Our son Cary finished fabricating the solar/LFP array on our 2002 Roadtrek 190. There are two panels: 315 W and 100 W. Since they have different voltages, he had to utilize two chargers. The cabling is run though the a/c housing and down the corner of the left rear door. The battery suite is two x 180 amp (12 V nominal) Manzanita Micro (each is 4 x CALB LFP cells). The batteries are under the bed. Each battery has an internal blower to keep the batteries cool. Son Cary then installed a high efficiency blower that exhausts air to the outside. This will cool the batteries, inverter (2.5 kW PSWI), and other electronics. It will remove four volumes of air per minute from the "electronics compartment". We knew that the installation of the batteries, inverter etc pretty much used up the rear storage so we purchased a StowAway box that we installed on the rear of the vehicle.
Son trialed the system and it works well. He ran the a/c on battery alone for over an hour.
He had one of his technicians install plumbing for an Olympic Wave 3 on the clothing closet. An Olympic Wave 3 should be sufficient to heat the vehicle for any conditions we plan to face. The forced air heater should be able to take up the slack beyond that.
We are currently in Fort Collins, CO and will be leaving for a 5-6 month tour of Canada and primarily Labrador and Newfoundland. Elaine has always wanted to tour the East Cost of Canada and US to observe the changing of colors of the Maple forest.
Reed and Elaine
-- Edited by Reed on Monday 20th of June 2016 02:46:07 AM
Not only the Maple forests. Any Non deciduous trees Shed with multiple shades of colour. Also go to Amish town (forget name) and order a quilt or something small from them. Elaine will love you forever. they amazing. Di paid $750 for quilt for her bed. and it sits in a box in cupboard. she scared of marking it???? Huh...
Try to get a trip .plane or otherwise up to any part of Alaska too. While that close. That whole place is a different planet to the rest of us. Views from plane will absolutely blow your minds.
I worked on CJB Pipeline sections there back in'66 and been back a few times since,fishing.
Half my mothers family emigrated to Halifax. N Scotia in late '1860/70's. Mainly fishermen/women From Liverpool/Dingle. You want "hardy people" try them lot.
I reckoned we had it rough on North Sea fishing in mid '50's. Hah. in your dreams..
Seriously. You going that far. It's a bit like stopping in Australia on a Northern trip. when you turn round at Bundy or Gladsone instead of Darwin.
-- Edited by macka17 on Wednesday 20th of July 2016 02:27:10 AM
Mack - spending one or two nights in Churchill Falls. The tourist bureaus in both Labrador City and Churchill Falls have told us where we can stay for free with electrical hookups (any parking lot up here has electrical outlets since it gets to -50C here in winter). Roads have been good for first 540 miles to include 130 miles of excellent gravel. Huge hydroelectric plan here in Churchill Falls and are on the tour tomorrow morning. We do have a 360 miles stretch of gravel between Goose Bay and Red Bay which includes 260 miles or so without fuel station. The folks are friendly and delightful - and most of the folks in Labrador have roots in Newfoundland. Should be crossing from Blanc Sablon to St. Barbe in three weeks.
Solar and LFP are doing great and have used an electrical hookup one night (it was hot at friends' place in Brontmong, Quebec) in three weeks and have not used generator yet. Solar is sufficient to run fridge during day and then propane at night
Updates please for us stuck at home for the present nomads.
No long travels again this yr.
Just a quickie to N.C. and Brantford Ontario next April.
New baby and brother.
Business class again. Di said she sick of living in sardine cans
for Near 40hrs.
Did it last yr. North and South America then NZ, fishing.
on way home.
Hurts the back pocket a bit. (for a while)
Just finishing our 5 1/2 weeks in Newfoundland. Friendliest people and best place yet for boondocking. Provincial law permits 48 hours or less on crown or common lands. Folks in the tiny fishing villages point out where to spend the night along the harbor (or harbour if you prefer). The official information offices permit parking and urge use of their Wi-Fi. All of the famed Oregon coast would fit into one of several hundred bays and sounds. Have not plugged into line power for three months and have run generator only once a month as is suggested. There are many secluded spots of beauty. Two nights ago we drove out to the Atlantic Charter memorial across from former naval base at Argentiere (4 miles by water and 27 miles by road). We just spent the evening and night.
