Spank Mine Road extension

1.28.16

 

mid may 2019

 

Good looking build. How are you liking that odyssey battery? Looking to get the same one.

 

G31M is heavy.

this blue unit is not nearly as heavy

installed spring 2020

 

the cooper ST 255.85.16 is replaced with a set of 5 cooper STMax 285.75.16 on
september 15 2016 @ 24392mile. the ST on a narrower rim and have been remounted to the OEM rim.
August 5.2021 cooper ST/Maxx 235/85/16 are mounted to OE alloy, displacing the ST 255, which aged out.
the ST/Maxx 285/75/16 remain mounted on SCS F5, and sitting in garage. Too heavy for truck gearing, and too heavy for me to lift.

 

what are you using for food storage? yeti cooler?
Love the progress made on this man.

 

yes to yeti, edit: no to yeti, passed it on to Bentrodder.

sometime after july 2017, and the placement of the Habitat, the refrigerator was switched to ARB from Indel.
now, edit on 07/28/19, i have followed a ARB insulation mod referenced by crom to a 'stumpalump' on expoportal. have just completed the mod, which does have some complicated manoevers where-in i required the use of extra hands. i used the Frostking foam and foil in 12inch wide roll, plus some 1/8 inch alu bar stock for the deflector, cut to fit, and finished with 3M high heat duct tape.






friday may 13.16

friday june 8.18 Flexopower Baja100 solar collector on order. plan run thru
CteK D250SA to dual battery system, which currently is ML-ACR. two cans
of AluBox arrived from EQUIPT, top notch company, and the cans are good too
still await install of new leaf springs and possibly the BAMF shackle hangers
and shackles, may skip it. leaf springs placed. shackle mod done.

tuesday june 19.18
more reading suggests Renogy Rover MPPT would better serve my system, over the D250SA. the plan is Victron mppt plus 712s and possible BB lithium.
sunday july 28.19
editing: the flexopower folding PV has been surplanted to a cab top glass and frame PV, which is mounted with a five point mechanical connector to a Prinsu
Habitat rack, which did not fit from factory and needed trimming to clear the Habitat. this rack was placed solely to mount a single PV panel, in a fixed tilt position. although the PV is mounted on three hinges, and could be converted to
a variable angle mounting. I opted to fixed mount, and the four inside frame corners were reinforced due to frequent corrugated road surfaces.



re-editing: june 18.2020
one hard mount PV on cab roof, angled. inside cab has one VE mppt 75/15 mounted for intermittent use on engine batteries. inside bed under Habitat is
VE lithium-ion battery 100Ah with multi component VE management system. several months required for install, set up, monitor, and familiarization such that
system works as planned.

re-editing on August 01.2020
one accepted aspect of the hard mounted fixed angle PV is that 42W is a consistent output regardless of truck parked position. Have demonstrated to self that by increasing angle (panel forward lip mounted with three hinges) the output can go as high as 80W. This one panel can be connected to either of two seperate MPPT 75/15 VE's, one feeding VE lithium in back of campshell, or one feeding engine bay starter and auxiliary batteries (AGM).









in photo above are seen two VE MPPT 75/15's. these both feed the Lithium battery system. A second portable PV can be plugged into this system. A separate VE MPPT 75/15 is mounted in cab next to ARB compressor, and it can be connected to the roof panel (or a portable PV) and this can supplement charging of the two AGMs in the engine bay.

re-edit april 2021
switch placed to disconnect PV from MPPT. way more convenient than disconnecting SB50's


this 8lbs. hardware is placed enabling very occasional conversion of DC to AC such that Apple products can be charged,(std USB inadequate), as well as the potential to use a coffee grinder.


this well managed harness was improved by replacing a two post neg Bussbar with a three post unit. this enabled chassis Gnd and the grounding of the phoenix 12/375 inverter.

 

partial install new start battery G35 and accessory G31M

additionally::


and: CMC on 6/11/16 by @Bentrodder


Two new X2Power G35 AGM placed 5/30/2023. 62970mile
HKB booster placed.
Victron Battery Sense added

 

september 2016 drive out eastern california totally accidental first campsite @9k+feet with view to sierra crest. windy and many meat bees.
experimental frigerator roll-out drawer worked well.


real pleased to roll out a dead-end spur and find a perfect camp site despite the wind and the bees and the no-burn order

next day drove into the hot and hazy bishop area and filled tank then rolled up a steep hot dusty canyon road to about 11k feet and eventually descended from the cool air to a slightly less cool 9k feet through a rocky narrow canyon with steep tight switch backs and then through some fall foliage

tired and rolling to anticipated camp site

great site no one around

dinner for dogs

cool morning could see the sun but not feel it for the longest time

cold water dip after the sun was up and ready to leave

elevation gains and the views east

connected four wheels and instructed truck to air up at this dry camp
thunderheads building with blustery hail

later sky cleared and wind picked up and by morning the wind was heavy with dust barely able to make coffee and even in the morning sun sitting was uncomfortably cold and we felt beat with the wind and decided to make a run home rather than find another camp, so rolled up 120 and made a last stop for snacks and coffee at yosemite creek.

