Builds indycole's 2016 200 Series Build and Retrospective

[Sandroad]

When putting on my RV'er hat and to the sanitizing point made by @linuxgod , it helps to have a way to drain the tank completely for maintenance/flushing of any type. If you can't remove the tank for that and are making a custom tank, consider adding a drain, because normally the discharge point will not allow for a complete empty.

 

[indycole]

Looks solid. About what I was thinking as well, as far as plumbing goes.
Are you still incorperating hot water? If so, what are you planning?

I do want to be able to produce hot water but I doubt it will be "on-board" per se. I did look into the Webasto and the Duoetto solutions and decided against anything heating water fixed inside the vehicle.

We've continued to use the Kariba water heater though a.) I'm not entirely sure that the heat exchanger doesn't contaminate drinking water just a bit and b.) while it's about as good as it gets when it comes to simplicity, size, and convenience for producing hot water for dishes and showers (via recycling the water), I don't see it being the best hot water option if you're not recycling the water for heating.

At this point I'm inclined to try out one of the tankless water heating solutions (Eccotemp, Joolca, etc.).

If you ever use non-potable water in it for showering (or cooking, if boiled), you can sanitize the tank later. I do it annually in my trailer. I can never remember the ratio but it's a few oz of bleach per 10 gallons of water, pump into any lines, let it sit a few hours, then drain. You can get rid of the bleach taste that remains with a few tbsp of baking soda in your tank with more water, flush the lines with it and drain the rest.

Awesome, good to know!

When putting on my RV'er hat and to the sanitizing point made by @linuxgod , it helps to have a way to drain the tank completely for maintenance/flushing of any type. If you can't remove the tank for that and are making a custom tank, consider adding a drain, because normally the discharge point will not allow for a complete empty.

I'm pretty sure the tank will be removable as I'm planning on utilizing a system of quick disconnects and mounting the tank and plumbing on a removable piece of baltic birch so that the whole thing can be removed in 5-10 minutes if needed. The tank will also have an "inspection port" on top that should be large enough to drain and even reach in to clean if needed.

 

[Markuson]

Hey Cole..,

Didn’t you say a few weeks ago that you were done building things onto your truck for now?

(But meh... I didn’t believe ya anyway... heh...

But anyway...
That is one *heckuva* dream truck, my friend!

 

[indycole]

Hey Cole..,

Didn’t you say a few weeks ago that you were done building things onto your truck for now?

(But meh... I didn’t believe ya anyway... heh...

But anyway...
That is one *heckuva* dream truck, my friend!

Somehow we end up having just a bit more fun and relaxation every time we head out in it and enjoy the process of seeing how far we can push things in terms of convenience and saving time.

This water project is turning out to be much more tedious and expensive than I'd originally thought mainly due to figuring out all the right fittings. I have a bunch of notes I'll post in this thread or the OBW thread once I get them organized. Aside from the water project, other stuff I have in the works: moving from 13 gal to 24 gal aux tank, ham radio upgrade (so I can use APRS though I hate the idea of parting from the trusty Yaesu 8800), selling satellite comms and replacing with a brand new sat phone that includes a lot of the Inreach functionality, and a couple more surprises in the storage optimization arena via some collaboration with prior conspirators.

In other news...... we're thinking of organizing a multi-day camping trip in the Eastern Sierra / Death Valley / Mojave area sometime this winter (strawman is 4-5 nights in Death Valley over New Years) if you (and / or others) are interested. We're flexible on dates.

 

[TonyP]

I do want to be able to produce hot water but I doubt it will be "on-board" per se. I did look into the Webasto and the Duoetto solutions and decided against anything heating water fixed inside the vehicle.

We've continued to use the Kariba water heater though a.) I'm not entirely sure that the heat exchanger doesn't contaminate drinking water just a bit and b.) while it's about as good as it gets when it comes to simplicity, size, and convenience for producing hot water for dishes and showers (via recycling the water), I don't see it being the best hot water option if you're not recycling the water for heating.

