tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75899667887365494812024-03-20T09:24:45.018+00:00Conversion of a regular car into a Micro-CamperA description of all the activities regarding the conversion of my 2005 Fiat Doblo into a Micro Camper.Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-11653942772477012142015-08-09T18:36:00.000+01:002015-08-09T18:36:44.036+01:00Another set of blindsWhen sleeping in the car I had to take measures for covering the windows. The rear window has a roller blind, and the driver-side rear window (over the kitchen) has silver horizontal blinds. The windows at the rear seats I covered with two hanging-down organisors, one at each side, which also provide space for putting some odds and ends there. The front window was covered by a black blanket. Only the very rear passenger-side window did not have any cover.<br />
<br />
I fixed that now: another set of horizontal silver blinds.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4RonagYz7GKIDHRsE5gRx21Q4G-4Chkxkhu3KMt40YAe1SbUrYh5_uAMCYC3scshAk_QCCNFgzqoSGm2mMPsKLnfmWTQT_Ox7NZaA0NVrXQCJRcu5Znw7K9jcw4dU-NbMGRuieTLTDNc/s1600/2015-08-09+14.45.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4RonagYz7GKIDHRsE5gRx21Q4G-4Chkxkhu3KMt40YAe1SbUrYh5_uAMCYC3scshAk_QCCNFgzqoSGm2mMPsKLnfmWTQT_Ox7NZaA0NVrXQCJRcu5Znw7K9jcw4dU-NbMGRuieTLTDNc/s400/2015-08-09+14.45.09.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-83709409458403780682015-08-08T18:26:00.000+01:002015-08-09T18:27:09.795+01:00First-time sleeping in the camperI decided to give it a try and spend one night in the car. I put up the bed on the passenger side, because this allowed me to keep the microwave in place. <br />
<br />
Quite a cozy narrow room. Probably similar to being in a space craft! The TV works fine, I always had a cold drink available, and the electric heater worked well in this English cool summer night, powered by the external 240V power.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DjsJMYxx0PXwygh45v3GgaXCix2g8o-w4V3eyUFQOGKatRU4ZQk-G2s3DOnC5uBmiddvEHgBmifv20lfKbtW2oUiWQjI7I6YdWStRTfmEjC-dOqO4tBFl6YJ4-XOwmuoeE12ANi-aAEN/s1600/DSC01802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DjsJMYxx0PXwygh45v3GgaXCix2g8o-w4V3eyUFQOGKatRU4ZQk-G2s3DOnC5uBmiddvEHgBmifv20lfKbtW2oUiWQjI7I6YdWStRTfmEjC-dOqO4tBFl6YJ4-XOwmuoeE12ANi-aAEN/s400/DSC01802.JPG" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-84001534513258076362015-08-07T16:38:00.000+01:002015-08-09T16:39:00.868+01:00And more finishing touches at the electricsIn principle all the wiring had been completed, but two things needed to be done: the internal lighting of the switch for the external 12V supply needed to be connected, and the ampmeter for the internal consumers needed to be properly wired so that it also would show current when the power supply was used instead of the solar/leisure battery circuits.<br />
<br />
The switch does connect the POWER-ON line with the GROUND from the power supply. I decided to use the -12V as the other connector for the switch illumination, so that the direction of the current is the same as originally intended in this switch (there is ACC, power, and ground connection at the switch, and since ACC and power are already on ground level, the remaining connection should not be +12V; this is important if the illuminator is an LED, where the direction of the current matters). <br />
<br />
The ampmeter just needed some rewiring of the common ground return cable, which I had connected to the common terminal block instead of going through the ampmeter resistor first. I changed this, and now the meter also shows the current when the consumers in the car are connected to the 12V power supply instead of the leisure battery.<br />
<br />
The cabling looks chaotic, but is all well-thought-through :) :<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2i2zq-lFODYlx51ilurKOKqhJNuaOVQnNqijNsbxAd6_ZSLpfs-T1dvIyEvHJLC0CcprEfp7pz5Ov14aDUQFvJVUm0LG3D2DFTEWHpsQHjJGSVkkBS6QuzAt9Q9j2CXWNwNYp2E8FLS2/s1600/DSC01786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2i2zq-lFODYlx51ilurKOKqhJNuaOVQnNqijNsbxAd6_ZSLpfs-T1dvIyEvHJLC0CcprEfp7pz5Ov14aDUQFvJVUm0LG3D2DFTEWHpsQHjJGSVkkBS6QuzAt9Q9j2CXWNwNYp2E8FLS2/s640/DSC01786.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Once the cabling is hidden and the big wiring board is moved and affixed into its position, it looks more tidy. Even the coffee machine is back in place:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0ARPg1MLrhbdPnyQS-PXljADIlkzsqEh_AmxgeG8N4xiY8gC6HabbefxUj18mlE9WoQlyM5cyNtzmbmOUq9mmeNy4YQzhUqm6hzCN8-o550esfynUkYyhEqafqB8OpZRYpeRul76_9pX/s1600/DSC01794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0ARPg1MLrhbdPnyQS-PXljADIlkzsqEh_AmxgeG8N4xiY8gC6HabbefxUj18mlE9WoQlyM5cyNtzmbmOUq9mmeNy4YQzhUqm6hzCN8-o550esfynUkYyhEqafqB8OpZRYpeRul76_9pX/s640/DSC01794.JPG" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-26011196537028634532015-08-04T22:00:00.000+01:002015-08-09T15:49:08.550+01:00Another Microwave Cooking: BaconIn the microwave oven I had boiled half a liter of water, had cooked five eggs, and now another challenge would come: I would use the other side of the microwave dish to cook some bacon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mb8DouSjo2swzCpCNmvAVlt9ja3uNESkgyvIldwqjoV2gCZmPu3y74CioyZS54svLDHkN2z-aM8MueR8mCcmgHxc_fBQVBWRqzAQiafmni33WOrieSMxCDmYqMcNQ4m3tbeck9t51udP/s1600/DSC01661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mb8DouSjo2swzCpCNmvAVlt9ja3uNESkgyvIldwqjoV2gCZmPu3y74CioyZS54svLDHkN2z-aM8MueR8mCcmgHxc_fBQVBWRqzAQiafmni33WOrieSMxCDmYqMcNQ4m3tbeck9t51udP/s400/DSC01661.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here is one slice of bacon before cooking:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrfa7K2UpoVrLiR2HoCoK14uJBe2Uz75qfdZKVy8s8USMGm1H9uKh6LpZpdautya8cN6BC9TR9jojTbHbQVrvP6asG9R5WQOWV12ZArS0hScsaOLQ3TFlLFnme5XxR4J5yDyDtj9o89Hw/s1600/DSC01664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrfa7K2UpoVrLiR2HoCoK14uJBe2Uz75qfdZKVy8s8USMGm1H9uKh6LpZpdautya8cN6BC9TR9jojTbHbQVrvP6asG9R5WQOWV12ZArS0hScsaOLQ3TFlLFnme5XxR4J5yDyDtj9o89Hw/s400/DSC01664.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
After 20 seconds:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqzwByLIADooHDsCkI5DTz2qveHW3Q5cpqR3lRYleI6yBlhZz9FKcXjLAxUWfEC1zJ_I9RcoXzduF2n7LVnm2BOeU-rFc8SyAO0hxsa0zwjWjoNgsm0bEzs9h-M2FeX7H4P_HSaVOpsN_/s1600/DSC01665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqzwByLIADooHDsCkI5DTz2qveHW3Q5cpqR3lRYleI6yBlhZz9FKcXjLAxUWfEC1zJ_I9RcoXzduF2n7LVnm2BOeU-rFc8SyAO0hxsa0zwjWjoNgsm0bEzs9h-M2FeX7H4P_HSaVOpsN_/s400/DSC01665.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
After 40 seconds:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzc7Qy_D_hmeOhCBY2QIglY0_9cZ29mKItcKaBS_nmjECLYjnV9V6dWn2iY9dk4YaE_dHi6eiYMWgZEz-bLng7idO8rD2DtZNeMTIBWTyrw3Y_iprvKbyVc2_u-2VyJkJMPV7kxMxsylWn/s1600/DSC01667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzc7Qy_D_hmeOhCBY2QIglY0_9cZ29mKItcKaBS_nmjECLYjnV9V6dWn2iY9dk4YaE_dHi6eiYMWgZEz-bLng7idO8rD2DtZNeMTIBWTyrw3Y_iprvKbyVc2_u-2VyJkJMPV7kxMxsylWn/s400/DSC01667.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
After 60 seconds:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDKRNp0QiWwA27H4AeAbsCC6-QgkjnnK5waqkIUSU_ySL8X-gkrF-en55uk8_cIJDjrrB9yxctoW4mt_TMr65481CmslzlVm-98DmFbf0JpRb5GpFV-9xdb04Y3kxWW8UjwIkleL1L3JJ/s1600/DSC01668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDKRNp0QiWwA27H4AeAbsCC6-QgkjnnK5waqkIUSU_ySL8X-gkrF-en55uk8_cIJDjrrB9yxctoW4mt_TMr65481CmslzlVm-98DmFbf0JpRb5GpFV-9xdb04Y3kxWW8UjwIkleL1L3JJ/s400/DSC01668.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
After 80 seconds:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO501rW4uHo2AdF97Umk8FepzyxH7Qq8VByzCE9EM-4789fKg4xx8y0mkCSkCbtCBAL3yvEQb-ACk6lG16nTyPMUfEn2UJA7f_Oo-OMrtZaWRcXr69x4qBaydNiyDPmmvARXpu4CRO4vgq/s1600/DSC01671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO501rW4uHo2AdF97Umk8FepzyxH7Qq8VByzCE9EM-4789fKg4xx8y0mkCSkCbtCBAL3yvEQb-ACk6lG16nTyPMUfEn2UJA7f_Oo-OMrtZaWRcXr69x4qBaydNiyDPmmvARXpu4CRO4vgq/s400/DSC01671.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
After 2 minutes:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePuikux5Qd3kgRVtdMu9vDxNnX4t6XX3JUMrfVSPJ0sSYIRAhzaPNkKD3xez7hCgQd76vxbNtfz0LzihXFhG-DCQ8FpNfvSuCssEUuf8Botz0qlhRDfLwZu_jiHzd6YuWDLvO_61tYv0U/s1600/DSC01674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePuikux5Qd3kgRVtdMu9vDxNnX4t6XX3JUMrfVSPJ0sSYIRAhzaPNkKD3xez7hCgQd76vxbNtfz0LzihXFhG-DCQ8FpNfvSuCssEUuf8Botz0qlhRDfLwZu_jiHzd6YuWDLvO_61tYv0U/s400/DSC01674.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Tastes delicious!Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-8306288214571461512015-08-03T22:00:00.000+01:002015-08-12T01:37:10.476+01:00Finalising the ElectricsTwo items still were not yet installed: the 12V power supply from an external 240V mains power, and the recharging of the leisure battery from external 240V mains. I had already made the plans and wire diagrams, I only needed to make the actual connections.<br />
<br />
For the battery charger I used one simple toggle switch to trigger two relays which would reroute the connection of the leisure battery: in normal condition the battery would be connected to the whole electric / solar controller setup; when activated, the relays would interrupt this connection (both the +12V and the ground) and would connect it to the output of a 12V car battery charger, which is connected to the 240V mains. A green LED indicates that the battery is being charged.<br />
