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Forum
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RE: Starting the Solar Power System
Bohican, RV solar systems are custom, and you are dealing with authors/builders here :) ... Some things are not straightforward. Btw, are you planning on 4-position battery switch, and if so, where?
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Almot
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05/25/12 11:52am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Starting the Solar Power System
Rick, yes, the LL manual says - only if needed. The was a discussion with their engineers though, and the conclusion was - if it's not fully charged every day, then equalize once a month, for longer battery life.
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Almot
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05/25/12 01:12am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Eternabond
Jerry... Buyers that are uneducated and unwilling to learn anything do exist. Though, they seldom buy used units, mostly being aware of their limited expertise - just don't find necessary to learn. And, when they do buy a used unit, they at the very least make sure there is no water damage. With Eterna tape there is less chance of water damage. An uneducated buyer that wants a used unit and doesn't care to check it for water damage... probably there exist this kind of customers as well, though likely not in large numbers as this would not be a normal pattern of brain functioning.
Keep in mind that this is all good as long as the roof material is good, which is 15-17 years at best. 20 years old unit needs roof replacement - not roof repair or preventive sealing.
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Almot
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05/25/12 01:00am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Starting the Solar Power System
Ok, then MPPT 60 can do conditioning/equalizing as well. It is still unclear when and for how long to run 15.5V in case of AGM. Only Lifeline provides some instructions. Plus, empirical data that it should be done once a month if battery is not fully charged daily - but again for Lifeline. Nothing for other brands.
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Almot
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05/24/12 11:07pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Starting the Solar Power System
Mosey, controllers over $300 usually have equalization option, with adjustable voltage and time. All that is needed is running 15.5V (or whatever is good for a particular battery) for a certain time. No other equipment is required and no special knowledge, except for instructions on how long to do this.
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Almot
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05/24/12 09:54pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Starting the Solar Power System
AGM conditioning, on the other hand, requires the proper equipment and knowledge to use it properly.
Wouldn't an MPPT controller be a proper equipment ;) ?
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Almot
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05/24/12 05:01pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: types of solar panels
Yes, $2-3 per watt, including controller cost.
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Almot
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05/24/12 04:10pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: types of solar panels
A while ago at wholesalesolar.com - another good source for panels - I saw a few panels with warning "not for marine use". Probably some materials in frame or soldering. But this is not usual. Most panels are perfectly OK for RV, there is no "RV specific" panel. Also, the type - polycrystalline, mono, amorphous - doesn't matter.
If you only need it for battery maintenance - not as a source of power for dry camping - get some small panel with as cheap controller as possible, stay away from panels rated to 24V nominal (27-36V Vmp) as those require expensive controller, and stay way from flexible laminates - those cost more than rigid panels.
Make sure you really need to "maintain" only, i.e. to compensate for self-discharge of batteries for when trailer is not in use. Sometimes people say "maintain" and really mean keeping batteries full when boondocking, i.e. getting enough power for their daily needs. Maintaining is a few amp/hrs day, daily use is dozens or hundreds of amp/hrs.
Edit - PS: to cut down the current draw for when not in use, you need to disconnect ALL loads, including fridge, propane/CO detectors, and radio. Otherwise you'll need dozens of amp/hrs a day when in storage, rather than few amp/hrs a day.
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Almot
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05/24/12 02:59pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Eternabond
If I were buying a used trailer I would definitely check the roof. If I saw patches, no matter what the seller told me, no matter what the condition of the rest of the trailer, I would be "outta there." Just my thought.....
As this technology becomes more common, there will be fewer people thinking that Eterna are "patches" placed due to leaks, and not a preventive measure like seller says. I think very few today think like that.
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Almot
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05/24/12 12:45pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Battery
Well... You don't need lights this time of year in Alaska. Kill the radio for when not in use - pull the fuse, like Mosey said. You'll lose station presets, no big deal.
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Almot
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05/24/12 12:29am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Started PV installation today :)
Have just found
this place for lugs. Haven't seen them any cheaper. Web page design is kinda home-brew, happens to small businesses... Where it says "Paypal" it means credit cards as well.
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Almot
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05/23/12 07:06pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: AC/DC Frame Grounding. Need help.
