Pollen filter and canopy/tub sealing - D40

[KraftyPg]

Now dust ingress into the canopy area.....well that's another matter entirely

Given the gaps I can see in the panel work of the tub when the ute is in the darkness of the garage with only one roller door open I'd be suprised if I can keep any dust out. I knew the tailgates never fitted so they were dust free but the very top of my tub where the front panel meets the side panels has an air gap of about 2mm's.

Going by previous canopies on other utes I was thinking I'd have to do some work to seal my canopy but the canopy actually seals quite well just a pity Nissan didn't have the same idea about the tub.

 

[Old.Tony]

I was going to pay a visit to Clark Rubber and see if I could put something together to seal my tub. Has nobody thought of this before?

 

[KraftyPg]

It will take quite a bit to seal the tail gate, although a flat piece of rubber running from the floor up the tailgate might help a little. Any of the other holes in my tub and going to get silicone on them.

The tailgate for me is a bit of insurance that the fridge, food and whatever else gets dumped in there on long trips never going to get too hot. There is a lot of heat inside canopies on a hot day and opening my front windows will ensure there is pressure equalization and air flow keep things cooler. Simple physics tells us that the hotter the outside of the fridge is the harder the fridge is working at staying cold all fridges do it, if I can drop the working temp down a few degrees then I say let the tail gate breath.

Apart from that after a weekend down the beach fishing, with salt water and fish guts on everything I want to give the tub every chance to air out before I get home and park in the garage.

 

[ants_oz]

I don't have a canopy - I use a tonneau. But I have managed to seal the tailgate quite well, and also the other holes/gaps in the tub. For example, up in the front corners there are two BIG holes - where the front and inner and outer side panels all meet. I stuffed the corner of a freezer bag down in that hole and filled it with expanding foam.

With the tailgate, I currently use high density foam tape. I am using that as an experiment to determine the approximate size required, so that I can get the right rubber seal.

Another thing - when I removed my tub liner for inspection, I notice that there were a heap of rubber bungs missing from the sides and floor of the metal tub. These allowed in quite a lot of dust and grit. I covered these holes.

End result - my tub is doing very well for dust-proof-ness....(not really a word I know, but still....)

I get some minor dust leakage where the tonneau wraps the sports bar, but that's about it.

 

[Old.Tony]

Dust will be an issue for us, but so will heat. Krafty's point about the backend bakehouse is spot on - I'm wondering if that can't be resolved by, say, one or two of those whirly roof things, or some other clever (and filtered, perhaps) venting.

We intend to take ours - with Engel inside the tub area - around south-east Australia this christmas, down the coast road and back up through the Vic alps and the NSW outback before returning home. I may just have to regularly sweep it out!

 

[rambada]

Heat in the back is an issue for us. We have a canopy with 2 side windows, front window and a pressure vent. Used a digital thermometer to monitor the temp and it didn't drop at all. So on the day we drove around, outside was 30-32, the inside canopy was 31. Frustrating!

 

[ants_oz]

Heat in the back is an issue for us. We have a canopy with 2 side windows, front window and a pressure vent. Used a digital thermometer to monitor the temp and it didn't drop at all. So on the day we drove around, outside was 30-32, the inside canopy was 31. Frustrating!

That sounds absolutely logical.

You are forcing ambient air (at ~30-32 degrees) into a box. That box has no cooling system installed. So yes, the temp inside will be at least that of the ambient air you are forcing in.

Ever notice how people who run wagon 4wd's don't have the same problems re dust ingress and heating of luggage, food etc? Because obviously the wagon load area is cooled by the vehicles aircon.

Sorry guys but no matter which way you cut it, a ute tub (whether it's got a canopy, tonneau, whatever) will never be a cool, comfortable place to be in a hot aussie summer. It's just not possible. If you fit a supplementary cooling system to chill the air in the tray it might be a different story.

I'm actually surprised to a degree that people seem to be surprised by this...

 

[Old.Tony]

No big surprise really, it's just one of those things that I wouldn't mind changing. The dust issue can be overcome, I'm told, by ARB, who apparently sell a product to reduce dust.

Here it is - ARB Canopy Vent - looks like it might achieve both goals.

 

[rambada]

Not surprised, just looking for a solution.

I am looking at either putting in an independent unit in the canopy or a second unit from the vehicles air cond setup. I would prefer the 2nd solution and I'll price it out when i get days off.

 

[KraftyPg]

This is purely why I got a sliding front window in my canopy, sure the holes in the tub itself help but the air I can get into the canopy with the front window makes a hell of a difference, sure it's never going to be like an air conditioned space but any temperature drop is good.

Last year coming into Ceduna from the west the outside temperature was 42 degrees and the temp inside the canopy on the crewman which is smaller than a Nav and therefore going to be hotter was up over 50 and that canopy had both the front sliding window open and the side sliding window open. While the Liemack fridge didn't miss a beat that doesn't mean the thing wasn't working its arse off to maintain the 3 degrees we wanted it at. If I can keep the fridge from working so hard by allowing air flow through the tub then I'm happy with that.

If there is no otehr choice by way of sliding windows canopy vents similar to what Tony pointed out are a must, you just have to remember that if your allowing air in you have to allow a path for it to escape or it will find it's own way

 

[KraftyPg]

Not surprised, just looking for a solution.

