Urba Centurion #4

[GreenHornet]

As I was gutting the dash I had the pleasure of also tearing out the old Triumph heater. These guys are pretty heavy at 8lbs and rather large. I had a few choice words trying to get it out of there needless to say. The controls are very Spartan for this guy and there were no ducting to vents anywhere in the Cabin. This area of the build was left to interpretation and not really covered in the build plan guide. To me running vents is pretty easy but that is just me. I was actually happy to have a clean slate on this to improve upon. It will be nice to get this modernized.

Some things I did not really like was having the master cylinder hidden behind the dash. So there is going to have to have some kind of access door cut out in order to get to it. Another thing I didn't like was the heater and windshield wiper controls under the bottom of the dash. I thought it would be hard to recognize and get to. So we will have to relocate all of that to a proper place that is easy to access and recognize. Another thing that really bothered me maybe more than anything at this point was the wiring. There was way to many exposed wires along with crap connections way to many shotty splices Wiring is one of my major pet peeves so it is no surprise I ripped it all out Better of starting with a clean slate on this and doing it right from the get go!

[GreenHornet]

I found a pretty solid candidate as my heater replacement along with all the louvers and fittings I will need. This unit is pretty efficient as it only uses 3 amps at start up and 2 amps continuous. The heater is extremely compact and lightweight at only 2.5lbs. This will be more than adequate at 3.5kw to heat the cabin as well as handle defrosting. This unit will also allow me to bring in fresh air to the cabin via the existing duct along the middle of the upper hood area. I will have no problems hooking this guy up under the dash and getting to it later if need be.

[GreenHornet]

Originally Posted by changzuki

GreenHornet,
Yes, the pics are great and I for one am enjoying them!
Earlier I had asked about attachment points, mainly because I know that some are easy as pie to get to and a couple aren't. The attachment points I have are:
- 2 bolts at the front bumper bulkhead
- 2 bolts at the firewall bulkhead
- 2 bolts just in front of rear tires (mid-cabin bulkhead)
- 2 bolts at the rear bumper bulkhead

As a side note, the 2 bolts at the rear bumper bulkhead are removed, then, the added frame rails are actually a rail-in-a-rail, where they can be retracted to clear that rear pocket for body removal.

The reason I mention this is if your last attachment point is in front of the rear wheels, then the rear is more or less dangling free, supported on by the body construction. Over-time vibrations along with any weight in the rear storage area will pull down and you may have stress/distortion around both the door openings and windshield pillars. Once the body is remounted, you can test this yourself by placing something in the door opening that is dependent on the opening not moving. Then press firmly downward on your rear bumper area and see of the item falls from the opening as it distorts. If this is the case, consider adding those other two attachment points. Another possibility exists where door opening distortions can also cause pulling on the windshield pillars and should this flex the windshield enough then it may not seal or even break.

Flat roads are no problem but we are just short of the Dukes of Hazzard up here so thought I'd throw this in. Your Mileage May Vary!

Looking forward to the next installment in this thread!!!! Good job on the weighing in!

~CrazyJerry

Man I totally spaced the 2 bolts up front I guess that is what I get for staying up past 24 hours lol I will update that post to also reflect the two bolts up front for a total of 6 bolts. I never had the two bolts at the far rear on Centurion #4. Good points about the possibility of distortion in the rear I will test things out once I get things ironed out.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Have you never considered something similar to this?
12 volt rv air conditioner rv solar ac with boyard r134a 12v dc compressor, View 12 volt rv air conditioner, BOYARD Product Details from Zhejiang Boyang Compressor Co., Ltd. on Alibaba.com

Instead of working around with inverters for the air conditioning.

[deejaaa]

here's pretty much the same thing but 100.00 cheaper after shipping.
12v brushless motor compressor 850w for 12 volt rv truck sleeper cabin air conditioner vehicle cabin cab truck air conditioner-in Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

[GreenHornet]

Hey Guys,

Yes I have definitely considered going the 12V DC route but I figured I would go the Cheapo route first and see if I can get it to work. Consider just the 12V DC pump is like $400 or more. This is right around the same cost for the entire AC wall unit installed up and running with a decently sized inverter. Plus it would not be near as a challenge to use the 12V DC setup LOL

I will give the AC system a try and if it fails and its straight FUBAR well then I guess the DC system it is

Talk to you guys later,

GH..

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I've already seen folks replacing their 220V AC compressors with 12V DC ones (Danfoss) in fridges and stationary air conditioners to use them in motorhomes. That might work out and eliminate the need for an inverter.

[changzuki]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I've already seen folks replacing their 220V AC compressors with 12V DC ones (Danfoss) in fridges and stationary air conditioners to use them in motorhomes. That might work out and eliminate the need for an inverter.

And they work excellent as far as fridges go. I have one in the fridge and one in a separate freezer unit. But as GreenHornet mentions, they are a bit pricey. The plus is, the system (solar/battery based) to run them is significantly smaller and it's a far simpler system.
~CrazyJerry

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by changzuki

they are a bit pricey

Better solutions often have a worse price tag. That's kinda sad.


Anyway, would a swamp-cooler be a viable option? They're very popular among truckers in my country.

[GreenHornet]

From what I have seen with the EV croud many use the 12V systems the main brands they use are the Masterflux and I want to say Sierra. By the time they are done getting all the stuff figured out they are spending well over $1,000 close to $1,800. For me I think this is to costly and it would mean a lot more figuring out as you have to design the complete system from scratch.

This is one of the big advantages of the AC window units is that you have everything there minus the inverter. Everything is a contained complete system designed to work together all ready so no figuring out on my part. All the engineering has been done. The only thing you need to purchase is the inverter. A very robust inverter can be had for under $300. So in theory you could have a relatively descent working AC for around $500.

Another big advantage is that you can simply unbolt it and take it out 7-8 months of the year since it is a self contained unit.

I know it can be done as there are plenty of people right now with pure EV cars using these window units. So I am not reinventing the wheel. The only problem is that they went with 5,000 btu units which they said were under powered for there cars. They all wished they went with a unit with more BTU to cool the cabin quicker. Now all of these cars are much bigger than the Centurion and by fully enclosing the rear hatch area and separating it from the main cabin I will have less area to keep cool. So I am betting that 5,000 BTU might be just the right size for the Centurion.

I have other uses for a good inverter anyways so I do not mind spending the money and seeing if I can get something solid working.