heitjer

Vegetable Garden

2012-01-31T18:27:00.003-06:00

Raised Beds & Mulch

Veggies, Blueberries & Raspberries

Temporary Water Sprinkler Line

Green House

2012-01-02T21:42:00.006-06:00

My Back Property Solar Project

2011-11-02T18:39:00.005-06:00

In order to power our water timing system in the back of our property we needed power. In another post I will discuss the water timer system setup.
Back to solar - it is not economical run a 110V line all the way back into our property so we decided to go with solar. We found the 45W system at Harbor Freight for $149.99. Its a complete set with panels and charge controller and some other helpful cables and two lamps. Unfortunately the mounting system is not worth the steel scrap cost. In addition to the system I purchased a deep cycle AGM (maintenance free) 12V scooter battery with 55 Ahr.

Next I went to home depot and got some screws and angle iron. I mounted the three panels on a rail and used small screws (pre-drilled) to fix the panels to the rail.

In between the panels I used larger screws to compress the corner of the panels. These are the main securing force.

I used a fence pole and its gate security attachment as the main way to attach the panel to the pole. Here is the completed panel.

Onto the property - after a week of securing the cement for the pole I attached the panel. Luckily I got a Truck box for free to store battery and controller.

The bottom rails allow me to tilt the panel in different angles to adjust for the solar position in winter, spring/autumn & summer.

I charged all day my Dewalt batteries for another project - worked perfect!

Land: Street Sign

2011-08-26T18:07:00.002-06:00

Nice picture of our new street sign so we never loose bearing!

Some distances:

- Clausthal 8390 km (5213 miles)
- Ringleben 8467 km (5261 miles)
- Schladen 8389 km (5212 miles)
- Northpole 6664 km (4141 miles)
- Southpole 13350 km (8295 miles)

Land: our pole barn

2009-12-22T20:52:00.005-06:00

I started designing our pole barn. I have to work with existing poles but will do the rest all new. Here is the start. I keep posting on progress.

Found a sketchup plugin to draw stud walls automatically.
Ruby Library

Scroll down to "HouseBuilder" and install in the plugin folder. Here is an example:

Problems with a new radio...

2009-07-19T08:30:00.004-06:00

I have posted this in multiple forums for months, specific and general ones, but now one to date was able to help me. I thought I give it a shot here as well.

My wife has a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited that came with the single disk radio system. We like the controls and so I purchase the same radio for our Camper. I found one used but it did not come with the wiring harness. I since purchased the MOPAR wiring harness according to my local Chrysler dealer and it plugs into the "A" port on the right side of the radio (from behind).

The harness part number is 68032281AA Wiring-Radio.
The radio part number is P05107095AJ.

I also unplugged my wife's radio and noticed the following cables (see picture). I measured 12.5V permanently on the red/black thick gage wires. This is regardless of key in ignition or door open. So this tells me that one other cable needs to be a control cable.

Cables are as follows:

1 RED
2 White
8 green with blue stripe
9 green with orange stripe
10 grey with blue stripe
11 grey with orange stripe
12 BLACK
13 white with red stripe

Rest is empty.

I assume at this point that 2x grey and 2x green are for the speakers. White and White/Red seem to carry 2.4V regardless of ignition and door status.

So I am further assuming that I can not use this radio outside of a Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler as it appears that it need a control signal to start/stop.

When I use it on the Black/Red only it starts up, goes through a CD cycle and then powers off. Pushing the Power button does not help.

I need help! I know that someone out there is able to help! Please advise.

World Time

2009-07-11T20:39:00.004-06:00

Houston

Berlin

Mega_Mod: The Final Touch!

2009-06-14T17:47:00.014-06:00

At first I just had the Garmin in the Center console and there it blocked one of my big cup holders. Also I thought it was to low for easy viewing. My Garmin was stolen the other day and the thieves cut all wires so I had the chance to start new...

I ordered the same Garmin again - the Garmin Nuvi 5000 as discussed in the blogs below. This time I ordered a re-furb one from eBay and just paid about $190 including S&H. So I think I am OK with that.

