Sprinter Van Conversion Hydronic Hot Water System Install

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Sprinter Adventure Van Build Series Episode 14: In this installment of the Sprinter #VanLife Build Series we are tackling the first major install portion of our Hydronic Water Heating System. This system will allow us to heat and store hot water in our van using 3 distinct redundant methods a necessary luxury with a wife and dogs!
In case you aren't a Millenial and are wondering: Intro Inspiration - • Alanis Morissette - Ir...
** NOTE: We are not professional builders and this video is for entertainment purposes only. We base our decisions on our own research, decades of knowledge gained from building other things and always with an engineering mindset. You should always follow the manufacturers instructions, do you own research and ONLY attempt projects like this at your OWN risk.
**NOTE: Some of the links below are affiliate links and we receive a small commission for purchases products through those end points. We will never recommend a product we don't stand behind and use ourselves. Everything listed below we used for our own build and weekly, if not daily, for our other ventures. Thank you for your support!
Tools Used
- Centerpunch - amzn.to/3NHbC9O
- Cordless Drill - amzn.to/47ljtke
- Drill Stops - amzn.to/4aFSpPO
- 90º Right Angle Cordless Drill - amzn.to/48d4Vo5
- Ingersol Rand 529 Airsaw - amzn.to/4aELS7R
- Astro PRN1 Rivnut Setter - amzn.to/3NOdz4t
- Stepless Crimping Kit - amzn.to/3voBjWe
- DT Solid Barrel Crimper - amzn.to/3tz7emw
- Wirefy Crimping Kit - amzn.to/3S06BvG
- Coolant Hose Clamps (if you want the real deal) - amzn.to/3RW6hxT
Supplies Used
- IsoTemp Slim 20L - tinyurl.com/isotemp-20L
- Espar S3 D5e 12VDC Hydronic Heater - tinyurl.com/tecvan-s3-d5e-cs
- M6 Rivnuts - www.mcmaster.com/95105A183/
- M10 Rivnuts - www.mcmaster.com/95105A199/
- 30x Gates Powergrip Hose Clamps - tinyurl.com/gates-pg-32929
- Webstone Hydronic Drain Fitting - amzn.to/3vrwT0M
- Loctite 592 Thread Sealant - amzn.to/3TErxJP
- Loctite LB 8036 - amzn.to/487GEQm
- 2x Gates 28625 Elbow - amzn.to/41BLNha
- Zoro Straight Coolant Fittings - tinyurl.com/straight-hose-conn...
- 1/2NPT Couplings - amzn.to/3RJJhAL
- Zoro 90º Angled Coolant Fittings - tinyurl.com/angled-hose-connector
- Napa Auto Molded Tank to Heat Plate Hose - tinyurl.com/napa-tank-hose
- 2X Gates 90º Molded Hose (Water Heater Connection) - amzn.to/47ejyX6
- Gates 90º Molded Hose (Espar Pump Connection) - amzn.to/48g1eOp
- Gates 28421 3/4” Standard Heater Hose - amzn.to/3ttOdlw
- Bosch Auxiliary Pump - amzn.to/3tA0p45
- Bosch Pump Pigtail Wire - amzn.to/4aDhVFe
- DT 2-Pin Plug Kit - amzn.to/3H08AcZ
- Rubber Grommet Kit - amzn.to/4aC69ei
- Stainless P-Clip Kit - amzn.to/47i1OKk
- High Temp 1” Braided Sleeving - amzn.to/3vkfQxS
- 1-1/8” Split Loom - www.mcmaster.com/2569K312-256...
- Trim-Lok Edge Protector - amzn.to/3TDuz0Z
- Exhaust Elbow - tinyurl.com/exhaust-elbow
- Exhaust Muffler (my kit didn’t come with one) - amzn.to/3tA8c1U
- OEM D5 Rubber Intake w/Frame Seal - tinyurl.com/9068326823
- Webasto Intake Silencer - amzn.to/47kYtdo
- OEM H88/H12 Coolant Pipes - tinyurl.com/9078301401
- Dorman Tee Connector - amzn.to/3RGAqQy
For shortening the Espar Pump Cable:
- MCON Pins - tinyurl.com/espar-mcon-pins
- MCON Seals - tinyurl.com/espar-mcon-seals
Video & Sound Equipment Used to Make this Video:
- SE Electronics Neom USB Microphone - amzn.to/3Aac34P
- Rode PSA1 Mic Stand - amzn.to/3H96FmR
- DJI Wireless Microphone (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) - amzn.to/3fK0DhZ
- Sony AR7II - amzn.to/3CmDN9c
- Sony FE 16-35 F4 Lens - amzn.to/3ClzhI8
- Sony FE 85 F1.8 Lens (super crispy close-ups) - amzn.to/3DRMXeu
- SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD - amzn.to/47GXpSw
Video Contents & Chapter Markers:
0:00 - Wish You Had Hydronic Music Video (Intro)
1:17 - Moonraker Design Co
1:37 - Hydronics
2:25 - Isotemp Water Heater Install
8:19 - Espar D5e Install
13:44 - Overflow Tank Fabrication
15:14 - Coolant Hose Routing & Install
24:28 - Espar D5 Intake & Exhaust
26:00 - Wiring & Wrapping Up
31:30 - Moonraker Recap
32:52 - Outro
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/tropicana
License code: BSERSJ9ZMBRIEOFH
uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adven...
License code: YV277I7F1V8CUA3G
uppbeat.io/t/ak/tides
License code: 88WKF7YT5EVWR3GI
uppbeat.io/t/torus/tonic
License code: HF8PBCSNDGN7BJ2H
uppbeat.io/t/avbe/night-in-kyoto
License code: RNGQIDJQDGYYOQLO
uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/mom...
License code: XK9LRTHMIPSH3D1A

