Category: Modifications

Solar Modification Pt. 2

It’s been incredibly hot this week in Victoria.  We have more days than I’d like to remember above 40 and I’m so glad I was able to complete this job before the heat hit.  In fact the amount of sun we are getting is powering up the battery perfectly.  I just wish I had the van out camping to give the setup a good run. Anyway onto part two of the install.

I did this in two steps.  I mounted the panels to the roof first.  I used a whole tube of Sikaflex 252 to ensure they aren’t going anywhere.  That stuff is amazing and should do the job.

A couple of days later we took the plunge and drilled through the roof into one of the wardrobes.

I drilled a 1 mm pilot hole so we could make sure that it was going to go exactly where we wanted it to go.  The wardrobe has a “channel” that the cable could run down and never been seen or get in the way.  

As always measure twice and cut once.  We confirmed we had the correct spot but I needed to cut away quite a bit of the original silicone in order for the cable entry box to fit snugly. 

Then it was just a matter of drilling the large hole through the roof.  As always it’s a little daunting drilling into your van but we had made sure it was the right spot.

Cable entry

The cables were inserted in the entry box and threaded through the hole in the roof.  We then ran the cables all the way to the battery and connected it to the battery so that we didn’t need to move them any further and we could silicon up the entry box.

I again used another heap of sikaflex to ensure no leaks and no movement of the entry box.  Placing a brick on top of the box also ensured that while the silicon cured it didn’t move.

Brick Weight

The next day the brick was removed and the cables tied and clipped to the roof to make sure it was all neat.

Cabling

The two 50w panels mounted on the roof.

Fitted Panels

All up it cost less than $150 to put our panels on the roof.  Obviously we already had the panels and we had the REDARC BCDC 40A unit which has solar input.  I am very happy with the result and it’s keeping the battery completely full.  Within one day the REDARC unit had gone from Boost, through absorption and is now constantly on float.

Due to the REDARC unit being able to convert a lower voltage to a higher voltage it starts charging the battery a lot earlier in the day and stays charging later in the day.  I really don’t think we will ever need to increase the size of the panels.

Now I want to add another battery to the system. Ssshhhhh….don’t tell the better half. 

Advertisement

Solar Modification Pt. 1

A couple of years ago we purchased an Evakool folding solar panel.  It’s a 100 watt panel with decent cables (connected to anderson plugs) and is very well built.  It has been a great panel and has got us out of a couple of sticky situations in its time.  I liked the fact I could position it in what ever direction i needed to get the battery charged.

I was always a bit concerned about roof mounted panels and how good they work if they were in shade etc but a friend of ours mounted his solar panels on the roof of his van and they are performing much better than I expected.

After recently installing a Redarc 12v BCDC 40 Amp battery charger in the van I’ve decided that it was time to mount a solar panel on the roof.

The combination of both devices would be more than enough to keep us topped up with power as we don’t tend to use heavy power consumption devices in the van.  

I decided to dismantle the folding panel and mount it to the roof as I think 100 watt will still be ample for us.  

The BCDC unit is designed to boost low voltages going into it from the solar panels into decent charging voltages for the battery so we should get more “daylight” hours from the panels.  We also don’t tend to stop for days on end at free camps so we shouldn’t need a huge power station setup on the roof.  We charge from the vehicle as we travel so we usually arrive with a full battery.

So with all these things considered, out with the tools and a new setup is born.

I pulled apart the folding panel removing hinges, latches. legs and handles.  I removed the solar regulator as the BCDC has it’s own built in regulator so no need for the panel mounted one.  The wiring was disconnected and then I was left with two 50 watt panels.

I used Sikaflex 252 to mount the brackets to each side of the panels.  The brackets are made from aluminium angle and I placed a block of wood under each so that I didn’t need to worry about measuring the gap.  Each bracket was glued into place and then three screws to hold it ensure its not going anywhere.

Mounting the Brackets

I then wired and mounted an Anderson plug to each panel so they can be easily plugged into when I run the cables into the van.  This may also give me options down the track to use the panel regulator elsewhere and plug something directly to a panel for an emergency.  It’s an option that may come in handy one day.

The panels ready for mounting on the roof

Ready to go on the roof.

Coming soon.  Solar Modification Pt. 2 – Mounting to the roof and wiring them to the BCDC charger.

Expander Peg Competition.

Today we are announcing our first ever competition. You have the chance to score for yourself a 6 piece set of expander pegs. 1362868733.jpg We are going to give away a set of these to five lucky followers of our blog.

The pack consists of two of each size that the expander pegs come in – 2 x 25cm, 2 x 30cm and 2 x 35cm. Expander Pegs Perfect for pegging down each end of your caravan awning.  You will have three different sizes to use dependent on soil type of weather conditions.

25 cm Expander Peg – Ideal for Small to Medium Tents in firm substrates

30 cm Expander Peg – Suitable for Medium to Large Tents in Firm Substrates or Small to Medium in Loose Substrates ( Sand, Silt etc.. )

35 cm Expander Peg – Ideal for Medium to Large Tents in Loose substrates ( Sand, Silt etc.. ) Maximum Depth Penetration

When you get a set of these expander pegs you will never need to be concerned again about pegs coming out of the ground when the wind picks up. We’ve been using these pegs for awhile now and in fact we replaced all our old pegs with the expander pegs.

I’ve never needed to pack up our awning in strong winds since as the pegs just don’t move.  They stay in the ground every time.

You can see the review I did awhile ago about these pegs.

All you need to do is be following our blog and add your details below by the 15th December so we can get them out to you by Christmas.

Don’t forget you must also be following our blog to be included in the random draw. There is a button at the top right hand side of our HOME page to follow us.

We wont use your details for anything but to contact you if you win and send out your prize.

Expander pegs have donated the pegs for this competition.  We love their product and are more than happy to spread the word.

Expander Pegs Review.

“I’m excited” was the catch cry of Big Kev and I’m going to echo his cry with this product.

I like to change and improve things often but I always do a great deal of research into the things I purchase. I like to simplify my life where possible and make things comfortable.

Last year I stumbled across this product. The simplicity of the design and the HUGE improvement to the original had me wondering why hadn’t this been thought of before.

[Expander Pegs.](http://expanderpegs.com/)

They have two legs that you put your rope between and squeeze together. Then you drive them into the ground like a (sub)standard peg.

The great part is they can’t spin out. They grab the ground and don’t pull out. They just do the job a peg is supposed to do.

I have replaced every peg we own with these and the best part is they are not expensive.

If you want to never worry about a peg coming out again and you want to hold that awning down in big winds then do yourself a favour. Get your hands on these. You’ll never regret it.

They come in three different sizes, 25mm, 30mm, 35mm.

Check out the expander pegs website for places you can buy them.

Get yourself well grounded and relax on your next trip not needing to hammer pegs in all weekend.

%d bloggers like this: