Advancing Alvar

[tinman22]

Thanks, I appreciate your comments.

[Davydd]

Next task at hand is to prepare for a winter freezeout camping trip in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in less than three weeks. Alvar came with a set of insulated reflective silver finish quilt covers for the windshield and side cab windows. I haven't even taken them out of the sack they are in yet. I need to see how they perform. They had an option for an insulated ceiling to floor covering to close off the front cab we didn't take. The standard we went with is just a fairly effective single ply blackout curtain that covers part way down. It seems effective enough to hold heat in when all you are talking about is above freezing temperatures.

We have a few other features. We have a snap on insulated cover for the MaxxAir fan and we have the electric radiant insulated floor. Also, since the compressor refrigerator is basically a heat exchanger that takes air inside at the floor and throws it out at the upper cabinet inside the van it contributes some heat. However, I would be curious how efficient a compressor refrigerator is in cold weather and how much it would actually run. Our window curtains are double lined. They create an almost total blackout and they do help with the cold. We have the Mercedes Benz heated cab seats. I never felt I needed them but they were part of a luxury package option amongst several other things.

I plan to test the Rixen Espar glycol to air heat exchanger in both diesel-fired and electric heater mode to see how much I can raise the inside temperature above ambient, whether there is a maximum rise, and how long it takes to get up to a set temperature. Also, I want to compare just using a 1500w ceramic electric cube heater since we will be able to plug in to shore power. I pretty much have a good idea of expectations of each since we camped already last January down to 5 degrees overnight. I just wasn't monitoring it all that closely and when we sleep we turn the thermostat down to 54 degrees.

Alvar is ready. He experienced his first accumulating snow last week.

[Applegater]

We have used the quilt covers for years on both our sprinters, also used the white covers on the outside that cover the entire windshield and door windows under warm conditions. Haven't tried the outside covers in the cold. When do you plan to try to heat the interior up from ambient. Do you let the van drop down to ambient at night? Seems to me by the time you get to UP inside will be way above ambient and could stay that way.

[Applegater]

Sorry David, got confused about Ambient from a different post elsewhere where you talked about cube heater only raising temp so much from ambient. We have camped down to 10F, and were able to maintain comfortable temp with the cube heater!

[Davydd]

I already know the diesel-fired heat is the fastest to reach and hold temperature. A preliminary check indicates a cube heater is more efficient the the electric module from the heat exchanger. The Rixen Espar heat, diesel-fired or electric source blows out from under the kitchen galley toe space directly across from the bathroom door at the head of the bed. There is a blower sound that is muted somewhat. That will be another comparison - the sound. The cube heater, of course is a constant run since it is not thermostatically controlled. I can control heat output somewhat with the cube heater and it is two speed.

Cube heaters vary in quality and sound but basically produce heat at a maximum of 1500w. I am not going to run out and try different ones. I own the cube heater because I hated the loud propane Suburban in my previous two vans.

If the temperatures are down around 0 degrees F. I imagine the diesel-fired will be the desired option and possibly electric if turned down to 54 for sleeping. I'd like to hold 54 at night and maybe a cube heater my not be the best for that and I may never bother to carry one even though they are less than a 10" cube.. Right now the rest of this week is going to have daytime temperatures above freezing. Winter is not cooperating.

[Applegater]

One last question, does the electric Espar heat do anything to keep the freshwater tank heated?

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Applegater

One last question, does the electric Espar heat do anything to keep the freshwater tank heated?

Yes. Both diesel and electric heat the glycol and then the glycol heat exchanges with air for heat in the cabin or with water for hot water. Then the return waste heat after both those exchanges still has glycol temperatures of around 160 degrees. That is the glycol that grooves down the side of the fresh water tank and is bundled with the water lines in an insulated wrapping.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Davydd

That will be another comparison - the sound. The cube heater, of course is a constant run since it is not thermostatically controlled. I can control heat output somewhat with the cube heater and it is two speed.

The Rixen's also has two speeds, as you know. I do find it kind of loud on high, but low is often too-low. I have considered hacking my Rixen's blower to have a continuous speed adjustment (not hard).

[avanti]

Is that a summer/winter valve in the picture? I put one into my homemade version of ARV's fine pipe-heating setup.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by avanti

Is that a summer/winter valve in the picture? I put one into my homemade version of ARV's fine pipe-heating setup.

