iPad being used as GPS in New Clipboard.

Our 2016 RAM Promaster chassis came equipped with with the standard RAM Promaster clipboard in the top center of the dashboard.   I couldn’t find a good use for it and began to look for other ways to use the space.   I hopped on eBay to see what folks had come up with for the Promaster’s European siblings, the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer and Citroën Jumper.

I used the search term “Fiat Ducato Clipboard” and found an interesting item that appeared to be a direct replacement.  The part was designed to pop up and hold a tablet or a phone.   I placed an order and the item arrived in about a week.

The installation required that the radio be removed from the dash to access the two screws that held the old part in place.  Once those screws were removed the old part just lifted right out.  The new part fit right in  to the space and was secured with the original screws.  I then reinstalled the radio.   The whole process took about 30 minutes.

Back in 2008 I replaced the plastic steering wheel in our 2003 VW Westfalia camper with a leather one  and really liked the difference.   When I hopped in our RAM Promaster-based 2017 Pleasure-Way Lexor TS and put my hands on its plastic steering wheel I knew I would want to make the same change.

The option wasn’t available from RAM so I turned to eBay.  I eventually found a shop in Germany that offered a “Leder Lenkrad für ein Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer,  Citroën Jumper “for a reasonable fee and a core charge.  I confirmed that it included the steering wheel audio controls and placed the order.  The steering wheel arrived in about two weeks.  Its appearance and quality were excellent.

Removing the old steering wheel was fairly easy.   The first step was to disconnect the negative battery cable from the chassis battery for about an hour to discharge the air bag mechanism.   I then took a long  #2 flathead screwdriver and inserted it in each of the three holes on the rear of the steering wheel.   Once the screwdriver bottomed out in each hole I just gave it a slight twist and each clip popped loose.  I was then able to disconnect and remove the air bag, remove the steering column nut  and remove the steering wheel.   I then installed the new steering wheel and replaced and tightened the steering column nut.

The RAM emblem in the middle of the airbag was the last original branding item left on the vehicle.  It was time for it to join the pile of other branding items that I had previously removed.  I unclipped the airbag from the rear of the cover and removed the two small plastic clips that were holding it in place.

I then clipped the the air bag back into the cover, reattached the electric connections and popped it back on to the steering wheel with a little push at each clip point.  It was now time to install the resin-covered “Limited Edition” emblem for a Dodge Challenger that I had purchased on eBay. It fit perfectly.

The whole process took about 90 minutes. The new steering wheel looks great and feels much more comfortable.

I put my original steering wheel back in the box and sent it on its way to Germany.  The core charge was returned in a few weeks.  Hopefully my original has found a new life as a  “Leder Lenkrad ” in another Promaster, Ducato, Boxer or Jumper!

A couple of weeks ago I put hinges on the utility door to gain easier access.  Today I got a chance to put some of the new space to use.

One of our favorite activities during the Spring is to follow the Virginia Governor’s Cup Gold Medal Trail.  We divide the trail in to regions and overnight at  Harvest Hosts in the area.  The trips usually last three or four days.  When the winner is not available for tasting we’ll usually buy a bottle, drink a couple of small glasses and move on to the next winery.  As a result, we usually end up with a number of vacuum corked bottles that have to find temporary vertical storage.

I got out my ruler and found that the utility cabinet had just enough room to hold three bottles.  The challenge was how to give them good stability and still provide easy access.

The solution that I came up with was to use a 3.5″ hole saw to cut three holes in a piece of 2″ x 10″ that I had left over from building some ramps.  The available space for the base piece was 12″ x 4- 1/4″. I marked off those dimensions on the board and then marked the hole centers at 2- 1/8″ on the short side and at 2-1/16″, 6″ and 9-15/16″ along the long side.  I used a 1/8″ drill bit to drill a pilot hole at each spot and then used the hole saw to cut out the holes.  A good technique is to cut about halfway through the board from one side and then to flip the board over and finish from the other side so that the cut meets in the middle.  It lets you use a shallower hole saw and results in a “cleaner” hole. After finishing the holes I cut the 12″ x 4-1/4″ piece out of the 2″ x 10″ board   and smoothed off the cut areas with some sand paper.  I then drilled two 3/16″ holes that were centered in the “triangular” areas between between the holes and the side that would face the wall.