 

part collection and install 7.7.17

september 2017 drive out eastern california


sept 17 F2 20mmUD Provia100


sept 17 F2 20mmUD Provia100



october 2017 drive out eastern california





october 2017 drive out east california



december 05 2017 drive east california

 

last week spent effort placing these units. bolted on tight, could not get the leaf eye/shackle/shackle/shackle hangers to line up to bolt on...dam..undid the shackle hangers and, and mated them properly to the shackles/leaf eye assembly prior to bolting to the frame.

 

Sweet build and pics!

 

..random...october 2016

...october 2018 GMW


...may 2019



...may 2019


...may2019 view along easterly subrange of Inyo Mountains. Chocolate Mtn.


...april2021 view easterly into Deep along the Inyo sub range. NKJ 135/3.5


...april2021 view Deep into Inyo sub range. NKJ 2.8/3.5



...nov2020


...nov2020 looking west

white mountains. rounded nub on left horizon probable station peak or iron mtn.

...nov2020 drive out east california

near horsethief and willowash

...april2021 view toward northgate across coloma gulch


...april2021 view north and easterly


...nov2020 looking southeasterly toward the head of the range


...july2019


july2019


sept2021 looking deep toward mesquite dune


june22.2022 looking far

 

...random 2016

...october 2018 ML


...may2019 IM

 

random 10.16

 

10.16 random film

10.18 ran down flim

 

10.16

 

16

18



...july 2019 high desert






..october 2019


..10.19



...10.12.20 creek fire residuals



...11.14.20 Zinc Hill



...april 2021 Can Opener Flat



...11.14.2020 north head of cottonwoods



...27.09.21 on site during KNP complex



...27.09.21 on site during KNP complex



...25.10.22 on site of view

 

10900 feet 2017
a valley


HNY 2019


...27.10.21 camp on eureka. mary D canyon

 

..october 4 2020
bringing lithium battery up from resting SOC 58%, resting since 8.15.20
PV A+B with 100W output total. 1030 ~start time. Tbat 70*F
Orion Smart turned on with truck idling at 1210. Bulk charging.
BMV reading 86%SOC and 475W total input to battery. Tbat 80*F @1235.

PV A truck cab mounted yields approximate 41W. Hard mounted shallow slope.
PV B portable yields 60W. steep slope optimal.
OrionTrSmart 12/12/30 can yield 425W engine running.

Orion operated 30 to 40 minutes, bringing Tbat to 93* and Vbat to 14.27V
Orion shut off after BMV manual sync to 100%SOC. It was noted at 1245 that Orion had switched to Absorption and total system watts at 170W, with apparent SOC of 91%, yet Lithium house battery reading 14.27V with
C1.3.55V C2.3.53V C3.3.56V C4.3.64V;
Therefore manual %SOC synced to 100%. Orion and PV B OFF.
follow up at 1415 Vbat at 14.24V Tbat 94*F. C1.3.52 C2.3.52 C3.3.52 C4.3.52. this occurence D/T PV A charging at 38W
manual re-sync BMV to 100%SOC. ARB refrigerator switched from shorepower to system D/C. ARB had chilled to read out of 31*F

Indicates truck VE system is fully operating, and ready to roll.
...10.04.20
...10.16.20 drove ~800 mile stopped off on Mono Playa off 343. great blue sky.calm.warm
rollei IR400@rodinal 1+50@12'










...21.10.21 camp on mono


EDIT 11,09,20,....had turned off VE system for about 14 days and could not get restart. firmware update on MPPT's, various finaglements, unfinaglements, refinaglements, frustrations, and accidental discoveries with no help from the VE intelligentsia due to me being a DIY end-user, which is forbidden.
currently, as an upshot, the system is operating as expected, and system GO for an ill-conceived trip to DV during a coldSpell, beginning Friday13,2020,November.

A Relentless Aluminum tailgate replacement panel is placed, and some much needed tailgate sealing is done. Truck is being geared up for a few day trip. Already too cold for elevation above 4Kfeet. Planning slight warming trend over weekend and end route into lower elevation.

12/28/20 weighed truck 6240lbs....front wheels only 2900...rear wheels 3260

edit 3/3/21.not going.DV.this march.
edit 3/27/22.no go.DV.march past.
edit 3/26/23.no go.DV.march past.
photo last october near Zinc Hill


did get to DV in April 2021






...26.10.21 hanapa telepeak