Yet Another White Rubicon - JLUR Build

[Mass_Mopar]

If you need anything custom made up, I had great, quick, reasonable prices from silver lake fab up in concord earlier this year. He made me 3 brackets to spec for work with maybe a 2-3 week turn around.

Silver Lake Fabrication - 603-630-5658 - compact tractor covers, skid steer covers, equipment covers, heavy-duty utility tarps, and custom covers to keep your equipment and gear out of the elements

Your source for USA made heavy-duty compact tractor and equipment covers. Made from the toughest materials we can get our hands on, our covers and tarps will last as long as your machine! - Kubota tractor covers, Ford tractor covers, New Holland tractor covers, John Deere tractor covers...

www.silverlakefabrication.com

 

[LanceMagnum]

A few thoughts while I'm waiting for my 8020 parts to be delivered, still 2-3 weeks out. Here's some back-of-the-envelope numbers on space and weight.

Here's a schematic with the extrusions labeled to the BOM line items. Caution: this is still under development and I'm sure there will be changes!





The full BOM is attached below.

A must-have feature for me is the ability to fully access the under floor storage, so a bit hard to compare to some other systems out there. But here's some numbers compared to the Goose Gear Ice Box:

Goose Gear Ice Box 1.3:
19 3/16"W x 22"H x 25"D
6.1 cu. ft.
Weight: ? (but obviously made of similar material so I'm sure the enclosure is light, not sure how much fridge slide weighs)
Can fit ARB 50qt, weight of ARB 50qt: 52 lbs.

8020:
20.5"W x 23.9"H x 23"D
6.5 cu. ft.
Weight: 35.5lbs
Weight of Isotherm 65l: 66 lbs.

65 liters = 68.7 quarts so 37% more fridge space for the cost of 6.5% more storage space.

As far as weight, I expect the 8020 + drawer fridge is not heavier than alternatives, so no penalty there (and I'm not using a plate system)

What about power consumption? So hard to know the real values but the Isotherm model I've chosen is fridge only, no freezer, so the house battery will handle it easily if the advertised power numbers are anywhere close to reality. Yes, it's a drawer design and I know that has an impact whenever it's opened but that should be a small factor given the density of the air vs. fridge contents.

 

[LanceMagnum]

While the 'fridge enclosure waits for parts to arrive I spent some time on a microcontroller project to automate the 'air up' process. Pretty basic concept: a solenoid under command of the controller along with a pressure sensor. It's just like one of those coin-op air hoses, with maybe a little more smarts in the controller because I know the volume of the tire I'm filling (so I can do some crude predictions about time to fill).

Incorporating microcontrollers into a project like this is so easy these days, some amazing products to select from, and no assembly programming required!

I'm using the Arduino Nano 33 IoT - it's got wifi built into the chip. I combine that with an isolated 3.3v relay and that's pretty much the controller side. The solenoid I'm using is from WIC Valve:



(about $15), and a digital (I2C) pressure sensor from TE.com ("M32JM-000105-100PG"):



about $40, had to acquire from eBay, seems hard to find in stock from the usual electronic parts suppliers.

Here's a pic of the installation in the tail light cavity:



and the Arduino and relay are on a prototyping pcb inside an enclosure:




I first thought about running a 2nd line from the compressor but decided I would stick with the one connection and have a bypass mode that keeps the solenoid open.

Of course there's a small program to coordinate the activities, it goes something like this:

- check air pressure in the line
- if near zero, do nothing (tire is not connected)
- if above zero but below the setpoint, calculate an 'on' interval: ARB single is like 3 cfm, tire volume roughly 4 cubic feet (need to tune this), and then it figures out how many 'tire volumes' of air are needed to go from starting psi to setpoint (and predicted on time), and then open solenoid
- if equal to or above setpoint close solenoid

The 'on' calculation errs on the low side so as it loops through it will pause a couple of times and recalculate. It also detects some error conditions and will turn on the solenoid so the system is usable manually (and that's also what the bypass mode is for).

No fancy display or setpoint knob, just uses an LED built into the micro to give some status info, but there is an onboard web server that publishes a web page. When the unit boots up it connects to the vehicle wifi and then the status page can be found at a static ip on the vehicle network:



Very crude but it does have a ajax loop that keeps the data on the page updated so you can see the progress as it inflates. The pressure sensor includes a temperature sensor so I show that info as well.

Next day it hits 50s (or maybe high 40s) I'll take a day trip to the Cape and use it 'in the field' for the first time (I've deflated and re-inflated my spare like 30 times during testing).

I'm sure I'll play with the software a few times over the winter, improving the web page UI and functionality, as well as looking into more sophisticated algorithms for the fill logic (like PID).

 

[suburbanite]

While the 'fridge enclosure waits for parts to arrive I spent some time on a microcontroller project to automate the 'air up' process. Pretty basic concept: a solenoid under command of the controller along with a pressure sensor. It's just like one of those coin-op air hoses, with maybe a little more smarts in the controller because I know the volume of the tire I'm filling (so I can do some crude predictions about time to fill).

