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Big Red’s Solar Project – An Update

This past weekend i took some pictures of my camp power system on my truck, that is mostly solar powered, although I do maintain a connection to the alternator for rare occasions I need to pull power off that system. I’ll be featuring those pictures over the blog on next few days, to skip over the Solar Project section of the blog.

Goal of System

The goal of my camp power system is provide electricity that is reliable, simple to use for 2-3 days in shade or cloudy weather for small usually USB electronics and LED lighting at night, including LED light to illuminate the site both for decorative purposes and to keep from tripping. My wattage draw is roughly 20 watts/hour, during the night time, although it can very depending if I’m reading or cooking, or if I want the site particularly dark for enjoying the stars.

This is the system I’ve built up over the past 15 years or so of experimentation. I am averaging about 600 watt/hr a week off the panel, but a lot more potential power is discarded as the batteries float by 10 or 11 most morning. When I’m camping, power production increases because consumption is higher, when the truck is parked, batteries are charged, and there is nothing be used, only a few watts are generated.

My goal is not just to improve my camping experience, but learn more about energy and solar power. I hope eventually to have an off-grid home, and the more I can learn now with my relatively small system, the more I’ll be prepared for living off-grid.

Here are the components of my camp/accessory power system in my truck:

100 watt panel – controlled by a Renology 20 amp PWM controller. I might eventually upgrade to a MPPT controller for better performance in the winter/shade, but I’m debating the value of that – as I’m going to have to move components around to fit the larger MPPT controller.

Storage – Panel feeds power into two Group 24 deep cycle batteries, each rated at 100-amp hour each at full discharge. Figuring I don’t want to ever go below 50% discharge maximum, that works out to a combined 100-amp hours of power (50 amp x 2) or roughly 1.2 kWh of storage (less due to losses).

Under Voltage Protection – In case lights get left on or something like a heavier load like my laptop is left hooked up for an extended period, all loads automatically disconnect at 30 seconds below 12.1 volts. This protects the accessory batteries from damage. Rarely do I ever go below 12.5 volts (unloaded) or 80% discharge with my current system. Relay automatically resets when battery voltage is above 13 volts for 5 minutes or 13.5 volts for 30 seconds.

Fuses – 40 amp fuses between starting-accessory battery, battery 1 & 2 hot terminals, feeder line from low voltage disconnect back to cab, solar panel, plus 20 amp fuse protecting line going to in-cab feeds.

Alternator Connection – Alternatively, an isolator relay can be connected to feed power in from the alternator based on a switch next to my CB radio.

Position 0: No connection between vehicle and camp/accessory power (used normally)

Position 1: Alternator/vehicle power system feeds supplemental power to accessories and batteries (used on long road trips when kayak is on roof blocking solar panel or long trips at night or extended cloudly periods, neccessary as CB radio/dash cam/phone pull power from system). Relay is enabled only when the engine is on – it is excited by a fuse tap on the idle engine sensor. Disconnects automatically to avoid accidental discharge when camping

Position 2: Vehicle power system is connected to accessory system while engine is on or off. Used to top off the starting battery via solar for extended periods while camping, to make up for losses opening and closing doors, door lights in cab, etc.

A Third Battery for Big Red?

I’ve been thinking a bit about adding a second accessory battery, in the bed of my truck to double the battery reserve while camping. This would provide additional power for camping, especially camping multiple days during the winter when there is little solar radiation, or even camping at campsites with a lot of shade. I want to be able to camp multiple days with ample power.

Solar panel installed to top off battery when camping multiple days

I would probably get another matching Group 24 battery, stick it in the bed of my truck in a marine battery box, and just tap it into the system via the bus bar I have mounted in the shelf on my truck cap.

Second (Inverter) Battery, Battery Isolator (Relay), Second Fuse Tap

I could probably do it for around $120, as I have the wire and fuse, but would need the battery, a marine battery box, and a fuse holder.

