Mies - an ARV 2500 144 WB 2WD Van

[AlexJ]

We have a thin cushioned mat that can be rolled up and removed when showering. Easy to clean too.
6BF15FA6-3BDD-4955-9388-1307C2DC6939.jpeg

[Davydd]

My next project was a mirror. I had a nearly full length glass mirror in Alvar which I liked but I failed to mention a desire for this. So we got a tiny mirror in the bathroom vanity. That proved to be inadequate for my wife especially. So I bought a lightweight acrylic mirror with a self-adhesive backing to install on the outside of the bathroom door. I could install one yet on the bathroom side. They weigh practically nothing. This one is 12" wide x 17" high.

Acrylic mirrors can have distortion know as a fun house mirror. This one had a minor distortion compared to a glass mirror but not so much to notice. I did keep it to a minimum and not full length because of this factor. I purchased it off Amazon. The edges were not sharp and it had rounded corners.

[MsNomer]

The plastic camping mirror is the best mirror I’ve ever had. It widens my horse face, removes my wrinkles, and gives me big almond eyes.

[Davydd]

ARV has posted a video describing Mies (our van) in more detail this week. You can see it here on YouTube or on their Facebook page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzwEgWjUyQA

[GallenH]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing this.

[GeorgeRa]

Do you have air furnace and water heater of any kind or hydronic system?

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

Do you have air furnace and water heater of any kind or hydronic system?

It is a Rixen Espar diesel fired heat and hot water system. Hot glycol heats the water (continuous, not a 6 gallon tank) and it is a forced air system for heat. The diesel fired module is under the driver's side seat under the van. Diesel use is about a cup per hour as I remember. Cooking is all electric. Van has no propane.

Heat for batteries is an electrical plate under the batteries and electrical heating pads for the black and grey tanks. I'm not sure about the water. My previous ARV van had a horizontal grooved line where waste glycol heat passes at 160 degrees. It's all insulated so I can't tell. Winter is no problem.

I could have had 864ah (6 batteries) under my bed but opted for 576ah (4 batteries) based on experience from my previous van of 800ah in favor of the two drawers demonstrated in the video. More than enough considering I could recharge a days use in under an hour with the second alternator, idling or driving, and batteries would last at least or more than 3 days parked with all that electrical use.

Design was predicated with the need of narrow wheel wells in the rear mainly under the bathroom vanity and battery space under the bed. The video said super singles at the time but it is just a true 2500 with all four wheels the same. That is why all the weight considerations. We achieved that. ARV had a challenge to build this van as it is totally custom from anything they've done before.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Davydd

It is a Rixen Espar diesel fired heat and hot water system. Hot glycol heats the water (continuous, not a 6 gallon tank) and it is a forced air system for heat. The diesel fired module is under the driver's side seat under the van. Diesel use is about a cup per hour as I remember. Cooking is all electric. Van has no propane.

Heat for batteries is an electrical plate under the batteries and electrical heating pads for the black and grey tanks. I'm not sure about the water. My previous ARV van had a horizontal grooved line where waste glycol heat passes at 160 degrees. It's all insulated so I can't tell. Winter is no problem.

I could have had 864ah (6 batteries) under my bed but opted for 576ah (4 batteries) based on experience from my previous van of 800ah in favor of the two drawers demonstrated in the video. More than enough considering I could recharge a days use in under an hour with the second alternator, idling or driving, and batteries would last at least or more than 3 days parked with all that electrical use.

Design was predicated with the need of narrow wheel wells in the rear mainly under the bathroom vanity and battery space under the bed. The video said super singles at the time but it is just a true 2500 with all four wheels the same. That is why all the weight considerations. We achieved that. ARV had a challenge to build this van as it is totally custom from anything they've done before.

Thank for the info, fellow on ARV video described “furnace” location under passenger seat. Furnace usually means heater with combustion as a heat source.

