7'*18' V-Nose Cargo Trailer Toy Hauler Conversion

[McDave]

Wow, a quart of water each sounds like a lot, right? I just have the one 125ah, but so far it's been tablespoons. I'm sure you exercise yours more often and deeper , too. With all the solar and inverter charge/discharge cycles, plus high ambient temps, you would expect some water loss/use. What does the area around the batteries look like? Any signs of corrosion from the off gassing? No signs of spillage? How about charge voltages/times and conditioning auto cycles?
I guess since this is a new system and this is some of the first data points, it is the norm.... on average.
Do you just let it run autonomous when at home, or plug into shore and let 12v/inverter/solar systems idle at ready state?
Keep us posted, I'm just learning about solar and I'm hungry for real life data.

McDave

Oh Ya, I meant to ask about the final opinion on the awning. Winner, winner, Chicken Dinner?

[flboy]

Wow, a quart of water each sounds like a lot, right? I just have the one 125ah, but so far it's been tablespoons. I'm sure you exercise yours more often and deeper , too. With all the solar and inverter charge/discharge cycles, plus high ambient temps, you would expect some water loss/use. What does the area around the batteries look like? Any signs of corrosion from the off gassing? No signs of spillage? How about charge voltages/times and conditioning auto cycles?
I guess since this is a new system and this is some of the first data points, it is the norm.... on average.
Do you just let it run autonomous when at home, or plug into shore and let 12v/inverter/solar systems idle at ready state?
Keep us posted, I'm just learning about solar and I'm hungry for real life data.

McDave

Oh Ya, I meant to ask about the final opinion on the awning. Winner, winner, Chicken Dinner?

McDave, No signs of corrosion or outgassing near the terminals. Since I never really knew the exact water level when I installed the batteries, other than it was higher than the plates, I am going to consider this fill the baseline and then figure out the usage from now. It has been ~11 months in any case and the water still was above the plates. I haven't went too deep at all with the discharges so far. I think I have just the right amount of battery capacity for my needs and the 500W of solar keeps it all going with the 345aH of batteries carrying the load after sundown. I will pull out the generator to top off the charge after sundown if the solar was not getting good sun all day, for whatever reason , and the battery bank is not at least at 75%.

I let the system run autonomously on solar power when parked at home . The Solar charge controller acts just like an RV DC Converter does in the way it charges. It has the Bulk, Absorption, Float, and the Equalize modes. It performs the equalize/condition every 30 days. The controller is programmable to the total bank aH and type of battery to really manage the Bulk and Absorption modes to prolong the battery life and not stress them.

The solar power system has been performing well. I have had some troubles with DC Breakers popping well before their rated capacities, but it was because they were poor quality... I spent some money on better branded products and now all seems good.

The awning is working out great. No problems at all. It deploys and retracts well. It still looks good... so after about six months of aging and 5 or 6 times usage, I'd say it is a keeper. I'd buy it again... If the Dometic or known name brands were in the ballpark on cost, I may have went with one... but at the time this awning saved me well over $200.. closer to $300 and I really don't see what I would have gained.

I did recently purchase an awning anchor kit which I have not tried yet. This will help with gusts of wind regardless of model.. I'll be trying that out this summer in the sudden storms that kick up before I get the chance to lower the awning.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Y ... UTF8&psc=1

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For me, based on the experience thus far.... winner winner and I just had a chicken dinner.

[flboy]

I took a few minutes this morning to do some minor things on the punch out list... I installed and wired up the front utility light so I can see to connect or disconnect at night. The light is also at the right height to shine into the bed of the truck when it is hooked up. I store a lot of stuff under the bed cover and can never see much in there without a flashlight.

I also went crazy with the label maker...



This is a good picture of the light and the electric jack I installed last weekend. Small improvements... but improvements nonetheless.



I love the chassis ground on DC systems. You just have to pull the 12VDC wire in. You can find ground on any metal stud which conveniently already has screws there. All you need is a washer and lug. It is always the right gage, and is free. You end up using half the wiring you would running separate grounds which is less to go wrong and less of a wire bundle at the home ground. In this case the wire was near 16' after I fished it from the switch down the length of the cabinet, under the trailer to gap the door, then back up into the bottom front cabinets, then back up the wall. Works great!



This is the main switch bank coming in the front door. I don't need the switches labeled.. but everyone else does. :-)



Labeled the items in the Electrical closet as well.

[McDave]

I love the label maker, I had so much fun with it I nearly broke it before I did anything constructive with it. The wife told me if she found one more label on her butt that said "Sugar Britches" she was taking it away. I haven't seen that in a while, come to think of it...hmmm. But hey, those look nice on there and could be helpful if you bump your head, or have a hangover or you just want the wife to stop asking "What does this one do?" ... ...just sayin'


McDave

PS. In pic 3, that must be the wiring for the new light? Is that in the lower cabinet? That would make sense, That is the same place I keep my self-grounding plywood....

