Rig Build with FWC Hawk

[jclifb]

Nice! I have some good friends in Tuscaloosa and family farther east on Lake Martin. Maybe our paths will cross sometime.

Indeed! Let me know if your in the area sometime with your camper and we can kick tires over a cup of coffee!

 

[jclifb]

Got the smart shunt and DCDC installed this weekend and will be wiring up the battery today. I've fit just about as much as I can in the electrics cabinet at this point and plan to keep it cool with a fan as well. We plan on hitting the road this week for about four weeks so I will update with image of the build as I get them before we leave!

 

[Jon R]

I’m concerned you may have overheating issues with your Orion installed sideways and with the (intended) top so close to another surface impeding air flow over the fins. The manual says install vertical with several inches clearance top and bottom so you get good natural convection flow over the fins. Unless you have a fan blowing on it, it may overheat during prolonged operation. Others have commented it gets pretty hot even when installed per the manual.

 

[jclifb]

I’m concerned you may have overheating issues with your Orion installed sideways and with the (intended) top so close to another surface impeding air flow over the fins. The manual says install vertical with several inches clearance top and bottom so you get good natural convection flow over the fins. Unless you have a fan blowing on it, it may overheat during prolonged operation. Others have commented it gets pretty hot even when installed per the manual.

Thats good to know and makes sense. Will do that today as I'd like that compartment to stay as cool as possible. Thank you for the heads up with this!

Will report back when the objective has been completed.

 

[jclifb]

Got the electrical components turned the right way. It was a very tight fit to get all of these big components into this small compartment, but I added a little extra storage space next to the battery that will likely be used for hand tools to keep handy in the camper.

 

[BryanToyFWC]

Got the electrical components turned the right way. It was a very tight fit to get all of these big components into this small compartment, but I added a little extra storage space next to the battery that will likely be used for hand tools to keep handy in the camper.

IMG_0832.png

James, this is awesome! The picture of the final build is great for those of us who are still tinkering with their electrical setup. I basically have all the same gear, but have not yet installed my DC/DC charger. I also can't tell from the picture if you also have a solar set up (don't see the additional wires to the battery). Previously in this thread you had a drawing of your thoughts. Do you have a schematic drawing for this final set up, including fuses/wire gauge/etc? Would come in very handy for some of us handy but not electrician people. One of my goals this summer is to finally get my DC/DC installed but I haven't quite figured it out.

 

[n7wrh]

Got an AC installed this weekend with some inspiration from jdavis on here. I swapped the exterior supports from his so that they would help hold the weight of the AC. All-in-all, an easy project for camping in the Southeast when power is available!

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View attachment 44147

Nice and clean - I like it. Do you leave the unit installed while traveling? I'm considering something similar but would like it easily removable to put the seat back in place when the AC isn't needed.

 

[goinoregon]

if/when u go with solar, i suspect it will be able to keep your new batt charged up. i put 200w on the roof, and it kept battery charged, fridge/freezer going, and lights. most campers dont need a lot of electricity.