Truck & Camper Build Docs, Drawings & Videos
Maximus’ specific documents and drawings some of which are referenced in a related blog post or video.
Technical Information/Documents
| TITLE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Alternator Thermal Overload Protection | Adding a thermal safety switch to shed a B2B or split charge relay connected load if the alternator case exceeds 120C/248F. |
| 2004 Ford Dual Alternator Control Strategy | Ford document on (some) control methodology on single vs dual alternator installation. |
| Remy Alternator Diagnostic Procedures | Describes the operation of a wide variety of ‘smart alternators’ for use in diagnostics. Helpful in understanding voltage control strategy. |
| ‘Understanding Alternators’ | In-depth treatise on components and purpose of automotive alternator components. |
| SAE J56 – Alternator Rating Specification | SAE J56 – Alternator Rating Specification for establishing an automotive alternator’s ‘rated’ output (superseded but still accurate) |
| GM Variable Voltage Alternator Strategy | Edited GM document describing the equipment and operating modes for variable voltage alternator systems |
| ‘Are you smarter than a smart alternator’ | Motor Magazine article |
| ‘Breaker Myths’ | In-depth discussion of breaker operational requirements specifically aimed to dispel inaccurate beliefs about (AC) breaker functioning. |
| ‘Fuseology’ | Understanding basic tenents/performance of automotive fuses. |
| ‘(Lead-acid) Battery Sulfation and how to prevent it’ | From BatteryUniversity.com (BU-804b): There is little understanding of how lead-acid batteries become ‘sulfated’, what it is, and how to prevent it or correct it (or more accurately, how you can’t correct it). |
| 6.0l Diesel Engine Failure Chains | The 6.0l diesel engine has a storied history. If you have one, you want to protect it and yourself from major failures/expenses. This is a graphic story of how the systems fail. |
| Load Inflation Tables & Tire Info | A Toyo tire document with extensive information discerning information about tires. There are load inflation tables for just about every tire size. Since most tire sizes are built based on motor vehicle specifications, most manufacturers make the same size tire to the same spec so the load inflation tables for Toyo brand tires should be able to be applied generically. |
General Info
A growing collection of illustrated, write-ups covering various topics related to the design and build of Maximus, and TruckCamperAdventure.com articles/presentations.
| TITLE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Intermediate Solar Presentation Handout | Handout (reference) for a presentation at the Truck Camper Adventure Rally 20203. Not likely to be useful as a stand-alone educational document but I’m posting it here for whatever benefit you can make of it. |
| 6.0L Reliability Improvement | Handout (detailed) for a presentation at the Truck Camper Adventure Rally 2023 |
| LiFePO4 Battery Construction | Handout (reference) for a presentation at Truck Camper Adventure Rally 2022 |
| Alternator Charging | Handout (reference) for a presentation at the Truck Camper Rally 2022. PROBLEM: Charging an Auxiliary Battery with a Standard Variable Voltage Alternator. |
| Modifying a Residential Reverse Osmosis System for RV Use | Efficiency improvement for low input pressure. Handling ‘bypass water’. |
| 7.3l Dual Alternator Belt Tension Problem & Solution | Design problem and workaround for belt slipping problem of 2nd alternator on a 7.3l Powerstroke |
| Comparison of various A/C Fixed and Variable Systems related to RV use. | Understanding the performance differential of fixed capacity air conditioning systems versus variable capacity systems. Identifies affected equipment, & operational considerations. Comparison of 6 specific types of RV and residential A/C systems with comparison table, identifying strengths and weakness. |
| Air Conditioner Technical Data | My working spreadsheet (~JUN22), compares different styles and types of RV and residential air conditioning equipment, potentially used in RV applications. Relevant equipment data is extracted from public documents with some data (mostly sound and energy consumption) from direct company contact. |
| Air Conditioner Comparison Spreadsheet (Incomplete) | Brochures and specification documents were used to compile the above comparison. |
| STC-3008 Thermal Control Operating Instructions | Describes operation and programming of the commodity STC-3008, dual-channel thermal controller, 8 of which are used in Maximus’ controls. These have experienced some infant failures but have generally worked well beyond that. |
| New Coolant Heater Controller Instructions for HCalory Heater | Instructions developed and written by me that describe the controller operation and programming for a 5kw coolant heater sold by HCalory (possibly other brands) and described as the ‘new’ control/remote version. Updated 29JAN23 with English controller symbols (hard to see in the photo) |
| Basic RV Electrical Diagram | Electrical power schematic showing layout of sources, conversion, control, storage and loads. Includes a page of annotated notes. |
THANK YOU!
We’re glad you located our technical documents. They’ve been great finds by many DIY’ers and we hope they prove valuable to you as well. We appreciate any sharing you can do of our YouTube videos, or Instagram if you find any of the content useful or entertaining. Although we both put a lot of time into the videos and blog, we all know who’s the brain behind all the technology. Steve has a passion for all our projects and our rig. He also has a great passion to share his knowledge and help others. He has helped numerous folks implement or even trouble-shoot various systems.
Over time, we’ve been asked “How do I send Steve a tip for his time?” and we now have a Tip Jar.
THANK YOU
Over time, we’ve been asked “How do I send Steve a tip for his time?” and we now have a Tip Jar! Feel free to (1) tip Steve for his time, (2) share our YouTube channel, Instagram or this Blog with others.
Working on Exploring 
