The Ultimate DIY thread - Ubuilding (Pics)
Hey all, There is another, albeit smaller, side to this whole RV thing - those crazy folks who build their own for whatever reason. Whether you've scratch-built it from the ground up, assembled a kit...
Forum Discussion
Thx for checking in, westy.
Interesting that you bring up the solar...
With the solar kit I've got, I was using it for about a year to make my toast and coffee in the morning in the old house - not because I had to, but to prove its practicality.
My work (marine mechanic) gives me access to an almost unlimited supply of old outboards with blown powerheads. A pet project that's been rolling around in the mad-scientist area of my brain (the wackybellum ?) is to convert an old outboard to electric. On my bench right now is an old 1968-ish Kiekhafer 39 (4hp Merc) that is getting a motor from an electric bike. It's a 'prototype' for a bigger one using an electric car motor and a 150hp donor motor. The trick is to keep the original cowl so it all looks like a classic motor.
Most folks around here run their boats from our marina for 10-15 minutes to the cabin where it sits for a week. Then they run it back to its slip where it sits until next time they come up from town. That's an ideal usage curve for electric and solar panels will have plenty of time to put the amps back into the battery between visits.
But I digress...
Your comments about solar are exactly why I want to put them onto hinged panels. That way I can secure them to the roof racks under the boat for longer trips and set them up wherever I need to in camp. I don't anticipate needing them for weekend trips since I have 200 A*h of battery and very little draw (mostly just LED lighting).
As you pointed out, being on the BC coast is pretty tight country so you do have to pick your spots. You know the old saying about finding north by which side of the tree the moss is thickest on ? That doesn't work here because it's carpeted all the way around the tree, lol. Even still, you can always find a patch of sunshine...though it's not usually where the trailer is, so portable panels might be the better way to go anyway. Fortunately I have power where it's parked now so I can leave the charger on while it's parked, which was one of my motivations for roof-mounted panels.
It looks like tomorrow I'm ordering the ball studs for the gas spring for the hatch so I can sort out the geometry before I start framing in the galley cabinets. I'll order the door handles at the same time. This weekend will be eaten up installing the EPS foam insulation inside the cabin.
I hear you on the relationship thing: happy wife = happy life. While camping solo is great and is something everyone should do, it's also great just to have my own crash pad when I'm camping with buddies.
I like having a tent to myself and a tiny trailer insures I'll get to keep that :)
I don't know how often I'll update, but at the very least I'll get some pics of the first trip.
Interesting that you bring up the solar...
With the solar kit I've got, I was using it for about a year to make my toast and coffee in the morning in the old house - not because I had to, but to prove its practicality.
My work (marine mechanic) gives me access to an almost unlimited supply of old outboards with blown powerheads. A pet project that's been rolling around in the mad-scientist area of my brain (the wackybellum ?) is to convert an old outboard to electric. On my bench right now is an old 1968-ish Kiekhafer 39 (4hp Merc) that is getting a motor from an electric bike. It's a 'prototype' for a bigger one using an electric car motor and a 150hp donor motor. The trick is to keep the original cowl so it all looks like a classic motor.
Most folks around here run their boats from our marina for 10-15 minutes to the cabin where it sits for a week. Then they run it back to its slip where it sits until next time they come up from town. That's an ideal usage curve for electric and solar panels will have plenty of time to put the amps back into the battery between visits.
But I digress...
Your comments about solar are exactly why I want to put them onto hinged panels. That way I can secure them to the roof racks under the boat for longer trips and set them up wherever I need to in camp. I don't anticipate needing them for weekend trips since I have 200 A*h of battery and very little draw (mostly just LED lighting).
As you pointed out, being on the BC coast is pretty tight country so you do have to pick your spots. You know the old saying about finding north by which side of the tree the moss is thickest on ? That doesn't work here because it's carpeted all the way around the tree, lol. Even still, you can always find a patch of sunshine...though it's not usually where the trailer is, so portable panels might be the better way to go anyway. Fortunately I have power where it's parked now so I can leave the charger on while it's parked, which was one of my motivations for roof-mounted panels.
It looks like tomorrow I'm ordering the ball studs for the gas spring for the hatch so I can sort out the geometry before I start framing in the galley cabinets. I'll order the door handles at the same time. This weekend will be eaten up installing the EPS foam insulation inside the cabin.
I hear you on the relationship thing: happy wife = happy life. While camping solo is great and is something everyone should do, it's also great just to have my own crash pad when I'm camping with buddies.
I like having a tent to myself and a tiny trailer insures I'll get to keep that :)
I don't know how often I'll update, but at the very least I'll get some pics of the first trip.
