FINALLY getting a little work done.

I had all these grand plans.

Couple weeks ago, I busted my hump for my day job, so I could take the following week off ( last week )

Because we were getting fantastic weather.

Then my dad has to go an have a heart attack, and f-up my whole week!!

He’s fine, just a mild a mild one.

Tossed in a few stints, did an oil change and alignment.  Good to go.

So nothin got done for the last couple weeks!

I told him he has to stop messin up my plans. 🙂

(that was sarcasm btw)

 

And like everything else in my world, even the simple things do not go as planned.

 

Thought I had this cabinet under the serving window all figured out.

Till I started to put it all together.

Test, change, test, move, dry fit, change, move.

Must have had this simple box in and out of the truck and put together and torn apart about a hundred times!

 

My buddy, a car guy, says I qualify to be in the hot rodder’s club now, with all that I have done.

 

I didn’t realize how big that shur flo pump was till i had it beside a regular pony pump.
It’s nearly twice as big.

I wanted it inside the cabinet.

It took some doing, but I made it work.

Once you add all the plumbing and fittings it begins to get pretty tight.

 

I added a shut off valve before the pump.

As well as an emergency dump valve that just dumps out in the wheel well.

 

Top half got an air vent line that should double as an overspill line.

I re used the old pex lines that were pulled out of the 1st truck.

The fill line just barely fits between the sink and the faucet lines.

Lord help me if I have to take this apart again.

Did these L brackets on top an bottom to hopefully prevent the tank from moving.

I decided to run rubber hose for the drain.

It just fit better than a hard pipe.

It was slightly oval.

It had a long way to run to the rear waste tank.

And no this was no planned.

I was able to close up the end of the cabinet, and it looks not half bad.

I even managed to build in a clean out port in the drain.

 

FINALLY got to do my 1st experiment with a generator.

 

Yeah yeah, I know.  Shut up and get a Honda….

 

If you have been reading along, you know I would if I could.

But up here in the great white north, the price tag is $4800 ish. ( current pricing )  Plus 13% tax.

And I need TWO of them, PLUS a parallel kit.
So when it’s all said and done, I am looking at about $11500.00

Just not feasible right now.

 

But I still want as quiet as possible.

 

Sure I have read all I can all over the net, but for ME, there is just no substitute for actual hands on.

 

I was finally able to hook up with a friend and borrow a generator.

 

Experiment #1 was so successful I almost pooped my pants!!

 

Did up a quick exhaust with an old muffler and some gas pipe I had kicking around.

Then did some experimenting with different materials.

 

Tried both white and pink Styrofoam insulation.

It does almost nothing.

 

Then I moved on to Roxull insulation.  WOW!

Pretty much pieced together a layer of Roxull around the genny.

And placed some plywood to simulate a box.

 

HOLY CRAPOLI bartman !

 

Without any thing around it, it was at 81 db, and I could not hear myself think.

With some Roxull and some plywood, I got it down to 67 DB.

 

And I am measuring at 4 or 5 feet away, not 23 feet.
What the hell good does 23 feet do??

 

Anyway, me and the wife stood 4 feet away and could talk at a normal level.

And this was just some insulation and boards.

 

I know I can get it quieter once I build a proper enclosure and button it all up.

And yes…. I had a 400 cfm fan sucking air across it and an opening at the opposite end to bring air IN.

 

I know I can do this now.
I am so pleased with me !!

 

I took some video of before and after for comparison.

 

It still seems louder in the video than it seemed in real life.

But the difference is still very noticeable.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFEA-J4GeMs before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFEA-J4GeMs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFEA-J4GeMs

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzqR2T4v_EQ after:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzqR2T4v_EQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzqR2T4v_EQ

 

 

Plus I learned that the majority of the noise is coming from the INTAKE.

Two goals here.

1 – Build support brackets for the water tanks.
2 – Do it cheap, re-using stuff I already had.

 

I cut apart the old tank supports that came out of the old truck when I pulled the tank.
Then combined them with some old angle iron that I had kicking around.
On the smaller tank I used lighter angle iron that was actually an old bed frame.

