TallPaul's Caravelle - MTB wagon!
- Thread starter TallPaul_S
- Start date
Well, if there's room... I'll make it fit!!You are very determined arnt you?!
I took one look under my Caravelle's seats and just bought a good a powerbank. Sorted my bike rack out though, well part 1 of 2... pictures to follow
It seems to be a bit of a theme of this whole van tbh, fitting a lot into not a lot of space!
It lives!
I still need to secure the battery down but I'm waiting on a couple of bits to be delivered for that. Also waiting on some cable wrap.
It fits perfectly under the factory swivel seat.
So, after another full day of painting the mounts, finishing up various bits, and finally fitting the battery and flipping the big switch, it's all working as expected.
Victron App showing the correct voltages for the SB and Fogstar
I configured the Orion XS, then added the engine signal wire and turned off engine shutdown detection. Lowered the amps to 30a just to test the system quickly.
All my DC loads; lights, fridge, diesel heater etc are all working.
I router a 5m hdmi extension cable to the Cerbo GX and fed that through to where my display will be.
Finally, checked that my 15a Victron EHU was working. It flipped the RCD the first time but after resetting it, and setting it to LiFePO4, all was good.
I did see a green light on the Ablemail AMT12-2 so I think that's working correctly too.
I still need to secure the battery down but I'm waiting on a couple of bits to be delivered for that. Also waiting on some cable wrap.
It fits perfectly under the factory swivel seat.
So, after another full day of painting the mounts, finishing up various bits, and finally fitting the battery and flipping the big switch, it's all working as expected.
Victron App showing the correct voltages for the SB and Fogstar
I configured the Orion XS, then added the engine signal wire and turned off engine shutdown detection. Lowered the amps to 30a just to test the system quickly.
All my DC loads; lights, fridge, diesel heater etc are all working.
I router a 5m hdmi extension cable to the Cerbo GX and fed that through to where my display will be.
Finally, checked that my 15a Victron EHU was working. It flipped the RCD the first time but after resetting it, and setting it to LiFePO4, all was good.
I did see a green light on the Ablemail AMT12-2 so I think that's working correctly too.
One thing that I will say could be improved on the Victron gear, is better Bluetooth signal.
On my old Renogy shunt I could connect with it, inside the house, about 2 car lengths away - but the Victron gear I need to hold my phone to my window to get a signal.
Which makes CRM and the Cerbo GX brilliant.
If I'm parked at home and connected to my WiFi I can check the van from anywhere.
I've installed a few bits on mine so I'm future proofed - a hdmi extension routed under the seat base, through the b pillar, up and over the headlining and above my kitchen pod, ready for when I build an overhead storage cupboard which will also house a Victron touch 50 or 70.
I'll wire in a usb socket up there too which will power the touch screen and I'll also install a 4g router to give a permanent internet connection for the Cerbo and a WiFi hotspot for when I'm using a laptop.
The Bluetooth on the Cerbo GX also turns off once the unit reaches a certain temperature so I've fitted a usb Bluetooth dongle - I'll be buying some Ruuvi tags at some point - for inside temperature, outside temperature and probably also water tank level. I think the dongle is working as I can see multiple Bluetooth adapters in the Cerbo menu:
Next stage will be to get the solar panel ordered. I'm going for a Victron 305w rigid mono panel, and will be mounting it using numerous of the black plastic mounts, along with some sikaflex 522. The panel is only £166 so I'll get that ordered soon.
On my old Renogy shunt I could connect with it, inside the house, about 2 car lengths away - but the Victron gear I need to hold my phone to my window to get a signal.
Which makes CRM and the Cerbo GX brilliant.
If I'm parked at home and connected to my WiFi I can check the van from anywhere.
I've installed a few bits on mine so I'm future proofed - a hdmi extension routed under the seat base, through the b pillar, up and over the headlining and above my kitchen pod, ready for when I build an overhead storage cupboard which will also house a Victron touch 50 or 70.
I'll wire in a usb socket up there too which will power the touch screen and I'll also install a 4g router to give a permanent internet connection for the Cerbo and a WiFi hotspot for when I'm using a laptop.
The Bluetooth on the Cerbo GX also turns off once the unit reaches a certain temperature so I've fitted a usb Bluetooth dongle - I'll be buying some Ruuvi tags at some point - for inside temperature, outside temperature and probably also water tank level. I think the dongle is working as I can see multiple Bluetooth adapters in the Cerbo menu:
Next stage will be to get the solar panel ordered. I'm going for a Victron 305w rigid mono panel, and will be mounting it using numerous of the black plastic mounts, along with some sikaflex 522. The panel is only £166 so I'll get that ordered soon.
Well the Ablemail is working perfectly, thanks to Victron VRM I can see this nicely on a custom graph.
Closer up, you can see the current spikes of 2.4a from the Ablemail, via the MPPT load output (orange) and the corresponding jumps in SB voltage (red) and dips in LB voltage (blue).
Nice!
Closer up, you can see the current spikes of 2.4a from the Ablemail, via the MPPT load output (orange) and the corresponding jumps in SB voltage (red) and dips in LB voltage (blue).
Nice!
In what way? If a fuse goes I can get to them, the midi fuse distribution block is a bit awkward but doable and all the main 12v fuses are easily accessible.I can see how little room you have to play with here but what happens if something packs up ?
If the MPPT or Orion goes wrong then it'd be a case of removing the seat, battery, and offending device.
First proper use of the Orion XS today, set at 50a - a 30 min drive to work this morning and a 25 min drive home, with some stop start of the engine. Over that 55 minutes it put back in just under 40Ah of charge, went from 61% to 79% SOC. That'll do!!
This is where my Renogy 2000w inverter will be going.
With an 18mm gap at the bottom there's about 5mm of room between it and the swivel seat. My measurements were tight!
I'll start working out a plywood base for this next week, I'll have a cover over the terminals but still allowing the fans to vent. I've got some 90 degrees terminal crimps so the cables will go down the side of the seat base, loop around, then enter in the rear (ooh!) before going to the distribution box and the negative busbar.
I do still need to attach the battery securing stuff but I'm not lifting the passenger seat out when it's 30 degrees. Too hot!
With an 18mm gap at the bottom there's about 5mm of room between it and the swivel seat. My measurements were tight!
I'll start working out a plywood base for this next week, I'll have a cover over the terminals but still allowing the fans to vent. I've got some 90 degrees terminal crimps so the cables will go down the side of the seat base, loop around, then enter in the rear (ooh!) before going to the distribution box and the negative busbar.
I do still need to attach the battery securing stuff but I'm not lifting the passenger seat out when it's 30 degrees. Too hot!
It'll be a year exactly on Wednesday since I picked up the van, so thought I best give the old girl a wash!
Not a lot has changed on the outside, aside from a set of window deflectors it's the same!
The exterior will be the next big change, with suspension, wheels and tyres, and some other cosmetic upgrades which should change the look of the van quite a bit.
In the meantime, I've added WiFi to the van thanks to a 4g router. This allows my Cerbo GX to connect via ethernet and also gives me WiFi for any devices that don't have a 4g SIM card.
Not a lot has changed on the outside, aside from a set of window deflectors it's the same!
The exterior will be the next big change, with suspension, wheels and tyres, and some other cosmetic upgrades which should change the look of the van quite a bit.
In the meantime, I've added WiFi to the van thanks to a 4g router. This allows my Cerbo GX to connect via ethernet and also gives me WiFi for any devices that don't have a 4g SIM card.
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