simple/solo boondocking: Promaster 159 high roof

[frater secessus]

In other news, I ordered wiring for the build.  Amazon was cheaper than Home Depot so I mail ordered it.   I need to get the wiring pulled so I can start insulation.  

• 10/2 for heavier loads (fridge, maxxfan) and for bringing 12v power to the other side of the van (for two circuits:  normal and opportunity load)
• 16/2 for things like usb outlets, LED lighting, etc. 
• 14/3 for running shore power to the far side of the van where I will have one outlet. To balance out weight I have the converter+batteries on one side and kitchen+water on the other (where the outlet will be) so I'd have to run 110v across the barn either way.
• various bus bars, grounding bars, fuse block

I need a breaker box and 15A breaker for shore power but I don't know much about those yet.  I assume there are Very Small breaker boxes available for 1 or 2 breakers, and I assume there are different form factors of breakers so they don't fit every box.  Just started that reading.

 

[frater secessus]

How do you plan to anchor shelves or whatnot one would anchor to the floor?

Current thinking is 80/20 framed cabinets bolted to the wall studs (?).   The mat is scored to make the Drings accessible, if needed to give backup to heavier stuff like water, battery boxes, etc.  The battery box will be placed against the forward step-up to ward off deceleration events.

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Wonderful thread, frater! Love, love, love that flooring! I remember it mentioned in another thread somewhere... would you mind telling the cost?

PS... I missed this thread because I thought it was about boondocking LOL

 

[AbuelaLoca]

I just looked them up and they don't make a rug for my van! Bummer!!!

 

[John61CT]

In other news, I ordered wiring for the build.  Amazon was cheaper than Home Depot so I mail ordered it.

Links to your cable sources?

for two circuits:  normal and opportunity load

Wow, who runs that wiki? I've been looking for a place online to organize a public knowledge base, and DokuWiki is the bee's knees, the markdown it uses is very compatible with my tools.

And that concept is great, what sort of dump loads were you thinking?

Related to that is an idea I have about staging the charging of multiple power stores in priority order. There are Sterling/ProMariner VSR units ("Pro Split R") that do that for up to four banks, using any/multiple charge sources. I reckon they can be adapted to use with Load management as well as charging. Of course laptops and other gadgets with their own batteries and those portapacks fall in between.

Are you planning on a charging buss separated from Loads?

 

[Bud Smiley]

Current thinking is 80/20 framed cabinets bolted to the wall studs (?).   The mat is scored to make the Drings accessible, if needed to give backup to heavier stuff like water, battery boxes, etc.  The battery box will be placed against the forward step-up to ward off deceleration events.

I'd look into E-track strips run along the walls. Very strong and versatile tiedown systems.

 

[frater secessus]

Wonderful thread, frater! Love, love, love that flooring! I remember it mentioned in another thread somewhere... would you mind telling the cost?
PS... I missed this thread because I thought it was about boondocking LOL

$230, I think.  Pricey, but I didn't have to buy other materials or cut anything.  I am a cheapskate and am 100% satisfied with the spend. 

Are you sure there's not one for your van?  isn't the club wagon an E-150?  I ran the selector and I think they have them for 138" and 138" extended.

The VanTred 138" appears to be PART # VTRF92 (amazon)
The VanRug 138" appears to be PART # VRF92 (amazon)

but don't trust my googling!

 

[frater secessus]

Links to your cable sources?

I searched the forum for info on wire choice + SternWake.    I found threads with  SternWake saying he uses landscape wire, a duplex low voltage wire.  I'd never heard of it but it sounded worth reading about.  
I dredged up the link for the 10/2;  it's this stuff from 1000bulbs, a seller some of the buyers mentioned for good product.  16/2 here.
The 14/3 is normal house stuff, in this case 25' from Temco Industrial.
I looked for stranded copper core wire with good reviews and good price.  I hope I didn't miss anything.

Wow, who runs that wiki? I've been looking for a place online to organize a public knowledge base, and DokuWiki is the bee's knees, the markdown it uses is very compatible with my tools.

I do.  It's basically where I try organize stuff I learn from you guys, YT, and elsewhere. It's kind of a mess because I am learning so much.  I was doing it for myself but sometimes found it easier to point to a URL there instead of typing stuff out again.  Plus if I document it correctly there are source notes so folks can follow up to see if I am mischaracterizing the information.  
If you are interested I'll make you a user/pass and turn you loose on it.  

And that concept is great, what sort of dump loads were you thinking?

There are a few reasons for wanting to do it:  

1. experiment in hopes we can refine ways to help people with minimal solar get the most out of it
2. charge phones/tablets/laptop when we have surplus power
3. to donate spare power when I am topped off.  I am installing a USB + ciggy socket near the sliding door so folks can use the opportunity circuit when visiting.  It will be the only ciggy socket I put in the van, placed there for the convenience of others since I figure folks low on power don't overlap much with powerpoles crowd.  
4. donate mifi bandwidth through a repeater powered on the opportunity circuit.  If I'm low on power there is automagically no free wifi  
5. and the odd one:  heat (or just warm) water
   • well, to warm the fresh water for cleaning, washing, bathing.  
   • to add a bit of load in Absorption which can help keep CC temps down when overpaneling.  

Electric heat is notoriously expensive for water heating but by definition here the power on the opportunity circuit is free.  

Related to that is an idea I have about staging the charging of multiple power stores in priority order. There are Sterling/ProMariner VSR units ("Pro Split R") that do that for up to four banks, using any/multiple charge sources. I reckon they can be adapted to use with Load management as well as charging. Of course laptops and other gadgets with their own batteries and those portapacks fall in between.

