1993 Bushman camper trailer refit

LoneWolf said:

Wants and Needs I call them.... Start Basic and Add things as you go...

LW... :rainbow:

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That's it LW
Its what I told my kids growing up when ever they said they wanted something I couldn't afford.
Now I have to live by the same maxim
If I can't afford it I don't really need it

Sitting on my flea bay account with this item on my wish list.
12 v 200w folding solar panel kit $189.98
What do you guys think , is it worth getting ?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-200W...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

for that price i would say yes :Y:

nucopia said:

That's the reality of life on a fixed income :/

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Pollies are on fixed incomes! Never hear them complaining - better crawl back into me corner me thinks . . . . . .

But! that price is fine - I bought a Kings 160W a couple of months ago and it was $179 delivered . . . . . so a couple more amps will not go astray!

grr double post DELETE THIS PLEASE

yeah 7.62 its a good price but Its surprising how fast the costs start adding up
I will still have to save up for a good few weeks to get every thing I need.
In the mean time, I spent $100 on fleabay today and bought some odds and ends to put aside for when I start the 12 volt wiring in a few weeks when things start arriving.
10x6mm twin core cable $30
Fuse block, islalator switch and a reset circuit breaker took up the rest of the $ and will hate a2 to 3 weeks to arrive by snail mail...

Im still deciding( and SAVING) to get either a REDARC BCDC1220 $319 or a PROJECTA DUAL BATTERY DC TO DC CHARGER $255.
No idea which is the most suitable for my needs.
But I guess I need one that I can hook up to a solar a panel and also 240v mains when in a camp ground with power.. if I could also have the option later of attaching it through an Anderson plug and charge the battery off the alternator when driving, that would be a bonus..?

rotor said:

nucopia said:

That's the reality of life on a fixed income :/

Click to expand...

Pollies are on fixed incomes! Never hear them complaining - better crawl back into me corner me thinks . . . . . .

But! that price is fine - I bought a Kings 160W a couple of months ago and it was $179 delivered . . . . . so a couple more amps will not go astray!

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Yeah rotor,
I was also looking at the Adventure kings panels @ 160 w for $179.55
That super center 4x4 web site has a lot of things I would love to order.. ]

nucopia said:

yeah 7.62 its a good price but Its surprising how fast the costs start adding up
I will still have to save up for a good few weeks to get every thing I need.
In the mean time, I spent $100 on fleabay today and bought some odds and ends to put aside for when I start the 12 volt wiring in a few weeks when things start arriving.
10x6mm twin core cable $30
Fuse block, islalator switch and a reset circuit breaker took up the rest of the $ and will hate a2 to 3 weeks to arrive by snail mail...

Im still deciding( and SAVING) to get either a REDARC BCDC1220 $319 or a PROJECTA DUAL BATTERY DC TO DC CHARGER $255.
No idea which is the most suitable for my needs.
But I guess I need one that I can hook up to a solar a panel and also 240v mains when in a camp ground with power.. if I could also have the option later of attaching it through an Anderson plug and charge the battery off the alternator when driving, that would be a bonus..?

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Hey Nucopia,

Maybe something like https://www.ebay.com.au/p/CTEK-D250S-DUAL-DC-Solar-Battery-Charger/1309288407 may work for you. It charges off your alternator and also your solar panels, when your aux battery is full it starts charging up your car battery, this acts as a solar regulator so you won't need one of those either.

Then for 240V http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CTEK-M30...400069&hash=item20d625d8c3:g:DbMAAOSwxX1Zy6cS would work well.

I have a complete campsite Kakadu and this setup is what I have in it.

Cheers.

Gday Shaenae1
Would I need to get both those products or just one of them ?
I have a dual better set up under the bonnet with a 100AMP sidewinder solenoid that charges both batteries when engine is running and isolates starter battery when ignition is switched off.
If I am going to charge the trailer batteries when driving, I imagine I would need to set up some sort of switching system that switches the alternator charging from the under bonnet auxiliary batter over to the Anderson cable that connects the trailer batteries to the vehicle.. ??

The D250s is the DC-DC charger so you hook up to the solar panels or the alternator of your car to charge your camping trailer. The M300 is purely a 240V charger if you are running a generator or you are hooked up to mains. You don't need both you can run one or the other depending on how you want to charge your batteries.

The beauty about the D250s is once your battery in the camping trailer is charged via solar panels it will start to charge your Aux battery or your starting battery in your car depending how you have run the cable from your vehicle.

I would personally run the anderson plug on your vehicle from your aux battery so if you have a fridge or something else running from you car the solar panels would charge that as well, it also makes for a convenient place to plug in other things like an air compressor etc.

No need for any switching the D250 takes care of all of it.

