While you wait for something awesome I'm working to bring you punks, grab your inverter and battery supplies from Signature Solar (affiliate link): signaturesolar.com/?ref=SOLARPUNK and then drop your email in the box on my new website solarpunkit.com/ Punk! . . . SOON™
There was a guy who built a solar powered trailer in Ithaca NY *YEARS* ago to add range to his Tesla. He's still out there on RUclips somewhere I would imagine. #ambitionstrikes
Your initial marker diagram is honestly the simplest and best clear explanation I have seen yet. Kudos for that You did a very good job going over this topic.
Hey thank you! I tried my best to be clear, concise, and offer useful info. It’s hard to include everything you can think of but also not waste people’s time with rambling. Although it helps that this eg4 system is pretty simple.
Thank you so much for not playing any crappy montage music during your video. At least I'm 13 minutes and 42 seconds in and I haven't heard any obnoxiously loud music.
I have a solar panel on my work van. I have a small fridge/freezer in there like van life people do. It’s a game changer. Being able to have a popsicle and cold drinks on a hot day and keep healthy food on hand.
2:03 GOD YES!!! Thank you! I'm such a visual person and the fact you used the actual stuff to represent things and not symbols made this so easy to follow.
Hey Rich! You should give it a shot! I had a lot of fun building this, just be careful with electricity, as I'm sure you're aware. And I'll get back to your email as soon as I can!
@@solarpunksteve thanks!!! I'd rather be in Florida... But up here in Oregon, I'm having a hard time deciding on batteries... With heaters, or make a heating pad and insulated box.... Ugh. Yeah, wish I was in Florida. ;-p
I don’t fit either group you spoke about at the end. I just love watching novel ideas created in front of me to watch and take in. Education never stops!
I just came across your video....wow, perfect timing. I use to landscape with my uncle in central TX and I lost a good paying job recently. I was thinking about starting up my own lawn service. I never thought about using DC powered lawn mower and equipment , what a great idea 💡! Thanks for that 👍. I have a military electronics background so this solar setup should be easy for me to do. I really like how you drew out your so called schematic 🤠. I went ahead and subscribed! I'll will be planning to build one just like yours with a twist 😉. I'll be looking for your next build. Oh, and by the way.... the name of your business is brilliant! Take care ....
Hey sorry to hear about the job, hope things swing in your favor soon! As for the lawn equipment, unfortunately it’s not dc-dc charging. This system is having to convert to ac and then the chargers take that and turn it into dc for the batteries. It’s annoying but best I could do without building super custom systems that likely will void all warranties. As for your future trailer build, either make sure you drop your email in my website solarpunkit.com or send me an email at steve@solarpunklawn.com if you’re thinking about building something soon as I have some things on the horizon that might interest you.
Man, this video was PHENOMENAL. Incredibly clear visuals and explanations, great design and attention to detail on the system, and you speak and edit far better than most 1M+ subscriber channels. Thanks for the incredible work, looking forward to videos and site updates SOON(TM) to come!
Too kind! I'm doing what I can to get more stuff out soon™ but turns out things always take longer than planned. But fear not, what's coming will be worth the wait!
What a great installation, lve done this a couple of times in the past with great results, please please make sure you secure this trailer as some will steal it in a minute, l lost my first one like this, also it easily would make a great weekender. Jeffrey Smart from UK.
Honestly, this is an incredible explanation and DIY build. My only note is I'm so glad you changed the battery mounting setup. My almost instantaneous reaction was the worry of any moisture getting in the foam and eventually causing an issue. The rubber feet are perfect.
This video is awesome! I’ve been researching electric lawn care for a few weeks now and can’t stop thinking about it. You’ve got the trailer build down pat!
I have 1000w of solar on my cargo trailer, but really like the way you mounted them. My trailer has ladder racks, that sit 9" above the trailer, and the panels bolted to that. The way you did it makes a much cleaner look, and probably more aerodynamic. (going to be doing some rebuilding of the inside, and might just have to rework the panel mounts as well) My setup is a construction trailer, that converts into a camper, and/or toy hauler, with full kitchen and air conditioning. Running all stranded cables allows for more flex, and less breakage than solid core. So going forward you may want to use stranded only cables.
