Stuck at the Starting Gate

[BiggerontheInside]

Hi All:

Nerdy newcomer here.Yes, my username is a Doctor Who reference. It's also my hope for my van and myself--that both can be more than they appear & I can live a big life in the small spaces I have left. 

Brief intro: First name--Joy, just turned 37. Staying with family but hoping to hit the road soon to fulfill a childhood dream of traveling the US and to find a positive way to cope with chronic illness and its consequences, i.e. I'm what I euphemistically refer to as "on vacation" from work and newly "houseless" though certainly not homeless. 

My rig: A 2007 Ford E350 van that is already partially converted, including an alternator-charged house battery/inverter and electrical wiring system that is not practical for my needs (see below).

My Challenges: Must have a working freezer/fridge 100% of the time due to a medical condition that has me on a liquid diet consisting mostly of protein shakes made of milk, yogurt, Ensure, liquid eggs, ice, etc. supplemented with lots of ice cream for calories. I bought a Dometic cfx65-dz so I'm all set there, but powering it is another issue. I can't find a repair shop (RV or traditional) that will help me add solar to my current electrical system so I can unplug from the shore power holding me hostage. Paid HELP WANTED anywhere near Phoenix. I have to get out of here before the heat hits. Thanks!

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Biggeronthe Inside!  Can you make a trip to Quartzsite? There are several solar panel installers located there. Discount Solar has a good reputation - http://www.discountsolar.com/

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started.   We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[BiggerontheInside]

That looks promising. I will check them out. Worth the drive if I could get help with the install.  The current set up is so confusing and I found out via a spark that some wires are hot so I'm not going to try to do anymore myself lest I burn the van down, hurt myself, or damage my very expensive fridge. Thanks For the tip!

 

[Wabbit]

Ice cream is good and has calories, but lard doesn't need a fridge and that's loaded with calories....heheh

 

[BiggerontheInside]

Ice cream is good and has calories, but lard doesn't need a fridge and that's loaded with calories....heheh

At this point, anything meat-based sounds appetizing even lard, but the closest I can come is chicken broth. I'm stuck with thin liquids, have tried using oils like olive or safflower but they just come back up. The only calorific foods I can tolerate appear to be dairy-based. Hello full fat and sugar Haagen Dazs! But even with that I've lost 30% of my body weight. I'm just hanging in there trying hard to avoid the dreaded feeding tube and hoping my body will heal itself or adjust to less. So far doctors have no solutions.

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL.    

I hope you can get a rig going soon that will support your needs for freezer & refrigeration. 

All the best in your journeys.

 

[gapper2]

I love your username and am a Dr. Who fan myself.  I am still stuck in s&b myself and truly believe that once living in nature you'll find it has its own healing force.  May it come very soon for you. Welcome!

gapper2

 

[AbuelaLoca]

I'm also a believer in the healing power of nature! There is a solution to your solar power and you'll find it and thrive!! This forum is a GREAT place to be, welcome!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

My Challenges: Must have a working freezer/fridge 100% of the time due to a medical condition that has me on a liquid diet consisting mostly of protein shakes made of milk, yogurt, Ensure, liquid eggs, ice, etc. supplemented with lots of ice cream for calories. I bought a Dometic cfx65-dz so I'm all set there, but powering it is another issue. I can't find a repair shop (RV or traditional) that will help me add solar to my current electrical system so I can unplug from the shore power holding me hostage. Paid HELP WANTED anywhere near Phoenix. I have to get out of here before the heat hits. Thanks!

A lot of places that do RV installs don't, in fact, do it very well.  Too thin wires, wrong settings on the controller, etc.  An online blogger whose writings I respect, Jack Mayer, recommends Starlight Solar in Yuma as doing it right.

http://www.starlightsolar.com/RV_Solar.html

 

[gapper2]

BiggerontheInside,

  I bet if you post over here:  https://vanlivingforum.com/Forum-Electrical-Batteries-Generators-Solar about your electrical problems, Many of your questions will be answered by some real experts.  Including the guy above me. Provide detailed info on what you have now.(wire sizes, house batteries, alternator charging setup, and your future electrical demands). You'll at least get info on things you need to be thinking about.

gapper

 

[user 13531]

Another Quartzite option....

http://solarbill.com/

 

[BiggerontheInside]

Thanks all for the good wishes and advice. I'll check out Starlight Solar as well. I'd post specific questions on the solar forum but that would still leave me trying to do the actual wiring and install myself, which I do not feel comfortable doing at this point. Maybe someday, but summer is on it's way and I am sincerely hoping to be out of the valley of the bake oven sun or at least be able to spend a few days a week in the high country by the end of March. Fingers and toes crossed Freedom is so close and I am so excited to move into my ubermobile van home!