Offroad Trailblazers and Envoys

OBW

Discussion on how to enjoy the outdoors.

OBW

by Trail X » Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:56 pm

On Board ... Water?

I figured this would go well in the camping section, since it's kinda a camping mod.

I built in a spot for the water tank near the front, behind the passenger seat. I still need to create a tie-down for it... it's in the works. The water tank has a drop in pump.
Image

The 'control' box mounts back near the tailgate.
Image

The flexible spout can reach out the back of the truck.
Image

Closeup of the controls. At right is the safety, to prevent accidentally turning on the pump if cargo hits the 'pour' trigger, at left.
Image

The control box also remote mounts onto the hilift on the swingout, so we can easily pour water at the "kitchen counter". Oh yeah, got some cutting board material to make a better counter than I had before.
Image

I still need to clean up the wires a bit... I think I'll just tape it to the hose. I also need to get two more electrical connectors to complete the wiring. I'll probably post up more pictures when I finally get it all tucked in properly.
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by bartonmd » Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:04 pm

Cool!
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by Gordinho80 » Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:10 pm

Nice! Didn't see this one coming. Where do you find the time?
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by bgwolfpack » Sun Aug 14, 2011 1:39 am

That's really cool!

Needs a Pony keg attachment. :coffee:


That is an interesting place for your license plate. :slap:
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by NC_IslandRunner » Sun Aug 14, 2011 6:59 am

Very nice!!! I'll be waiting to see where you put the keg for the Yuengling tap you need to mount back there...

And since a lot of guys are making up their own editions it's only fair for you to also, I got an idea for yours
Image

you can find the emblems on ebay I bet :poke:

Keep giving use something to shoot for :thumleft:
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by Trail X » Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:41 am

Thanks guys. It's not a permanent installment of course, like the air is.

The motivation: I've been trying to remember back to all of my past camping experiences, and trying to remember things that annoyed me. The big water tank was one thing that always annoyed me. In order to be used, it had to be sitting at the edge of the open rear, taking up valuable space, and a lot of it, at that. So the goal was to move it away from the opening, keep the weight low, and 'replace' it with a very small item for actually dispensing the water.

License plate: it's the front one, because technically I'm supposed to have one in MD.

Haha, winnebago. I guess a similar concept, but mine's like an inside-out winnebago.
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by navigator » Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:32 pm

do you have a link to where you got the pump? I'm planning in my head to convert an old boat trailer into a camping trailer.
I have most of it layed out and have a couple of 15 gal barrels. I was thinking of using one for water and was thinking about how to get the water out.I had thought about using some kind of marine/baitwell pump but those would mount externally and open themselves up to getting broken. The drop in model you mention seems like a good choice.
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by Trail X » Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:42 pm

I got it from Grainger. I got the pump a few months ago, but I believe this is the same model: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/RULE-P ... _sku=3TNJ2

It's ALIVE!! My only wish is that there was a low setting, that pump is more powerful than I expected.
Image

Also cleaned up the hose with a wire wrap... vast improvement I think.
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by chevycrew » Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:55 pm

Can you vary the voltage to the pump to slow it down?
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by NC_IslandRunner » Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:11 am

Or maybe a reducer for the inlet side of the pump.

But on some pumps this could damage them.
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by navigator » Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:00 am

His pump is submerged so you wouldn't be starving the pump, you would be regulating the output. I would think that some kind of flow adjustment might work. For that size tubing a fuel shut off valve for like a lawn mower might work. Adjusting the amount of current might work as well. I'm sure JD will figure it out.

with that kind of pressure you could use it to shower with as well.
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by Trail X » Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:56 am

At this point I'm probably not going to worry about it until after the big trip, if ever. The easiest method would be to have a second two-position switch that was high-low, and the low side had a resistor in series.

The pressure got me thinking about a shower too... I could easily make another hose attachment to the control box. Only problem is that it would be really easy to waste a few gallons pretty quick.
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by BSalty » Mon Aug 15, 2011 4:45 pm

You come up with the coolest stuff. I bet that will be nice to have.
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by navigator » Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:28 am

yeah, he does have some great ideas.
We have one of those orange water coolers that I shoved a piece of tubing up in the spout, we use it to wash our feet off when we go to the beach before we get back in the TB to go home. It is a little clunky but something like that would be sweet.

I had planned to buy one of those solar hanging shower things for that purpose cause then the water would be sure to be nice and warm as well.
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by The Roadie » Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:56 pm

Found the pump on Amazon as well: $22 or so, just search for "Rule iL200"

What's the articulated nozzle gadget? Can't find a good search phrase. Did you just haunt a marine store or something?

Got an idea for a new mod.
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by Trail X » Thu Aug 25, 2011 8:29 am

Yep, that's the pump.

The articulated nozzle is designed for delivering coolant to specific places during machining operations.
Should find it under the name LOC-LINE.

What are your plans Bill?
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by Gordinho80 » Thu Aug 25, 2011 9:17 am

Yeah Bill... what are your plans???
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by The Roadie » Thu Aug 25, 2011 9:23 am

JamesDowning wrote:What are your plans Bill?
Thanks for the lead on that nozzle. The local Camping World has a sale on Eccotemp L5 water heaters, and that got me to bid on a used one on Ebay. I'm not happy with my Zodi water heater/shower unit any more, and the wash cloth sponge bath is getting old. Trying to get something put in before my long trip in September.
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by NC_IslandRunner » Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:39 am

All the comforts of home-in a truck :thumright:
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by galacticfuzz » Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:41 pm

Looks good James. Was playing with an idea (obviously with my post before being pointed to your build thread :oops: thanks steveroche and nc_islandrunner) similar to this once the laundry list of other, more important mods get done..
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