Very nice layout to allow the use of battery operated equipment. Much better installation than many professional panel maker for industrial equipment control panels.
Very cool. I think if it were me I would have installed a small 240V subpanel and also installed provisions for charging the Tesla off the panels. I suppose you could still L1 charge occasionally with your setup though, and might as well if you have plenty of sun.
Yeah I would do it differently if I were to do it again but part of the challenge and fun was I didn’t see anyone else doing it, or at least the way I wanted to do it so I just gave it a go. As for charging the car I have solar on the house so that really takes care of the driving I do. Lawn care is fairly demanding on power consumption so it’s not like I get tons of excess unless the trailer is parked for a while, but I would like to add some fun features to the next one.
@@solarpunksteve Plus trying to charge a 60 to 100 kWh battery from 1200W would take days. Another thing to consider is the inefficiencies of L1 charging versus L2. I've seen reports of real life number crunching where 30% of the power is wasted when using L1 for some cars.
Great video dude! You got the right idea! Pretty clean setup love the sense of humor as well. I see alotta solar vids where people don't really care to make there wiring look clean.
It takes a lot of extra time so I understand why some wouldn't but personally I just like the way it looks and feel it's worth the effort. Thanks checking it out and glad I could entertain for a few minutes!
One of my mowing crews runs all electric mowers, trimmers and blowers. It’s an up charge. Mostly old folk communities or daycares pay for it. We charge overnight in trailer and with a 10000 watt Honda generator while driving. Plan on buying more for next season.
That's awesome Tye! What mowers and equipment are you running? How does your crew like it? Is the maintenance for your electric equipment trailer indeed less than your gas trailers? I've heard of a few people doing it like that with a generator between jobs and honestly I think it's a great middle-ground even though it seems silly to charge the battery equipment with a gas/diesel generator. I think a lot of people are missing the point with the electric vs gas lawn care debate. Sure, the emissions from gas lawn care are really bad and I would love if we could solve that asap, but most homeowners aren't complaining about that fact, they just hate the noise of the gas stuff (namely blowers). But as a lawn care professional it's currently cost prohibitive and difficult to run all-electric in every scenario, so we have to find some solution that's feasible and cost effective. Thanks for sharing!
@solarpunksteve longer lasting is the main comcern, the commercial electric stuff is already powerful enough. It's mostly just the runtime and durability of the batteries
Would be nice! Although unfortunately I don’t think it’s as simple as hooking one up, the battery system in the EGO mower is a little complicated given the six battery box thing.
This video is so awesome! The attention to detail and the amount of time o know it took to record and edit this is crazy! I get frustrated just fixing a hole in a ceiling and painting over it 😂
Loved the video, but I’m following because of the smile at the Lights at the very end. I’m a car electronics guy and it’s very much something I would do.
Was waiting for this one to drop! Thanks for posting this, the idea of a fully electric lawn company is so cool. I just picked up my own EGO push mower a month or so ago and it's been great so far.
I love this video! This is almost the exact setup I have drawn out for my mobile garage trailer build. Great to see how you brought it all together. Thank you for sharing.
6:17 Best to keep them the same power cables. Having a service line is okay. But you keep the same resistance on both the positive and negative line equal both being the same length. Great job on the build. I subbed. I'm looking to do something like this.
Thanks! Hoping others can learn from some of the things I did and maybe help them make decisions on a process that might work for them if they choose to do it. Thanks for watching!
This is exactly what I've been looking for! I also run an all electric lawn care business and I just got an enclosed trailer that I pull with an F150 Lightning. Right now I've just got a 12v/400ah battery bank with a Renogy 2000w Inverter built in to the trailer and a pass-through to plug into the bed of the truck. I'm planning solar right now and trying to figure out the best way to go. It can get kind of daunting
Daunting projects are exactly what we humans need to grow. When I'm up against something that is confusing, I just "stare" at one section at a time. Stare at it long enough, and it begins to make sense. You got this!
Great video. I've had the same idea for a solar lawn care business stirring around in my head for a while now. Great job on that trailer! Excellent setup.