At this point I'm inclined to try out one of the tankless water heating solutions (Eccotemp, Joolca, etc.).

The tankless is a pretty good option. They're a little bulky but being more mobile and easily removeable is a big plus. One thing I learned from my on-board heat exchanger; it's fairly simple but one weak point in the system and you're spewing coolant all over the place. Tankless seems to be the best route if you have the space.

 

[Markuson]

Somehow we end up having just a bit more fun and relaxation every time we head out in it and enjoy the process of seeing how far we can push things in terms of convenience and saving time.

This water project is turning out to be much more tedious and expensive than I'd originally thought mainly due to figuring out all the right fittings. I have a bunch of notes I'll post in this thread or the OBW thread once I get them organized. Aside from the water project, other stuff I have in the works: moving from 13 gal to 24 gal aux tank, ham radio upgrade (so I can use APRS though I hate the idea of parting from the trusty Yaesu 8800), selling satellite comms and replacing with a brand new sat phone that includes a lot of the Inreach functionality, and a couple more surprises in the storage optimization arena via some collaboration with prior conspirators.

In other news...... we're thinking of organizing a multi-day camping trip in the Eastern Sierra / Death Valley / Mojave area sometime this winter (strawman is 4-5 nights in Death Valley over New Years) if you (and / or others) are interested. We're flexible on dates.

Oooooh...
Very interested in the Death Valley thing.

And ya... Totally get the convenience tinkering. As you know...I’m fairly addicted to tinkering as well. But YOU? You’ve got it down to a science. With enough $$ I’d love to emulate quite a few of your solutions.

 

[RET2]

In for DV and environs

 

[indycole]

OBW Update

Stage one, ordering parts, is nearly complete. I settled on an off-the-shelf 14 gallon tank from Ronco-Plastics. I had tried to contact numerous tank resellers and manufacturers (Plastic-Mart, Plastic Tanks Online, Miller Plastics) via phone and email to no avail. I also got a very reasonable quote for an off-the-shelf tank from Tek-Tanks but it turned out to be just a hair too large. I also got a custom welded tank quote from Tek-Tanks for $500ish which ultimately isn't that bad of a deal for a completely custom tank. I figured if my Ronco tank doesn't work out I can go that direction later. I'd highly recommend Tek-Tanks if you're in the market. I also received great service from Ronco just by calling and ordering over the phone. Prices were better than the tank resellers as well. Custom isn't really an option with Ronco as all their stuff is rotomolded.

I need some of the parts to arrive before deciding on quick connect options for filling the tank and using the water from it (not the tank fittings per se). I also added a couple components not shown in the diagram above:

• Shurflo accumulator (decided to add this since the pump is pretty powerful and I'll regulate flow downstream)
• Needle valve on output
• 3-way ball valves... these are actually shown on the diagram but I assumed I'd use regular ball valves and Ts

The plan is to try out some fixtures from D & W Inc to use water from the system. The plywood is for a tank and pump base along with a simple control panel. I also don't have plans to add a sender and gauge, yet.

Now, I hurry up and wait for parts to arrive.

 

[TonyP]

Nice. I might ask to steal that exel for the links if everything pans out.

What was the thoughts on using the Joolca vs EccoTemp/Camplux?

 

[ethernectar]

Possibly interested in a DV/Desert trip over New Years as well.

Looks like that OBW setup is going to be sweet.

 

[indycole]

Nice. I might ask to steal that exel for the links if everything pans out.

What was the thoughts on using the Joolca vs EccoTemp/Camplux?

Sure, no problem on the list. Just let me know.

Re: Joolca vs. others it was primarily due to that I liked the shower rose included with the Drifta kit and had trouble finding that one by itself and I also needed to order some other stuff from Drifta. I'm not aware of anything special about it.

Possibly interested in a DV/Desert trip over New Years as well.

Looks like that OBW setup is going to be sweet.

