Solar panel set up nightmare

poor but proud

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2018
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redlands
i have moved on from the discussion about LCV and was getting a bit off track, but the discussion brought back a memory of what some people do to themselves.
we were parked at the Croyden rodeo grounds on the savannah way FNQ. when the van parked near us was having a melt down on the phone, because his battery kept going flat.he was ripping strips off the guy that sold him the battery as it was no good,as you do on the road you try to help, i had a quick look and this was his setup ,two pv units joined,one hard panel and one blanket type both different amps through one cheap controller ,thin cable about 9 mtr from controller to battery, now there were two batteries different sizes different ages and trying to run an absorption fridge in the van,he had bought each piece cheap from different scources and he had caculated that he would only need a couple of hours a day to keep it all going, but in his mind it was an issue with the battery...so we drove away
 

mikerezny

Well-Known Member
Sep 11, 2016
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Mount Waverley, VIC
Hi,
Yep. This is not unusual. Good idea to drive away. It protects ones sanity.

Electronics, computers, and IT have been my passion and livelihood since I was about 8. So, almost 60 years on, I believe I have a pretty good understanding of it.

I always try to help people out whether at camping spots, friends, forums, or FB etc.

But there seems to be two types of people that can do with some help: those who don't yet understand but want to learn and those that can't be helped.
The wisdom is to determine which they are before I waste a lot of time and energy for nothing.

On a positive note. I met a retired couple living in their van in a campground near Maldon. He was having trouble keeping his batteries charged and even running the generator wasn't helping much. Spent a couple of hours understanding his setup, usage etc. He was eager to learn and the more I fed him with information, the more he wrote down, and the more he asked questions.

Walked past the next morning and he invited me into the van. The table was completely covered with manuals for everything. Sheets of paper where he had just documented the wiring in his van, power usage for every device. And another heap of questions, now getting right down into currents, voltages, power, battery capacity etc. He said once he started he couldn't stop and had been up most of the night getting around it all.
He had come up with quite a few ideas on why he was having problems and ideas on how to fix them.
His main problem was that he couldn't yet work out the power usage of his CPAP machine. From memory, the machine ran off 24V and had power usage in watts on the sticker. But it was then powered by a 240Vac - 24V dc convertor. Then the converter was plugged into a 12V - 240V inverter. It was doing his head in trying to get the Ah draw from the 12V battery for the machine. So we had a couple of hours of electrical tutoring to get it all sorted out.

But, the best of all was that as we parted he said that he had always found this all too difficult and in just two days it had all dropped into place.

Some people are an absolute pleasure to help!

@Boots in Action has similar experiences as well.

take care
Mike
 

Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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QLD
I think a few of us have been in that situation, doesn't take long to see the signs and run.......................At a Vets Camp I helped this old fella track a fault which was blowing his breaker switch, took me 3 hrs even the retired military sparkies gave up but this old fella and his wife were just nice folk and having proved the fault was inside the van I kept checking each little bit, finally found the cause, it was one of those things that you would instantly dismiss as improbable, I took someones advice I had heard (might have been Mr Spock) and discovered it, a water can indeed run uphill moment, my reward was a happy old couple who could now make a cup of tea, i joined them and a lovely bit of cake............................ One Goofer full of advice for the session had been knocking my Colorado >:( then moved onto Jeeps >:(, never owned one but knew all about them, dished out on Sailors then, (no cake for him though) :black_eyed:, then has the gaul to come seeking my help with his Solar a few days later, which I had noticed was a dogs breakfast of wiring, luckily we had just decided to go out..:car:................
 

Boots in Action

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2017
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Ferny Grove, Queensland
I think a few of us have been in that situation, doesn't take long to see the signs and run.......................At a Vets Camp I helped this old fella track a fault which was blowing his breaker switch, took me 3 hrs even the retired military sparkies gave up but this old fella and his wife were just nice folk and having proved the fault was inside the van I kept checking each little bit, finally found the cause, it was one of those things that you would instantly dismiss as improbable, I took someones advice I had heard (might have been Mr Spock) and discovered it, a water can indeed run uphill moment, my reward was a happy old couple who could now make a cup of tea, i joined them and a lovely bit of cake............................ One Goofer full of advice for the session had been knocking my Colorado >:( then moved onto Jeeps >:(, never owned one but knew all about them, dished out on Sailors then, (no cake for him though) :black_eyed:, then has the gaul to come seeking my help with his Solar a few days later, which I had noticed was a dogs breakfast of wiring, luckily we had just decided to go out..:car:................