Cool setup man! You did a really great job on this trailer especially considering it was your first one! I’m sure it’s already been stated by some other internet experts but I just thought I’d chime in as a journeyman electrician. Everything looks all good but instead of solid wire for your outlets I’d definitely recommend stranded wire for everything in the trailer if you were to do it again. Solid wire is prone to breakage when exposed to vibration. While you’re not allowed to install flexible cord here in Canada for permanent installations it’s perfect for your use in the trailer. And I’ll also just mention that you’re never supposed to switch the neutral. Just in the event that it somehow tripped or got switched off it can present a safety hazard. I know the breaker has a tie handle so it’s almost impossible but just thought I’d mention it.
Good stuff as usual. I just happen to now have a trailer in the driveway 😉will be doing something similar with my new project, always nice to see different ways of doing the setup.
@@solarpunksteve its an aluminum 16 * 7.5 with a 7-foot height. We've got two maybe three runs left with it as a cargo trailer to empty a storage unit and then we'll be getting started. HVNomads is something I've been so excited to start! There are still a few more components to pick so we can make sure it's balanced, Model X is heavy but a trailer can still flip it in a blink if it starts swaying.
@@KaceyGreen Sweet! Hey send me an email at Steve@solarpunklawn.com. I’ve been working on something you might be interested in regarding the trailer solar setup.
Dude, the editing here is at a very high level. Wow. But even better is your handy skills during the build. My faith in younger generation is restored. I know you do lawn care as the end game but I can see a future in consulting on solar builds. Really nice job Steve!
Thanks! I spent a lot of time trying to get the editing down, glad it came across that way. Also I’m glad I can restore some faith! As to your other remark, stay tuned! I’ve got some really fun stuff to announce soon. And thanks!
love the details. i'm not looking to power a lawn care company, but I'd love to do a similar setup in my shed so that I could completely power / recharge all my lawn equipment off grid.
Great job... one big tip.... you ready... When you do a build like this... since it's mobile... think .... mobile as in... doo your build on a 4 x 8 sheet of plyboard two sheets if needed... do them outside of the enclosed trailer... in sections if you need to... then... assemble.. as in attach the panels aka custom eco gear setup charging / monitoring control center.. in your trailer on rails... 8020 or strut or whatever else you decide to use,, another words build your system so it can be easily removed t put in a new trailer later trailer .. if you upgrade .. ya feel me.. you'll have less holes in your trailer and it can be removed replaced pr repaired easily.. Think mobile !
I love what you're doing here and might do something similar for construction work. Am an internet expert/EE - There are easier and cleaner ways to do your electrical, but your system is well built, clean and has redundant/extra safety measures. If you ever do this again, consider a Combination Service Entrance Device like the SO1020M100S. Why? All your breakers in one spot, and you have space for an off the shelf meter to track your energy usage/efficency, and those off the shelf meters are typically +/- 0.2% accuracy (your inverter may be +/- 2%). Don't care about the meter? Go with a NEMA 3R rated 8 or 10 space load center without a preinstalled main circuit breaker.
That would be cool! But the car actually regens so technically it’s not lost (I hardly ever use my real brakes), just not used for recharging the trailer. I suppose if I had a F-150 Lightning or Cybertruck etc then I could use any recovered power in lawn care or driving!
I've built a few systems similar to this one (although none in a trailer, yet). You did a fantastic job - very well conceptualized, explained, and executed. Great editing as well. My only concern is that you coiled up excess wire rather than trimming it in a couple spots. This probably won't cause issues, but any coil of wire will act as an inductor to some degree. Unwanted inductance will decrease efficiency and can theoretically have undesirable effects on nearby equipment such as the inverter.
I'm not a Internet expert but I have messed around with car electronics. They use flexible wiring for exactly the reason you stated. Vibrations. Plus car wiring is all over the place and using metal for that would be a pain.
Yeah I’m used to ships/marine which is always flexible wiring but there’s this weird middle ground trying to use stuff from Home Depot/Lowe’s and also have it function for mobile applications. It’s definitely more RV but idk, I ran into trouble trying to find the perfect solution for every scenario with this build.
