dang ok well let me know if you get a chance. i removed mine and now having some issues with parking brake setting but starting to think it’s an unrelated issue and likely a bad check valve or 2 way valve up front.
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M1088 camper conversion
- Thread starter ckouba
- Start date
I pulled my floor panel today and didn't find the gladhands. I honestly don't remember what I did with them. I know for a while they were zip tied to the chassis, but it appears that I actually did remove them. I couldn't tell you off the top of my head what I did to cap the lines or ports, but I can tell you I don't have any issues with functionality.
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The actual glad hands up behind the cab - where the hoses are used to feed a "king pin type" trailer air - have a shutoff "ball valve". Keeps stupid stuff from happening like trying to use the glad hand connections by the pintle and a pintle trailer at the same time. The hand valve will also force air in both places - IF the red (stop sign shaped) valve on the dash is pressed in.
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Yeah I want to remove those hoses entirely. I’ve already removed SOVs. Removing hoses and capping them at the frame mounted valves shouldn’t be an issue since that would essentially be the same as closing the ball valves (in my mind). Intent being to retain functionality of the trailer brakes and leave the pintle gladhands in tact.
Prototyped the idea I had for a tilting solar panel yesterday. I'd say it went pretty well (I'd recommend watching at 2x speed):
Need to build 3 more and then have a break in the weather so I can install them.
I now have onboard power:
And a throne room:
Inverter/charger should be here today so the electrical install will move along in earnest soon.
This is another round of mocked in interior as we have a trip scheduled in May and are planning on using the rig. Also, I need the temperature to be warmer to build out the bathroom the way I want, so final build is going to wait til summer.
Need to build 3 more and then have a break in the weather so I can install them.
I now have onboard power:
And a throne room:
Inverter/charger should be here today so the electrical install will move along in earnest soon.
This is another round of mocked in interior as we have a trip scheduled in May and are planning on using the rig. Also, I need the temperature to be warmer to build out the bathroom the way I want, so final build is going to wait til summer.
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coachgeo
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is it worth it to add tilt mechanism? Are the gains much? My understanding was the gains earned with tilt mechanism etc. are more expensive over time compared to just adding more panels??? Read that was not true in the past... is now with cost of panels dropped so much over last few years??
otherwise... coolio.... all of it
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Here is the Ultimate Tilt mechanism!
I didn't bother to do any real research. I spotted one though out in front of the car wash down in the big city of Monroe, NC. On a rainy or windy day it folds itself up to protect it from the "elephants of the weather". Have no real idea how much they cost either. It closes itself up at night too and that is part of the daily panel cleaning process.
Don't know what it weighs either, but setting one out beside your Camperised MV would be pretty slick.
Following the sun for you without your help.
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SmartFlower Solar Review: The True Cost of a Solar Flower
A complete review of Smartflower solar (solar flower) modules and whether they are worthwhile investment for homeowners.
www.solar.com
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.SmartFlower Solar Review: The True Cost of a Solar Flower
A complete review of Smartflower solar (solar flower) modules and whether they are worthwhile investment for homeowners.
Not exactly a glowing report.
Not exactly the cheap alternative either.
Maybe we need to call "Joe" and ask for a better deal.
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How are you going to get the panels at the correct angle (whatever your latitude is when you stop) for maximum power flow? Assuming you will be able to park perpindicular to 11.5 degrees east of north and the panels will face southerly.Prototyped the idea I had for a tilting solar panel yesterday. I'd say it went pretty well (I'd recommend watching at 2x speed):
Need to build 3 more and then have a break in the weather so I can install them.
I now have onboard power:
And a throne room:
Inverter/charger should be here today so the electrical install will move along in earnest soon.
This is another round of mocked in interior as we have a trip scheduled in May and are planning on using the rig. Also, I need the temperature to be warmer to build out the bathroom the way I want, so final build is going to wait til summer.
I put the most panels I could onto the roof already. Shy of retracting panels which would be out of sight when stowed, I think tilting is the best option to increase harvest.
What's it going to get me? Who knows, but it will get me "more". The further north you go, the lower the sun and the shorter the daylight hours in the winter. I am looking to improve upon what I can get out of it.
