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Blue brand seems the rage. But I'm with you. I bought a model from "authorized dealer" to try out. Not impressed. Service/support is non-existence. Any questions result in use warranty and return it. However, they know blue is impossible to get warranty out of. Also performance is not good. What was the brand that you mentioned you were happy with?
If you haven't done one already, a "masterclass" on setting up your data integration system and custom equipment controllers would be awesome. Epic content as always sir!
It's my dream to someday have that display of information for my home and shop solar setups. I fully understand the technical aspects of the hardware and wiring, but when it comes to the Python programming I'm at a loss - it's completely outside my skill set.
As always, congrats on the high quality of the Show, Video, Audio - and the eminent physical implementation of those new panels. So well thought out, and so well implemented. It makes it a joy watch. Lets hope that you will eventually get a chance to install a MPPT controller with the functionality that you had originally planned for. But kudos to make the most of the hand that was dealt to you. By the way: Awesome action view of the new suspension makeup. Very nice 👍 And what am intense, almost like birth by fire, for the mounting system of the new solar panels. So glad to hear that they survived those challenging roads.
Next video, replacing the engine with a tesla motor and running it off our solar panels! Seriously though, this is really cool. Would be fun to automate the in and out process like the top panels but probably easier to just pop them open when you get to camp.
The integrations and automation(not sure if those terms are used correctly?) you have set up are awe-inspiring. Combine that electrical and programming knowledge with clever fabrication ideas and skills, and you've created my favorite DIY camper on the web. Thank you for offering continuous inspiration and sharing your knowledge for free with those who watch.
Just when I think Im almost done with my build I look at videos like this and realise, I will never be finished...You can tell this guy is smart, he bought an Electrodacus over all the other much bigger and better advertised brands and as a bonus, gets better service from one guy than a whole company that charges 4x for all their products.
Great job. As I was watching, kept thinking, hmmm that step took some time and detailed planning. These thoughts happened over and over and over. You made a complex task look very straightforward, very well done sir!
Awesome video. I'm not sure how the bottom of the 100lb gas strut support will hold up with just 3-4 square inches of caulk as its fastener. But if it does fail it won't be a big deal, nothing damaged. I imagine it will happen traveling rather than setup for the night. Looks like a fun way to live
Great camera work in this one. I could tell y'all were moving fast and needed precision teamwork to knock this one out. Seeing the air suspension in motion has me all flustered, ngl!
Similar to my intended solar install on my trailer, but all units will be adjustable for the angle of the sun. One advantage of covering your units roof with solar panels and side solar panels is shade. Helps to keep interior temps down. My build will also be fully electric and with a Mini-Split, but with the addition of a small Marine wood stove for off-grid winters. Thanks for the informative post.
Long time subscriber here, I've forgotten what type of batteries you're using and wondered why you didn't set your system voltage to 24 or 48 volts? Wouldn't that make your wiring cost cheaper and less weight? I do enjoy your technical forays, even the computer programming for which I've lost some my curiosity as I past that three score and ten mark. I do enjoy your videos even when I miss them I'll binge watch to update on your adventures.
Are you running Node Red? If so, there are a number of add-on nodes for the MPPT 'blue' kit that perhaps might have saved you some time... VE are strictly a B2B company, they spend lots on training for their distributors, but for sure control and quality of those distributors could be better. Many of them are only box shifters, If you in the market again, chose marine distributors, they are far more knowledgeable as they have been working with VE for some time, and generally have a better approach to customer service. Your MPPT getting hot is common, but might be related to how well matched your panels are to the MPPT model. There is a calculator on the VE site to assist with this. The heat generated by the MPPT is directly related to the voltage delta between the battery (sink) and the panel string (source).
Fantastic video once again! If there was ever an idea for a show portraying what MacGyver did after he retired and decided to travel to South America I would show them on the pitch a few of your videos! Perhaps an idea for a future video from you - I'm absolutely intrigued on how you navigate travelling into different countries with your dog(hope he's better now) How do you navigate the countries quarantine(knowing some of these myself it's very lacklustre and almost non-existent) Thank You
Man....somehow I missed this video! (Just 9 days old, but...) Your design is MOST excellent. I have two of the "blue brand" MPPT controllers for our solar, installed by the original owner. Now I'm thinking I gotta get one of those temperature detectors and see how they're doing. I wonder if you got some bad units.