That sounds great and quite beyond my abilities.  I am working with cruder hardware and brainware, I fear.  

Are you planning on a charging buss separated from Loads?

I don't think I know what that means, so I'm saying "no" for now.  

In my case there are two charge controllers, one for the panels and another one in a  poor man's converter.  The Load output on each runs to its relay which activates that circuit as long as one is above LVD.  LVD on the the solar CC will be set at normal LVD (50% DoD) while the LVD on the converter controller will be set at Vfloat.

 

[Queen]

That sounds great and quite beyond my abilities.  I am working with cruder hardware and brainware, I fear.  



I don't think I know what that means, so I'm saying "no" for now.  

These two quotes are what fascinate me about this forum, there is a breadth of knowledge that is astounding.  I have no idea what you are talking about in this post, you far surpass my understanding of all things electrical... level up and John confuses you... level up again and someone here is an actual electrician.  And everyone is willing to share what they know.  Very cool beans.

 

[John61CT]

I looked for stranded copper core wire with good reviews and good price.  I hope I didn't miss anything.

Maybe just some overkill, for mobile DC I'm sticking to well recommended marine rated, but boy that hurts! when you get to the heavy stuff. . .

I don't think I know what that means, so I'm saying "no" for now.  

From my research into DIY BMS design, LiFePO4 requires isolating the bank due to overvoltage, too high or low SoC or temperature, or based on current.

I plan to have a setup where I can switch bank chemistries without changing the rest.

By routing all charge sources through one buss, switched independently from the load buss, you can protect the bank from e.g. charging below freezing by opening the charge cutoff, while still allowing loads to be fed.

Or isolating loads when SoC drops too low, but obviously you want to allow re-charging when a source becomes available.

Doesn't have to add much cost, maybe one buss and some wiring, as long as you plan it out beforehand.

 

[galladanb]

We put the van tread in our Chevy express.... I luv it!

It is shown in the early posts in my build thread, found in my soggy below...

Excellent product, well made, easy install!
Little pricey, but I'm lazy, so I did not want to do floors.
In the long run, it may actually be less expensive than a DIY solution!

But...
Don't put your bare knees on it if it's been in the sunlight! Holy hell it gets hot!
It is also almost too ruff, and almost feels very course, like a grinder!

And FYI, don't put ANY duct tape on it, it will make a real mess!

But, I would buy and use it again, in a heartbeat!!!

Such Fun!!!

 

[frater secessus]

By routing all charge sources through one buss, switched independently from the load buss, you can protect the bank from e.g. charging below freezing by opening the charge cutoff, while still allowing loads to be fed.

Clever thinking.  It would have never occurred to me.

 

[frater secessus]

I pulled the heaviest house wiring across and down the van today.  

• 10awg for 12v to the opposite side
• 10awg for 12v opportunity loads to the opposite side
• 14/3awg for 110vac to the opposite side

I used a fish tape which was very helpful.  Bits of blue painter's tape mark places I want runs to terminate.  



Tomorrow should be easier since it is all 16awg stuff that stays on its own respective side.

 

[frater secessus]

I'd look into E-track strips run along the walls. Very strong and versatile tiedown systems.

Thanks for the tip.  I've seen it before in uhaul vans but didn't know the name of it..  Looks like good stuff, and not expensive.

 

[frater secessus]

I finished pulling the wires today.  Left extra on both ends of each wire and ran an extra wire on each side in case I want to expand later. 



The battery bank will be on the right and shore power box on the left.  From left to right:
14/3 for shore power, two 16/2 runs for that side (driver's side), two 10/2 runs for the passenger side (regular and opportunity), one 16/2 run to bring power over the cab:



As I pulled each wire I labeled both ends with a metallic sharpie:



Those things are insanely great for labeling black objects.


I haven't decided how to mount the various distribution buses yet.  Will look at some build videos and see what others do.  Advice and experiences welcome!




Also cut a couple limbs off the pecan tree on the right;  they were dragging on the roof.  Grrrrr.....




You can see how low they used to be in this pic from earlier:

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Nice, moving right along!!

 

[James AKA Lynx]

I put a bed in mine. Used the rib going front to back. 4x4's across.
3/4 plywood screwed into them. R/v queen. Plastic closets to store
Cloths. No electrical. Way to much to keep them charged. Learn how
To lock the front wheels to positive track.
Used led battery lights. Got up at dawn.

 

[frater secessus]

I put a bed in mine. Used the rib going front to back. 4x4's across.
3/4 plywood screwed into them.

I assume you mean the one at waist level.  That's what I'm shooting for, though I will likely go lighter than 4x4s.  

When I put sleeping platform in my Ranger I used 2x6 supporting 3/4" plywood.  Turned out to be massive overkill.  I may repurpose the 3/4" just because I have it.

 

[James AKA Lynx]

Yes. That one. We are both over 230 and wanted the support.
4 across with 2 pieces of plywood.
Enough space for 2 trunks tall.
Water is best in 2.5 gallon. 5 gallon to heavy.
Need planning so load does not slide forward. 
I used straps.

 

[frater secessus]

Mine will be plumbed (40gal fresh, somewhat smaller gray). The fresh will be under the sink cabinet which will be exposed when the side door is open. Tank will be strapped and also held in place by the extruded aluminum cabinet framing. I am hoping to find tanks used but will buy new if needed.

The pressure accumulator I was eyeing at amazon recently dropped about 25% so I bought it. Still a couple of months before I'll be doing plumbing. Picking out a pump now.

Any pics of your setup?