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Опубликовано:

16 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 91

@meestahwah Месяц назад

I LOVE LOVE LOVE all the custom brackets, chafe guard, and wiring loom work. I installed a similar system on my sailboat and went to a similar level of detail.

@moonrakerdesign Месяц назад

Thank you so much for stopping by and the kind comment! Glad you appreciate those extra details as well. We put a lot of thought and time into each project. There’s a lot of cross over in the marine and van world for sure so not surprised about the similar system in the boat!

@masiquraishi4837 4 месяца назад

My dad has been building a sprinter van for a while but seems to make no progress unless I am helping and always watches videos and shares them with me. I feel like I have seen most of the folks who make videos about van conversions but you my friend are a cut above the rest really glad I stumbled on this video and now your channel!

@moonrakerdesign 4 месяца назад

Wow, I'm really honored to hear you say that. Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know. The amount of work into the build and let alone filming it slows things down a ton so it really helps when I hear it helps or is interesting for people like yourself. Even just a couple people finding value in the content makes it worth it! Also, I can relate to your dad, it's definitely nice to have an extra set of helping hands or even someone to bounce ideas off of. I'm sure he appreciates it. I've been fortunate to have my wife and some other friends helping me here. It's definitely a big undertaking converting a van, especially if like us you can only work on it a few weekends per month.

@ndraju Месяц назад

Todd your attention to detail is way over the top! In a good way lol. Would love to meet you somewhere along the way. I am in the process of building out a 2024 AWD myself.

@moonrakerdesign Месяц назад

Hey Narayan! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving this comment. I appreciate the kind works and yes I tend to obsess over the little things sometimes! I feel that's part of th efun thought. Congrats on starting your journey, and yes would love to connect we van folks. Do you live in the bay area?

@princexavier6925 4 месяца назад

This is a better install than I have seen even professional shops do. And the singing at the beginning is clutch. BRAVO. When I have the money, I would gladly pay to have you do this install for me.

@moonrakerdesign 4 месяца назад

Wow, thank you that means a lot to us. We spend a lot of time making sure things are put together thoughtfully and that most details are considered. If you are local to the Bay Area here we can definitely talk about it! I’ve been thinking about piecing together my own kit akin to Rixens or VLT.

