Feel free to comment/ help me determine my new SMB build

[warholic]

hey all - please read and comment as you see fit, especially where I am undecided. THANKS!
This week I ordered a 2010 Pueblo Gold E350 super duty RB V10 gas engine, 4:10 rear diff with LSD, to be drop shipped to SMB by Ford free of charge.

My build - based on hours spent on threads on this site - just the bigger items:
RB 50
Electric PH w/ bed
microwave
solar - 1 Kyocera
two large 4D-AGM batts
XL storage
trojan front bumper with winch
rear tire carrier, bumper, swing away

Dilemmas:
1. 4X4 system - can't decide between SMB and Salem Kroeger. I alrdy have seperate thread on that under 4x4 topic. No matter where, will add:
ARB front locker
Dynatrac manual locking hubs
TPMS
bushwackers
Either 34 or 35 inch tires - 285/75/r17 or 305/75/r17 e rated - I want quiet as possible on road and GOOD performance off road
Toyo open country AT? or
Nitto Terra Grappler AT?

2. Inverter - which one? Triplite or Xantrex. Won't have TV but will have laptop. Just MW, a fan, coffee pot, and maybe elec heater and furnace. Can't find much on this other than if xantrex, get prosine 2000, NOT the Trace "smart" one. See item 3.

3. Propane or electric hot water/air - these items buried in lots of threads. What I'm thinking is: I have gas engine but don't want flat plate, deleting stove top so don't really need built-in propane to cook, but I would get propane for hot air and H2O. But i already have an inverter, 2 batts and solar, so if 110v 2.5 gal H2O heater and a portable plug-in heater work, go all electric and delete propane completely. Any recommendations on H20 heater - I read Emerson/Insinkerator is good one.

4. get a 3 cf fridge over 2.7 - need quieter one than SMB stock. Something with Danfoos compressor. Vitrifigo C115i, R134 or Isotherem Cruise 130 recommended.

5. "12V rear A/C" - SMB Texas installed for someone - is plumbed into van's A/C compressor and works when engine on and really cools the back of van. Control up front on dash, are Ford parts. Any comments?

[billwilson]

Originally Posted by warholic

hey all - please read and comment as you see fit, especially where I am undecided. THANKS!
This week I ordered a 2010 Pueblo Gold E350 super duty RB V10 gas engine, 4:10 rear diff with LSD, to be drop shipped to SMB by Ford free of charge.

My build - based on hours spent on threads on this site - just the bigger items:
RB 50
Electric PH w/ bed
microwave
solar - 1 Kyocera
Not enough to top off the two 4d's
also what controlertwo large 4D-AGM batts
XL storage
a must have
trojan front bumper with winch
rear tire carrier, bumper, swing away

Dilemmas:
1. 4X4 system - can't decide between SMB and Salem Kroeger. I alrdy have seperate thread on that under 4x4 topic. No matter where, will add:
ARB front locker
Dynatrac manual locking hubs
TPMS
bushwackers
Either 34 or 35 inch tires - 285/75/r17 or 305/75/r17 e rated - I want quiet as possible on road and GOOD performance off road
Toyo open country AT? or
Nitto Terra Grappler AT?

2. Inverter - which one? Triplite or Xantrex. Won't have TV but will have laptop. Just MW, a fan, coffee pot, and maybe elec heater and furnace. Can't find much on this other than if xantrex, get prosine 2000, NOT the Trace "smart" one. See item 3.
do your homework on other sites
you need to know your power needs BEFORE you chose

3. Propane or electric hot water/air - these items buried in lots of threads. What I'm thinking is: I have gas engine but don't want flat plate, deleting stove top so don't really need built-in propane to cook, but I would get propane for hot air and H2O. But i already have an inverter, 2 batts and solar, so if 110v 2.5 gal H2O heater and a portable plug-in heater work, go all electric and delete propane completely. Any recommendations on H20 heater - I read Emerson/Insinkerator is good one.
If you are not going to have a stove top, why do you need Hot water?
No heater for the interior of the rig? I lived too long with no heater in my Westy
The portable heaters creep me out, also another piece of junk to store somewhere
Your getting tight for space under the rig, but for ME, i would def get propane
Micro? takes up alot of space..... small portable one burner propane for coffee....
Laptop? all of mine have had a 12v plug in......

