Hodakaguy's 4x4 Sprinter Build
- Thread starter Hodakaguy
- Start date
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
A few updates to do before the busy camping season starts.....
Going from 50 to 55 lbs of stuff in a 5 lb sack
. As most of you already know I have my entire electrical system tucked under the driver & passenger seat bases. This setup allows me to keep the living space of the van clear without anything bolted down to the floor. We have a single 100ah battery along with a single solar panel, which has worked perfectly for our minimal electrical needs. Originally I installed a Redarc DC/DC charger that has a built in MPPT solar charge controller. I've utilized the Redarc to handle charging the Battleborn LI batt from both the engine alternator & solar panel, while it's worked well it doesn't have the ability to customize/tweak the charge voltages so you just get what they have programed. I have the Redarc set to the LI Battery Program but it doesn't stay in adsorption long enough at higher voltage to allow the batteries built in BMS to properly balance the cells. The Redarc will kick out of adsorption when the draw reaches 4A for 30 seconds.
I decided to install a dedicated Victron 100/20 MPPT solar charge controller that I had on hand and use the Redarc for just it's DC/DC function to charge the Battleborn off the alternator. The Victron unit will allow me to fully program adsorption times/voltages to match Battleborn's listed specs (30 Min at 14.6v) The Victron also allows me to use their blue tooth app to monitor it's function unlike the Redarc unit.
Time to get the Victron Installed. Here's a shot under the drivers seat before I get to moving things around a bit. Along with the factory wiring the drivers seat base contains my Battleborn batt, 80A relay for my LP9 Lights (connected to the starting batt), Victron Shunt and Redarc DC/DC unit.
I decided to move the Redarc over to the left a bit and build a new bracket to the right of the Redarc for the Victron Controller. The bracket is fabricated from 6061T6 aluminum and will push the controller back a bit for clearance.
Setting some rivnuts. These will be used to bolt the brace to the seat base.
Using the printer to print out custom heat shrink labeling. If you've followed my build you know I love labeling wiring for ease of future maint/trouble shooting.
Got busy and didn't take as many pics as I should have. But here you can see the new Victron charge controller mounted to the right of the Redarc unit. It all fits the space nicely.
It looks tight but there is plenty of air flow and I've never had anything get hot.
More to come....
Hodakaguy
Going from 50 to 55 lbs of stuff in a 5 lb sack
. As most of you already know I have my entire electrical system tucked under the driver & passenger seat bases. This setup allows me to keep the living space of the van clear without anything bolted down to the floor. We have a single 100ah battery along with a single solar panel, which has worked perfectly for our minimal electrical needs. Originally I installed a Redarc DC/DC charger that has a built in MPPT solar charge controller. I've utilized the Redarc to handle charging the Battleborn LI batt from both the engine alternator & solar panel, while it's worked well it doesn't have the ability to customize/tweak the charge voltages so you just get what they have programed. I have the Redarc set to the LI Battery Program but it doesn't stay in adsorption long enough at higher voltage to allow the batteries built in BMS to properly balance the cells. The Redarc will kick out of adsorption when the draw reaches 4A for 30 seconds. I decided to install a dedicated Victron 100/20 MPPT solar charge controller that I had on hand and use the Redarc for just it's DC/DC function to charge the Battleborn off the alternator. The Victron unit will allow me to fully program adsorption times/voltages to match Battleborn's listed specs (30 Min at 14.6v) The Victron also allows me to use their blue tooth app to monitor it's function unlike the Redarc unit.
Time to get the Victron Installed. Here's a shot under the drivers seat before I get to moving things around a bit. Along with the factory wiring the drivers seat base contains my Battleborn batt, 80A relay for my LP9 Lights (connected to the starting batt), Victron Shunt and Redarc DC/DC unit.
I decided to move the Redarc over to the left a bit and build a new bracket to the right of the Redarc for the Victron Controller. The bracket is fabricated from 6061T6 aluminum and will push the controller back a bit for clearance.
Setting some rivnuts. These will be used to bolt the brace to the seat base.
Using the printer to print out custom heat shrink labeling. If you've followed my build you know I love labeling wiring for ease of future maint/trouble shooting.
Got busy and didn't take as many pics as I should have. But here you can see the new Victron charge controller mounted to the right of the Redarc unit. It all fits the space nicely.
It looks tight but there is plenty of air flow and I've never had anything get hot.
More to come....
Hodakaguy
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
Midland MXT575 GMRS Radio Install.
Last year my father and I purchased a couple Midland Radios at Overland Expo, they were on sale and came with the 3db ghost antenna and low profile mount as part of the show package. We have used handheld GMRS Radios while traveling together for several years and they have worked great, but having the built in vehicle powered radios will be a nice step up...more power, longer range, better sound and no batteries to mess with! We will still carry the hand held units to use when outside of the vehicles.
Note: The links below are my Amazon Affiliate links, I make a small portion each time someone purchases from Amazon using one of my links, at no extra cost to the buyer. I only provide links to items that I personally like and use myself. i use the money to put back into my builds and support making videos/posts. If you prefer not to use my links you can search for the same items directly off Amazon. Thank you for the support!