@taeum3062 4 месяца назад

Your build is next level! I doubt there is a builder that comes remotely close to your detail. Looking forward to your progress!!

@moonrakerdesign 4 месяца назад

Wow thank you so much I really appreciate it. I don’t know if that’s completely true but we are trying our best to do some new stuff and build out the van how we’d expect it to be made by a professional! Anyways, thank you again and wish I had more time to get more content together! I’m gonna go pretty light on the videos on the back half here to speed up.

@meestahwah Месяц назад

Oh snap!! The song was fantastic!

@moonrakerdesign Месяц назад

Hahah thank you, we go a bit off the rails sometimes 😅

@h00d000 6 месяцев назад

Good job, Todd! As always, another excellent and detailed tutorial on the Van build. Happy New Year!

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Hey Alex thanks a bunch, the production effort on these videos is def a lot of work but glad to hear you are enjoying them still 🙂! Happy New Year to you and your family as well!

@timbradley3758 6 месяцев назад

Love you guys.

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Thanks much Tim and glad you are enjoying the content!

@jamestreanor182 6 месяцев назад

The goggles over the glasses are awesome. What an impressive build/install!

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Hey @jamestreanor182 safety and style 😜 I had another take of that dialog without all the gear on but I definitely lacked the luster. Anyways thank you for stopping by and the kind words, it really does mean a lot to us.

@bmxguy 4 месяца назад

super clean my dude

@moonrakerdesign 4 месяца назад

Thank you friend. It’s much appreciated 🙏🏻

@CharlesAnsman 6 месяцев назад

WOW !!! 😳 Thanks first class work 🏁

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Thanks Charles! Means a lot to hear you say that!

@victorestevez7809 6 месяцев назад

Thanks Todd! Starting out the New Year with a Banger! Man, I can’t wait for more videos. Happy New Years!!

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Happy New Year Victor, hope you had a good end to 2023. Thank you for the generous remarks here, we will try to keep them coming!

@victorestevez7809 6 месяцев назад

@@moonrakerdesign I know these videos are not easy to produce. Doing a phenomenal job of explaining things as you go and capturing them with different camera angles doesn’t make them any easier. This is why I appreciate them even more. I’m sure there are many more of us that appreciate the time and dedication you spend into sharing and expressing your passion. Much appreciated 🫡

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

@@victorestevez7809 thanks again for that continued encouragement and the recognition of the effort. It really does help to know people are finding value and use from the content!

@robertludwig5308 3 месяца назад

Awsome job all the way!

@moonrakerdesign 3 месяца назад

Thanks a bunch we really appreciate you taking the time to comment 🙏🏻

@lyslet 3 месяца назад

You turned it up to 11 once again, great over the top install and video! That's the first time I've seen anybody using anti-seize on their Rivnuts. I like the idea, and after some research I think I'll try the marine grade LB 8023 for it's water-washout resistance.

@moonrakerdesign 3 месяца назад

Thank you appreciate the kind words! The solution works really well and unlike paint you don’t scratch it off as you insert the Rivnut. Good find on the LB 8023, that seems like an overall better option for this kind of thing and I’ll recommend that for people just starting out from here on out! Although I’m going on about 1.5 years on my oldest outdoor Rivnut and the LB 8036 anti-seize hasn’t washed off and is still looking good!

@user-ub6dd8hl8y 5 месяцев назад

Wow! Great work! Planning to do my own conversion in the future (not as expensive as you;) )After watching your videos I can say one of the best I have seen so far! Cannot wait for more! All the best from UK 👍

@moonrakerdesign 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for the taking the time to comment. We really appreciate the support and glad our content is helpful! Yeah we understand there are definitely different budgets and goals for a camper van build, do you think it would be interesting to review some less expensive alternatives to some of these more complex projects?