I wanted to place the Garmin somewhere where it is easy to see without turning the head too much. I do not like the windscreen mounts as it blocks some of the view. For some time I played with the idea to place it on the overhead console. Routing the wires there is not a big deal. But there is no real fastener to carry the extra weight and avoid vibrations. In addition it requires the external antenna to improve the detectability of the satellites. I have the antenna but it needs to be plugged into the Garmin directly and it is a pain to remove each time you get the Garmin out of the cradle. I guess thats the reason why I always left it it in the truck and hence got it stolen. After some thoughts I moved away from the idea.

In the meantime I purchased the ARKON cup holder stand from eBay. I tied it at first in the cup holder but the arm was vibrating and I could not really fix the thing in the cup holes.

Back to the dashboard at the radio somewhere. The Dodge RAM has an opening underneath the Radio and it appears to be the perfect spot. I removed the dashboard (see Page 8) and got to the 1" by 5" black plastic box that sits right under the radio.

I also had some metal rail from the kitchen remodeling (IKEA) that I mounted inside the box. Note that the square will ride in the rail and I can adjust the lateral position easily and whenever I want. I did cut a thread into the square and the positions is fixed with the screw.

You may also notice the top from the Arkon cup holder ...? I just cut it to length and also did cut a thread in the top two parts. This way they rotate onto the screw.

Here are the parts fixed inside the black box:

Now putting it all back together. Here is a shot of the parts back under the radio. Notice the rubber mat that is typically in the box. I cut it so it blends the front.

Here with the cradle attached:

I am not happy yet with the rubber mat. I will probably think of something else. But this is all I had available at the point. There are brush openings for computer desks that might work here and allow me to laterally move the holder inside the brush.

And finally here is the finished product:

I almost exclusively operate my radio from the steering wheel controls. I am not concerned that I do not see the buttons completely.

Mega_Mod: Concept to Reality

2008-12-14T20:53:00.010-06:00

Further down was the conceptual layout. Here are now a few pics of the real deal:

Starting from the back - here is the camera mounted to view - slightly tilted - towards the center and the hitch ball. There was no other place other than to drill through the licence plate (not allowed). So unless I get me one of the licence plate cameras it will stay here.

Here is the connector to the Camper. This is the same as described in one of the previous posts.

From there the camera and the connector terminate in a junction box, notice the silicone to seal of the environment:

The junction box mounted to the bottom of the truck bed.

I followed the original cable harness and tugged the cables into the plastic protector as best as I could. I used some heat shielded tape in some areas to really keep them protected.

From there I made my way into the engine compartment. Going through the firewall is always a problem. I used the plastic cover where usually the clutch pedal goes out. I drilled a hole, used a rubber grommet and then used more of the heat shielded tape.

Ones inside I routed everything to the center console and added a main switch next to the steering wheel.

Overall this took me a full Sunday due to my efforts to get the cables protected as best as I could.

Mega_Mod: Back Up Camera 1 & 2

2008-12-14T19:40:00.006-06:00

After I lost my back up camera on the Excursion I really started missing this feature. I tried to install the 7" screen from the Excursion but I could not find a place for it. So I moved away from the Laptop setup from the Excursion and I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 5000 large screen GPS.

I decided for the Garmin 5000 because I like the features of Garmin GPS systems and this unit has a Video In.

So here is my set up:

As you can see I use the Garmin as a video display. It turns on automatically whenever video starts streaming (i.e. when I reverse). From there I connect to a video splitter/switch. This allows you to typically switch between three video sources to display on a TV. I tested the unit and it allows also to switch power at the same time the video is switched. So I really use it to switch power and video at the same time from the Camper Cam to the Truck Can or visa versa. It allows you to connect to a third video source as well. This is currently not used as I don't want to stream movies while driving. But maybe one day this is set up for the co-driver.

From there backwards I have a regular on/off switch which gets power from a toggle switch. The toggle gets either permanent power or power from the Reverse Light circuit.

My EX is gone, here is my MEGA love....

2008-10-25T12:55:00.001-06:00

Today I traded in my Excursion and got me a 2007 Dodge 2500 Megacab with a 6.7L Cummins diesel and 6 speed automatic. Sweet....

Camper Mod: Magnet Board

2008-03-30T18:49:00.002-06:00

My wife likes to collect the fridge magemts from the parks we go to. Over time this is now some nice collection and does not fit on the range hood anymore. I bought a magnet board from IKEA for a few bucks and mounted it to the wall next to the entry door.

