Dave's la(te)st buggy build...

Lambert wrote:

They look like protector tubes for say an air line and a wired winch remote?

Nope...

exhaust exit
umbrella holder

jackonlyjack wrote:

exhaust exit
umbrella holder

Nope...

Brought forward to this new page ...



So... whats it for?...

I thought it's position might of been a good clue...



It's a mount for the snatch block for winching backwards...

Keeps it ready for use, there's another plate going over the top to hold it in place, and you can see the hole for the...



... padlock to stop it getting pinched!

I've ordered four Yale padlocks with the same key to lock the snatch block, waffle boards, Hi-Lift Jack and recovery equipment box... as the buggy is always "open" and not so secure...

Up and having a cuppa, out in the garage for 9am, can't start much earlier as I'll upset the neighbours!

I would never have guessed the function of that.

Lambert wrote:

Very neat. Aren't the padlocks going to be rattle traps or are you doing something about that?

The most of the cabin is missing, he will be lucky if he can hear the padlocks rattling

Couple of hours and in for a comfort break and a cuppa...



The hole that was cut on the right, the piece that was cut out was drilled to 12mm and then a bolt was welded on the back, and then the whole "washer" was then welded to the end of the seamless tube on the right side, and then tidied up...



Then the fastening plate goes on the top... I'm sure I had some 12mm stainless wing nuts left from the blue Jimny, but I can't find them, so there's an M12 nut there for now, I'l order some wing nuts off eBay later this evening, as I'll need one to secure the Hi-Lift Jack too...



From the top...



And there's the hole for the padlock...

Rattliing - on final assembly they'll be a sheet of rubber cut to shape behind the snatch block to stop it rattling, the padlocks will only be on when it's parked up anywhere, otherwise the wing nut will be holding it in place

And as Scimike says, there's no way I'll hear it!!! LOL

And here's how it will kind of look when it's all welded in...



It needs to go slightly to the left to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but you get the idea...

Edit : Can't help but think that looks like a monkey's face!!



Back off to do some more...!

That's better!

Had to chop a quarter inch off the left side and weld it to the right, but it has to look right!

The turned my attention to security for the waffle boards...



A big 12mm bolt through the top rear corner will stop them jumping ut, or being nicked!



Also needs another nice big wingnut here!



And a padlock through this end will stop the bolt being removed

Got to get all these things done before welding it all in place...

Next... the simplest winch / "split charge" system ever...



Mark out a piece of offcut steel 5mm plate and holesaw some holes in it...

Cut it out and tidy it up...



Drill and bolt to the ORA (OffRoad Armoury) old stock Odyssey PC1200 battery cage, and bolt the switches in place...



PARKED in the garage... BOTH switches off, so the two batteries are not connected and the winch is not on either...

I read years ago that two dis-similar(ly charged) batteries will try and top each other up, and eventually discharge themselves ( sounds rude that?!), so whilst not being used, everything is left OFF.

Ok, we're off greenlaning...



DRIVING - the battery link switch (top) is ON so as we're driving around - between 'lanes - the batteries are linked and the BIG Odyssey winch battery gets charged up, ready for...



WINCHING! - if we get stuck, errr, delayed I mean... the battery link switch gets turned to the OFF position, and the WINCH switch gets turned ON, so the winch is then running only off the BIG Odyssey winch battery, we can winch to our heart's content, safe in the knowledge that the engine battery is fine, it won't be depleted...

Ok, we're over the obstacle...



Back to the DRIVING setting, the batteries are re-linked to charge up the BIG Odyssey winch battery, and the winch is safely switched OFF...

End of a great day's greenlaning...



Back to the PARKED up position, both switches are OFF whilst the Buggy is parked up in the garage...

Sorted



Wiring diagram... Simples!

I had a "proper" T-Max split charge system on the blue Jimny, previously known as S200KYS, but...

1) The big pot / relay failed once and had to be replaced...

2) If the engine battery was flat, and the winch / aux battery had power, the manual "Switch" on the control panel wouldn't work, as it didn't have power as the engine battery was depleted... hence why I had a manual battery link as well... this is also useful if you;re REALLY stuck, and do want power from the engine / alternator to power the winch, I have the option of doing this on the above "system" of switches, but will need to run some thicker cable between the two batteries to cope with the draw if the engine / alternaor power was powering the winch...

(Thanks to Riccy for his advice on power loads for this!)