@user-ub6dd8hl8y 5 месяцев назад

There is some much stuff on RU-vid already, and the good thing is that you guys doing things in a different way which is new to me and I absolutely enjoy it! This is your Van and you want it to be done in your way:) Premium:) Very clear you have some good skills and knowledge... CNC etc. I am sure this van will be one and only! ( Sorry for my English - not my native language) ;) All the best!

@moonrakerdesign 5 месяцев назад

@@user-ub6dd8hl8y thanks for all the feedback, your English is great and I appreciate you taking time to comment in another language, I know how difficult that can be! I'm glad you are enjoying it, and thanks again for the support! I've been very fortunate to have some great mentors and people teach me the things I know throughout my life. I hope I can do the same and pass some of these learnings on to others!

@_DarkDwellings 6 месяцев назад

This is high IQ stuff. All while wearing authentic Crocs?!….sheesh

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

LOL! In my defense they are the in-croc-nitos without the holes and Croc charms 😅! Thanks for stopping by and for the comment!

@zenandtheartoflife 4 месяца назад

Your girl seems nice but she's just totally off base on the cover. I mean, you nailed it bro. Anyhow, I definitely appreciate the attention to detail and overall breadth of skills used to put this install together. There was one moment that corresponds to something I'm planning on incorporating into my own system, with controlling the D5 using the cerbo gx. You may be thinking cabin temp, but I'm more concerned with the temp of the fresh water in the isotemp (freezing would be bad). With shore power, I don't mind running the heating element to protect from freezing. When remote, I believe having the D5 kick on when water temps in the tank get low may be a good idea. I don't have your level of ambition so I'll just end up taping a sensor to the output pipe on the ISO and insulating it well. But I'm sure you could come up with a much cleaner way to design/build a sensor (maybe an inline probe in a custom machined fitting?) Or, maybe you figure out a better place in the ISO to put the sensor. Anyhow, I will be watching for whatever you decide to do to integrate your heating system with the Cerbo GX.

@moonrakerdesign 4 месяца назад

Lol. I let her know you said so, and thank you for the kind words on the build. Yeah I'm still figuring out my whole freeze prevention strategy and where I need to monitor temps, but did you see this Short I put together? ru-vid.comCixUVKZOb4A I added this inline to the Hydronic portion right by the water tank at least for now and thinking about doing something similar for the water lines. Since this is my first van and first experience with Van Camping in general I think I'll have a lot to learn and figure out as things materialize. Especially with all my tanks outside the van. I know I'm definitely going to run out Cerbo Relays, so I was looking at this community.victronenergy.com/questions/245584/remotegpio-ex-venus-rgpio-now-available-with-setup.html. I'll probably go a little overboard with tank pads, heat tapes and maybe even some additional hydronic lines wrapped around some stuff to really figure out what works best. Definitely open to hearing yours and others thoughts here though since I don't have much experience. Anyways, thanks again for stopping by!

@zenandtheartoflife 4 месяца назад

Ok. So I did like your temp probe solution -actually saw a friend of mine do something similar with his home brew kit. Anyhow, I appreciate that insight! In addition, I also went ahead and ordered the relay expansion module and associated connector from Ali express. I’ll let you know when I program and share my experience! Oh and did you happen to know what the part number is for that wire connector to the Bosch pump?

@moonrakerdesign 4 месяца назад

@@zenandtheartoflife sorry for the late reply here, just now seeing this comment. That would be awesome if you can share you experience with that expansion module! For the connector on the Bosch pump, I ordered this one - amzn.to/3PhR0Ww

@user-jj3mc4xv4w 6 месяцев назад

You guys are insane (in a good way)

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Hahaha, thanks Richmond. Just trying to make you proud!!

@MrSeaCheese Месяц назад

So impressed with your design and work! I just bought a first gen T1N Sprinter van (Gulfstream RV outfitted) with the espar block heater and I have bought a small heat exchanger (like you have) that I am going to be integraiting into the system. The van currently does not have a hot water tank (just a 20 year old on demand electric water heater). I was wondering what kind of transferance water temperature are you getting off the heat exchanger?