Ok thanks Shaenae
makes sense cheers :Y:

There are multiple ways to set it up mate.
Consider a few things
How long will the trips be?
What will you power off the camper battery?
Estimated amp hours per day drawn from the camper battery?
Will you be driving each day or every couple of days with the camper hooked up?

Keep in mind your alternator is not a smart charger and will not look after your batteries, they will have a short life if that is how they will be charged.
Whether you go solar or dcdc charger or a combination to charge the camper battery will depend on the questions above.
No point having a dcdc if you are not driving it around a bit, however my dcdc has an mppt solar regulator inbuilt bcdc 1225d, but they are pricey.
Don't forget you can get second hand 190w panels for $80 from a place in Dandenong, I can get one for you and pass it on in a gt meet.
But they are 1800x800mm (you could always mount it on the roof on the 4wd) and you'll need an mppt controller to run it, not your pwm (another $100-150)

Lots of options some will overlap in handiness, some are dearer, some better suited to small use.

BTW that pwm controller you have isn't a smart charger either, it's better than being fed by an alternator (provided it is given enough amps), but it doesn't have bulk/absorption/float stages, it just goes to float voltage, that's it. But that's ok if you just use it a little bit and put maintenance charges at home with a smart charger if you have one.

How long will the trips be?

A) could be from a few days to a few weeks.. The digger wants us to go to W.A for a month later in the year or early new year..I told her its going to be hot, but she still wants to go..

What will you power off the camper battery?

A) LED strip lights x 5 they draw 0.4 amps per strip so 2 amps, then just charging a phone or ipad.
I have the 2 x UHF walking talkies that need charging every few days via a cig socket. they can be charged in vehicle or camper
The ref will be in the Prado running from the auxiliary 60 amp AGM

Estimated amp hours per day drawn from the camper battery?
A) guestamate 10<15 amps ???

Will you be driving each day or every couple of days with the camper hooked up?
A) probably be leaving it set up most of the time and putting out a solar panels to recharge.

I bite the bullet today and ordered the 200 watt flea bay folding panel for $189.98, they arrive this week.

I still don't know if I need the bcdc 1225d or not. I guess it depends
We can always pack an electrical extension cord and power board for times when we have 240 volt camp grounds and also take along a standard battery charger as a back up..
That's the thing, I don't have enough experience or knowledge to make informed choices..

Nucopia PM sent

If you are not putting the fridge in the camper your requirements become very easy.

Basically, the end goal is to look after the battery so you have power as needed and to make sure it gets charged properly so it lasts well.

A charging source that has smart charging abilities would be preferred.
A DCDC vehicle charger would be an option but totally unnecessary in your case, with the small drain you'll be placing on the battery that panel will be more than enough.

Ideally an MPPT solar controller with smart charging would be added at some stage to charge the battery nicely and to look after it long term.
But for the moment that PWM controller you have will do just fine.

You have everything you need for now, just wire it up, placing the wire in electrical conduit is a good idea if you plan to rattle the hell out of the camper.
This stuff looks neat if you are doing visible wiring inside, you can cut it at 45 to go around corners https://www.bunnings.com.au/deta-16-x-16mm-trunking_p4330857

Use decent fuses where needed, if you do use normal car type give them a little squeeze with pliers to make sure they have a good contact.

Great post guys & a very interesting build story :Y:

Lone Wolf re the legality of jerry cans on the front of my camper they are for water only....... the Prado has 180 litres of diesel standard so no need to carry additional fuel.

Rob.

7.62marksman said:

Nucopia PM sent

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:Y:
Ok here is a question.
I have to get a tool box to bolt on to the draw bar to use to house the battery and electrics etc ..
I have measured the draw bar and I can safely bolt on a box that is 550mm wide and allows the trailer free turning with out the tool box hitting the back of the Prado etc..
I was looking at this box at Bunnings for $269 - 1015 long x 490 width x 650mm height.
It is sturdy construction has gas struts, two key locks , an inner shelf and would be easy to put rubber around the door to seal it from water.


My question is this... the tool box is 650 MM in height while my camper measurements at the front is 580 mm from top of draw bar to top of canvas cover (500 mm camper wall and 80 tent frames canvas tent underneath and the cover on top).. add another 100 mm onto that for when I put in the matres underneath the tent and cover.
The canvas cover attaches at 450 mm via hooks that are spaced across the front of the camper(see picture) Im thinking , how do I modify the canvas cover so I can still secure it at the front ?


Do I put hooks on the back of the new tool box to run the elasticised cord through to secure the canvas from flapping when driving and cut out a section of canvas, so the canvas snugly fits around the tool box..?
Just curious what ideas people would come up with..

I'd just leave a 10 to 15 mil gap between camper and tool box. Modify the elastic strap so it finishes either side of the box and just pull the canvas top down snug behind the box.

Do you need a box that big?