I saw your thoughts  in another link on the deflectors some built and thought , "challenge excepted"! 

The furnace grill openings are 48 sq inches and the front facing opening on this one is 52.5 sq inches (5"X10.5"). 

My sheet metal guy says 1/2 hour labor ($47) and $8 materials for a total of $55 plus tax, So $60 ish. This does not include the frost king wrap I got at Home Depot($11)  If I did 10 of them it would drop the price of each one by 20%. He thinks it's a perfectly good design and wouldn't change a thing,(Yay, me!).

rgds John

John-

If you are really going to have these made and it will work in a 2016 177HRE, I would like one.  I'll pay the postage to have you ship it to me in Colorado :)

Thanks

Michelle

Looks like the heater is under the queen in the rear on the slideout side, so now we need right and left hand version, to make them work right, shouldn't change the cost. I guess I don't mind if enough people are interested, or someone on this forum must be a tin knocker, either now or in a past life, Wanna make some money and be a hero and make people love you,and get Karma?...../

 

 So +1 right facing.

rgds John

No problem on a template, I'll make one next week and just send it to you.

Anyone else wanting in let me know.

 I'm wondering if I could just make a PDF on autocad and make a link you (and others) could print at a print shop? I'll pm for your address when it's done, I wouldn't pay that much either but a few tools, desire, a little blood goes along way.   

rgds John

 I put together PDF's of the deflector. I also did a top, side, bottom and front in PDF form. If you need it in PDF form, Pm me your Email and I'll send them. Couldn't scale them full size but you should be able to use the #s. These are the corrected drawings with minor changes.

The numbers on the top cuts for the bend taps and return air don't add up. You should just use your grill and mark it how it should be until i have time to change the #s

The foil wrap I used is from Home Depot, Frost king-foil wrapped foam, in the sheet metal section. Good luck and have fun!

rgds John

 I used 22 gauge because that was the size of the scrap piece my sheet metal guy had on the shelf cheap.

Home depot sells a 24 gauge 24" x 24" for about $10 that would work fine. 26 gauge is fine also.

I made few  changes,

 1. I deleted the return air slots on the bottom because the furnace sits right on the plywood and it did  nothing.

 2. Made the shortside back piece a separate L shaped piece because it's one less seam in an awkward corner and made the tab overlaps easier, and it made the template a little more sane.

rgds John

  

Anything is possible. Not sure if the gain is worth it though. Here's a picture of what is under the plywood. you could gain a 18" wide space or so. You can see the water filler pipe in the picture that would limit the space available. (if it's a 180 or 179)

You would need to find a storage door or something to waterproof the opening in the side of the pod left from the removal and for access from the outside and/or a mod to the cabinet for storage access from the inside. like this tub set up I did on the opposite side,

There are pipes and wires that would need to be moved and/or re-routed, or the floor space covered with a false bottom to run the pipes and wires, and a cap on the gas line. So it's definitely do-able.   

rgds John 

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9426&title=all-my-180-mods-johnsue - All my 180 mods

Thanks. I

It could actually be done!

If you left 3" from the edge of the can to the drawer,plus the space above and below the can,for return air you would have enough sq inches of return air to almost double the return air needs.

Not sure if you can raise the mattress and put drawers under http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9039&title=2nd-180-podmod-drawers-under-matress - LIKE THIS  Due to the sloping ceiling, but it's worth a look.

Cheers John

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9426&title=all-my-180-mods-johnsue - All My 180 Mods

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9426&title=all-my-180-mods-johnsue - All my 180 mods

I like this idea! How well does it heat the Pod? and did you remove the furnace? (thinking outside or inside storage).

Since I did the twin bed mod I could put it in the nightstand and it would blow straight down the length of the pod, and would be less than a foot from the water heater.

How does the thermostat fire the pump, with a relay?

rgds john

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9426&title=all-my-180-mods-johnsu - All my 180 mods

Cheers, John

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9426&title=slopod-180-mods-johnsue - SLOpod mods

I thought I was not handy enough either, but it reached the point where I either made it or reconciled myself to doing without. I made it and while it was a challenge, I'm glad I made it. It works great.

