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05-15-2013, 05:57 PM
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#262
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Senior Member
Name: Thom
Trailer: Chevy AWD Van Conversion
Astoria Oregon
Posts: 1,004
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Thanks for the link Eddie, yes they have some nice related items.
Well today's projects included swapping out the stock shower bilge on/off switch with a water proof momentary switch. And to play around with installing a battery box vent. I think both projects were successful.
I'm still thinking all the battery tweaks were a bit unnecessary since i have at least a half dozen locals including marine techs, marine mechanics, rv techs/mechanics, and full time live aboard peeps telling me they have had the same/similar AGM Optimas un-vented inside their rigs or boats for years without issue. BUT to appease the Battery Gods...i installed a vent to the outside.
Here are two shots showing the shower switch mod:
Parts:
and a look at mounted switches inside shower area:
And here are two showing the battery box mod:
inside, showing the 3/4" ID tubing going to the thru-hull-fitting on rear wall exiting near street side tail light:
And here is the exterior shot. I put some netting on the fitting before placing the washer. My McGirlver wife approves!
Someone could argue that the interior vent hole could be closer to the top...though i think the natural convection (vent on bottom + vent on top) will assist in a natural air flow beyond what is needed. Leave it to a non-engineer to probably over engineer something as simple as a vent! I'm not saying anything i've done here is ideal or perfect...but it should do.
Happy Trails!
Thom
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05-16-2013, 09:05 PM
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#263
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Senior Member
Name: M
Trailer: Influx
Usa
Posts: 145
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You are fast Thom! We are so lucky to have a preview and idea of a solution. I also have had a chance to view your full post and wanted to say Congratulations on your trailer. Its wonderful you got to really customize it as your own. I am crazy loving the fabric you chose and the abundance of pillows. I put the dowel rod solution for holding the doors on our list of projects since that'll be a quick and easy feel good project to do. Your posting was a treasure trove of inspiration and useful information. Thanks so much for sharing.
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05-17-2013, 09:44 AM
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#264
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Senior Member
Name: Thom
Trailer: Chevy AWD Van Conversion
Astoria Oregon
Posts: 1,004
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To Mimi 
Sometimes a person wakes up to sunshine streaming through the window to start their day...
Well ours on the WET! Coast of Oregon was overcast and gloomy...
BUT, reading your kind words and kudos to Cari's & my _project_ was better than sunshine!
Blessings,
Thom (& Cari)
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05-17-2013, 11:45 AM
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#265
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1991 17 ft Horizon
Posts: 764
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Nice job Thom, did the connector come with the screen and what size is the hose ?
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05-17-2013, 12:30 PM
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#266
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Senior Member
Name: Thom
Trailer: Chevy AWD Van Conversion
Astoria Oregon
Posts: 1,004
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Hi Tim & THX
The screen is just a ~2"x2" scrap of leftover no-see-um screen we purchased online. Cari put the screen over the outside male threaded end of hull fitting and then gently screwed in the ring after laying down a small roll of butyl tape...while i did the same inside...and then she pushed the exterior ring toward the back wall, while i tightened up the inside ring. Tight work, but nothing is getting past all the butyl tape!
The hose is 3/4" inside diameter Vinyl Braided Tubing from Home Dept (i had another use for it so i used it). . . but could have gone with anything 3/4" I.D. . . .that stuff was probably way overkill ! (< of course...it's me).
PS...on the no-see-um...Cari placed that on the exterior side of all window, vent & door screens in the Parkliner. We ordered 2 yards from the link above and have some left over. We had done this a couple years ago with the van conversion and it is a nice addition...rather than bugs... : )
Cheers,
Thom
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05-17-2013, 02:18 PM
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#267
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1991 17 ft Horizon
Posts: 764
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Thanks to both Thom & Glenn for the info. Yes I have screened all exhaust ie. hot water, furnace, and even fridge vents.
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05-17-2013, 03:14 PM
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#268
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Senior Member
Name: Thom
Trailer: Chevy AWD Van Conversion
Astoria Oregon
Posts: 1,004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Wood
...have screened all exhaust ie. hot water, furnace, and even fridge vents.
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( ; you've got a few more _vents_ to screen that #35 ; )
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05-17-2013, 03:39 PM
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#269
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Senior Member
Name: Francesca Knowles
Trailer: '78 Trillium 4500
Jefferson County, Washington State, U.S.A.
Posts: 4,670
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Wood
Thanks to both Thom & Glenn for the info. Yes I have screened all exhaust ie. hot water, furnace, and even fridge vents.
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Except for mud daubers, which sometimes build nests in fridge/furnace ducts, these aren't usually interior-access points for bugs.
But if you must "screen" there:
Do take care not to use too fine a mesh when screening gas appliance apertures/vents. They're sized to allow for a particular air flow, and too small a mesh can obstruct that flow to the point of choking off the appliance and/or forcing it to draw from inside air supply. CO city!
The smallest that should be used is hardware mesh, though some folks think even that's too small. Kits for the purpose of keeping mud daubers out of fridge vents usually consist of a spaced-bar setup.
Francesca
__________________
...............  ..................
Propane Facts vs. Fiction:. Click here
Tow Limit Calculator: Click here
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05-17-2013, 04:26 PM
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#270
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Senior Member
Name: Thom
Trailer: Chevy AWD Van Conversion
Astoria Oregon
Posts: 1,004
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Yuppers on the correct sizing of mesh.
We used the no-see-um on the PL windows & roof-vents (and the one in the post above on the battery area) since there was no gas/appliance worries (#35 has no propane). On our Mobile Suite we have those after market stainless steel mesh thingies on all pertinent appliance vents, and no-see-um on all windows/roof-vents.
