I was looking at using strong magnets as well
What did you do on your 70 series today? (12 Viewers)
- Thread starter IH8MUD
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@2fpower and @saltycoconuts here is how I did my panel replacements. For inside, I made them out of 14 gauge steel, and I mounted the dual arb compressor to it. For the rear doors, I made them out of aluminum, and cut out the inner guts and used that for storage. I used the holes that the clips went in, and welded these weld nuts that I got from Mcmaster. You could try nut rivets, but I found that the vibaration works those loose over time, I think something welded works best.
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2fpower
SILVER Star
Really liking those ideas....
You could fit the compressor inside either of the doors, there is enough depth there, the small one would be best. Although there is not much structural members inside the doors to mount it to, its pretty heavy and vibrates quite a bit when running. You'd have to build some kind of internal bracing, do-able. Or you could make something like I did, with an external panel and mount it to the inside of the door so it tucks in the panel when closed.
Where I mounted mine, made sense to me, as its dead space next to the fridge, and is accessible with just the small door open.
Where I mounted mine, made sense to me, as its dead space next to the fridge, and is accessible with just the small door open.
This pretty damn nice specimen showed up yesterday for some love and spa activities.... @PradoOnHudson 
Lots of PM and baselining work, some gauges, front axle/brakes, TREs, etc. Making sure it's good to go for a nice long time.
Lots of PM and baselining work, some gauges, front axle/brakes, TREs, etc. Making sure it's good to go for a nice long time.
Dang! Clean!
Spa, some deep tissue massage, and chiropractic adjustment. It's going to be rolling just like new 
And we are off to the races!
[
There is snow in the mountains some 50 miles from my place. Started snowing on Dec-27 or so. Not as rare as in Southern Texas, but first time for maybe 3 years or so. Lots of people headed out to enjoy, but all skiing and sledging is closed as we are in Covid lockdown. Authorities closed the area and roads into it.
First snow for years and no way to enjoy. That sucks.
Similar to me. My rig sits in the barn with no seats. The are at the saddlery for repair and already striped down. But the guy has issues in obtaining the fabric due to Covid induced supply chain issues.
There is snow in the mountains some 50 miles from my place. Started snowing on Dec-27 or so. Not as rare as in Southern Texas, but first time for maybe 3 years or so. Lots of people headed out to enjoy, but all skiing and sledging is closed as we are in Covid lockdown. Authorities closed the area and roads into it.
First snow for years and no way to enjoy. That sucks.
We call these rails "airline rails" in Germany. They are very handy. You can not only adjustably bolt in those, but there are also lots of fittings to go with it (anything from rings to snsp-on fastners).
The come in different shapes for mounting on panels, but also for being level to the surface (sorry, don't know the English term).
They are even more handy when having them on the floor to lash stuff *down*.
And there is a great opportunity to also use these to fix the wood on the floor:
Check out this pic: Mercedes G of the German armed forces. The wood in the back is only clamped down by the rails in between.
I only have a link to a German source for respective airline rails,, but you'll sure understand the trick.. on the sides, some short pieces of U-profiles to slide the wood in might do the trick.
That's the way I plan to do it...
Well done... you really got my gears cranking on how to implement something in my doors.
This might ruffle some feathers but after draining my batteries on a 7 degree morning recently- thus stranding myself on the way to a job interview- I broke down and decided that the Wilson Switch alone wasn't enough. Researched my options (Espar is goals), and decided that the lower rad hose seems like a great place to throw a heater.
Kat's heather #16600 available thru my local NAPA in about 24 hours. 1 1/2" fitting for the 13bt (~38mm). $50. FYI.
I of course wouldn't be so foolish as to cut open a god knows how old radiator hose and just expect things to be great forever, so I ordered some long overdue spares from @cruiseroutfit.
Worst case scenario I just ruined a hose that needed to be replaced anyways. Will be keeping a diligent eye on coolant levels and the fittings around the heater. Going in down low near the radiator outlet. Not the most efficient but I did not want to alter the block in any way, shape, or form.
I have an outdoor electrical timer to work in conjunction- turning on at 5:30 and off at 8. I did end up making that job interview- so I now have a 30 mile commute down one of the most scenic routes in our state.
Kat's heather #16600 available thru my local NAPA in about 24 hours. 1 1/2" fitting for the 13bt (~38mm). $50. FYI.
I of course wouldn't be so foolish as to cut open a god knows how old radiator hose and just expect things to be great forever, so I ordered some long overdue spares from @cruiseroutfit.
Worst case scenario I just ruined a hose that needed to be replaced anyways. Will be keeping a diligent eye on coolant levels and the fittings around the heater. Going in down low near the radiator outlet. Not the most efficient but I did not want to alter the block in any way, shape, or form.
I have an outdoor electrical timer to work in conjunction- turning on at 5:30 and off at 8. I did end up making that job interview- so I now have a 30 mile commute down one of the most scenic routes in our state.
Our evenings drop to 10º (at 7,000') frequently and I'll say that the lower radiator hose heater works ok but is ultimately not worth it. Personally, I'd return all that and put it towards a Webasto coolant heater (Espar is overly complicated with horrible directions and random wires) - I just put a Webasto in my 12HT Troopy and after 25 minutes of running, it fires right up with no smoke like it's been running all night. The lower radiator hose heater would run for 4+ hours and still have a very rough start. In the end $1000 to extend the life of your engine is worth it... PLUS you can't plug your hose heater in when/if you go camping in the winter.
Here's what I ordered and its pricing from Heatso.
Here's what I ordered and its pricing from Heatso.
| Webasto Smart 7 Day Timer | 9029783A | 1 | $109.99 USD | $109.99 USD |
| Webasto Thermo Top EVO 5 Diesel 12v (5.2 kW) Water Heater | 076-EA5-119 | 1 | $899.99 USD | $899.99 USD |
My espar was simple to install. The reason I went with espar was that you can get any replacement part from them where as with webasto you can't buy individual parts, you have to buy sub assemblies, which may be nitpicking.
Which controller did you get from Espar? All the people I talked to said the wiring of the controllers takes a while to figure out with extra pigtails that aren't labeled.
Like I said it's goals, but right now I need a solution and I'm not fortunate enough to have a thousand extra bucks laying around. This solution cost me all of $55 (ok like $150 including the spare hoses) and it's 100% reversible. After the hellscape of 2020 I finally have a real job again so this financial situation is just temporary. Just thought I'd put out a solution for those who aren't rolling in it.
I realize that there will be those who say if you can't afford to pay then you shouldn't be able to play. Y'all can get lost- I'm on a budget.
We're in a very similar climate in Santa Fe and Flagstaff. I appreciate the specs tho. This is primarily for a commute right now but the capacity of the onboard units isn't lost on me. I'm going to see how this works and hopefully make it thru the rest of the winter without any issues. Is your Webasto 12v running through a converter? I assume your Troopy is 24v.
I got the 7 day controller. There are some wires that are not being used. I would like to someday figure out how to hook it up to remote start, but that involves electric knowledge which I severely lack
Hey, sometimes you do what you have to do. I would run the heater at least 6hrs. Block heater would be better than that convection heater. There are also electric in line heaters with a built in water pump. These I think would be better than the one you are using. These diesel heaters come in 12V and 24V versions. Mine is a 12V.