Supplies used:
Time to get this baby installed! Removing the Mule bag and ceiling panels to gain access to the underside of the roof.
I tilted the rack up on the driver's side and supported it with a piece of 2x4. This will give me access to install a cable gland.
To pass the antenna cable through the roof I'm using a Seaview marine cable gland, these are completely water proof and make a long lasting reliable way to pass wires through the ceiling.
The Seaview kit comes with some short pieces of brass tubing. These are used to drill holes through the rubber compression block. Tubing in a drill leaves a nice smooth hole in the rubber, don't use a drill bit as it will tear the rubber and possibly compromise the seal. The antenna wire is smaller than the smallest piece of tubing that was included so I looked around the shop and was able to find another piece of tubing that was just slightly big. Using a drill and a sander quickly reduced it to proper size.
After the hole was drilled I used a razor blade make a cut to install the wire.
Drilling a hole in the roof to pass the wire through.
I'll be mounting the 3db ghost antenna here.
Drilling the holes to mount the gland base.
Continued Below...
Last year my father and I purchased a couple Midland Radios at Overland Expo, they were on sale and came with the 3db ghost antenna and low profile mount as part of the show package. We have used handheld GMRS Radios while traveling together for several years and they have worked great, but having the built in vehicle powered radios will be a nice step up...more power, longer range, better sound and no batteries to mess with! We will still carry the hand held units to use when outside of the vehicles.
Note: The links below are my Amazon Affiliate links, I make a small portion each time someone purchases from Amazon using one of my links, at no extra cost to the buyer. I only provide links to items that I personally like and use myself. i use the money to put back into my builds and support making videos/posts. If you prefer not to use my links you can search for the same items directly off Amazon. Thank you for the support!
Supplies used:
- SeaView Cable Gland- Available on Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
- Midland MXT575 Radio - Available on Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
- Midland 3db Ghost Antenna - Available on Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
- Midland low profile antenna cable - Available on Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
- Midland Roll Bar Mount - Available on Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
Time to get this baby installed! Removing the Mule bag and ceiling panels to gain access to the underside of the roof.
I tilted the rack up on the driver's side and supported it with a piece of 2x4. This will give me access to install a cable gland.
To pass the antenna cable through the roof I'm using a Seaview marine cable gland, these are completely water proof and make a long lasting reliable way to pass wires through the ceiling.
The Seaview kit comes with some short pieces of brass tubing. These are used to drill holes through the rubber compression block. Tubing in a drill leaves a nice smooth hole in the rubber, don't use a drill bit as it will tear the rubber and possibly compromise the seal. The antenna wire is smaller than the smallest piece of tubing that was included so I looked around the shop and was able to find another piece of tubing that was just slightly big. Using a drill and a sander quickly reduced it to proper size.
After the hole was drilled I used a razor blade make a cut to install the wire.
Drilling a hole in the roof to pass the wire through.
I'll be mounting the 3db ghost antenna here.
Drilling the holes to mount the gland base.
Continued Below...
Last edited:
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
Continued from above...
De-burring and painting the bare edge of the hole.
The end of the antenna wire screws off to make a smaller profile to pass through fittings.
And assembling the cable gland.
I cut a small wooden backing disk for the mounting screws to ensure a strong grip.
Using a piece of wire as a fish tape to pull the antenna wire through the headliner and out through the dome light area.
The radio unit. I was originally going to hide this portion of the radio under the dash since all of the controls are built into the Mic and it makes for a clean looking install. But...the radio unit and the mic both have speakers built in and you can activate both speakers at the same time so I decided to mount it above the driver's head so I can run both speakers for better audio. My hearing isn't that great so two speakers are better than one lol.
I needed a super stubby drill bit for my 90 deg drill to get into the space above the driver's sun visor. I put an old bit in a vise and snapped it off with a hammer...instant short bit. I could have removed the sun visor/tray but this saved some hassle.
Continued Below...
De-burring and painting the bare edge of the hole.
The end of the antenna wire screws off to make a smaller profile to pass through fittings.
And assembling the cable gland.
I cut a small wooden backing disk for the mounting screws to ensure a strong grip.
Using a piece of wire as a fish tape to pull the antenna wire through the headliner and out through the dome light area.
The radio unit. I was originally going to hide this portion of the radio under the dash since all of the controls are built into the Mic and it makes for a clean looking install. But...the radio unit and the mic both have speakers built in and you can activate both speakers at the same time so I decided to mount it above the driver's head so I can run both speakers for better audio. My hearing isn't that great so two speakers are better than one lol.
I needed a super stubby drill bit for my 90 deg drill to get into the space above the driver's sun visor. I put an old bit in a vise and snapped it off with a hammer...instant short bit. I could have removed the sun visor/tray but this saved some hassle.
Continued Below...
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
Continued from above...
Drilling the mounting holes and using a soldering iron to burn/seal the edges of the fabric to prevent them from fraying.
Antenna and power wires in place.
Installing the radio mounting bracket. I used large fender washers on the back side of the headliner.
Powder tied in. When I originally installed the Switch Pro unit I had ran extra power wires from the LI battery up to this spot for future expansion. Made it quick and easy to tie in power.
