VanDweller's stepvan conversion part 5

PART 5

SYSTEMS 'N STUFF

PICS ARE BEING ADDED WITH EVERY UPDATE
(And as I have time I'm filling in the words...)

DC "House" system

	Underhood is an isolator - the three orange wires are one that goes to the vehicle battery, one that goes to the house battery, and one that comes from the vehicle alternator to feed them both at the same time. Thing is, with the isolator, if (when) you drain your house battery, your vehicle battery stays fully charged! Electricity being like water, if you hooked it all together with out the isolator, the vehicle battery would drain trying to level off the house battery. Then you'd have dim lights inside AND it wouldn't start, and you'd feel like a real putz.
	On the inside the wiring has been laid out, color coded for the different runs coming off each fuse in the "house" fuse block (a tiny marine unit I'll show in future pics), and noted in the van's notebook. This is partly why you build your own - knowing how everything is hooked up & to where. I'm no expert so it needs to be really simple for me.
	A big Interstate deep cycle marine battery is in this battery box, secured to the corner of the drivers footwell with the supplied strap setup and the ubiquitous (and ever-present) rubber strap. Cleats of nylon can be gotten from any marine store for five bucks each and used to hook the ends onto... or copper piping supports are next to nothing at the hardware store! The hot wire from the isolator and the ground wire I ran to a chassis crossmember bolt both run in through a hole with a grommet...
	...the hot out to the little marine fuse block comes out, goes under the driver's partition and up under the counter, shown here. Then my circuits (for example "12v outlet", "D side accessories", "P side accessories", "Overhead fan and security lights", "Water pump" etc.) are fused and attached to the in-wall wiring.
	The gaps up top will be covered with removable panels inside cabinetry. This is where the wiring is.
	There's a lighted switch easily accessed from the bed ~ when you hear the "trying of the door handle" or other guttersnipe action outside during the night, you flick the switch and three lights (both sides & rear) come on, lighting up the area all around the van.
	There will be some solar action going on at some point, too.

110 system

	Using an exterior outlet cover from a late friend's workshop (everything should have meaning, you know), it now covers a hole just big enough to slip an extension cord end through. Inside the storage compartment is the cord from a power strip, mounted to a framing piece, and I can hook the extension cord onto this. The power strip is mounted under the bed but in the interior. Another strip runs from it to the under counter area. And yes, I did eventually sand & paint where the hinges were.
	In the summer it'll run an air conditioner once it gets installed high in the back wall. The rig pulls up to friends' places and all we need is a spot and an outlet, and to borrow the shower...

Water system

8" deep sink into 1-1/2" unkinkable pool/spa hose into modified (to fit this hose snugly) 6-gallon removable gray water tank. Water comes from 2-gallon store bought drinking water dispensers. Eventually the system will be more, but this'll do for now. Also you can see the fridge - this, a ceramic heater when needed, a desk light, and a small battery charger (to charge the house battery) are all that's needed when plugged in to a friendly outlet. Haven't owned a TV my entire adult life. You wonder why I'm on the ball & getting so much done? There's a start. :)

Part 6: Heating & Cooling!