reddrum
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Re: Solar Wiring Diagram for Review
Put the fuse on the positive wire as close to the source as possible. Fuse 125% of amp rating of load and make sure wire is rated for at least that much. Make sure the wiring is large enough to carry the current with max of 3-5% loss in voltage. Use a wiring calculator like the second one on this page to determine wire gauge necessary. Do this for all the pieces. Consider going one size larger than required. Bigger wire, more efficient. From the battery to the bus bars, go overkill with wire size. Only costs a few more bucks, but all the electrons will ultimately traverse these so the more efficient the better. http://www.boat-project.com/tutorials/calculator.htm You can swap out the guts of the Progressive Dynamics for lithium charging for about $250. In a couple spots you have a larger wire changing to a smaller wire on the same path (switch and alternator). I would use the larger all the way through, but regardless, no reason to have part of it larger. Personal choice a bit. I would use two smaller solar charge controllers and split the panels across them. Gives some redundancy and can help with shading as well. But, a bit of personal choice there. With 800w of solar you could probably skip the alternator connection if you wanted. Larger inverters use more power with no load so use whatever size fits your needs. ;-) Looks like a fun project and a nice power system.695Views0likes0CommentsRe: Host, Eagle Cap, Lance Suspension Requirements
You will want a rear sway bar for sure. Shocks would be nice as well. Air bags or something fancier are that much better. Go weigh the truck and subtract that from GVWR to get your payload. Well worth the time to do. Then sort through the TCs weights. I have an Eagle Cap 1160 on a 3500 with sway bar, shocks, and air bags. It has been to 48 states over the years. Great truck and camper.287Views0likes0CommentsRe: Air Conditioner Recommendations
For those that may come along in the future. Installed the mach 3 ps yesterday. It starts super fast even without an added cap. Installed a Supco SPP6E hard start kit and the Honda 2200 ran it great at about 700' and temps in the 50s. The generator can even be left in eco mode which is something that I could not do before. It kicks up while the A/C is starting and then goes BACK to eco mode while the A/C is on. Quick test shows 20a on initial startup and drops back to 7a while running. Very disappointed, puzzled, confused, and everything else that the A/C did NOT come with the control board but everything else seems to be great.548Views0likes0CommentsRe: Air Conditioner Recommendations
I picked up a Mach 3 PS. They claim it uses less power for more output. 10 amps for the running compressor but no data on startup which is the real problem. I will add a Supco SPP6E capacitor to it like the previous one. Will install it and find out this week. In theory it sounds perfect.548Views0likes0CommentsRe: Can a generator get rained on?
I had a Honda 2000 that got poured on for days, sat on the back deck of a saltwater boat for days, and sat on the beach providing A/C to a tent. It saw all kinds of weather. No issues whatsoever. Ideally I tried to keep the outlet end from getting water running down that side but that was not always possible. It lasted for over 15 years with no problems.2.9KViews0likes0CommentsAir Conditioner Recommendations
Air conditioner died on my Eagle Cap 1160 truck camper. It was a Coleman Mach 3 from 2008. So, time for a replacement. I ran the previous A/C off a Honda 2000 for years and then off the Honda 2200. I did add a capacitor for the initial load, but it worked great. Any recommendations of a good A/C to run off of a Honda 2200?3.5KViews0likes14CommentsRe: Considering building camper from scratch...
Cruise over to expedition portal or other sites where there are discussions of building campers. There are lots of people that do build some incredible rigs out of all kinds of material. If you can weld aluminum you have a huge advantage. Building your own is certainly doable. It will take time. But, it can be better than a prebuilt one too! Do a lot of research before starting, get a plan, and go for it!572Views0likes0CommentsRe: 2007 Cedar Creek Silverback slide out issue
Need to know what brand and type of slideout mechanism to give any real useful advice. That said, sounds like the timing may be off between the tracks of your slideout. Google retiming slideouts. Here is an article describing this. https://liveworkdream.com/2015/10/28/slideout-rails-adjustment/226Views0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Jan 21, 202544,030 Posts
