First 18 Wheeler Build

[FBomb]

So I've been a fan for a long time, and through watching various builds I've been inspired to build my own custom gaming PC specifically for my 18 wheeler. I decided to do this for the most part because I live in my truck for months at a time (longest was 7 months) and currently I use a Dell Inspiron 7000 that I picked up on sale at Best Buy in Atlanta Georgia after not having anything to game on for a long time. Now my ultimate goal is to be the first fully mobile twitch streamer and here is how I am going to do it. First and foremost I need a good PC (I mean really good). I want something that will be fully RGB because I plan to put it on the top bunk of my bunk bed and it will be seen from outside the truck when the curtain isn't closed. I will then mount 2 monitors on swivel mounts upside down from the top bunk so that from sitting on my bed, I can have a dual monitor setup by inverting the image with Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow so they will be right side up for me. I will also use a wireless keyboard and mouse. I currently have the Corsair Dark Core RGB Wired/Wireless mouse and I works perfect for me. I have a USB headset so I plan to just run a USB extension cable to the bottom bunk and mount a USB hub to the end of it and mount that on my bottom bunk wall. I can mount a logitech camera on one of the monitors and run the cable though the cable hole I will drill behind the monitors for easy cable management. I can power the PC up to 1000w with my power inverter and the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) built into the truck. Now I know by now you have to be asking, "Wait, how is he going to stream from an 18 wheeler?" And here's how, Most major truck stops (Pilot Flying J, Loves, TA, Petro) all have wireless internet, and if you know where to look in the parking lot, you can get a pretty damn good signal with decent speeds. With the help of a VPN, I won't be limited to how I use that internet. I also have unlimited Hotspot data through Verizon and I can hotspot my Ipad (which I mainly use as my backup source for internet) and BAM, I am connected. I have looked throughout twitch I have noticed a few different things. 1. Gimmicks tend to make money. 2. You don't have to be good at the game to have a good audience numbers. 3. Most people ask streamers what PC they have. My plan is to build an amazing PC and show it off to the world along my travels as I live my dream of getting paid to take road trips every day, while also chasing my second dream of being the first (if not one of the few) fully 100% mobile twitch streamers out there. I have had quite alot of people tell me I should stream/vlog while out on the road and that I could really be successful at it, but the start up costs for a project like what I have in mind aren't exactly something I can find a way to make happen. A picture of my current gaming situation is attached to this post. Thanks ~ FBomb

[BassFace]

Wow this is the most creative setup i ever seen

Nice job!

[FBomb]

4 minutes ago, BassFace said:

Wow this is the most creative setup i ever seen

Nice job!

Thanks, It's mostly my way of getting to game when I get parked. It works for now but the laptop just isn't powerful enough for what I am wanting to do.

[FTLOfficial]

Check out linus' truckflipper... i mean, threadripper build.

Alternatively you could use his RGB build.

Alternatively again, you could combine them both.

My advice with the build would be to get unique with it. Maybe you want it refrigeration cooled? Maybe you want a tiny itx build packed with powerful hardware and RGB?

 

If you have the money to throw at it, the possibilities are endless.

[maleko48]

Cooling aside, I would be very cautious trying to run high end components from an inverter. I assume your inverter is much nicer/sophisticated than your average off the shelf inverter from Walmart or wherever but it is still an environment/setup not typical to how 120vac/60hz power supplies are meant to be operated. At the very least make sure to install some inline fuses and surge protection. It would also be worth finding out if your inverter is a TRUE sinewave inverter or just a modified sine wave inverter before you get started. Your max inverter power handling should also probably be 1.5x whatever you are running in terms of watts.

[FBomb]

12 hours ago, maleko48 said:

Cooling aside, I would be very cautious trying to run high end components from an inverter. I assume your inverter is much nicer/sophisticated than your average off the shelf inverter from Walmart or wherever but it is still an environment/setup not typical to how 120vac/60hz power supplies are meant to be operated. At the very least make sure to install some inline fuses and surge protection. It would also be worth finding out if your inverter is a TRUE sinewave inverter or just a modified sine wave inverter before you get started. Your max inverter power handling should also probably be 1.5x whatever you are running in terms of watts.

I have a Thermoking Tripak APU and I use a Cobra 1000W power inverter. If I need to upgrade to a different model, It wouldn't cost a whole lot to order it through Freightliner. I do know that the inverter has a built in surge protector and that the whole system runs through my trucks ECU for maximum efficiency with the ability to plug in a laptop to the ECU to adjust the performance metrics of the system as a whole. I know the max I can push out of the APU with an apporpriate inverter is 3000W.  

[FBomb]

17 hours ago, FTLOfficial said:

Check out linus' truckflipper... i mean, threadripper build.

Alternatively you could use his RGB build.

Alternatively again, you could combine them both.

My advice with the build would be to get unique with it. Maybe you want it refrigeration cooled? Maybe you want a tiny itx build packed with powerful hardware and RGB?

 

If you have the money to throw at it, the possibilities are endless.

I want this PC to be a one of a kind, Never done before kind of thing. I'd like to talk to the ECU manufacturer to see if maybe I can incorporate the trucks on board systems with the PC in some way. Still working the design details in my head. May hop into 3DS max and draw up a render sample. 

[brob]

Do you think it will be necessary to have any vibration dampening?

[FBomb]

1 minute ago, brob said:

Do you think it will be necessary to have any vibration dampening?

Originally yes, but after some scientific tests (I put a cup of coffee on the top bunk of the the bunk bed and drove all day and didn't spill a drop) I've determined that with minimal amounts of vibration resistant padding on the bottom side of the Case. The PC will be perfectly safe. 

[brob]

Have you given any consideration to a custom loop?

[FBomb]

1 minute ago, brob said:

Have you given any consideration to a custom loop?

Not really, Have anything in mind?

[brob]

Nothing specific. Just thinking that a hard line custom loop can look awfully good. It will also allow a bit more performance out of the hardware.

[FBomb]

1 minute ago, brob said:

Nothing specific. Just thinking that a hard line custom loop can look awfully good. It will also allow a bit more performance out of the hardware.

Hmmm.....maybe if I could find a pipe bender, I could form a logo out of the hard line. Might take more fluid but as long as performance isn't affected, I think it could look pretty good. I could look into RGB line fittings and a nice color for the liquid and make it look like a neon sign within the case. 

[dionkoffie]

that's awesome lol. Make sure to post some pics when it's done.

 

What kind of truck are you driving? 

[FBomb]

12 hours ago, dionkoffie said:

that's awesome lol. Make sure to post some pics when it's done.

 

What kind of truck are you driving? 

2018 Freightliner Cascadia!

[dionkoffie]

1 hour ago, FBomb said:

2018 Freightliner Cascadia!

Sick man. What routes are you driving? all across the US?

 

To stay ontopic: I've researched the idea of having Hard drives in moving vehicles (cars/trucks) and it shouldn't be a difference at all. Most modern hard drives are strong enough for that little movement However, I'd still get an SSD just in case. 

[FBomb]

27 minutes ago, dionkoffie said:

Sick man. What routes are you driving? all across the US?

 

To stay ontopic: I've researched the idea of having Hard drives in moving vehicles (cars/trucks) and it shouldn't be a difference at all. Most modern hard drives are strong enough for that little movement However, I'd still get an SSD just in case. 

Yeah, I'm going with SSD's for sure just for speed alone.