@moonrakerdesign Месяц назад

Hey @MrSeaCheese, appreciate your comment here and congrats on your new ride! Hot water temperature will get up to 160-190ºF. I think the Espar will try to hold at 175ºF if I remember right. In my system the water is actually heated by the exchanger in the IsoTemp tank, not the flat plate heat exchanger. Mine only serves to pull heat off the engine coolant loop while driving. Your system will be a little bit different and you need to make sure your heat exchanger can raise the temperature at the flow rate of your fixtures (faucets and shower heads). FWIW Rixen's uses the same flat plate heat exchanger I have here for on demand hot water. Make sure you add a mixing value so the output temperature isn't scorching though.

@MeganHieatt Месяц назад

Nice tidy install. How serviceable are those heat shrink tube clamps if you ever have to remove or change the system? Can you now ever remove those hoses?

@moonrakerdesign Месяц назад

Hey Megan, thanks for the kind words. To remove the Gates Power Grip Clamps you have to cut them and replace them, that is the only downside, but yes you can remove them no problem. You can either do this with a special tool from them - www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/powergrip/gates-powergrip-heavy-duty-sb-clamp-removal-tool/gatu/91215 Or you can actually use a soldering iron (I bought an extra tip for mine just for this purpose) - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KEI17izjlo4.htmlsi=30lOTxdRdQCjDNv2&t=426 Both methods prevent damage to the actual hoses, you'd just have to buy a new clamp. If you are thinking there are areas where you need to service or want to leave open for change a spring clamp or worm gear clamp might be better for you there.

@JaimetheNomad 6 месяцев назад

I’m 45 seconds in and this is epic haha

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Haha, thank you! When I first pitched the idea for this intro to Colleen she said "we are definitely going to lose followers on this one..." I'm gonna have to show her this comment 🤣

@floriskyland2568 6 месяцев назад

Todd my friend. Amazing work as always. Love your video. Happy New Year. Did you ever consider going with the Webasto Dual Top? That is what I install into mine. Hello from MT.

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Hey Flori, good to hear from you and hope you had a great New Year! Glad you enjoyed the video and hopefully we can make our way up to MT in this conversion later this year! The Dual Top is a great unit and definitely something we considered! The things that kept us from it was primarily the cost, our camping climate, our use case of weekly beach trips with the dogs and having hot water in the tank while we drive out there and I would be lying if I didn’t say the idea of building out the Hydronic system myself seemed like fun 😅. The van has definitely become my outlet as I’ve gotten further and further from hands on engineering and projects in my day career. If I were to build another without the need for a challenge the Dual Top would be right up there as a top choice! Thanks again!

@floriskyland2568 6 месяцев назад

Thank you@@moonrakerdesign . Your "hydronic" song will definitely make it into the charts. Love it. :)

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

@@floriskyland2568 I hope so, then maybe I can retire and just build vans and random fabrication projects all the time 🤣 That would be the dream!

@MrJakeporro 3 месяца назад

Great install, interesting system. How efficiently does the engine heat the water tank when D5 is not in use?is there much loss from the long pipe runs and heat exchanger?

@moonrakerdesign 2 месяца назад

Initial testing shows water is up to temp in about 30min - 1 hour depending on the start conditions. The tank keeps the water warm for over 10 hours.

@ramzizaz 2 месяца назад

Great video! What mechanism is in place to prevent the water from boiling and stop heating up before reaching the boiling point?

@moonrakerdesign 2 месяца назад

Hey there, since the average temperature of the Sprinter Coolant will be 190ºF-230ºF and there will be some heat loss from the exchanger to the water tank I don't think we will have an issue. I did add a temperature probe to this loop though ru-vid.comCixUVKZOb4A. If it is a problem I can cut pump flow with a relay from the Cerbo GX. On the Espar side when that's running that controls the coolant temp 167ºF - 176ºF.

