WanderlustAV

Rear ac/heat is just that one vent I believe. I supposedly have #0, was the build used to sell the model, and it has the grey vinyl and black running boards. Yours is probably a later model, what year chassis? It'll be hard to figure out the evolution of this rig since Roadtrek was apparently going under while building it, few were made and Roadtrek didn't record anything about them. The shower/hose on mine only connected to city/shore water as far as I could tell. Maybe Roadtrek realized how useless this was and cut it out of the later models? Chrome runners have got to be better than the black trim. None of my black trim/running boards was installed proper. Where's the shore power located on the N6s with the chrome runners?

Mine has the same rims as AdventureMartens and it's 50psi front, 80 psi rear. I run K02s in Summer, Blizzaks in Winter. Once you bring them up to those pressures and/or go through the TPMS reset if needed (hope you don't, it's kind of a drag to do) you'll have a bit of wiggle room before the TPMS warning light illuminates. Mine seems to come on below 70psi. My N6 is actually built on a 3500HD so 80 psi in the rear + 3500HD suspension is wayyy to stiff. I like the front at 50 and the rear at at about 65 for normal driving (still too stiff imo), a bit lower on the rears if on dirt for a long time.

So, a year later here, I finally installed a Wagan Tech 40 amp dc to dc charger. I wanted to just stick something in the engine bay near where the old battery isolator was and it was basically this or a Redarc. Wagan indicates: "If your vehicle has fixed voltage or temperature compensating alternator (standard alternators) installed, leave the Ignition Override cable (BLUE color) open. If your vehicle has smart (variable voltage) alternator installed, the Ignition Override cable must be connected to the vehicle’s ignition. The 40A DC to DC Battery Charger will only operate when the vehicle’s ignition is turned on." Turns out the NV has a smart alternator, or that's what I'm reading in the attached from the FSM- "Adjustment range of power generation variable voltage control" -so I suppose I'll connect that blue wire. Anyone else have to connect to ignition for their dc-to-dc charger and know a convenient spot to hook in?

Nice work @AdventureMartens! Appreciate the write up too.

Agreed, it's a lot of work to put in upgrading the entire system and wire size may limit the inverter size to boot. I'd much rather build a fresh electrical system myself than try and revamp an existing but, compared to the costs and risks associated with a new van, my horror of owning a Sprinter and the low miles on this very reliable Nissan, the project remains tempting even for a 2012 model. The battery tray is very straightforward- put a jack under it, unbolt two threaded rods and lower. Mine had 2x 6v FLA batts wired in series. They were NAPA batteries and I returned the cores and purchased fresh ones which dropped in great. Going to 12v in parallel lets you double the amp hours in that tray but, again, you'll need some further upgrades to net the full capacity with the lifepo4. 12v AGM is probably the easy way out of this but the cost will have you considering the lithium, imo. I think flexible solar panels would be ideal on this rig, let us know how that install goes.

The Renogy self heating batteries have been working out well overall. I installed these in the fall as a drop in replacement with no other mods just to see how things went for the Winter. Long story short- lifepo4 works as a drop in but requires a lot of downstream upgrades if you want to get full functionality. The existing battery level readouts will not function and the charging profiles won't be quite right as they are designed for FLA/AGM voltages. If you want full functionality, plan to also replace the Shur Power 1315-200 with a DC to DC charger and the Tripp Lite with a new inverter/charger as well as the control panels. Alternator charging has been working but with potential limitations. I didn't install the Renogy bluetooth unit to monitor SOC on initial install. Instead, I plugged a voltage meter into one on the 12v cig outlets just to get a ballpark. This is not very accurate when there is any load on the system and also due to the fact that a .5v difference in a lifepo4 SOC is huge compared to FLA/AGM. Based on the voltage readout the system is charging from the alternator to about 13.2-13.3v or 70-90% That doesn't seem possible given the spec on some of the charging components but, if that turns out to be accurate, this may not be a bad thing as it could significantly extend the lifepo4 lifespan based on the 80/20 or 90/10 percent rule. Will be installing the bluetooth unit soon and curious to see the "real" SOC figures. Shore power was disconnected when I chopped off the running boards and has not been reconnected so stay tuned for Tripp Lite/shore charging info. My guess is that the Tripp LIte will charge the Renogys with the proper settings but we'll see to what SOC.

Try local upholstery shops. I had one replace my ratty bug screens with this much nicer stuff. They did a pretty ugly job of sewing it and took forever, but it works. Based on that experience I would look around for a more skilled shop that backs up their work for a full replacement. Or, if the main fabric isn't toast, try cleaning and applying 303 fabric guard.

These are great for the front seats if you're looking for something waterproof and durable. Not the most comfortable. https://www.covercraft.com/us/en/sku/SS3434WFGY/ For the mid swivels, I think I found a few generic covers for this style but nothing that was a direct fit. How's the platform working out? The heavy aluminum and carpeted plywood platform that came with mine didn't fit or stow safely-. I modified it to be safe and only travel with it in the sleep position. Added a mattress so it's pretty comfy up there now, if not a bit tight around the toes, and provides a place to store bedding.