The actuators were $63 each (2 per panel) and the alu will run about $130 per panel. I think the marginal cost is worth it. Will I use them every time I stop? Nope, but I'll use them when I want them. I am of the opinion that they will make a substantial difference in the winter.
I should be able to see the difference they make when I tilt them if I watch the charge controller. It should show the panel output discretely.
Beyond that, inverter/charger was not delivered as scheduled, so that item is still on the list. I am still happy with the progress this week as things that I have been working on have gone extremely well.
What's it going to get me? Who knows, but it will get me "more". The further north you go, the lower the sun and the shorter the daylight hours in the winter. I am looking to improve upon what I can get out of it.
The actuators were $63 each (2 per panel) and the alu will run about $130 per panel. I think the marginal cost is worth it. Will I use them every time I stop? Nope, but I'll use them when I want them. I am of the opinion that they will make a substantial difference in the winter.
I should be able to see the difference they make when I tilt them if I watch the charge controller. It should show the panel output discretely.
Beyond that, inverter/charger was not delivered as scheduled, so that item is still on the list. I am still happy with the progress this week as things that I have been working on have gone extremely well.
So if ive got this rite when you park you will need to point the truck due north if the screw cyinders are mounted on the passenger side of the truck as to lift the panel to chase the sun to the west for more charging time each day ? I like it ! Would one of these cylinders mounted on each end of a set of 3 panels tied together lift all 3 panels as 1 ? I could hinge my panels on 1 end easy enough if the 2 could lift them !
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All is looking good! Yes, tilting your panels can make a huge difference. Chris, have you looked into how well urine and aluminum play together, might want to add an anode of some type?
Can't say I did. Will take a look and modify as needed. Thx for the heads up.
In an ideal world, yes. In reality, the direction you point has everything to do with your actual location- latitude, topography, foliage, time of year etc... anything else which may impact the sunlight's ability to directly illuminate your panel.
For example, facing panels east may be good in the morning, but facing them south in winter may be the best for total harvest (at least in northerly latitudes).
It depends on what they weigh and which linear actuators you select, but odds are the answer is a "yes". If you want to chat about it, I'd be happy to walk through the math I did when selecting mine and you can select your own. If you're not into math, I can show you what I got and you can adapt from there.
Actually, these are what I got:
The things to consider are extended length, retracted length, and strength. The rest comes down to geometry/trigonometry and the constraints of your rooftop and panels.
coachgeo
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if your hell bent on tilting..... put actuator to lift in center some how on pivots along with pins that can be removed/replaced in corners of solar array. Then you can tilt north south east or west. Basically works like how center lift in a Unimog and others with 3 way dump beds.
Electric scissor jack may work for this. with the base mounted on a vertical oriented U joint
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NO except for one day in the year. The panels should face 11.5 degrees west of south, and the height should be equal to the latitude. Because the earth is tilted at 23 degrees in it's rotation relative to the sun, the most even sunlight over the course of a full year is to have your target (in this case the solar panels) facing the direction of the sun, which is NOT Always due south. I learned this a long time ago while shooting high power rifle competition. If the targets faced 11.5 degrees west of south, they would be illuminated most evenly all day as compared to any other orientation. Since he is mobile he can adjust the angle for the month to get a little better overall sunlight, but it will always be in that zero to 23 degree arc. If you don't like doing math, using the 11.5 degrees is easiest to remember.
In my driveway my truck faces north the sun comes up on the drivers side then basically direct overhead but hangs longer on the west side of the truck till dark so if my panels would hinge on the passenger side and the motors lift the drivers side slightly after the sun starts falling to the west i could pick up atleast 3 or 4 more hrs of charging ! At least in my driveway so my thought was to just keep in mind when i park elsewhere to park in such a manner that the panels will tilt the rite way for the longest period for optimal chargeing .
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Yes!
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If you parked slightly east of north on your driveway and could lift up the west side of the panels in the morning gradually lowering them as the sun came up, then slowly raising the east side as the sun passed 'directly overhead', you would get near maximal charging. It's the same idea as the "Sun Oven" (Yes, I have one, and it works), which is shifted about once every half hour to 'follow the sun'.