Sometimes small systems are plenty
Friday my wife suddenly got the urge to camp. Immediately. All the TT has is the original Group 24 battery, 5w solar to maintain it and a 700w/1500w inverter I've never even run under significant l...
Forum Discussion
HiTech wrote:
O&S,
When I was a Boy Scout we want in canoes down class 5 rapids 100 miles along the Shenedoah with all our camping gear. When it did not kill us, being kids, we made camp, dragged the canoes back above the rapids and did it again. I think the only electric devices we had were flashlights.
My Opa lived with the Menonites. They taught him to blacksmith and he taught me a few of the basics as a teenager.
Fun then, but I would miss my air conditioning now. I think modern day Amish would be equivalent to living without 200 amp service and 100mb Internet. Yes this may be most of us, But gig Internet is becoming mainstream very quickly.
So to the original topic. I left the little interstate SRM 24 running the Travel Trailer parasitic loads from Sunday to today (almost exactly 72 hours). Voltage was 12.76v under load with no solar boost. This is one perky little battery (84 amp hours). Others I have start lower than that as a fully charged rest voltage. The high voltage makes me think high specific gravity, which will mean a short but spectacular life in these local temps. But I still cannot help but admire the little battery's gumption. If I ever get a good calibrated hydrometer I may try tropicalizing it.
Interstate SRM-24
Jim
Jim
Nice post and just the info' I needed for a cabin trial run with one batt. Need to find some use for the extra 120w/24v panel I have on hand.
Now, here is the deal for me. I've been put on this idea of "small is better". To much extra baggage on hand. I had a MH on Canyon lake I was not using. So put a sign on the rig with the Golf Club car. Sold it the next day. I even want to down size more and sell the 5th wheel we use as a condo on the Gulf Coast. With it's two A/Cs:B My wish list now has at the top 'One small travel van of some kind' Cover the top with PV panels.
I see Honda sells in India, the EX650. The one now selling on EBay looks kinda ragged. Anyway, for help with the PV panels is a big question. If perhaps any help is needed. One new day might bring adventure like we had as kids. I'm just an older 'big kid', so said the DW.
O&S
