Hello from the Heart of Gold!

Nate · December 13, 2021, 03:30 PM

Hello,

I attempted to post in the Chrysler forum and found I need moderator approval so I figured I'd introduce myself here.

My name is Nate and I'm the proud owner of a 1973 23" superior on a dodge m400 chassis. It has a 440-3 with a fuel injection/ignition conversion I pieced together myself being controlled by a Speeduino micro controller. Beyond basic maintenance I've fabricated a few of my own chassis modifications including a front steering stabilizer and a rear track bar and I recently installed headers and a dual exhaust as well.

On the body side of things I completely gutted the interior, reinsulated everything and built it back with a fairly different configuration that I'll try to elaborate on with pictures.

I've mounted a little over 1000w of solar panels on the roof and currently run all electrical components except our Mini Split off of solar. That includes lights, TV, two small refrigerators, laptops, router and other odds and ends. Our Mini Split is a 12k BTU heatpump that we use for both cooling and heating and has served us well for over a year.

I'm currently in the process of preparing the rig for a cross country trip from Knoxville TN to Oregon where we are relocating to be closer to family.

If anyone has any questions about my setup I'd be happy to answer them. Have a great day!

Nate

Nate · December 13, 2021, 03:31 PM

EFI PICS

Oz · December 14, 2021, 09:40 AM

Hello and welcome! Very nice RV, excellent job, nice set up.

Nate · December 14, 2021, 02:39 PM

Thank you, its been a very interesting project, I hadn't initially planned to gut it but once I did that opened the flood gates.

In the long run I want to use this and my Shop/Motorcycle trailer as a test bed for a deployable solar system I'm designing. I'm hoping to make it simpler for people to get enough solar on their vehicle so as to not have to use a generator. It seems like that is of more interest to the "Van Life" crowd but I feel the writing is on the wall, especially on the west coast.

Here is my trailer as well, I'm hoping the Superior (we call it the H.O.G.) will be able to tow this.

We've done a lot more work on both the HOG and the trailer but I don't have any more recent pictures.

Oz · December 16, 2021, 06:50 PM

Excellent arrangement in the trailer!

John · December 16, 2021, 09:21 PM

Nice lookin' rig!

AOBrodie · December 17, 2021, 11:22 AM

Super nice and well done!

I'd be very interested in your description/thoughts on your EFI conversion.

eXodus · December 24, 2021, 06:16 AM

Nice Setup!

What are the large solar panels? what mounts did you use?

I'm currently in the process of mounting 3x 425W Panels, just a little concerned about them flying of the roof

Nate · January 07, 2022, 05:03 PM

Quote from: AOBrodie on December 17, 2021, 11:22 AM
Super nice and well done! I'd be very interested in your description/thoughts on your EFI conversion.

What would you like to know?

Personally, I think fuel injection is a must with these old rigs, it really wakes them up and gives you so much control and insight in to how the motor is performing and what can be done to increase efficiency.

On the other hand, I completely understand how this could appear to be a very daunting project for many people.

I personally chose a very challenging route for fuel injection and ignition with the Speeduino that I wouldn't recommend unless you really want to learn the in's and out's or you already have a strong grasp of how these systems work and what the benefits of a diy system like this are.

My suggestion for anyone that wants fuel injection without all the headache is to go with an all-in-one TBI setup like what Holley, Fitech etc. offer. Though not as flexible as what I've assembled, its a safer and faster route for most.

Nate · January 07, 2022, 05:12 PM

Quote from: eXodus on December 24, 2021, 06:16 AM
Nice Setup!

What are the large solar panels? what mounts did you use?

I'm currently in the process of mounting 3x 425W Panels, just a little concerned about them flying of the roof

I have 2x Heliene 375w 72-cell panels and 3 100w panels. I have room for one more 72-cell at the very back of the roof.

I used low profile unistrut bolted at each steel rib of the roof which are on 24" spans. My rig is a little different from most on here being its all steel framing and skin, I don't know what I would recommend for a more traditional Wood framed design... punching holes in the roof already makes me nervous, doubly so if I had framing rot as a potential issue if a leak happened!

That being said, I sealed every hole and bolt head with 3m 5200, hopefully it holds up! I've used it on boats under continues submersion with good results.