The long handle shuts off the fresh water tank to bypass. The short handle is for opening and filling just the water lines with anti-freeze from a hose connection which amounted to about 1-1/2 gallons to flush all water through.

Just a short water hose with a female connection at the other end and siphoning from a jug. You can reach under and connect hose and turn 90 degree valves blindly. Up as shown is normal. Down is winter.

[Davydd]

Out with the old...


In with the new...


Why?

https://youtu.be/XANYxoEF_HY

[markopolo]

Wow, it runs smooth.

Link: Medium & Heavy Duty Alternators | Delco Remy

[booster]

Free upgrade?

[avanti]

So, were they actually seeing significant failures with the Nation's unit? The video stops just short of claiming this.

[pattonsr]

Frank sure implied problems with belts and cooling. The Balmar regulator monitors temperature and has a belt manager setting. So what is the problem with Nations alternators? Or is it like Frank said, everyone else is now using Nations so we must be different?

[Davydd]

It's huge! As you can see it is quite a bit bigger than the Nations. ARV custom made a bracket to bolt it down and it totally fills the available space. They are installing the 320 amp model as I type.

Are they having significant failures? Good question. I don't know if significant but they feel the Nations is not robust enough to run to keep your air conditioning on unless it is detuned which in turn would be a battery charging death spiral so they say. It is about keeping performance high for a period of time. They had hoped the ducted direct forced air (which Roadtrek doesn't have) would do it. They've decided it was not good enough. I've never run our air conditioning that way or tested it. They only recently cut the cost down but it is still double I think they said.

We came in because the Balmar temp sensor failed (not the alternator) and the alternator as a consequence was shut down. I knew about this planned alternator switch last fall and since they are replacing old ARVs at cost I figured why not? I'm at 38,000+ miles in 16 months.

We are on our way to the Lucky 13 B Rally in North Carolina so have a couple days to kill after the Indy Grand Prix. We missed Advanced Fest but when we got here last night there were four holdover Bs camping in the lot.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by pattonsr

Frank sure implied problems with belts and cooling. The Balmar regulator monitors temperature and has a belt manager setting. So what is the problem with Nations alternators? Or is it like Frank said, everyone else is now using Nations so we must be different?

I saw a chewed up grooved belt today. Not mine. The video showing the running difference convinced me. The Delco supposedly runs a lot cooler and it will have even greater output and faster charging. Must be different? They were the first to install the Nations alternator in a B. At the time it was really the only practical choice. Frank told me they originally wanted to use the Delco but could only recently get the cost down to an acceptable level.

BTW, they have a new cab seat upgrade that is quite good. Air cooled. Adjustable seat depth. Air inflated side support adjustments. I can drive all day with my gel pad seats so will pass on that upgrade. I also talked to them about making improvements to the articulating beds and they are going to test. It has become a popular option.

[GeorgeB]

Originally Posted by Davydd

It's huge! As you can see it is quite a bit bigger than the Nations. ARV custom made a bracket to bolt it down and it totally fills the available space. They are installing the 320 amp model as I type.
...

Always interesting to see incremental progress made by the "courageous" R&D engineers at ARV. And they share their knowledge! Not like some secret projects on vehicles that a certain company takes pleasure advertising ...as being secret!

The alternator is huge but still much smaller than an independent gas generator. If the goal is to be able to run the AC for long period of times, it has to be resistant.

Apart from the obvious advantage of being able to charge the house battery bank more efficiently, I wonder for the sole purpose of cooling the van , if it is more efficient than installing the high output AC option that MB offers at 2,760$ (is that the AC option on the roof of passenger Sprinters?). I guess the problem is that you can't use the MB AC option when the engine is stopped, even plugged-in shore power.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

If the goal is to be able to run the AC for long period of times, it has to be resistant.

Apart from the obvious advantage of being able to charge the house battery bank more efficiently, I wonder for the sole purpose of cooling the van , if it is more efficient than installing the high output AC option that MB offers at 2,760$ (is that the AC option on the roof of passenger Sprinters?).

Has anyone ever had problems keeping their van cool while underway with just the dash A/C? I have not. Haven't tried Death Valley in the summer, though.

[pattonsr]

Davydd,

Is ARV still staying with the Balmar regulator? I believe you said your regulator failed.

What happens on the road if the custom part that ARV is adding to the Delco alternator fails? I think you need to do another 40,000 mile test and let us know how it goes.