The Doc had Expedition HQ, on the Gold Coast, fit the Redarc TowPro Kit, the 13 pin Euro plug was replaced by a 12/7 pin flat pin on its own wiring loom, various Anderson plugs were fitted (5 in total). Two for solar input, 2 for fridges and the last for towing, A CTEK 250SE was mated to the 120S and lastly the Clevershade 270 Awning was fitted. A long day and most of the changes are hidden.
The same Clevershade awning fitted to a LC300.
AERIALS FITTED
The aerial on the left of screen is the RFI CD63 Black 6.5dbi removable aerial. It is very thin, so the driver’s vision is barely impacted. The twists you see 1/2 down the whip is there to absorb vibrations/corrugations. When travelling across corrugations The Doc calls it the hula girl.
This aerial is fitted to a GME TX3520S.
The aerial on right of screen is the RFI CD961-71-75. It has interchangeable antenna whips which operate at 6.5dBi and 3dbi. The 3dbi whip is tiny at about 10cm long. The larger 6.5dBi antenna is fitted in the picture. This aerial is fitted to a GME XRS390C. I have a GME XRS-BT1 hands free kit to install on the GMEXRS390.
The handsets are mounted on the passenger’s side of the centre console, using the Brodit bracket.
The basic cable feed is shown in the second image.
Installed two UHF aerials and head-units inside the car. Plus a restyled number plate. Full write up above.
The Doc is most likely to buy the INEOS Grenadier to continue his adventures. It will look like this:
You can view a video of the Doc’s INEOS driving in Iceland here (virtual reality used).
A link to The Doc’s guide on Anderson plugs, commonly used in 12 volt setups in cars for caravan, car fridges, etc. Guide is here with links to the right tools, suppliers and techniques to make great crimps.
The BLE Battery Monitor was reviewed here.
All three BLE battery monitors have now been working for 12 months, monitoring two AGM batteries and now one Lithium battery. All are still working. The original review stands after 12 months.
Parasitic drain
The BLE battery monitor does have a parasitic drain on the battery which cannot be picked up by the Battery Management System on The Doc’s Invicta 125 Ah lithium battery. So the battery can be slowly drained over time with the BMS still showing a 100% charge. It seems the draw of the BLE and the BMS itself are too small for the BMS to monitor.
BLE App being updated
The BLE App has been updated probably three times over the year. Minimal features upgraded, but good it is to see regular maintenance updates.
Lithium battery issues
The BLE is not designed to be used on Lithium batteries, so it does not properly monitor the charge, as a Lithium battery has a different voltage profile to an AGM. The BMS has a Bluetooth module that communicates to the Invicta’s App, giving The Doc all the details about the battery. The BLE allows The Doc to see what happens over 30 days and graphs that data. UPDATE: BLE has released a Lithium version of the battery monitor.
Conclusion
Money well spent.
The Doc has put his 12 volt guides together on Anderson plugs, crimping and fuses. You can go to this page here, or choose Nissan Patrol on the Menu above and go to Automotive 12 volt and the articles will appear on the right side.
In short, Cheap Chinese Crap (CCC) blade fuses are unsafe to use.
Just like Anderson plugs, which The Doc discussed here, blade fuses have been overrun by Cheap Chinese Crap. Avoid buying Cheap Chinese Crap, it can be a matter of life and death.
CCC blade fuses are commonly sold on eBay and Amazon. There is a reason why they sell fuses for a few cents each and quality fuses can cost a $1 or more. CCC fuses do not work properly, and they pose a real danger to those who use them. They are unsafe to use.
Fuses, to be safe and effective, need to be built to a specification and certified to perform in accordance with that specification. Cheap Chinese Crap doesn’t. In the case of a catastrophic fuse failure your car can catch fire and be burnt to the ground or you can be injured/killed or have your expensive equipment destroyed. While catastrophic failures are rare, you do not want to be the unlucky one, when it can be avoided.
Saving a few dollars buying CCC fuses is not worth it. If a CCC fuse damages a car’s wiring loom, the repair bill can run into 1,000s of dollars.