When not in use the Mic can be unplugged and stowed away. I mounted the mic hanger just to the right of the Switch Pro control panel. The setup is out of the way when sitting in the seat and within easy reach of the driver or passenger.
Interior back together.
And all finished! Now to test it out on the next road trip!
Hodakaguy
Drilling the mounting holes and using a soldering iron to burn/seal the edges of the fabric to prevent them from fraying.
Antenna and power wires in place.
Installing the radio mounting bracket. I used large fender washers on the back side of the headliner.
Powder tied in. When I originally installed the Switch Pro unit I had ran extra power wires from the LI battery up to this spot for future expansion. Made it quick and easy to tie in power.
When not in use the Mic can be unplugged and stowed away. I mounted the mic hanger just to the right of the Switch Pro control panel. The setup is out of the way when sitting in the seat and within easy reach of the driver or passenger.
Interior back together.
And all finished! Now to test it out on the next road trip!
Hodakaguy
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
A couple mods to my GMRS Radio setup. I installed the radio above the driver's seat so I can utilize the speaker on the radio as well as the one on the Mic. But.....
Originally I had the Mic plugged directly into the radio but this was less than ideal for a few reasons. 1. When the Mic is on the hook the cable is out of the way and works fine, but when I pick the Mic up to talk the cable is in the way and makes using the Mic awkward. 2. Having the Mic plugged in above the driver's seat also makes it a stretch to reach the passenger seat when the passenger wants to use the radio. 3. The weight of the cord puts a tight bend on the Cat 6 connector where the Mic plugs into the radio, it gets especially stressed when trying to reach the passenger seat. This could lead to long term issues. 4. When the Mic is disconnected the Cat 6 port on the radio is left open, inviting dirt and debris to get inside.
Solution: I installed a Cat 6 bulk head fitting just in front of the dome light assembly and ran a short Cat 6 cable from the radio unit to the bulk head fitting. Now the cable plugged into the radio unit has zero stress on it and is always plugged in so no debris will get in the port. The Mic cable now plugs in vertically so there is no bending stress on the cable and the Mic now easily reaches both the passenger and drivers seat. The cable is out of the way while in use and when it's on the hook .
I also swapped the Mic out to the Midland Noise Cancelling unit. I prefer the new units on/off/volume knob over the buttons on the original Mic. I also like the larger screen and the waaay easier to use menu. The new Mic also feels better in the hand and has a slightly clearer sound.
Note: The links below are my Amazon Affiliate links, I make a small portion each time someone purchases from Amazon using one of my links, at no extra cost to the buyer. I only provide links to items that I personally like and use myself. i use the money to put back into my builds and support making videos/posts. If you prefer not to use my links you can search for the same items directly off Amazon. Thank you for the support!
Supplies used:
Comparison between the two locations.
Mic chord when using the Mic...no good.
The Cat6 bulk head/pass through fitting.
Hole cut and melting the edges of the fabric to prevent fraying.
Installed.
The new noise canceling Mic.
Pass through installed.
Waaaay nicer.
Hodakaguy
Originally I had the Mic plugged directly into the radio but this was less than ideal for a few reasons. 1. When the Mic is on the hook the cable is out of the way and works fine, but when I pick the Mic up to talk the cable is in the way and makes using the Mic awkward. 2. Having the Mic plugged in above the driver's seat also makes it a stretch to reach the passenger seat when the passenger wants to use the radio. 3. The weight of the cord puts a tight bend on the Cat 6 connector where the Mic plugs into the radio, it gets especially stressed when trying to reach the passenger seat. This could lead to long term issues. 4. When the Mic is disconnected the Cat 6 port on the radio is left open, inviting dirt and debris to get inside.
Solution: I installed a Cat 6 bulk head fitting just in front of the dome light assembly and ran a short Cat 6 cable from the radio unit to the bulk head fitting. Now the cable plugged into the radio unit has zero stress on it and is always plugged in so no debris will get in the port. The Mic cable now plugs in vertically so there is no bending stress on the cable and the Mic now easily reaches both the passenger and drivers seat. The cable is out of the way while in use and when it's on the hook .
I also swapped the Mic out to the Midland Noise Cancelling unit. I prefer the new units on/off/volume knob over the buttons on the original Mic. I also like the larger screen and the waaay easier to use menu. The new Mic also feels better in the hand and has a slightly clearer sound.
Note: The links below are my Amazon Affiliate links, I make a small portion each time someone purchases from Amazon using one of my links, at no extra cost to the buyer. I only provide links to items that I personally like and use myself. i use the money to put back into my builds and support making videos/posts. If you prefer not to use my links you can search for the same items directly off Amazon. Thank you for the support!
Supplies used:
- Cat6 bulkhead fitting - Available on Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
- Black Cat 5 Cable - Available on Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
- Midland Noise Canceling Mic - Available on Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
Comparison between the two locations.
Mic chord when using the Mic...no good.
The Cat6 bulk head/pass through fitting.
Hole cut and melting the edges of the fabric to prevent fraying.
Installed.
The new noise canceling Mic.
Pass through installed.
Waaaay nicer.
Hodakaguy