@PTG847 5 месяцев назад

Are you going to show us the rest of your water system? Tank, Pump, Plumbing? Thanks- good job on your build

@moonrakerdesign 5 месяцев назад

@PTG847 of course!! Thanks for the comment and we are glad you are looking forward to seeing that. It will be a little bit though. These projects as well as making the videos is a lot of work in addition to a demanding full time job and all the other stuff we have going on in our life. Right now we are working on putting in the van flooring since we need to drill holes through to under the van for some of the L-track bits. This has to happen before the tanks go under the van since some of the holes sit above them.

@mystraderson 4 месяца назад

Not much I haven't seen. Airsaw? What! Reciprocating jigsaw pencil.... Im getting one.

@moonrakerdesign 4 месяца назад

LOL! The airsaw slays! I use it so much on the van and pretty much any other sheet metal project I’m working on these days!!!

@sstiburon 6 месяцев назад

Why oh why do you keep making me buy tools?! Another great video, love what you guys do for us DIYers (even without the fabrication means)

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Sorry about that Scott!! I (and my wife 😅) often wonder why I buy so many tools myself, but then it really does make the job so much more enjoyable! Thanks for the compliments and continued support. It really does mean a lot and keeps us motivated to keep making these. Even if people don’t follow what we do seeing it in this level of detail hopefully makes people think about things a bit differently. Out of curiosity what did you pick up this time??

@sstiburon 6 месяцев назад

@@moonrakerdesign Your approach absolutely makes (at least me) think about things differently especially around attention to detail for serviceability and longevity, it's great to see and follow where I can. I had already purchased the airsaw, the shrink wrap printer thingy, the 90 degree drill, positaps, DT connectors, wire sleeving, the porch lights, heat gun, etc, etc (basically everything from your essential tools video), but this time I replaced all of my rivnuts with those from Mcmaster as I hated the quality of the ones I got from Amazon (too slippery and soft). I am also likely to change my plans for hot water... I was on the fence for the hydronic route as it was a bit intimidating until your video popped up. Will use your affiliate links as I make that happen ;). Thank you again, my dude! Until the next video *fingers crossed*

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

@@sstiburon Wow! That's a lot of stuff thank you for the support on all of that, we don't get much from it but it really does help us with little things and helps us continue to make these videos! Yeah I tried the Amazon rivnuts too and luckily did them on a test piece my first one was a spinner and the second one collapsed lop sided so I threw them out and tried the ones from McMaster. So far I've been able to set all of them straight as an arrow with no spinners with the pneumatic and DIY solution we've been using they are way nicer IMO.

@JasonConroy 6 месяцев назад

Great video. Do you have a recommendation between Rixon and Aquahot if I want to go with the off-the-shelf method?

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Hey @JasonConroy, thank you very much! For Rixen's vs Aquahot there are definitely pros and cons to each. From my personal standpoint and opinion if you have the dedicated space where you can tuck the Aquahot box in your build it's a pretty elegant solution which takes out even more of the work required to put one of these systems together. The form factor of their air handlers makes more sense to me too in a van where space is pretty limited you save about 100in^3 for each one. The fact that it can support up to 16,000ft out of the box is awesome too if you plan on doing high elevation camping. Anyways @humbleroad put together a good overview of the internals of the Aquahot recently you should check out if you haven't already. With Rixen's new MCS7 controller it's a much more compelling solution for me and I'm really glad they upgraded things. The MCS6 controller felt like it was from the 80's and there's no way I'd put that one in a van I own in 2024. However, you will still need to piece the parts together from the kit and really figure out how to mount and run the components. That being said from what I know about Jim over there is he will personally guide most people through this process and the amount of support and guidance you get from Rixen's will be above and beyond Aquahot. I'm assuming at a big company like Airxcel to get support you'll have to go through a support ticketing system, where as with Rixen's you can call Jim directly. That kind of small business family support has its own weight in gold for DIY'ers in my opinion. I hope this helps, unfortunately I'm an outsider looking in since I haven't used any of these systems directly in my own build, but people say positive things about both. Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and priorities. Consider the size of your van/RV (will you benefit from multi-zone), your budget, your heating and hot water requirements, and your preferences for installation and maintenance. Last point here from me, I'd still probably consider a hot water tank for my needs with either system if I went the OTS route. I have two dogs and we go to the beach a lot and being able to load up on hot water on the drive there and hose them off with warm water (they are babies about cold showers) without having to turn on the burner is critical.

