in the future without changing the circuit breaker, as long as you stay within the max capability of the fuse box.
Individual circuits from the fuse box must be protected with the right size fuse (typically a couple of amps more than the max load on that circuit).
I use the following site for the wire size (gauge) determination:
American Wire Gauge table and AWG Electrical Current Load Limits with skin depth frequencies
And I use a number in between the chassis wiring and the power transmission as usually wiring in the engine bay can be considered open chassis.
I also usually get my circuit breakers off ebay - you can get them cheap and all the ones I've used have been reliable. Look for automotive or marine circuit breakers. One advantage or using a circuit breaker vs a fuse is that you can use the circuit breaker as a master switch.
Individual circuits from the fuse box must be protected with the right size fuse (typically a couple of amps more than the max load on that circuit).
I use the following site for the wire size (gauge) determination:
American Wire Gauge table and AWG Electrical Current Load Limits with skin depth frequencies
And I use a number in between the chassis wiring and the power transmission as usually wiring in the engine bay can be considered open chassis.
I also usually get my circuit breakers off ebay - you can get them cheap and all the ones I've used have been reliable. Look for automotive or marine circuit breakers. One advantage or using a circuit breaker vs a fuse is that you can use the circuit breaker as a master switch.
- Thread starter
- #118
Thanks Rohitash! You rescued me
- Thread starter
- #119
Ok...the next part of my Woody post back .
I'd been running a pair of Lightforce 170's for several years. After a not so brief encounter with a 'bobwar' fence I decided right there and then I needed more light. After all it was either more light or slow the frick down when on those remote dirt rural Nevada ranch roads. Yep...slowing down isn't an option; especially when jacked up with too many 'spressos 
.
I asked several guys I know, some participate here on MUD, that were running various types of aux lighting about their lights. About that same time I got a call from Wil at Sierra Expeditions wanting to know if I'd be willing to test Lightforce's new HID conversion kit at basically no risk other than my time.
Perfect! Or so I thought. Long story short: The HID conversion, like many if not most HID's, wasn't the type of light I was looking for. I didn't care for the light/dark striations in the pattern and especially didn't like the sharp abrupt transition/fall out at the edge of the HID's pattern.
Back they went to Wil. SIDEBAR: I am not affiliated with Sierra Expeditions other than providing a casual test of the lights. Wil sets a very high bar IMO for being a total satisfaction vendor. I will continue to support SE as they've proven to be there for the rare situation when a product issue has arisen post sale!!!
I had been to SEMA last year ('08) and saw several very bright and powerful LED solutions. Naturally sticker shock overcame me instantly!!! But after many months of hand wringing and getting the bill back from my body shop for the repairs done unto my 'Spressowagon from the above mentioned 'bobwar' fence I decided to take the leap with Vision X.
Vision X, one of if not THE leader in LED lighting technology, had just introduced their Solstice LED lamp. Through several conversations with Nick at VisionX I decided a 15) 2" lamp Solstice array consisting of 3-floods (1-on each end of the array and one in the middle) with the remaining units configured for spot. And if I want to change the light pattern its as easy as unbolting the four facia screws and exchanging the respective lense.
All told this would put out approximately 13,500 lumens in addition to my regular lo/high LC beams. If this turned out to not be enough light I could easily snap additional 2" Solstice pods onto my array.
One of the advantages of LED technology beyond the rated 50,000 hour estimated life span of these Solstice lamps and the vibration proof technology is their incredible relative efficiency. This 15-unit array only consumes just a hair over about 11 amps!
I made a light bar bracket that I bolted to the front bumper which holds the Solstice array. I have to say: I don't think I'll need to add any more Solstice units to my array! They're darn bright!
The quality and quantity of light this array puts out is just stunning really. It is nearly a pure white wash of light. Light/dark striations are minimal and a nice wash of light that provides an easy transition from the edge of the light beam to dark in front and to the sides of the light pattern. These Vision X Solstice lamps turned out to be the light source I was looking for. They, when on trails easily illuminate a usable omni-directional flood of light. 100' tall trees out in front of the pattern are illuminated to their tops!!!