[flboy]

I love the label maker, I had so much fun with it I nearly broke it before I did anything constructive with it. The wife told me if she found one more label on her butt that said "Sugar Britches" she was taking it away. I haven't seen that in a while, come to think of it...hmmm. But hey, those look nice on there and could be helpful if you bump your head, or have a hangover or you just want the wife to stop asking "What does this one do?" ... ...just sayin'


McDave

Or if I lend it to a family member or etc.. It will reduce their learning curve and having to flip every switch to remember what it does or be confused what all that stuff is in the electrical cabinet... there's a lot going on in there if you weren't the one that built it. It's not like this thing has an owner's manual. That's in my head which is a scary place.

[McDave]

That's in my head which is a scary place.

Man, I'm tellin ya', It's like A Clockwork Orange in here...who said that? See what I mean?

McDave

[McDave]

Or if I lend it to a family member or etc.. It will reduce their learning curve and having to flip every switch to remember what it does or be confused what all that stuff is in the electrical cabinet...

Wow. You'd lend that to a family member? I wanna be a family member. You got any more daughters?
Just kidding Don, I love you man. Maybe you could just adopt me?

Maybe?

McDave

[flboy]

Another convenience item on my"punchout list" list is an outside 110VAC power outlet. I want that for various reasons. I decided to not cut another hole in the side, but rather put a cable drop underneath the trailer and just pull out the cord when needed. I am going to install this under the dinette seat and tie into the new interior outlet I just put in the dinette booth seat base after I switch the installed outlet to a GFCI type (safety requirement). The cord (going to get a 25" one) will just coil up under the seat and if and when I need it, I'll just drop it out. It will get used mostly for the TV under the awning. I put in a cable jack during the build a while back and still need 110 VAC power also. As I have it set up, I'll just be able to pull the pin on the interior TV bracket, and bring it out and set it on the fender well and plug it in.


This will take a hole in the floor under my dinette seat, but I can see using that for other reasons too (feeding RG8 cable out for a temporary HF antennas when I am boondocking and want to talk over long distances with a G5RV wire antenna tossed up in the trees. ) :-)

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[flboy]

I think I may have found a solution for monitoring my BW and GW tanks since I don't have access to the sides to install sensors. I was going to build something like this, but it turns out you can buy them for about $55 each. I think I am going this route. They will work with the monitor panel I have also. Very nice assuming they work given no concerns for fouling.



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[flboy]

These LED's are amazing (especially for $19). They are waterproof, 16' long (can be trimmed) and the remote controller allows you to select a ton of colors and modes. So, now I just have to figure out the best way to mount these just under my awning rail (~13'). They will be good indirect lighting under the awning. They can be a bright white, but I like the KTM Orange...however, when the Mrs. is on board... they'll probably be Purple Just another item I had on the "punchout list' for final trim.

I did get some white only LEDs also for indirect lighting behind the ramp door spring cover/valance I made. I'll use a Dimmer controller that I got a while back for that one (thanks McDave for the tip) . I'll post a pic or two when I get them installed. It may be a few weeks since I am going out of town this weekend to drive a big Bus to Summer Camp in Alabama with the Youth Group.

[McDave]

Those LEDs are a bunch of fun. I love em'. I'm starting to use them in other places now. Turned a 60's era chevy hubcap into a clock with LED's backlit. Almost too nice for my shop, but I'm pretty sure she's not letting it in the house.

McDave

[lrrowe]

I think the campers that use the LEDs at night look sharp, especially the blue ones. They are on my list, but I have got to stop buying the cheap ones.

[flboy]

I think the campers that use the LEDs at night look sharp, especially the blue ones. They are on my list, but I have got to stop buying the cheap ones.

I agree they look nice. I guess I'll find out how reliable these are. I am going to connect them in such a way that replacement should only take minutes. I have a strip under some kitchen cabinets that I run 24/7 and they have run for 3 yrs so far. It is ussually the controllers on these that fail. We'll find out.. Gotta try it. ;-)

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[McDave]

Hey Don,
I thought I'd give you a shot or two of the new awning. I was waiting till I had some time using it, to check it out.
I may rework the mounting to lower it 1"-2" but it has to clear the door when open, so I put in some safety margin. I'm pretty damn impressed with the quality overall, and the customer service was incredible. The BEST I've ever had. There was some shipping damage, but it was handled Toot Sweet. Here's the real winner, $146.00 SHIPPED! Bingo.






McDave

[flboy]

Hi McDave. Glad you got your awning! $148.00? Wow that is a great deal. I am having a hard time seeing it well in the pics however. They are real blurry. I can't see the supports or etc. Did you end up with the Aleko?

Nice bikes too! Bet you are looking forward to hitting the road after the long cold winter. Enjoy!


Edit.... Home on my desk PC... I can see it better now. That is a different type awning... Looks like one made for a building? How is it in the wind? May want to get some anchors so it don't take off. It looks good though.

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