I plan on grounding the ac from the negative bus bar in the breaker box to the trailer frame. As stated, the neutral will remain floating.
I think you meant grounding the DC from negative bus.
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Almot
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05/23/12 06:38pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: AC/DC Frame Grounding. Need help.
Finally, Ive seen a few guys out there (in forum-land) that are happily using their trailers with no ground cables to the frame at all.
DC circuit doesn't need ground in order to work, as long as all the negatives are connected to each other. Ground is a safety measure. Those guys might get themselves killed one day.
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Almot
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05/23/12 03:34pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Eternabond
trailernovice
... tells me that: a.) it's not necessary b.) it'll trap water if any water ever gets beneath the tape, and c.) any claim under the roof warranty may get kicked on grounds that the roof has been 'modified'....
thought i did the right thing by sealing the seams, but now not so sure....
From many reports, roof warranty doesn't seem to work well even if it wasn't modified. OTH, I only saw one report of damage when a TT was Eterna-d after one year and had water damage after 6 years. That brand went out of business already. Don't remember the details, i.e. whether the damage was caused or facilitated by Eterna tape itself.
Eterna tape should be painted over with a 1-part "liquid rubber" or 2-part "liquid roof", for better results.
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Almot
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05/23/12 02:04pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: COUNTERTOP EDGING
Cove molding, or hardwood quarter round, or shoe base. Caulk it and paint over. This is just a decoration, it doesn't protect anything. Caulk at the bottom protects the vulnerable edge of laminated counter from water ingress. Wall surface needs no protection, IMO.
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Almot
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05/23/12 01:46pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Travel trailer leak question ?
I just dont know how to guage how bad the damage is in the wall, maybe i will post a couple pic's for you guys...The luan does not seem soft, and does not bulge at all....its just two sections that are about a foot square...and each one has about 30 of those pimple like bumps.
Man, the only way to gauge the damage is to open the wall. Professional foam-testing is a good thing when you can't locate the source of leak or the trailer is new and you want to do preventive sealing. Open the walls, you have no other choice.
Now, how you do this - depends on the area. That front "cap" often has a piece of 1/2" plywood transition between the roof and the bottom part of the wall. There is no such plywood in side walls. That plywood may be damaged too - and to find this you need to remove the exterior aluminum siding. If you don't want to deal with the siding, then open just inside luan and see what you find.
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Almot
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05/23/12 01:35pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Starting the Solar Power System
You are going to need aluminum brackets for mounting the panels. The supplier probably didn't have any. Most supplies in solar stores are intended for solar homes, not RV. I don't remember which one - Solar Blvd or NAWS - had small Z-brackets for bottom-mounting. Alternatively, 2x2 aluminum angle pieces should work, check posts by HVAC here.
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Almot
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05/23/12 12:32pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Eternabond
303 was probably waste of money. The rubber is painted, this is a pretty good UV barrier already, and 303 will wash off after the first rainy season anyway. Like people noted, this stuff does interfere with adhesives like Eterna or liquid rubber, and needs to be removed from those areas.
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Almot
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05/23/12 12:11pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Travel trailer leak question ?
i am not sure how my trailer was built...I assume it goes the exterior aluminum, then luan, then insulation, then the interior paneling ?
In other brands (that I'm more familiar with) it goes like that: exterior aluminum, than wooden studs with voids filled with fiberglass "wool" insulation, and then laminated luan panel. There is no "luan" under the side wall normally - only on the inside. So when you take interior panel off, you expose the frame and voids with FG insulation, and let it dry.
But those rounded front walls of modern trailers are different.
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Almot
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05/22/12 04:52pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Anyone know if Costco is still selling Golf Cart Batteries?
Don't know what I was thinking about in the previous post.
Two 6V GC batteries 225 AH each = 225 AH capacity at 12V. To get the same capacity with 12V batteries, you need two 110V batteries at 12V at total cost at least $300. So, money-wise two 6V is a lot cheaper.
Not so much with RC, because two 12V batts in parallel will have 380-400 minutes RC, i.e. pretty close to 440 minutes of two 6V.
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Almot
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05/22/12 02:49pm |
Tech Issues
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