Camper Mod: New Matress

2008-03-30T18:39:00.005-06:00

This is probably out best modification by a long shot. We ditched the old matress and got us an RV-Queen size from Bed-in-a-box.

Price OK, S&H free, quick delivery. We can recommend this company and have since then purchased another matress for our daughter.

Camper Mod: Flag Post

2008-02-13T22:15:00.005-06:00

Here is our set up for a flag post.

We use the weight distribution clamps with the metal pipe (lever) as the basis. We use a standard length PVC pipe that goes over the metal lever. The top of the PVC pipe has receivers for the flag.

This is a very easy set up, no screws, no attachments, all items are on board - just add a PVC pipe.

Camper Mod: Bunk Bed Guard

2008-01-27T18:56:00.000-06:00

We have bunk beds in our trailer and typical for kids, they always want to sleep on the top bunks. Not a problems for older one but for our little one it was always dangerous especially as he turns in his sleep. So we had to construct bunk bed guards. My challenge was to complete this w/o any visible holes or screws as I wanted to keep the trailer nice and 'sell able'.

I got me four 90 degree angled metal stripes that I attached to the bottom of the bunk beds underneath the mattress.

Then I used light oak wood to build a wood frame. This frame stands on the floor and has a very small air gap on the ceiling. The bottom and the top of the oak struts have carpet glued to it for reduced rubbing friction against the floor and the ceiling.
The frame was then attached to the metal from the behind. The screws are low so they are hidden by the mattress.

Before I continue - pardon the mess on the first picture. The bottom bunk becomes more a storage location than a bed. These are the two only shots I have.

My lovely wife with the wood frame in the back. It also holds everything nicely in the bunk when we are travelling.

Camper Pics: Pedernales Statepark 12/07

2008-01-01T23:47:00.000-06:00

Perdernales Falls State Park - December 2007

Camper Mod: Sewer Tote Storage

2008-01-01T23:18:00.000-06:00

Since I purchased the blue tote I was not happy with storing the it in the front camper compartment. I just did not seem right.

I thought about various locations - in the front and on the back bumper but did not like the idea of displaying this ugly thing in full sight.

So here is what I did:

1) I created a frame of stainless steel supported by flat aluminium spreaders. I then attached this frame to the stairs. When its raised into top position the whole frame is at the same height as the stair housing. I then attached a light weight plastic plant support to provide the bottom of the frame.

2) the tote rolls right into place.

3) I had to leave the totes cover off to fit it nicely around the existing gas line.

4) It sits in this position without any other fasteners. It's not moving at all as it pushes slightly against the bottom of the trailer.

Since I have installed this I have traveled about 1000 miles and I have not experienced any loosening or moving of parts. I am happy that the tote is out of sight. The only improvement project left is the raising of frame. I might need to think about something else as it requires me to sit in front of the frame, raise it with one hand and fasten it with the other.

Camper Mod: Sewer Hose Storage

2007-12-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

I was not happy with the short Sewer Hose Storage pipes that you get at CampingWorld. These are smaller in diameter and shorter in length. I was looking for something that stores the x-tra long hose and the additional accessories.

1) Pipe Connection to Travel Trailer, used flex band to bend around the pipe. This end is caped off but not glued. I used screws in case i ever need to open this on this side.

2) This side has a threaded cap which I secured with a string.

3)Another view

Camper Mod: BackUp Camera - Ready to Roll

2007-12-15T09:47:00.000-06:00

1) Camera is housed in a PVC pipe. The white piece is removable and has the the camera screwed into. The reason for this is to be able to remove the camera and to adjust the tilt of the horizon if necessary.

2) PVC pipe is sprayed black and attached to the tire carrier.

3) Now we have a perfect view on the street behind the travel trailer.

Camper Mod: BackUp Camera - Hooking Up

2007-12-15T09:43:00.000-06:00

1) The camera is positioned to monitor the Hitch Ball.

2) Visible Hitch Ball on Touch Screen

3) Hook Up to Travel Trailer - still way off

4) Hook Up to Travel Trailer - right there without any help on the first attempt.

Camper Mod: BackUp Camera - Cable

2007-12-15T09:29:00.000-06:00

This is the cable connection between the Truck and the Travel Trailer.

