Pollen filter and canopy/tub sealing - D40

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If you pull out a tailight, you'll also see are large hole in the top corner. I run a roof vent, but a massive amount of dust that still gets in.

12v vacuum is handy when crossing deserts.
 
I'd rather take a Vac than work too hard at sealing. On the first day of our trip to Perth in December it was 44 degrees when we got into Renmark, inside the tub was well over 50 and the fridge was still working. I don't know how much higher it would have got before the fridge shut down but with a constant flow of air coming through the front windows and down through the fridge vent and out the bottom of the tailgate atleast there was some good circulation allowing the fridge to suck slightly cooler air.
 
You may wish to keep some air circulation through your tub Krafty, and fair enough. For your needs that is obviously sufficient.

But with regard to reducing the amount of dust ingress, I'm not sure it's about perfectionism or any such thing. I would regard it as pragmatism - reducing the filth covering one's gear when arriving at a bush destination, and reducing the amount of cleanup when arriving home.

With all due respect to your good self, we all have different purposes for our vehicles. Some of use travel tarred roads mainly, with rare forays off the beaten track. Some of us will never leave the bitumen. But for those of us (like me) who spend a lot - and I mean a lot - of time in the bush, the Nav tub lets in more than just a "thin film" of dust. I often travel several hundred kays on dirt roads a couple to three (if I am lucky) weekends a month - while dirt will always get in, it can be reduced. I think it's great that people are experimenting with different ways of achieving a result for something that obviously bothers them.
 
While perfectionism might not have been the right word at the right time I was more referring to the fact that I'm willing to accept some things as standard that others maybe aren't, things like the tubs not sealing, the paint on steering wheels bubbling, squeaks and rattles and even a filterless cabin, am I right, yes of course I am for my situation, but that doesn't mean I'm suggesting everyone else is wrong.

Allowing the fridge to work with cooler air is not just my idea it's a recommendation by nearly every manufacturer but once again if you want to run 50+ degree air through your fridge then that is your choice, I prefer to run cooler air so the fridge doesn't work as hard thus letting the battery last longer.

Dirt and dust is no stranger to my cars, sure it's not like the bulldust of the desserts but it's farm dust and the constant dust of ungraded roads or even coal dust from the open cut but it doesn't really matter dust is dust and it gets in to every vehicle whether it be from driving with the windows open or whether it's been carted in on your clothes. For many of us it's just something we learn to deal with or learn to ignore, thick, sticky, cling to everything dust isn't something you get just when you put your vehicle in 4wd.

Because dust is like water in that it will penetrate so many areas you never thought possible sealing against it is a hard task and unless you willing to seal every hole including the drain holes you'll never have 100% success. While I've stopped water coming in from the front wall of the tub sealing the holes under neath the cargo tie down rails and the drain holes at the front of the tub where so much under vehicle dust gets in to me means that I can't wash the tub out when I need too so once again sealing for my situation is not suitable that's not say everyone wants to use a gerni inside their ute.

To my way of thinking having so many people express their views on such a topic is the only way to allow someone with an inquiring mind the information they need to make the decision that suits them. If this forum became as bad as the US forum where one person states a flaw and then the next 20 people parrot the same flaw like it's detrimental to the vehicles performance then I would consider that a waste. No single solution saves everyone's problems however if people out there get the idea that the only solution to this issue is to completely seal the tub then there will be many disappointed people whinging about their utes. While the original wording may have been off track the point I was making is that a total seal isn't always the best option for everyone and there is alternatives.
 
One of the reasons why we initially bought the caravan we did (stronger chassis, double axle, raised floor etc) and then the 4WD to pull it was so that we could spend time on dusty roads. Our choice initially was a Sahara, but when we were introduced to the fifth wheelers, we fell in love with the idea of more room in less overall length and jumped to the Navara.

On our big trip at Christmas we spent most of the time on highways, but there were some km between Narromine -> Parkes -> Wellington that were dirt and they were dry as a bone. It was hot as buggery and I had to wipe the dust off the condenser in the fridge because it had been caked with the stuff. I can do without that!

I wouldn't suggest that everyone jump and make sure their tubs were 100% sealed, I only offer ideas and the like in case someone is interested.

My perspective is this: this ain't a soapbox, it's a thinktank. Take from it what you will and enjoy!
 
Actually, I don't run a fridge - I stick with the good old esky. Nice flash ones to be sure, but frozen stuff inside none the less. Cheap, simple, and easy to clean up if they get filled up with deer meat or fish :)

We are on completely different pages with out needs. For me a ute is a ute - a working type vehicle - I still use a tonneau for instance. A canopy just turns it into a big wagon, and I need to be able to fit weird sized objects the back.

But when I'm out bush - and I spend a lot of time out bush - I don't live like a pig (don't see the point), and don't see the point in being unnecessarily dirty. Nor having my gear unnecessarily dirty so will go to reasonably lengths to keep it clean - ergo the experiments with sealing of the tub. What can I say - I'm a professional during the week, so maybe I'm some kind of neat freak nancy, who knows.

I have to say too....8 rubber grommets, two freezer bags, some expanding foam and three lengths of high density foam tape - I've stopped nearly all dust entry into my tub. Not a bad effort I think. Although next week the Nav goes into the panel shop for a new tailgate so I'll need to sort out a new tailgate seal when I get it back.

Have you considered venting the waste (airconditioned) air from the cabin outlets at the back of the cab into the tray if you want additional cooling (or reduced temps at least) in your canopy area?
 
Have you considered venting the waste (airconditioned) air from the cabin outlets at the back of the cab into the tray if you want additional cooling (or reduced temps at least) in your canopy area?

