Secret expedition camper doors with no latches or locks
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- I built custom composite doors for the large gear garage doors on my DIY expedition camper, and open and close them electrically and remotely, as these doors don't have any latches or locks, making then easier to build and keyless, improving security and ease of use.
I cut these large gear garage openings into the Total Composites camper walls, built these custom composite doors, and now in this video install Progressive Automations PA-09 linear actuators to electrically open and close these doors, which I can control remotely via a phone app, so no keys or switches are needed for true keyless entry into an expedition camper. I also installed linear actuators to slide out the dinning table, and slide up and down one of the two camper to cab pass thru doors, which I will share more as part of this DIY video series on the build of this custom expedition camper.
I recently built this Total Composites expedition camper on my Mitsubishi Fuso EarthCruiser CORE 4x4 expedition truck chassis, and am finishing out the interior cabinets and finishing intalling the electrical and plumbing systems which I will share more about these in upcoming videos. I recently finished painting the entire camper and lifting truck cab with Custom Coat's Raptor Liner style bedliner paint. When this DIY camper is finished, it will be used for global expedition overland travels.
This builds on my previous videos of the camper build, including: • Building a Total Compo...
The camper layout & design: • Designing the perfect ...
Planning out the interior build: • Total Composites Campe...
The painting of the camper and cab: • The Complete Painting ...
And many more videos at: www.youtube.co...
Here is the actuator I used in this: www.progressiv...
And use promotion code "VanTripping" for a 5% discount on all products at www.progressiv...
@vantripping @ProgressiveAutomations @totalcomposites484 @EarthCruiserOverlandVehicles @8020llc #earthroamer #diycamper #expeditioncamper #expeditiontruck #doors #electric #linearactuator #globalexploration #bikegarage #keylesslock #expeditionvehicle @BlissMobil @mikegxv #overland #gearstorage
www.VanTripping.com
KC@VanTripping.com
Very cool, love your content, but the time to open/close is way too long for my patience haha
Yep, I wish there were actuators this long that moved about 2-4x faster. It's an optimization of force, size, weight, cost and speed, and speed has been de-prioritized in the available options. I may change these out for faster ones if those become available.
I eat up everything you do. Love your perfectionism and attention to detail. Thanks for sharing with even a small group like this.
You're welcome and thank you for your comment and watching.
Interesting 🤔 Looks awesome.
What happens if you are outside and you lost or damaged your phone? To open it?
You mentioned you can get in the vehicle but did you say you had an interior switch?
It's a great question. I have both a tool-less mechanical disconnect and a switch in the inside.
How do you get into the compartment after the actuators fail or some other failure relating to your control system?
Great question. I think these actuators are rated to 10,000+ cycles so it should be 15+ years using them daily before a likely failure. The odds of both failing would be very unlikely, so I'd just open the other door and remove the pins of the failed one if I need to open it. And the wiring goes into the cabin with the controller there, which can be manually controlled, and if it failed, I'd just jumper the actuators from there to power them open or closed.
All these electric actuators are nice toys, but nothing more. There is no redundancy, and so far, I have only read about inadequate emergency solutions. Regardless of a service life of 15,000 operations before failure, a fuse blowing due to overload caused by an internal blockage is enough. This is already predetermined due to the installation location in the garage and is just a matter of time.
If the actuators are individually fused at all, it is not clear where the fuses are located and whether they would be accessible. Even if the fuses are accessible, this does not protect against a mechanical blockage of the flaps, because the garage will eventually be filled up anyway. The installation location, specifically the large distance to the rear and garage partition walls, promotes the possibility of jamming any kind of cargo.
If you look closely, the actuators, due to their installation position, take up about 15-20% of the entire cargo space, making this space not useable in a meaningful way. The note that bolts can be loosened without tools in an emergency may be true in theory, but in reality, it's just sugarcoating. You might be able to crawl into the garage, but this does not guarantee access to the mounting points of the actuators to then loosen the bolts, even without tools - unless the garage is empty. As I heard, bicycles are also supposed to fit in there. Good luck reaching the bolts, especially applying the necessary force to the bolts under maximum tension, particularly in the unfavorable and non-strength-enhancing body position that would be required. This especially concerns the rear actuators, because there not only bicycle frames and spoked wheels, but also massive boxes, would likely stand in the way.
