aVANger Build

[bdosborn-SMB]

My wife got the beta version of the sports bra sewn (it always takes us a try or two to get new things like this dialed in). I glued some magnets to the inside of the cover and Jean sewed magnets into the bra. It works best when the louvers are opened manually a bit:

It seems to stop the rattles when I shake the ceiling but I haven't driven anywhere yet. It's stuffed with leftover thinsulate to try and keep drafts out in the winter. And, it matches the night cover for our control panel:

Bruce

 

[bdosborn-SMB]

Another refinement for the Lemans fan is a 3 way switch to add a manual mode. The temperature on the Inkbird thermostat is kind of a PITA to change so I added a manual mode that jumpers around the thermostat. It was super easy to add, I just popped out the existing switch, added the 3 way switch and one additional wire straight to the speed controller input:

Bruce

 

[bdosborn-SMB]

I've been making a few upgrades this winter. I don't think I ever posted that I had upgraded the Victron Orion B2B charger from the older 30A to the new 50A version. I just added a second one this week for a total of 100A@12V. I optioned the van with a second alternator so there's plenty of alternator capacity. My battery maximum recommended charge rate is 100A so I'm done adding chargers. I barely had enough room for the second Orion so it's not the most elegant installation I've done:

I'm out of V.E. and USB ports in the Cerbo GX so the new Orion is on it's own for now. I usually use the Bluetooth connection to each device when I'm driving so we'll see if I need it. I'll probably give the Victron GX Touch 50 screen it's own USB connection instead of powering it from the Cerbo and use that for port V.E. if I decide I need it.

I don't think I ever posted the very exclusive badging for our van. It takes years to earn this badge.

And finally I've been working with Chat GPT for a custom van dashboard in Home Assistant. This works whenever I'm parked at home and connected to WiFi. I now know how hard it is to come up with a dashboard that shows values at a glance and fits nicely on a screen. Kudos to Victron for the nice dashboard they have for the Cerbo GX but I wanted something a little more granular. The icons change colors at set values so you can tell status at a glance:

Next big mod is probably the roof top A/C but I'll wait till the weather is nicer to tackle that.
Bruce

 

[featherliteCT1]

I'm out of V.E. and USB ports in the Cerbo GX so the new Orion is on it's own for now.

I use a cheap unpowered USB hub to expand the number of cables I can plug into my Rpi running Venus OS. Works fine.

Your electrical system is fantastic!

 

[bdosborn-SMB]

I use a cheap unpowered USB hub to expand the number of cables I can plug into my Rpi running Venus OS. Works fine.

Your electrical system is fantastic!

Doh, I didn't even think of a USB hub. I'll probably go down that route.
Bruce

 

[bdosborn-SMB]

I use a cheap unpowered USB hub to expand the number of cables I can plug into my Rpi running Venus OS. Works fine.

Your electrical system is fantastic!

I added the USB hub and now the second DC-DC charger is reporting to the Cerbo. Thanks for the nudge.
Bruce

 

[bdosborn-SMB]

Last year I left a valve open when I filled the water tank for the season and flooded the van. It took me awhile to figure out the water was running out so the entire van floor was wet. This year I've added a leak detector with a sensor wire I can route down the entire side of the van, from the water tank to the sink. It beeps locally when it detects moisture and it also connects to the WiFI at the house to alert in Home Assistant. (home automation software)

Hopefully I wont ever flood the van again but this is cheap insurance against future leaks.
Bruce

 

[bdosborn-SMB]

We just got back from our annual winter adventure van trip. This year we traveled route 66 in NM and AZ. Here's a pic of the van at the El Rancho movie star hotel in Gallup:

Bruce

 

[Tom&Shelly]

Cool Bruce! You probably drove within a few miles of us, just East of Albuquerque.

The El Rancho is an interesting hotel/motel, though not necessarily comfortable. (We stay there sometimes when our balloon-owning friends go to the Gallup rally, first weekend in December.) Every room is unique. It was built before putting a separate bathroom in each room was a thing. They retrofitted by using the closets, sometimes with the smallest appliances they could find.

Tom