DetV's Shed

[DetV]

When Aldi knocked $20 off their $69 awning - how could I resit. Trying it out on Spence. Not terribly "authentic" looking, but it might by do the trick.

[DetV]

A few weeks ago I ordered a Defender Under Console Safe by Front Runner. The supplier was out of stock at the time, but since I scored a 20% discount, agreed to wait for the backorder to come through. The box arrived today so I proceeded with the installation.

Unfortunately the installation was not straight forward since the Steyr mount is in a slightly larger hole than of the standard Defender's. I overcame this issue by attaching some 25x20mm aluminium angle around the box to create a flange which then completely covered the hole. I could use the two side screw holes of the Steyr mount to hold the side flanges against the floor, plus added two holes for PK screws across the front flange.

To keep the box secure, I created four toggles using aluminium angle and installed M5 nutserts (rivet captive nuts). These swivel around on the internal mount holes of the safe and clamp it to the floor plates.

When I find some drab olive I'll give it all a coat of paint.

[Carzee]

That console security box is fitted pretty good in the end. Good for travel documents and things - does the lip have a rubber seal to keep things dry or dustproof?

[Dervish]

No seal on them, they don't really need it.

It's a long time ago now, but I'm sure mine came with nutserts on the top to fit the cubby box back on?

[DetV]

A adhesive backed foam seal is provided with the box. I used thin double sided adhesive tape between the aluminium angle and the box to seal that, as well as help hold it in place while drilling and riveting. Even with the Steyr rack screws and toggle clamps the buckles in the floor were not completely pulled out and there are still a few tiny gaps at the back. When I get my cans of drab olive I might reinstall with the foam seal - let's see how much dust ingress we get without it.

The box is also supplied with nutserts, bolts and washers for both the bottom mounting and to re-install a cubby box on top, however, I have no intention of mounting a cubby box - that's where the dog's pillow goes.

[DetV]

Next Enhancement - Battery Isolation
I've installed a USB chargers which includes an LED volt meter, but at the time of installation I could not find a convenient ignition switched circuit for it. I'm likely to install more devices in the future which draw ambient current, so to avoid draining the battery during extended lay-overs, I decided that a battery isolation switch would be the go - and then it may as well be lockable, so here is the result:

[DetV]

Been a while since my last post - took a break from the FFR by towing an A'van around the country behind the Prado for a few months, plus a bit of time up the snow.
Anyhow, it's now time to get cracking on 51-490 again. With a WICEN event coming up in early Oct, providing remote area comms support for the Hume & Hovell Ultra Marathon, priority was on making Spence sleepable plus getting the power storage up to scratch.

New 24v Battery Set
I finally gave up trying to source batteries to match the originals, so relented and got a pair of lower cost, more readily available D70Zs. Since the battery compartment is directly above the muffler, to tolerate the heat, I chose standard lead-acid deep cycle batteries. The D70Zs are the same width as the originals, however, approx 40mm shorter. So I had a piece of angle welded onto the original battery holder to enable it to clamp onto the new batteries. I also added a block of 40mm x 18mm pine to the back end of the base to stop the batteries sliding back.

Here is the result:

[DetV]

Flat platform in the FFR
I have been considering options for a flat platform in the back of the FFR. The easiest, and probably lowest cost, would be a sheet of form ply across the lot. With this option I could not see how I could easily access the storage space underneath. Another criterion was to be able to easily restore Spence to the way it was used in Army service.
I decided to construct two boxes out of 12mm plywood. On the passenger side I needed to allow up to 20cm additional space to accomodate my Waeco 60cft fridge. Here is what I ended up with:

[Carzee]

Nice work. I think Stevie may re-do his after seeing yours later today.

[DetV]

For anyone who may wish to replicate, here are the panel sizes I used for the boxes.

[DetV]

Thought that 240v AC might be useful in Spence at some stage, so here is the latest edition:

[DetV]

The Cannon connector was sourced from Connector World. I purchased:
2x MS3106F20-19P @ $25 (in line plug), and
1x MS3108F20-19P @ $30 (90degree plug)

[DetV]

Then re-deployed some carpet runners to cover my boxes and the sides.

[DetV]

Today's Project - Water Bladder in FFR Radio Stand
A few days ago I took the plunge and ordered a 100 Litre Rectangle Plastimo Water Tank. The postie delivered it this morning so today's challenge was to work out how I can plumb this bladder into the FFR radio support box.  Well, after a lot of mucking around and reviewing numerous options, I found an orientation of the bladder which will allow its installation. The key issue is to be able to locate the inlet and outlet in a clear panel. The only orientation which works in the FFR is with the inlet near centre of the box and the outlet approx 15cm from the back and 15cm from the driver side. Once I verified that it could be fitted, it was time to visit my favourite plumbing supplier to get the bits I will need to connect the bladder to a filler inlet and a tap on the rear.

The inlet and outlet of this bladder both need 57mm holes - so I ran down to Bunnings for a 57mm hole saw.
The team at Southern Plumbing accepted my challenge to help me work out what plumbing bits and pieces I could use to achieve my goal.

Following the hole drilling and assembly I tested the setup by inflating the bladder with a high volume air pump. With a few PSI in the bladder my detergent dipped paintbrush failed to identify any leaks. So, it was time to fill it with water. Initially I filled through the 25mm filler hose, however, the air which I previously pumped into the bladder came out in massive gulps. I changed the approach and completed the filling through the outlet tap allowing all the air out without conflicting with water.

The box dimensions are approx 90cm x 55cm x 22cm, that is approx 108 litres. This bladder lies flat at 107cm x 70cm and inflates to 25cm high. Not too bad a fit.  Considering the framework and other obstructions inside the box, I am hopeful of filling the bladder to near 80 litres. Anyhow, even if I only get 60 litres in there it will be a bonus.

[edit 15/10/18] Filled the bladder through the outlet tap until water spilled out through the breather tube. Then emptied the bladder through the outlet tap and measured 65 litres. Happy with that.

[DetV]

Latest enhancement to my version of the LRCV. Repurposed our 30 year old latex mattress. Used the 3" foam core and one 2" latex foam layer packaged in some tan canvas to make 3 mattress pillows on top of the storage boxes in the back of the FFR - super comfy.