TallPaul's Caravelle - MTB wagon!

[TallPaul_S]

Overhead cabinet is done, bar finishing it off and painting. I want to use it first though in case I need to make any changes, it's perfectly functional at the moment.





And the Victron dark colour scheme even matches my interior colour scheme!

 

[Sasquatch]

Wonderful design and workmanship. My toolkit consists of an array of hammers of differing sizes and I have the DIY skills of Reg Prescott (check him on youtube) so I'm deeply impressed.

 

[Dellmassive]

Overhead cabinet is done, bar finishing it off and painting. I want to use it first though in case I need to make any changes, it's perfectly functional at the moment.

View attachment 256716
View attachment 256717
View attachment 256718

And the Victron dark colour scheme even matches my interior colour scheme!

I think this is what @Skyliner33 was looking at getting . The screen.

 

[TallPaul_S]

I think this is what @Skyliner33 was looking at getting . The screen.

Yeah the screen (touch 50) is great, especially with the new beta Gui. It's got an ambient light sensor so dims in low light, it's responsive, not laggy, and basically gives all the information you're need to know in a couple of seconds.

 

[Skyliner33]

I think this is what @Skyliner33 was looking at getting . The screen.

Yeah the screen (touch 50) is great, especially with the new beta Gui. It's got an ambient light sensor so dims in low light, it's responsive, not laggy, and basically gives all the information you're need to know in a couple of seconds.

I do keep thinking about it, just because it’s laggy on my phone. But other priorities at the moment.

 

[TallPaul_S]

I do keep thinking about it, just because it’s laggy on my phone. But other priorities at the moment.

You're going for the new Renogy with the built in CANbus, aren't you? Guessing you're getting a Cerbo GX as you can just connect this directly to the battery.

What's laggy on your phone? With the Cerbo GX, one of the main benefits for me, as I have a 4G router in the van, is being able to connect via VRM - in the Victron app or via the VRM portal/app - from literally anywhere.

I can't connect to the devices in my van over Bluetooth when I'm in the house so if wanted to check what my solar was doing without a Cerbo GX I'd have go outside and stand next to the van.

With this, I can check any time I want. And I can change settings from anywhere too.


This is what I can see currently over Bluetooth:


But if I switch to the VRM tab, then to devices...


I can see everything and also go into each device like I was stood next to the van.



And of course there's the VRM app:



And the VRM web portal on laptop:



The screen is just an extension of the system and gives me the ability when camping to have a nice, quick to read display of what my system is doing. You don't need it, I'd say the benefits that the Cerbo GX provide when connected to the internet give are huge, the screen is just the cherry on top!! On a side note, I have my Cerbo set at 1 min intervals uploading to VRM - the most frequent - and I use the VRM portal A LOT which when connected, gives real time data, and it uses barely 1GB of data a month. I've got a 50GB plan with Smarty for £8 a month for the Van WiFi!

 

[Skyliner33]

You're going for the new Renogy with the built in CANbus, aren't you? Guessing you're getting a Cerbo GX as you can just connect this directly to the battery.

What's laggy on your phone? With the Cerbo GX, one of the main benefits for me, as I have a 4G router in the van, is being able to connect via VRM - in the Victron app or via the VRM portal/app - from literally anywhere.

I can't connect to the devices in my van over Bluetooth when I'm in the house so if wanted to check what my solar was doing without a Cerbo GX I'd have go outside and stand next to the van.

With this, I can check any time I want. And I can change settings from anywhere too.


This is what I can see currently over Bluetooth:
View attachment 256786

But if I switch to the VRM tab, then to devices...
View attachment 256787
View attachment 256788
I can see everything and also go into each device like I was stood next to the van.
View attachment 256789


And of course there's the VRM app:
View attachment 256790


And the VRM web portal on laptop:
View attachment 256792


The screen is just an extension of the system and gives me the ability when camping to have a nice, quick to read display of what my system is doing. You don't need it, I'd say the benefits that the Cerbo GX provide when connected to the internet give are huge, the screen is just the cherry on top!! On a side note, I have my Cerbo set at 1 min intervals uploading to VRM - the most frequent - and I use the VRM portal A LOT which when connected, gives real time data, and it uses barely 1GB of data a month. I've got a 50GB plan with Smarty for £8 a month for the Van WiFi!

View attachment 256791

No, not going for new Renogy. I have a 100Ah Renogy, if I swap it will be to the 230Ah Roamer.

I already have a Cerbo GX, but no touch screen.

When I use my phone as the Touch, thats whats really laggy. The VRM is no problems with lag.

 

[TallPaul_S]

No, not going for new Renogy. I have a 100Ah Renogy, if I swap it will be to the 230Ah Roamer.

I already have a Cerbo GX, but no touch screen.