4. get a 3 cf fridge over 2.7 - need quieter one than SMB stock. Something with Danfoos compressor. Vitrifigo C115i, R134 or Isotherem Cruise 130 recommended.
Truck fridge
TF130 - $599 + Shipping
4.2 cubic feet same size foot pring
meant to be run 24/7/365 on a long haul truck
had a smaller one in my Westy, it rocks

5. "12V rear A/C" - SMB Texas installed for someone - is plumbed into van's A/C compressor and works when engine on and really cools the back of van. Control up front on dash, are Ford parts. Any comments?

study this board
read other sites off road / rv
read the parts manufactures sites
study and research have been my saviors

[warholic]

thx billwilson -
Blue Sky controller per SMB
hot H2O is for showers - primary need IMO (in my opinion)
MW is for cooking
Copy the rest .. but - is Truck Fridge QUIET? I'll check the rest of specs out but for QUIET I need owner input
... yea I'm really struggling with propane v. all electric

[BroncoHauler]

Rear 12V AC
Maybe it's some quirk with mine, or maybe a combination of things, but between my red paint, and LOTS of windows, the 12V AC systems was unable to keep up with AZ heat last summer when we visited my parents. Granted, it was hot even for AZ, but it did not cut it. If it were just front seat passengers, you'd be OK, but with any additional passengers, they will not comfortable. SMBw checked the freon levels and they are fine. Again, I think it had a lot to do with the color of my van and the 3 panorama windows, in addition to the standard van windows. [I may eventually paint the top white, and get thermal-control window tinting installed, instead of just the dark tinting].

TPMS
I've read quite a few complaints on this site, and have not been impressed with the ones on many of the rental cars I have driven, but I do not have on any of my own vehicles, so take my concern with a grain of salt.


Herb

[Ford_6L_E350]

Electric heating takes a lot of electrical power. Unless you are plugged in, you won't be able to keep the camper warm overnight. You might be able to keep water hot, if you get it hot while driving.

You might be able to get a gas fired heater for the air and water to avoid the propane tank.

Mike

[warholic]

Herb and Mike - Thx! I've been talking to Jage - he says his propane H2O heater wastes too much water getting the hot water to sink faucet. SMB says NO WAY on gas fired furnace.
I'm thinking I may have to go propane furnace, of which I hear NO complaints, and does add some flexibility.
And then for hot H2O ..... decide between 110 V 2.5 gal fast recovery heater or the flat plate. Maybe the comparison here is how long does each approach take to get hot water, and how much current does 110 V heater draw?
what you think?
warholic

[j.whitbread]

Considering fuel flexibility in the future, it's fairly easy to convert the V10 to propane if the need ever arose. Then all propane appliances would share fuel.

If you lived rural and used propane for heating and cooking, you could refuel your van. At home. Cheaper.

[msponer]

I love the propane heater we have. Waking up warm is such a wonderful part of the van.

I would ditch the microwave, but then, we don't use ours much at home, either.

2 Kyocera panels would be nice, since they would probably keep up with all of your electrical needs if you park in the sun. The prices have fallen so that you can get two for the less than the cost of a Honda EU2000i, and for me, I'd rather have the panels than a generator.

I think you should add a Link 1000 or some other intelligent battery monitor.

I would not get a large built in inverter again. Our 2000 watt Tripplite takes about 2 amps to just turn on, so it is very inefficient for small loads (like charging a phone, camera, or laptop). We use a small 200 watt inverter that we plug into the cigarette lighter for that, and only use the large inverter if we can't find where we put the small one...

We have the electric water heater, but never use it. I would not order it again. As someone else said, it's easy enough to heat up water on the stove, and the heater does take up a lot of room inside a cabinet.

I think a Danfoss fridge is a good idea. The 2.7 cf fridge we got from SMB is very inefficient. It uses more power than the huge fridge/freezer we had on our boat.

We have the 12v rear a/c and are very happy with it. It has kept the van cool while driving in the Southwest in the summer. Our van is 'pueblo gold', which is pretty reflective, and we have the normal small windows on the 50 floorplan.

[BroncoHauler]

When "trading off" options, be sure to check with your state DMV as to what constitutes an RV. In Calif it's some combination of toilet facilities, cooking facilities, water storage, furnace,..it's been discussed here before. I believe John K. posted the definitive answer (for Calif).

The RV status will probably give you better insurance rates.


Herb