Spent this last night at RV park about a km from the ferry slip to North Sydney in Nova Scotia (16 hour passage). This is run by Harbour of Argentiere. We needed neither water nor electricity and cost $15 C. Let us dump and fill water tank at full service site. The showers were hot and laundry was free. My unit commander in Vietnam (Long Range Patrol of 173rd Airborne) went to high school here when it was a US naval base in 1950s. The Basques may have had summer fishing stations here long before Columbus
Reed and Elaine
Beautiful parts of the planet hey.
For about 7 weeks of the yr.
Then winter closes in again.
That cold is the one that starts at your ankles and works up your bones.
Real cold.
You there long enuff. you just may see Northern Lights too.
Further North.
THAT is a thing worth seeing. I still remember like Yesterday and it was in Mid '60's.
I did a season on Atlantic fleet in '58. we fished North West, round as far as Halifax. then back again.
Biggest restriction for us in those days. was no ice machines.
we had to refuel.Tucker and re ice for each hold of fish
One thing though.
The ice didn't melt.... Chuckle We fished winter season for Cod and Haddock.
Trawling was a good way to make a man of you. Real quick.
I did 4 1\2 seasons then went in Army for a soft change (17 yrs)
Was near as big at 13 as I was at 17, Just less muscle. That came with practice.
Bloody hard work but great life. North Sea Trawlers in '50's.
Then we learnt all about Nuclear Missiles in West Germany.
Drove through Mexico and now on the beach near Tulum for a month. 315 W panel was torn off in the famous winds at the Isthmus of Tehuantapec (one mount remained). So we will be remounting using extruded aluminum I beams. The 1000 km of gravel roads in Labrador fatigued the standard mounts. Folks have been asking about the panel residing on rear of Roadtrek.
Water temperature is about 25 C.
Reed
By LFP I assume you mean LifePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate).
I'd be interested to know what charger you have between the solar and the LifePO4 batteries because you can't use solar controllers on LifePO4 and it seems no-one out there flogging solar knows how to hook them up.
Back in US. Wife had shoulder operation and we are at older son Cary's place (the solar engineer/fabricator/contractor) at 7600' (2400 m) or so in mountains of northern NM. Daytime temperatures are 22 C with considerable rain.
Younger son Charlie and family (and daughter Elisa) visited us for a week on beach above Tulum. Would have been hard pressed to get the maintenance done without him. The 315 W panel tore off when a bolt tore through the mounting flange on the panel - which ripped loose the other mounts. Winds at Isthmus of Tehuantapec are world famous. The isthmus is bordered by 3 km mountains so that pressure gradients between Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean can create horrific winds.
We mounted 5' x 1" aluminum stripping ((1/4" thick) on the solar panel flanges. Cut 5' sections of the 1.5" (4 cm actually) extruded aluminum and bolted this through flange and stripping. Then cut more of the extruded aluminum (due to curvature of roof). Moved things about. Bolted the lower sections to the 5' long sections and then bolted to roof with a lot of silicone glue. This may be over-engineered but the panel will not come loose
The morning after the panel came off, our sewer pipe came off. Again, so glad Charlie was down there to help - and he brought down additional sewer hose. Had to dig a trench under the Roadtrek to work on the sewer system. Everything worked great for the next 8 weeks. Had it properly repaired at a large RV dealership in Albuquerque which is a Roadtrek dealership.
Hylife - We have a 45 amp MPPT controller on 5th wheel: 1410 W of panels which transmit power to controller at 90 V. This is 17 amps, it would be 118 amps at 12 V. The battery suite is 48 (nominal) so amperage is 30 amps.
The real estate on a 19' Roadtrek is limited so son designed and fabricated system with a 100 W and a 315 W panel. This required two separate MPPT controllers to the 4.5 +kW-hr battery suite at 12 V (nominal)
Photo should be attached
Reed and Elaine
-- Edited by Reed on Thursday 24th of August 2017 09:08:01 AM
-- Edited by Reed on Thursday 24th of August 2017 09:15:15 AM