Cool! We just need to sort out some other holiday-time travel plans to make sure we'll have time over that period. More to come.

 

[linuxgod]

Based on owning a trailer, make sure you have the following plumbed into your system to be able to fully empty it:

• Tee in a low point drain for the lines (not a ball valve, just a T) that you can close that is on the pressurized side of the pump. Even if you drain the tank, you'll have water left in the lines that can't flow back into the tank because the pump is one-way. Also your lines will freeze before the tank, typically. (Pretty much all trailers implement this)
• You may need a way to break the vacuum in the line (think of putting your finger over a straw in a glass of water and then lifting up the straw) so the low point drain actually drains. Consider a ball valve T you can open that's just past the pump on the pressurized side. Might not be required depending on the plumbing if you can just open the output (faucet, shower head, etc) at the high side.

If you think you'll be camping (or really just parking the truck) in below freezing temps with any water in the system, I would make a few recommendations:

• If you can add any insulation around the tank and the lines, even just some basic cooler or pipe insulation foam, that will help keep the tank and lines from freezing if it drops a few degrees below freezing overnight
• If you can redirect a portion of your truck's heat vent into the tank area, being able to warm the tank before you go to sleep plus the insulation will also go a long way to keeping it from freezing. Note: this matters much more if you were to mount the tank underneath the truck, but can even help inside the truck.

The latter 2 points BTW are basically what Lance does to allow us to keep water in our tanks below freezing, just on a bigger scale

 

[indycole]

The OBW build continues. I've reshuffled some of my storage to free up the area below the second row platform and finished a simple baltic birch platform for the tank. I'm at a standstill until more parts arrive this week, though.

In other news, I updated my classifieds thread with all sorts of goodies including some nice gear that will no longer be needed.

I just reduced the prices of items that have been on here for a while and also added a bunch of new stuff:

Price reductions on existing items (Big Agness 3-Person Tent, Nemo Heliopolis Privacy/Shower Tent, WARN Epic Snatch Block, MAX Axe Multipurpose Tool, Blue Ridge Chairworks Outer Banks, Maxtrax Bag)

Added a number of new items:

• Iridium 9505A Satellite Phone Kit
• Kariba Nomad Single Burner Cooker / Hot Shower
• Delorme InReach Explorer
• MSR Dromedary Bags
• BAD Duffel Bags
• Hedgehog Leatherworks Ka-Bar Sheath
• Coleman Lantern
• Miscellanous FourTreks and Quickfist Mounts
• Instant Air Supply CO2 Setup
• 2 LCI Scepter-Style Jerry Cans
• Ratchet Straps / Tie Downs Grab Bag
• MSR Dragonfly Stove

I also added my old 2724s to the suspension classifieds.

 

[indycole]

I started the truck yesterday morning and immediately noticed flashing 4Lo and Center Differential lights but no check engine light. Neither 4Lo nor the center diff would engage. No codes were thrown.

The truck drove fine so I hypothesized that it was due to a low primary battery and that's what the problem turned out to be, as luck would have it. I put the Group 31 on the Optima charger and let it charge for like 14 hours. Popped it back in the truck and everything was fine. Weird.

Just posting here because I tried searching the forum and didn't come across the solution.

 

[indycole]

OBW in Progress

Now I'm thinking of keeping all the water fittings together for a few trips just to keep my mind at ease regarding leaks. I'll still activate the pump from the rear but I'll use the needle valve to regulate flow and can route the hose to the rear either from within the truck or from outside.

Just random photos of looking at all the stuff (sans tank).

 

[indycole]

Here's where things stand in terms of plumbing. @linuxgod is this what you'd recommended in terms of having a way to drain the lines on the pressurized side of the pump? (see the last screenshot)

I have to fit all of this in about a 12 x 12 x 6 area. My wife is always solving ridiculous jigsaw puzzles so I'm thinking of delegating this to her, lol.

