Search results

When you connect panels in parallel you want to match Vmp voltages. However, all you lose is a few watts if they differ by a volt or two, and most panels run between 16 Vmp and 19 Vmp. If you save more than about 10% on the price of the panel, you are ahead. The Zamp handles voltages from 15 Vmp...

You might need the longer bars, but the frame should raise the panel above the Yakima towers. When lifting the roof, the weight will be off center, but no heavier.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out panel placement on our Fleet. You should be able to mount a single large panel on the front passenger side of the Hawk, running lengthwise. You have about 40" width by the length of the roof. You can then go to a 24 V panel (and maybe 500 W to boot)...

I vacillated between rigid and flexible and finally went with 3 HQST 100 W flexible panels mounted with velcro. The velcro provides about a 3/16" gap and has held up just fine on several trips. I'm still concerned about heat so come summer, I'll have a small USB temperature logger (it normally...

A word of caution on Zamp. I have read that Zamp panels (do or did) swap + and - at the SAE roof connector. I replaced my roof SAE connector with an MC4 roof connector and did not pay attention to the Zamp polarity. The wiring in the roof is red for + and black for -. If you plan to keep the SAE...

We old dogs can learn new tricks, it just takes more time... Setting up Bluetooth with the Victron is relatively simple and Victron's instructions are pretty clear. Once setup, you just tap on the Victron App on your phone and you are looking at the controller information. If you have trouble...

I had the FWC roof rack and the Zamp on z bars screwed into the roof. A lot of work to take off, but I laid down 3 100 W HQST flexible panels with velcro. The velcro is on the sides and front, leaving an air gap and flow path. I've got a simple USB temperature logger that I will slide under a...

The Zamp controller is a PWM controller, which is not as efficient as an MPPT controller which is somewhat more important in the the less than ideal sun Pacific NW. The Zamp is also only 12 V nominal input, so multiple solar panels must be connected in parallel. When connecting panels in...

Running a 3-way fridge on DC is one of the easiest and quickest ways to kill your battery. DC is usually OK as long as your engine is running, but turn off the engine and forget to switch from DC to propane and ... one battery later, I installed a battery shutoff switch and ran on DC only on the...

The run from the truck battery to the DC-DC in my 2015 Fleet on a Ford Ranger took all of 25 ft of 8 AWG (50 ft round trip). With the factory 10 AWG, I had a lot of trouble with the Victron DC-DC starting to charge and then dropping out within a second or less. I wish I still had access to a...

rando, I have a DIY 280 Ah (thanks to you) with the Xiaoxiang BMS, so I can control pretty much everything.

Thanks rando. The reasons to get a Victron MPPT just keep adding up. I've got the 100/30. Really cold temperatures are not very common in the PNW, but they can get get down to -20' C / 0' F or so, especially east of the Cascades. If the battery goes below 1'C I can disable the DC-DC and run only...

rando, how are you limiting charge current to 0.1C? Is this a capability of your BMS or some other device?

When I installed my Fleet on my 2019 Ranger, I needed to raise the camper and I recall that a minimum 1/2" was recommended. 10 years ago I invested in TorkLift Derringer FastGuns and have never looked back. They are about $105 now, and you may only be able to use them on the front two tie downs...

Could it be your propane / CO sensor losing power? They should not lose power when you unplug from shore power, but I do know some of then beep when they loose power. There are just not many devices on an FWC that know how to beep.

How are you trying to charge the battery? If you have the SurePower isolator, the voltage drop to the dead battery may be too much to enable charging from your truck. A dead battery can look like a short to many battery chargers and they won't charge. Shore power, if you have not tried it, may...

To convert to 300W of flexible solar panels, I needed to remove the front FWC rack unit and the Zamp 160W solar panel. So how to remove and how to seal 24 screw holes.. I called FWC. They recommended WD-40 to loosen the caulk and use a plastic putty knife to lift the items from the roof. Clean...

We have the Wilson / WeBoost 4G omni-directional antenna and it has worked quite well. $51 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LW2KT4Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The apps Network Cell Info Lite and LTE Discovery are very helpful to find out which way to point a directional antenna. LTE Discovery also lists neighboring cells. Carriers play a number of games with cell towers. When load is high, they drop calls or don't connect to more distant cell phones...

In Power Supply Mode, the Orion DC-DC screen displays "Output voltage is kept constant and current limited to the configured values on the settings page". So maybe Victron will someday get "current" and display it.

We have used the Thetford for 15 years. We use a wag bag set in the bowl to poop when a cat hole latrine or public toilets are not available (or usable).. We only pee directly in the Thetford, no paper, so emptying it and rinsing it is easy and simple. You can buy the powder in bulk and the...

Vic, the Trans-Canada from Winnipeg through Timmins and onto Val d'Or in Abiti is an amazing trip. It's a longer trip, but consider making Bai e-ames / Radisson (and along the La Grande River) in the Quebec Far North, or Newfoundland your destination. Culturally, the Quebec North and Far North...

Not sure if the Tundra is similar enough to the Tacoma, but if so, a 14 mm ratchet wrench with the fist link of the crank will raise and lower the tire. This of course means crawling under the truck. We carried a "Sonny Takami" creeper - a large piece of cardboard.

Charlie, do you have photos? I've upgraded everything else, but I'm still looking for a good solution for semi-flexible panels. The current 160 W Zamp panel runs about 35 lb. I plan to replace it with 3 flexible panels but don't want the weight to be much more than 35 lb. We have front and back...

I was able to seat the flange but it took 3 or 4 tries at positioning the hose clamp (rotating it) so that the flange would seat and I could use the original mounting screws - there's framing close to the hole on two sides. I also connected about 10" of hose to drain away from the tailgate...