I took the piece back to the cabinet and it fit as intended.  I then used the 3/16″ holes in the piece as a template drilled two 1/16″ pilot holes in the floor. The right angle drill attachment listed below really helps when working in a small space like this.

Now that I had a solution for the the base of the bottles I had to determine how to hold them in place.   I accomplished this by mounting a 12″ x 3″ piece of 1/2″ plywood on the wall behind the bottles.  I drilled 1/16″ centered holes in the bottom and top of the piece at 2-1/16″, 6″ and 9-15/16″. I finished off  both pieces with some water-based black stain.  I screwed a 2″ stainless steel eye hook into each hole and looped a burly hair band through each 1/2″ bottom eye.  The top ones may come in handy for a second loop at some point but the bottles are so stable that I don’t think they are necessary.  I then drilled centered 3/16″ holes in the piece at 3″, 6″ and 9″.  I held the piece so that the bottom was 4.5″ from the floor, used the 3/16″ holes in the piece as a template and drilled 1/16″  pilot holes in the wall.  I mounted the panel with three stainless steel 1″ wood screws.

At that point I removed the base piece and cleaned off the floor and wall panel with denatured alcohol.  I then reinserted it and used two 2-1/4″ stainless steel wood screws to secure it.   I  cut three 3.5″ circular pieces out of some 1/4″ adhesive-backed neoprene and placed one in each hole.  I also cut a 12″ x 3″ piece of  the same material and adhered it to panel on the wall.

The burly hair bands and neoprene do an excellent job of keeping the bottles quietly in place and it’s also easy to insert and remove them.  The space doesn’t seem to get too hot or cold when the van is in use and the wine seems happy with its new home.

I also found the room to store six glasses.  We’re  looking forward to sharing the contents of our cellar along the way.  Cheers!

Wine Glass Rack

Here’s are some of the  items I used on the project…

Right Angle Drill Attachment

3.5″ Hole Saw

Water-based Black Stain

Stainless Steel Eye Hooks

Adhesive Backed Neoprene

Burly Hair Bands

Awning Control Wiring with the New Switches in Place

Awning Light Control Wiring with the New Dimmer Switch in Place

The stock Carefree Freestyle awning setup on our 2017 Lexor TS had a few items that we thought could use some improvement.  The controls are positioned right next to the entry at the sliding door.   This location is convenient but we find it to be a little too easy to inadvertently hit the switches while passing through the space.  On a number of occasions our Beagle Cappi has even managed to flip one of the switches.  We also found the awning lights to be too bright and the color temperature to be too cold.

I hopped on Amazon and started to hunt around for alternatives and found a few parts that I thought might help.

The first item was a lighted switch that could simply replace the stock on/off switch. This switch would turn a bright red when on to warn us that the awning power was enabled. The old switched popped right out of the housing and the new one popped right back in.

The second item was a switch with a dimmer that could replace the awning light switch.  Installing this switch did require the stock hole to be widened just a bit. I took my time and accomplished this with a craft saw  to avoid chipping the veneer.

The third item that I added was a flip up cover that protects the awning power and extend/retract buttons from being accidentally bumped in to.    I ordered this cover directly from Carefree. This added protection provided a lot of peace of mind when I subsequently added awning supports.

Awning Switches Protective Cover when Closed and Open

The last item was an adhesive backed LED light strip that was dimmable and had a warmer color temperature of 2700K.  It was easy to disconnect the old LED light strip and pull it out of its channel.   I cleaned the channel out with some rubbing alcohol and then inserted the new one.   You’ll want to start from the connection end on the rear of the awning and work to the front.   Any excess can be trimmed off with a pair of scissors at one of the clearly marked cut lines.

I also added the awning controls to the Coachproxy Automation setup that I’ve described in another article.   To add them I did have to run a 14/3 wire from the Spyder board to the awning controls location.   On our 2017 Lexor TS the path for the run was easy.  The cable ran between the ottomans under the raised floor in the rear area and then along the existing wire under the oven and then up under the sink.  One lead was connected to the “Extend” terminal on the awning switch and  Spyder board terminal 22,  One was connected to the “Retract” terminal on the awning switch and Spyder board terminal 23. The last was connected to the power terminal on the awning light dimmer switch.   The on/off switch by the door has primary control and disables all power.  It must be in the on position for the automation controls to work.   The Coachproxy awning control also must be enabled before use and has a timer that disables it after 5 minutes to provide additional protection against unintended operation.

iPhone Screenshots of the Coachproxy Interface with Awning Controls

Here are some the items that I used for the project….

Red Lighted On-Off Switch

DC Dimmer Switch for LED

Carefree SR0115 Covered Bezel Kit

LED Light Strip

14/3 AWG Marine Wire

WAGO 221 Lever Nuts

Marine Spade Terminals

Craft Saw

Stubby Ratcheting 14 Piece Screwdriver

Wire Cutter/Crimpers

We’ve made a number of changes to the AC Outlets throughout our 2017 Pleasure-Way Lexor TS.

We began by installing a 15A GFCI/AFCI breaker in the breaker panel to protect the entire original “RECPT” circuit that is renamed as “OUTLETS” in the image below. All of the original wiring was retained.

15A Eaton GFCI/AFCI breaker installed in breaker panel

We then replaced each of the original outlets with ones that included USB  connections with an output of at least 2.1A on each port.

The original “Converter” outlet was renamed to “Trunk” and moved to the Inverter side of the AC breaker panel to provide more flexibility.  The outlet was free to repurpose since we had removed the original 120V AC to 12V DC converter when we upgraded the house system to 48V.

We then added two new outlets to the configuration.

The first was installed in our new front lounge area.   This location required that a new 12/2 Romex cable be run from the breaker panel. The cable was run through the floor of the Driver’s side ottoman.  I used the hole that was originally used for the generator wiring.  After removing the existing silicone sealant I found ample room to run the new cable and a sheath of protective split loom.  The cable and loom were then routed along the driver’s side underneath the van and then in through a pre-existing hole in the engine firewall.   The console was removed and a new hole was cut for a PVC “old work” box to protect the outlet.  I chose an “old work” box to make it easier to perform future maintenance in the console area.

The second new outlet was placed on the rear of the kitchen pod.  We had previously mounted a Nespresso coffee machine in the space behind the sink and the outlet made the power connection permanent.   I selected the location for the new outlet to ensure that its protective box would not interfere with any plumbing and to keep it accessible but as far to the rear of the pod as possible.  I then hand cut the hole using a coping saw blade to avoid any inadvertent damage. The location of the outlet left an open space on the rear of the pod that later came in very handy to store our perfect door mat.

Each of the changes has added some nice capability and made life on the road just a little easier!

Here are some of the items that I used on the project.

Leviton T5635-W USB Dual Type-C

Leviton T5635-G USB Dual Type-C

TOPGREENER TU2154A-W USB Dual Type A

AC Outlet Tester with GFI Reset

Our 2017 Lexor TS was the first Pleasure-Way to have the Houghton Belaire 3400 A/C installed so there was a bit of a learning curve for the installation team.

During the installation process we discovered that the control box had to remain connected to the thermostat in order for the heater to work properly. The installer at Advanced RV decided to stuff the large Dometic control box up inside the air plenum.  He assured me that it would not affect the air flow but my instinct told me better.  Shortly after I returned home I got to work to fix the issue.

I removed the inside portion of the A/C and pulled the control box from the plenum.   I cut the connector with about three inches of wire from the end of the harness, capped the wires, coiled up the remaining harness and tucked it into the ceiling next to the A/C cutout.  I then compared the connector wires with the wiring in the utility cabinet and found the other end of the harness.

I removed the thermostat and disconnected the harness connections.

I fished a piece of 18 gauge 3 wire thermostat wire up from the utility cabinet and connected three wires to the thermostat and then connected those three wires and the control box connector to the other end of the harness in the utility cabinet as shown below.

I then mounted the box to the wall of the cabinet.

The air flow definitely improved and I finally felt like the installation was complete!

While researching aftermarket options for the RAM Promaster I realized that the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer and Citroën Relay were very popular vans in Europe and shared most of their components with the Promaster. Upfitters in Europe had developed quite a few interesting upgrade options that could just be snapped right in.