 

[linuxgod]

Interesting. I hadn’t thought to use the pump to fill the tank. On my camper I just have a non-pressurized fill tube. The pump only pulls from the tank and outputs to the faucet/shower/toilet.

Yes that was pretty much what I was thinking otherwise. I wasn’t thinking of rerouting the pump into the tank as an easy fill option (ie to easily siphon a watery cooler) - I would’ve just attached the barb to that tee on the left side. Ive not used an accumulator but your design looks to me like it will work just fine. You don’t really even need a barb on the end, just a long enough piece of tubing you can route it to the outside of the truck when you want to drain the line.

I think you were planning a drain plug on the tank but since it’s not on there I’d add it. If you have a full 10 gallon tank you need to drain you’ll need to otherwise lift out 80lbs

 

[TonyP]

Be mindful of the maximum head lift of the pump you're using. Otherwise you won't be able to self-prime the pump and it won't pump anything but air and damage your pump.

 

[indycole]

Interesting. I hadn’t thought to use the pump to fill the tank. On my camper I just have a non-pressurized fill tube. The pump only pulls from the tank and outputs to the faucet/shower/toilet.

Yes that was pretty much what I was thinking otherwise. I wasn’t thinking of rerouting the pump into the tank as an easy fill option (ie to easily siphon a watery cooler) - I would’ve just attached the barb to that tee on the left side. Ive not used an accumulator but your design looks to me like it will work just fine. You don’t really even need a barb on the end, just a long enough piece of tubing you can route it to the outside of the truck when you want to drain the line.

I think you were planning a drain plug on the tank but since it’s not on there I’d add it. If you have a full 10 gallon tank you need to drain you’ll need to otherwise lift out 80lbs

Since the tank is inside the vehicle I didn't want to mess with spillage so that's why I opted for the added complexity of running the water through the pump. I also wanted the ability to use an external source such as a stream or something for showering/washing. To your point, though, I may also t-off of the tank inlet for a gravity-based fill if that turns out to be something I need. I see what you're saying with the draining as well... I'll just stick a hose barb on the ball valve and then I can connect some tubing when needed.

Be mindful of the maximum head lift of the pump you're using. Otherwise you won't be able to self-prime the pump and it won't pump anything but air and damage your pump.

Good point, I'll look into that. I'm planning to assemble the whole thing and do quite a bit of testing on the patio before installing in the truck. One of the things I'll test is the performance when lifting water from significant distances or heights. I saw something on YouTube where someone was using a higher flow rate Shurflo to pull water from ~100 ft length + 10 ft vertical from the pump. But, then again, I've seen a lot of stuff on YouTube.

On a different topic I received a small custom project from Adventure Tool Company today after a few months of anticipation. I'd originally reached out to them last summer to help make full use of the Trekboxx shelf. I wanted a simple bag that followed the contour of the shelf that would house lightweight, bulky items and also hide those items from prying eyes. They made a black zippered bag that uses some small loops to tie on to the dividers and the interior is lined using orange 1000 denier cordura to increase internal visibility.

I'm sure the contents will change over time and based on trips but at the moment it houses my Snow Peak fireplace, the new Joolca tankless water heater, a camp toilet, two camp chairs, a small camp table, a tow strap bag, and a tree protector. It's amazing how much gear fits in there.

 

[TonyP]

Good point, I'll look into that. I'm planning to assemble the whole thing and do quite a bit of testing on the patio before installing in the truck. One of the things I'll test is the performance when lifting water from significant distances or heights. I saw something on YouTube where someone was using a higher flow rate Shurflo to pull water from ~100 ft length + 10 ft vertical from the pump. But, then again, I've seen a lot of stuff on YouTube.

It probably won't be an issue, especially if you're only pumping horizontally from a stream and not dropping a hose down a cliff. My SurFlow was ok pumping/priming 4 feet vertically, it did take a second or two of cavitation to get the flow. And cavitation is a pump killer.

Just something to be mindful of.