I am looking at either putting in an independent unit in the canopy or a second unit from the vehicles air cond setup. I would prefer the 2nd solution and I'll price it out when i get days off.

I'm pretty sure it was somewhere on this forum that someone was pumping their a/c air into the canopy via the rear vent in the cab. Pretty easy to set up if you want that sort of thing as the vent is easily accessible and nearly lines up with a grommet in the tub.

While you are forcing ambient air into the canopy and that ambient air may be 30 odd degrees you also have to remember that there is going to be some temperature drop as the air is forced through the hole, ok it wont be heaps but air flow is the key. A/C is going to be cooler but even ambient air is going to be cooler than what has been circling in the canopy and as long as it can escape there is going to be a temperature drop

 

[Old.Tony]

I just rang ARB Newcastle. The vent is about $44.50 supplied and about $51 to fit it. The objective is to draw the air from above the vehicle into the canopy space, which both stops dust from entering via the tailgate and forces the hot, stale air in the canopy out as well.

I rang Nissan to see if that would affect the warranty with regards to the canopy - the answer is basically no, unless the thing is damaged because I put the vent in it.

I guess there's an issue with water, too. If the rain starts falling, you'd want to remember to pull over and close this.

 

[KraftyPg]

I just rang ARB Newcastle. The vent is about $44.50 supplied and about $51 to fit it. The objective is to draw the air from above the vehicle into the canopy space, which both stops dust from entering via the tailgate and forces the hot, stale air in the canopy out as well.

I rang Nissan to see if that would affect the warranty with regards to the canopy - the answer is basically no, unless the thing is damaged because I put the vent in it.

I guess there's an issue with water, too. If the rain starts falling, you'd want to remember to pull over and close this.

I think you will find they mount it backwards to stop the majority of rain getting in and so they don't snap off with the force. They do leak just like anything but you will be able to drive in all but a major storm and not get much water in. Some older trucks have the same thing only bigger above the drivers head and they don't let in as much water as you think while moving.

They have to make sure the seal around the base is a good one too and just because they are professional installers don't for a minute think they will get it right first time. Once you get it home use a hose (not direct and not high pressure) and give it a good dousing because if you leave it more than a few weeks before you find out it leaks they will tell you it's not their fault. In most cases a bead of silicone will fix it but if your paying to have it done by pros they should do it right no matter how many times it takes them

 

[KraftyPg]

Another thing - when I removed my tub liner for inspection, I notice that there were a heap of rubber bungs missing from the sides and floor of the metal tub. These allowed in quite a lot of dust and grit. I covered these holes.

The holes on the floor are possibly from the cargo rails. Some liners require the rails on the floor (and possibly the sides) to be removed and I can't imagine a liner installer being to worried about putting grommets in a hole that never had them to begin with.

There is holes in the front of the tub at floor level for drainage too personally none of these holes are an issue for me and despite my cargo rails still being in the vehicle the holes under them still leak smalls amounts water out and air in but they wont get sealed. I'll remove my liner every 12 months or so just to give the tub a clean and make sure the accumulation of moisture, dirt and anything else isn't a huge issue but that's about it.

 

[burgo]

I thought I had my back fairly well sealed, having done the tailgate and the large hole in each corner of the tub. (I have a flexiglass canopy with wing out windows).
On a recent trip to the TIP I noticed still more dust.
I eventually tracked it down to some LARGE holes (3 or 4) on both sides of the tub at the top above the cargo track.
I have since filled the holes with polyurethane foam.
The wheels pumping up & down on corrigated roads probably pumps the dust in through these holes. I have yet to retest the results.
On the trip up north I was more concerned with the dust coming into the cab than the tub.
Interesting comment about pumping the waste air from the cab into the tub space, sounds good but I'd leave a membrane in place to prevent feedback.
Rd's

 

[rambada]

I'm interested in this idea of pumping the cooling ventilation into the rear but does the D40 have vents to the rear seats? I had a look while ago and couldn't see any but I could have been a slacko at the time.

 

[KraftyPg]

I eventually tracked it down to some LARGE holes (3 or 4) on both sides of the tub at the top above the cargo track.

Interesting comment about pumping the waste air from the cab into the tub space, sounds good but I'd leave a membrane in place to prevent feedback.
Rd's

These sound like the same holes which I will fill before I leave next month. Not worried about the other holes but these ones are a prime location for water to get it and a bugger to check once the tub is loaded.

 

[KraftyPg]

I'm interested in this idea of pumping the cooling ventilation into the rear but does the D40 have vents to the rear seats? I had a look while ago and couldn't see any but I could have been a slacko at the time.

I believe what the poster somewhere on this forum did was just put the pipe between the cabin vent which is used to get air out of the cabin and straight into the tub. I don't believe he hooked up the actual a/c vents to the tub.

He might have also mentioned something along the lines of being able to tell the air was cooler from the a/c but not as cool as in the cab which is to be expected if the air wasn't being piped directly from the vents.

 

[rambada]

Thanks Krafty - where is this cabin vent you refer to please?

 

[KraftyPg]

Look behind the passenger side rear seat, there should be about four long holes right in the center of where the seat goes. They are only protected by a rubber flap on the outside which stops water running down the panel work from going inside so don't poke and prod too much.

I've got all my cables for the batter, the camera and aux power all running through the vent so there is heaps of room.