An over supply problem of solar power production in a truck camper sized space. See something new every day. Surplus it into a larger hot water heater, a bread machine you program to come on whenever you reach a full condition to make delicious fresh bread. That would be worth the effort for the tasty goodness. Your abilities to integrate with the blue box are most impressive and all ancient Greek to me. Carry on... BTW, how are the shackles working?
Are foldable roof solar panels the future of cars? When deployed, it can achieve 1500-2000 watts of solar charging power, with an average daily recharge range of 30-50 miles.
thank you that was so much info packed into one video! script sniff. looks interesting. worth a google. And makes Nice awning too. . Again well done it looks like it will last for years.
Thanks once again for an update. I always learn something in every video (for me, that's amazing cause as I've mentioned before, i tend to struggle with all the tech stuff, even though I love it) Anyway, I do have one question: Do you think the higher wattage panels are more efficient ? eg; house style panels compared to just 12v ones. I have limited space on the top of my electric roof top tent so I'm looking for the maximum I can get from that area. I'm also interested in how the panels get effected by heat build up so I've been investigating a way of cooling them when we are in camp (if running some form of ducting & small fans. it looks like the extra output from the cooling would cover the small amount of power usage of the fans. it's just a thought?) Anyway, thanks once again. You challenged me to stick to my Rpi & touch screen project quite some time ago & though I'm still struggling with the code, I'm still learning (not bad for an "old fart" !!) I'm now dabbling in satellite tracking, SDR & HF radio, which is also fun even for a hands on fabricator! Cheers from Oz !👍
I was thinking of doing that as well, but here in NZ is constantly blowing over 30 knots of gusts. Do you have a safe "limit" to leave them open? Great job, as always!
I think this is one of the best videos you've done, great job! Showing the printer as an electrical load with subscribe on it was very clever. The added snippets from previous videos were neat too. Glad you're both feeling better. I don't suppose you could have simply added a couple of dssr20's for the mppt charge controller input to be regulator by the sbms, allowing for diversion with the new panels as well? The dashboard you created is amazing.
you can use excess electrical production to also heat your engines coolant when it sits. Sooner a diesel is at operating temps... no matter the outside temps the quicker it becomes happy??? when driving could make HHO to introduce for cleaner combustion.... wont really increase millage..... but will give you a cleaner burning engine adding to its longevity.
@@Everlanders HHO is for sure a waste of time and money "when one thinks of it with in the parameters as it was touted in the past" which is what earned it the hoax reputation. That hoax persona is understandable to be why many folk can't look past it's bull shiat to see the benefits.... kinda a can't see the forest thru the tree's kinda thing. When one looks at it for what it "can do" instead of the hoax reputation that highlighted what it "can't do" .. then it opens new doors. Example with solar... one is NOT using alternator to create the charge, then that cancel out one of fallacies that made it a hoax... and two when using for what it can do (help make engine combustion more complete) instead of focusing on the other part of the hoax (MPG gains etc) then it its benefits begin to appear. Granted won't appear w/out many many miles of use... cause realistically the value is really only when used over the long haul. Such as in rigs that are going to be used rather hard over long service life; which is exactly your case. Block heater -- not talking about diesel or propane fired one... but electric, as a place to dump excess power..... Not one intended really for winter use.... aka a block heater feed off excess solar charge after cook/bathing water heated tank got dumped too. .... benefit is engine is more often up to temp before starting (even on hot days) so it gets up and going pretty much immediately within its best combustion parameters..... once again- extending life of the engine.
16:09 Could you give the name of the port sniffer and even though it may seem silly to have a checksum for each command, I guess it could be accounting for not all the bytes being received or maybe in the wrong order, I am not sure what can occur over a (secure) wired connection but I have heard of a lot of devices having checksums with their payloads
I have never, and I mean, never seen this level of competence and intelligence on RUclips. Combination of your electrical and mechanical professorial knowledge is legendary, and I treat diseases for a living. Kudos to you sir.
Quality content as usual. Haven't been a sub for long, but these videos have been some of my favorite lately. Not a whole lot of RV channels talking about sniffing protocols to create custom python control code for big brand hardware!