@JasonConroy 6 месяцев назад

@@moonrakerdesignThank you for the detailed reply. I haven't seen Humbleroad's video yet but will soon. It's a big expense so want to make the right decision for me as I plan to start living in my 170 AWD Sprinter full time beginning April 2025.

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

@@JasonConroy Yeah definitely and congrats on the move to commit to your sprinter full time!! That's awesome and can't wait to see what you put together. One other option I forgot to mention in my video was what @floriskyland2568 commented below and another option I was looking at was the Webasto DualTop. I know another option to add to your list and also equally if not more expensive. But I think it would be good to look at all options objectively before making you decision! Note with that one you can't run heated floors, but not sure if you have that planned anyways.

@JasonConroy 6 месяцев назад

@@moonrakerdesign Thanks for the additional information and tips. After watching Mathers on the Map's second build videos and knowing my wife gets cold easily, heated floors are definitely on the schedule. Leaning hard toward Rixan right now based on everything I've seen and your help.

@kbeefy 2 месяца назад

Just stumbled upon your video, your system is remarkably similar to what I'm planning. Have you come upon any 'oops' or 'gotchas' yet? I have a superflex 460 surplus diesel heater, Kuuma Marine water heater, and plan to add a water to air 'heater core' for interior heating as well as valves to isolate 'zones' when not needed or for quicker engine coolant or water heater warmup.

@moonrakerdesign 2 месяца назад

Really only planning out if I wanted additional loops. I'm going to put an air handler in the back of the van for more heat and would have been nice to run those hoses with this original install. Like you I'll have valves that shut that loop of in the summer time. The other things is I'm finding out now I need to drill the the floor for my l-track so I need to take the hot water heater back out to get these brackets install. So really just about planning all the cascading and colliding projects. It's pretty tough if you've never been through it before.

@kbeefy 2 месяца назад

@@moonrakerdesign I spent the winter (waiting for my vanagon to sell) planning out the water and electrical, hopefully I won't have to redo too many things. I settled on one large coolant loop with 'bypass' valves to isolate the different systems when not needed or for maintenance. I settled on Engine - Diesel coolant Heater - Water heater - Aux heater core - return.

@moonrakerdesign 2 месяца назад

@@kbeefy Sounds like a great plan!! After this install, I think it would be really fun to go back and try to make a central Aquahot type box to control everything. I hate how almost everything in the van RV space is run on proprietary controllers. If I have time in the future would love to go back and centralize it one day on a more open source platform.

@kbeefy 2 месяца назад

@@moonrakerdesign Thats well beyond my skillset, I'm going to try to make it just a bit more automated than frankenstien switches and manual ball valves. It won't be as elegant, but I think a few thermal switches, a few electrical actuated valves, and alot of wire and it will work good enough. Have you bought an air handler yet? I see some cheap ones available that are 10-15k btu, but I think I'd rather go with something in the 30-45k btu range.

@moonrakerdesign 2 месяца назад

@@kbeefy Sometimes simpler is the best solution! I haven't bought my Air Handler just yet. But I'm size limited so I'll likely end up with something in the 8-15K range. I've been looking at AMC, Rixens and the Aquahot handlers.

@GlennLaguna Месяц назад

4:14 I think you have a lot of experience with rivnuts. I'd like to ask your opinion about mounting Unistrut on my vans walls. I am building out a work van and was wanting to put Unistrut on the walls so that I can mount modular cabinets to it. Mounting like FeatherBuilt does, you can look up their basic Foundations kit and see how they mount it on the walls, I want to do mine like that. Do you know what size rivnut would be used to mount Unistrut to my van's walls (I plan to buy my Unistrut from McMaster)? I see a lot of opinions about Rivnut's verses Plus-Nuts or even using a combination of the two. But it seems most guys like yourself and others who have a higher level of attention to detail (like Project of Science), use mostly rivnuts. And with the proper tools maybe rivnuts are best if you install them correctly. I see you like the Astro PRN1, but if I were only going to be using 2-3 different rivnut sizes I might be able to just use the single use Wrench-Driven Rivet Nut Tools from McMaster.