<br />
For getting 12V power while the leisure battery is being charged, it is advised not to draw current while the battery is being charged. The charger only provides up to 4A in slow-charging mode, and it would be overwhelmed to also drive all the consumers, if the battery is already quite flat. Therefore, the power for all these 12V consumers must come from another source: a 240V-to-12V converter was needed. When I checked online, I noticed that transformators and adaptors were either very expensive or did not provide sufficient power. I wanted to be able to have 30A at 12V, which is 360W. The solution seem to be switchable power supplies. And fortunately there is a good source for low-cost high-power 12V supplies available: PC power supplies. They provide high power, stabilised. I got an 800W power supply, which then theoretically could provide 66A. There are many web sites which show how to connect the wires. Important is that a power-on lead needs to be connected by a switch to Ground - this then powers up the power supply. All yellow cables need to be connected for the +12V line, all black cables together form the Ground. There are also +5V lines (all red cables) which I am not using now; and there is also +3.3V. But I only used the +12V and teh Ground. The Ground is steadily connected to the consumer circuits' ground, and the +12V is switched by a relay which connects the consumer circuits either to the solar controller output or to this power supply.<br />
<br />
Works like a charm! Now I can go to any campsite with an external power supply and recharge the battery and at the same time still operate all my 12V devices (light, TV, refrigerator).<br />
<br />
The power supply and the battery charger are plugged in:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXaG06fZ2HgKMvRtN60cfkwaRZ_sfjIKGlXBUuA-oFIHJKoA_qERQgTCm_nBQbtsO5euX_I_i9aCs-H6JdAoj-C7Fz5tx5Qn942gojY25c_DOFUoL5dattistbA4T1CZqRnhyphenhyphenfPd3xzac/s1600/DSC01647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXaG06fZ2HgKMvRtN60cfkwaRZ_sfjIKGlXBUuA-oFIHJKoA_qERQgTCm_nBQbtsO5euX_I_i9aCs-H6JdAoj-C7Fz5tx5Qn942gojY25c_DOFUoL5dattistbA4T1CZqRnhyphenhyphenfPd3xzac/s400/DSC01647.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The charger is charging the battery:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimgA269s6gvVbMkJlf6aSUJUrINOxNXPyLlpYXeIOXH8yS9pplWxofXNIFp0-qD42g9j80pB71q2ZzZcQJ0ZfeQbzXY5_CoEHwdf_tkzuFt98vR4RM9UxKLp7MMmPAYB5HrRQREntaopF/s1600/DSC01649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimgA269s6gvVbMkJlf6aSUJUrINOxNXPyLlpYXeIOXH8yS9pplWxofXNIFp0-qD42g9j80pB71q2ZzZcQJ0ZfeQbzXY5_CoEHwdf_tkzuFt98vR4RM9UxKLp7MMmPAYB5HrRQREntaopF/s400/DSC01649.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The line tester shows that everything in the mains line is properly wired (left picture), and the whole 240V setup is fully functional (right picture):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYH38tVoV86OYZM3QXgegVmUmfIU6W9CXpk_vX1aOmavh0g4MaYZ57skl4ArzJPwnYW9IGdhjXAEJn-mHsZwPjdxNki3gZelQ8SHzhLlAhlptVhthchDKhfdMz8BtO9K3jFRyy9Sq7HaY/s1600/DSC01659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img width=45% border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYH38tVoV86OYZM3QXgegVmUmfIU6W9CXpk_vX1aOmavh0g4MaYZ57skl4ArzJPwnYW9IGdhjXAEJn-mHsZwPjdxNki3gZelQ8SHzhLlAhlptVhthchDKhfdMz8BtO9K3jFRyy9Sq7HaY/s400/DSC01659.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8S1HiZ-ZNi_zDT-5dtK6AjRoNLH4rxKNgvXwvnB2lANgcn0uNB5ET2O5PbKklL5QeDXb_CN8OfqHMUaahdwJxnRVSSlot9scnvOSQdN_nuTJIKYTL8JcrSQzq3n-v4D07RF3fT2zSesi/s1600/DSC01652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" width=45% src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8S1HiZ-ZNi_zDT-5dtK6AjRoNLH4rxKNgvXwvnB2lANgcn0uNB5ET2O5PbKklL5QeDXb_CN8OfqHMUaahdwJxnRVSSlot9scnvOSQdN_nuTJIKYTL8JcrSQzq3n-v4D07RF3fT2zSesi/s400/DSC01652.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-46767099019011007082015-08-01T22:00:00.000+01:002015-08-07T02:05:44.181+01:00Reversing CameraThe view through the rear-view mirror became quite obstructed with all my construction, and when driving with luggage, it will be even worse. So I decided to put a rear-view camera in. The camera already crates a reversed image, like a mirror. This image is then shown on a small monitor above the real rear-view mirror. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-DbTHofWcT4ThmYjANwaW5wBCyPEZtXG6kBHazOfAjFsSp92V_sjeZRdioLszGOdaCVPf7tXfSbYDO_p-bTmYPgiCBSlFzXibxtWLQvvtvlf7MXqXJ4CdYB1I6ewqRE_-Q5hPai_1U8_/s1600/DSC01641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-DbTHofWcT4ThmYjANwaW5wBCyPEZtXG6kBHazOfAjFsSp92V_sjeZRdioLszGOdaCVPf7tXfSbYDO_p-bTmYPgiCBSlFzXibxtWLQvvtvlf7MXqXJ4CdYB1I6ewqRE_-Q5hPai_1U8_/s400/DSC01641.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
I did not want to drill any more holes into the vehicle, so I decided to mount the camera inside of the vehicle. One disadvantage is that it has to look through the tinted rear window, which means that the image is darker, and at night it is basically not usable, except when other cars are there with their headlights. But this is ok - the real mirror is also not better.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNJczQwSuII7VeouvAHb6pUtoV6KaF0yU8eIX8Fsc8zIrq1oRM69h4roXFTP-77n1ldv6ThdhOgsi5ZGDujEuqvBm2E5Q4e6vcT0VxgNvZNAxwpWgE8XYM9IxEipdJfx-MKLfYfELX0C6/s1600/DSC01646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNJczQwSuII7VeouvAHb6pUtoV6KaF0yU8eIX8Fsc8zIrq1oRM69h4roXFTP-77n1ldv6ThdhOgsi5ZGDujEuqvBm2E5Q4e6vcT0VxgNvZNAxwpWgE8XYM9IxEipdJfx-MKLfYfELX0C6/s400/DSC01646.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-73034038994630495372015-07-19T21:22:00.000+01:002015-08-07T01:31:50.672+01:00Using the Microwave Oven: Boiling Water, and EggsFor a while now I have driven around with the Microwave in the back. I had tested it right after Christmas, when I cooked one of those meals specifically made for microwave cooking. It had worked fine, but now I wanted to do a more thorough testing.<br />
<br />
So I decided to heat 0.5l of water and observe the boiling process. The microwave oven is specifically manufactured for use in a motorhome and therefore does have less power than any usual household microwave oven. This is because campsites often only provide limited electric power, sometimes only 4A at 240V, which is around 1kW. The heating power of this microwave oven is 425W, compared to 700W or more for a small household oven. Therefore, it is to be expected that the boiling duration would take longer. Also, this has to be considered when cooking meals: the times given for certain microwave powers need to be extended for use with this oven.<br />
<br />
0.5l is quite a large amount. This is about 3 cups of coffee/tea and is sufficient for any soup that I would want to cook. I measured 0.5l, then used a microwaveable cup to heat the water.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicn_flhIFv-fc13hsY4WcBX6eksTCfLIfdrUshipBBsJw_0UNlc93aiNsLe9B8-e8V8KHYgc4Pjld20Q6lCqCziJo52znOE-Azdk9s2hI3vZCPeyxwBb4VDaeo1JP5xyjngZccovymUqad/s1600/DSC01181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicn_flhIFv-fc13hsY4WcBX6eksTCfLIfdrUshipBBsJw_0UNlc93aiNsLe9B8-e8V8KHYgc4Pjld20Q6lCqCziJo52znOE-Azdk9s2hI3vZCPeyxwBb4VDaeo1JP5xyjngZccovymUqad/s400/DSC01181.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkat1rjDEok8n0vxG6vtNWU2qVFEiAwWy-kOpJIghe3_i_azbOgDljV2FpzA8rakoYrRi8zIk8xuY4FT3vc5WGHxh-YsrAdeIuDqTGCDMQ_luEmTMCGCbvrwmQ1xkBJXXgxQghdQpzSe8/s1600/DSC01182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkat1rjDEok8n0vxG6vtNWU2qVFEiAwWy-kOpJIghe3_i_azbOgDljV2FpzA8rakoYrRi8zIk8xuY4FT3vc5WGHxh-YsrAdeIuDqTGCDMQ_luEmTMCGCbvrwmQ1xkBJXXgxQghdQpzSe8/s400/DSC01182.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Then I heated the water in intervals and measured the surface temperature with a remote infrared thermometer. The plot of the temperature rise is shown here:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DNG5rClyZ1BGAj_IJ1kRlFhVWtZVua7-2PHsC3ZFdpDCw1CUu7BNomUawHUGonH1LV_HRVEALHL3XLhJmJRDqY8JV6ozNGJ0s-Uxs04iCS_VDSDqqKuIhT9bHHtxmjGNn5q__hOKxqBA/s1600/WaterBoiling1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DNG5rClyZ1BGAj_IJ1kRlFhVWtZVua7-2PHsC3ZFdpDCw1CUu7BNomUawHUGonH1LV_HRVEALHL3XLhJmJRDqY8JV6ozNGJ0s-Uxs04iCS_VDSDqqKuIhT9bHHtxmjGNn5q__hOKxqBA/s400/WaterBoiling1.png" /></a></div><br />
The graphs seems not to show that the water is brought to a boil - but actually the water was boiling in the end, blubbering, even though the surface temperature seemed not to increase beyond 87 C.<br />
<br />
<br />
The next experiment was to boil eggs. Usually eggs are very difficult to boil in a microwave oven: the power needs to be deliberately reduced to achieve a slow cooking. Here is where the reduced power of this oven becomes really useful. I used a plastic egg boiling container specifically made for microwave cooking.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-GhlxwxXfs0aZcuGIlq9BqRs2h0Y9rqvfLyaLxn5miodudWMP1aYeZJowv9hyphenhyphenCrCRh_RKdF7sUtAzz0Ug2boDbZ-_C74zX2PjiiIp2ixvWa7_DNk8fN0pf6iPYg3G3sXtlw2r1gyX_HF/s1600/DSC01190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-GhlxwxXfs0aZcuGIlq9BqRs2h0Y9rqvfLyaLxn5miodudWMP1aYeZJowv9hyphenhyphenCrCRh_RKdF7sUtAzz0Ug2boDbZ-_C74zX2PjiiIp2ixvWa7_DNk8fN0pf6iPYg3G3sXtlw2r1gyX_HF/s400/DSC01190.JPG" /></a></div><br />
