SeaDawg

Probably true.. Not for us. We pretty much live on solar everywhere--home, Ollie, boat. But, we've learned to manage power and water. Second nature, now. We don't have lithium yet. That would really expand our parameters. I keep studying. We probably have another 3 to 4 years on our Agm batteries.

JED, it gets really interesting if you read all the articles in the series, and the comments. If you really want the Aussie version, it's attainable. I'm really sad that our Aussie camping trip was not possible this year. Our friends in Tasmania only got out a few months ago. First year they'd spent the winter in Tassie in almost 20 years. 2020, is what it is.

I suspect it's a bit more complicated to do b2b/ dc to dc, as it requires modification to the tow vehicle as well? Oliver can warrant their own production, but modifying your truck, with current electronics, is another story. (My costco store won't even install batteries, anymore. Just sells them in the automotive store. Probably for the same reason.) In a van conversion, it's all in one. Short distance, one vehicle involved? Just for more reading material, I found this great article about adding dc to dc/ b2b capability to a 2016 Ford f150, employing an aussie version of the redarc uniy John Davies discovered. Comes with this warning: Disclaimer: Mistakes in the electrical system can cause fire, injury or even death. If you have any doubts about working with electricity in your RV, consult with a professional electrician. https://www.adventurousway.com/blog/rv-electrical-upgrade-part-3-dc-charger-truck-12v-socket Since I understand about 85 per cent of it on the first read, I'll let you guys poke holes. Especially in light of newer vehicles. 😁😁😁

Reminds me of one campground we stayed at in the Yukon. They had an electrified bear fence around the tent camping area... (Congdon creek, yt. Free firewood. $12 a night, Canadian. Beautiful spot, but keep your campsite clean and clear.)

I'm really sorry to read your list of troubles. Most items should have been sorted out before or at delivery . The single axle should not make noises. Ours doesn't, even after 100,000 miles. I'm sure Jason and his crew will get it all sorted out, but it's disheartening, I'm sure.

Hey, and welcome, from Florida. So very happy that everything worked out for you!

I'm about number 250,000. Might get a bump as Tesla owners. We'll see. I'm waiting to see the final size. Make sure it fits in the garage. It will be much bigger than my 2005 Silverado, I'm sure.

I am really glad this topic is once again being discussed. After we finish the Oliver install (upgrading the panels), we've been thinking about an additional panel on the outriggers of the radar arch, where we would have far fewer shade issues. I was looking at a fixed high wattage single panel, from a different manufacturer. I'm rethinking this solution, as adding another controller won't likely be easy. And, we have plenty of room on the Victron controller for a 300 watt panel of similar voltage. We'll see. More time to think. One install at a time.

I remember reading in a number of places that mppt vs. pwm was not a big deal in efficiency in small installations. I do suspect the marginal gain of an mppt controller is most important to those of us who live on solar, and stay put for more than a few days at a time at unserviced campsites. The availability of service for Zamp probably drives Oliver's selection of Zamp as their product. All the big manufacturers use Zamp. And, it's well built and reliable, from what I've read.

On the boat, with six x 100w panels on the hardtop Bimini, Paul compromised. Each two panels are wired in series, then all three strings in parallel. The two panels in series were selected by likeliness of being shaded at the same time. But then, we have all those shading obstructions, mast, boom, and, underway, sails. The Victron equipment has been great. We haven't had to plug in since the install, and even when the alternator failed in the last trip, the batteries were always charged.

John, I knew that I had read some info on shading and series vs parallel when we were trying to determine best setup for our 6 x 100 watt panels on the boat. This set of tests is 4 years old, but probably still relevant. https://www.altestore.com/blog/2016/08/wiring-shaded-solar-panels/#.X8UsyWlOkwA

I seem to remember that John Davies installed a caframo fan. I'll see if I can find the post for you. I'd probably recommend a pair of Caframo Sirocco II fans if I were in your situation. The Sirocco model has been around for decades, highly rated by users, and tested and recommended by Practical Sailor. The Sirocco fan does not have a remote, but it has a timer with three settings, and moves a lot of air for .38 amps on high. It can fold up and out of the way when not in use, and offes 360 degrees of directional airflow adjustment. Mounting hardware included. https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-maintenance/product-update-facnor-fx-furler-caframo-scirocco-ii-and-more

A few photos, and a video of the fan running. We had a good rain this morning, so I could check for leaks. Everything looks good. 20201129_124314.mp4

