crockett Posted April 25, 2021 Author Share Posted April 25, 2021 Outlets are done... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted April 25, 2021 Author Share Posted April 25, 2021 I think when I'm done with this minivan camper conversion I'll buy a 4x4 Chevy Express and turn that into the ultimate bug out van. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 Just ordered a 280 Amp Lipo battery. Power for days... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 Batteries and charge controller arrived... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO Fugga Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 On 4/25/2021 at 11:21 AM, crockett said: I think when I'm done with this minivan camper conversion I'll buy a 4x4 Chevy Express and turn that into the ultimate bug out van. Dont give me any ideas. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO Fugga Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 (edited) I need a power inverter for my van. Need to be able to run 1 power tool and battery charger. Nothing fancy, just good clean power, 4 outlets maybe, but 2 is ok. Edited May 5, 2021 by MO Fugga 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 11 minutes ago, MO Fugga said: I need a power inverter for my van. Need to be able to run 1 power tool and battery charger. Nothing fancy, just good clean power, 4 outlets maybe, but 2 is ok. Outlets are not the issue, you can use a strip. How many watts or amps does the most powerful tool pull? Brand and model will also do and I can pull it up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO Fugga Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 (edited) 15 amp compound miter saw, table saw, paint sprayer, etc. A lot of places don't have power yet, and I don't like lugging a generator around. Small job ****. Edited May 5, 2021 by MO Fugga 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 15 hours ago, MO Fugga said: 15 amp compound miter saw, table saw, paint sprayer, etc. A lot of places don't have power yet, and I don't like lugging a generator around. Small job ****. Those tools can pull 20 to 25 amps inrush current, so you will need a beefy inverter. 15 A x 120 V = 1800 W 25 A x 120 V = 3000 W So a 3000 watt inverter would be the way to go. There are 3 types of inverters – pure sine wave, modified sine wave and square wave. Square wave inverters are obsolete. For running motors (and not electronics) a modified sine wave inverter will do. They are cheaper. A GIANDEL 3000 W Modified Sine Wave inverter would fit the bill. Here a link to a guy who sells open box inverters with 50 bucks off: https://www.ebay.com/itm/233201864848 You can also buy it new / sealed box on Amazon for 300:https://www.amazon.com/GIANDEL-Inverter-Controller-Control-Outlets/dp/B078Z7G3Z2 If you are going to run longer cables from the inverter to your trucks battery you need to use (much thicker cable), most likely AWG 1/0: You can buy quality wire at: http://www.knukonceptz.com/mobile-audio/power-wire/bassik-power-wire/ 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 (edited) Top balancing the LifePo4 cells. Charging just one with that lab power supply will take 100 hours. I will get a bigger power supply tomorrow... Unlike ordinary rechargeable battery cells, these have to be brought up to the exact same charge level or they will destroy each other once they are put in series. There are 280 Amp hours in this one cell and they can be discharged by 95% unlike your average lead acid battery that can only be discharged by 50% before it gets damaged. Edited May 5, 2021 by crockett 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 In order to test and confirm the discharge capacity of those battery cells I also just bought a load ... should arrive on Monday. Did I mention that I turn EVERY ******* project into a damn rabbit hole? PS: the electronics for that minivan camper are now worth more than the entire car. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 Current layout for power and fresh water storage, all hidden in the floor of the minivan, not taking away any space from the living area. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO Fugga Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 7 hours ago, crockett said: In order to test and confirm the discharge capacity of those battery cells I also just bought a load ... should arrive on Monday. Did I mention that I turn EVERY ****ing project into a damn rabbit hole? PS: the electronics for that minivan camper are now worth more than the entire car. With that, are you really camping? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 17 hours ago, crockett said: Top balancing the LifePo4 cells. Charging just one with that lab power supply will take 100 hours. I will get a bigger power supply tomorrow... Unlike ordinary rechargeable battery cells, these have to be brought up to the exact same charge level or they will destroy each other once they are put in series. There are 280 Amp hours in this one cell and they can be discharged by 95% unlike your average lead acid battery that can only be discharged by 50% before it gets damaged. Once the cells are charged to necessary precision you connect them in series, right? After connecting them in series, thereafter they discharge and charge as a set, right? Are there tests which you must do after they are connected as a set to be certain that individual units are maintaining the necessary precision of charge? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 3 hours ago, railfancwb said: Once the cells are charged to necessary precision you connect them in series, right? After connecting them in series, thereafter they discharge and charge as a set, right? Are there tests which you must do after they are connected as a set to be certain that individual units are maintaining the necessary precision of charge? Yes, LifePo4 has a nominal cell voltage of 3.2 volts, so 4 in series will be 12.8 v, hence a perfect match to run in vehicles like my camper conversion. If I would modify a larger RV, I would get 16 cells and run everything on 48 volts, which requires much small wires. Once I have top balanced every cell I will do a capacity test with the lab load, in series, once it arrives in the mail. Most use some cheap Chinese battery capacity tester from eBay for 40 bucks but I wanted lab grade solution that I can use for much more, including data logging on a computer. Testing the capacity will offer 2 key factors: making sure that the seller is not selling used or B or C grade cells, as well as making sure that all cells are on the same level. Since LifePo4 cells maintain a very linear / horizontal discharge voltage, it is hard to tell at what charge level they are, based on voltage alone. Lead acid batteries are a thing of the past. Some LifePo4 cells are now cheaper, and look at the usability and capacity. In order to maintain powerful LifePo4 cells in a pack properly, they need to be permanently hooked up to a BMS (battery management system). It maintains all cells on the same charge level. This is the one I will be using, they run about 100 bucks. They come with a Bluetooth dongle an phone app, which tells you the charge state and everything else. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 New 40 Amp power supply arrived... will still take several days... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 Just found out that these cells need to be compressed, so I will be building an aluminum frame tomorrow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 11, 2021 Author Share Posted May 11, 2021 Compression frame done.. Time to get the battery cells and charge controller installed... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Great series! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minervadoe Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 I am impressed (and a little jealous). That would be a nice way for these old bones to go camping again. Does anybody have any suggestions for a turnkey camper mini van. The Mrs always kids about getting one. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 11, 2021 Author Share Posted May 11, 2021 (edited) 46 minutes ago, minervadoe said: I am impressed (and a little jealous). That would be a nice way for these old bones to go camping again. Does anybody have any suggestions for a turnkey camper mini van. The Mrs always kids about getting one. Minivan camper conversations have one major goal: being stealthy for boondocking, meaning being able to park and stay over night basically anywhere, while nobody can (easily) tell that somebody is sleeping inside, and without having to pay, like in an RV park. Since you are with your wife, a minivan will get cramped. A full-width extendable bed is mandatory, but then you will have no room left to sit once the bed is pulled out. If you need to get up at night, you have to open a door and get out. The next bigger thing is a cargo or passenger van conversion. They offer more room and not all space will be taken by a bed for 2. That being said, cargo vans look more out of place in certain settings like neighborhoods. The largest option would be a Sprinter based conversion and those are much more expensive. There are many RVs based on the Sprinter and they are great for 2 people with everything needed. They still fit into most parking lots but you will get kicked out if parking for RVs isn't allowed. Minivan camper conversions are a fast growing phenomenon. Countless younger people live in one full time for years and save every penny they make. They will face a great head start when they can buy a house cash after a few years while others will pay off a mortgage over 30 years . Consequently there are a few folks that offer to do custom conversion. You bring the van, used or new, discuss options, make a pre payment, and pick up your conversion a couple months later. Below a few offers (I'm not affiliated and don't now the details): https://www.contravans.com/minivan-conversion-models https://oasiscampervans.com/ https://roadloft.com/en/ Edited May 11, 2021 by crockett 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holyjohnson Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 2 hours ago, minervadoe said: I am impressed (and a little jealous). That would be a nice way for these old bones to go camping again. Does anybody have any suggestions for a turnkey camper mini van. The Mrs always kids about getting one. https://campervanco.com/product/mitsubishi-delica-d5-terrain/ not a minivan but.. https://www.suboverland.com/photos https://www.ujointoffroad.com/4x4-rvs/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holyjohnson Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 3 hours ago, crockett said: Compression frame done.. Time to get the battery cells and charge controller installed... you do some good work. don`t use up all the ' Dead Hooker' space though.. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO Fugga Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 On 5/7/2021 at 12:21 AM, crockett said: Just found out that these cells need to be compressed, so I will be building an aluminum frame tomorrow. Why is that? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted May 11, 2021 Author Share Posted May 11, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, MO Fugga said: Why is that? Different technology compared to lead acid, the datasheet asks for it. They build up pressure when being charged to a certain level, and expand the thin aluminum case if not being encased. What I'm doing is basically building my own battery bank from Tesla like cells. These LifePo4 cells have a huge amount of energy stored. If they don't get handled and build correctly, you can face a pretty mean fire that can't be put out with water and lasts for hours. This gives you an idea... Edited May 11, 2021 by crockett 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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