((Eagle/Fleet)) - Shell Amateur Build

[billharr]

Looking forward to seeing your flex panel, take lots of pictures when you do the install. What charge controller are you going to use?

Bill

 

[billharr]

Thought you might have got a larger controller so you could use both panels. I am thinking about a 25 or 30 amp SunSaver controller. If I put 100 on the roof I can still plug in the 120 amp panel.


Bill

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Had the Trimetric TM2030-RV installed today. Click on the link to check out the pictures.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Monitoring out put:

Sure power separator

Drove truck yesterday battery shows full.
Drove it this morning- battery still full - Shut off truck for about 5 minutes.

Re-started it - Checked the Trimetric. - Charging amps 2.5...slowly going down to point 8 amps.
That tells me Sure-power has increased the resistance to reduce the volts into the battery. Confirming "Sure Power " is working.

9/10/14
Turned on the Refer yesterday afternoon and recorded the following in last 24 hours:

Refer = 1.5 amps per hour net ****

Fant Fan = Low 1 amp, Medium 2 amps, High 3 amps

5 ea LED's in incandescent fixtures .(point) one amp per bulb - 5 bulbs = .(point) 5 amps. (half one amp)

12 volt outlets
charging a plane battery today, avg hourly current draw - point.75 amps net

Battery Doc 1.25 amp(spec rating) charger/maintainer (shell-shore power). Actually produces 1.1 charging amps Plugged this in last evening after the percent of full dropped to 95%. At 7 am "Bat Doc" had increased the percentage full to 98. Unplugged shell-shore power.

9/10/14 Drove truck to flying field
Battery 98% of full Alternator voltage 13.6. Amperage 5.1 at idle 1,000 rpm. Didn't monitor amperage over time
Truck has been on and off all day - Refer still running.
Time now 5pm..refer still running...engine off 5 hours ...Percent of charge 95.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

I deleted a couple of my responses as they no longer apply.

Bill - am replacing the Morningstar 10L with a 20 L as you suggested.

Added new chapter heading "Batteries and compressor refrigerators" to my original post with links to summarize this weeks discussion on battery monitors and bendable panels
to help the new prospective buyer wade through all this information.

Added a new picture under the "couch" section.

If it doesn't read properly, make a suggestion and I will fix it.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Installed the Renology panel on roof page two with pictures.

Installed MorningStar 20L charge controller and programmed the Trimetric.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Click on link to view Trimetric Data page 2

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Am re-ordering the build out as we have more experience with Eagle.As you read through this post I have scattered Field reports on the various subjects - battery, solar, battery monitoring, electrical, fuses, "How to's" with links to the appropriate posts by others and myself.

We created a new topic "Field Reports" That will be on the top of the page so that the "old" reader doesn't have to wade through the entire piece yet the new researcher has all the information at their finger tips.

I am updating the entire post. Streamlining the information with links to other posts. As a research tool it will get better.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Nov 18th 2014
Field Report

Camped engine off 7 nights Saline Valley. Air Temp High 40's to mid 80's. Cloudless sky. Camper in full sun all day. Used the fan, LED lights, charged the IPAD and plane batteries.

Trimetric - "percent of full readings" range 87% morning to 98% when sun set behind the mountains at 4pm. Time in shade 13.5 hours. Sunrise 6:30 am

We brought the 60 watt portable....Left it in the truck. 100 watt roof panel more than up to the task of running the refer and charging the batteries.

Ice cubes: ice cubes stored in 1 QT container in fridge lasted 6-1/2 days - new record.!!

 

[DrJ]

Jim,
You've reached solar nirvana!
It's pretty fantastic when everything works like it should.
Once you reach this point- there is no going back!

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

I agree Dr.J, I am loving the whole system because it all works !!!

Now I have a new project to keep me busy .....

1988 Suzuki Samurai 4WD. A "little" dirty after climbing a 7,000 foot high pass on the Waucoba-Saline Valley Road east of Big Pine, CA. (2015)

More pictures in "My Gallery" under "Tow Behinds. Light 4WD with transfer case. Great for exploring old buildings and mines. Only weighs 2,000 pounds. Easy tow behind a V6 Tacoma with trailer package (3.73 rear gear ratio). Used prices start at $2,500 for a worn-out version to about $ 10,000 for a mechanically reliable turn key vehicle that passes Calif Urban smog requirements.