Great video. I was considering how to make “dumbo ear” panels myself. I’ll be interested to see how well they hold up in terms of the Panel construction vs road vibrations. Thanks again and safe travels!
Wow! That's a s sweet install for sure - and I like the tongue and cheek name for your project. Your electronic controls are next level, Star Trek type stuff. I'm impressed with your coding skills too. We're old, retired FTers who designed and built our system ourselves, on a tight budget. It took us 5 years to gather the resources and finally complete the project, doing all the work ourselves. We started by building a 620-watt liftable solar array on the side of our motorhome, like you did. Your liftable panels are a little cleaner install, but we did ours while boondocking with no access to welders, a machine shop, etc. so everything was bolted-up with off the shelf items, like stainless steel gate hinges, gate latches, aluminum from Lowes, and was all fabricated by hand in the wilderness. Our array makes a nice bedroom window awning too, practically lifting itself with a couple 44" 80lb gas struts, like yours does, and it's easy to clean, standing safely on the ground. Next, we built a 12v, 560ah LiFePo-4 battery with 8, 280ah prismatic cells. We use a Heltec 330amp BMS with a 5a active balancer. We chose these cells rather than a pre-built battery because they fit perfectly under the steps of our MH where our old pair of golf cart batteries used to reside. We insulated the battery compartment, cut a small hole in our step risers and installed a tiny computer CPU fan to keep this space at close to room temperature, so we don't have to worry about the BMS shutting down charging due to low temperature - or their life reduced from getting too hot. Our 12v system uses an 80A Progressive Dynamics LFP converter/charger, a 1,000w Renogy inverter, a 50a Epever MPPT charge controller and a Lnex battery monitor. We built this entire 12v phase of our system for under $3,500. By mounting the solar array on the side of our coach, we left the roof free to rack 8, 550w solar panels, like you have, down the length of our 35ft Class A, 15" off our roof, above our AC, vents, etc. We built the rack out of 2" aluminum angle with the front 2 panels sloping down at a shallower 9.5-degrees to meet the roof, gently easing airflow over the array, making the RV more stable with less wind drag driving down the road too. It covers our entire roof, providing some nice shade with plenty of cooling air underneath, increasing solar output and reducing the heat load on the air conditioners too, though our overall height is still just under 12 ft. We mounted a Sungold Power all-in-one 48V, 5,000W Inverter/100A charge controller/battery charger, breakers and a Lnex battery monitor on the wall in our bedroom, saving us space as well as money compared to a system with individual components. We chose this unit as it supports up to 500 volts and we have a 400 voc solar array. It can work without batteries and has a power saver mode that only uses 20-25 watts when idling. It's only $764 - not bad for a 5,000-watt PSW inverter (with the same 95% efficiency as a high-end "Blue" unit) and has 100amps of combined 48v battery charger/charge controller capacity. Our 48v battery uses 16, 320ah prismatic cells and a 200amp Heltec BMS to keep it safe. Together with our 560ah 12v bank, we have a total of 23.5 kwh of batteries onboard - kept charged by 5,020 watts of solar. This is the equivalent storage capacity as $16,650 worth of Battleborn batteries for under $3,400. We removed the rooftop A/C we had in the bedroom and replaced it with an EG4 28.5 seer-2, 12k btu mini-split heat pump on the upper rear of our motorhome, like yours is. It's super quiet and cools as well as our 14.5k btu soft start equipped Furrion we installed up front. This second phase provides 24/7 off-grid air conditioning and heat from the heat pump. We can run both A/Cs, microwave and charge our batteries from solar at the same time, even in winter. Last night we ran our heat-pump in heat mode all night (making up to 13k btus of heat) and our 48v battery was only down to 66% by morning. It will be full again by noon. We have a total of 6,000 watts of 120v inverted ac power, giving us off-grid electrical self-sufficiency without the need to run our generator, for a total budget of around $11,500, including the high-efficiency heat pump. Take care, we hope to see you down the road one day.
This is so awesome, I never even thought this was possible. I'm also very impressed with the dashboard setup. And.. uh, a little worried about the "blue" MPPT charge controller I got. I've heard mixed reviews with Viktron's products and I'm really hoping I don't get--pardon the pun--burned on this one.
Are you concerned about shading when the top panels are slid out? Or do these panels have the fancy diodes or whatever to prevent the shaded part pulling the rest down?