Problems created by CCC fuses
Poorly made fuses can have one of more of the following problems:
Both videos show how dangerous these CCC fuses can be. Minimise your risks, avoid Cheap Chinese Crap.
What to buy
Buy fuses which are certified to perform to specification and have a rating marked in white on the back of the fuse (5, 7.5, 10, 15, 20 amps, etc). So only buy fuses with the white rating from a reliable dealer. Do not use fuses which do not have the rating painted in white. All the fuses in The Doc’s car have these rated the fuses from factory. Car makers understand the importance of rated fuses and use high quality fuses when making the car. You should do the same.
Quality rated fuses are made by LittleFuse, PEC, Jeng Feng (Taiwan), Bussmann (who source from PEC and JF) or Prolec. The Doc buys his fuses online from Swe-Check, a fuse specialist. Quality fuses normally come with a specification sheet.
The Doc was not always so informed and has wasted money on CCC fuses (now happily thrown in the garbage, with a lesson learned). This post is to stop you making the same mistake. While this post concerns blade fuses in cars, the main points apply to other CCC fuses. Avoid them.
Tip: all components in a car’s 12 volt electrical system should be good quality, Australian made copper wire, tin-plated copper (not brass) crimp terminals, genuine Anderson plugs (not Anderson style plugs), quality certified fuses (not CCC), etc.
Aussie Made No 16: Hayman Reese are best known for their towbars, but they also make brake controllers, stability equipment for caravans and trucks. The Patrol has a Hayman Reese towbar and trailer brake controller fitted: http://www.haymanreese.com.au/products
Aussie Made No 17: ARB is one of the most respected names in off-road equipment. Many of their vast range of products are made in Australia. Bullbars, canopies, suspension systems, air lockers, compressors and the list goes on. The Patrol has an ARB Twin Compressor fitted under the passenger’s seat: https://www.arb.com.au
Aussie Made No 18: Long Ranger make long range fuel and waters tanks for many vehicles. The tanks are distributed by ARB: http://thelongranger.com.au/
Aussie Made No 19: Brown Davis makes long range fuel tanks (including various tanks for the Bushmaster armoured vehicle). Brown Davis made the auxiliary fuel tank fitted to the Nissan Patrol, increasing the auxiliary fuel tank capacity from 40 to 80 litres. The main tank has 97 litres giving a total of 173 litres. The auxiliary was updated as the added weight was not directly over the rear axle but placed further forward: https://www.browndavis.com.au/
Aussie Made No 20: Safari Snorkels make snorkels for off road vehicles, allowing deeper water crossings by moving the air intake high in the vehicle. Buy a quality snorkel as the cheap Chinese crap around just deteriorates under the hot Australian sun. In my more recent years Safari have branched out to performance upgrades for select Toyota models under the name Armax. After 8 years the Safari snorkel on the Patrol looks brand-new: https://www.safari4x4.com.au/
Aussie Made No 11: Enerdive are based in Queensland. While some products are sourced from overseas, Enerdrive does manufacture its own range of ePOWER AC battery chargers & DC2DC battery chargers along with their Lithium battery systems: https://enerdrive.com.au/
Aussie Made No 12: Austech Wire & Cable make copper cables for automotive, marine, speakers, irrigation, etc. Automotive cables are sold at retail under the name Owl or Wise Owl on eBay: https://austechwire.com.au/#about
Aussie Made No 13: Tycab Australia’s cable products are used across a broad range of industries, from Automotive, Irrigation, Building, Data & Instrumentation to Security, Marine, Welding, Speaker & Audio and Switchboards. I have used their automotive cables and they are world class: https://www.tycab.com.au/
Aussie Made No 14: SmartBar was the original lightweight plastic bullbar built to absorb an impact and bounce back into shape. They are much more pedestrian friendly in an accident. I have one installed on the Patrol. There is a variety of bars now called SmartBar, StealthBar and SpartanBar: https://smartbar.com.au/
Aussie Made No 15: Rhino Rack makes a vast array of roof racks and accessories right here in Australia. The Patrol has a Pioneer Platform fitted with jerry can holder and spare tyre carrier: https://www.rhinorack.com.au/en-au
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