SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

[kernowjon]

wonkywheel this may interest you - I am taking out the gas in my camper, the SMEV9722 combi hob sink and the Propex to replace them with a diesel hob / heater. Chinese version of course
So the camper will be gasless and fuel will be simpler - I am going to put an external tank on the back of the camper something like a 5 or 10 litre jerrcan in a holder.
Jon

[wonkywheel]

Thanks for the information Jon. I Have a combo unit already fitted but with a Butane/Propane bottle with a changeover valve. I try to do most cooking outside on my Cadac as I have a Quick connect to run off the bottles. Socializing in a Coleman event shelter and again cooking on the Cadac but with a small dedicated bottle.
I hope you will be posting pictures and information on your conversion to diesel. I will be interested in seeing a Chinese option?

[kernowjon]

Mark, may I pick your brains / tap into your experience. Where do you mount your diesel heater's exhaust and how do you mount it so the hot exhaust does not damage the skin panels? I keep thinking maybe I need heat shielding of some sort - or will exhaust wrap do the job?

Jon

[wonkywheel]

Sorry for missing this post.
I imagine you are all sorted by now.
I have a set of storage boxes that are below floor level and hang down at the back. They seemed like a good idea at the design stage but in use, perhaps not. Not if you want to use the obscured ball hitch. Not if you want access to the spare wheel drop mechanism, but great for putting Chinese diesel heaters in.
With a bare checker plate base to the boxes, the heater with its silicon gasket is just bolted to it with combustion gas in and out straight out the bottom. The air inlet filter points towards the rear while the exhaust silencer to the RH side.
The exhaust will glow dull red in the dark when running at full chat but with a 50/75mm air gap from the panel I would have thought it would be ok. As an ex-plastic injection mould maker, I had access to a sheet insulation material called Sandaneo. It was used to insulate the hot tools from the moulding machine and was only 6-8mm thick. An environmentally friendly version of asbestos.

[wonkywheel]

Progress at last.

With the intention of taking more trips out this year and going farther afield, I thought extra security would not go a miss.

The Fiamma Security handle fits the bill a treat. Easily fitted, locks either as an access handrail or as a security bar across the door.





Added a bit more bracing for the panel as the metal backing plates could damage it with a lot of rough treatment



Next to upgrade the water pump and tank to increase the flow from a dribble to something useable.

[zildjian]

Handy accessory those, good visible security as well of course.

Adding extra behind them a good move, until tonight I'd never considered someone *could* lock you in using that

[wonkywheel]

You can lock it in any of three positions so should be ok........as lom=ng as you remember to lock it,

[kernowjon]

That handle is really good - we fitted one on our little Romahome demountable, and we have one on the SunTrekker - would nevefr be without one!

Jon

[wonkywheel]

A few more modifications and additions. (It never will be finished)

When I first fitted the rear lights to the camper I fell for the looks right so it must be alright. They were advertised as truck type rear lights.
When I received them I was a little disappointed in their size and quality but was eager to fit them anyway. A few years on I am still unhappy with them so decided to upgrade. The main decider was the reversing light lens starting to yellow. Obviously not a uv stable plastic.



I went for a hamburger type light cluster.
Again I fell for the blurb. This time I sought out lights that were advertised as "E" marked quality. That should mean they are manufactured to a recognised EU production standard. When I received them I noticed that although the quality was better than the previous lights there was still no visible "E" mark on the lens. Meaning it had NOT passed the required quality checks. But again, eager to fit I went ahead,



I know some of the more observant will say there is NO reversing light on that cluster. That is true, but a pair of dedicated reversing hamburger lights are next on the list.

I knew the little extra storage boxes on the bottom rear were put there for a purpose.
I finally fitted the 2KW CDH into one such box, (gas connections being in the one on the other side)
I have positioned it so that the diesel exhaust exits from the rear right-hand side. Hopefully far enough away from the door and windows for noise not to be a problem. They do tend to sound like a mini jet engine at full chat.



The diesel pulse dosing pump can also be a noise problem. It ticks incessantly, faster when asked for more heat. Delivering 0.018 liters each click. It is mounted in a rubber housing that should dampen the noise but only time will tell.



The CHD has a 10 litre fuel tank. I mounted it inside one of the rear storage boxes with the filler access just inside the open rear door. I aim to box both the tank top and the hot air duct in. I can then consider fitting the toilet, shower, sink in the compartment should I feel the need. I did have the toilet in the compartment on one trip last year and found it convenient not to have to trek to the toilet block in the middle of the night. (Old man's problems)



That part is still under reassembly.
I have purchased some sheets of Celotex to stand the camper on in the back of the tub with a view to not having to take the tonnage cover frame off each time I mount the camper.

With only 3 weeks before the first Drag racing meeting, I am going to. The good weather has come just in time to get some of these jobs done.
As always I suffer from:
It's too cold, It's too wet, It's too hot, I'm too tired and I haven't time today.

Just to compound my problems I have just agreed to the purchase of a project car to work on in my spare time. This may eventually take over from the camper.

[wonkywheel]

After spending a lot of the weekend putting finishing touches to the heater installation which included a longer heat outlet pipe, connecting the exhaust and inlet pipes. Panel insulation fitting and putting the trims back on I did a test run.

It failed to ignite the first 3 attempts and even when it did finally fire up it only ran for a few minutes before stopping with a flameout. It appears the unit is not heating up enough to reach or maintain the minimum temperature required by the ECU.

Starting the diagnosis meant dissconnecting all that I had put in.
Initial tests showed that it all seemed to run ok with both the heat outlet pipe removed and the exhaust pipe. Upon reconnecting the outlet pipe the unit immediately flamed out. This could have been a coincidence or a cause. Further investigation is required as I had had enough by then.

With only one more weekend before the camper's first trip out this year it's looking like again I will miss my target of things to do
I will just have to hope for a warm spell for Easter.