The Moonshine Motel (9 Viewers)
- Thread starter GLTHFJ60
- Start date
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Here’s a stupid question, during daylight hours, if the solar panels are charging the battery, would that cause it to get warm to some degree and how many degrees possibly?
- Thread starter
- #363
The battery has internal heaters so it can't ever get cold unless it is fully discharged.
Shaun you're right though, charging does introduce some heat, but the battery has those heaters, so with solar, it'll never get discharged and cold.
Shaun you're right though, charging does introduce some heat, but the battery has those heaters, so with solar, it'll never get discharged and cold.
- Thread starter
- #364
Work has begun again.
About the inverter: Wires aren't burnt, control board on the panel isn't burnt, looks like I got away pretty easy.
New battery home has been selected and mounts have been made. The cable route has been decided and new passages cut. Ran out of cable lugs or else I would have tested everything today. This week for sure.
About the inverter: Wires aren't burnt, control board on the panel isn't burnt, looks like I got away pretty easy.
New battery home has been selected and mounts have been made. The cable route has been decided and new passages cut. Ran out of cable lugs or else I would have tested everything today. This week for sure.
- Thread starter
- #365
Battery install completed:
Two 1awg wires for positive, two 1awg wires for negative, because that's what I had. This equals 300a of capacity, which matches the ANL fuse in the holder. Not enough for the max amperage that the battery can put out for a short duration, but it's more than enough for the continuous output:
Cover cleaned up and put back on. Lower cover was put on shortly after this.
Ta dah, it all switched on. HUGE relief. The new battery has a CAN connection to this GX display, so I can see battery stats here. SUPER effing nice upgrade.
Of note, the green cat5 cable there was something I ran for the battery CAN connection, but that was incorrect. The battery comes with it's own SOC gauge and integrated cat5 cable that is the CAN connection. It plugs into the back of the GX device here:
Moonshine Motel LED sign got a dimmer upgrade, so that we may bask in her warm green glow, not be blinded by it.
Sign looks uneven in this pic because of the rolling shutter in the phone and the PWM dimmer doing its thing. It's perfect in person.
Figuring out the awning is next. Stay tuned.
Two 1awg wires for positive, two 1awg wires for negative, because that's what I had. This equals 300a of capacity, which matches the ANL fuse in the holder. Not enough for the max amperage that the battery can put out for a short duration, but it's more than enough for the continuous output:
Cover cleaned up and put back on. Lower cover was put on shortly after this.
Ta dah, it all switched on. HUGE relief. The new battery has a CAN connection to this GX display, so I can see battery stats here. SUPER effing nice upgrade.
Of note, the green cat5 cable there was something I ran for the battery CAN connection, but that was incorrect. The battery comes with it's own SOC gauge and integrated cat5 cable that is the CAN connection. It plugs into the back of the GX device here:
Moonshine Motel LED sign got a dimmer upgrade, so that we may bask in her warm green glow, not be blinded by it.
Sign looks uneven in this pic because of the rolling shutter in the phone and the PWM dimmer doing its thing. It's perfect in person.
Figuring out the awning is next. Stay tuned.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #366
Awning largely survived the higway incident. Have a broken bracket and a broken lock/retract handle. Handle isn't a huge deal (annoying) but the bracket is bad news. Cast aluminum so I can't repair it.
Searching for parts now, or I might fabricate a new bracket entirely.
Also, not sure how, but the fabric popped out of the holder in the middle. Not sure how that happened.
Searching for parts now, or I might fabricate a new bracket entirely.
Also, not sure how, but the fabric popped out of the holder in the middle. Not sure how that happened.
My broken handle fix…cut down and welded on a sacrificial chinesium wrench as a makeshift lever. Holding well for 8 years now.
Hopefully you can find or make a replacement bracket.
- Thread starter
- #368
If it was just the handle that was broken, that's absolutely what I would do.
As it turns out, the brackets aren't sold separately, and I don't have time to fab a new one to my liking, so I ordered new. Fortunately the company sells the spring assemblies for my now 20 year old awning, because the awning I have is still made today.
www.carefreeofcolorado.com
New spring assemblies, which include the brackets and handle and everything I need to put it together, and they'll be here in a week or so. Nice little refresh for the old girl.