2017 Update

Second picture is before towing it 70 miles in a dust cloud, and after I replaced all the worn out parts: Radiator, water pump, hoses, coolant, fan belts, Timing chain, shocks and "old man emu" leaf suspension. The new leaf springs gave it a 3 inch lift because the body doesn't weigh enough to depress the springs. At about 2100 pounds it will go anywhere off road, especially after installing a PetroWorks skid plate under the transfer case.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Added a Misc section -

and added a link under "Thermal pack" to the post by "Ski3pin" in Nov 2011 on his excellent
article on making a "Home-made" thermal pack. for under $150. Click on the link.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Field Report
Saline Hot Springs Trip

On our recent trip to the springs I spent 7 nights engine off. The roof solar ran the Engle compressor fridge, charged the plane batteries and charged the battery. The Trimetric battery monitor showed the charge percentage range 84% - 95% with 14 hours of darkness per day.

Never used the portable solar. Average charging amps 2.5. Sun a little higher in the sky. Driving home the alternator easily charged the battery to 100%.

So I am really happy with Renology solar and the Trimetric.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Field Report

In March the sun is higher in the sky. I covered the panel under the carport and ran the fridge until the battery was down to 80% full. Parked the truck in full sun checked the Trimetric reading - panel now producing 3.5 charging amps with no load (fridge off). took 7 hours to charge it back to 98% before the sun went behind the hill.

Note: When battery get to 90% full, charging amps drop to " pt 9 - 1.1" . Volts increase to 14.2 (AGM battery) which tops it off.

Engle fridge draws avg of 1.5 net amps per hour. Rounding it off to 2 amps means one 80 amp hour battery with 40 usable amp hours will run for 20 hours before needing to be charged.

Conclusion:
So far I only need one 100 watt panel running at 60% efficiency in wintertime

Recommendation:
If your average night amp draw is higher than 3 amps and you have more than 14 hours of darkness per day you should have 2 batteries and 2 - 100 watt panels on the roof.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Field Report

Bendable solar panel

....... has been on for almost 9 months and 5,000 miles. Checking the contact it is just as secure as when installed.
Silicone wire wrap holding up well. No blistering. The bendable panel rides the roof "ripple" well.

We have not used the 60 watt aluminum frame backup since installation.

Nest step is summer camping in the mountains.

 

[Timothy McGowen]

Thanks for the update Jim.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Your welcome Timothy. Have you found a way to "get on board".?

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Updated the bed picture under Misc.
The cut down mattress (allows for fitted queen size sheets)
and small 3x12 containers works well.
Now we have a pocket on either side of the mattress to securely place the iPAD and Nook to prevent damage while sleeping..

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Camper batteries have a useful life just like regular car batteries.
Exide AGM deep cycle batteries (supplied with all new Four Wheel Campers) are guaranteed for 2 years from Four Wheel plus a year (from Exide).

Click on link to the Post "Battery age affects charging (trickle or solar)"


And added the following update on Renogy flexible solar panels:

As of August 2015 Renogy has removed their flexible panels from their website due to repeated failures until such time the problem is rectified. Mine continues to work fine so I am in the lucky "published 95%" of working panels.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

First Edit

Field Report Sept 8, 2015
Performed a 10 hour LOAD TEST to make sure battery and solar panel were working smoothly together.

Updated the Battery section on the original post.




Field Report Sept 2 2015

Bought a 79 amp hour - HD Deep Cycle AGM from East Penn Manufacturing.
Group 24M Model 8A24M."Intimidator" Click on the link to see the specs.

Added the Field report under Battery in the "Electrical" section on the original post.


Today
When the technician removed the old battery from the case - the make was the "Intimidator" by East-Penn Manufacturing NOT the Exide.

Evidently for whatever reason Four Wheel decided to switch from them to Exide sometime between May 2012 and now.

Glad I'm sticking with the product I have had good luck with for 38 out of 40 months.