Modifications to Eggscape

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Dcboyd

Existing were fine.

Well, you're still there.

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Dcboyd

Got rid of our China bomb tires today. Existing tires had less than 2000 miles (Carlisles). Installed a full set (5) of Goodyear Endurance. Hope they will be good tires. Existing were fine. Wife was on Escape Facebook forum listened to someone having trouble with their tires and said “I want ours changed out “. Said ok. Carlisle at 2000 miles still had mold dimples on tread facing.
She is happy now. Anyway it gave me a chance to finish undercoating the frame behind the tires and install anti seize on lug threads.

I got 4 years and two cross country trips as well as a Nova Scotia trip out of ours.

[HABBERDABBER]

I'll buy those Carlisles from you. I've had good luck with the brand on a sailboat trailer I had, and they're on my rig now. It's a good time for a road trip....to cooler, drier Upper Midwest climes?

[Dcboyd]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Well, you're still there.

Had I said we don’t need to replace and something happened to a tire on the road I would never live it down. Lol

[meekhotglass]

what are you doing for the undercoating Dcboyd?

[Dcboyd]

Originally Posted by meekhotglass

what are you doing for the undercoating Dcboyd?

I used POR15 in spray cans. Lots of tape. Also coated the exposed rear bumper, tire rack, and front frame around tongue with a Rustoleum Rugged body lacquer. That was after using Restore rust coating on new rusted parts.

[Eggscape]

The Short Story: Since we want to use our solar system for a variety of events other than just camping, I made a mount for it under my truck’s tonneau cover for transportation.

The Details: Originally I was thinking about getting two solar panels that I could hinge together and store in the closet of our 19 when folded. Getting just the right size of hard or flexible panels was not economical in relation to the panel output. This also did not address securely transporting a glass panel on rough roads in the truck for communications events and to the cabin.

The two obvious choices were to secure the panel to the top or bottom of the tonneau cover I made for the truck. With security and flying rocks in mind, I choose to make brackets on the underside that the panel can slide into.

It just so happens I had some “U” shaped aluminum that made for the perfect brackets. However, two aluminum angle sections could be attached together to form a similar “U” or a “Z”. Even a strip of wood with a spacer could be used to form a bracket.

To aid in sliding in the panel, I add a strip of clear angle plastic to the rear edge of the frame. This plastic angle is generally used to protect a corner of a wall in your home and can be found at most hardware stores. It comes with an adhesive strip on one edge to stick it on.

The panel now stays securely and out of the way in our truck all summer waiting for the next trip, whether it be for camping or another excursion.

[Centex]

Looks like very efficient, protective, and handy storage / transport for an item that's often awkward to manage at best. Very nicely done, yet again, good sir!

[Eggscape]

The Short Story…I built the solar controllers into a box so that it is portable and simply plugs into the 7 pin trailer connector.

The Details…I will start by saying “My Solar, My Rules”. The method and/or products I used for wiring the solar panel to the controller is not for everyone. It makes sense in my mind but I just read someone asking on a non Escape Facebook group if they could plug their solar panel directly into the house to charge it. My response to that was, are you trying to charge the house or the solar panel? I was very curious as to what state of mind they were in. Honestly, I could not make that up.

As I and my wife are the only ones setting up our solar system and it usually happens when there is no other sources of electricity around…I have chosen to use the existing two heavy duty extension cords we already carrying in the trailer. That gives us 50 feet of cable that is more than adequate to carry the output from one 180 watt panel. With adapters on the 30 amp cable and the normal 20 amp extension cord, we can reach out to the sun.

I did redo the wires on our solar panel with more robust ones that also have a thicker core. I thought this would provide more longevity in portable operations. I also made them longer so if there is sun nearby the trailer the panel can plug directly into the controller unit.

The wiring size in the 7 pin plug cable is plenty for the 8 ft run to our upgraded battery switch. Many posts back I mentioned that I also upgraded to much thicker battery cables so loss is a non issue.

Being able to plug directly into a generic RV plug allows great flexibility in what I can charge. It can also charge my cargo trailer camper, my daughters trailer and other friends trailers we go camping with. As you will note in the photos there is also a dual Anderson 12 volt jack that is standard in my hobby. This I can use to plug in a set of alligator clips to charge a stand alone battery at the cabin or even a vehicle battery.

The controller, or should I say controllers, are housed in a vinyl type ammo box. This box is reasonably priced, sturdy yet very easily modifiable. In keeping with the Fiberglass theme, the controllers are mounted on a leftover scrape from cutting holes in our trailer. However, you could always use a cheap cutting board from the dollar store. This internal shelf with a magnetic latch hinges up for easy access to the 6 bay fuse block. One end of the box is the input which consists of a recessed chassis mount 120 volt plug and the other end being the output has the 7 pin RV plug.

I spent a whopping $20 for each controller and I am sure there are many of you thinking that you would never consider using such a cheap unit. I did not commit to this controller without doing my research and mock up test first. I am a big fan of Will Prowse of YouTube fame and all the product testing he does. The video link at the end of this post shows him testing a number of popular solar controllers side by side for output. At the 16.50 min mark he tests the output of my generic controller against another popular one. With only a 2 watt difference it gets an “incredible” from Will, with also a “great for the price”.