Part numbers:
Right hand spring r00925wht-a
Left hand spring r00923wht-a
As it turns out, the brackets aren't sold separately, and I don't have time to fab a new one to my liking, so I ordered new. Fortunately the company sells the spring assemblies for my now 20 year old awning, because the awning I have is still made today.
Fiesta - Carefree of Colorado
www.carefreeofcolorado.com
New spring assemblies, which include the brackets and handle and everything I need to put it together, and they'll be here in a week or so. Nice little refresh for the old girl.
Part numbers:
Right hand spring r00925wht-a
Left hand spring r00923wht-a
Yeah, the old Zip-Dee awning on my '74 is long out of production, so desperate times led to desperate measures. My fabric is a "newer" '90's Carefree Colorado. Carefree makes good fabric if you are concerned with yours pulling all the way out from the center. Once they start to let go, a little wind and rain will finish them quickly.
- Thread starter
- #370
This is on the airstream right? Cool name, lol.
I replaced the fabric a few years ago with one from Tough Top Awnings | High Quality RV Replacement Awning Fabric - https://www.toughtopawnings.com/ and it's been performing well. I'm assuming it fell out of the pinch seam because of the tension weirdness from the arm coming up, but we'll see. It's new enough it shouldn't be falling apart yet.
- Thread starter
- #371
New spring assemblies showed up yesterday which was awesome. Ordered the 9th, showed up the 15th, pretty dang good.
With that, the awning could be reassembled.
Major win.
In another update, @Hokie LX donated a sweet 10" sub for the motel as well. Thanks bro!! Gotta get an amp, but I might be out of time for that for this weekend's trip.
With that, the awning could be reassembled.
Major win.
In another update, @Hokie LX donated a sweet 10" sub for the motel as well. Thanks bro!! Gotta get an amp, but I might be out of time for that for this weekend's trip.
- Thread starter
- #372
Rockingham this weekend. Good to have the awning back.
So bad ass man! Awesome work and luxury!
Very nice! I wish I could have gone!
- Thread starter
- #375
Bringing the solar conversation back up to the top, going to try to get this knocked out soon. Decided to fit 6 panels up on top.
Panel Specifications:
Two real options:
I'm leaning towards the series/parallel setup because it saves $200, and I doubt I'll ever use the extra amperage capacity of the 250v/100a controller that I'd have to get because of the voltage. Efficiency hit would be minor I assume, going with the series/parallel setup vs the full series.
Anything I'm missing here or should I just go for the series/parallel system?
Panel Specifications:
- Rated Power: 250W
- Open circuit voltage (VOC): 37.6 V
- Max power voltage (VMP): 30.3 V
- Short circuit current (ISC): 8.85 A
- Max power current: 8.27 A
- Power Tolerance 0/+3%
- Maximum system voltage: 600V (UL)
- Fuse Rating: 15 A
- Weight: 41 lbs.
- Dimensions:64.95 × 39.05 × 1.37 in
Two real options:
- 6 panels in series (225.6 VOC, max 8.85 ISC)
- Amazon.com
250v/100a controller - $610
- Amazon.com
- 6 panel series/parallel setup (2 sets of 3 panels in series, paralleled together) (112.8 VOC, 17.7 ISC)
- Amazon.com
150v/70a controller - $415
- Amazon.com
I'm leaning towards the series/parallel setup because it saves $200, and I doubt I'll ever use the extra amperage capacity of the 250v/100a controller that I'd have to get because of the voltage. Efficiency hit would be minor I assume, going with the series/parallel setup vs the full series.
Anything I'm missing here or should I just go for the series/parallel system?
- Thread starter
- #376
Amazon.com ordered, 6 panel series/parallel setup we go.
And when you need more, you build a hinged frame and use panels as an awning. And they lay flat along passenger side of the trailer during driving.
Does this mean there won’t be a rooftop party deck??
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2012
- Threads
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- Location
- Winter Park, Florida
- Website
- www.cruisermatts.com
