Thom and Cari's Parkliner

[accrete]

Hey Brian, i just saw your above post...that's so cool. Glad you are enjoying the file(s).

The joke around the office is that my partner who i sometimes see at 6am if we've got some serious admin project to do will beg me before we meet (usually a text the day before) to please NOT listen to my BWE Java-Jolt files before coming to work the next morning...I get talking so fast she can't keep up with my geek-on-speed talk (I don't have coffee in the morning, usually only a social cup with myself at 1530ish)

[Brian M. in NY]

I'm fascinated by the Procyon AVS. The budget, however, will only tolerate so many gadgets and I just bought a new set of carving chisels, so maybe in a couple of months if I don't find anything else I absolutely have for the 'Liner.

[accrete]

I had been following the AVS technology and market for several years while keeping myself busy and _entrained_ with the BWE files. All along i'd been saving up for the day i would purchase an AVS of some sort. I am very pleased with the results Cari & I are getting from it. A nice quality personal device and my local friends who have tried it are impressed.

On budgets and waiting...the good thing is 1) you have access to some free stuff that will relax and entrain (BWE files freely available online like mine). And 2) Technology gets better all the time. The next model is nearly always bigger bang for the buck!

Thom

[accrete]

The Parkliner folks posted this video at their Facebook page and thought i'd share it here. It has about ~10minutes of Chandler and gang giving a casual tour of the PL factory in North Carolina.

Here is the direct link to the local PBS tv station:
Video: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 | Watch NC Now Online | UNC-TV Video

And here is a direct link to the NC fox affiliate's 2 minute video that was shared below by Ken through another fgrv forum thread.
Enjoy!
Thom

[Ken C]

This Video still looks active if anyone is interested
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post320915

[accrete]

Thanks for the link to that fun video Ken...i caught it in time to edit my above post and include a direct link to the fox8 video.

[deryk]

nice!!

[accrete]

OK, as promised (and requested by some curious eggFamilyMembers) I have uploaded a handful of images with some captions on both the battery/charger area under the street side rear bench, and also the fresh water tank and valve setup under the curb side rear bench.

Here are the images, and feel free to ask any questions.

Battery area:



Wiring on positive side is to a fuse box that currently is housing two 60amp fuses (this is what was recommended for use with the existing 45amp charger). A switch allows viewing of real time voltage at the batteries and is turned off when lid is closed so as to not have phantom load.)

Here is a close up of fuse box area (yea i know i need to plug it in and charge it...this is the reading after using the rig for two weeks of afternoons with fan running and lights in the evening):


And here is a close up of the dual optima AGM batteries:


----on to the curb side 15 gallon fresh water tank and valve setup:


and a close up of valves that allow emptying of tank and system:


Cheers,
Thom

[cpaharley2008]

Is this the new Parkliner set up or modifications you have performed?

[accrete]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Is this the new Parkliner set up or modifications you have performed?

The only mod i performed is to wire in the fuse box between the two optima AGM's and the converter/charger...after following _the thread_ ... it was a totally easy & enjoyable project.

[Mimi Lee]

Thom, thank you for linking me to the pics of your power compartment from other discussion. It looks very different from my current configuration and appreciate seeing another way it can be setup. This is very informative and useful reference. Thank you for sharing!!

[cpaharley2008]

You are welcome, Mimi.

[Mimi Lee]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

You are welcome, Mimi.

Yes, thank you, Jim!

[accrete]

Ah late to my own party!

You are welcome Mimi...
and as always, thanks for your input Jim.

PS...being late to the party began when both my wife and i were fashionably late for our own wedding 30 years ago

[accrete]

got home from work today, popped the _hood_, took a look at the batteries after plugging the rig into the 30am service. 13.6 volts going into the batteries. I think i'd enjoy having an battery monitor to look at outside the box also...
Another day's project maybe. And looking in there i think i might have come up with a solution for venting the battery area. Will do some pondering then post the what if : )

Looking into the area of box that houses the stock Progressive Dynamics PD4045 45amp distribution panel/converter system:

[Mimi Lee]

Thom, thanks again for sharing your setup. We are focused our remedying our power compartment and will probably go after an off the shelf battery box with venting tubes built in. Not the cheapest solution but it'll get the job done fast for us, after all it's safety first. Wanted to ask if you knew why the 60amp fuses were recommended when the converter is 45amp? Not questioning the setup, just want to understand better and learn from those further down the road on this than we Thank you.

[accrete]

Hi Mimi,

First a question on battery choice at this point...? Did you do the math on getting an Optima 27 that has the vent port in it? All you would have to do then is buy a few feet of properly sized tubing from your local Lowes or Home Depot and run that to a simple through-the-hull fitting available at any Marine supply store...no battery box needed.(?) If i had to do it all over again i would have asked Chandler to charge me for 2 Optima 27's and then i would vent them. When i replace the 34's i may go this way...though...today i will be pricing up the parts to fully enclose and vent the existing battery box and seal it off from the converter area. I HONESTLY enjoy doing these tweaks, so it's no biggie to me. And we have some of the best marine supply stores on the West Coast within a 5 mile driving distance so it's a marine-tech/junkie guys paradise!

OK 60amp Fuse... It was recommended because the PD4045 in our parkliner has a Maximum DC Output Current of 45-AMPS which should not be hindered...though you could (in our overbuilt, design for end of world possibility we're talking about) have protection built into the system so if the PD4045's built in over-voltage system fails the 60amp fuses should blow, thereby protecting the batteries. That, and the OPTIMA batteries can take significantly more amp current in the short go of things than even the 60amps. Putting those fuses in the system is not needed but it was a fun project . . . BUT if one put say 30 amp fuses in there, the PD4045 would blow them occasionally simply while doing its job of trying to charge the battery bank. That is all in theory any way, according to the Marine tech and also the Auto tech guys who suggested this "If you think you must" < < The tech guys really didn't see the need since the PD4045 is designed to avert this sort of battery-kill-scenario in the first place.

Thom

[Brian M. in NY]

Thom,
I had Chandler install a 12v outlet in the cabinet above the stove so I could keep my battery voltage/charge monitor plugged in there.

The monitor came from:
Equus 3721 Battery and Charging System Monitor : Amazon.com : Automotive

Now I just open the cupboard door to check voltage

[Mimi Lee]

Thom,
We had already taken in the trailer for the battery replacement and converter diagnostic before Jim from Optima posted the information on the 27's, so money has been sunk so we have to wait until we need new batteries (and hope that is not soon!). The thinking is battery box route will also address the metal straps and having airtight compartment separate from the converter. But the space constraint a big challenge given everything else that is in that space we have a tight squeeze already, so it's fingers crossed that they'll fit. This is one project I just want done ASAP, as you can understand.

Thanks for the detailed explanation on the fuses. It was very helpful and I completely follow.

Brian,
It was great forethought to have those 12v installed in the cabin for that purpose!

[accrete]

LOL Brian...i have that same type of cigarette plug voltage reader!..but your cupboard 12 volt set up was a great idea. I am also looking at an amp gauge similar to a xantrex linklite (i don't mind the $$ but would like to see just how many amps i'm utilizing on a given device).

Mimi, yea i'm with you...who would have guessed right? I'm thankful for OptimaJim's info he shared with us! Maybe in a few years we'll go that way...but after this afternoon the box will be sealed up enough to do the job short of a melt-down.

Thom