Big Blue's Transformation

[ArdWrknTrk]

Which, the contactor or the box? The contactor is big 'cause the contacts need to come way apart to break the arc. But the box neatly fits above the inverter and, hopefully, has room for all the bits and pieces.

Time for another, closely related, subject - how best to use the DPST contacts. Should I put the hot side of the AC through both contacts in series or parallel? In parallel it would cut the current each contact sees in half. But in series it might help break the arc.

Thoughts?

The box dimensions you called out.

I wouldn't worry at all about the points.

Contactors are made for industrial use.

They're plenty robust.

[Gary Lewis]

The box dimensions you called out.

I wouldn't worry at all about the points.

Contactors are made for industrial use.

They're plenty robust.

Here's a rough draft of what I'm planning on the power box. The dotted line on the contactor means it is inside the box.

[Gary Lewis]

Here's a rough draft of what I'm planning on the power box. The dotted line on the contactor means it is inside the box.

Ok, this is an official apology to Jim. I should have been listening to you rather than going with my limited understanding of electricity!

I occurred to me last night that I might easily be able to answer the question of what it takes in the way of a switch or relay to control the compressor - just pull the cover and see what the switch that is on it is rated. Turns out it is rated at 16(16)A @ 250VAC and 18(16)A @ 125VAC.

But that begs the question of what the two different #'s mean, and I found this explanation SOS Electronic: In the specification of the reference power using the bracket notation, e.g. 16 (4) A 250 V AC, the value in front of the brackets indicates the switch-off current and the value in brackets the nominal motor current.

So that seems to say that I'd be fine with a relay of a 20A rating. Right?

[ArdWrknTrk]

Ok, this is an official apology to Jim. I should have been listening to you rather than going with my limited understanding of electricity!

I occurred to me last night that I might easily be able to answer the question of what it takes in the way of a switch or relay to control the compressor - just pull the cover and see what the switch that is on it is rated. Turns out it is rated at 16(16)A @ 250VAC and 18(16)A @ 125VAC.

But that begs the question of what the two different #'s mean, and I found this explanation SOS Electronic: In the specification of the reference power using the bracket notation, e.g. 16 (4) A 250 V AC, the value in front of the brackets indicates the switch-off current and the value in brackets the nominal motor current.

So that seems to say that I'd be fine with a relay of a 20A rating. Right?

I'm certainly not looking for an apology.

I've said before that we bicker like a couple of old hens.

As I said above, I do think a compressor which draws 9.375 A and comes furnished with a 15A plug would have no problem using a 20A relay.

But I don't have it to test, so I can't say I've done it.

[Gary Lewis]

I'm certainly not looking for an apology.

I've said before that we bicker like a couple of old hens.

As I said above, I do think a compressor which draws 9.375 A and comes furnished with a 15A plug would have no problem using a 20A relay.

But I don't have it to test, so I can't say I've done it.

I don't have a relay rated for 20A @ 120VAC, so can't test. But I ordered the (LOT of 2) Matsushita JH2a-DC12V Relay 20A, 250V AC from your links, above. Those are DPST relays so I could run them in parallel if I wanted to cut the load. And still have one relay as a backup. Or, run just one pair of contacts and have a built-in backup of the other pair of contacts.

Looks like there's no mounting tab so I'll probably hot-melt glue it to the project box. Speaking of which, now I can downsize the box a bit. But I still need room for several DC power ports awa the AC outlet and a DC fuse.

Oh, by the way, the same relay is available from Amazon for $30/ea + $45 shipping. Let's see, $8/ea vs $75/ea?

[Gary Lewis]

I don't have a relay rated for 20A @ 120VAC, so can't test. But I ordered the (LOT of 2) Matsushita JH2a-DC12V Relay 20A, 250V AC from your links, above. Those are DPST relays so I could run them in parallel if I wanted to cut the load. And still have one relay as a backup. Or, run just one pair of contacts and have a built-in backup of the other pair of contacts.