@@solarpunksteve pretty interesting discussion here from you two. I'd expect in the trailer it doesn't move around much but if I were you I would put just some wire in a dummy outlet on a hard conduit and screw it into the wall, check back on it in a few years and see if it did do anything
@@solarpunksteve I'm pretty sure the main reason they don't use flexible wiring in more applications is cause it is more expensive. in homes that don't move and you are rarely adjusting the wire they don't need flexible wiring. cars have a ton of vibrations and it's common to have to adjust or fix the wiring. plus it makes it more DIY friendly. easier to splice into and what not. But overall as long as the gauge is up to spec I don't think it matter which one you use.
While you wait for something awesome I'm working to bring you punks, grab your inverter and battery supplies from Signature Solar (affiliate link): signaturesolar.com/?ref=SOLARPUNK and then drop your email in the box on my new website solarpunkit.com/ Punk!
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SOON™
There was a guy who built a solar powered trailer in Ithaca NY *YEARS* ago to add range to his Tesla. He's still out there on RUclips somewhere I would imagine. #ambitionstrikes
you could of used flex seal for that roof just buy a gallon of it and use a paint roller problem fixed i just did that with a camper
Hi internet expert here, your video is definitely on the internet.
Your initial marker diagram is honestly the simplest and best clear explanation I have seen yet. Kudos for that
You did a very good job going over this topic.
Hey thank you! I tried my best to be clear, concise, and offer useful info. It’s hard to include everything you can think of but also not waste people’s time with rambling. Although it helps that this eg4 system is pretty simple.
This! same feedback here. thank you SolarPunkSteve
Thank you so much for not playing any crappy montage music during your video. At least I'm 13 minutes and 42 seconds in and I haven't heard any obnoxiously loud music.
There’s 20 seconds of music towards the end at the “mowtage” haha. Fair warning.
Same, I don’t need to hear the bass drop for every instructional video. Lol
I have a solar panel on my work van. I have a small fridge/freezer in there like van life people do. It’s a game changer.
Being able to have a popsicle and cold drinks on a hot day and keep healthy food on hand.
WOW I never thought of using my nibbler to cut washers... THANK YOU!
2:03 GOD YES!!! Thank you! I'm such a visual person and the fact you used the actual stuff to represent things and not symbols made this so easy to follow.
'This Old Tony' reference made me happy😂
We love A This Old Tony reference. Also good looking build.
I see your company growing into building small off grid RV systems 👍💪💪
I watched a hundred videos about installing solar, and once you actually do one and use if for a while, it all becomes clear.
Great video.
I've had this dream since they started making electric lawn equipment. You are proof it can be done thank you. 👍🏼👍🏼
Maybe dreams really do come true!
One of the best EG4 builds I have seen so far.
Thank you for the whiteboard explanations - that always seems to clear things up for me!
This is the coolest video. My favorite part was when you got that dicor calk on your finger, you showed the tube in the video.
Nice, clean work 🙂
Glad you like it!
Love all of your This Old Tony references. He's one of my favorite channels.
Mine too!
Super awesome. I've been thinking about making my garage solar powered. It's not much bigger than your trailer. Super nice video
Hey Rich! You should give it a shot! I had a lot of fun building this, just be careful with electricity, as I'm sure you're aware. And I'll get back to your email as soon as I can!
@@solarpunksteve thanks!!!
I'd rather be in Florida... But up here in Oregon, I'm having a hard time deciding on batteries... With heaters, or make a heating pad and insulated box.... Ugh. Yeah, wish I was in Florida. ;-p
That end mowntage was amazing
Hope it was mowtivating!
Very cool. 😁 And how can you go wrong with a ToT reference. 😎😎
Cool idea having all electric lawn care. I’m sure there’s a niche market for this throughout the country.
It's required by law now in California.
The sale of small equipment engines is banned now you can't even buy a gas pressure washer now.
Niche? It will work virtually everywhere.