The first item that caught my eye was not really an upgrade but was just a replacement part.  I liked the appearance of the stock grill on the Fiat Ducato. It was much more understated than the stock grill on our Promaster.   I hopped on eBay and one was shortly on the way from the E.U.

When the part arrived I took it to a local body shop and had them paint it to match our van.   The old grill was held in place by just a few screws and four snaps and it took about 30 minutes to install the new one.

The grill had arrived with a Fiat emblem that was seated in a 120mm round spot in the center of the grill.  I decided to remove the Fiat emblem and replace it with a removable 120mm emblem that could be changed at will.  To accomplish this I ordered some 120mm model bases and began to mount some different emblems to them with VHB tape.   I used exterior grade thin mount Velcro on the grill and the rear of the base to hold the emblems in place.

A 120mm stainless peace sign that I had made through Etsy is the normal occupant of the space but for certain occasions the space has held a VW Logo, the Fiat Emblem, the Pleasure-Way logo, a Green Bay Packers helmet and the University of Virginia’s Crossed Sabres.

Proxie Models 120 mm Round Figure Bases

VELCRO Industrial Strength Low Profile

We thought our 12V 600Ah house system was terrific.  While attending Advanced RV’s (ARV) Annual Meeting in April of 2018 my eyes were opened to something that might be better.   ARV had just started installing a system from a company named Volta that was based on a 48V framework.   The main advantages were that the all of the components could be smaller and that the charging speed could be much faster.  I got out my scratchpad and started to backward engineer what I had seen.

I decided to set up a 48V solar system in my shed to test out the concept.  I ordered 7 Panasonic 70V 330W solar panels. I mounted 6 on the shed roof and kept one in reserve for the new mobile setup. You can find out more detail about the mobile installation of that panel by clicking on the image below.

I also ordered and installed a Victron Quattro 48/5000/70-100/100, a Victron Smart Solar MPPT 150/60Controller,  a Victron CCGX and a Victron 48VDC to 12VDC 30A converter.   I decided to purchase a custom-sized steel case designed to fit our trunk area and built a 14s6p battery with 84 individual prismatic cells.

It became quickly evident that the internal Battery Management System (BMS) found in the typical “drop in” LiFeP04 battery wasn’t going to cut it.  The new system would include a dedicated 58V alternator that had to be controlled by the BMS.  The alternator had to shut down before the battery stopped accepting a charge or you’d end up with excess current in the system that might damage other components.

After a  fair amount of research I settled on a Batrium Watchmon BMS.   The BMS allows me to monitor each of the 14 parallel packs in the battery and provides external control through relays and CAN-bus.   The CAN-bus capability allows the BMS to communicate with the Victron Cerbo GX that controls all of my charging sources (alternator, inverter/charger and solar).  The relay controls  on the BMS are also used to control Solid State Relays that turn the alternator on and off and separate the battery from the circuit if needed.

Batrium BMS and Battery Pack

Once the battery was complete I connected it to the new circuit board that I had constructed and brought the system to life on a workbench in the shed.   Everything performed as expected.  The one component that was missing was the alternator.  I emulated its presence with 4 100Ah 12V LiFeP04 batteries wired in series.

After about a month of testing I decided it was a go and got started on the installation.  The battery, BMS and converter were pulled from the shed setup for  use in the new system. I used the simulated alternator (four 12V LiFeP04 drop-ins wired in series) to replace the custom battery for the shed’s solar setup.  It was now time to turn my attention to the RV.

I ordered a Victron Quattro 48/3000/35-50/50, a Victron Smart Solar MPPT 100/20-48 Controller and a Victron Cerbo GX to replace the items that had remained in the shed.

I  purchased a 58V 160A alternator from American Power.  The order consisted of the alternator, an external regulator and a mounting kit. The kit came complete with the mounting bracket, belts, hoses and other items necessary to provide a new home for the alternator.  My prior research also indicated that an impact wrench and a special tool from Dodge/RAM would make the job easier so I placed those on order too.

After the parts arrived I drove up on to some ramps that I had made from some 2 x 10 lumber and got started.  After about three hours of banged knuckles and creative vocabulary the new alternator was in place.

The next step was to remove the inverter and battery pack from my previous 12V 600Ah installation.

