2022 Tab 400 adds and revisions

tinknocker

Yuwei rear view camera and power switch. For travels and backing up.

Victron smart shunt to monitor battery usage and condition.

Microair Easy Start for AC unit. Tested with my Chamion 2500 watt invertor generator ( gas 1850 watts and LP 1665 watts) and AC started and ran with generater in eco mode.

Duct revision at the AC unit to reduce restriction from the pinched flex ducts . Fabricated new plenum adapter and used 4 inch metal elbows.

Added two new tubs manufactured by Seabiscuit.

Fabricated LP tank holder for additional tank. Extra tank to supply generator or backup for trailer.

Fabricated slide frame and cover panel for exterior AC vent for use when traveling.

manyman297

Loving that AC cover. 

Did you notice a difference in airflow with the plenum revision? I had a leaky plenum that was essentially leaking enough air it was cooling the entire underneath of the bench seat. Sealing that up improved my cooling a bit but now I’m wondering about using those elbows.

tinknocker

I had not run the AC before the revision. The plenum adapter was held on with a full length of tape on top and one 8 inch piece on the bottom and would leak air for sure. Pictures of the original and new without elbows attached.Was able to carefully screw bottom to the AC but the top had to be taped because it's plastic.

manyman297

So my plenum was leaking where the coroplast shroud is taped at the corner. Check your pic below and I circled the area where mine was leaking a ton of air. It looks like your taped corner has come undone as well. Once I taped it shut with some VHB tape it completely sealed off the leak. 

tinknocker

The piece I made has 1 1/2 inch flange on 3 sides that holds the corner laps in place. I then sealed with several laps of foil tape. The bottom has a 3/8 flange and screwed to the AC coil frame

manyman297

That’s great! Even better.

Denny16

Nice work @tinknocker.  The AC mod looks grand, and the back up camera install looks good too.  How well does the camera work?

cheers

tinknocker

Haven't tried the camera on the road yet but seems to be a good picture on the dash mounted receiver. It was a bit of challenge to install. To get access for fastening the camera to the bumper and routing the power wires and antenna into the trailer I removed the bottom screws from the bumper. By pulling the bumper out and blocking with a chunk of 2x4 I was able to attach the camera with #10×32 ss machine screws, fender washers, lock washers and nuts. The license plate light wires pass through a plastic tube to the interior of the trailer but the tube was too small for the added camera power wires and antenna. I cut the plate light wires, removed the tube, drilled larger hole and inserted a larger tube. Then I was able to push/pull in all wires, reconnect plate light wires and seal the tube.
I ran a hot wire from the camera to the corner below the TV receptacle and installed a rocker switch and continued on to tap into the wire serving the light in the storage bay with an inline 2 amp fuse. Simpler to tap into the plate light wires but I didn't want to have lights on when driving.
Sometimes I wonder what was I thinking but I've gone this far and can't back out now so forge ahead.

SoCalEsben

@tinknocker - nice work. We just got our 400 and looking to install the Victron shunt as well. Do you know what's hooked up directly to the battery (negative pole, white wire) and is it a concern that it's connected before the shunt?

bergger

My guess is that is the negative wire from the zamp plug on the side of the trailer.  That is what mine looked like when I received our trailer.  Exact same wire was on our trailer.  And if so it should be moved to the load side of the shunt.  

AndreO

Hi @SoCalEsben
If I understand your question correctly.

There should only be one wire connected to the negative side of the battery and that is going to the Batt side of the shunt.
ALL other negative connections should go to the load side of the shunt.

Think of it this way. The shunt simply counts electrons added to or taken from the battery.  If you bypass the shunt, say with a battery charger or fridge by connecting them directly to the battery how can the shunt count them?

Basically just concider the load side of the shunt as a replacement for the negative side of your battery and wire all neg connections to it's load side.

Andre

SoCalEsben

Thanks both for the info - very helpful!

I looked into white wire at it seems to be connected to the Alde heater and would need to be on the load side of the shunt. Annoying that it’s connected directly to the battery - I would have to mount the shunt so this wire can reach it and not next to the “connector box” where everything else is hooked up. I guess I can place it like OP did. 

[Deleted User]

I requested my dealer to install a soft start on my incoming 400, but they said Dometic doesn't make a soft start for the A/C unit and installing another brand would void the warranty on the A/C.   They also told me the A/C can run on a 2000 watt generator without the soft start and that they do it all the time in the shop.  We will see!

Denny16

Ebsen, I,would just extend the white wire connected to the battery back to the power distro box where it belongs, so it will be on the load side of the shunt.  Easier to do than trying to move the shunt to the battery box area.
 Cheers 

SoCalEsben

@Denny16 good call - I’ll do that instead. Thanks for the help!

Denny16

You are welcome, stay safe and happy travels.
 Cheers