Incorporating microcontrollers into a project like this is so easy these days, some amazing products to select from, and no assembly programming required!

I'm using the Arduino Nano 33 IoT - it's got wifi built into the chip. I combine that with an isolated 3.3v relay and that's pretty much the controller side. The solenoid I'm using is from WIC Valve:

View attachment 628920

(about $15), and a digital (I2C) pressure sensor from TE.com ("M32JM-000105-100PG"):

View attachment 628921

about $40, had to acquire from eBay, seems hard to find in stock from the usual electronic parts suppliers.

Here's a pic of the installation in the tail light cavity:

View attachment 628922

and the Arduino and relay are on a prototyping pcb inside an enclosure:

View attachment 628927


I first thought about running a 2nd line from the compressor but decided I would stick with the one connection and have a bypass mode that keeps the solenoid open.

Of course there's a small program to coordinate the activities, it goes something like this:

- check air pressure in the line
- if near zero, do nothing (tire is not connected)
- if above zero but below the setpoint, calculate an 'on' interval: ARB single is like 3 cfm, tire volume roughly 4 cubic feet (need to tune this), and then it figures out how many 'tire volumes' of air are needed to go from starting psi to setpoint (and predicted on time), and then open solenoid
- if equal to or above setpoint close solenoid

The 'on' calculation errs on the low side so as it loops through it will pause a couple of times and recalculate. It also detects some error conditions and will turn on the solenoid so the system is usable manually (and that's also what the bypass mode is for).

No fancy display or setpoint knob, just uses an LED built into the micro to give some status info, but there is an onboard web server that publishes a web page. When the unit boots up it connects to the vehicle wifi and then the status page can be found at a static ip on the vehicle network:

View attachment 628931

Very crude but it does have a ajax loop that keeps the data on the page updated so you can see the progress as it inflates. The pressure sensor includes a temperature sensor so I show that info as well.

Next day it hits 50s (or maybe high 40s) I'll take a day trip to the Cape and use it 'in the field' for the first time (I've deflated and re-inflated my spare like 30 times during testing).

I'm sure I'll play with the software a few times over the winter, improving the web page UI and functionality, as well as looking into more sophisticated algorithms for the fill logic (like PID).

First of all let me say that I really love this project! Does the app actually control anything or does it just display the current status?

Personally, I’m not sure how I’d feel about having a homemade wifi enabled device controlling my tire pressure as I drive down the road, but maybe that’s just the two decades of hacking stuff for a living talking

 

[wADVr]

Awesome work on the “auto-flate”! Maybe I am misunderstanding the time intervals but what I think it means is you’re trying to anticipate the time to go from deflated to near inflated to check the pressure while the compressor is off So an accurate reading will show. Would it be better to calculate the compressor ‘on’ psi as high limit to settle at the appropriate ‘off’ or disconnected psi? Or an process to shut a valve to isolate tire pressure and check psi while isolated and if not satisfied open and keep pumping.. Years ago we made a central air up hose setup with an analog gauge, and an isolation valve to isolate the gauge with the tires to check pressure as they were airing up. Worked pretty good but this is a few levels up, good work!

 

[NEwhere]

Can you post more info on your roof rack support brackets?

 

[LanceMagnum]

Hi guys, thanks for the questions - I'm sure I've left out some details to understanding how the system currently works, here's a bit more:

- the web page is display only, there's no need to view it for the system to work, and the phone (or whatever web client) you use does not participate in the process - I expect in the future I'll add a feature to specify the setpoint but now it's hard-coded at 40psi, the on-road fill pressure for my tires.

- the air flow is: ARB Compressor -> Pneumatic Solenoid -> Pressure Sensor -> Air Hose and Chuck, and when it's time to take a pressure reading the solenoid is shut so the tire pressure is isolated from the compressor and stable (that process takes about a second)

- it's inflate only, it would not be difficult to add an exhaust valve and use it for airing down but I'm not going to drag out an air hose for the air down operation, it's already quick & easy enough

The goal for the program logic is to get to the setpoint with a minimum number of pauses to check the pressure, but I don't think I'm near that yet. I'm sure I'll have some fun trying different approaches but for now I'm maybe at 'level 2'.

If you consider 'level 1' as the following: the solenoid is open for a fixed amount of time (say 20 seconds) and then closes to check the pressure (isolating the tire + sensor from the compressor). If below setpoint go on for another 20 seconds. No math involved here and I bet it would come pretty close to the setpoint, but with a lot of cycling to check the pressure.