Oh man I feel ya about dealing with Big Blue. They seem to be the go to for a lot of people and companies but all of their product manuals are trash and there are always like 5 different ways to hook up the same thing to do the same thing. They could easily combine a bunch of their stuff into one compact unit but they don't so you are just left guessing what works with what and you end up with what seems like unnecessary redundant features. usually if you want any answers about anything you have to resort to the forums where other people will tell you how it works or does not work. If you can actually find a number for any kind of support all they do is turn you back to the sales team that arguably doesn't know anything about how it works. I am an electrical systems installer at a camper van and truck shop and deal with Big Blue every day. It still blows my mind how completely vague and nonexistant most of the info is that I need to find. As always your system integration blows my mind and always inspires me to make my own things better.
The electrodacus solar products are second to none in reliability and longevity.. to bad tge panels are to high of voltage for tge new dssr50s.. i really like them they save alot of space compared to the dssr 20s..
Great video as always and worth the wait. I am very appreciative for your mentions (and links) for the things you use like the thermal camera (been looking for a good solution for one) and trust in the "Jason uses it" stamp. I now have started planning on a similar solar system deployment , as it will have a side benefit (pun intended) to cover up the mass of windows I have on the bus when parking in town.
Yes, It's a really slick camera, being able to take a photo or video and save it straight to the phone and then send it to someone is a really helpful feature.
Awesome video! My build is also inspired by your sliding solar layout, but I'll be using 9x275w 30V panels on ball screws and the SBMS0 :) I'm curious to the config you use for the SBMS0! What do you have set for the upper battery charge limits? I'm considering using a NodeRed workflow for "soft" diversion by using the batteries once they're above 90%; do you think that's a good idea to maintain Lifepo4 charge limits? Cheers!
Sure, that's basically what I have going too... SBMS settings are pretty much default, But the Python loop overrides and heats water or runs air compressors if there is going to be lucrative solar production.
RUclips is a mind-reader. I was contemplating of what if you make an awning made of Solar panels to augment your solar input, and at the same time, providing a little bit of shade to your rig. and this video came up in my recommended videos. nice vid. thanks.
Although I don't subscribe, every time your video pops into my feed and I watch it, I'm always amazed. I don't think most folks realize how incredible talented you are. In fact, I doubt only a very small percentage of the population could half the stuff you do.
This guy is insane! for always making things possible when people would say otherwise. Love the effort and engineering you put into making everything work. Awesome!
Outstanding Jason! I'm happy you're feeling better. Kara did a great job filling in. You'd better maintain your health, or she'll steal the show! :-) I would think you've added some redundancy, since the two new panels seem independent of the rooftop. Also looks like you'll pick up some shading on your sidewalls. Well done! Your Everlanders hat has found its place on my rack.
I thought of doing solar panels on the side, but I'm worried about them getting scratched up or even damaged by people. Plans: 6 x 2PCS Bifacial 450 Watt (up to 585W) Monocrystalline Solar Panel SKU: RSP450DT-120x2-US........$759.99 8 x Marine ECO-WORTHY 12V 280Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery.....$698.99 This system is setup for a 24V system. The truck can handle 4 solar panels on top. I'l design and build a sliding rack system. So I can have 12 panels total. And for not so sunny days or no sunny days or just to top off the batteries. I'm using a generator, max 4,500W/ continuous 3,700W.
After thinking about it, there are so many ways you can deploy all those panels for max solar input, depending on direction pointed, latitude, time of year, diodes in the panels to deal with shading, etc. it would be fun to see a production analysis in the future. Impressive engineering!
As always, congrats on the high quality of the Show, Video, Audio - and the eminent physical implementation of those new panels. So well thought out, and so well implemented. Glad to see You `ll Doing Well after all this time , Successful Hope People are Kind To You`ll.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I really appreciate the in depth install. For someone who wants to do a similar build eventually, this is so amazingly helpful. Hope to see you out on the trails one day!!