I then removed the Surepower isolator and replaced it with a Blue Sea Terminal Post.  I made a 2/0 AWG cable and connected one end of it to the positive terminal on the alternator and the other to the new terminal post.  I reused the two existing  2  AWG cables that ran from the engine bay to the trunk and also connected them to the new terminal.

I then installed the inverter/charger and solar controller. They fit right in and used the existing cables.

I then installed the new circuit board.  It was set up with a 48V side on the left and a 12V side on the right.  A Victron 48VDC to 12VDC 30A converter sits between them.  On the 48V side I used a Blue Sea 3 Location Terminal Fuse Box and connected the Alternator, Inverter and Solar Controller.  On the 12V side I connected the output to a Blue Sea Blade Fuse Box and connected the Spyder board and other 12V accessories to fused terminals on the box.

I connected the battery to the new board and turned on the disconnect switch.

The system has worked flawlessly.for several years now and has allowed us to stay in comfort wherever we choose to be.   We are able to run our Belair “Quiet” A/C for about 12 hours and are able to recharge the pack with about a 90 minutes drive.

System Gauges on iPhone

Here’s a link to download a PDF with a diagram of the system.  It’s still a little rough but should give you a good idea of what’s going on.

48V House System Diagram

Here are some of the items that I used on this project.

Batrium WatchMon BMS

Crankshaft Pulley Holding Tool

Electric Impact Wrench

Victron Quattro 48/3000/35-50/50

Victron Smart Solar MPPT 100/20 – 48

Victron Smart Battery Protect 48V-100A

Victron Cerbo GX 

Blue Sea Systems 3/8 Power Post

Blue Sea Systems 600A-1000A PowerBars

Blue Sea Systems ST Blade ATO/ATC Fuse Block

Blue Sea 5196 Terminal Fuse Block for 3 Circuits

We soon realized that our climate control options needed to be improved to ensure that our beagle Cappi could safely remain in the vehicle if we had to leave her for a few moments.  It was possible to turn on the generator and run the air conditioner (A/C)  but we found that its use was often undesirable or restricted.

Cappi and Her Guest Citra Lounging in Lexi

In the first phase of the project I removed the Xantrex 2000W inverter and replaced it with a Xantrex 3000W inverter.

The process to accomplish this was as follows.

I disconnected the positive battery cables from the batteries in the trunk  and turned off the Inverter In and Inverter Out breakers on the AC breaker panel.   I then removed the existing carpet covered pieces in the passenger side ottoman and removed the original inverter.

I built a platform in the open space by screwing two 1″ x 1″  strips to the ottoman walls and then screwing a piece of 5/8″ plywood to those strips. I left space at each end of the new platform to allow easy access to the wires running below it.  In the image you’ll see some bright green parachute cord. Whenever I have to “fish” a wire I always attach a piece of cord to it to make a future run a little easier.

New Platform in Place.

The inverter was then mounted to the platform.  The original cables to the battery and AC breaker panel were the proper gauge and had enough length.  I was able to simply connect them to the new inverter.  The new inverter’s cooling fans lined up nicely with the existing vent holes and I also added a 100mm 12v “quiet” computer fan to the back of the rear intake vent.   I oriented it so that it would pull air in to the ottoman.  The existing USB plug connection was an easy to access power source for the fan.

New 3000W Inverter in Passenger Side Ottoman

I also added a remote control panel for the inverter and decided to install it in the compartment at the front end of the passenger side overhead cabinets.  I was able to reuse the existing wire for the old inverter’s control panel.   I removed the old control panel and covered the hole with a small plaque that I purchased through Etsy.

Old Inverter Control Panel Location with New Plaque Installed.

New Battery Monitor and Inverter Control Panel in Upper Cabinet Utility Area

I then moved across the aisle and removed the front panel on the AC breaker panel.   The panel was split in to two zones.  The shore and generator powered devices were on the left and the inverter powered devices were on the right.   I installed a new breaker for the Air Conditioner (A/C) on the right side and moved the black positive wire and white neutral wire from the old breaker to the new one. The ground was shared and could remain in place.  The existing breaker could have just been moved from one side to the other  but the part was  readily available at Lowes so I added a new one and kept the old one in place for future use if needed.