Yea I was like 🤔🤦🏾♂️@@twooey8232
@@ZoeyR86love how California keeps screwing themselves over. 😆
@@heyitsbroski I live here because my wife refuses to move away and my family is here. If I was single I'd run fast
I don’t fit either group you spoke about at the end. I just love watching novel ideas created in front of me to watch and take in. Education never stops!
That was a well edited video. Enjoyed every joke and helpful tip.
The build is great, but also PRO level editing. Well done!
I just came across your video....wow, perfect timing. I use to landscape with my uncle in central TX and I lost a good paying job recently. I was thinking about starting up my own lawn service. I never thought about using DC powered lawn mower and equipment , what a great idea 💡! Thanks for that 👍. I have a military electronics background so this solar setup should be easy for me to do. I really like how you drew out your so called schematic 🤠. I went ahead and subscribed! I'll will be planning to build one just like yours with a twist 😉. I'll be looking for your next build. Oh, and by the way.... the name of your business is brilliant! Take care ....
Hey sorry to hear about the job, hope things swing in your favor soon! As for the lawn equipment, unfortunately it’s not dc-dc charging. This system is having to convert to ac and then the chargers take that and turn it into dc for the batteries. It’s annoying but best I could do without building super custom systems that likely will void all warranties.
As for your future trailer build, either make sure you drop your email in my website solarpunkit.com or send me an email at steve@solarpunklawn.com if you’re thinking about building something soon as I have some things on the horizon that might interest you.
I love this video, had to rewatch it
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it so much. Are you planning on building one at some point?
Man, this video was PHENOMENAL. Incredibly clear visuals and explanations, great design and attention to detail on the system, and you speak and edit far better than most 1M+ subscriber channels. Thanks for the incredible work, looking forward to videos and site updates SOON(TM) to come!
Too kind! I'm doing what I can to get more stuff out soon™ but turns out things always take longer than planned. But fear not, what's coming will be worth the wait!
Can't wait until the next build, so freaky cool
Me either! I think you’re going to like it, I’m super excited to share what I’ve been working on.
What a great installation, lve done this a couple of times in the past with great results, please please make sure you secure this trailer as some will steal it in a minute, l lost my first one like this, also it easily would make a great weekender. Jeffrey Smart from UK.
This was an entertaining and fascinating build!! Bravo!!
Thanks!
Thanks for the tour and how-to. Also, cudos to you for crimping square ferrules on the stranded conductors!
Hey Dave! Thanks for always following along.
This Old Tony reference was spot on haha. Love what you're doing here. Makes me want to offer mowing in my neighborhood as a quiet mowing service
Excellent video. You provide a lot of very useful information.
Who told you it was okay to go that hard on the editing man?? Thank you for the well informed and extremely well made video :) I’m subscribed!
Hey thanks! I probably (definitely) spent too much time editing but once you start it's hard to stop! Glad you liked it!
Love the ferrules. Clean installation!
Thanks!
un bravo ragazzo che sa un mestiere. Saluti dall' Italia!!
Awesome setup, such low maintenance. Also love the little point at the screw at 6:01, pro tip to remember where you drop screws
Haha yeah I do that every time I drop something, definitely helps.
Gotta love the old set your machine to the number of things you need trick. Countless hours saved 😄
Honestly, this is an incredible explanation and DIY build. My only note is I'm so glad you changed the battery mounting setup. My almost instantaneous reaction was the worry of any moisture getting in the foam and eventually causing an issue. The rubber feet are perfect.
This video is awesome! I’ve been researching electric lawn care for a few weeks now and can’t stop thinking about it. You’ve got the trailer build down pat!
I'm 32 seconds in and ... lookin pretty sweet! Good work.
Just a few more seconds to go 😉
I think i will use your idea in my mancave which is a long way from the house, but only uses 120v 1 circuit. Good job.
Solid work overall, very resourceful. Make sure when you're caulking you don't accidentally make a bowl for water to just sit in and degrade the seal.
I have 1000w of solar on my cargo trailer, but really like the way you mounted them. My trailer has ladder racks, that sit 9" above the trailer, and the panels bolted to that. The way you did it makes a much cleaner look, and probably more aerodynamic. (going to be doing some rebuilding of the inside, and might just have to rework the panel mounts as well)
My setup is a construction trailer, that converts into a camper, and/or toy hauler, with full kitchen and air conditioning.