Why two controllers you ask, why not…they’re cheap. Always good to have one very close on hand in case of a failure. Also, they are programmable which would allow for a quick switch over to another set of parameters should you need to charge a different type of battery. The upper switch between the controllers selects which one is being used. The centre position is off so the unit can be used in bonus mode.

I always feel it is more justified in having something along if it can do more than one thing. So let’s forget for a moment that this unit has solar controllers in it and move onto Bonus Mode.

Bonus Mode - ONE. You may have noticed that this unit also has a cigarette lighter style plug on the output end. When the unit is plugged into your 7 pin trailer cable the cigarette plug comes alive with power from the trailer battery. This gives you an external outlet to power such things as a tire pump. Very handy if you don’t have a power source on the drivers side of the trailer.

Bonus Mode - TWO. You may have noticed a lower switch between the controllers. This switch also has a centre ‘off’ position but select it in one direction when the unit is plugged into the 7 pin and all the clearance and running lights flash. Great if you have to abandon the trailer on the side of the road or attract attention in a camp site for medical reasons. Select the other position and it solidly turns on all the clearance and running lights. Handy for setup in the dark if you are separated from the tow vehicle.

Testing the complete external solar system has gone well and I am very happy with the output/versatility of it for well under $300 Canadian including the panel.

Will Prowse video link. https://youtu.be/kF_cVEYxj3E

[oldwave]

Nice work, I’m a fan of that channel as well.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

.... “My Solar, My Rules” ..... not for everyone .....

To the former I say "good for you", to the latter I say "agreed, but thanks for sharing the scheme"

It took me a re-read and a moment of cogitation to comprehend the setup, but the light came on and I think it's a pretty nifty rig

[Eggscape]

Very true Alan…not for everyone…like many of my mods. But it may get some creative juices flowing and have people do something else with solar than just having it on top of the trailer or buying expensive lower output portable units.

We have no heavy 12 volt demands not having an inverter etc. We just need to top up the batteries to keep the odd thing running like the furnace fan on an extended stay.

If my explanation of our solar system is a little unclear, here are some more pictures with it set up.

Pic #1 shows the box getting power from the trailer and providing it to the cigarette plug on the end. Handy if you need to plug in a light or pump.

Pic #2 shows the box getting power from the trailer to light the clearance lights and running lights at the rear.

Pic #3 shows the solar system charging a stand alone battery via the Anderson plugs and a cell phone via the controller’s built in USB port. One could also charge a car battery as well.

Pic #4 shows the solar system hooked up directly to the 7 pin to charge the trailer battery.

Pic #5 shows the solar panel hooked up to the controller via 2 extension cords.

Pic #6 shows the solar hooked up to our ATV cargo camper.

[oldwave]

Did you mention you upgraded the wire gauge from the 7 pin to the battery connection , if so to what gauge wire?

[Eggscape]

Originally Posted by oldwave

Did you mention you upgraded the wire gauge from the 7 pin to the battery connection , if so to what gauge wire?

I did not. When I was doing another modification in the breakout box that the 7 pin wire comes into, I was very impressed with the gauge of wire they were using. Any problem would be between that breakout box on the tongue and the rear of the fuse box/charger. That I remember was good as well…at least well enough and short enough to readily handle the output from the controller at minimal loss. Keep in mind if you do find you are a decimal point low on the exact charge voltage, you can always change the settings on the controller to put out more volts.

I would say that both of these trailer wires exceed the gauge found coming out of most panels and used in most zap port connectors that people use for portable setups.

Of course very few people have a problem using these same wires to charge the batteries from the tow vehicle.

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

I did not. When I was doing another modification in the breakout box that the 7 pin wire comes into, I was very impressed with the gauge of wire they were using. Any problem would be between that breakout box on the tongue and the rear of the fuse box/charger. That I remember was good as well…at least well enough and short enough to readily handle the output from the controller at minimal loss. Keep in mind if you do find you are a decimal point low on the exact charge voltage, you can always change the settings on the controller to put out more volts.

I would say that both of these trailer wires exceed the gauge found coming out of most panels and used in most zap port connectors that people use for portable setups.

Of course very few people have a problem using these same wires to charge the batteries from the tow vehicle.

Thanks

[Eggscape]

Here is a picture hot off the Boler Facebook page.

I am sure some of you are thinking why would I ever have to leave my trailer on the hwy without the truck plugged into it to flash the tail lights…

Long story but my brother-in-law had something similar to this picture happen to him.

You can see “how to” flash your trailer lights maybe even if your plug is ripped off in post number 230 of this thread.

[Eggscape]

The Short Story: I purchased a power meter that plugs into the solar panel so I can obtain maximum charge output.

The Details: For under $20 this is a great way to ensure that you are getting the most out of your portable solar panel. Looking at the numbers allows you to fine tune not only the direction of the panel but also the tilt. I plug mine in line at the panel end of the extension cable so it is visible as I do the adjusting.

When not in use it fits nicely in my solar controller box.

It does require you to add your own connectors of choice to each end of the meter’s pig tails.

[Farmgirl]

Apparently it is not carried by Amazon USA. Is there another trade name?

[Ron in BC]

It didn't come up on Amazon.ca either so I googled it. An ad for it on Amazon showed up.

Try looking for a "Watt Meter Power Analyzer".

Ron

[Eggscape]

If you put into Amazon.com “DC 150 amp power meter” you should find it for under $15.