Solar/Battery bank/toad trailer

[Trawlercap]

Has anyone seen anything like this? I am not posting this as a for sale item. What I am interested in is how he has wired up his trailer to keep boon-docking. I will copy the text as the ad will run out someday.

http://austin.craigslist.org/rvs/2225479021.html

Ultimate Dry Camping duo. 40', 1997 top of the line Foretravel Motor Home. Big engine, 450 h.p. Cummins M-11 diesel, transmission retarder, Aqua Hot heating ,ceramic floor tile throughout, Corian countertops, central vacuum system, 32" flat panel LCD TV with MotoSat automatic HD antenna, combo w/d., 300w solar panels, Bose surround sound, and many other options. 125k miles.
16' Hallmark enclosed trailer. Heavy duty axles to handle weight of 16 Trojan T-105 batteries and Jeep Wrangler. 8 Kyocera 120w solar panels, totaling 1,000w. Zantrex Prosine 3,000w inverter/charger.
Will sell separately.
Also, consider trade for home of equal value in the southwest.
Thanks for looking.
Ron

[Patrick LaBreck]

Sounds like he has the 3000 watt inverter on board the trailer. If he is inverting at the trailer then 10 gage wire would handle the load, 25 amps at 120v. He's just providing his own 30 amp service to the bus every where he goes.
As long as he doesn't go where I live ....no sun here.

[Christian]

Very interesting!

I bought 1000 watts of 6" x 6" PV cells on ebay $350 for 260 units. I was watching a DIY video on you tube.

The best installation would be on 1/4 inch Starphire "white" tempered glass.
They get all soldered together face down on the glass then a liquid silicone is poured between the cells with weights in the center of each one. After it hardens the weights are removed and slygard silicone is poured on the backs... I think if I use glass I would heat the face with quartz lamps to get all the air out... the glass is $12.50sqft for a 1000 watt panel That would be $800 worth of glass... Still needs tempering...$1500?

Since my cells where so inexpensive I'm thinking of using 1/4 Plexiglas or polycarbonate but I wasn't sure which one would yellow/degrade faster in the sun. Average life is twenty years on the cells.

I will be putting these on my trailer after I build them...

I was going to put them on the motorhome but there is so much stuff up there now I thought the installation on the trailer would be both smoother and easier. Plus I could build it with a natural tilt to one side. Just park with the trailer oriented south on the curb side...

[Trawlercap]

I got big sheets of tempered glass for free. The are the single pane of a double pane sliding glass door. I built a greenhouse with it. Call around to glass shops. They just throw the stuff the away.

[Christian]

Originally Posted by Trawlercap

I got big sheets of tempered glass for free. The are the single pane of a double pane sliding glass door. I built a greenhouse with it. Call around to glass shops. They just throw the stuff the away.

I get it. When a sliding door breaks it is usually one side or the other!

The remaining piece gets tossed!! KOOL!!

I'm on it! Thanks.