Solid option for more panels- yours are permanent- due to WINDOWS- okay we know your valid thoughts on those- I cannot hang permanently. Wonder if I could create same but make it removalable for travel. I'll need to watch your video again about 10x
Woahhhhh!! Very impressive, your technical know-how is first rate. Think I felt a little faint when I saw your dashboard and you started talking about Python scripting ha ha huge kudos, thank you so much for posting!
i am wondering here, re : the Mppt, at 50v to 12 v we are burning heat due to excess voltage, 5 times to much :) , like an old LM317 or 317k voltage regulator... with the MPPT working with bucking... we have too high a voltage re: 50v +_ even at 24v which would be better, we are still way high for a 12v end system. So my guess is a 24 v panel would have been a better choice for you 12v system, although when in need we buy what we can get on the road and that just have to suffice. Having a Electronic background i get why you want to have higher voltage,but all considered you have no heat bleed off due to too much voltage, my educated guess would be that the MPPT is shedding more than 50% of your solar power in the form of heat.... hope it makes sense. Johan
Nicely done and well edited. May have to steal the microphone hat idea. Your audio is dialed in. #everlanderspattentpending Also thanks for the link to the thermal camera. It pushed me over the edge to pick one up.
Cool project. My main concern would be shading from the overhang of the panels above. As you said, they are working fine. I am trying to put 12 (2x6) panels on my 34' RV. I also want single axis tracking. The "mounts are very difficult to find. A custom rack is required also. If anyone sees this and has recommends, pls feel free to hit me with a reply.
I have a couple of blue items in my system. Pretty low level - smart charger for my 12V battery, running off a 60A 48-12 DC-DC converter. And a smart shunt. The shunt tells me the real story (not nearly as well as the setup you have) of how the batteries are being charged. But the big story is that I priced the blue stuff for my primary solar controller/AC charging/inverter. 4X the cost, more parts, and about double the weight of an MPP Solar LV6548. No contest. The young DIY Solar Jedi had torture tested the LV6548 charging his Tesla, and reported good reliability there and knowledge of a history of reliable performance in other setups. So with that I went all in with MPP. Glad I did. It's been working great for going on 2 years now. Has demonstrated serious fault tolerance and protected itself from faulty (internally shorted) AC equipment inside the vehicle. I would do it the same if I had to do it over.
Fuuuuuh, this is why I couldn’t live full time… if something happened to my solar and I’m in the booties I’m just SOL…. 😂 I fix people not solar arrays. Damn electrical engineers are so cool. I understood absolutely nothing when he was pulling up programs, program sniffers (which sounds like my ex wife) 😉 etc was wild.
Love the hinged solar modules! I do upfitting of Sprinter vans in Dallas and thinking of installing walkable panels on top and hinging a module off driver's side of the van for a customer. He kind of wants his Sprinter to be a baby overlanding rig. Thank you so very much for all the great info you provide the community - so helpful to me. I use Sikaflex 252 for all roof penetrations. When you discuss using Sikaflex adhesive when you bonded the panels to top, is this a different product?
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Blue brand seems the rage. But I'm with you. I bought a model from "authorized dealer" to try out. Not impressed. Service/support is non-existence. Any questions result in use warranty and return it. However, they know blue is impossible to get warranty out of. Also performance is not good. What was the brand that you mentioned you were happy with?
If you haven't done one already, a "masterclass" on setting up your data integration system and custom equipment controllers would be awesome. Epic content as always sir!
It's my dream to someday have that display of information for my home and shop solar setups. I fully understand the technical aspects of the hardware and wiring, but when it comes to the Python programming I'm at a loss - it's completely outside my skill set.
Was a pleasure to meet you guys 🎉
Your spaceship keeps getting cooler!
Thank you very much! 🧑🏻🚀👩🏻🚀
As always, congrats on the high quality of the Show, Video, Audio - and the eminent physical implementation of those new panels. So well thought out, and so well implemented. It makes it a joy watch.
Lets hope that you will eventually get a chance to install a MPPT controller with the functionality that you had originally planned for.
But kudos to make the most of the hand that was dealt to you.
By the way: Awesome action view of the new suspension makeup. Very nice 👍
And what am intense, almost like birth by fire, for the mounting system of the new solar panels. So glad to hear that they survived those challenging roads.
When life gives you onions, you make caramelized onions... †
† [ 14:30 - Kara, 2023 ]
LOL sir, you are one of the very few best DIY YTbers! Always enjoyable to watch your videos!