To avoid that an explosion would throw egg around in the oven I affixed the top cover with a rubber band. <br />
<br />
After about 45 seconds of heating I heard an explosion. Nothing really happened, just the egg cracked a bit. I took it out after 1 minute, and here is how it looked:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYBDUxRWr_zMas4AD3yc0BdFuHAGiFpoFYhyphenhyphen2GeV9s3c213v86BISFw3cXQsX-KdhsaWAwEZfscqCFk7OIPKDEqcAijwGGW_K8wG-tuqM9GDjIhukjC2A1Jkixu-X4QjNEyLa7pmHtHV7/s1600/DSC01192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYBDUxRWr_zMas4AD3yc0BdFuHAGiFpoFYhyphenhyphen2GeV9s3c213v86BISFw3cXQsX-KdhsaWAwEZfscqCFk7OIPKDEqcAijwGGW_K8wG-tuqM9GDjIhukjC2A1Jkixu-X4QjNEyLa7pmHtHV7/s400/DSC01192.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Not yet fully hard-cooked, the egg white was still partially transparent. So I boiled it for another minute. Here is how it looked then:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwt0qSukbYYscyVwBT3qvBSj5LBRg3YrXsT4AMdBBC8cCo2C2bY4REO2cH2GZhFY-UCSlqM8AWHYI2Aw46hc4gA04WRzglB-f6SF_lmd3clrHcBPdmMb6D-0FueakrOeAE59-VdL0AlbP/s1600/DSC01194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwt0qSukbYYscyVwBT3qvBSj5LBRg3YrXsT4AMdBBC8cCo2C2bY4REO2cH2GZhFY-UCSlqM8AWHYI2Aw46hc4gA04WRzglB-f6SF_lmd3clrHcBPdmMb6D-0FueakrOeAE59-VdL0AlbP/s400/DSC01194.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Well done, a hard-boiled egg in 2 minutes!<br />
<br />
<br />
The next experiment was to boil 2 eggs in the special microwave cooking device which my friend Falk had given me a few years ago (knowing my cooking style). This is a plastic container in which one can either cook 2 eggs or one slice of bacon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuxIP5Wcrt-FTzU8X8MLB2sZXzhKjrBoOssDqpPWp7vJAFslkR652OutYAgGVnzGMKStTdLKO7l-_Xn8GSIaoiNjGOque3WBYuHc4Z0UL_B2SSFROVflMIJa9p40D-tetV6gCe1rXZ55T/s1600/DSC01198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuxIP5Wcrt-FTzU8X8MLB2sZXzhKjrBoOssDqpPWp7vJAFslkR652OutYAgGVnzGMKStTdLKO7l-_Xn8GSIaoiNjGOque3WBYuHc4Z0UL_B2SSFROVflMIJa9p40D-tetV6gCe1rXZ55T/s400/DSC01198.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I opened 2 eggs, one in each of the compartments, as shown in the picture above. After 45 seconds there was again an explosion. Here is how they looked after 1 minute:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LDMgydhXS9VEk_i83PBkcXBE60yjM8tbKp5t7YKleJQDrw__krGXKw4T93X5FHkFmSZYYG5r-IquzqOEJPjU9VQ932fctjrBrFX15aJFruq2bhYeW89lTtBo-GWy6pgj8N75O5pIfB0B/s1600/DSC01204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LDMgydhXS9VEk_i83PBkcXBE60yjM8tbKp5t7YKleJQDrw__krGXKw4T93X5FHkFmSZYYG5r-IquzqOEJPjU9VQ932fctjrBrFX15aJFruq2bhYeW89lTtBo-GWy6pgj8N75O5pIfB0B/s400/DSC01204.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Only the right one seemed to be done, whereas the left one remained uncooked. After another minute the result was this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCisFN_uJo5o7bhxnXc_7Bdp0hdJokVNCKkf60HN_sJTREnduwkXpQ3LSsASqorFpPDy4GvzIS7njVIz9AZhSm5ItSC5DIs1OOyLMeUNba8V5YzO8SG8Au__w8J2hKoZ7iphsLHU6yNrpr/s1600/DSC01205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCisFN_uJo5o7bhxnXc_7Bdp0hdJokVNCKkf60HN_sJTREnduwkXpQ3LSsASqorFpPDy4GvzIS7njVIz9AZhSm5ItSC5DIs1OOyLMeUNba8V5YzO8SG8Au__w8J2hKoZ7iphsLHU6yNrpr/s400/DSC01205.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Clearly there was an issue with the internal distribution of the microwaves: apparently the power was stronger in the right part of the oven. I ate the well-done egg and boiled again the not-yet-boiled one, for 1:30 min. Perfectly done then!<br />
<br />
<br />
My final experiment for the day was to boil again two eggs, this time just switching sides after 1 minute. Did this, and after the rotation I did cook them for another minute.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAckUHRzouapVVlwhViMxiVuEHH61ynU84QiXwd679ktkb3TehA7hyoroAxr503T98ICJ_Rc22qY0PPLPPHAJGSgEu22wTyqcg7CKVq7MVZiwvW8nK55g4haHc5UP8PQksQH2_Je7SVw4x/s1600/DSC01208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAckUHRzouapVVlwhViMxiVuEHH61ynU84QiXwd679ktkb3TehA7hyoroAxr503T98ICJ_Rc22qY0PPLPPHAJGSgEu22wTyqcg7CKVq7MVZiwvW8nK55g4haHc5UP8PQksQH2_Je7SVw4x/s400/DSC01208.JPG" /></a></div><br />
They tasted excellent!Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-42663050547336418012015-07-01T13:13:00.000+01:002015-07-08T13:22:39.691+01:00The next step: Microwave OvenSlowly the equipment in the MicroCamper gets completed. What was missing up to now is a cooking facility. I had put the coffee maker onto the work board, but that had to be shifted due to space restrictions - it will be again mounted on a slightly different location. But there is another item which my brother Winfried gave me as a present: a microwave oven specifically for campervans! Its specific features are a low power, so that it can be operated in low current settings, for example on camp sites which only provide a few Amps. any regular microwave oven would blow the fuses at those sites, but this microwave oven does not.<br />
<br />
I already had cooked a ready-made meal in it a few months ago, but now it is time to do a real-world test in the actual camper.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfV4bHofUEhLiE5KKs2dGIVW8S33VEesNV5zkPVEwoL9No5c-MF5RtpvejNBBWKFAEv165BOVmMk2x2-9s4mKdCjdL_MvdCeY46geaGeTLZxoDlX4PBTD-QyPgKzHF1JWFpxeMNmPlITA/s1600/2015-07-01+19.30.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfV4bHofUEhLiE5KKs2dGIVW8S33VEesNV5zkPVEwoL9No5c-MF5RtpvejNBBWKFAEv165BOVmMk2x2-9s4mKdCjdL_MvdCeY46geaGeTLZxoDlX4PBTD-QyPgKzHF1JWFpxeMNmPlITA/s400/2015-07-01+19.30.00.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhf_f2pLRZtLOTRoDm1GXB1gIdXEAvhkJFlSWUsOujCUiPjjWcDeCNBILUiwWF-P643UZerYSLvCXJV7AlgXitFltWjMagF17KPQp9LXb0JSdpmeTIOQGoKBmNeNhTgn8hCtqdRQBmR6v/s1600/2015-07-01+19.27.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhf_f2pLRZtLOTRoDm1GXB1gIdXEAvhkJFlSWUsOujCUiPjjWcDeCNBILUiwWF-P643UZerYSLvCXJV7AlgXitFltWjMagF17KPQp9LXb0JSdpmeTIOQGoKBmNeNhTgn8hCtqdRQBmR6v/s400/2015-07-01+19.27.48.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So far I only have placed it in its location, affixed with a bungee cord. Will have to do some actual cooking soon. I will first use only its main connection, which can be a standard 220-240V mains power. It also has two battery-powered modes, which sound a bit scary: the "low power" setting will draw 20A from the 12V battery, and it will produces 100W microwave power. The 20A will move my electric system close to its 30A limit - I will have to watch that I do not blow it. Also, the cooking / boiling will take a while in this low power setting; I will take some measurements on how long it takes to heat up a cup of water to the boiling point. <br />
There is the other, "high power" setting for using the battery. And that one will draw a full 55A. Cannot run this through my electronics, but will have to connect it directly to the battery. With the car alternator connected and running. Am a bit afraid of that test....<br />
<br />
In any case, for both tests the leisure battery will need to be fully charged, as after these tests it will most likely be fully drained. Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-27268862186437867272015-06-30T22:00:00.000+01:002015-08-12T01:33:25.337+01:00Installing the TVAnother important item: the TV. This is a 22" 1080p TV, with built-in DVD player and SAT receiver. I mounted it on a flexible arm, so it can be moved to the side when not needed. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUHTsWZPk3WvvuWyJedeFsJih6X0hFlEq3HRkmXa0G2czIjnwfY5rmS4IEb1HV6wv2O_l7awnNMSF3eDgE7V2hTScJzrrZShLS2xoS0LuV3s9na1b70V4Zj18pNm_HDw_EbPlwbppcFo6/s1600/2015-06-30+21.09.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUHTsWZPk3WvvuWyJedeFsJih6X0hFlEq3HRkmXa0G2czIjnwfY5rmS4IEb1HV6wv2O_l7awnNMSF3eDgE7V2hTScJzrrZShLS2xoS0LuV3s9na1b70V4Zj18pNm_HDw_EbPlwbppcFo6/s400/2015-06-30+21.09.37.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The TV is quite heavy, and through the extended arm there is quite a lot of pressure at the mounting. I knew that the simple laminate board would not be able to hold the TV just by screws drilled into it, so I added a support beam at the other side of the board which would distribute the pressure onto a wider surface. Unfortunately that beam did move a little when I drilled the holes, therefore it is not exactly straight. But at least I think that it is stable enough to hold the TV also through the vibrations that occur during driving. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9uUb9AymIx1r57fiIyNOYnMlYwfePeKPFkobAx-B_2JD92vyiki3yf-Pij3ZMkTXCUlw8qc3Oy3nB7rKXQkw87H3Tv_oKPp0oaVQ-_H75ryGtAQBG-4l1jln0jti3tenYjU4BZI0zE0H/s1600/2015-06-30+21.09.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9uUb9AymIx1r57fiIyNOYnMlYwfePeKPFkobAx-B_2JD92vyiki3yf-Pij3ZMkTXCUlw8qc3Oy3nB7rKXQkw87H3Tv_oKPp0oaVQ-_H75ryGtAQBG-4l1jln0jti3tenYjU4BZI0zE0H/s400/2015-06-30+21.09.44.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
