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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Isuzu NPR box truck / Camera-Grip truck

RV products are a good fit

RV products are a good fit

Exactly David,

I've modeled the electrical system based on a small RV. I'm using an RV electrical panel which will supply two AC circuit breakers, fused 12 volt circuits, and 12v power conversion and battery charging.

I went with this guy due to the compact size.

http://www.bellrpg.net/soderbloom/RV/grouppart.asp?MAJ=011&PRI=115&SEC=442&GRP=1698

I built a photovoltaic system in our RV about ten years ago that is still going strong, but I'm on the fence about that level of investment That is overkill for this particular need as I have the blimped inverter geni if shore power isn't available.

But the system is designed to expand to solar if the need arises

Steve
 
Roger Crouse said:
Any plans to install a reversible fantastic fan or similar?
http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=849&site=google_base

Cool project. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Hello Roger,

The fantastic fans are well built, quiet, and move a lot of air, I've put them in every RV I've owned, but they are not a good fit for this project.

I want to keep the integrity of the truck box intact. The vent would provide easy access to all the expensive tools housed therein.

I live in an extremely mild climate (It's sunny today, and forecast to be 67F) and the summers are mild as well. Thus I don't need heavy duty systems for HVAC.

I've got a couple of rechargeable fans by Craftsman that run off their regular tool batteries, and being battery operated and cordless they are very versatile.

If those prove insufficient Fantastic now makes a corded freestanding fan that I'll add to the mix.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/fan-tastic-endless-breeze-12v-fan/38132

And I have a portable air conditioner available should the need arise.

Good suggestion however, Fantastic fans are very good products,

Thanks
 
Stephen Lovett said:
Remarkably the truck didn't have a backup alarm or backup camera installed.

Here is the back up camera hidden in the license plate frame, and the display is on the visor, thus not visible when the visor is up.
Click to expand...

Hi Steve - I was wondering if your backup camera was the wireless type, and if so how well does it work? Links? Thanks!
 
Paul Kalbach said:
Hi Steve - I was wondering if your backup camera was the wireless type, and if so how well does it work? Links? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hi Paul, no the unit I have is wired.

I prioritized around ensuring that the backup system itself wasn't a temptation to thieves. The truck company only had a choice of two units and didn't have display units to see in action. While I'm happy with invisibility of the installation, the unit itself is crap. The monitor is essentially useless in bright back light.

The factory unit in my Hybrid Highlander is absolutely great, so there are better answers available. I'd go aftermarket and make sure that you can see the unit in action.

There isn't any identifying information on the unit I have.
 
Rich Schaefer said:
I have a 8 ton G&E Truck. I highly recommend using a converter/charger in your battery system! I have a lift gate and 12volt lighting and I never have power issues. I just plug in my truck at night. I have this one:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/inteli-power-rv-switcher-converter/1768
Click to expand...

Completely agree Rich.

If you are planning on including solar panels things get a little more complicated and you need more advanced capabilities, but for the general case, converter chargers are a great call.

The unit I linked to above is a converter charger, in addition it has a built in 12v fuse block and circuit breakers for the 120v circuits.

I decided to go with an integrated unit to save space and having to build and wire the circuits, but a stand alone converter charger is standard on the bigger RV's. That would make more sense for a larger system (and it makes replacement of the converter charger section easier)

Connecting to the trucks main electrical system has pros and cons. It raises warranty issues, and if somebody does something bad to the aux system it can damage the truck's electrical system as well as the aux system. The principal downside is that you can run the engine battery down when not on shore power and be unable to start the truck.

There are upsides as well, and Rich has pointed out a significant one. The lift gates draws significant power, plus most grip/camera trucks spend more time parked than in transit when on the job, so battery drain and health are real concerns. When the two are interconnected, the charger is charging the battery bank for the engine and lift any time you are connected to shore power.

Steve
 
Hi Dale,

Sadly they are not installed yet.

This last month has been an epic fail as far as the truck is concerned.

It has been in the shop for almost the entire month, three attempts at repair at more than a week apiece.

I understand I've hit some sort of edge case, but that doesn't make it hurt any less.

I'll post the vendor of the jockey boxes here, I'm planning on going with what is in stock just to keep the down time to a minimum.

Sigh,

Steve
 
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