Running all stranded cables allows for more flex, and less breakage than solid core. So going forward you may want to use stranded only cables.
IS A REALLY NICE PROJECT....CONGRATS
Thank you! Cheers!
I learned some new things and was highly entertained by the sarcasm throughout the video! Nicely done! 🙌
He's prepping to be California Compliant.
Very nice layout to allow the use of battery operated equipment. Much better installation than many professional panel maker for industrial equipment control panels.
Very cool. I think if it were me I would have installed a small 240V subpanel and also installed provisions for charging the Tesla off the panels. I suppose you could still L1 charge occasionally with your setup though, and might as well if you have plenty of sun.
Yeah I would do it differently if I were to do it again but part of the challenge and fun was I didn’t see anyone else doing it, or at least the way I wanted to do it so I just gave it a go. As for charging the car I have solar on the house so that really takes care of the driving I do. Lawn care is fairly demanding on power consumption so it’s not like I get tons of excess unless the trailer is parked for a while, but I would like to add some fun features to the next one.
@@solarpunksteve Plus trying to charge a 60 to 100 kWh battery from 1200W would take days. Another thing to consider is the inefficiencies of L1 charging versus L2. I've seen reports of real life number crunching where 30% of the power is wasted when using L1 for some cars.
Great video dude! You got the right idea! Pretty clean setup love the sense of humor as well. I see alotta solar vids where people don't really care to make there wiring look clean.
It takes a lot of extra time so I understand why some wouldn't but personally I just like the way it looks and feel it's worth the effort. Thanks checking it out and glad I could entertain for a few minutes!
Hard habit to break is parking the job trailer in the shade! I still forget with my solar golf cart and park it in the shade!
One of my mowing crews runs all electric mowers, trimmers and blowers. It’s an up charge. Mostly old folk communities or daycares pay for it. We charge overnight in trailer and with a 10000 watt Honda generator while driving. Plan on buying more for next season.
That's awesome Tye! What mowers and equipment are you running? How does your crew like it? Is the maintenance for your electric equipment trailer indeed less than your gas trailers? I've heard of a few people doing it like that with a generator between jobs and honestly I think it's a great middle-ground even though it seems silly to charge the battery equipment with a gas/diesel generator. I think a lot of people are missing the point with the electric vs gas lawn care debate. Sure, the emissions from gas lawn care are really bad and I would love if we could solve that asap, but most homeowners aren't complaining about that fact, they just hate the noise of the gas stuff (namely blowers). But as a lawn care professional it's currently cost prohibitive and difficult to run all-electric in every scenario, so we have to find some solution that's feasible and cost effective. Thanks for sharing!
It will hopefully be a while before my setup is electric, but it’s good to know I got some reference builds for when it is. This is a sweet setup😂
Tech is advancing all the time, so maybe by the time you build yours it will be way easier/cheaper/more powerful!
@solarpunksteve longer lasting is the main comcern, the commercial electric stuff is already powerful enough. It's mostly just the runtime and durability of the batteries
Thats super cool! Your videos are so well made as well!
Thanks! Really glad you like them and have continued to follow along!
Well done, love to see a solar panel top on the mower..
Would be nice! Although unfortunately I don’t think it’s as simple as hooking one up, the battery system in the EGO mower is a little complicated given the six battery box thing.
The amount of time this must’ve taken deserves a comment and sub!
This video is so awesome! The attention to detail and the amount of time o know it took to record and edit this is crazy! I get frustrated just fixing a hole in a ceiling and painting over it 😂
Thanks Tony! Yeah let’s not even talk about the hours put into purely the editing lol. Waaay too much time to think about.
@@solarpunksteve it’s my least favorite part of it all. Great job! Love the business and love the content (I subscribed)
Loved the video, but I’m following because of the smile at the
Lights at the very end. I’m a car electronics guy and it’s very much something I would do.
Haha thanks. It was a good moment, finishing everything!
