Problem is, dust getting into my Mazda T 3500 m/home.
It was two years ago, while working with Blazeaid in N/W Qld, the trips in and out of the properties, which still in drought, caused
my "home" to get very dusty. I'm talking about hardly being able to see out the back window while travelling.
I got all the usual advice. Close all the windows. I did. Open the back ones, and close the front ones, etc, etc. I did.
The thing is, pressureising (?) the cab. Years ago, when doing extended tour driving, over many roads that were yet to be sealed. one mob attached a pressure pump, with a precleaner, to the front of our trailers, thereby building up enough air pressure to keep ninety percent of the dust out. They were 24 volt.
Can't use a 24 volt one. Can't find a 12 volt one.
I fixed a large air/scoop vent about eight inches above the windscreen, so as to "inhale" lots of air, in an effort to build up pressure in the cab. Great, until a bush turkey tore it off. (No, I didn't skin, and eat it.)
PS I think if you open the back windows you may be creating negative pressure in your home when traveling.
erad said
09:37 PM Oct 20, 2016
Pressurising is the only way to prevent dust from getting in, and that won't work 100% anyway. For starters, you probably have vents in the bottom of your access door (to let the heavier-than-air LPG out should you get a gas leak). For travel purposes, you could block this off with some foam carpet underlay, BUT YOU MUST REMOVE IT WHEN YOU ARE NOT TRAVELLING - just in case you do have a Gas leak).
I would re-install the big scoop at the front of the bus. This gives you some hope of getting enough air to pressurise. Opening any window, particularly the rear windows is a disaster because the rear of the vehicle is a dusty area on dirt roads and that will bring in dust for sure.
You should check other areas where dust can get in - the back of the fridge, under cupboards or beds, wheel arches and past the window and door seals. Try taping the seams up as a temporary measure and if you get improvement, this gives you an idea as to where the dust comes in.
It is not easy, but it can be done, and SWMBO will thank you for it as well.....
Hylife said
08:22 PM Oct 22, 2016
Pressurising your vehicle only works if you are the only vehicle on the road.
At some point you will have to follow another vehicle on a dusty road and any front facing system just allows even more dust in.
elliemike said
09:30 PM Oct 22, 2016
Hylife wrote:
Pressurising your vehicle only works if you are the only vehicle on the road. At some point you will have to follow another vehicle on a dusty road and any front facing system just allows even more dust in.
I have a 100 mm Dia. Bilge Blower Fan fitted into my Avan Cruiseliner. Drawing through a filter. It pressurises the Avan which is not all that big folded down. I still block off all the vent openings in the van if on Dirt roads for 4 hours or more travel. We turn the fridge off and put blanks on the vents. Been using it for about five years now when doing extensive off the blackstuff traveling. Works well.
Switch in the Dmax for putting the fan on and off say for a minute when a big truck passes by with following Dust Storm. But if I forget the filters stop the dust anyway. Shaking the filter material out when necessary.
pipes said
09:53 PM Oct 22, 2016
Thanks for all the info.
Pipes.
Mutley said
09:20 PM Oct 23, 2016
Good luck with it Pipes, I reckon its witchcraft lol. Just took a standard on road van along the Ernest Giles Rd, Mereenie Loop & Plenty Hwy without any sealing up of vents whatsoever - hardly any dust in the van, but the back of the tow vehicle was full of it & we had done all the right things in the car (windows closed, vents open, A/C on) - I was expecting a lot more in the van & none in the car. Go figure! :(
elliemike said
11:58 PM Oct 23, 2016
Mutley wrote:
Good luck with it Pipes, I reckon its witchcraft lol. Just took a standard on road van along the Ernest Giles Rd, Mereenie Loop & Plenty Hwy without any sealing up of vents whatsoever - hardly any dust in the van, but the back of the tow vehicle was full of it & we had done all the right things in the car (windows closed, vents open, A/C on) - I was expecting a lot more in the van & none in the car. Go figure! :(
In May June last we Did the Strzelecki, Oodnadatta, GCR, then the Goldfields Hwy. And I don't think I switched the blower on very often, or blanked off the vents at all. The roads were damp no dust to worry about. But we have done those roads before and the dust was Mega. It's horses for courses of course, and drive and prepare for the road conditions as you find them. Be Prepared.
Tony Bev said
01:55 AM Oct 24, 2016
Also thanks from me for all the above info
I have just done approximately 10 kilometres each way on a good gravel road.