You yourself praised the terrible locking force in the video.
I don’t even want to start talking about crushed children’s hands - Cybertruck trunk, anyone? Or is there a corresponding sensor system? Especially in lawsuit-happy USA.
The purpose of the electric operation of the passthrough doors to the driver’s cab is also not goal-oriented, unless you are looking for a thriller in the form of dysfunction and extended escape time in emergency situations. Or for comfortable bathroom breaks during the ride for the passenger, since at least one door should be closed during the ride.
Appreciate your critique. All of your points are things I thought about and considered, and my approach was not to be a toy yet to provide the function I wanted for everyday use. These is redundancy of two doors and an emergency access door, and the actuators only take up an inch more in the width of these 48" wide doors than spring lifts yet are less in the way of bike handlebars and pedal as spring lift struts. They also don't have the latch mechanism that protrudes into the space, an issues I'm dealing with on my storage boxes. Of course, even a manual close door can hit something inside, but the benefit of the electric actuators is that I have both hands free while closing and can watch while it closes much easier than if pulling a large door down, which these are two high off the ground of even me to easily reach and certainly most others can't reach, so then I have to manage a strap to pull it down and keep out of the way if manual vs electric. There are many benefits to these electric doors for me and my use, and certainly not right for everyone. My electric lifting and lowering bed that I installed on my camper van 7 years ago was also new to people at that time but has become a standard and desired bed option in many camper vans, and just maybe these electric doors will at some time too, just like in StarTrek.
Will you finish this thing already!!😉
Ha! Yes! I need to get this done and out using it. I get few hours a week to work on this due to work and other life commitments, and it's mostly a solo project with some help from others, but it's about 85% complete, so progress towards being usable and nearly done should be pretty soon.
Do you have thought of some tripswitch for the case of someone stuck in the closing door?
Is the compartment somehow climated? how do you get rid of moisture?
love your videos, keep 'em coming :)
Great idea! Yes, I have a small rear door that can be opened from inside the garage and someone can crawl out, and I will install an interior switch to open each door, but also each door can be opened from inside without tools by removing some cotter pins just in case that happens. The gear garage is insulated and will have a small electric heater on a thermostat controller, which will help to reduce moisture. All great comments and ideas, thank you!
@@vantripping not what I meant exactly :D
what will you do if someone gets his arm stuck?
@@DE-li7jt That is a good question that I only have one good answer for: don't put an arm or hand into the door as it closes, just the same with other doors.
@@vantripping You could measure the increase in current in the actuator when something doesn't go as planned and then reverse it. Ever thought about doing this pneumatic?
@@ijsvogels_nl Yes, this can work just like auto up power windows work with a safety and a good idea. I might do this if the current transducer and controller can be low cost and easy to wire up. I did think about using pneumatic actuators instead of direct current electric actuators, but running air lines would be more difficult than wires, and I need power everywhere, plus air lines tend to leak no matter how well installed, plus would rely on the air compressor regularly running and the system staying up to pressure instead of staying off except when needed. Whereas power will always be available. Plus the electric actuators are much lower cost and lighter weight than pneumatic ones.
What app do you use to open and close the doors?
I'm using a wireless switch controller with their dedicated app, which there are many of these available. Also, the linear actuator companies such as Progressive Automations also provide wireless controllers for their actuators..
Thermal transfer, aerodynamics? Seriously. Way over thinking IMO. You can also get most, if not all, of your locks keyed to one key by a good locksmith.
What, you suggesting that I overthink things? Yeah, you're absolutely right, I do. But, when car makers make door handles retract to reduce drag, you can bet that grilles and locks will also add to drag, but not likely much. Using actuators to raise and lower these doors is more about ease of opening and closing large doors that are far off the ground when open, and ease of installation as the locks I was going to install were very complicated on these composite doors, so this was easier and added much connivence and ease of use, in addition to a streamlined exterior and not have to carry a key to open it even if one of all locks.