However due to the sheer volume of light they would not be good for fog type light requirements: There's just too much light for it to be effective in fog. The only other drawback I've found after 6-months of using these lights (beyond the cost): As soon as you turn them on your eyes get used to the incredible amount of light/lumens; not practical on the highway! But for off-road and what I needed/wanted they are the cat's pajamas!
These photos don't do the lights justice. I need to get out of town on one of my dirt roads/trails and take some more pics.
Photo 1: Std LC low beams
Photo 2: Std LC high and low beams
Photo 3: Std LC low with VisionX array
.I'd been running a pair of Lightforce 170's for several years. After a not so brief encounter with a 'bobwar' fence I decided right there and then I needed more light. After all it was either more light or slow the frick down when on those remote dirt rural Nevada ranch roads
. Yep...slowing down isn't an option; especially when jacked up with too many 'spressos .I asked several guys I know, some participate here on MUD, that were running various types of aux lighting about their lights. About that same time I got a call from Wil at Sierra Expeditions wanting to know if I'd be willing to test Lightforce's new HID conversion kit at basically no risk other than my time.
Perfect! Or so I thought. Long story short: The HID conversion, like many if not most HID's, wasn't the type of light I was looking for. I didn't care for the light/dark striations in the pattern and especially didn't like the sharp abrupt transition/fall out at the edge of the HID's pattern.
Back they went to Wil. SIDEBAR: I am not affiliated with Sierra Expeditions other than providing a casual test of the lights. Wil sets a very high bar IMO for being a total satisfaction vendor. I will continue to support SE as they've proven to be there for the rare situation when a product issue has arisen post sale!!!
I had been to SEMA last year ('08) and saw several very bright and powerful LED solutions. Naturally sticker shock overcame me instantly!!! But after many months of hand wringing and getting the bill back from my body shop for the repairs done unto my 'Spressowagon from the above mentioned 'bobwar' fence
I decided to take the leap with Vision X. Vision X, one of if not THE leader in LED lighting technology, had just introduced their Solstice LED lamp. Through several conversations with Nick at VisionX I decided a 15) 2" lamp Solstice array consisting of 3-floods (1-on each end of the array and one in the middle) with the remaining units configured for spot. And if I want to change the light pattern its as easy as unbolting the four facia screws and exchanging the respective lense.
All told this would put out approximately 13,500 lumens in addition to my regular lo/high LC beams. If this turned out to not be enough light I could easily snap additional 2" Solstice pods onto my array.
One of the advantages of LED technology beyond the rated 50,000 hour estimated life span of these Solstice lamps and the vibration proof technology is their incredible relative efficiency. This 15-unit array only consumes just a hair over about 11 amps!
I made a light bar bracket that I bolted to the front bumper which holds the Solstice array. I have to say: I don't think I'll need to add any more Solstice units to my array! They're darn bright!
The quality and quantity of light this array puts out is just stunning really. It is nearly a pure white wash of light. Light/dark striations are minimal and a nice wash of light that provides an easy transition from the edge of the light beam to dark in front and to the sides of the light pattern. These Vision X Solstice lamps turned out to be the light source I was looking for. They, when on trails easily illuminate a usable omni-directional flood of light. 100' tall trees out in front of the pattern are illuminated to their tops!!!
However due to the sheer volume of light they would not be good for fog type light requirements: There's just too much light for it to be effective in fog. The only other drawback I've found after 6-months of using these lights (beyond the cost): As soon as you turn them on your eyes get used to the incredible amount of light/lumens; not practical on the highway! But for off-road and what I needed/wanted they are the cat's pajamas!
These photos don't do the lights justice. I need to get out of town on one of my dirt roads/trails and take some more pics.
Photo 1: Std LC low beams
Photo 2: Std LC high and low beams
Photo 3: Std LC low with VisionX array
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #120
Photo 1 here: Low and High beams with VisionX
Photo 2: Low beam, different aim point than previous photos post
Photo 3: Low and high beams, as above
Photo 2: Low beam, different aim point than previous photos post
Photo 3: Low and high beams, as above