1) Receiver Plug on Truck

2) Cable Connection - Black = Standard & Silver = Video Feed

3) 4 Pin connection (Power from Car to Camera +/-, Video 2x)

Truck_Puter Update

2007-12-15T09:23:00.001-06:00

Here are some latest pictures on the system as it works in the Truck:
1) Windows XP

2) Skin in the MP3 Player matches the decor of the Truck.

3) Close Up on the MP3 Player (FrodoPlayer, se other posts in here)

4) Microsoft Trips & Streets on Touch Screen

Camp Food: Turkey

2007-12-14T23:20:00.000-06:00

Here is a brief review of our recent Thanks Giving Turkey Feast - Sommerville, TX:

1) get some heat going, place enough coal to last for 4 hours.

2) After filling in some water wrap the the Turkey Tray in Alloy Foil:

3) Then wrap the whole grill with foil to keep the heat in:

4) Wait 4 hours. May need to put some more water into the tray.

5) Enjoy!

Software - MS Trips & Streets

2007-05-02T20:55:00.001-06:00

Importing Data into MS Streets & Trips 2007 (S&T07)

Starting here:
Link to Databases & Instructions

This will lead you to the website for the download files:
Download

1. For Microsoft readable text files scroll to the far right of the screen.
2. click on the file you need and save it to a folder on your hard drive
3. un-zip the file
4. open S&T07 and go to DATA – IMPORT WIZARD in the top menu
5. point to the ‘un-zipped’ file (here I am using the Super WalMart Centers)

6. Make sure you do a ‘comma’ separate import – click NEXT
7. Under DATA TYPES use ‘Latitude’ in the first, ‘Longitude’ in the second and ‘Name’ in the third row.

8. Click FINISH.
9. We have a lot of WalMart Super Centers….

10. You notice that the locations are marked with a black pushpin. This is the ‘default’ setting.

If you want to change this do the following steps:

11. Click on DATA – DATASET PROPERTIES in top menu
12. Select the just imported dataset (WalMart Supercenters = SWM), here you can see my new selection

13. Have Fun!

Software - MS Trips & Streets

2007-05-02T20:34:00.000-06:00

This is a summary of a post that I had on another website:
RV Forum Post

quote...

I am not a big MS fan but this seems to be a good alternative to the various hardware GPS systems out there. Has anyone experience with this device/software? Pro's & Con's?

Should I stay away from something that requires a Laptop to run?

Where and how did you secure your Laptop for easy mounting and un-mounting when parked?

Where does the power come from for the LapTop GPS solutions? Are they powered through USB or is an external power (12V) needed?

SUMMARY FROM POSTS (I will add as we go...)

PROs

It works (dreamer)
larger screen (depends on Laptop but usually true)
cost (< $100 if you have Laptop)
can be combined with any GPS
allows for route pre-planning at home, this allows for a more scenic route
allows downloads for specific locations (WalMart, Camping World, ...)
has background tools that allow customizing, has night/day features for brightness
keeps DW happy and occupied!

CONs

mounting more difficult, especially in TV
no automated adjustment of screen brightness depending on day, night, sun, ... (Laptop's can be manually dimmed too)
no touch screen (unless this is purchased separately)
mistakes Burger King's with Animal hospitals (is this wishful thinking?)
routing questionable with regards to bridges, ferries, ...
this is not a 'hiking option'
Laptop in car might be easier target for thief's than a regular mounted GPS
Laptop is used only on the long trips, GPS system is always in the car - so it helps you out on a daily basis as well

Verdict so far - most posts like it!

...quote

I have been using it now for a couple of month and I am happy with this software. It has great support (non Microsoft) out there and 3rd party developer make this software more useful (--> Keys, check out the link under 'cudos').
Marvin Hlavac on the GPS Forum

Truck_Puter: Cudos

2007-04-23T20:49:00.000-06:00

At this point I like to give a big cudos to the endless tips from the internet.

just make sure you read and search before you post questions.

Check out:
- Anything can be found here
- Marvin Hlavac on the GPS Forum
- RoadRunner Installer
- RoadRunner

Truck_Puter: Putting it all together #2

2007-04-23T20:23:00.000-06:00

Between last and this weekend I did build a nice monitor stand. I used PVC pipe that I glued together and fixed to the center console. Then I spray painted it in a interior color of the Truck (on the picture it look much lighter than in reality).