I don't think you'll have a problem venting the diesel stove/heater thru the wall. Cut the hole, vacuum the burrs up, paint exposed metal. (and let it completely dry/cure before continuing) Insulated pipe. Talk to me to me about how you mounted that fiamma.

I went with an Eberspacher/Espar Airtronic M2 B4L heater. Mostly bc I found a local place that installs and services this brand in many big rigs and reefers. Would have preferred to install myself but I don't have a garage to fit this beast in and the install was reasonable enough. ( I'll also be glad to have a shop that can competently repair and fetch parts if needed) The M2 B4L does cost a pretty penny v. the Webasto STC2000. It's been a great heater so far, probably overkill for a regular or high roof van but I like the output level for an uninsulated pop top that goes winter camping in Montana. Still figuring out the Easy Start controller and getting a handle on the electrical usage of the unit but happy to have a cozy, dry van to camp in.

Water inlet just runs to the little hose in back correct? I don't see the point in relocating that. Does your inlet supply the faucet? Shore inlet location is tbd after getting my bumper replaced early next year. I'd like it driver side and up and out of harm's way. Heavily considered pass side (behind slider of course) for a short run straight into the electrical area but it's so cramped in there already that I think driver's side is going to be best.

CEL threw P0448 a little while ago. Van drives on dirt often. I looked into it under the van and can definitely see the issue with the vent location. I wanted to hear how Nissan is approaching the issue so I took it to the dealership. They don't seem very aware of anything, would not discuss the issue with me and want $140 to "diagnose" the issue I already clearly explained to them, including showing them the bulletin on it. I'm going to go ahead and let them do that just to see what they say; I always try to go with factory fixes before diy. Has anyone found the factory recommended repairs (assuming they will want to replace tube assy-filler, canister, etc.) to be durable? Update. Dealer recommends: SES REPAIR FOR P0448 FUEL TUBE (17221-1PA0C) CANISTER (14950-7500A) VENT VALVE (14935-JF01C) FILTER (14953-1LA0A) TOTAL PARTS AND LABOR $1350 They find this repair to last maybe 40k or so. Sounds logical enough although I'm not sure why the filler tube needs replacing v cleaning. I'm definitely going to move the vent hose to a cleaner location alongside this repair, great recommendation @Bamps. No sense in paying that all over again.

Thanks y'all! 50-60a of charging sounds like a sweet spot for the stock alternator. I don't think I really need a dc to dc charger but the isolator that's currently in there pulls some juice in order to stay open and thinks it's feeding FLA house batts so that's gotta go. I am way into large/dual alternator charging of lifepo4 batteries. Not going to get into that with Roadtrek's existing wiring but I'd be all over an upsized alternator if this was my own build.

Does anybody know how much the van draws off the alternator? i.e., max amps if you got the ac/heat, etc. all running I need to replace my Sure Power 1315-200 with a DC to DC charger since I upgraded to lithiums and was trying to sort out the right drop in replacement. @JGAN what did you end up with in your setup? Also V8 here.

@AdventureMartens my van was ironically imported from Canada to the US, lol. Decided to go ahead and start the process of making the van a proper winter rig/ski and hunting chalet. First up, winter appropriate batteries: cleaned up the rusty tray, deleted the FLA hold downs and repainted w. rust converter and enamel Tossed the poorly crimped Roadtrek terminal cable. Had a nice gentleman at NAPA solder me up a pair of proper ones. I previously tried to get a Battle Born in there but it sadly didn't fit. 2x 100a Renogy self heating lifepo4 fit magically. These have 2x RJ45 on them. One puts them in/out of shelf mode (much appreciated as installer), the other is for com and linking the batts. I can run a cat cable between them and add a Bluetooth module for monitoring. Other Renogy product does the same and will all feed wirelessly to an app. Very neat for a personal van but trying to avoid this tech and stick to hard wire and easy physical readouts to keep it simple for rental clients. little reflectix wrap just to keep them from getting totally nasty. At long last, I chopped off those gawd awful running boards and the stupid inlet box. Deleted the low hanging grey water tank and piped straight to ground. *Noticed some lower body rot where Roadtrek did a total shit job of tacking on hangers for the grey tank. These people just drilled into and welded onto the van willy nilly for the conversion- no proper prep, no paint, nothing. Lifetime non-Roadtrek customer here. Hit it with rust converter for now, will follow up with cutting and replacing when I figure out what I want to put in this space. Reflected on the irony that there is now ample space for a much larger battery tray and array and that my careful hunt to fit these two 100a batts into the existing tray was probably needless. ? Winter tread: scored some dodge ram alloys that fit great and wrapped them in new blizzaks. I know everything costs more these days but folks wanted a small ransom for 4x steelies, happy to have chanced upon these. Love that the running boards and stupid inlet box are gone, missing the extra lift from my big K02s, van looks kinda weird to me at stock height. Next up- relocate shore inlet with proper marine grade fixture. Figure out how I'm going to properly charge these sweet batteries with the van's existing system and how to get a physical readout on SOC. The existing gear thinks the batteries are FLA/AGM so I'm thinking it won't charge these Lifepo4s and will always display them as full. Renogy has robust BMS, "smart" battery as they say, so there's no risk here but I want to get full advantage of the doubled amp hours and treat the batts right.

