Fabricating Bonnet & Dashboard - Tracked Amphibious Vehicle Build Ep. 20

This time I'm handcrafting a bonnet/hood and instrument panel out of sheet metal. In the process of making the dashboard I also had to think about the placement of the switches and accessories on the instrument panel. I need the basics on the dashboard like ignition key switch, light switches, bilge pump switch, hour meter and so on. I would also like to add oil temperature gauge (only way to tell the temperature of my air cooled V-twin). On the very left end of the dashboard I mounted an emergency battery cutoff switch so I can disconnect the battery every time I leave the machine and nothing gets juice from the battery while the vehicle is left unused. I ordered a switch cluster online which has 5 separate switches with built in fuses. This cluster also features a voltmeter, a 12 V and USB power outlet so this should cover everything I need. On the backside of the dashboard in the engine bay I mounted a pair of winch relays just because I'm using two winches on the tracked amphibious vehicle, both front and back. The front winch switch will be mounted on the left steering lever so I can use it ergonomically while driving, for lifting plow and such. The rear winch switch is yet to be mounted somewhere on the dashboard. I will also install the remote control units so I'll retain the possibility of remotely operating the DragonWinch 12 V electric winches. They might come in handy in the swamp for sure. The bonnet's main job is to keep the rain out when stored outside. Don't know if I fabricate the cab just yet. Probably keep it under a tarp for starters and think about the cab design later. Although, a simple frame and a plastic roof wouldn't take too much time to fabricate. We'll see.

#donndiy #homemade #trackedvehicle

This video is part of a series of videos, check out the series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNDiAHNykoY&list=PLkmF7FAZBzkWdzAxcrnz-WJbzSRyqrSBt

Check out my other videos on my channel page: https://www.youtube.com/c/DonnDIY

Soundtrack:
Pomade - Silent Partner (YouTube Audio Library)

Welding equipment borrowed from Spetselektroodi AS, Estonia:
Fronius TransSteel 2700 welder
Optrel Crystal 2.0 Welding Helmet
Hypertherm Powermax 45 XP plasma cutter