Point Five Ambo Build

[patoz]

Do the automatic transfer switch. its SO worth the money to just plug in and not worry about flipping things over.

I probably will, if for no other reason than it's much easier to install. My only concern with that type of 'all in one' setup is, if you have a problem with it and have to remove it for repair, them you lose your whole system.

 

[rlrenz]

Actually, I had thought about using a Blue Sea ARC for this purpose. I just didn't realize there was a dedicated product already on the market.

Since I already have the whole truck side of the 'Toad Charge' system factory installed, all I really need is the 'Charge Regulator' part for the trailer side. It looks like I can buy just that part separately.



I'm like you though, I'd rather use a Blue Sea ACR because of it's quality, warranty, and tech support, but in my case that would make for some very long heavy gauge cable runs, so I don't know. However, I did find this Blue Sea BatteryLink™ Automatic Charging Relay - 12V/24V DC 120A that looks like it would do the job. It requires #6 wire for 60 Amps.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...harging+Relay+with+Auxiliary+Battery+Priority

Another thought would be a Xantrex Echo-Charger. When your primary battery voltage rises, the Echo-Charge unit then charges your second battery at up to 15 amps, and when your primary battery voltage drops a bit (engine is shut down), it disconnects the second battery. I'm adding an Echo-charger for the deep cycle battery for my refrigerator.

 

[patoz]

Another thought would be a Xantrex Echo-Charger. When your primary battery voltage rises, the Echo-Charge unit then charges your second battery at up to 15 amps, and when your primary battery voltage drops a bit (engine is shut down), it disconnects the second battery. I'm adding an Echo-charger for the deep cycle battery for my refrigerator.

I remember you talking about this, but had forgotten also. I even looked the Echo-charger up and bookmarked it then.

Just too much stuff to keep up with...

 

[rlrenz]

The advantage to the Echo Charger is that you won't slam your charging system if the second battery is very low, so the charging current could be handled through a connector instead of needing a bolted connection.

 

[patoz]

The advantage to the Echo Charger is that you won't slam your charging system if the second battery is very low, so the charging current could be handled through a connector instead of needing a bolted connection.

That is definitely something to consider.


I received a few more toys to play with today. LED lights, all from M4 Products.com. Some of these are for the camper and some are for the tow vehicle. It was a Black Friday sale so what can I say?



Free M4 Drink Koozies are standard with all orders. The box is a LED Headlight Conversion Kit for the F250, and the two larger ones on the right (marked 3156) are back-up lights. Both are very bright! The six in the middle are for the ambo/camper clearance lights on the corners; the four small ones on the left are for the F250 dome light, but are a disappointment (not very bright); and the two square panel lights in the lower left I bought to experiment with. They are very bright also for their size and can be used as dome lights as well, which I probably will.

 

[java]

Cool! Ill be interested to see how you like the LED headlights. Im very interested in them, but want to make sure they will melt snow off. Not sure they put out enough heat on the lense.

 

[patoz]

Cool! Ill be interested to see how you like the LED headlights. Im very interested in them, but want to make sure they will melt snow off. Not sure they put out enough heat on the lense.

I assume you are talking about the headlights, right? I only ran them long enough last night to make sure they work, and to compare them to the old Halogen ones. I installed a new LED on just the driver's side and then compared the two. Actually, there is no comparison because the old halogen is a dull yellow light, and the new LED is a super bright pure natural white light with no blue tint.

However, there is a problem with the Ford OEM lock ring that holds the halogen bulb in place. It is too long to fit the LED bulb because of the electronics and fan housing.

I'm going to have to modify that somehow, but when I do I'll cover it in another post and take pictures of the LED vs. Halogen bulbs at night. The connector plugs that come on the LED's are not weather proof either, so I'll have add some sealant to the backs of those also.



And, some good news I've been waiting on...I just got word my 10,000 lb. Rockwell axle and brakes are finally here. Mine did not come with springs because I'll be using my existing springs and they will be mounted on top just like the Ford setup. Next week is going to be very busy, but a good kind of busy!

 

[flightcancled]

Wow that has a built in fan!? I am gonna have to have a look at that. I read somewhere that HIDs generated less heat than a LED equivalent, but I don't think it was that big a deal!

Edit:

So it's enough of a problem that they need a fan, but not enough that the "heat sink" needs more than a few inches of space to vent into? That doesn't seem right. I guess that factors in that it's open air. Were that a confined space I don't think it would be enough.

I've been looking for a good "puck" LED mount to put in my exterior floods. Looks like these are a better product for a good price. Would you go with their "cool" or "natural" for that?


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[patoz]

I've been looking for a good "puck" LED mount to put in my exterior floods. Looks like these are a better product for a good price. Would you go with their "cool" or "natural" for that?

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Ha, we're thinking along the same lines.

I considered those also, but I'm pretty sure your walls are only 2" thick ID like mine and these are about 3.5" long overall. So, depending on how you mounted them the fan would be jammed up against the interior wall, if it even fit at all. Remember, the reflectors are already recessed. Plus, they are not waterproof and require a separate inline LED Driver. Besides, for camping you really only need a flood range of about 50' or so to light up the campsite area around the vehicle.

