We have friends in their late 70s who still drive down to winter on the beach in the Yucatan. I have a friend I climbed with for 8 years in the 1970s who is still doing hard rock climbing at age 91 (hard climbing since 1939). The obverse is half of my friends from RVN era Rangers (173rd Airborne BDE LRRP) are dead (heart disease, strokes, cancer). It is genetics and maintaining a health life style and attitude (and having the correct spouse is major component).
It is a 48V nominal battery bank at 9.6 kW-hrs. A 48 kW-hr LFP battery bank would weigh 1000#. Would need 4 kW of solar for such a battery bank. Balqon sells LFP battery banks of this size. CALB sells 200 kW-hr LFP energy storage units.
We only got the system we now have since we destroyed our previous rig in a 70-car/truck heavy fog pileup on Mexico 190 D between Vera Cruz and Puebla. Pickup and 5th wheel were totaled. The solar system, inverter and battery bank were still operative. Mexican Insurance took 15 months to payoff and we still do not have things settled with Mexican customs. Insurance has to send a letter to Customs saying the systems have been destroyed. So we have not been able to down the last two winters, and so had to fly to Guatemala/Honduras for three months last winter and will go down to Ecuador/Peru this year. Elaine had both bones of lower right arm sticking out a few inches and 3 broken ribs. Mexican first responders were great, the hospital in Orizaba was superb, and the toll road company paid for the hospital stay (along with the out of country insurance we buy). Figured Elaine was affected by the wreck; however, the next morning she said (while still a bit gonzo from the anaesthetic), "Reed, it is time to think of the rig we will get next, as we are going to continue this RV travel lifestyle!" "Yes dear!" Wound up with the same pickup and Open Range model. Need an 2006 or earlier diesel for the 500 ppm sulfur found in Mexico.
Son Charlie flew down to help out for two weeks and son Cary drove down to haul our stuff back to the states. Daughter Elisa maintained communications.
Cary told us that he was really bothered about our wreck but he had really wanted to design and fabricate a solar autonomous rig. And that is how it came about.
Reed and Elaine