Was waiting for this one to drop! Thanks for posting this, the idea of a fully electric lawn company is so cool. I just picked up my own EGO push mower a month or so ago and it's been great so far.
I love the zoom in on the dicor dude. Always wondered about him.
Looks great .
dude, the wife is kicking ass rocking those welds! Heck yeah
She’ll love to see this haha. She’s shy on camera so have to get her to try and appear in more.
Funny enough I work as a dishwasher and had this video playing in the background.
Don’t you just hate it when one of the skippable ads comes on but your hands are too soapy and it just keeps playing forever‽ it drives me nuts haha.
It’s a sign bro
I love this video! This is almost the exact setup I have drawn out for my mobile garage trailer build. Great to see how you brought it all together. Thank you for sharing.
I like videos like this, let me join in learning, thank you and greetings from Indonesia
You did a great job, and I'm sure your next builds will only make even better improvements. Nice work!
Great video. Love how you clearly explained everything and its easy to follow along. By far the best small scale solar install video i've seen yet.
6:17 Best to keep them the same power cables. Having a service line is okay. But you keep the same resistance on both the positive and negative line equal both being the same length. Great job on the build. I subbed. I'm looking to do something like this.
You can condense and have a smaller set up (I assume space is valuable in your trailer) by doing solar straight to a large portable power station.
Great job on the video Steve! Thanks for making it.
Great video and explanation. and great order
Thanks! Hoping others can learn from some of the things I did and maybe help them make decisions on a process that might work for them if they choose to do it. Thanks for watching!
I'd love to see a cost breakdown of all the components that went into this. Looks like about $4500+ random odds and ends? Great work.
This is exactly what I've been looking for! I also run an all electric lawn care business and I just got an enclosed trailer that I pull with an F150 Lightning. Right now I've just got a 12v/400ah battery bank with a Renogy 2000w Inverter built in to the trailer and a pass-through to plug into the bed of the truck. I'm planning solar right now and trying to figure out the best way to go. It can get kind of daunting
Daunting projects are exactly what we humans need to grow. When I'm up against something that is confusing, I just "stare" at one section at a time.
Stare at it long enough, and it begins to make sense. You got this!
You should be a teacher, well done!
Great video. I've had the same idea for a solar lawn care business stirring around in my head for a while now. Great job on that trailer! Excellent setup.
I thought of a trailer like this days ago, seems I’m not the only one.
Nice setup. I would add another EG4 battery to the mix to accommodate for the cloudy days.
Your awesome i wanted to try this here. Congrats u rock.
Cool setup man! You did a really great job on this trailer especially considering it was your first one!
I’m sure it’s already been stated by some other internet experts but I just thought I’d chime in as a journeyman electrician.
Everything looks all good but instead of solid wire for your outlets I’d definitely recommend stranded wire for everything in the trailer if you were to do it again. Solid wire is prone to breakage when exposed to vibration. While you’re not allowed to install flexible cord here in Canada for permanent installations it’s perfect for your use in the trailer.
And I’ll also just mention that you’re never supposed to switch the neutral. Just in the event that it somehow tripped or got switched off it can present a safety hazard. I know the breaker has a tie handle so it’s almost impossible but just thought I’d mention it.
I have an EGO weed wicker and very happy with it .. amazing great product and company ..
Good stuff as usual. I just happen to now have a trailer in the driveway 😉will be doing something similar with my new project, always nice to see different ways of doing the setup.
Awesome! How soon do you plan on doing out your trailer? Also, what size is it?
@@solarpunksteve its an aluminum 16 * 7.5 with a 7-foot height.
We've got two maybe three runs left with it as a cargo trailer to empty a storage unit and then we'll be getting started.
HVNomads is something I've been so excited to start!
There are still a few more components to pick so we can make sure it's balanced, Model X is heavy but a trailer can still flip it in a blink if it starts swaying.
@@KaceyGreen Sweet! Hey send me an email at Steve@solarpunklawn.com. I’ve been working on something you might be interested in regarding the trailer solar setup.
Great video, the finished product looks and works great. This solution would work great as just a garden workshop as well as your application.
Such a sweet setup! Amazing 🎉
Glad you enjoyed the build!