A few things that give me pause …

  1. A Group 24 battery weights 45 lb.  While that’s not a lot of weight for a 7,000 lb pickup truck, it does add some weight, and could make things a bit further out of balance and require moving around the weight in the bed.
  2. The third battery would be mounted in the bed and take up space. While I have a fair of space, and things could put on top the battery box, it still more space taken up by the battery, plus additional wires, fuses, etc.
  3. Different age batteries could fight. I don’t really want to replace the other accessory battery, so fighting batteries could reduce the charge that they both would take. But I tend to think the advantage of the additional battery would be greater then losses from fighting.
  4. Batteries produces hydrogen when the they charge. I don’t want to be smelling hydrogen sulfide when I sleep, or have it be burning me. While I think the bed is fairly well ventilated, I don’t want hydrogen to build up in the cap and go bang like the Hindenburg blimp.
  5. The second accessory battery would be beyond the low voltage shut-off, as it would be connected directly to bus bar that powers the accessories in the truck cap. That means I wouldn’t have under-voltage protection for that battery, but with the two batteries for reserve, my very modest load, and the solar, I doubt I would have too many under-voltage conditions.
  6. It’s additional load on alternator and solar panel, which means it will take longer to charge two batteries even if it takes longer to discharge, and discharge cycles will be less deep.
  7. Plus it’s $120 bucks that wouldn’t be in my wallet anymore. While I would get a lot of use out of it, and I could use the battery box for other projects, batteries don’t last forever.

Big Red

I want to give this a bit more thought, but if I do set this up, I’d like to have it all working and fully tested before my Independence Weekend trip up to Moose River Plains.

Big Red is Expensive.

Big Red is expensive, but I like big jacked up trucks …

Big Red

I was reading the other day, that common suspension repairs including new ball joints and tie-rod arms that commonly have to be replaced lifted-trucks can cost upwards of $2,000. I guess that’s not a surprise, it was actually something I knew I would budget for in the future, after getting my truck lifted, as the heavier big wheels and the lift kit put a lot of stress on the stock components. I don’t need such repairs yet, but I know they’re coming down the line as I occasionally notice unpleasant noises.

I also know in a year or so I will probably need new 35-inch tires on the truck, which will be another $1,300 when you figure out the cost of those big tires. Again, something I budgeted for — I knew the lift kit experience would add about $10,000 in cost over the lifetime of the truck, half for initial lift kit and half for premature repairs, although I guess a stock truck would need some of those repairs eventually too.

It’s a lot of money, for an truck that’s always burned some oil, had a transmission which leaks fluid through the filler tube, been repaired from crashes, and everything else. It’s not been a cheap truck but I’ve been on a lot of good adventures, and seek to keep it on the road for another 5 years until age 12 or 13, putting whatever parts I need to keep it road-worthy, once it’s clear that repairs need to be made. I think it’s possible to get five more years out of the truck.

My next truck will be smaller and easier to drive. I doubt I’ll do the lifted thing again, although it’s been fun with Big Red. Maybe I’ll skip the truck and go for a smaller, fuel efficient car that makes it cheaper to do longer trips. Now that I have the propane lantern with the big tank, having the electricity from the truck isn’t as such a big thing for me. That would keep me from spending more money out of the account that’s supposed to be going towards owning my off-grid cabin. I don’t regret having Big Red, but I definitely could see downsizing in the future.

Having a “nice” truck is one of the luxuries I’ve enjoyed in my younger years, passing up on expensive vacations or having cable at home. I’d rather spend my weekends in wilderness with the truck camping. My view is a backcountry roadside campsite is far better then going to Paris or Rome, visiting Florida or some other popular tourist destination. I like the view I get from sitting up high in the truck, and I like having the camper and electricity at camp.

Big Red needs a bath tomorrow.

Big Red needs a bath tomorrow. Mud and salt from the roads is so thick on the quarter panels it looks like it was sprayed by a honey wagon. Windows are hard to see out of there is that much mud. Everything was complete mush ever since the ice melted off the unfrozen ground yesterday.

Pond

Big Red Update

Making progress.

1) Power restored to truck cap, replaced shitty aluminum covered copper ground wire with pure copper wire, carefully crimped and sealed with heat shrink. My hope is that this will stop or retard corrosion where the connector is located.

2) Switch to provide solar power to the starting battery and main vehicle system is installed and working. Now if I’m parked somewhere sunny I can open and shut doors, roll down and up windows, use the radio, or even just top off the starting battery without ever turning the engine on. Due to the inductive spike problem I’m not going to bother with led indicators for now, I might revisit eventually.

3) Repaired a loose but not yet broken wire on one of the lights in the truck cap.

4) Pried off clip from the broken truck window support, I am going to replace that tomorrow.