Looks like there's no mounting tab so I'll probably hot-melt glue it to the project box. Speaking of which, now I can downsize the box a bit. But I still need room for several DC power ports awa the AC outlet and a DC fuse.

Oh, by the way, the same relay is available from Amazon for $30/ea + $45 shipping. Let's see, $8/ea vs $75/ea?

I got almost enough done today to let me put the interior together save for the stuff behind the seat.

The first thing I did was to run a wire from the radio area down the passenger's side kick panel and under the threshold to the caddy area. That wire will be to pull the compressor's relay in, controlled by a switch in Control Central, as Jim called it.

In addition I bent an opening in the passenger's side end of the add-on step to match the opening in the other end. This opening will let the ground cable and the compressor relay's trigger wire to pass through, although in the pic below it is the hot wire going through the opening just to show how it'll work.

Then I glued some tie points to the cab so I can secure the power wire as it runs across under the step. They are the four white things on the vertical bit right behind the wires. And the wire in the loom is the compressor relay's trigger wire.

And I drilled a hole in the back of the passenger's side cab corner for the compressor's power cord to go through. The bare metal in the hole has been painted and a grommet inserted, as you can see on the left side. And on the right side you can see it from under the bed, where you'll notice a grommet in the elongated hole in the bed. I'll come out of the cab, make a loop down, then go through the grommet in the bed and the up through another grommet in the bed and into the tool box where the compressor will be housed.

With these things being done I can tie the wires down under the step, install it, and then start installing the trim. Finally!

[Gary Lewis]

I got almost enough done today to let me put the interior together save for the stuff behind the seat.

The first thing I did was to run a wire from the radio area down the passenger's side kick panel and under the threshold to the caddy area. That wire will be to pull the compressor's relay in, controlled by a switch in Control Central, as Jim called it.

In addition I bent an opening in the passenger's side end of the add-on step to match the opening in the other end. This opening will let the ground cable and the compressor relay's trigger wire to pass through, although in the pic below it is the hot wire going through the opening just to show how it'll work.

Then I glued some tie points to the cab so I can secure the power wire as it runs across under the step. They are the four white things on the vertical bit right behind the wires. And the wire in the loom is the compressor relay's trigger wire.

And I drilled a hole in the back of the passenger's side cab corner for the compressor's power cord to go through. The bare metal in the hole has been painted and a grommet inserted, as you can see on the left side. And on the right side you can see it from under the bed, where you'll notice a grommet in the elongated hole in the bed. I'll come out of the cab, make a loop down, then go through the grommet in the bed and the up through another grommet in the bed and into the tool box where the compressor will be housed.

With these things being done I can tie the wires down under the step, install it, and then start installing the trim. Finally!

At this point I believe I have everything on order for the power box as the relay was ordered earlier and I just ordered these things:

• Project Box: This is a 9.8 x 3.1 x 2.8 inch box, which will fit above the inverter nicely, and should easily hold the relay, AC outlet, DC fuse, and power ports

• Power Port: Amazon is having a Black Friday sale on these, and I got two of them for $11/ea instead of $20/ea. They have one QC 3.0 dual USB charger and one DC power port each, so I think I'll use one of the USB chargers and the two power ports behind the seat and put the 2nd USB charger in the ash tray.

• Fuse Holder: I'll use one of these ATC fuse holders to protect the DC stuff since I'll be taking power from the inverter's feed that will be fused at 150 amps.

And, speaking of that, the megafuse holders and a 150 amp fuse are on order. So when all of that comes in it'll be project time!

So I need to get the interior together so I can move onto the electrical project.