When I use my phone as the Touch, thats whats really laggy. The VRM is no problems with lag.

Sorry, yeah I meant the new roamer, not Renogy!

I did find the GUI via the VRM on phone to be laggy, but only when I was connected over WiFi. Once I sorted a 4g router and ethernet connection to it, not lag at all.

 

[Skyliner33]

Sorry, yeah I meant the new roamer, not Renogy!

I did find the GUI via the VRM on phone to be laggy, but only when I was connected over WiFi. Once I sorted a 4g router and ethernet connection to it, not lag at all.

You connected your Cerbo GX to the router with LAN cable?

 

[TallPaul_S]

You connected your Cerbo GX to the router with LAN cable?

Yep, the WiFi isn't the most reliable on the Cerbo GX, ethernet is much better. I've got a cheap tenda usb powered 4g router which has a couple of ethernet ports.

 

[z1ts]

I've got a cheap tenda usb powered 4g router

Me too! Awesome little thing for the money if I'm honest!!

 

[TallPaul_S]

Last job on the list, making a rack to hold some storage boxes on the unused area on the right side of the bike tray.

As always, designed in tinkercad:


Then built today out of 18mm ply:



Mounted using M6 fasteners, and aluminium profile that I had left over.


I think that's me all sorted, I was going to build another high level storage section above the rack I've just built but that'll wait until I'm back from the trip.

It also provides the prefect location for my bin, and I'll hang my full face helmet on the rear panel.

Also fitted a fitcamx dashcam the other day:

 

[TallPaul_S]

Helmet hook and retaining strap fitted too!

 

[Kev.O]

Last job on the list, making a rack to hold some storage boxes on the unused area on the right side of the bike tray.

As always, designed in tinkercad:
View attachment 258044

Then built today out of 18mm ply:
View attachment 258045
View attachment 258046

Mounted using M6 fasteners, and aluminium profile that I had left over.
View attachment 258047

I think that's me all sorted, I was going to build another high level storage section above the rack I've just built but that'll wait until I'm back from the trip.

It also provides the prefect location for my bin, and I'll hang my full face helmet on the rear panel.

Also fitted a fitcamx dashcam the other day:
View attachment 258048

Looking great.

Did you follow a video for the dash cam or is it just a case of working your way through it? I’m hoping to fit mine tomorrow

 

[TallPaul_S]

Looking great.

Did you follow a video for the dash cam or is it just a case of working your way through it? I’m hoping to fit mine tomorrow

I followed a couple of videos to remove the factory surround, mine was the black version:



And you have to separate it at both lines/joints in order to remove it, it's a bit of a pain but once you've got the clips starting to separate it's not too bad.

Once you've got the cover off it's easy to see how it all fits together, with bits that slide up into the mirror mount.

 

[Kev.O]

Yep, the WiFi isn't the most reliable on the Cerbo GX, ethernet is much better. I've got a cheap tenda usb powered 4g router which has a couple of ethernet ports.

Which router have you gone for please? I’m after one for my van to allow me to work without hot spotting from my phone.
Presume you just use your chosen data only SIM?

 

[TallPaul_S]

Which router have you gone for please? I’m after one for my van to allow me to work without hot spotting from my phone.
Presume you just use your chosen data only SIM?

Tenda 4g, this one.


And this USB power cable

I needed one with an ethernet port for my Cerbo GX, as the WiFi on them is notoriously bad.

Links here

https://amzn.eu/d/fwIStrS

https://amzn.eu/d/gz0jHfs

I went with smarty, 50GB of data for £8 a month.

 

[Kev.O]

Thank you Paul. I’ve just ordered all that. Great price on the SIM. It’s currently £13 a month for 40GB.

 

[TallPaul_S]

The last few days has really shown just how nice it is to have a large battery capacity as well as a big solar panel - I've had my fridge running 24/7, and my battery was last at full charge on the 1st September!



I'm currently at 41%, that's 135Ah used of 230Ah, I still have 50Ah left until 20% state of charge. The last few days have been woeful for solar (it's still summer, right?) with 250wh today, 110wh yesterday, then 80wh and 300wh the previous 2 days - that's 20ah, 9ah, 6ah and 25ah - If i was parked up somewhere with the fridge running, charging stuff etc in the weather we've had the last few days, with a smaller battery, I'd be out of juice!

 

[TallPaul_S]

Thank you Paul. I’ve just ordered all that. Great price on the SIM. It’s currently £13 a month for 40GB.

I'm actually only paying £7.20 a month as I'm with smarty with my main phone too (£8 for 30GB). I do have the 12GB EU limit though - however my data on the van wifi resets mid trip (2 weeks in) so that means I'll have 12GB on my phone during the 3 weeks, plus 12GB for the first 2 weeks on the van wifi, then another 12GB for the last week on the van wifi!