AC Breaker Panel After the Modification

On a 90 degree summer day in Virginia we found that we could run the A/C off the 200Ah battery bank for about 90 minutes.   We could also now run the A/C and use the microwave or hair dryer without popping a breaker.  We liked the new capabilities so much that we decided to proceed to a second phase and add more battery capacity.

After doing a fair amount of research I found the manufacturer that was providing cells to some of the popular aftermarket vendors in the US.  I placed an order for 2 –  300Ah LiFeP04 batteries with an internal BMS that could support 150Ah charging and discharging rates.

The batteries arrived in about two weeks.   I built a caddy out of plywood to house them.  I incorporated a slide out heated panel underneath the batteries and added it as a zone on our plumbing heating system.

The New Battery Caddy

On top of the caddy I designed a circuit board that allowed each battery’s positive and negative cables to be connected to a bus bar with equal length cables.   I added a Blue Sea fuse block for each charging source (alternator, generator, inverter/charger and converter).  I also added a Victron BMV-712 shunt as the chassis grounding point.  The cutter and crimper that I’ve listed below were terrific tools to make new cables and adjust existing cable lengths.   The existing cables were either 4/0 AWG or 2 AWG.

I removed the 200Ah battery pack and housing and installed my caddy in its place.   The caddy was secured to the floor and the panel beneath the sofa with high tensile strength wood screws at attachment points similar to the original housing.

I connected the positive leads for each charging and discharge source to their respective fuse terminals and connected the two existing negative chassis grounds cables to the Victron shunt.

New Caddy with Two 300Ah Batteries Installed in Trunk

New Installation with Covers in Place

I decided to place the Victron BMV-712 display in the same location as the inverter control panel.   To accomplish this I had to remove the microwave and the drawer below it  The cable was then routed through the vent pipe cover behind the sink, along the floor under the drawer and passenger side ottoman and then in to the trunk.

The 2017 Lexor TS has a raised floor in the back that makes running cables between the two ottomans and the trunk area extremely easy.

I turned everything back on and we now had the ability to run the A/C for 5 to 6 hours on battery power.

After using the system for a while I decided that upgrading the alternator to allow faster charging would add some nice flexibility.  The stock 220Ah alternator  was no slouch but I decided to install the 270Ah alternator from Nations.  The additional output allowed us to decrease the charging time for the 600Ah bank from 5.5 to 3.5 hours of driving time.

Installation of New 270A Alternator

Removing the old alternator and installing the new one was very straight forward with some common tools that I had on hand.   The instructions provided by Nations were clear and easy to follow.

We also added a High Idle Kit to allow the alternator to safely provide more output when needed.  It was simple to install and added some nice flexibility to the setup.

These improvements along with the monitoring capabilities of our Cappi Cam allowed us to ensure that Cappi was safe and sound if we had to leave her alone in our little home for a few minutes.   We also found that they allowed us to comfortably stay in  locations where the generator was a no go.

Watching Cappi on Cappi Cam While We’re Away for a Few Moments

We liked the new capability so much that we later decided to take the system up a notch by installing a 48V 12.1 kWh House System to provide faster charging and more capacity.

Here are some of the items that I used for the project.

• Ratchet Cable Cutters
• Hydraulic Cable Terminal Crimper
• 4/0 Gauge Marine Grade Wire Lugs
• 2 Gauge Marine Grade Wire Lugs
• Blue Sea Systems 600A-1000A PowerBars
• Blue Sea Fuse Block MIDI
• Victron Energy BMV-712
• Xantrex Freedom SW3012
• Xantrex 809-0921 Xanbus System Control Panel

Our 2017 Lexor TS came equipped with a small pocket shelf over top of the television that housed a rather limited entertainment center/DVD player.  We also always seemed to be looking for a way to store the wine from our latest Harvest Hosts stop.  One thing led to another and we found a a better use for the space.

The rack is made out of 1/2 plywood and uses the pre-existing holes that mounted the pocket shelf.   The bottles are held in with hair bands that are looped around the bottom of the front support.

We love the functionality that the new rack provides and only wish that it could hold a few more bottles.  A longer version with a hole for the valance light may be in our future!