In my opinion the 22" screen has a reasonable size for this vehicle. I would not want anything smaller, and for a larger display there is no space. This TV also has an HDMI input which I will use for the Raspberry Pi which will eventually be installed here as a "vehicle computer".<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0mDlHsG2sTDB3QD1I3NnDKE9tDEEL0kNZ6P44nWYCToQgboLD4TvqxVgDo2_hnrNFJZGHQUNWoFqkTHpfyn1RgddfRxamxTUCOq00z6t9qp7UiOURpzYBpK2ccPFuQLaSnopmGVPn_fN/s1600/2015-06-30+21.10.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0mDlHsG2sTDB3QD1I3NnDKE9tDEEL0kNZ6P44nWYCToQgboLD4TvqxVgDo2_hnrNFJZGHQUNWoFqkTHpfyn1RgddfRxamxTUCOq00z6t9qp7UiOURpzYBpK2ccPFuQLaSnopmGVPn_fN/s400/2015-06-30+21.10.22.jpg" /></a></div><br />
While setting up the TV, the reception of the digital TV signal was not very great. I have to try it again in the open field, with good view of a TV tower.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZuAUCen4Ii54MIOu_zezzc-hEdabs-hWxuyn9FnMxSHwI8HwEu3U0gjghHR5h2MkLFU-ObScruKot-6XSeQ3xOiwigfB6D3UbbQj006-rTS_h_r6hi9BWBnFAc2yuqf9Ur1iRD3PSEGN/s1600/2015-06-30+21.31.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZuAUCen4Ii54MIOu_zezzc-hEdabs-hWxuyn9FnMxSHwI8HwEu3U0gjghHR5h2MkLFU-ObScruKot-6XSeQ3xOiwigfB6D3UbbQj006-rTS_h_r6hi9BWBnFAc2yuqf9Ur1iRD3PSEGN/s400/2015-06-30+21.31.49.jpg" /></a></div><br />
When on, the TV draws from the 12V power a current of 2.2A. This may go up to 3A when DVD or SAT is used - the rating of this TV is 37W. When in standby, the TV uses 190mA. But it also can be switched off completely.Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-67556438488987235152015-06-21T23:00:00.000+01:002015-07-01T02:07:19.244+01:00A heavy-duty electric socket/plugFor working on the electrics I have to take that board with all the switches and cables out of the car. It has been easy to remove - just one screw at the top, and I could take the board out and work on improving the electrics. But everytime I took the board out, I also had to unscrew several electric connections: vehicle ground, vehicle battery, leisure +/-, solar panel +/-, lamps. The cables are not getting better from often removing them form the screw-terminals, so I was considering to use plugs instead. I found several connectors at Maplin which were suitable for the lighting connections (ok for 6A) and the solar panel connection (20A is sufficient, as I have seen never more than 6A coming from the solar panel). But I was not able to find a suitable socket and plug for the battery: I have designed everything to be able to support at least 30A (solar controller, thick cables, circuit breakers). Therefore I was looking on ebay, and I found one, shipped directly from China: a heavy duty connector with four pins, used foe 380V and permitting 30A. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1nQpI0665_GMBtsr-2jVRb-eRekzr68Ue6GQgltfDWGNhyjWDK0qnQfSDOcshSHBVwB5zGZ3F6p23JMCECBmQI6EcTD3qQjVSOiyceATd_TslyOzn9RcD-Fe0L7ZzCTQB8qN8NZP033K/s1600/2015-06-21+18.13.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1nQpI0665_GMBtsr-2jVRb-eRekzr68Ue6GQgltfDWGNhyjWDK0qnQfSDOcshSHBVwB5zGZ3F6p23JMCECBmQI6EcTD3qQjVSOiyceATd_TslyOzn9RcD-Fe0L7ZzCTQB8qN8NZP033K/s400/2015-06-21+18.13.27.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This connector is also waterproof. So I connected the leads from the two batteries into the socket, and connected the plug to the board. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0Mx7WwJB-d_JUKtIqyznlCjc1vIORcJM8wpZId3HqD7SqHm1C2b6KcY1u3nD1AP0Wnk3MeiNgQJzkwWex3p0nW4cnDkhIUKM0QU7ZWa9eMaADe0hi7KkeLnZ3FRRspXZU9ZG3zGaJXMx/s1600/2015-06-21+18.27.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0Mx7WwJB-d_JUKtIqyznlCjc1vIORcJM8wpZId3HqD7SqHm1C2b6KcY1u3nD1AP0Wnk3MeiNgQJzkwWex3p0nW4cnDkhIUKM0QU7ZWa9eMaADe0hi7KkeLnZ3FRRspXZU9ZG3zGaJXMx/s400/2015-06-21+18.27.03.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCCVXljjHbWnIBm_0ZkTkxWWRQvaIOUYYybfx1qpfKesRjPvt5LfQGGY_Pg8EGGoWdvPPHLbpblnbrFt0xkam_WQnedv-nny51V8rqt90b2dsGSsLrsd0egUfQJTWqiGKHGf6gIPdKyIu/s1600/2015-06-21+18.40.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCCVXljjHbWnIBm_0ZkTkxWWRQvaIOUYYybfx1qpfKesRjPvt5LfQGGY_Pg8EGGoWdvPPHLbpblnbrFt0xkam_WQnedv-nny51V8rqt90b2dsGSsLrsd0egUfQJTWqiGKHGf6gIPdKyIu/s400/2015-06-21+18.40.13.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Now it takes much shorter to get the board out: simply unplug all the connectors, remove the one tightening screw, and the board can be removed.<br />
<br />
And while at it, I also added a cover board to hide the cabling out of the view. And improved the attachment of the board: now with two screws (one at the bottom onto the work surface, the other on the top onto the shelf.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj2S1xcKn_iutdtJvZRE2P8ZOSgXw_gVEZZRxkFwxdbRtBUUQYp0K3kqreW2mpY_iVI2a1-UOHVzIH22iLeQ9yzq1evAzhqLgsxS37UExjUmCVkQd4WwTd318T_L5BnlXKV40l7Nh0WSb/s1600/2015-06-21+21.58.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj2S1xcKn_iutdtJvZRE2P8ZOSgXw_gVEZZRxkFwxdbRtBUUQYp0K3kqreW2mpY_iVI2a1-UOHVzIH22iLeQ9yzq1evAzhqLgsxS37UExjUmCVkQd4WwTd318T_L5BnlXKV40l7Nh0WSb/s400/2015-06-21+21.58.51.jpg" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-3199841704818602832015-06-20T23:00:00.000+01:002015-07-01T01:51:37.521+01:00The second bedFor the second bed (on the right side of the vehicle) I first needed to construct the base. This base sits on the larger folded half of the rear bench, which is two seats wide. Due to inaccuracies and a slightly sloping and soft surface of this folded bench it was difficult to get this base straight in line with the already existing bench on the left side (which only covers one folded seat). <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-P-agWlNuwTfHf8_vvAD7WhqS07Qiz49kW6z4AaxITLkfKR_PkC4qYnJwIYDZ8SFfixxbAD3lzjr6mONMP_l1cGgYD294HGD35m0XNDuWsm7B3MAX48M_mNctjrTut-PXNTJeF1pBPZwZ/s1600/2015-06-17+20.33.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-P-agWlNuwTfHf8_vvAD7WhqS07Qiz49kW6z4AaxITLkfKR_PkC4qYnJwIYDZ8SFfixxbAD3lzjr6mONMP_l1cGgYD294HGD35m0XNDuWsm7B3MAX48M_mNctjrTut-PXNTJeF1pBPZwZ/s400/2015-06-17+20.33.22.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoN1tNiFCNH55MvdCQUbFwytTqq_gNHLEmeKzhZoyIfdtH_rza4Tm5I7vsZ0CiEcypOzLGhMxRRN9wGQZWKCfHMtvXrBzGjBBp5pO62RIC13Ef-VeSJUGXqvf3ZJs1e5wvam6FHJCDmVOM/s1600/P6200123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoN1tNiFCNH55MvdCQUbFwytTqq_gNHLEmeKzhZoyIfdtH_rza4Tm5I7vsZ0CiEcypOzLGhMxRRN9wGQZWKCfHMtvXrBzGjBBp5pO62RIC13Ef-VeSJUGXqvf3ZJs1e5wvam6FHJCDmVOM/s400/P6200123.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
This base I did leave more open, so that I would be able to access it to store content, even when the bed is covering it on top. But this also meant that the sides would be inherently less stable, as they would not support each other through right-angle mounting of the side walls. Therefore I put a horizontal bar at the top of the base, which would connect the front and rear walls and also would provide the support for the bed to be on top.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-BCcSroN3pc3bT5bngkAHh24NTP1InfDBqSpgiu8xRYLJoF8R7FqYQHcf2EAVGIz-uq-oX665Wnd4_TLjVLrrOV8xW1QYTGK6zcz7rqOPsm405scTPlZL1wyAZnFK_pxfjl5qS036adr/s1600/P6200126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-BCcSroN3pc3bT5bngkAHh24NTP1InfDBqSpgiu8xRYLJoF8R7FqYQHcf2EAVGIz-uq-oX665Wnd4_TLjVLrrOV8xW1QYTGK6zcz7rqOPsm405scTPlZL1wyAZnFK_pxfjl5qS036adr/s400/P6200126.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjweoQ5qBCBwXQGLLKdCE0RYVGylhBaW_5bQANI8Ad-7EmpP6s8LhZKj3AjTFJQ0G1tOi1zeptmHSqJANP16Oiq0JtVheV8SZ8BxTz9LCJXfsbzxsOOANRbAYrKXrHZvY6wXlQ9q7QSIwb/s1600/P6200128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjweoQ5qBCBwXQGLLKdCE0RYVGylhBaW_5bQANI8Ad-7EmpP6s8LhZKj3AjTFJQ0G1tOi1zeptmHSqJANP16Oiq0JtVheV8SZ8BxTz9LCJXfsbzxsOOANRbAYrKXrHZvY6wXlQ9q7QSIwb/s400/P6200128.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wjEhUZvOfJKBZrtKTd10SztjcECaug8yqTs2NWoJwSqCx9PhQ-dnRA6Ce1pLuzp06Arok0WiD1pXRdjQKmPD3crOLs9IPhvmHDJWXH7Cl5z2ba9MtgrRaKiG0gA0PNOLYCi0I2WEp1hY/s1600/P6200135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wjEhUZvOfJKBZrtKTd10SztjcECaug8yqTs2NWoJwSqCx9PhQ-dnRA6Ce1pLuzp06Arok0WiD1pXRdjQKmPD3crOLs9IPhvmHDJWXH7Cl5z2ba9MtgrRaKiG0gA0PNOLYCi0I2WEp1hY/s400/P6200135.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