Thom
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05-17-2013, 05:06 PM
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#271
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1991 17 ft Horizon
Posts: 764
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles
Except for mud daubers, which sometimes build nests in fridge/furnace ducts, these aren't usually interior-access points for bugs.
But if you must "screen" there:
Do take care not to use too fine a mesh when screening gas appliance apertures/vents. They're sized to allow for a particular air flow, and too small a mesh can obstruct that flow to the point of choking off the appliance and/or forcing it to draw from inside air supply. CO city!
The smallest that should be used is hardware mesh, though some folks think even that's too small. Kits for the purpose of keeping mud daubers out of fridge vents usually consist of a spaced-bar setup.
Francesca
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These are the ones I use for the furnace & Hot water tank, and I use hardware cloth for the fridge vents. I have done this on many trailers and never had any problems. The hardware cloth is to keep out mice.
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05-17-2013, 05:22 PM
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#272
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Senior Member
Name: Francesca Knowles
Trailer: '78 Trillium 4500
Jefferson County, Washington State, U.S.A.
Posts: 4,670
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Well...what can I say, Tim? If it passes muster with your gas guy, it's O.K. by me!
Dunno if you do a lot of cold weather RVing, but if you do, be sure to keep an eye on those screens. The moisture given off in the combustion process can condense/freeze on them and block airflow altogether. Adjacent-to-exhaust "intake" ports are most susceptible to this since they're cooler to begin with.
Francesca
__________________
...............  ..................
Propane Facts vs. Fiction:. Click here
Tow Limit Calculator: Click here
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05-17-2013, 05:57 PM
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#273
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1991 17 ft Horizon
Posts: 764
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Francesca, If I did some winter camping they are very easy to take off. I do some late fall in the Adirondack's and have never had any problems, even down in the 20's. And like I said they do come off easy and you wouldn't need them on in cold weather. Hardware cloth is much bigger that is on the fridge vents, but small enough to keep out mice. Anyway I do understand the concern and it makes sense.
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05-17-2013, 06:05 PM
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#274
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Senior Member
Name: Leonard
Trailer: not yet
California
Posts: 151
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Thom,
Venting the possible hydrogen is one issue, but do you still have the converter in the same box, like Mimi? i'm sure you've read mrscottyg's thoughts that maybe the issue was the converter trying to cool off, and inadvertently pumping heat into the batteries. So, possibly heat is more of an issue than hydrogen? Is the venting you are supplying going to help with that?
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05-17-2013, 06:57 PM
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#275
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Senior Member
Name: Thom
Trailer: Chevy AWD Van Conversion
Astoria Oregon
Posts: 1,004
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Parkliner installed a nice battery & converter box in my #35. My simple modifications to that battery box (after extensive reading/research/tweaking) has complete separation and venting of the two areas. Battery box to the outside, and a simple vent for the converter to the inside, in addition to the PD4045's built in fan.
Thom
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05-18-2013, 03:42 PM
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#276
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Senior Member
Name: Thom
Trailer: Chevy AWD Van Conversion
Astoria Oregon
Posts: 1,004
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As discussed, here is an image of the Battery Bay in #35. The two Optima SC34DM AGM batteries in the rear compartment vents through the rear wall to the outside ( Post Script note: there is a compartment-floor vent for convection air flow in the battery compartment). A wall separates the Optima batteries from the Progressive Dynamic PD 4045 converter. Two simple PVC 2" pipe drain caps are located over the top of the converter to allow air flow into the under-seat area and finds its way out through the not-so-sealed AC cord access door on street side.
(Post Script note: there are four 1" holes on the bottom of the converter area to allow exits for wires and also convection-air flow.)
Here is the inside before putting the lid back on:
Here are the converter area vent parts (easy to find and Home Depot or Lowes) :
And here is the Battery Bay with lid on:
I feel good about the project. And of course none of this could have been done without the brainstorming of members on this forum. I'm appreciative of all the thoughts and ideas shared!
Cheers,
Thom
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05-18-2013, 03:49 PM
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#277
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Senior Member
Name: jim
Trailer: 2022 Escape19 pulled by 2014 Dodge Ram Hemi Sport
Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,710
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Do you have any intake vents in the converter compartment in addition to these that will allow air movement into and then out? Perhaps 2 more of these along the bottom?
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05-18-2013, 04:00 PM
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#278
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Senior Member
Name: Thom
Trailer: Chevy AWD Van Conversion
Astoria Oregon
Posts: 1,004
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Hi Jim, yes on the intake vents... there are four 1" holes on the bottom of the converter area to allow for a convection type air flow.
: )
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05-18-2013, 04:03 PM
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#279
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Senior Member
Name: jim
Trailer: 2022 Escape19 pulled by 2014 Dodge Ram Hemi Sport
Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,710
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great, by the way, I mentioned To Parkliner my concern with the 12v shower switch being exposed to water way back when they first started. I'm glad to see someone else feels the same, hopefully they will start following the same way.
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05-18-2013, 04:26 PM
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#280
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Senior Member
Name: Thom
Trailer: Chevy AWD Van Conversion
Astoria Oregon
Posts: 1,004
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The questionable shower-worthiness of the stock switch was one of the first things on my to do list. We've not used the area for showering yet, but will during our 4 day adventure memorial week to one of our favorite spots (below image). Best to make sure its water proof _before_ water gets in the way.
Sunset falls last memorial day taking the RC Rock Crawler for a stroll.
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