As for the keypad, it is from Bauer. I did not install it. It was installed for me, but iI watched, and it really is simple.

https://bauerproducts.com/product/bauer-ne/ - https://bauerproducts.com/product/bauer-ne/

As always, check other sources to see if you can find a better price. The batteries last a long time. I finally had to change them.  As for the battery setup, if you follow the links, you will find the most current pricing. I did the work myself and that saved a lot. If I had someone else install the battery, the charger, and the wiring, it would have cost probably double. I got it done the way I wanted instead of the way someone else might have done it also. I don't like paying to have something done and then having to redo it because it was not done the way I thought it should have been done.

I agree that without a deflector the space under the bed will be warmer than the rest of the trailer, so for some that could be a disadvantage. For myself, I like that space being warmer. If its wet out I can put my boots or other wet stuff under there and it will dry overnight. Might be a bit stinky though 

 What DC to DC charger do you have? I just got a dometic elec cooler and added a battery under the truck shell in my bed and would like it to charge while driving.

rgds John

There is a 15% off coupon listed on the site. How long that will last is a question. I also added a dedicated charging circuit with a battery isolator relay to power it. If the battery you put in the bed of your truck is the same type as your truck's battery (e.g. flooded Pb-Acid or AGM), then you could just put in a battery isolator circuit. You would not need the DC to DC charger. The battery isolator will prevent the cooler from running down the vehicle's start battery when the engine is off. I needed the charger because the charging requirements for LiFePO4 are different than for flooded or AGM Pb-Acid batteries. Check out this search on Amazon for some ideas of what is available.

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=battery+isolator+relay - https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=battery+isolator+relay

 I did set it up first with a battery isolator, But when driving and charging the second battery when it was low and running the cooler my truck (2013 F150) display throws an electrical overcurrent error code.  The truck has SOC sensors that have to be disconnected to kill the code but then the check engine light stays on

I have an optima agm for my main truck battery, and a napa legend agm for the second. I'm told a 12v to 12v charger does the job. Thanks for the recommendation.

Rgds John

Be sure to get a boost dc/dc converter, not a buck converter. But you might still get the charging overcurrent error code, indeed you might get it more frequently because you could end up charging the second battery faster than before. There are two ways to prevent that, one of which you can try with your existing isolator setup. 

Option 1: reduce the gauge of the conductors running to the second battery. That will limit the current that can flow through that circuit. Of course, you will need to have the appropriate fuse in the circuit to protect the smaller wire. 10 gauge might be a good choice. 

Option2: Try to find out what the current limit is that triggers the code and where that is being measured, and get a dc/dc converter that is rated less than that, or less than the total of that plus the tow vehicle current demand if the current is being measured at the alternator output. You might want to pick up a dc clamp on ammeter if you don;t have one already. 

I had not noticed any errors with the Frontier. On mine, the wire goes direct from the positive battery post to the solenoid, and then to the back connector. The trigger wire goes from the fuse box under the hood to the activator connection and then the ground for that goes to where I saw other wires connected for ground. I hear it trip on when I start the Frontier and trip off when I stop it. I hope you get it figured out.

I second the suggestion for a clamp--on meter. I have the Southwire 21050T AC/DC TRMS Clamp Meter. I chose this model because it can read both AC and DC Amperes. It was also reasonable in price.

Here's a multimeter that looks like it can do it all, including temp, non contact voltage, and capacitance as well as ac and dc current. Professionally I always used meters from high end companies like Fluke and they were robust and reliable for constant use. But for RV and homeowners' very occasional usage I think the new inexpensive Chinese meters offer a great value and work fine.

 All dc current clamp on meters work via the Hall effect and tend to drift and be susceptible to stray magnetic fields, so its best to find an isolated location when you can clamp on the meter, zero it, and then leave it alone for the duration of your testing. 

https://www.amazon.com/Proster-Auto-Ranging-Capacitance-Temperature-Non-Contact/dp/B075Z1GH5L/ref=asc_df_B075Z1GH5L/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242124331408&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7794690562045420987&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9008704&hvtargid=pla-570396598205&psc=1

I picked this one up at Home Depot. A bit more expensive, but I consider Klein a good brand.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-400-Amp-AC-DC-Digital-Clamp-Meter-Auto-Ranging-CL390/312649921 - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-400-Amp-AC-DC-Digital-Clamp-Meter-Auto-Ranging-CL390/312649921

I also have a Fluke meter, but it doesn't have a clamp on ammeter.