Did Rixen folks upgrade their heat exchanger blower to fully variable RPM proportional to temperature delta?

[ks@yvr]

Originally Posted by Davydd

It is a Rixen Espar diesel fired heat and hot water system. Hot glycol heats the water (continuous, not a 6 gallon tank) and it is a forced air system for heat. The diesel fired module is under the driver's side seat under the van. Diesel use is about a cup per hour as I remember. Cooking is all electric. Van has no propane.

Heat for batteries is an electrical plate under the batteries and electrical heating pads for the black and grey tanks. I'm not sure about the water. My previous ARV van had a horizontal grooved line where waste glycol heat passes at 160 degrees. It's all insulated so I can't tell. Winter is no problem.

I could have had 864ah (6 batteries) under my bed but opted for 576ah (4 batteries) based on experience from my previous van of 800ah in favor of the two drawers demonstrated in the video. More than enough considering I could recharge a days use in under an hour with the second alternator, idling or driving, and batteries would last at least or more than 3 days parked with all that electrical use.

Design was predicated with the need of narrow wheel wells in the rear mainly under the bathroom vanity and battery space under the bed. The video said super singles at the time but it is just a true 2500 with all four wheels the same. That is why all the weight considerations. We achieved that. ARV had a challenge to build this van as it is totally custom from anything they've done before.

I too enjoyed the ARV video.

Can you tell me more about the electrical heat plate under the batteries as opposed to the heating pads under the grey/black tanks?

I have no heaters on my lithium batteries (except ambient inside air) and they sometimes don’t charge until they reach the required low temp as determined by the BMS. I have pondered whether to add some sort of additional heater but it hasn’t been a problem waiting for the batteries to warm to date. I too also have about 3 days of battery before I really need to recharge and the batteries are warm enough to recharge if the heater has been on for a couple of hours.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

Thank for the info, fellow on ARV video described “furnace” location under passenger seat. Furnace usually means heater with combustion as a heat source.

Did Rixen folks upgrade their heat exchanger blower to fully variable RPM proportional to temperature delta?

It is located under the driver's seat in my former ARV and this one. Damned if I know about variable RPMs. I only know it stops blowing when the set temperature is reached. It also can heat on house batteries or diesel and hot water is separate from the heater which will not be needed in most seasons.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Davydd

It is located under the driver's seat in my former ARV and this one. Damned if I know about variable RPMs. I only know it stops blowing when the set temperature is reached. It also can heat on house batteries or diesel and hot water is separate from the heater which will not be needed in most seasons.

Thanks. If you can hear it turning on/off it is likely the same blower which I evaluated in 2013 and decided to go with a very quiet Airtronics.
I am looking forward to see Avanti's is solution to the Rixen’s noisy blower, two speed manual or better.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

I am looking forward to see Avanti's is solution to the Rixen’s noisy blower, two speed manual or better.

Here is an interesting podcast featuring Jim Rixen talking about his new system:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smrs7Ym-VTg

He really plays up how quiet various components supposedly are. He says that the S3 furnace has a continuously-variable fan. He also claims that they had a custom fan air-box designed with quiet as the goal--including a variable-speed fan. Their fancy controller has five speeds, but I assume that it is PWM and the 5-speed thing is just a UI decision. Probably adequate. He also says that he has a custom-designed nearly-silent 2-speed glycol pump (my upfitter said the same thing when we were debating whether to put the pump inside or outside).

I am looking forward to exploring the best way to interface this system with Home Assistant. @Davydd: Can you control your furnace via the Silverleaf system? If so, do you have any idea how ARV accomplished this? The controller talks to the furnace via CANbus, and also has WiFi to a phone app. My assumption is that I will hack the CANbus--can't be very hard, but we'll see.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by avanti

Here is an interesting podcast featuring Jim Rixen talking about his new system:
He really plays up how quiet various components supposedly are. He says that the S3 furnace has a continuously-variable fan. He also claims that they had a custom fan air-box designed with quiet as the goal--including a variable-speed fan. Their fancy controller has five speeds, but I assume that it is PWM and the 5-speed thing is just a UI decision. Probably adequate. He also says that he has a custom-designed nearly-silent 2-speed glycol pump (my upfitter said the same thing when we were debating whether to put the pump inside or outside).
I am looking forward to exploring the best way to interface this system with Home Assistant.

