Mounting a Compressor in a T5
I'm prompted to write this at the suggestion of another member.
Compressor Mount
I wanted to put a compressor in my T5.1 Camper. I looked at as many brands as I could and read what I could about them.
In the end I settled on an ARB CKMA12 unit, partly on the basis of reviews and partly on the basis of size. I wanted to mount it permanently rather than having another item floating around the van. If I could mount it externally to the cabin, all the better.
Without going into too much detail, I initially decided on mounting it next to the original battery. I moved the battery as far left as I could. I removed the metal base of the battery compartment and drilled it so I could mount the ARB unit on it with the backing plate behind the battery case bottom. I then put the metal battery case bottom back in position.
I made a bracket that used the bolts holding the front panel to the side of the vehicle. I had cut a square hole in the bracket and mounted the switch in the hole. All the wiring, relay, fuse etc. was in the area between the battery and the left of the headlight area. I ran a cable from the blue (“engine running” wire and used it in the switch to ensure the compressor could only run with the engine running. I took care to ensure that the switch was oriented so that it could not be turned on inadvertently, but rather off.
All in all this was a tight fit, but it worked and kept the compressor outside the vehicle. Fine – UNTIL I started looking at replacement batteries.
Finding that a physically larger battery than the original was recommended, I finally settled on a Century DIN75LH MF battery. Being considerably longer than the original meant that I would have to relocate the compressor. I initially decided on a position inside the diagonal back corner of the vehicle, inside the van. On examining the necessary/wise routing of cables, I was NOT looking forward to running them, or to the $80 or so cost involved to buy the right weight for the 10m I would have to buy.
After a lot of head scratching, I had a brainwave. In the end then I mounted it on the sill below the windscreen. This is in the space in which the windscreen wiper mechanism is housed, but on the other side. SO I mounted it not far from the battery, but above it. When the bonnet is down the compressor can’t be seen, but with it open it can be seen through the slots in the plastic panel.
The beauty of the CKMA12 unit is that the positions of small manifold vessel, pressure relay and outlet connection can be varied greatly. This made it possible to fit the unit in the confined space available. I first marked and drilled four mounting holes. This is potentially dangerous as there are a couple of ?brake? lines running under the panel. I put a metal plate between these and the sill so I could not accidentally drill into them. (Not at all easy in the confined space, I can say with authority and sore fingers. I used a Dremel and several tools to grind out holes. I glued a rubber washer over each hole. I had a great deal of difficulty getting the bolts through the feet of the compressor and through the holes I had made. In the end I only succeeded with three of them. I made some spacers from small gauge copper tube and put screwed them up on the bolts. I slightly crimped the end of these tubes so they would grab the thread on the bolts. Then I offered up the original backing plate and screwed the three Nyloc nuts on. This is all firm and solid and I am happy that the three bolts are adequate to support and retain the compressor.
I drilled two holes through the removable panel above the battery. One of these was to take the cabling (pressure switch and compressor power) which was enclosed in a length of split cable protector. The other hole was for the compressor hose.
I tried to purchase a couple of ARB fittings to make up a short (1m or so) hose extension. This is very difficult. In the end I paid $37 for an ARB compressor extension hose. I dismantled and removed the male end, cut the other end to length. After I had fed the cut end through the hole/grommet in the panel, I refitted the male end. Then I could connect the electrical fittings and the female end of the hose into the compressor outlet.
For the male end of the extension, I made a carrier out of aluminium angle that I bolted to the right hand side of the battery compartment. I moved a plastic cable tidy to a hole deeper toward the firewall and used the resulting hole to put a small Rivnut in. There is a larger square hole toward the front of the battery compartment up higher. I drilled it and fitted an M8 Rivnut there. This made is possible to mount the Aluminium angle against the side of the compartment. I had found some PVC pipe that was a tight fit on the rubber on the male end of the cable and used a cable clamp to fix it to the angle. The hose fitted nicely into this. I put a rubber chair leg stopper over the ma=le end of the hose to keep out dirt.
I had to do very little withy the cabling for the new arrangement.
There are a couple of pics here (had trouble loading others).
A couple of the compressor in the original location with its switch (second pic).
There is a pic of the compressor in location in the sill under the windscreen and one that shows what it looks like with the plastic panel in position.
Maybe this will help or inspire someone else – or bore most people.
2012 132kw T5.1 TDI DSG 4Motion LWB Transporter, locking rear diff. Macron Campervan conversion. ECB bullbar. Milford towbar and rear light protector. Seikel Desert HD 30mm lift kit.
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