I've been looking hard at these High-Intensity LED Flood Lights from Oznium.com.

They are fairly inexpensive ($18.00 ea. for three or more), completely waterproof, compact, easy to mount, and have a 120* Flood Angle. They are available in six colors: warm white (3300K), white (6500K), red, green, blue, or amber. The warm white is 78.3 lm and the cool white is 70.4 lm which doesn't sound like much to me, but the reviews say they are 'insanely bright'. The average weapon mounted tactical light is around 230 lm and the ones I have will fry your eyeballs.

I prefer the 'natural white' or 'cool white' over the 'warm white', which always has a yellowish tint to it that I hate. Anything in the 5,000K to 6,000K range works for me. However, the Oznium rep states, "The Warm White (3300K) has more *visible* light output than the White (6500K)...". Too much of a blue tint gives everything a 'ghostly' appearance to me.

I guess the only way to really tell is to order one and play with it to see.

 

[patoz]

I assume you are talking about the headlights, right? I only ran them long enough last night to make sure they work, and to compare them to the old Halogen ones. I installed a new LED on just the driver's side and then compared the two. Actually, there is no comparison because the old halogen is a dull yellow light, and the new LED is a super bright pure natural white light with no blue tint.

However, there is a problem with the Ford OEM lock ring that holds the halogen bulb in place. It is too long to fit the LED bulb because of the electronics and fan housing.

I'm going to have to modify that somehow, but when I do I'll cover it in another post and take pictures of the LED vs. Halogen bulbs at night. The connector plugs that come on the LED's are not weather proof either, so I'll have add some sealant to the backs of those also.

For anyone considering buying this LED Headlight Conversion Kit, I would hold off. I cut my OEM Lock Rings and finally got the lights installed, but it was a super pain in the butt. I had to remove the headlights themselves and I don't have that 'special tool' that's required to remove the locking clips (3) that hold each one in place.

Last night was the first time actually driving with them, and a pretty good storm came up. The visibility in the rain was very poor, with a lot of refraction coming off of the rain drops in the air. After the rain quit, I stopped in a very dark parking lot of a business that is closed, and the building has white painted concrete block walls. I aimed the truck at it from about 200' away, and slowly moved up in increments checking the pattern for high and low beams both.

What I discovered is, these lights don't really have a high and low beam pattern. The Low function lights up a general area in front of you fairly well, but the High function is practically nonexistent. When you click the 'High Beams' on all it does is widen the pattern upward and downward, more like a flood pattern, so now you're lighting up the tree tops and the area right in front of your bumper, but there is no visibility/distance increase. I was only driving 35-45 mph and had I been driving any faster, I would have easily over-driven the headlights.

As great as LEDs are, the light just doesn't seem to carry as far as incandescent or halogen light does. After I drive it at night a couple of more times, I'm going to call the dealer and ask him about this, so stay tuned.

 

[patoz]

As I've mentioned before, I ordered a 10,000 Rockwell American trailer axle with electric brakes. They had to build it to my specifications, but it finally arrived last Thursday, so today I dropped my camper off to have it installed.

Just unhooked, and it looks like I need to wash the roof of this nasty thing. That's what sitting under oak trees for two years will do.




Here it is, and this thing is a monster. That's a 4"x 4" block for comparison. The axle diameter is 5", so gonna need some much bigger U-bolts.




This is an oil bath type axle and here you can see the end caps where you check and fill it.




Nothing is scared anymore! The 'RA' stands for Rockwell American, but yet it's made in China.




When I go to pick it up, I'm going to check on some outrigger type stabilizers or something similar also. These will be for leveling and stabilizing when it's parked and set up.

 

[flightcancled]

Do you not have a hitch jack on that? Looks like the hitch is on the pavement


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[patoz]

Yes, I have a 3,500 lb Barker electric tongue jack on it. Eddie (the owner) just lifted the tongue off of the ball with a fork lift and sat it on the ground. They also have an adapter with a ball that mounts on one fork, that they use to move trailers in and out of the building, etc.

 

[rlrenz]

WOW! That axle should outlive all of us combined. One heck of a hunk of steel.

Truly impressive!

 

[patoz]

Well, my new axle is installed!




They did a really good job of installing it too! No hack job here. That wheel is just one they were test fitting with.




The driver's side spring perch is adjustable front to back (center of picture). The big bolt allows that side to be moved forward or backwards to square it with the coupler. The red wire is power for the electric brakes.




1. New 10,000 lb. Rockwell American axle - axle is 5” in diameter
2. Electric brakes
3. New Monroe Gas-Magnum Shocks
4. Airbags reinstalled
5. Five new Kenda Loadstar ST235/80R16 Radial Trailer Tires - Load Range E
6. Tongue weight is 330 lbs.
7. Total weight is 5,100 lbs. (before axle swap)

I was curious to see what the difference would be towing it, without having the ring and pinion gears of the old axle creating resistance. As soon as I started to pull out of the parking lot, I could tell a huge difference. Once I got on the interstate, I couldn't even tell it was behind my truck.

Tomorrow, I'll get the brakes hooked up and play with the controller.