Beginner level auto wiring fiascos

Turns out the PWM dimmer on the LED lights pulses on the NEGATIVE terminal. I should have realised...I am derp. This means I cannot terminate the lights to the chasis of the van; every single one must have a return to the PWM. My original wiring plan throughout the van has gone extremely sour, and now the entire thing is a gigantic kludge.

I've done the best I can with my broken will to bother...it's mostly done now. It literally would have been cheaper and vastly simpler to buy a second set of lights and position them in sub-sets with their limited-wire-reach in different segments of the van, than wire the entire van with one set using home made extension cables per wire. Maybe next time...

Nothing was able to be used as intended, so lots of kludge re-working was on the menu.

I decided to get a battery-box as it had a series of luxuries built-in that were cheaper than buying the DIY components. 12v meter, isolation on/off switch, cig-power, USB power, and two anderson plugs. There's a nice 80Ah AGM deep cycle battery in there right now, should be enough to run a nice sized eski-fridge for days.

Not seen here is the 160W portable solar panel I bought, it has ~4m cable plus 5m extension and built in el-cheapo battery charger. Overall a nice set of gizmos. I will probably install a Voltage Sensitive Relay between the existing van battery and the utility battery eventually, this will let the utility battery charge while driving and keep it isolated from the van battery at all other times.

I'm VERY unhappy with this...but the fiasco with re-wiring the van due to lighting error really messed up lots of plans. I really don't enjoy auto wiring, it's always a bit of a joke. I'm super dissapointed in contributing to the cliche'.

I've placed 10Amp fuses in line for three cigarette-power sockets and a fast-charge usb line throughout the van. The cig-power sockets will end up with usb sockets stuck into them, but offer high camping flexibility. (note fuse wiring not quite finished)

Kat kat kat cat kat

Test lighting

Some cheap camper 12v lights taped in test-positions. There are six in thet set. They're dimmer PWM controlled with a tiny remote. The PWM receiver is plug/play so you can just run them at 12v if required.

This shot is taken during the day. None of the included wires are long enough, but I ran trailer wiring through the body of the van a week ago so that's all sorted.

Light levels at dusk. They look great at night. The color is a natural 2-3k kelvin. The PWM controller is rated at 6Amps so I suspect these draw significantly less. It's low enough that my wiring or battery setup won't care anyway.

I'm currently waiting on delivery of 12V power and USB ports to install at the kitchen table and bed head.

ps: Again...the preliminary interior build is DONE...I just haven't shown it all installed yet. :) (not including flooring)

Destination overkill

Automotive wiring is terri-bad, and crimp terminals are a bad choice in a moving outdoor environment (corrosion due to gaps in the join, movement breaks etc)...that's why I've soldered these crimp terminals. It's overkill, but time is available. I've replaced my share of crummy crimped automotive bits n pieces in my time. They're garbage. Don't use them in outdoor motion applications.

Limited edition wall panels

The middle row of wall panels are at bed height, and I need every inch of space across the van to squeeze the mattress in. The bed runs across the back, not down the length of the van. Instead of installing a larger wall panel across the highest 2d-plane of the van wall (which creates a large gap behind), I've cut panels to sit directly against the wall in this row.

The wall is slightly concave, and tape will not hold the spring tension of the 7mm ply in place while silicone cures to the walls. I tried various assortments of fairly expensive double-sided-tape, but nothing likes to adhere to satin-varnish on 30 degree test days. I guess the satin-component makes it porous or something. We use an assortment of tapes at work, some so absurdly stong that we literally bend 3mm stainless panels before the tape gives way. I even bought some high temp industrial stuff and that failed like the rest.

Each panel has a layer of insulation stuck to the back, then the panel is adhered to the wall around the perimeter with a silicone bead.

Dad's old mower-ramps are no longer used for purpose, but they're still making cameo appearances here and there...

In the background you can see the monster anvil that Jana and I picked up some time ago. It currently gets used as a piece of exercise equipment. It's great for stair-style stepping exercises and I've used it for a few months now. It gets used as a replacement for going to the thousand-steps in Ferntree Gully. Step up and down on that thing for 15mins at your chosen cadence...I promise you'll be wrecked at the end.

Van electrical terminal bus bar

Cheap bus bars are $20, and I'm cheaper than that...so I made my own from some scrap.

I brassed a piece of angle steel. There are M8 threads on the ends, and M5's for eyelet crimp terminals in two rows.

Worked pretty well for a test piece. I decided to just run with it. The workmanship was ultra low, but so was the effort. It'll work.

Insulating the van shell

Everything has been removed from the van (again) in order to install some lightweight insulation. After this is done I can leave components installed with minor exceptions for wiring lighting, usb ports, etc. I'll make a vid after it's all back in. Most don't realise the van is actually 95% done.

Insulating the metal outer walls of the van with shed insulation; silver sided bubble wrap. The wrap is skinned on both sides, so the space between bubbles is enclosed as well.