Look what just drove up in my driveway, it's Rusty!

[Pschitt]

Nice install. You just have to be carefull with freezing since the tank is outside the van.
Anyway, I'm a little surprised by the thinness of the bolt you used to hang your tank. 25 gallons, it's quite heavy when full! Are you sure it will last when driving washboard roads..? I personally would replace those by 3/8 diameter bolts...

[boywonder]

Nice work!

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by Pschitt

Nice install. You just have to be carefull with freezing since the tank is outside the van.
Anyway, I'm a little surprised by the thinness of the bolt you used to hang your tank. 25 gallons, it's quite heavy when full! Are you sure it will last when driving washboard roads..? I personally would replace those by 3/8 diameter bolts...

Thanks Claude, and Boywonder. I used those bolts because I already had them, so I used pretty big washers. I think the tensile strength of them is still like 3000 pounds each so I'm hoping I'm ok. For any engineer types out there I would love to know the specifics, but it's been my understanding that we way overbuild most stuff anyway. Opinions welcome.

[Pschitt]

It's maybe 3000 lbs each when slow tensioning. But inertia force is calculated as mass times "square velocity" (sorry for my bad translation... ). Vertical acceleration on bumps can be really high. And you also have to count with material fatigue. That will weakens the material and possibly makes it break. I've seen really strong parts broken on the dirt, you just cannot imagine how hard it is for the mechanic... ;-)

[boywonder]

Pschitt: Your translation is perfectly understandable.

[86Scotty]

And noted. I'll pick up some larger diameter bolts. Thanks!

[86Scotty]

Continued......So I had this space behind the water tank



This is one of the two available spaces left under the van for anything, the other being ahead of the frame batteries just behind the right front wheel. I didn't like the idea of the compressor or tank taking all the rock hits, etc. from the front right wheel. Also, I like the idea of the compressor being back there where I will hear it less, but that's not so much of a concern. Now that it's done I see how quiet mine is. I expected much louder.

I threw together an angle steel frame and started mounting this



Complete kit and 100% duty cycle @100 PSI. Not a bad price on Amazon and I'm pretty impressed with the quality of the hardware, tubing etc. included.





I had to go to the local hydraulic/pneumatic supply house to get a couple of T connectors and brass 90's due to the tightness of my install, but it came together great in the end. This project took a lot longer than I thought. The idea with the frame I built for it was to have it all in one 'cartridge' style unit I can just drop out of the way if need to access any part of it. I put in a front and rear quick connect and mounted the included guage and switch in my dash and pillar pod. On the advise of a few of you, I went with a 30 amp fused 6 guage from the battery, and wired it only to keyed power so I have no choice but to start the van to use the compressor.





Air bag Schrader valves also conveniently mounted



Also, it's hard to see but I ran the intake hose in to the left rear corner through existing air conditioner holes so my air filter (the little gray disc) gets dry and fairly clean air.



Front quick connect, fit perfectly in one of the existing Reunel mesh holes



I love being able to monitor my pressure from the driver's seat. My plumbing doesn't leak at all (after a couple of places I had to seal) but it is nice to have the guage right there so I can charge it up any time I'm about to park so I have a little air (2.5gal) I can use before I need to crank the van again.





The whole package hangs no lower than the rear bumper







Funny to me how the camera picks up things like all the dusty fingerprints on the bumper from countless times rolling under and back out on a creeper. I hate a dirty van, unless I'm in the process of getting it that way.

I haven't had a thorough road test yet, but I'm curious how many of you have had your compressor tank blow off steam occasionally when it's full (while driving)? Mine seems to do this on occasion. It will go down about 30 PSI and stop. Do I have a bad pressure relief valve or is this normal for being jostled around? Air tanks on the rigs I drive at work certainly never do this.

Next up, solar.....................

[boywonder]

Nice install on the pneumatics! .......I don't think that the relief valve should be randomly popping. McMaster Carr sells them, and they may (or may not) be higher quality than what came in your kit.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-relief-valves/=uwdxr6

[Skyl330]

Nice pants!

...and the install too.

[86Scotty]

Hahaha! Old winter jumpsuit from work. The best shop clothes! It was cold out.

Thanks