This support is also used to stabilise the bed board on top by fitting between two other support beams which form a grove into which this support bar can fit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAh1_qGE-k_6e6nQcL8K3hKdg9_ZVIvu2irjGFa0ziVtYZh3k5kNgxMN3q-zq1_KDt9SZK6vIGEXKuaqoP4Z12mcUF6-SFY4Nzvh11bzBC6JfEN-hn0O1Fow9N0xow7bGkqI6CcQysL9MB/s1600/P6200137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAh1_qGE-k_6e6nQcL8K3hKdg9_ZVIvu2irjGFa0ziVtYZh3k5kNgxMN3q-zq1_KDt9SZK6vIGEXKuaqoP4Z12mcUF6-SFY4Nzvh11bzBC6JfEN-hn0O1Fow9N0xow7bGkqI6CcQysL9MB/s400/P6200137.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdboNsjXCh4rxdMw7Iwy3p8O4CpgHbjr60Aui6wmMCkaK-KOkcG8GNdYdQ-V1FmDiNgD5aRdDXyiBB9l_HqXkbf9SVVeWl4ngSC54KSYeZ4uHB6-ic5HCk3B0qNJINCMLMlzVjfrCpxne/s1600/P6200141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdboNsjXCh4rxdMw7Iwy3p8O4CpgHbjr60Aui6wmMCkaK-KOkcG8GNdYdQ-V1FmDiNgD5aRdDXyiBB9l_HqXkbf9SVVeWl4ngSC54KSYeZ4uHB6-ic5HCk3B0qNJINCMLMlzVjfrCpxne/s400/P6200141.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOT6xZudAn_8PrhXmhn6qZJRngsk-6z8MU74LsplzVrJ-fVmNkqjbTYIBnCK1fFuiMOKzuu6VbZmqpa5VkMxx8j7oBL74yFm_W7tP8V_pCheQNpSnc85I3TO17VNedJdCQWjKRji_tjHpb/s1600/P6200143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOT6xZudAn_8PrhXmhn6qZJRngsk-6z8MU74LsplzVrJ-fVmNkqjbTYIBnCK1fFuiMOKzuu6VbZmqpa5VkMxx8j7oBL74yFm_W7tP8V_pCheQNpSnc85I3TO17VNedJdCQWjKRji_tjHpb/s400/P6200143.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Now there are two beds usable in the MicroCamper. When folded, the bed boards fit behind the driver seat, as shown in the picture below:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYGy7ni80Cu-D3MzVrQoiT71UMCYZsgapsyFmRBDLlzwd3toFVv0lSTwer1J4NLs01Y1jNxxbACn0vxnvObnOKeroJjngECkRLxb_X_PuaxznMfrB85rw2mYTFT7OMVvO4Pcrh3hVkExj/s1600/P6200147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYGy7ni80Cu-D3MzVrQoiT71UMCYZsgapsyFmRBDLlzwd3toFVv0lSTwer1J4NLs01Y1jNxxbACn0vxnvObnOKeroJjngECkRLxb_X_PuaxznMfrB85rw2mYTFT7OMVvO4Pcrh3hVkExj/s400/P6200147.JPG" /></a></div>
Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-16290121492174814332015-06-14T23:12:00.000+01:002015-06-16T00:25:40.865+01:00The first bedThe next milestone was to complete one of the bed supports. This is made of two MDF boards which are connected via a piano hinge so that it can be folded. The total length of this first bed is 1.85 m, the width is 0.60 m. I had to cut out some parts on the side where the board touches the vehicle wall. Also, towards the end, the vehicle is tapered somewhat, so the board also becomes more narrow. This would be just a kind of "emergency" bed, due to the quite small size. But it fits in the back with even the passenger seat in its regular position. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgXoXik5FO64xQvF9cf0S4gVk9lQqyo8YXwN8GS8_2CD6bOOZeIUggxaUqPRRc5ia5KVOOiNhTGVsCb0FPJCnIEhY422KQaSg6XHd3vJv4N-WzVdO3ZhSOMcACwtGj-xyZp1vvwy_ZoGU/s1600/2015-06-13+16.17.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgXoXik5FO64xQvF9cf0S4gVk9lQqyo8YXwN8GS8_2CD6bOOZeIUggxaUqPRRc5ia5KVOOiNhTGVsCb0FPJCnIEhY422KQaSg6XHd3vJv4N-WzVdO3ZhSOMcACwtGj-xyZp1vvwy_ZoGU/s400/2015-06-13+16.17.10.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2TUOmguvcPgkutj5saFmdTf0FyWxIFK5b18qVCOoiahBgPLxn4euUyRhTjRln9Acw5hyZaRZBtJ4sfP0fau5n-2NMJaj9oi1QPoq5ywwPvUgBW2e3KZu854Z2uQPM84uGC4uFN93KFjj/s1600/2015-06-13+19.01.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2TUOmguvcPgkutj5saFmdTf0FyWxIFK5b18qVCOoiahBgPLxn4euUyRhTjRln9Acw5hyZaRZBtJ4sfP0fau5n-2NMJaj9oi1QPoq5ywwPvUgBW2e3KZu854Z2uQPM84uGC4uFN93KFjj/s400/2015-06-13+19.01.32.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oFRqEnJrEQn0WkHaKYZO4UNAS7m27GEDKlKdy3togPTYWBQTk4RdmHYXqgMDDXY9X_4hXBp5VPN9-B23pVQRpigxYboskWpXsm9WqDF3NEq5219eJ9o0WbRLHy6BxuxTybLojq92yKrn/s1600/2015-06-13+20.00.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oFRqEnJrEQn0WkHaKYZO4UNAS7m27GEDKlKdy3togPTYWBQTk4RdmHYXqgMDDXY9X_4hXBp5VPN9-B23pVQRpigxYboskWpXsm9WqDF3NEq5219eJ9o0WbRLHy6BxuxTybLojq92yKrn/s400/2015-06-13+20.00.24.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In the back there is one foldable support leg, which supports the weight of the person on the bed. When folded, the bed support is just 95 cm long and can be stacked away either vertically behind the driver seat or horizontally onto the folded rear right seat bench.<br />
Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-48125676799829011592015-05-31T01:23:00.000+01:002015-06-09T01:43:37.576+01:00Left-side support moduleThe first of the bed support modules is now completed. I covered the base platform with vehicle trim (affixed by glue and by stapler gun), then put two beech laminate furniture boards on top as the walls which would provide storage and would support the bed board on its top. This module can be placed onto the left folded rear seat, while the right part of the rear bench can still be used for seating passengers. This will allow a single bed being used with only that single rear seat being folded.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskCGaFMWWOW5KocPb4zWUtZ7twuUoL0O-1YTk9pHpvNterE4Tw6mu3b34g2qD7M9qhE4MVW8sXS1gOAWuX2kr86GYtqyNQT68ypbtxEYw1329TvtmBN3BxViGM5bNQhpSqrMSN-S4Q7Cx/s1600/P5310260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskCGaFMWWOW5KocPb4zWUtZ7twuUoL0O-1YTk9pHpvNterE4Tw6mu3b34g2qD7M9qhE4MVW8sXS1gOAWuX2kr86GYtqyNQT68ypbtxEYw1329TvtmBN3BxViGM5bNQhpSqrMSN-S4Q7Cx/s400/P5310260.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVG17ZwO8QeSFaCPCNie_BYpITeqa9vY4mr7OGNBIffWpQEKTN-oC301pGBNIQEenQVXX56PNCe195rN6_c2GGO4GdkK2PMfzmpLOLPJi0LcFHYaq4kY6d2ylwtHycwm63fL_4DXGifPu/s1600/P5310266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVG17ZwO8QeSFaCPCNie_BYpITeqa9vY4mr7OGNBIffWpQEKTN-oC301pGBNIQEenQVXX56PNCe195rN6_c2GGO4GdkK2PMfzmpLOLPJi0LcFHYaq4kY6d2ylwtHycwm63fL_4DXGifPu/s400/P5310266.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfwR_9MTs-U63zQ0mDdpi138EHvaFPI5BMP8y1oz1IZuQjKfidDXvzD2DLX-mIDf46v36Rhy3pIzPOHAH0_oFay_jphXKfMKVg1qe9N7EUaGffRWouZTtrNqeRuB0EjrfGm1B78d_wHbZ/s1600/P5310269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfwR_9MTs-U63zQ0mDdpi138EHvaFPI5BMP8y1oz1IZuQjKfidDXvzD2DLX-mIDf46v36Rhy3pIzPOHAH0_oFay_jphXKfMKVg1qe9N7EUaGffRWouZTtrNqeRuB0EjrfGm1B78d_wHbZ/s400/P5310269.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKk-7ExXX9xeUucwyOCJ203JgVuVv6-ZSz87-6_Y_DmeXitSS66tE9F1Dwg_2Fsyo0of0go_mAaMutHOvTlDbwZZyNMLbbKFZbMGGaBDTiB_RxxL7sOLmlWr65P4vLc-9cwuFl0s1nz9V/s1600/2015-05-31+18.08.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKk-7ExXX9xeUucwyOCJ203JgVuVv6-ZSz87-6_Y_DmeXitSS66tE9F1Dwg_2Fsyo0of0go_mAaMutHOvTlDbwZZyNMLbbKFZbMGGaBDTiB_RxxL7sOLmlWr65P4vLc-9cwuFl0s1nz9V/s400/2015-05-31+18.08.59.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFUYIZS6KX7Cu5Z8VxYnSdvGbUZdzf3REmE10v3vZKgrrE6QuLnl9UfY_YmShuSwZeGcciKl4zA7RgDr0rAVtTl_SghMcU6AbaEkwD9fseVPUxFNsndwqK1cbZpdAzq4dgr3y_jEB6kNW/s1600/2015-05-31+21.58.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFUYIZS6KX7Cu5Z8VxYnSdvGbUZdzf3REmE10v3vZKgrrE6QuLnl9UfY_YmShuSwZeGcciKl4zA7RgDr0rAVtTl_SghMcU6AbaEkwD9fseVPUxFNsndwqK1cbZpdAzq4dgr3y_jEB6kNW/s400/2015-05-31+21.58.15.jpg" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-15898023722179853982015-05-28T19:00:00.000+01:002015-06-09T01:12:31.969+01:00Inspection by the catThe scruffy cat from the neighbors stopped by to inspect the car engine. Everything seems alright there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFV1Gc8IJlO3pTyGx9RN5sNHmOgiuV6HTrWZxvPZ9ZPddrkkfeR_CrLgWkWfgyEsgwCxPDHg_rFq05jvc9vAtmFVe79WO3HycGKzxHekuxkwRZBBSrDjw3nNPfhuXQ-hNCvG1F96DQJV4/s1600/2015-05-28+18.34.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFV1Gc8IJlO3pTyGx9RN5sNHmOgiuV6HTrWZxvPZ9ZPddrkkfeR_CrLgWkWfgyEsgwCxPDHg_rFq05jvc9vAtmFVe79WO3HycGKzxHekuxkwRZBBSrDjw3nNPfhuXQ-hNCvG1F96DQJV4/s400/2015-05-28+18.34.59.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNarN2XskzOI0BK1F6z9elnGEuj8cJ7ooz51afO0QjDOfWeySLLQlG1QABs3bRyTfl2oiziDBvilI0QsV_nDfuxUA6rnHtWeP9q9A_eQemVnc2OBBzKSoJghAHfBwgclxrAE0fL_ybVE4/s1600/2015-05-28+18.35.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNarN2XskzOI0BK1F6z9elnGEuj8cJ7ooz51afO0QjDOfWeySLLQlG1QABs3bRyTfl2oiziDBvilI0QsV_nDfuxUA6rnHtWeP9q9A_eQemVnc2OBBzKSoJghAHfBwgclxrAE0fL_ybVE4/s400/2015-05-28+18.35.04.jpg" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-86397699565322327952015-05-28T01:05:00.000+01:002015-06-09T01:13:33.080+01:00BlindsFrom Wilco I got 60cm wide silver horizontal blinds, to keep the light out and to create a bit of a stylish atmosphere. The blinds are currently up to 160cm long, but I can remove most of these blinds to shorten the vertical drop so that it just covers the window space.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2R9vvJBzaYzg99cLjdNu5X2qGXf1rFn-vYOhHWtIHWwgGt0jrsmBa9gB6RGFIgE784ThtOJbzJz2VkcWmL0AwZgoNZrJy6FBh1e9a_yF6jJXODOy9iCoIQAAdv-4tgNqwf0hKCEeqA0HG/s1600/2015-05-17+14.41.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2R9vvJBzaYzg99cLjdNu5X2qGXf1rFn-vYOhHWtIHWwgGt0jrsmBa9gB6RGFIgE784ThtOJbzJz2VkcWmL0AwZgoNZrJy6FBh1e9a_yF6jJXODOy9iCoIQAAdv-4tgNqwf0hKCEeqA0HG/s400/2015-05-17+14.41.17.jpg" /></a><br />
Without the blinds.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60PltoeYoWYGzFSDwHFMEm5QODZ2xwPXRp55GhegEDL23VFiRRg3-tvYeicRtp0auJLYFHSqmFL_eedsI4hz6e6_MP8ZsW1jJ0w-O8aA_QjWxLxe9TWRK_iB7oedOIRVfEWSgDPtyEPGl/s1600/2015-05-28+18.04.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60PltoeYoWYGzFSDwHFMEm5QODZ2xwPXRp55GhegEDL23VFiRRg3-tvYeicRtp0auJLYFHSqmFL_eedsI4hz6e6_MP8ZsW1jJ0w-O8aA_QjWxLxe9TWRK_iB7oedOIRVfEWSgDPtyEPGl/s400/2015-05-28+18.04.00.jpg" /></a><br />