 

This is bottom framework welded together.
I wanted support on all 4 sides, but I needed spaces for the drain.
Still not sure if I am putting the drain on the side of the box or the bottom.

 

 

I added a layer of stainless steel to protect the bottom of the tank.

 

 

Then I bent up a sheet of aluminum to go around the tank to protect the sides.

 

 

I made the steel about 6 inches longer than the tank to allow for the threaded rod.

 

 

I was still concerned about the top edges getting damaged or squished.
So I welded up another section for the top.

 

 

I think that should hold everything in place and protect the tank.

I won’t do the drains until I put in the floor and test fit everything again so I know exactly where I want them.

How are things going for you?

 

It has been pretty good.
Taking it slower than some.
Learning a lot.

 

I feel like I am just starting to get my groove.

And the season is coming to an end already.

Weather has shifted to fall.

Sales have slowed with it.

Some trucks have already shut down.

 

I might get a couple more weeks out of it, but sales will be slow.

 

Part of life in the great white north.

 

At least I have a much better plan for next season.

 

– Happy with the way it went using only generators and no propane.

– Still have not found the right grill, but still testing

 

Woo Hoo!

Just snagged a free freezer!!

 

I have been having this idea in my head about some experiment I wanted to try with a freezer to see if it would be feasible in the truck.

But I didn’t want to spend much for an experiment.

 

I used my IFTTT search recipie, and BAM!  Bob’s yer uncle.

 

Free, just the size I wanted and the guy says it even works really well.

It’s just an older unit and the seal is not great.

Perfect for the experiment.

 

And bonus!!  He was only a few blocks away.

 

Yes I agree.

I have been trying to decide …. do I put a door that I can walk in and out of all the time….

Or just a wall with an opening to only be used to move equipment through kind of thing….

 

So far I am leaning toward the latter.

Even a small counter space might make a huge difference.

 

This new truck has caused a total redesign a few times because it is a blank slate.

Now I doing it over and over, trying to think about workflow.

oh no

not done yet

this is just the final TEST fit

have to make sure everything is in the right place before i continue

still lots of work to go

 

but at least there is a light…

Well for a day that was forecast to be thunderstorms all day… got a whole lota nuthin.

Which was good, because I got a lot done on the truck.

Got the entire exhaust system better secured.

Got 3 of the generators installed.

Added an extra vent to the top of the box to let out the rising heat.

It’s ugly, but it works.

 

Added that rear vent for my air conditioner exhaust.

Who knows if it will help any??
But it’s worth a shot.

 

Even added a hitch receiver while the generators were out.

I have a small ( light ) trailer.
Never know when I might need to haul some extra supplies.

 

So assuming the flex pipe holds up to the heat…then it appears to be a success!

No more rattling.

No more pipes shaking.

Way quieter overall.

Decided to not use the quick release things. 

The flex pipes were only a foot long, but I got it set up so that they are easy to reach and should be easy to undo.

I went and shot some video on a street with decent traffic so try to simulate what it would sound like with the generators running while doing something like a lunch service downtown.

 

I almost can’t hear the generators running when standing at the service window.

 

I had all 3 generators running at the same time.

 

https://youtu.be/EzpzwwDrNM4 Here is the link to the video.

 

Because the insert video button does not seem to work.

I know every ADJ has their own rules.

I wanted to try and make this as standardized and easy as possible. ( yeah right ! )

 

Here is the clip directly from our HD rules regarding this.

 

All MFSEs must be equipped with a wastewater storage tank that has a direct connection to all sink drains, unless otherwise approved by a Public Health Inspector.

Wastewater tank must be permanently attached to MFSEs.

The wastewater storage tank must be of a capacity at least 15% larger than the vehicle s water storage tank

All wastewater must be disposed of into a municipal or other approved wastewater collection system.

 

And that’s it.

NO further information.

 

Oh well, I know it will be done right now.

And I only wasted $25 on the wrong stuff.  ( I have done worse )

Maybe I can sell em.

I have 60 lbs struts, with a 12 inch lift.

My thought was… 2 struts x 60 lbs = 120 lbs.

But I don’t know if that’s actually how it works.