I travelled at 75 KPH so that I could actually see if anyone was behind me, and there was no one in front of me
There was some dust inside my Fiat Ducato Jayco, Conquest vehicle, on the first run going into the area, but much more dust on the second run coming out of the area
I am thinking, does the wind direction make any difference, because on my vehicle, the exhaust outlet is pointing down to the ground
The exhaust is on the drivers side, and the vent at the door is on the passenger side
Perhaps on the way in, the wind had been blowing the dust away from the door vent, and going out the wind had been blowing the dust towards the door vent
I have previously noticed that when I travel in the rain, there is water on the door step near the vent
pipes said
10:46 PM Oct 24, 2016
Thanks for all the info.
Pipes.
Peter_n_Margaret said
05:38 PM Oct 25, 2016
Firstly, seal the vehicle as well as you can. It is worth a significant effort to do a good job of this.
Secondly, pressurise the interior with a ram air feed from as high and as far forward as possible.
If you did a good job of sealing, the air flow into the vehicle from the pressurising vent will be quite low and the dust entry from the occasional passing vehicle will be minimal.
Problem is, dust getting into my Mazda T 3500 m/home.
It was two years ago, while working with Blazeaid in N/W Qld, the trips in and out of the properties, which still in drought, caused
my "home" to get very dusty. I'm talking about hardly being able to see out the back window while travelling.
I got all the usual advice. Close all the windows. I did. Open the back ones, and close the front ones, etc, etc. I did.
The thing is, pressureising (?) the cab. Years ago, when doing extended tour driving, over many roads that were yet to be sealed. one mob attached a pressure pump, with a precleaner, to the front of our trailers, thereby building up enough air pressure to keep ninety percent of the dust out. They were 24 volt.
Can't use a 24 volt one. Can't find a 12 volt one.
I fixed a large air/scoop vent about eight inches above the windscreen, so as to "inhale" lots of air, in an effort to build up pressure in the cab. Great, until a bush turkey tore it off. (No, I didn't skin, and eat it.)
I'll be out that way next year.
Any intelligent ideas?
Pipes
Intelligent Ideas ?
On here, come on Pipes!
Pressurising is the only way to prevent dust from getting in, and that won't work 100% anyway. For starters, you probably have vents in the bottom of your access door (to let the heavier-than-air LPG out should you get a gas leak). For travel purposes, you could block this off with some foam carpet underlay, BUT YOU MUST REMOVE IT WHEN YOU ARE NOT TRAVELLING - just in case you do have a Gas leak).
I would re-install the big scoop at the front of the bus. This gives you some hope of getting enough air to pressurise. Opening any window, particularly the rear windows is a disaster because the rear of the vehicle is a dusty area on dirt roads and that will bring in dust for sure.
You should check other areas where dust can get in - the back of the fridge, under cupboards or beds, wheel arches and past the window and door seals. Try taping the seams up as a temporary measure and if you get improvement, this gives you an idea as to where the dust comes in.
It is not easy, but it can be done, and SWMBO will thank you for it as well.....
At some point you will have to follow another vehicle on a dusty road and any front facing system just allows even more dust in.
I have a 100 mm Dia. Bilge Blower Fan fitted into my Avan Cruiseliner. Drawing through a filter. It pressurises the Avan which is not all that big folded down. I still block off all the vent openings in the van if on Dirt roads for 4 hours or more travel. We turn the fridge off and put blanks on the vents. Been using it for about five years now when doing extensive off the blackstuff traveling. Works well.
Switch in the Dmax for putting the fan on and off say for a minute when a big truck passes by with following Dust Storm. But if I forget the filters stop the dust anyway. Shaking the filter material out when necessary.
Pipes.
In May June last we Did the Strzelecki, Oodnadatta, GCR, then the Goldfields Hwy. And I don't think I switched the blower on very often, or blanked off the vents at all. The roads were damp no dust to worry about. But we have done those roads before and the dust was Mega. It's horses for courses of course, and drive and prepare for the road conditions as you find them. Be Prepared.
Also thanks from me for all the above info
I have just done approximately 10 kilometres each way on a good gravel road.
I travelled at 75 KPH so that I could actually see if anyone was behind me, and there was no one in front of me
There was some dust inside my Fiat Ducato Jayco, Conquest vehicle, on the first run going into the area, but much more dust on the second run coming out of the area
I am thinking, does the wind direction make any difference, because on my vehicle, the exhaust outlet is pointing down to the ground
The exhaust is on the drivers side, and the vent at the door is on the passenger side
Perhaps on the way in, the wind had been blowing the dust away from the door vent, and going out the wind had been blowing the dust towards the door vent
I have previously noticed that when I travel in the rain, there is water on the door step near the vent
Pipes.
Secondly, pressurise the interior with a ram air feed from as high and as far forward as possible.
If you did a good job of sealing, the air flow into the vehicle from the pressurising vent will be quite low and the dust entry from the occasional passing vehicle will be minimal.
Cheers,
Peter