Electrical Drifter Control Panel - Complete Install

[achjimmy]

Yes got 2 batteries. Have no idea if it is working as it should but drifter seems OK

Mate your shots not clear enough, but if like mine your 2nd battery neg is hooked to the other side of the shunt. (Opposite to Bigmans sketch) then it's wrong I think. Yes the drifter will work (mine is) but it's readings in terms of battery usage are false.

Also note that you need to program what your battery capacity is into the drifter. It's default is 100ah I think. I bet with our setups it's still down as 100ah not 200ah?

 

[relgate]

Ok. Thanks for the info @achjimmy
Maybe I'll take a clearer shot to confirm but I think you're right. Is it just a matter of moving that one wire? I assume the shunt is the terminal block looking thing that all the negs go to. What does a shunt do?

 

[bigman0510]

How a Shunt Works. It is useful to think of water flow in a pipe when thinking about current flow in a wire. The way that a shunt works is analogous to a restriction to the flow of water in a pipe and a bypass around the restriction. Some of the water flow in the Main Pipe is diverted through the Bypass. A Paddle Wheel in the Bypass measures the water flow through the Bypass. If the Bypass allows 1/100th of the water in the main pipe to flow through it, and the Restriction allows the remaining 99/100ths of the water to flow through it, the ratio of flow in the Bypass to the Restriction is 1 to 99. Using this ratio, the Paddle Wheel could be calibrated to indicate the total flow through the Main Pipe.

 

[achjimmy]

Ok. Thanks for the info @achjimmy
Maybe I'll take a clearer shot to confirm but I think you're right. Is it just a matter of moving that one wire? I assume the shunt is the terminal block looking thing that all the negs go to. What does a shunt do?

I am going to tidy mine up some . But yes it should be a case if moving the neg from battery two to the other side or on to the neg on battery one. Then reprogramming the drifter for 200ah. If unsure get the dealer to do it.

 

[achjimmy]

Brilliant @bigman0510 thanks very much.

 

[relgate]

Yep, thanks @bigman0510 . Learnt something new today

 

[bigman0510]

Brilliant @bigman0510 thanks very much.

Yep, thanks @bigman0510 . Learnt something new today

No worries Gents! I find that pictures tell a thousand words and that was the easiest explanation that I could find..

 

[skippy]

Mate your shots not clear enough, but if like mine your 2nd battery neg is hooked to the other side of the shunt. (Opposite to Bigmans sketch) then it's wrong I think. Yes the drifter will work (mine is) but it's readings in terms of battery usage are false.

Also note that you need to program what your battery capacity is into the drifter. It's default is 100ah I think. I bet with our setups it's still down as 100ah not 200ah?

Thats how mine was oringly set up with the neg on the wrong side of the shunt too.
On neg off one battery on one side and the sencond battery was connect to the other side...Mine must have been a Friday van.:drum:
She is all working well now though I just have to get ride of that glass fuse.

 

[skippy]

No worries Gents! I find that pictures tell a thousand words and that was the easiest explanation that I could find..

Yeh.... cheers @bigman0510

 

[Macca_75]

So does anyone know if it's possible to have 4 tanks monitored? I have 3 tanks for water and am considering dropping a small grey water in (for 1-2 night capacity max). @TTBRIDGE

 

[Dobbie]

No idea.

But I've been considering a Topargee water flow metre.

Installed as an inline flow metre so no sensors required. From my understanding it's installed in the water line near the pump, and just needs a minor calibration for setting the tank capacity, adjusted after tank is empty and indicates the amount of water used and what remains.

About $100.

If it measures capacity, and what's gone out, I'd assume it could be used to indicate what capacity remains?

I liked the simplicity of the idea as I'd always found the sensors on the water tanks were wildly inaccurate.

Anyone tried these!

 

[Macca_75]

Thanks @Dobbie I already have the 3 x drinkning water tanks working in the drifta from Jayco when I bought the van. They said a grey water couldn't be installed (I had to choose either the 3rd drinking water or a grey water). Looking under the van I can't see why not. It would be "bypassed" most of the time anyway and only used for occasional 1/2 night stop overs.

