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Comment by Kevin F Smith on March 18, 2019 at 12:27pm

Just three more weeks until we are back on the road...this time to a small Faire in Utah for the month of May.  It is our first time doing that faire, so it should be a fun adventure...especially since we are building stock for the show here in Arizona, so we won't have to build any catapults in Utah.

So I went ahead and ordered a torque multiplier kit off of Amazon for my lug nuts on the RV in case we get a flat...the lug nuts on this Oshkosh chassis are torqued to around 500lbs, so it is a necessity!  50 bucks delivered, and it comes with the necessary sockets...SWEET!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BGQYN9L/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_t...

The rest of this week, in addition to building catapults, I'll be running the wires the rest of the way to my power compartment, and then tying them into the charge controller, etc.  I'll install the two new batteries either this week, or sometime over the next 2 weeks.

Kev

Comment by Kevin F Smith on March 16, 2019 at 10:58am

Because I have four 100W panels up on the roof, and they all tie into a junction box, and then the 4 gauge wire comes down from the roof to the charge controller.  Not only will the 4 gauge pretty much eliminate any voltage drop, but it will also allow me to add more panels to the roof in the future if we decide we need more.

Kev

Comment by richard nance on March 16, 2019 at 10:02am

why did you use four guage wire?twelve should have been adiquate.ten for distance.just wondering.

Comment by Kevin F Smith on March 14, 2019 at 9:47pm

The solar panels and mounts are installed on the roof, and the 4 gauge wire is fed down the fridge vent, and coiled up neatly on the porch!

 :D :D :D :D :D

I have to spend all day tomorrow finishing up catapults and ballista for the weekend, so I'll finish the cable routing next week, and wire in the panels and charge controller, etc.

On a side note, the Chemlink M-1 adhesive I used on the solar panel mounting feet was messy...but cleaned up off my hands with just soap and water.  I hope it is as strong as they suggest!  I did use stainless screws on the feet as well though, to play it safe.

I'll try to get around to posting pictures soon!

Kev

Comment by Kevin F Smith on March 13, 2019 at 9:24pm

So it was WAY too windy today to install the solar panels, so I did some other projects instead.

First, I installed the brand new Smittybilt 9500lb winch on the Jeep Cherokee's winch bumper. I wasn't going to buy one yet, but it was on a flash sale for 250.00 delivered!

Then I took off the propane regulator and hose, and brought it all down to the RV dealer to match everything up to buy and install an Extend-A-Stay. Because it moved the regulator over a good 5 inches, I had to buy a longer new hose as well. I bought a new regulator while I was at it, some yellow propane teflon tape, and then had to buy a new hose that connects a grill type propane tank to the Extend-A-Stay fitting (I must have left the one I had in the old RV). I reused the fittings off the old propane regulator, and then checked it all for leaks. All good!!!

So for the Extend-A-Stay tee setup, the new regulator, the tape, and both hoses, I walked out of the RV dealer 120.00 poorer. Not too shabby though for all those parts at a dealer! I don't think I could have done much better online.

Tomorrow I'll be mounting the solar panels, and then running the wires down to the compartment. If I can get that much done tomorrow, I'll have plenty of time for everything else we want to do before we leave.

Kev

Comment by Kevin F Smith on March 13, 2019 at 9:23pm

I bought a spare tire rim for the Jeep, since we've been traveling without a spare since we got the Jeep a couple of years ago. We've been lucky so far, but no more relying on just luck after our winter fiasco...lol!

I'll be tinkering with more projects before we leave over the next 4 weeks as well, and I still have to pick up a torque multiplier to keep on hand with the proper sockets...just in case we ever get a flat on the RV (darn lug nuts on this Oshkosh chassis are torqued to around 500 lbs!).

Kev

Comment by Kevin F Smith on March 13, 2019 at 9:22pm

All four HQST panels arrived the other day. I took each one out of the boxes to inspect for damage, and then put them in the sun and tested the output voltage. All four read at 21 volts...SWEET!

We had student dayslast week, so I wasn't able to start the install process until this week.

I bought a few things to complete the project, including wire, connectors, adhesive, a waterproof junction box that will mount on the roof, new temperature and voltage sensor leads from Morningstar for our Tristar MPPT charge controller, and some other miscellaneous items...but nothing too expensive.

We'll have the new solar array sorted out, along with our new battery bank, before we leave here on our next trip up to Utah in April.

Kev

Comment by Kevin F Smith on March 1, 2019 at 2:17pm

So the guy I was going to buy 4 solar panels from (one 100W panel and three 90W panels) flaked out and wanted to charge me almost 2.00 a watt.  So I just ordered 4 brand new 100W HQST monocrystalline panels off of Amazon for 99.00 each with free 2nd day shipping.  The customer reviews look great! 

Kev

Comment by Kevin F Smith on February 25, 2019 at 10:51am

My new test leads for my Fluke should be here today, so I can troubleshoot and repair the furnace and the leveling jacks this week.

The roof basket for the roof of the Jeep came out great! I used the factory U-bolts that came with the rack to attach it to the factory roof rack...and then butted up my Yakima roof bars to the front and back of the basket, and used 8 more U-bolts I bought at Ace Hardware to attack the basket to the Yakima rack as well. It is now super strong and will easily hold the weight of the 33" spare tire. While I was at it, I figured out a neat way to install the Hi-Lift jack and my trail shovel to the rack basket sides that is strong, but also allows a quick release setup. It looks sweet! I'll take and post some pics soon. I also bought diamond plate armor for the rocker panels under the doors and for the bottom of the doors. I primed them last week, and today I'll be painting them flat black...and installing them sometime this week.

And that is it for now! We are going to take the pups out today to the local "ghost town" and then for a picnic. And of course a long walk.

Kev

Comment by Kevin F Smith on February 21, 2019 at 6:44pm

I got more stuff done.

I installed the light in the fridge. Why in the world was it optional? What kind of cheapo greedy idiots ARE Norcold to offer a fridge light as an option? Anyhow, it works great.

I also scored a roof rack basket (64x40) for the Jeep on the cheap...which is where the spare tire is going to go. I got it assembled in the workshop today, but it is cold and raining here, so installing it will have to wait.

I was going to troubleshoot the 12 volts going to the leveling jack control board and the furnace, but my negative lead on my Fluke died totally...so I ordered a new set of leads today and will fix the leveling jacks and furnace once they arrive.

It is raining cats and dogs here in Gold Canyon, AZ!  And MAN is it cold outside! 50 degrees, rainy and windy. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Kev

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