My 'level 2' just adds some math at the start of the process to try to calculate how long to stay on before checking the pressure again. As an example: if you start at 14.7 psi (that's 1 ATM 'gauge' above ambient) and you want to get to 29.4psi (that's 2 ATM) you need to add 1 tire volume of air (let's call it 3 cubic feet), and if the compressor delivers 3cfm then you need to stay on for 1 minute before checking the pressure again.

wADVr: I think I understand what you're saying, which is maybe I can figure out a correction factor and take readings while the compressor is running and then there's no need to pause. I did do some experiments along those lines when I was prototyping and the readings are a bit wild but I think with some patience and more understanding of the dynamics it could work, I'll try that approach and see what happens.

 

[LanceMagnum]

Can you post more info on your roof rack support brackets?

Hi NEwhere, those are part of the Frontrunner roof rack - I went with them over the Rhino system because I'm already using the hardtop bolts for mounting the battery manager and inverter (which is where the Rhino reinforcements attach). I also like many of the Frontrunner accessories.

 

[LanceMagnum]

Update: 80/20 parts arrived and phase 1 of the storage system is complete (except for the actual refrigerator, delayed for a couple months due to parts shortages at Isotherm)

It was super easy to assemble - took less than an hour - since all the pieces were cut to exact size and it's designed to be removable as a single assembled piece - just remove the six bolts from the factory hold-down points and slide out.

Only one mistake in my specifications, one of the side panels has the smooth side facing out (it's going to stay that way!) One small adjustment needed, the center vertical support that touches the carpet was about 1/4" too long but that was intentional since I didn't know exactly how much it would be affected by floor panel and carpet. Trivial trim to size and the fit is perfect.

With the panel gaskets added there is no rattling or vibration.

Here's a few pics of the final:



Good fit where the tailgate bump intrudes:


Enough room behind seats for ventilation and for a future water system mounted to the lower 80/20 rails:

 

[arcticaaron]

Wow! Such a cool build and everything is well thought out. Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

 

[LanceMagnum]

Had a request for a few details on the directional cell antenna, so here they are:

I'm using the Wilson Yagi wideband, provides decent gain and is compact.



The antenna mast is 'custom' made from 3 sections if fiberglass tube designed for nesting from Max-Gain Systems, 1 1/2", 1 1/4", and 1". There's also a section of solid fiberglass rod at the tip of the last section to make the antenna mounting more solid. I'm using quick-release couplers from DX Engineering (Cam Lock Clamp):



I replaced the metal bracket on the antenna with a lighter solution using saddle washers and some plastic spacers:



I cut the bottom section to around 5' so it's easy to raise and lower the 2nd section from the ground, and the 2nd and 3rd sections are around 7' or so. Total height is about 18' when extended.

The bottom tube has a plastic spike end that is pushed into the ground when deployed.

To secure the mast I'm using a combination of tube clamps, the jeep side is a universal fitting from Axia Alloys, and this bolts to a Global Truss clamp:





and mounts to the roof rack support like this:



and it stows like this:



Antenna coax is run through the roof using a cable gland and uses a bulkhead connector on the underside of the roof rack:



The mast stows using more truss clamps bolted to the underside of the roof rack:




Here it is deployed:

 

[Jupiter58]

Very impressive build!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[offroadite]

Hope you have better luck than I did with the yagi. I ended up returning it.

 

[LanceMagnum]

Time to bust out a SpongeBob timecard:



Fridge has been on order since last December, finally came in and got it installed:





The tilt-up feature works great, here's how it looks:




I expected it to feel a little flexy when it was tilted but I'm very happy with how rigid it is, I have no qualms about working on the battery system when it's in tilt mode.

 

[LanceMagnum]

iKamper mini mattress upgrade

We are very happy with our iKamper mini, it's easy to setup/take down, and the quality of everything is solid. There is a tradeoff with the mini on room inside the tent but it's nice saving weight and having roof rack space for other items

The one area we upgraded was the mattress, and Exped is a popular choice. Problem is there was no good size for the mini until recently. We added the Exped TXY, here's the details.

The MegaMat Duo TXY has a shape that works with the fold-out platform of the iKamper mini where the foot section is narrower than the body section:



it fully fills up the width in the head/body section, and there's a bit of room on each side in the foot section (mattress is deflated here):



We've had enough nights in the tent since the upgrade to say it's working very well and is very comfortable. The areas in the foot section that are not covered by the mattress are a non-issue, I don't notice it at all.

Another nice aspect is that when it's deflated it takes less space than the original mattress so there's more room to store bedding. We store 4 pillows, a bedsheet, and a blanket.



The key to keeping setup quick and easy is to use a small pump to inflate and deflate the mattress. I'm using this one I found on Amazon:



along with the nozzle on the left cut down to size for the deflate port on the Exped:


I glued the inflate and deflate nozzles to the pump so I don't need to keep track of them:



after some practice I've got it down so dealing with the mattress only adds a few minutes to the whole process - the pump stays in place in the mattress valve so during inflate or deflate I deal with other parts of the tent setup while it's doing its thing. The deflate is the most labor-saving, I don't have to wrestle with the mattress to squeeze out the air and I can get the mattress back to a very small size.