This is wise, thank you. My sonar is currently busted due to a client smashing in the bumper but I bet I can line them up for testing, presuming they are just misaligned and not damaged.

If I locate my shore power inlet to the rear bumper is the sonar going to go off? I figure it reaches out a bit more than something protruding just a bit from the bumper but I can't tell from the manual and fsm.

In case it's helpful, I scored some 52013663ac rims off a ram ( I think from an '08/'09) that seem to fit great. 17x8 with a 43mm offset. 2" of clearance from the rim to the leafs, same clearance to the door. Going to put some new 245/75R-17 blizzaks on them today . My current rims are 17x8.5 which is adequate for mounting the big 285/70R17 K02s but I prefer a narrower tire and more of an OEM size for winter.

@GoNV thanks for this very crisp writeup! How has the performance of the 2000 STC been?

Still available. Shipping is actually quite high, a bit over $300. Asking $300 for the unit.

Ah! I thought it looked familiar. Heavily considered that van since it was so close to me. Mine has the shore plug on the terrible running boards. My whole lower trim is basically dog crap. The later models look much better in that regard. Sink/storage suggestion- pull the micro and the weird drawer and use that space for a functional sink and faucet. Delete or bring the greywater up and into the bottom of that space if you use the grey tank in winter. A square 7gal aquatainer fits in the spot where Roadtrek had a 5gal water bottle in the back. See if you can use that for a freshwater tank, put a real pump on it instead of the weird drinking water dispenser and I think you'd a decent setup for not an excessive amount of work and remodeling.

@AdventureMartens, did you buy that van from Idaho? Looks a lot like one I looked at. I like what you or the PO did with the fridge replacement.

That bench seat looks out of adjustment to me. Mine is like this attached. Find the two bolts on each side of the front of bench when folded out and adjust fore/aft.

The pass side 2nd row captains chair made it comically difficult to get in the van so I pulled it. Nice and roomy now. Fantastic concept for a weekender layout- the production models had swivel fronts so that you could have a dinette and still leave both beds out -just poor execution. If the bench had belting for three and the pass side captains was located better you'd have a real minivan seating capacity of 7 for daily driving.

Howdy! That's sad to hear the seats and belts in the production models are just as rough as on my prototype model. They do function but the belts are dumb and the comfort of the bench is pretty bad. Solution for the belts is to have the rear bed portion lifted up when buckling (very annoying). The bench will need padding added to it to gain any comfort. My version's bench also has a nice thunky rattle from the hardware. It is a very comfy bed tho! Awning mounts will need to be a bolt through the skin. I have another, very different, pop top a '94 Delica that has curved bracket mounts that the pop top falls over. They're glued on. Could possibly have someone manufacture something like that. If putting an awning on this van I'd definitely go w a 270. This "sink" is a hoot. I haven't but would recommend deleting the micro and putting a deeper one in as a fairly straightforward solution. Otherwise, not much point in using it or the water supply. I think you could pretty easily add a regular 12v water pump and an aquatainer to the water jug storage area and get a nice, functional faucet but not much point with that silly sink. I tried to drop in self heating lithium and found a lot of work needed downstream- got flickering led puck lights for instance, presumably due to the higher voltage. Those pucks would probably need replaced with better spec lights to make lithium work. I can't find an upgrade charger/inverter that would fit in that area where the tripplite is shoehorned in. This is where this build can feel very all or nothing when determining how to approach it. Reworking the electrical area to accommodate a more modern charger/inverter with MPPT, properly hardwiring that charger/inverter instead of using plugs, upgrading the puck lights, junk 12v and 110v receptacles (and adding usb), cleaning up the wiring while yer in there and dropping 2k on heated lithium would bring the van up to speed. That's a lot of time and cash but seeing as the basic wiring is already in place it would still be a bangin' deal for what you would get. You would still have all the 110v to deal with which is going to draw hard on 200ah of lithium but might make it usable off grid. My struggle with this van has been the above + all the 110v appliances. It's simply made to be plugged in at camp. My solution is to clean up what I can while honoring it's original design intent as a plug in class B. Adding a 12v dometic fridge has been a great addition to allow boondocking and provide a center arm rest. Taking it much further is a decent size can of worms. I tallied up around 10k to gut the galley, add windows, ventilation, electrical upgrade and bring it fully into a 4 season build I would use personally. Again, still a very good bargain but a lot of time and work. I've settled on leaving this as a 3 season rig designed to be plugged in or driven daily but able to boondock a little when desired thanks to the 12v fridge. Not my personal cup of tea but it's a popular rental rig for my company as is.