DESIGN

Today I finally got around to install my goose neck coupling on the truck.
I got a good workout without a hoist. 50 times out under the truck and back.
The exhaust had to go first to make some room and the the install was not that bad.
Above is the hole.

This image shows how I pulled the center section of the coupling up against the truck bed from below. That made installing the bolts a lot easier.

Below is the center section of the coupling under the bed. 1.5″ bolts go into the frame through existing holes and towards the front I have two big […]

At Shipping Etc in Lafayette Luisiana

On October the 8th 2014 I placed the first order in the US to be shipped to Lafayette in Luisiana. My shipping consolidator was located there. The comapny name is Shipping Etc and they do shipment consolidations, but normally not from 46 different suppliers and not into a 20′ container which has to be hand loaded and stacked to the top. Well, but that is the way to make it economical.

The guys at Shipping Etc. went out of their way to get my excentric request accomodated. I have not yet been able to check […]

For the 240V system I have decided to use Victron hardware. These products seem to be amongst the most advanced on the market. I had bad experience with Xantrex (Schneider) several times and an unresponsive support. I have a few chargers and an inverter from Xantrex. They work ok as long as you keep them dry. A bit salty air and they spit the dummy. My outback 60A solar charger, which I have in the slide-on camper still runs strong and I would regret dumping it, but it simply is not up to the task of charging the Lithiums […]

Just a quick reference to the components I use for my Internet of Things in the van.

1. Udoo under Ubuntu (Linux) with an on board Arduino (second processor)

2. 15.6″ touch screen with LVDS interface to Udoo

3. PoKeys57E client board with integrated Ethernet for signal IO and Ethernet to server

4. PoKeys Extended bus board with 8 relays for signal switching via PoKeys57E

5. X2-Board (Arduino compatible) with integrated Ethernet for signal IO and Ethernet to server

6. Arduino UNO with Ethernet shield for local signal IO and Ethernet to server

7. Entec OpenUSB Pro DMX adapter for DMX to USB

8. DMX Controller units for […]

With the number of tanks installed in the van, a total of 11, of which 10 require level display one has to think a little about how to organise that effectively. The solutions I found in the vans we looked at were not really satisfactory at all and having 10 displays or at least 3 combo displays for three tanks did not appear as a good solution either. All the solutions used in vans only show 5 levels (full, 3/4,1/2,1/4, empty) or even less. With larger tanks this becomes ineffective because one cannot really trace usage very well unless […]

Strength, UV resistance, light weight, good insulation properties, easy and quick to work with and reasonably priced are the attributes one wants from body material, but such a thing does not exists. One can find a multitude of composite panels, which meet most criteria but are definitely not reasonably priced for the home builder.

Steel frames and aluminium cladding are still very common amongst caravans. The reason is most likely material cost, however any frame construction has an enormous labour component, where in comparison a composite panel should compare favourably. For a home builder like me the labour side is […]

When it comes to a suspension for trailers above 3.5t the air becomes a bit thin. With this subject there are also a few camps supporting one or the other technology. How good does a suspension on a van need to be? Well, some people claim that only a vehicle needs a comfortable suspension and the one on a van needs to be practical and safe but not necessarily comfortable. I beg to differ, especially when one plans to go on lots of tracks.

The simplest and cheapest solution is surely the old traditional leaf spring suspension. Has a good […]