Great video, I didn’t know that S3 has variable speed. Does Rixen provides a thermostat which controls blower fan speed based on the delta T?

[Davydd]

Yes, it is all controlled via the Silverleaf. Keep in mind my van was built in early 2021 and finished in May so if Rixen has developed anything since then I don’t have it. I have a Silverleaf app on my iPhone but never use it. Silverleaf is a touch screen always on and available in a handy area. Lights are controlled by multiplex touch buttons just about everywhere about the van including the beds. The multiplex pad in the bathroom can turn the water pump on and off as well as the Silverleaf. No getting caught on the marine upflow toilet with the water pump off.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

Does Rixen provides a thermostat which controls blower fan speed based on the delta T?

They seem to have at least two different thermostat/controller units. This is what I am getting:

Untitled 5.png

It has variable fan speed, but I don't think it is proportional to demand temperature. Not sure, though. If it doesn't, I expect to be able to add it easily enough.

I am curious how ARV's Silverleaf control interfaces with the furnace. Do they interface to this controller and hide it away somewhere? Or do they control the furnace directly via CANbus?

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by avanti

They seem to have at least two different thermostat/controller units. This is what I am getting:

Attachment 13471

It has variable fan speed, but I don't think it is proportional to demand temperature. Not sure, though. If it doesn't, I expect to be able to add it easily enough.

I am curious how ARV's Silverleaf control interfaces with the furnace. Do they interface to this controller and hide it away somewhere? Or do they control the furnace directly via CANbus?

I assume there are two control loops necessary:

1. On/off for S3, I use EasyStart Timer via CANbus to control my D5. D5 internal control keeps temperatures oscillating between 160-180F with high and low output, S3 is likely different with variable speed.

2. Heater blower control by room thermostat with (hopefully) variable RPM.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by avanti

I am curious how ARV's Silverleaf control interfaces with the furnace. Do they interface to this controller and hide it away somewhere? Or do they control the furnace directly via CANbus?

You would have to ask ARV as I don't know. They are transparent as to what they do. I know there is a cabinet full of modules behind the Silverleaf. In fact at the ARV fest in 2015 they had a display as to what those are on a board.

[Davydd]

I got some answers about the Rixen-Espar diesel heating system. I went out and took a photo of the Silverleaf Climate screen. Heat and hot water can be turned on separately or together. There is a burner (diesel fired) or shore electrical option. You can set the desired temperature you want and the fan blows until reached. So the fan goes on and off. There is an automatic setting for the fan and a high or low setting. This is a photo when turned off. The handles on the touch screen buttons will change color to indicate the mold its. The garage is set at 55 degrees and the numbers reflect that. This can all be set on an iPhone RVC Air app.

[Davydd]

We are garnering publicity with our van. I regularly get emails from Flipboard what is transpiring of what I am interested in. A guy, John Song, curates a Camping board and he referenced an article from Motor1.com. written by a Mark Webb. I recognized the photo as the Mies interior. Motor1.com wrote an article on it. I'm sure some or all the info was supplied by ARV. I was never contacted.

Flipboard

https://flipboard.com/@stepinrazor/c...d%2Fmotor1.com

Motor1.com

https://www.motor1.com/news/632511/s...beds-bathroom/

[@Michael]

Originally Posted by Davydd

I'm sure some or all the info was supplied by ARV. I was never contacted.

Might just have watched the video:

Source: Advanced RV via YouTube

Would have been nice if they'd have contacted you and added a bit of depth to the article.

It'll be interesting to see if the article gets picked up on social media.