 

[Dobbie]

That's a lot of weight added for water.....at least 180kilos for the three tanks....but I guess if you take from the tanks fitted and keep it in a grey water tank the weight stays the same.

Just out of curiosity, why do you need so much for a one or two night stay?

Are you southerners very thirsty, very dirty or do you do your washing when free camping? Or do you have a large tribe?

As said, just curious. We survived quite well on one tank ...two people with minimal showering, but enough...for a week or more and supplemented the water by harvesting rainwater....bottled water for drinking water.

and use a portable grey water tank if we can't water the vegetation when free camping. We always collect our grey water, usually in a bucket but in a small tank if regulations require then help the trees thrive.

 

[Macca_75]

That's a lot of weight added for water.....at least 180kilos for the three tanks....but I guess if you take from the tanks fitted and keep it in a grey water tank the weight stays the same.

Just out of curiosity, why do you need so much for a one or two night stay?

Are you southerners very thirsty, very dirty or do you do your washing when free camping? Or do you have a large tribe?

As said, just curious. We survived quite well on one tank ...two people with minimal showering, but enough...for a week or more and supplemented the water by harvesting rainwater....bottled water for drinking water.

and use a portable grey water tank if we can't water the vegetation when free camping. We always collect our grey water, usually in a bucket but in a small tank if regulations require then help the trees thrive.

More like we may free camp between Caravan parks. I would only fill all 3 tanks if we were off grid for longer periods. I would make sure we stoped where a grey water tank is not a requirement. It's more for covering off some parks, etc where it's mandatory to have a grey water tank if you stay there.

That said I have a wife and 3 kids - all like long hot showers and if they are happy, I am happy. We found during a very hot period, we lasted 5 days with all of 5 of us having a short shower each day.

 

[Dobbie]

As said...I was just curious!

I agree that the number of free camps requiring self containment is slowly increasing but I'd still put it at lower than 10percent

Good to hear you're looking at national parks or similar unpowered places. That's real camping, IMHO.

And you're having fun planning....that's also what it's all about..

and that you have a clean family!!

 

[Moto Moto]

No idea.

But I've been considering a Topargee water flow metre.

I would love to know more about these Topargee Flow meters, they look perfect for monitoring water usage.

 

[Dobbie]

Yep. They appeal to me but I'm just not ready to try one yet.

As I said, they are a simple installation ..just plumb into the water hose next to the pump. I think you enter the settings when your tank is full...eg 65 litres and it records water flow from the tank as you use it. Then, when the tank is empty, you fine tune it.

I'm assuming that's if you get a real reading of 61 litres to take into the account the bit at the bottom which the pump might not handle. Then you reset it and get a more accurate reading, based on your tank, so you know, by day 4 you've used 12litres of water and have an accessible 49 litres available.


I'll definitely give it a go...later...but I hated the Drifta one in the expanda and never knew just how much water we had left. Drifta would indicate 3/4 full and I knew we'd used more than that. I always thought those sensors were just for show..they didn't work for me.

But the Topargee is on my list for buying asap.

 

[TTBRIDGE]

@Macca_75 Yes, the 4th meter is actually designed for a grey water tank. But at the end of the day it is only meter and works the same as a water tank.

You just have to go into the menu and turn it on.

 

[Base23]

So does anyone know if it's possible to have 4 tanks monitored? I have 3 tanks for water and am considering dropping a small grey water in (for 1-2 night capacity max). @TTBRIDGE

I have 3 factory fitted water tanks and I have fitted a grey water tank to my Basestation and I have connected them all up to the drifter control panel.
All works great.
check my thread on my install of the grey water tank
http://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/grey-water-tank-fitted-to-basestation.8383/

 

[Macca_75]

i know this is a old thread guys ,tho im looking at buying a 2014 21.64 expanda wich wasnt released with the drifta control panel but the coast to coast fairly basic panel,would it be a straight swap over? would all the wiring basicaly be there to connect up do you think? cheers

No idea but maybe pull the manual for each and compare the wiring requirements of what you have vs. what the Drifta needs?