Why A 100W Solar Panel May Only Give You 50W There is much to do about solar panels on RV’s. They are affordable, virtually maintenance free and easy to install. But do they deliver, what they promise? Actually, most of these panels produce the indicated watts, with a big caveat: in summer under ideal weather… Continue reading Solar Mumbo Jumbo
Category: Solar
Murphy Bed Cabinets
Mobile DVR, Wiring & Cabinets
Deep Cycle Batteries
Watch all my videos on YouTube! The final episode of the complete installation of ETFE Flexible solar panels, wiring, roof entry, solar charge controller and deep cycle batteries. I end with a bit of testing of the output of these solar panels. So far the installation is complete up to and including the solar charge… Continue reading Deep Cycle Batteries
12V System Setup
Watch all my videos on YouTube! Now the solar wiring is in the interior of the van, I still have to attach it to the breaker box and solar charge controller. The #8 AWG wire transitions to a #6 AWG wire at the breaker box, to minimize voltage drop, and continues to the bus bars.… Continue reading 12V System Setup
Installing A Cable Gland
Watch all my videos on YouTube! Now that the solar panels are installed and roof wiring added, it’s time for the cable gland to lead the MC4 cabling into the interior of the vehicle. While black cable glands are readily available, I ordered the wrong color and had to paint it to remain somewhat stealthy.… Continue reading Installing A Cable Gland
Solar Panel Wiring
Watch all my videos on YouTube! Following the installation of the Flexible Solar Panels, I continue by wiring them up. For that, I’m only using the cables that come with the panels, plus a few MC4 (branch) connectors. The 12 AWG panel cables are sufficient to carry the collective amperage over the short distance of… Continue reading Solar Panel Wiring
Flexible Solar Panel Installation
Watch all my videos on YouTube! One of the major steps of this van conversion, is the addition of solar panels to the roof of the Ford Transit. It creates an independent source of energy, which in turn, makes vandwelling or boondocking a possibility. I chose flexible solar panels for their light weight, bendable and… Continue reading Flexible Solar Panel Installation
Solar Controller & Breaker Box
Watch all my videos on YouTube! Solar Power has put Vandwelling within reach of ordinary people. So, with full-time RVing in mind, I have begun with the installation of some solar components. DISCLAIMER: I’m not an expert at this and this is not a How-To guide. 12V can KILL you; consult an expert first. The… Continue reading Solar Controller & Breaker Box
This Is How Your Van Is Going To Look Like
Several car companies are designing and building electric vans and in the next couple of years and consumers will have a choice of vehicles to choose from. Major obstacles still remain, such as driving range and charging capabilities. For vandwellers, the idea of a full-electric van for boondocking is still unrealistic and hard to imagine.… Continue reading This Is How Your Van Is Going To Look Like