Never pays to get off side with fellow campers @Drover . You never know when you may need their assistance, although I do agree, it is much better to be totally independent.
 

BJM

Well-Known Member
Sep 29, 2018
485
549
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Yamba
There are always one or two in a caravan park who know everything ! Happy hour is a good place to get the good oil ( I might add we are not big fans of happy hours ) and find out you are driving the wrong tow vehicle,wrong van ,have the wrong solar setup, the list is endless .Having a Jeep and towing a Jayco Journey Outback is a disaster waiting to happen .!! According to the campfire experts.
 

Crusty181

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2010
6,854
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Mentone, VIC
There are always one or two in a caravan park who know everything ! Happy hour is a good place to get the good oil ( I might add we are not big fans of happy hours ) and find out you are driving the wrong tow vehicle,wrong van ,have the wrong solar setup, the list is endless .Having a Jeep and towing a Jayco Journey Outback is a disaster waiting to happen .!! According to the campfire experts.
Too true, and who would have thought that all the most knowledgable Jayco experts have never owned one. You can always rely on some knob to rain down on the Junko, but those discussions always tend to take a sharp turn when the Junko experts discover during the Crusty initiated "show and do tell" where my Junko has successfully been, and there van hasn't . If that doesnt get the message across, there always "so ..... how much again did you pay for your van?"
 

Brente1982

Active Member
Oct 7, 2019
281
183
43
Epping
Im always happy to ask questions if i dont know. Im tech savvy with a lot of things, but still struggle to get my head around this solar/battery setup (although did install solar and an auxiliary setup successfully in my Ranger) But throw in double of every component and i get a bit lost. Thankful for these and other forums to ask for advice from those who have gone before me. That's what its all for right?
 

BJM

Well-Known Member
Sep 29, 2018
485
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Yamba
Always happy to learn at my age !! Anybody taken the coil springs out of the JTech suspension. 5 years old red powder coating peeling off and rust underneath.Powder coating coils is not a good idea.PC will not stretch. Tried to get my spring clamps 180 degrees in the very tight space !! Not an easy job.Will try again .!
,
 

Brente1982

Active Member
Oct 7, 2019
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Epping
Think on the 2020 models theyve upgraded the springs and shocks. The trailing arm is more compact. Pedders kits now, not sure if they were previously.
 

Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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Never pays to get off side with fellow campers @Drover . You never know when you may need their assistance, although I do agree, it is much better to be totally independent.

Even though he was a yarper, I would have helped him out and he would have seen the error of his ways but once I had spotted the rats nest of wiring even my help anyone out attitude went bush.......lol,lol.
I never stay on anyones side because of something I might get out of the deal, I either like you or I don't end of story.....

I thought there was a thread here about someone popping the springs off a j tech, shouldn't be too hard I imagine but then again....
 

Boots in Action

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2017
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Ferny Grove, Queensland
Even though he was a yarper, I would have helped him out and he would have seen the error of his ways but once I had spotted the rats nest of wiring even my help anyone out attitude went bush.......lol,lol.
I never stay on anyones side because of something I might get out of the deal, I either like you or I don't end of story.....

I thought there was a thread here about someone popping the springs off a j tech, shouldn't be too hard I imagine but then again....

But @Drover , I love you, I love you, I love you to bits!! Why don't you love me anymore???
 

jazzeddie1234

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2016
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Mandurah
Always happy to learn at my age !! Anybody taken the coil springs out of the JTech suspension. 5 years old red powder coating peeling off and rust underneath.Powder coating coils is not a good idea.PC will not stretch. Tried to get my spring clamps 180 degrees in the very tight space !! Not an easy job.Will try again .!
,

I had a look at mine and the shock has a strap limiting the down travel and is there, I assume, to prevent to spring from popping out.

Maybe jack the chassis up first, remove the wheel, lower the axle onto a block to compress the spring, remove the shock, jack back up again, remove the spring?