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Tuesday, August 18, 2015

August Update

Progress has been slow this month.  Lots of obligations planned vacations etc.  I have a week of vacation I need to use, so maybe next week I will make some serious progress.

We started the finishing process on the cabinets.  It’s not nearly as time consuming as it first appears.  The key is to get the technique down prior to making a mess of things!  The galley and vertical cabinet are starting to come along.  They will need plenty of minor changes such as doors, wiring pass through and hardware.







I installed the backup camera and ran its wiring.  I am using the same pass through as the solar panels.  The wiring uses braided sheathing and runs under the solar panels.  I used VHB tape to attach the camera bracket.


I ran a 4x18 gauge drop cable down the A pillar and started splicing into various wires in the dash harness.  I am splicing the following wires for future use.


  • Reverse Light
  • Dash Backlights
  • High Beams
  • Recirculation Solenoid




I ended up needing to drop fuse block 1 to access the High Beam wiring.  On the cables I unplugged I noticed some corrosion on a couple of pins.  I cleaned them well and applied dielectric grease.  If you are have to drop the FB for any reason I would perform this step.



The reason for the cable drop is to run wires for the heads up switch panels.  I have two 45 degree switch panels I will be mounting to the right of the driver.  Below are the cut-outs in the overhead cabinet.  The switches will include:


  • Recirculate Override
  • LED Light Bar
  • Air compressor
  • Backup Lights and Camera




Here are the switch panels I am using.  They required some trimming to for my application.  They accept contura switches.  I got mine from otrattw.net.





I have one of these light bars in my living room waiting to be installed.




Here are links for the camera, monitor and maple countertop.

John Boos 13/4" Thick Commercial Butcher Block Maple Tops

Dragonpad 7" TFT LCD Color 2 Video Input Car RearView Headrest Monitor DVD VCR Monitor With Remote and Stand & Support Rotating The Screen

Car Rear Vehicle Backup View Camera (Waterproof)


The awning arrived on Monday.  F45 Eagle with pearl grey fabric and electric deploy/retract option.  This model will self retract in high winds.



This awning is about 12 ft long, and deploys to around 8ft.  Due to the this model being self supporting the mounting considerations are a bit more substantial.  I have plastic shim stock and sikaflex 252 on order.  Because I have wide rooftop solar panels I cannot use the rooftop mounting brackets (several could be made to work).  I will be mounting to the side of the roof above the rain gutters.



The gorillas at the freight carrier managed to find every single weak spot in the packaging.    Thankfully I will be repainting this unit so the scratches are a big deal.  However, I did have to request new motor side end caps as they were badly cracked.