Tip: I used 45 deg angle bends, if you use a bunch of them you can have the arm go in all directions and always end up with a flat top surface.

It took me some machining of solid plastic to build a similar receicer to the screen swivel than the original table stand.

The I ran a video cable (2 video, 1 audio) to the back of the car by using the cabl;e channels underneath the door steps. Once I came to the back I used a hole to go to the outside. I cut a hole in an elastomeric plug. Make sure you seal the hole afterwards with some silicone.

I had to lower the license plate to get a camera high enough to see anything. The metal strips are for this purpose. You can also see a little electrical water tight box that I use to make connections to the cable/camera (this is not for the trailor).

Full setup with camera installed:

And here the result with a picture of my lovely driveway!

Truck_Puter: Putting it all together...

2007-04-22T21:02:00.000-06:00

Alright - I started last weekend to put everything together. I disassembled the center console and placed my 'fit 4 purpose' docking station in there. I cut holes to allow access to the ports of the docking station.

I ran all cables underneath the carpet to the center console. With the laptop here I can always pull it out and take it with me. It fits very nicely in there.

You notice the flat white cable running out of the box - this is the on/off & undock button from the docking station. I cut this on off to gain access to the on button without opening the laptop (does not work to to space constrains). I still need to find a good place for it.

Truck_Puter: Update

2007-04-13T21:34:00.000-06:00

I have played with RoadRunner and I like FrodoPlayer better. In the meantime I have destroyed (cosmetic surgery) my docking station for the C400. I did cut off some side pieces so it will fit nicely into my box between the two front seats. I have now also tested the setup at home and everything works fine.

Tomorrow I will route the cables in the car underneath the carpet and will figure out the best mounting for the touch screen. I am still thinking about PVC pipe that is spray painted in the cars color scheme....

I will post pictures here as soon as I start getting everything into the truck.

Truck_Puter: The Software

2007-04-08T21:30:00.000-06:00

I played around with two different front end computer software over the long Easter Weekend.

1) FrodoPlayer
2) RoadRunner

Both are freely available on the net. I choose to go deeper with the FrodoPlayer as I understood quickly the skinning technique. I created a skin for the player that follows the color scheme of the interior of the Truck. My work with FrodoPlayer was extensive but this will not exclude Roadrunner later. I just hope I find a good way to include easyly the Microsoft GPS software.

Here is the latest skin:

Truck_Puter: The Beginning

2007-04-06T08:52:00.000-06:00

Long ago when we bought our travel trailer I had the idea to include a backup camera system into our trailer and the tow vehicle. This idea was extended when I got Microsoft Streets & Trips for Christmas. Now I had to face two problems:

- display a standard NTSC or PAL video feed from the camera(s)
- display a computer screen from the GPS system
- provide interface to interact with the GPS system
- one “nice to have” that I am thinking about to include in the future: OBD-II car diagnostics

After a while of searching and reading up on the internet I decided to go with a Laptop as my base system. The advantages from a Laptop are very easy to understand:

+ designed for low power consumption
+ low noise emission
+ battery (for delayed shut down if needed)
+ comes with monitor and keyboard already attached
+ small ‘real estate’

(nice discussion on this topic)

The problem is that you don’t want to display a laptop all the time on your dashboard as it attracts thieves. Yet another problem is that the Laptop is not necessarily equipped to display video feed. You would need a tuner card or a video recorder card to get this displayed but there might be a time delay in video display when doing so. At this point I decided to not go the route of displaying video on a Laptop. For the added security I decided to go with an external touch screen monitor so the Laptop could be tugged away out of sight. The touch screen also allows the main interface functions with the laptop/software/GPS system.

Now the fun part started – looking for components. I am still in the process of sourcing some parts but I have the concept and main parts on hand. Here is a list with parts (all from ebay):

1) Dell Latitude C400 (very small) // about US$180 on eBay with official Win XP-Pro, Wireless card, 20 GB HD, 512 MB Ram, etc

2) VM84 - 8.4" 8" TFT LCD touch screen // about US$140, native resolution 800x600, 2 RCA video inputs, 1 audio input

3) Backup Camera // about US$40, 0 Lux infrared night vision, reverse color image, 2.8mm, 120 deg view

4) 2nd camera for Travel Trailer, preferred with audio, still looking

Here is a basic set up as its planned.