@moonrakerdesign Месяц назад

Hey Glenn, I wouldn’t go less than 6mm threads for installing this type of thing. This is what Ad Wagon uses and I’m sure feather built does too. If I remember right the factory holes are around 8mm so you are going to need to drill them out a bit put some rust prevention in place (I like marine grade anti seize for rivnuts) and then set them. There’s a lot of debate on plus nut vs rivnut. I like rivnuts because they are lower profile and don’t take up as much space behind the wall. There are some places you need to set a nut that a plus nut wouldn’t fit so IMO why not use them for all. I’ve never had one spin on me, but like you said I used the pneumatic pull tool. I really think rivnuts work best with a pull setter. I don’t really like the ones that spin because you really need to make sure the rivnut mushrooms before any torque is applied to it. Just a lot less margin for error. Anyways if you want to talk more you can always email me at hello at farrframeworks dot com. Happy to give you my number there and we can chat on the phone too!

@paulwade8103 3 месяца назад

Im confused on why you put an additional heat exchanger and coolant reservoir if the Isotemp has a heat exchanger built in. I’m doing the same setup as you so it would help immensely

@moonrakerdesign 3 месяца назад

Hey Paul. The coolant reservoir is needed because the coolant will expand when heated. You can’t have a closed system without a place for that expansion to happen. Espar recommends around 6L of space in the manual if I remember correctly. You can buy these off the shelf. The extra heat exchanger allows me to take heat from the engine coolant loop while driving without being totally tapped into that engine coolant circuit itself. Meaning if anything fails on my added coolant loop the engine loop is unaffected and will perform as normal. This also allows me to use a different type of coolant in my water heater loop that is safer. If some how it contaminated the water through a heat exchanger failure in the water heater (highly unlikely) we wouldn’t be poisoned. Others have skipped this flat plate exchanger and just plumbed the whole thing into the same coolant loop as the engine but that means if you have a leak or failure so does the engine. Let me know if this makes sense or if you need anymore info.

@paulwade8103 3 месяца назад

@@moonrakerdesign awesome. Thanks for the reply

@moonrakerdesign 3 месяца назад

@@paulwade8103 No problem if you have any other questions you can hit me up at hello at farrframeworks dot com. Happy to provide any additional info. Happy Building!

@paulwade8103 3 месяца назад

@@moonrakerdesign I did find you on Insta and shot you a message on there before you sent this

@teppohovattala5171 6 месяцев назад

Little bit too much engineered for my taste, but you made it look good. Whatkind of battery/charge setup are you gonna do? I will do only engine loop and heating element for non drive days.

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

Appreciate the viewpoint, and yes I definitely get way to deep in the weeds with some of these projects when it's not required. My day job has become a lot of management and keynotes lately so I use this as my outlet 😅. For the battery charging setup. I'm going with dual alternator as the primarily powering source, I can only fit about 320W of solar on the roof. I have 640Ah of lithium going in.

@kevinmctarsney36 6 месяцев назад

Great detail! Excellent video!

@moonrakerdesign 6 месяцев назад

@@kevinmctarsney36 thanks for the kind words, and the comment. We are glad you liked it and it's very much appreciated 🙂

@tonyhernandez3433 7 дней назад

Bro. Did u just say San Rafael ?? I jus purchased a used van Can we meet up Would like to pick ur brain for my conversion

@moonrakerdesign 7 дней назад

Pretty much 😅. I actually live on the border of San Anselmo and Fairfax. Shoot me an email (website on our channel info) and we can talk about meeting up.

@tonyhernandez3433 7 дней назад

@@moonrakerdesign ty brother 🫡😎