With the blinds.</div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-89973717264849161792015-05-11T00:59:00.000+01:002015-06-09T01:00:11.009+01:00Cargo Net in the roofFor additional lightweight but bulky items like bedding I added a stretchable cargo net. This can be removed if not needed. It will carry all the bed blankets, pillows, matresses.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1f3JJV_QOsj7O4r93GgLF0Y9tf04-5ouagpuzzpdXeF1g2_8rxFZd8BZOQfiUmDLpWYmkmDrXIAmQMWJv2Skm5LVcJl1xNWVzJUbatyAcGQbcWpl_34bAkbuUMQHUYZNxZcFxU3zcARM/s1600/2015-05-10+12.42.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1f3JJV_QOsj7O4r93GgLF0Y9tf04-5ouagpuzzpdXeF1g2_8rxFZd8BZOQfiUmDLpWYmkmDrXIAmQMWJv2Skm5LVcJl1xNWVzJUbatyAcGQbcWpl_34bAkbuUMQHUYZNxZcFxU3zcARM/s400/2015-05-10+12.42.47.jpg" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-7082155620970520632015-05-10T00:56:00.000+01:002015-06-16T00:08:12.389+01:00The (future) bedFor the bed I bought 4 1200x600 mm MDF boards, cut them down to 900x600 mm, and connected two of each with a "piano hinge". This will be the foldable underlay of two beds which will be placed on top of the work top. Since this vehicle has the raised roof, it is not necessary to put the bed down very low, but instead the whole worktop structure can be used as a stable basis. These two beds (one on the left, one on the right) will also be able to be connected via a bridge board, so that the whole vehicle width can be utilised. This is a distinctive advantage over most campervan installations that I have seen - most use the 3/4 with for the Rock&Roll bed only, so that the width of such a bed usually is only about 90-110 cm. Mine will be able to cover the whole width of 140 cm - a nice double.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbuEUABokevUAaHWCyfTaxeO11lnq9ci6vNiacTstG9dP_EjjLvSAjb9ewM4OCEhDw6HieMu6BD8L3Y3YCTFcTQ_sVr4HxE-5u8jd-VKu0W_hmA8yxko7hFgnGvJAY3hmGjpCzrKWXY8p/s1600/2015-05-09+20.05.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbuEUABokevUAaHWCyfTaxeO11lnq9ci6vNiacTstG9dP_EjjLvSAjb9ewM4OCEhDw6HieMu6BD8L3Y3YCTFcTQ_sVr4HxE-5u8jd-VKu0W_hmA8yxko7hFgnGvJAY3hmGjpCzrKWXY8p/s400/2015-05-09+20.05.52.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPteWB1VbbRbH6c_hEMZK_nbgXOb3l_TzI4xGKS3cr5VexsOwyjHYHI70L-bTPp39v3Mub2PoX4MHS__4tPJcX3AQ2TZnBUb18PkCSLlLLHiYmbrk90MGenia4KVpRSI4fHKdUHV5kx70/s1600/2015-05-09+20.05.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPteWB1VbbRbH6c_hEMZK_nbgXOb3l_TzI4xGKS3cr5VexsOwyjHYHI70L-bTPp39v3Mub2PoX4MHS__4tPJcX3AQ2TZnBUb18PkCSLlLLHiYmbrk90MGenia4KVpRSI4fHKdUHV5kx70/s400/2015-05-09+20.05.59.jpg" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-86875801099781507662015-05-04T22:18:00.000+01:002015-05-09T00:56:24.468+01:00Upgrade of the 12V electricsWhen preparing the vertical auxiliary panel, I used the opportunity to re-wire the electric box which I had assembled. It had been too small to be closed, so I now used all that empty space in between the panels for laying out the wiring more generously, with better access. I also had bought a new volt/amp meter for the battery which would indicate if current goes into the battery (charging) or goes out. The previously used ampmeter only did show current that did come out of the battery. The new meter is installed in the grey box in the centre. I will still have to decide what to do with the now obsolete previous V/A meter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZJO3vagI6n4r2PfNIGRdd7hfy5JJKeZu16MCCHHY21Z1aV4R0nued8SwIGVeIzz_76akguJUg5IFhHFREGe4hBHEkoGM9ldxtTqPPGRMAb0xIly1uKovrTMuwARV7fbndSwTBNSqhY8L/s1600/P1370468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZJO3vagI6n4r2PfNIGRdd7hfy5JJKeZu16MCCHHY21Z1aV4R0nued8SwIGVeIzz_76akguJUg5IFhHFREGe4hBHEkoGM9ldxtTqPPGRMAb0xIly1uKovrTMuwARV7fbndSwTBNSqhY8L/s400/P1370468.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoAiVUlTrFNnvHIdM-4DLoP6eL3j9cJeuL25F7HEY3jL0U4fHja6ZQUjy2FdtEmIoqwwrFZMC0FsGu5G4Wdd6J3t_NvJdhORNuAQ1U3zT2AwZccdgpPa8VTaU-1SOr4zB4OjGq1SHLldR/s1600/P1370486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoAiVUlTrFNnvHIdM-4DLoP6eL3j9cJeuL25F7HEY3jL0U4fHja6ZQUjy2FdtEmIoqwwrFZMC0FsGu5G4Wdd6J3t_NvJdhORNuAQ1U3zT2AwZccdgpPa8VTaU-1SOr4zB4OjGq1SHLldR/s400/P1370486.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I also got another solar controller, rated at 30A, which has a multifunction display and shows more information about the status of the voltages / currents. And I added two green LEDs which indicate the status of the split charge relay: one LED indicates it there is voltage from the front vehicle battery arriving at the split charge relay, and the other LED indicates if the split charge relay is connecting both batteries (when the engine is on and the alternator recharges both batteries).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iBhF2FAqiCfrH72I7he-TYVgsiPtmA02nercwJoKqaqbhKsL_KbGzuPD6ZM8h85ItvX34Ez9xh0Hlx-AQvs4w_M94kfziS1ZdhceYWsgZnN4RYQ71ELVmGQUxPb5d5L1SXIUZz-DbdlP/s1600/P1370492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iBhF2FAqiCfrH72I7he-TYVgsiPtmA02nercwJoKqaqbhKsL_KbGzuPD6ZM8h85ItvX34Ez9xh0Hlx-AQvs4w_M94kfziS1ZdhceYWsgZnN4RYQ71ELVmGQUxPb5d5L1SXIUZz-DbdlP/s400/P1370492.JPG" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-15654304684253247682015-05-03T23:54:00.000+01:002015-05-09T00:08:49.406+01:00A shelf and another vertical panelNow it was time to finally hide all those cables of the 12V circuits which were spread on the work top above the refrigerator. The first step was to attach a shelf at the top of the side window. There was a mounting point which had originally been added as a part of the disabled-wheelchair seat belt - it was above the right rear side window and provided a strong mounting point. I got an 80cm long rounded shelf board from <a href="http://www.diy.com/">B&Q</a> and cut it so that it did smoothly stretched from the rear panel to above the side window.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmVXwqLg4YgDQK9nVECG1YkdcWxKAicoViKulwRkVV1WaXpFnkdGL_kGasIHrRvoO0kJ9qAZQ3A8gsVRFPNSUhbz3ocFGg3DG98MNywfyzhNbdvH0mLpDS0LzqFB2BNSzBPc8icWEB4Ud/s1600/P1370462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmVXwqLg4YgDQK9nVECG1YkdcWxKAicoViKulwRkVV1WaXpFnkdGL_kGasIHrRvoO0kJ9qAZQ3A8gsVRFPNSUhbz3ocFGg3DG98MNywfyzhNbdvH0mLpDS0LzqFB2BNSzBPc8icWEB4Ud/s400/P1370462.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Then I prepared the final vertical panel, which would fit under that shelf, parallel to the rear panel.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7Nk_3ktuLfWE2ONbHeNRmBbm1RTVx6VEsASCBmac82PAGSI4WEXPlUqTIRb7cb12nquHe7o8a_l3rZ0dc3FOjmL6oQO5282ZC6DT72aSBHB1c1OqH1tsQ5pNYdQNDXJmZwjD-5xE6ybf/s1600/2015-05-03+18.40.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7Nk_3ktuLfWE2ONbHeNRmBbm1RTVx6VEsASCBmac82PAGSI4WEXPlUqTIRb7cb12nquHe7o8a_l3rZ0dc3FOjmL6oQO5282ZC6DT72aSBHB1c1OqH1tsQ5pNYdQNDXJmZwjD-5xE6ybf/s400/2015-05-03+18.40.43.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And here is how the completed area looks:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicL9gf2mS3P-NySoZCWMeeAqMVgayH0jBjUoWzn4FJyrYMDgmBZ041hOsah7d7Zjfl3cnt9fA94EDZ4NqFz51hjHYZdxsDXsX5M0jn85NzRwAxnl-kVFzVKnDIBz-w7VZjDFITR0BQAfDE/s1600/2015-05-04+18.47.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicL9gf2mS3P-NySoZCWMeeAqMVgayH0jBjUoWzn4FJyrYMDgmBZ041hOsah7d7Zjfl3cnt9fA94EDZ4NqFz51hjHYZdxsDXsX5M0jn85NzRwAxnl-kVFzVKnDIBz-w7VZjDFITR0BQAfDE/s400/2015-05-04+18.47.10.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I also had attached the carbon-monoxide detector and the smoke detector (on the top part of the rear panel). And, as can be seen in the above Photo, there is even a space for the coffee maker (it is attached to the work top so that it does not slide or falls).<br />
<br />
Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-63429240508387480682015-04-25T23:47:00.000+01:002015-05-08T23:51:06.725+01:00240V mains power circuitsOne of the first things that I had installed in this camper was the <a href="http://microcamper.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/external-electricity-port.html">external mains connection</a>, which would allow to connect an external 240V AC power into the vehicle. I had use this already for powering a heater fan, when working during the autumn months in the rear of the vehicle.<br />
But for regular use of 240V, for example at campsites, it is important to install proper circuit breakers when connecting to the camp site's power. From eBay I had ordered a while ago a small circuit breaker box, for a maximum current of 16A, which seems sufficient to me. The box is watertight. The power distribution is in a watertight junction box, to which the power plugs are connected. The power plug box itself is currently not of a watertight type, but maybe I will change this later.<br />
<br />