That would work if there were another vent drawing air out of the tub as well, otherwise all you'd do is stop the air from flowing out of the cabin.

Maybe the trick is to use a rear-opening roof vent (forward travel ought to cause a vacuum drawing the air out of the tub at the top) with a cabin->tub air system? I know that out in the desert that would have been downright handy, because things were getting so hot inside the tub you didn't want to touch them.

I can't think of a better idea for putting cooler air into the tub. I don't like the idea of those whirly things on the canopy roof, because I'm now looking at racks for carrying a kayak and I don't want them elevated too much.
 
I don't need cold air in the tub and wouldn't ever go to the trouble of piping the a/c into it because for me it's just not worth it. I need and have got circulating air which becomes cooler as it circulates and it's the main reason I made sure the canopy I brought had front sliding windows that could be open while traveling.

If the tailgate sealed and there wasn't those gaping holes down the side edges I couldn't have circulating air and would probably blow the back window out eventually (HQ Holden no windscreen 95ks on the highway it does happen). I also have no doubt that while some dust will always remain in my tub the circulating air will also drive some of it out just like it drives the grass clippings and stuff that fall off the mower out when there is nothing else in the tub.

While I respect that you want to keep you hunting gear and stuff clean I expect the same of my gear, the difference seems to be that I never go anywhere without my hunting gear firmly secured in lockable boxes, fishing gear in snap lock boxes and clothes and food in anything with a secure fitting air tight lid. I also regularly cart anything from $1k to $20K worth of computer and electrical gear in the same tub, most of the time that stuff is only in there on highway trips but many of my customers also live on dirt tracks and roads and as yet none of those have been effected by dust.

It's all a preference thing, while your happy to spend more time sealing and plugging to block things up I'm more interested in packing and covering and allowing good air circulation. There is no doubt people out there that don't even realise dust gets in or they don't care but with a bit of luck atleast now some of them know there is several options in dealing with it.
 
Just cleaned my 06 D40 Dual Cab Pollen Filters - reverse flow, blew them out with air and then washed them by spraying them with stain remover and washed them with warm water. They were very dusty with leaves and bugs on the inlet side - dont know how long they were in service as I purchased the vehicle in Dec 09. The air smells better now as it was stale on recirc.
BTW I only had to drop the bottom glove box by squeezing the RHS in which releases the side and allows access to the filters.

My Nissan supplied canopy leaked like a seive when it rained - through the holes in each side of the tub, front seal to the tub/canopy and all the fittings on the tub as the foam seals had compressed. There was also osmosis forming in the gelcoat under the roof rail flanges. I replaced the foam seals with 3mm rubber insersion cut to the flange size. The other leaks were sealed with clear, water clean up, sealant and now no water enters.

I have yet to seal the tail gate - but have purchased a rubber mould to fit to the vertical sides and a foam seal along the bottom.
 
Since my canopy is only about 6 months old I wouldn't be expecting any of the foam seals to have compressed greatly yet but having plugged up all the other holes I'm fairly happy with my canopy's sealing.

Gave the ute a warm shower (with a Spitwater SW201 and some suds) this morning to wash all the dust and cowshit off it and without being blatantly stupid and aiming the high pressure at the foam seals between the sealant on the front and the seals around the side the canopy didn't leak at all.

The tub doesn't leak either now that I've found all the factory fitted holes, I've no doubt if I'd directly aimed the water jet at the tailgate gaps I'd have been able to flood the tub but like filling the exhaust with water is something we should all be smart enough not to do, aiming high pressure jets of water at the gaps isn't that hard to avoid.
 
You'd have to think they'd be similar. The ductwork is going to be behind the dash area of course, so with a glovebox that's easy to remove, you'd have to think a sensible design would put the filters there.
 
might be covered already. At 60,000 service Nissan wants $78 + gst and .5 hour labour to fit. asked em not to worry, said I was a bit short of ready's. he cut $145 off the bill. what the? went home thinking "I can solve this." repco has em in stock @30 odd bucks. look'n at it made me think I could clean the old one. yep, blew the dust out of it (low psi, 50). bits of it had been wet, so hav'n nothin to lose, I carefully washed it with warm soapy water, rinse, then put in the wash'n machine on spin only. hey presto! cost NOTHING!!!!
 
Service pricing from all manufacturers is bullshit, what's worse is that 90% of people wouldn't know if those filters were replaced anyway. But you're right a quick spit and polish and replace from Repco (or the cheaper ones from ebay) is all that is needed and it will save you money on the service if you request they don't do it.
 
So has anybody found a cheaper replacment filter, because I am NOT paying $300+ yr for pollen filters. (local dealer is charging $92 and I will do 20k every 3 to 4 mths)
 
I have an aversion to the local Repco dealer because normally you arrive in the afternoon and still find the guys trying to figure out which way to put the key in the lock to open up.

But at $30 a set I think I can get past that and I'll pay cash, just to make sure we don't spend 2 hours reading the manual on how to press 'OK' on the EFTPOS machine.

Have I used the word 'inept' here? No? Good. I wouldn't want to cast aspersions on them.
 
Got mine from eBay. Can't remember the cost but way less than $92 a set.
Amazing the difference they make. I didn't replace the existing set as there
has never been a set installed til now.

Would have thought they would be factory installed as standard.

Murph
 
Nissan install them at 20K for some reason no one (even them) can explain we don't deserve them until 20K. I'd still bet some dealers don't do it then as well and mines been runing for 2 years without them now so I can't see much use for the average driver.

EBay ones used to be about $35 a set but I have no idea if the seller was reliable.
 

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