 

[Gary Lewis]

At this point I believe I have everything on order for the power box as the relay was ordered earlier and I just ordered these things:

• Project Box: This is a 9.8 x 3.1 x 2.8 inch box, which will fit above the inverter nicely, and should easily hold the relay, AC outlet, DC fuse, and power ports

• Power Port: Amazon is having a Black Friday sale on these, and I got two of them for $11/ea instead of $20/ea. They have one QC 3.0 dual USB charger and one DC power port each, so I think I'll use one of the USB chargers and the two power ports behind the seat and put the 2nd USB charger in the ash tray.

• Fuse Holder: I'll use one of these ATC fuse holders to protect the DC stuff since I'll be taking power from the inverter's feed that will be fused at 150 amps.

And, speaking of that, the megafuse holders and a 150 amp fuse are on order. So when all of that comes in it'll be project time!

So I need to get the interior together so I can move onto the electrical project.

Got the interior together today, meaning the kick panels, the A & B-pillar trim, the thresholds, the trim that holds the the headliner in, and the sun visors and their inboard clips. It all went in well save for the driver's sun visor, which appears to have not gone into the recess for the spring and the spring got depressed and the visor isn't tight like it should be. But I'll take it back off and figure out what the problem is.

And I laid the dash pad/cover in so I could take pics. But it didn't fit in easily and it feels like the cover is hitting the windshield and holding the whole thing to the rear such that it doesn't want to sit down over the rear edge of the dash. So I'll have to check that out tomorrow, and it can't be a big problem.

Speaking of tomorrow, I have some wires to run up to the radio area for the switches, and then I can install the dash pad/cover. Hope to get all of that done tomorrow or Monday as Janey and I want to go on a trip Monday or Tuesday and take Big Blue.

Here are a couple of shots of the interior:

Last, I laid Dad's trim that goes above the rear window next to Big Blue's trim so I could get the retainer clips in the right places. Notice anything?

[salans7]

Got the interior together today, meaning the kick panels, the A & B-pillar trim, the thresholds, the trim that holds the the headliner in, and the sun visors and their inboard clips. It all went in well save for the driver's sun visor, which appears to have not gone into the recess for the spring and the spring got depressed and the visor isn't tight like it should be. But I'll take it back off and figure out what the problem is.

And I laid the dash pad/cover in so I could take pics. But it didn't fit in easily and it feels like the cover is hitting the windshield and holding the whole thing to the rear such that it doesn't want to sit down over the rear edge of the dash. So I'll have to check that out tomorrow, and it can't be a big problem.

Speaking of tomorrow, I have some wires to run up to the radio area for the switches, and then I can install the dash pad/cover. Hope to get all of that done tomorrow or Monday as Janey and I want to go on a trip Monday or Tuesday and take Big Blue.

Here are a couple of shots of the interior:

Last, I laid Dad's trim that goes above the rear window next to Big Blue's trim so I could get the retainer clips in the right places. Notice anything?

I believe the coat hook on my 1980 was also on the driver's side.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Got the interior together today, meaning the kick panels, the A & B-pillar trim, the thresholds, the trim that holds the the headliner in, and the sun visors and their inboard clips. It all went in well save for the driver's sun visor, which appears to have not gone into the recess for the spring and the spring got depressed and the visor isn't tight like it should be. But I'll take it back off and figure out what the problem is.

And I laid the dash pad/cover in so I could take pics. But it didn't fit in easily and it feels like the cover is hitting the windshield and holding the whole thing to the rear such that it doesn't want to sit down over the rear edge of the dash. So I'll have to check that out tomorrow, and it can't be a big problem.

Speaking of tomorrow, I have some wires to run up to the radio area for the switches, and then I can install the dash pad/cover. Hope to get all of that done tomorrow or Monday as Janey and I want to go on a trip Monday or Tuesday and take Big Blue.

Here are a couple of shots of the interior:

Last, I laid Dad's trim that goes above the rear window next to Big Blue's trim so I could get the retainer clips in the right places. Notice anything?

The truck looks great!

How do you intend to deal with the dash cover?

Belt sander???

I think I called it "Mission Control" but I may be wrong.