I decided to affix these boxes (fuse box, distributor box, power plugs) at the back of the vertical panel, so that they would not take away more valuable space inside the vehicle. There is enough space, as the rear window in the small right barn door leaves a large gap. Below these boxes is a battery charger which can charge the battery once external power is connected.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC_wiJeiQ_tdXSquDdsy_t1LvsBg_P2Jw2iQuwCp4L4Y2GE7k_x_Blk7VXSnB5ZCBApUavevwbtn1x9EcqNvYPfESMwk7r5MRHxe-6448mSYEbYkI4gOf5nfPnZ-4lm97KFi5rbw3Kz0t/s1600/2015-04-26+19.24.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC_wiJeiQ_tdXSquDdsy_t1LvsBg_P2Jw2iQuwCp4L4Y2GE7k_x_Blk7VXSnB5ZCBApUavevwbtn1x9EcqNvYPfESMwk7r5MRHxe-6448mSYEbYkI4gOf5nfPnZ-4lm97KFi5rbw3Kz0t/s400/2015-04-26+19.24.41.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOcpMxgAcOH30Hdp8PKMmD3G7TLhA0zmD2EXdudBtTGFeYp4_KTL9PbpxVdzE93M4IMOxaHcta3lNfRDiUJmCJ-SBj5QgzNXBHGFclhjQGFR5RICUXrL0gsDsOK6TTT56VeC4cqhwHsJK/s1600/2015-04-26+20.33.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOcpMxgAcOH30Hdp8PKMmD3G7TLhA0zmD2EXdudBtTGFeYp4_KTL9PbpxVdzE93M4IMOxaHcta3lNfRDiUJmCJ-SBj5QgzNXBHGFclhjQGFR5RICUXrL0gsDsOK6TTT56VeC4cqhwHsJK/s400/2015-04-26+20.33.17.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-46016433030278657732015-04-24T22:54:00.000+01:002015-05-08T22:54:52.446+01:00A rolling blind at the rear windowThe windows of this car are tinted, so they provide some privacy. However, when staying actually in it overnight, it is important to have some kind of curtain or blind. At <a href="http://www.wilko.com/">Wilco</a> I saw rolling blinds, and I got a blue one with 60 cm width. Originally I wanted to use it for one of the side windows, but then it also fits nicely at the rear window on the barn door, and so I affixed it there. I was able to drill small screw holes into the metal next to the window, so that the top mechanism for holding the blind could be attached. The picture below shows the blind rolled down at the rear door.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFX66plQq2-5e-gmGC0Qgl15LAd8A3jwQvJbzE9OEqUctpF9AeFxLpgLE_EFGbuqH-qqD6ZLRZRQRJ45Z8y8Qm0LDv0CENuzZscqtGO3FLCHmSRcYnu5ADCjA30s7al-IGzZ2lzZr1ngH/s1600/2015-04-24+18.57.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFX66plQq2-5e-gmGC0Qgl15LAd8A3jwQvJbzE9OEqUctpF9AeFxLpgLE_EFGbuqH-qqD6ZLRZRQRJ45Z8y8Qm0LDv0CENuzZscqtGO3FLCHmSRcYnu5ADCjA30s7al-IGzZ2lzZr1ngH/s400/2015-04-24+18.57.32.jpg" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-52767686619006773832015-04-19T23:18:00.000+01:002015-04-21T00:42:23.054+01:00Fixing the carpetUntil now I only had placed the carpet tiles loosely onto the floor, just to show how they would fit. Now it was time to affix them, so that I could use the rear space to its full capacity. I cut the remaining tiles under the folded rear seat bench so that all the floor area was covered. A few months ago I had prepared the area under the bench with an isolating underlay, as I had planned to place possibly a wood laminate floor. Now I simply glued the cut tiles onto this underlay. There will be very little force onto these regions, as they will mostly remain under the seat bench.<br />
<br />
I did use the heavy duty adhesive spray (which I had used for the trim and the insulation) and did spray it onto the ground and underlay, then put the tiles on top. Did work fine, they are sitting very stable.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1qmqD2xLmTH6cKsaTZrPInuzGeUZ5-KEokLxXqc1bZ6jJkQhNOp-bffBXN6eDxncg-HuTXthDqal7YOswexKuE7shm-HBajT5sFt9fMA8MQmN2FKl6XTkldF04nHB88Y-StdoXgZIEgy/s1600/2015-04-19+15.08.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1qmqD2xLmTH6cKsaTZrPInuzGeUZ5-KEokLxXqc1bZ6jJkQhNOp-bffBXN6eDxncg-HuTXthDqal7YOswexKuE7shm-HBajT5sFt9fMA8MQmN2FKl6XTkldF04nHB88Y-StdoXgZIEgy/s400/2015-04-19+15.08.42.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
As can be seen in the picture, I left the motor wrench installed, which had been used for pulling up a wheel chair when the ramp still was installed. Who knows for what I might need it sometime...<br />
<br />
Then I decided to quickly build the 2nd part of the modular platform which is to be placed onto the other folded part of the rear seat bench. This concept of two independent platforms which can be placed onto the foldable parts of the rear bench seat, allows a flexibility of using the car for transporting 3, 4 or 5 people. And when made into the 2-people camper (both parts of the rear seat folded down), then the whole space is to be used for storing luggage or other equipment.<br />
<br />
Here are the two platforms onto the folded rear bench:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNivJtSuW_uh-9zlvRGcVaysHYeaR5hwtrYjNNlC_htJ8ozJ390qRJUt1tlD2bIxns3tGenW0QdK4a2US3gMQVS-m1UIO1cRbBQR45TlpNTa7yitkDnGFBOs_fPUFYQUAlpnaDjCa2J7V/s1600/2015-04-19+17.09.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNivJtSuW_uh-9zlvRGcVaysHYeaR5hwtrYjNNlC_htJ8ozJ390qRJUt1tlD2bIxns3tGenW0QdK4a2US3gMQVS-m1UIO1cRbBQR45TlpNTa7yitkDnGFBOs_fPUFYQUAlpnaDjCa2J7V/s400/2015-04-19+17.09.16.jpg" /></a></div>
Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-69568295154396398032015-04-13T01:29:00.000+01:002015-04-13T01:29:00.769+01:00CarpetingFor a long while I had deliberated what kind of floor would be best. Originally I wanted a wood laminate. But then I figured that it would easily be damaged, and things would slide back and forth when I would transport stuff. So I decided to get some cheap carpet tiles. I cut them to size and placed them for now without glue on the floor. I find that looks now quite inviting!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5YjtAVLBrzkpYwhzFO_MBDOxV8y_yiJHKq4jofGbryPK5sIyBKubGuUjeUYWyOTFGFEiPDaCzhRvDiV5GB1anLVWnJag1jHMQoAxmgejcDAKtDIU3rvrGkzj_04v1SExWFL9Zs0HMVpU/s1600/2015-04-12+16.50.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5YjtAVLBrzkpYwhzFO_MBDOxV8y_yiJHKq4jofGbryPK5sIyBKubGuUjeUYWyOTFGFEiPDaCzhRvDiV5GB1anLVWnJag1jHMQoAxmgejcDAKtDIU3rvrGkzj_04v1SExWFL9Zs0HMVpU/s400/2015-04-12+16.50.23.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-39607377502126181472015-04-11T01:10:00.000+01:002015-04-13T01:25:25.717+01:00Finalising the worktop - and another shelfThe large worktop over the refrigerator needed some final work: the right rear speaker was waiting to be installed, and vents for the fridge compressor needed to be cut. Also the +12V wire from the leisure battery needed a thicker cable. So I took again out the tools, installed a thicker cable, and cut speaker and vent outlets into the worktop. I also guided the connector for the wrench remote upwards above the work top. The car still has that motor wrench which was used to pull in a wheel chair, when the ramp was still installed. I did not remove it, maybe it will come in handy some time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM27DyVyfaYxI70REiNNxJN2KIURca3DDq9LfL3AaqqwrYrCVZm-qrPgs-g33YMMQahZjE5Yc4C0J5S1R70ZA1IjvtUDGza0wO4S7WpWVTtdcCTkwC_5ty5D65W751F-vb-gGWoWIvZIU0/s1600/2015-04-11+16.57.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM27DyVyfaYxI70REiNNxJN2KIURca3DDq9LfL3AaqqwrYrCVZm-qrPgs-g33YMMQahZjE5Yc4C0J5S1R70ZA1IjvtUDGza0wO4S7WpWVTtdcCTkwC_5ty5D65W751F-vb-gGWoWIvZIU0/s400/2015-04-11+16.57.12.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Now for the first time since the removal of the original rear panels I have a rear speaker. Of course that is only one, which is not very satisfying. Therefore I decided to mount also something on the left side, to be able to install the other speaker there as well. I did not want to use up much space, but the structure needed to be solid and supportive, at the same height as the opposite main worktop, because it would serve later as the basis for the bedding that would be put on top.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB2uNIUxQeZ8H9XVzhnpr2Rta_NmuFAUR_EClD76ohJEqIIX0FarQkpxQbKImcNuLFdRe38MXA0NVVx33F6V730HS0yKHWQppVq0TBYlf4fs-RXQaLxqoz_Bh1NhOZJqo73M6p3KCvHSx/s1600/2015-04-11+17.44.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB2uNIUxQeZ8H9XVzhnpr2Rta_NmuFAUR_EClD76ohJEqIIX0FarQkpxQbKImcNuLFdRe38MXA0NVVx33F6V730HS0yKHWQppVq0TBYlf4fs-RXQaLxqoz_Bh1NhOZJqo73M6p3KCvHSx/s400/2015-04-11+17.44.48.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCVELNCZA6pDzyIEjo4SMoPCJnKVG-yJZ7UYyy9Kc7_yxSotU5HC6OC1n_fMzCs8AzaYow0tWnCYTcd9dFaasNJJedmyWYhnyaB-PDzrOIvmub8ySih4zkiecDqZlTwoRkrz7iS4YXDDD/s1600/P1370228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCVELNCZA6pDzyIEjo4SMoPCJnKVG-yJZ7UYyy9Kc7_yxSotU5HC6OC1n_fMzCs8AzaYow0tWnCYTcd9dFaasNJJedmyWYhnyaB-PDzrOIvmub8ySih4zkiecDqZlTwoRkrz7iS4YXDDD/s400/P1370228.JPG" /></a></div>Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589966788736549481.post-43517337442608290852015-04-10T23:51:00.000+01:002015-04-13T01:09:33.320+01:00Electrics - control boxFor white a while I had all the electric wiring for the solar controller and the refrigerator done with flying wires, without any hidden installation. I had added a split charge relay, and had connected this to another relay to disconnect the solar panel when the engine alternator was charging the leisure battery. Worked all fine, but did not look very good.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0S9odUUbugTwSVB1gnYvizAGBp-cWTcb3I5V3g66P88LpEPLcjl969wPa04NXt_zbUuiZBBXQB3g_QTIAt0T9tDwtKw52mbPXMtrNOMcreYcDuHwUEdFSB9JIAai-bvV56pEFH1r8nOo/s1600/P1370141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0S9odUUbugTwSVB1gnYvizAGBp-cWTcb3I5V3g66P88LpEPLcjl969wPa04NXt_zbUuiZBBXQB3g_QTIAt0T9tDwtKw52mbPXMtrNOMcreYcDuHwUEdFSB9JIAai-bvV56pEFH1r8nOo/s400/P1370141.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj68i82d_qF1A2F5UchswRZIvqzTgCiCJNgO_HfLa-UMcV58-G_V09-WeMwdNZfdUDaXWTj5LgJQ6GQFv6xCTZJQ48viU_8CcFczESqF7Bl25-IsbfvbVQ2aWkXi-r5_XrhCCFDrswRZJx/s1600/2015-04-05+17.48.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj68i82d_qF1A2F5UchswRZIvqzTgCiCJNgO_HfLa-UMcV58-G_V09-WeMwdNZfdUDaXWTj5LgJQ6GQFv6xCTZJQ48viU_8CcFczESqF7Bl25-IsbfvbVQ2aWkXi-r5_XrhCCFDrswRZJx/s400/2015-04-05+17.48.42.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For quite a while I had designed a control box which I wanted to place in between all my electrics and the solar control box. My own box would provide me with voltages and currents, so I could finally see how much the solar panel would charge the battery, and how much my electrics would use. Here is the latest plan of this concept:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMEou_78YKz7_heJZb_uUurIcWtxvCpIMdHLsIeYloOuPgwE9twU6FEztLV6-RBCX4I_f-_GUVoRlc5x7-ummb0joRzCq1eYuaL_FaV-sTT3edqm2vjeI0frbL3WzRMUCOaknbgNPxgr1/s1600/12V+circuits+150412.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMEou_78YKz7_heJZb_uUurIcWtxvCpIMdHLsIeYloOuPgwE9twU6FEztLV6-RBCX4I_f-_GUVoRlc5x7-ummb0joRzCq1eYuaL_FaV-sTT3edqm2vjeI0frbL3WzRMUCOaknbgNPxgr1/s640/12V+circuits+150412.PNG" /></a></div>