Dude, the editing here is at a very high level. Wow. But even better is your handy skills during the build. My faith in younger generation is restored. I know you do lawn care as the end game but I can see a future in consulting on solar builds. Really nice job Steve!
Thanks! I spent a lot of time trying to get the editing down, glad it came across that way. Also I’m glad I can restore some faith!
As to your other remark, stay tuned! I’ve got some really fun stuff to announce soon. And thanks!
love the details. i'm not looking to power a lawn care company, but I'd love to do a similar setup in my shed so that I could completely power / recharge all my lawn equipment off grid.
Great video! Maybe Will Prowse can weigh in. It certainly to be properly sorted.
Great job... one big tip.... you ready... When you do a build like this... since it's mobile... think .... mobile as in... doo your build on a 4 x 8 sheet of plyboard two sheets if needed... do them outside of the enclosed trailer... in sections if you need to... then... assemble.. as in attach the panels aka custom eco gear setup charging / monitoring control center.. in your trailer on rails... 8020 or strut or whatever else you decide to use,, another words build your system so it can be easily removed t put in a new trailer later trailer .. if you upgrade .. ya feel me.. you'll have less holes in your trailer and it can be removed replaced pr repaired easily.. Think mobile !
Great explanation thank you for sharing.
Super cool build. Love it.
This is awesome bro.
Brother, take win
Great video+ Great job 🎉 Thanks!!! 🔥
I love what you're doing here and might do something similar for construction work. Am an internet expert/EE - There are easier and cleaner ways to do your electrical, but your system is well built, clean and has redundant/extra safety measures. If you ever do this again, consider a Combination Service Entrance Device like the SO1020M100S. Why? All your breakers in one spot, and you have space for an off the shelf meter to track your energy usage/efficency, and those off the shelf meters are typically +/- 0.2% accuracy (your inverter may be +/- 2%). Don't care about the meter? Go with a NEMA 3R rated 8 or 10 space load center without a preinstalled main circuit breaker.
It would be pretty neat if you could apply region breaking to the trailer axle to use for trailer brakes and more power.
That would be cool! But the car actually regens so technically it’s not lost (I hardly ever use my real brakes), just not used for recharging the trailer. I suppose if I had a F-150 Lightning or Cybertruck etc then I could use any recovered power in lawn care or driving!
I've built a few systems similar to this one (although none in a trailer, yet). You did a fantastic job - very well conceptualized, explained, and executed. Great editing as well. My only concern is that you coiled up excess wire rather than trimming it in a couple spots. This probably won't cause issues, but any coil of wire will act as an inductor to some degree. Unwanted inductance will decrease efficiency and can theoretically have undesirable effects on nearby equipment such as the inverter.
Absolutely great video. Thanks for sharing!
I'm not a Internet expert but I have messed around with car electronics. They use flexible wiring for exactly the reason you stated. Vibrations. Plus car wiring is all over the place and using metal for that would be a pain.
Yeah I’m used to ships/marine which is always flexible wiring but there’s this weird middle ground trying to use stuff from Home Depot/Lowe’s and also have it function for mobile applications. It’s definitely more RV but idk, I ran into trouble trying to find the perfect solution for every scenario with this build.
@@solarpunksteve pretty interesting discussion here from you two. I'd expect in the trailer it doesn't move around much but if I were you I would put just some wire in a dummy outlet on a hard conduit and screw it into the wall, check back on it in a few years and see if it did do anything
@@solarpunksteve I'm pretty sure the main reason they don't use flexible wiring in more applications is cause it is more expensive. in homes that don't move and you are rarely adjusting the wire they don't need flexible wiring. cars have a ton of vibrations and it's common to have to adjust or fix the wiring. plus it makes it more DIY friendly. easier to splice into and what not.
But overall as long as the gauge is up to spec I don't think it matter which one you use.
Hey Steve. You could drive a spoike into the job site soil for a ground connection and just pull it up when it's time to go.
Add 2 more of these solarpanels like wings on each side of the trailer… with a hinge so you can tripple the solar power when you fold them up
I love your comment, "when you are holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail." So true! 😂
Great job