I have had other "cheap" meters in the past, and while they usually work, there have always been some kind of issue with them.

Plan to tackle this one today, Going to try a smaller wire first, for this trip, Didn't even think of that, I used #2 wire That came with a winch package. the guys on the overlander forum all use dc to dc chargers, with separate battery banks, so thats my end goal... when I get back east.

I also use this truck as a off grid overlander and I have way to much stuff on the starting battery, (12,000lb winch, 2000w inverter, the dometic cooler, On board air compressor, big LED lights all the way around, And usb/leds/12v ports by the bed in the shell camper, Going into Canyonlands NP backcountry later this week on my way to the east coast,(no rpod this run)

GG, I have the Klien clamp meter, but it's  currently on the east coast and I'm on the west coast, My daily carry is a Fluke model 73, 25 years and still doing the job!

OG, Yes it was overcurrent protection, charging the 2nd battery and running the cooler. I have a 240amp alternator so there is plenty of current, The truck just thinks something is wrong and insists on letting me know.

And the deflector works surprisingly well, with the only drawback (on a 180) is the airflow is directed straight at the thermostat , (ten feet away) and it did cycle the furnace off and on a bit more, not alot ,but a bit... But the gain of not heating the now usable for anything space under the bed was worth it,(to me).

 Kickhead70, Try the bread pan idea, just cut off one side and screw it to the grill over the front 2 grills. this allows for the cooling vent on the grill to be free and also a bit of heat under the bed. 

   

So it could be the overcurrent criteria varies with rpm or is based on alt temp (an alt will overheat at lower current at lower rpm because its cooling is reduced). If you really want to be able to run all that stuff at idle then you might want to look into a custom alternator, they are readily available from companies supplying the auto audio guys.  A DC/DC converter will limit the amount of charging current to the second battery but the actual total current available will go down (because of converter inefficiency) not up. 

The Battery cables have rings floating off the battery wires about 3" from the battery. the alt is a 240 amp unit and back in the day just adding a battery would be fine, but todays vehicles sensor and monitor everything. And overworking an alt creates the heat and you mentioned and reduces the life.

The DC/DC charger Charges while driving and has solar ports for if I'm idle. and shuts off if the starting battery goes below 11.9v. 

 I have a 100w briefcase sized folding panels for when I'm idle all day. (Rockpals,com)

Seeing as how I'll never use everything at once, Never used even 1/2, and the second battery will mostly be used for led lights in the shell and the Dometic cooler, only while truck camping off grid, As I usually Travel during the day,  I like this solution.

 The CFX55 IM cooler is a marvel, has been running on the AGM battery with no charging for 40 Hours. (still testing ) Has been averaging 1.1 AH/H on 12v ( per the app that monitors it) Peak amps 3.7 when it kicks on and then 2.0 while running, .2 while idle. And shuts itself down at differing voltages per user set battery/voltage settings. And even has an icemaker!! Downside is it's $$$$.

Have to thank user Crazycoyote ( another 180 mod nut) who I ran into in a forest near Flagstaff AZ for letting me know I needed This).

Didn't mean to hijack the topic but, Thanks for all the of topic input!!

John

When does the error code show up? Presumably the battery discharge current is ignored while the starter is operating as that is several hundred amps. 

Whew, I have a headache.

I liked this idea because i could position the pan to leave the cooling tunnel vent (bottom)and small upper rear heating vent (upper) of the grill unobstructed, letting a little heat blow under the bed.

 The size of the pan works good, the air is diffused with a fan type flow. And works well

I tested it for an hour and no issues. ( it's22 degrees outside right now.)

Also a picture of the angle iron replacing the 3" piece of wood  under the bed to open the space up for ease of use and let heat out better if you don't have a deflector.

That looks almost exactly what I made for my 177....and posted on here a year ago or more.

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13022&KW=heat+deflector+177&PID=125499&title=rpod-177-furnace-deflector#125499 - http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13022&KW=heat+deflector+177&PID=125499&title=rpod-177-furnace-deflector#125499

Glad it works for you!

I couldn't remember who it was, Thanks Geewizard! I knew this was a good idea the second i saw it.

Cheers John