<br />
From left to right the solar controller basically has 6 inputs: +/- from solar panel, +/- from/to leisure battery, and +/- to electric load. My own box would have the same 6 inputs, would then do some switching and voltage/current measurement, then have the 6 outputs which would then connect to the solar controller. In addition I planned to connect the vehicle battery/alternator for charging while driving, then an external 12V source in case I have external power, and an input for an external battery charger. The above schematics allows all this: automatic switching to external 12V, when such a source is connected; manual choice of charging the battery; integrated split charge relay for automatic switching to charging from vehicle while engine is on; automatic disconnect of the solar panel while driving; manual override of split charge relay for explicit linking of the batteries even when not driving (for example for charging both the leisure and the car battery from the solar panel). And the design allows to show the voltages and currents in the three circuits: the solar panel, the leisure battery, and the connected load. Furthermore I wanted an external high-current output, bypassing all controllers in case I connect a high-powered device (e.g. a microwave oven). <br />
<br />
Over the time I had bought all the necessary components: 3 Volt/Ampmeters, relays, wires, and a suitable box.<br />
<br />
So I began to build. First added a little board inside the box, so I could mount the components onto it. Here is the volt/ampmeter with the required shunt resistor (a low ohm resistor which is used to measure a voltage across, which is then interpreted as a current).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzM0OyBbuQEapNz9WdoP_DcK8osJJvMrD9mAUpoPYcngRLiLUxYEv8gMQ_QNM1LOeaNJyWbhGCr-iD5G_s4AW8iwvvmFeEHHtZCuAtbhIOW5nAEgVBqjZfAEy2NYNSKbSdScXi33uFq37/s1600/P1370205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzM0OyBbuQEapNz9WdoP_DcK8osJJvMrD9mAUpoPYcngRLiLUxYEv8gMQ_QNM1LOeaNJyWbhGCr-iD5G_s4AW8iwvvmFeEHHtZCuAtbhIOW5nAEgVBqjZfAEy2NYNSKbSdScXi33uFq37/s400/P1370205.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
I tried various layouts of the backplane in the box:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrJj3GItRWOT7erogOwzwLrtH7SOOwNDg1YnYv6RIj92hPH18mPSyEXYgW1rbK7M1ZpYGyVQf1jVmTvZiJI_O7YIDXQsmSe2mMq-fxFmPphy8NNNI4Q9t6m-xpotisznsDyjBBl_RD4YK/s1600/P1370208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrJj3GItRWOT7erogOwzwLrtH7SOOwNDg1YnYv6RIj92hPH18mPSyEXYgW1rbK7M1ZpYGyVQf1jVmTvZiJI_O7YIDXQsmSe2mMq-fxFmPphy8NNNI4Q9t6m-xpotisznsDyjBBl_RD4YK/s400/P1370208.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGdZeyW5swT1PVXmZGLCA64AsjTMQbXfyHI1lq3lFoNfWrJOPRMYByoyDuC25AmY5a82b2il93ntWbme5OXHvVEA98xknv_arhIY-42dj0CABcmZg_RlqQhJVDA_GUSe0KiGxzZqUAxLq/s1600/P1370212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGdZeyW5swT1PVXmZGLCA64AsjTMQbXfyHI1lq3lFoNfWrJOPRMYByoyDuC25AmY5a82b2il93ntWbme5OXHvVEA98xknv_arhIY-42dj0CABcmZg_RlqQhJVDA_GUSe0KiGxzZqUAxLq/s400/P1370212.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduMDICS2qpWzL9PGqqSctvcHtITak9GS62qQU5X9ibrjiI0or4mr24ov1RPkWhgj1ntGVFWBk-XpbZoUUOQJ69zb6cDopPXtpipzG06ru8IJDjRkM05lt88MYw_hHpa4PVTVNCDCy3ZI0/s1600/P1370218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduMDICS2qpWzL9PGqqSctvcHtITak9GS62qQU5X9ibrjiI0or4mr24ov1RPkWhgj1ntGVFWBk-XpbZoUUOQJ69zb6cDopPXtpipzG06ru8IJDjRkM05lt88MYw_hHpa4PVTVNCDCy3ZI0/s400/P1370218.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
The front plane would have three data displays plus two switches: one for switching on the external battery charging, another one for bridging the split charge relay.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZs7EDarQlpx4GBTeT0p5-Ffb2lJ2GKxvDWNb9jB3Ynscy5mSvGDW4sWOIhUWO1KSryEtux1Y5nbXy2QDX4ygAONZ-UpdAk4877aMyIBia5dr-boF5zdMijzaNxwKFyzPSMfyQX1fjs8y/s1600/P1370210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZs7EDarQlpx4GBTeT0p5-Ffb2lJ2GKxvDWNb9jB3Ynscy5mSvGDW4sWOIhUWO1KSryEtux1Y5nbXy2QDX4ygAONZ-UpdAk4877aMyIBia5dr-boF5zdMijzaNxwKFyzPSMfyQX1fjs8y/s400/P1370210.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9OP4_6bd7-57CQuR2HTzTyDsdFRdgEq4jc5rZ0wt9jf-1ozKjPVhx8vM-RIY0f30U6En1Ya079cTHSjwzlb3cO8-RKZm7cVo-jY7Rc2V57AoYAwrpmbMM7gIJIIxXW-tYIEcJ3RtJycU/s1600/P1370214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9OP4_6bd7-57CQuR2HTzTyDsdFRdgEq4jc5rZ0wt9jf-1ozKjPVhx8vM-RIY0f30U6En1Ya079cTHSjwzlb3cO8-RKZm7cVo-jY7Rc2V57AoYAwrpmbMM7gIJIIxXW-tYIEcJ3RtJycU/s400/P1370214.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Then everything would come together...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ASNwF8ya_TgOpchQ0v8TgaHcKxTu7texyeJGH_X1ZWyWdG-KQWZaFsk6pTerBSPearOiFXIOnYhddTtwcr9aRHNGxfYzy3oEgwFaK9KE1F-jiKLvs5o-750YUuxYsyDG8mVqL-ZbfP6m/s1600/P1370215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ASNwF8ya_TgOpchQ0v8TgaHcKxTu7texyeJGH_X1ZWyWdG-KQWZaFsk6pTerBSPearOiFXIOnYhddTtwcr9aRHNGxfYzy3oEgwFaK9KE1F-jiKLvs5o-750YUuxYsyDG8mVqL-ZbfP6m/s400/P1370215.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4pUt3kA1iGRbPiB9hpnptJ3_bcAAW66DRztIoBxcjranW05NX3mtUBSJfHZLkG6roWFKy_DR2L0zGaRUoYOV9Blr72oYrKppfWu9uuPUHsiMGreC1p2a5NXVEpEFDD7oCe-Cb8GG101d/s1600/P1370220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4pUt3kA1iGRbPiB9hpnptJ3_bcAAW66DRztIoBxcjranW05NX3mtUBSJfHZLkG6roWFKy_DR2L0zGaRUoYOV9Blr72oYrKppfWu9uuPUHsiMGreC1p2a5NXVEpEFDD7oCe-Cb8GG101d/s400/P1370220.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
... and I realised that the box was too small. The thick wires (for up to 40 Ampere) and the bulky terminals did not leave any wiggle room. While in theory all the relays and the (overly large) shunt resistors would fit, in practise I was not able to close the box without the risk of creating a short circuit somewhere or damaging those very fine and sensitive Volt/Ampmenter wires. So I decided to leave the box open for now and connect it to the vehicle anyway. At the front there is now also a switchable circuit breaker for the electric consumer loads.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwp59MnLjhwpyFtkt77KiaALz_MdC0jxY2EAnDq8HfCScEkwHH8c1u7DirEHC3WvBtTbLPMA6FdhwU3E0vcgqKWzb8nmE3v_j7_Rh19RhDU1nELU4CP9ljcuwDHUnH8AARPD4NLIHIFI6/s1600/P1370221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwp59MnLjhwpyFtkt77KiaALz_MdC0jxY2EAnDq8HfCScEkwHH8c1u7DirEHC3WvBtTbLPMA6FdhwU3E0vcgqKWzb8nmE3v_j7_Rh19RhDU1nELU4CP9ljcuwDHUnH8AARPD4NLIHIFI6/s400/P1370221.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7C7oFO-0U5eRESMZWT996e3F2T25qR7ia32bNesjEFM4aG-ZeUMNDdsdIgrhL-v8lWQwxShotm9aRf5r_F3e2O0mr-UNS5tvZ1peb612apASV-6nY5KyErjOq221eF5tZwMuGK0lCoSra/s1600/P1370223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7C7oFO-0U5eRESMZWT996e3F2T25qR7ia32bNesjEFM4aG-ZeUMNDdsdIgrhL-v8lWQwxShotm9aRf5r_F3e2O0mr-UNS5tvZ1peb612apASV-6nY5KyErjOq221eF5tZwMuGK0lCoSra/s400/P1370223.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGfKUFfB8WOv08a_mSlJWvezo_bzWANvpCkVcoKOntB1QH1EVrk2myiQQ3kEoYG0n0VxejGQWPqH7y0iOYDsxCXKy4LJuENDfrCdDHGTRZ7upULi8JJUXeuooJDwofzfoPwNz-1fhSKaD/s1600/2015-04-11+13.45.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGfKUFfB8WOv08a_mSlJWvezo_bzWANvpCkVcoKOntB1QH1EVrk2myiQQ3kEoYG0n0VxejGQWPqH7y0iOYDsxCXKy4LJuENDfrCdDHGTRZ7upULi8JJUXeuooJDwofzfoPwNz-1fhSKaD/s400/2015-04-11+13.45.19.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
And - it works! The above picture shows the voltages and currents as the solar panel is loading (left v/a meter), the battery provides some output current as well (center v/a meter), and the refrigerator is on and drawing current (right v/a meter). So for the first time I can see what is actually going on in the circuits . great! Theoretically the currents of the solar panel and the battery should add up to the load - but they are 200 mA short; not sure why that is... possibly the solar panel controller uses a bit of power (each of the v/a meters uses 20 mA) ... but it also could be because the controller regulates current and voltage in the battery and in the load circuits, so that it is not the current that should add up, but the power. Based on this, there is a leakage of around 400 mW.<br />
<br />
Now I can temporarily mount this box on the vertical panel and have finally a more empty work top. The external wiring is not yet final and will be shortened eventually.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoZxeHIGM7rsbdSjnz7Z0r7ixXx7_nf_aGdDvUDNCpyaHzLT_N6211OKCzyo6KT47hSyyw38-6UcdheiB0IW5U_bqqaJFVI8WqxylCmCeBMwO_mKWpXXCZMgpf7o8Pmv1Le20bomYvtQW/s1600/2015-04-12+12.00.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoZxeHIGM7rsbdSjnz7Z0r7ixXx7_nf_aGdDvUDNCpyaHzLT_N6211OKCzyo6KT47hSyyw38-6UcdheiB0IW5U_bqqaJFVI8WqxylCmCeBMwO_mKWpXXCZMgpf7o8Pmv1Le20bomYvtQW/s400/2015-04-12+12.00.27.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Reinhold Behringerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053473926847833000noreply@blogger.com0