We installed the maxxair dome plus yesterday. Since Paul had already removed the old ventline and cleaned up the caulk on the roof, the install took less than an hour. (Would have been even less, but I inadvertently dropped the four screws for the interior trim ring into the shell and turf blocks where we park the trailer. Took a good five minutes to find them.) We bench tested the fan and light in the workshop before installing. It is indeed much quieter than the old ventline and the led light is very, very bright. The screen is indeed removeable from the inside for cleaning, but requires removing four tiny screws to do so. The handle for opening and closing is much beefier (our first ventline handle cracked), and it has a button to release. That motion is a bit sticky. The interior trim ring is almost 3/4 inch deeper, to accommodate the light, which might be important to taller people. I don't know about the trim ring on the unlit fan. We bedded the van with grey butyl tape before Paul fastened the screws. He added some extra at the curve of the hull. We'll run a bead of caulk around the ring when we do some other caulking. We did need the provided extension tube to reach through the two hulls. Paul cut it to length. We were able to use the original rough opening, without enlarging it, though it was very tight. The trim rings are larger in diameter than the ventline, so all original screw holes are covered . Maxxair provides a real gasket to seal the opening dome to the unit when closed, much superior to the foam weatherstripping of the Ventline. The unit itself is all plastic, but a thicker guage than the Ventline, and everything is white, inside and out. Hopefully, the quiet operation will last. I've read some reviews that the fan became louder with months of operation. We'll see. I ordered ours from rvupgrades. The price for the fan with light was just $4 more than amazon price for the fan without the light. Free shipping on $99 or more, so I bought a new water filter cartridge instead of paying $10 shipping. Sherry

I did some reading on this today, as we're thinking about adding more solar to the boat next year, but a different type of panel. Concensus seems to be exactly what Overland described above. This article was fairly straightforward, with diagrams. https://solarpanelsvenue.com/mixing-solar-panels/

The Elite battery tray is much smaller in the Elite. Battleborn states that they have a direct replacement for group 27 batteries on their website, which is what we have in our Elite. I'd check the dimensions on Battleborn's site, and ask your sales rep on Monday to be sure of the dimensions. The LifeBlue batteries that Oliver is installing on LE 2 units are too big for the le 1 tray. We don't have Zamp, so I can't help you there. Ask your rep on Monday which Progressive Dynamics charger is in today's Elite, and if it has the lithium charging capability.

Back in the day, we were cautioned about adding in panels of varying sizes/wattage and different manufacturers. Back then, controllers only recognized the least of the panels' input. I'm not totally sure how this works, today . We've done three solar installations, all the same panels, within each install.

It does snow, occasionally, around Hohenwald . Not likely for your pickup time. Not even sure if chains would be allowed . Chains, in the us, are primarily required in high elevation/ mountain passes.

Poking around, I ran across this deal on amazon, on the Renogy 100ah lfp smart battery. It's about 100 dollars less than the black Friday price on the renogy site. Can't say that I'd recommend, because I have no experience with renogy, and amazon reviews are mixed. Will prowse did a tear down awhile back. Renogy uses pouch cells, but very securely cased, and a ul listing. Us based company. At 6.29 an amp hour, it's definitely a great price. Whether it's a great value, I don't know.

That does look really nice.

That's a nice area. Plenty of places to visit. BTW, there's a high speed ferry that leaves Ft. Myers beach early in the morning for the Florida keys. It's a pretty ride, in good weather. A short day in key west, and you can come back the same day. Or book a hotel or bnb and come back another day. Right now, holiday pre-purchase vouchers are $99 round trip/pp. A significant savings. The ferry (key west express) is really nice. The ride alone is worth the price. A few hours in key west is a bonus.

I'd still recommend trying to make some reservations for Florida. The Canadians probably won't be here, as they usually are, but March is a very busy time in Florida campgrounds. Especially if you want to visit the highlights. St. Augustine, the Florida keys, etc . Our local favorite, Fort Desoto Park, is usually booked solid in March. The panhandle will likely have more availability, but it's still cold (to me.) In March

We're working on several projects now. Solar panel replacement, vent fan, a few others All of our parts have been or on tracking to be delivered in a timely manner (a week or less, standard ups delivery). Even with Thanksgiving holiday.

Here you go:

Welcome to the forum! March will be here before you know it. I'd be tempted to get the hybrid, personally, for the price difference. We had a long discussion on this when the 2021 was announced. I'll try to find it for you. In the meantime, plenty of new folks here since that discussion! Happy Thanksgiving!