Next video, replacing the engine with a tesla motor and running it off our solar panels! Seriously though, this is really cool. Would be fun to automate the in and out process like the top panels but probably easier to just pop them open when you get to camp.
The original solar slides are automated... That's enough for us.
My number one mentor on RUclips.
The integrations and automation(not sure if those terms are used correctly?) you have set up are awe-inspiring. Combine that electrical and programming knowledge with clever fabrication ideas and skills, and you've created my favorite DIY camper on the web. Thank you for offering continuous inspiration and sharing your knowledge for free with those who watch.
Just when I think Im almost done with my build I look at videos like this and realise, I will never be finished...You can tell this guy is smart, he bought an Electrodacus over all the other much bigger and better advertised brands and as a bonus, gets better service from one guy than a whole company that charges 4x for all their products.
Great job. As I was watching, kept thinking, hmmm that step took some time and detailed planning. These thoughts happened over and over and over. You made a complex task look very straightforward, very well done sir!
Thank you!
Sleep is overrated.
On overcast and windy days, you can deploy a wind turbine. You could attach it to the back of the rig. Would be an interesting project! 🤔
No, I have no interest in wind.
@aw,
Noisy.
Requires maintenance.
Awesome video. I'm not sure how the bottom of the 100lb gas strut support will hold up with just 3-4 square inches of caulk as its fastener. But if it does fail it won't be a big deal, nothing damaged. I imagine it will happen traveling rather than setup for the night. Looks like a fun way to live
With Sikaflexs 2.5 MPa of shear strength, it will take over 1100lbs to tear each one off... MATH...
And it's 8.3 square inches...
Great camera work in this one. I could tell y'all were moving fast and needed precision teamwork to knock this one out.
Seeing the air suspension in motion has me all flustered, ngl!
Thanks for the help! I'm looking forward to finishing the video on that whole suspension saga too!
Similar to my intended solar install on my trailer, but all units will be adjustable for the angle of the sun. One advantage of covering your units roof with solar panels and side solar panels is shade. Helps to keep interior temps down. My build will also be fully electric and with a Mini-Split, but with the addition of a small Marine wood stove for off-grid winters.
Thanks for the informative post.
Angling the side wings has little appreciable gains in my testing, about 60 to 80 watt hours a day...
love your vids and all the info you supply. happy travels and be safe
1.6kW on my Chevy Express, 10kWh LFP, Magnum 4000W inverter. You have a nice set up there.
Ok
Long time subscriber here, I've forgotten what type of batteries you're using and wondered why you didn't set your system voltage to 24 or 48 volts? Wouldn't that make your wiring cost cheaper and less weight?
I do enjoy your technical forays, even the computer programming for which I've lost some my curiosity as I past that three score and ten mark. I do enjoy your videos even when I miss them I'll binge watch to update on your adventures.
This guy is a genius he makes rocket scientists look like amateurs.
Are you running Node Red? If so, there are a number of add-on nodes for the MPPT 'blue' kit that perhaps might have saved you some time... VE are strictly a B2B company, they spend lots on training for their distributors, but for sure control and quality of those distributors could be better. Many of them are only box shifters, If you in the market again, chose marine distributors, they are far more knowledgeable as they have been working with VE for some time, and generally have a better approach to customer service.
Your MPPT getting hot is common, but might be related to how well matched your panels are to the MPPT model. There is a calculator on the VE site to assist with this. The heat generated by the MPPT is directly related to the voltage delta between the battery (sink) and the panel string (source).
Fantastic video once again! If there was ever an idea for a show portraying what MacGyver did after he retired and decided to travel to South America I would show them on the pitch a few of your videos! Perhaps an idea for a future video from you - I'm absolutely intrigued on how you navigate travelling into different countries with your dog(hope he's better now) How do you navigate the countries quarantine(knowing some of these myself it's very lacklustre and almost non-existent) Thank You
Man....somehow I missed this video! (Just 9 days old, but...) Your design is MOST excellent. I have two of the "blue brand" MPPT controllers for our solar, installed by the original owner. Now I'm thinking I gotta get one of those temperature detectors and see how they're doing. I wonder if you got some bad units.
No... They all get hot.
Very slick execution, thanks for sharing!
An over supply problem of solar power production in a truck camper sized space. See something new every day. Surplus it into a larger hot water heater, a bread machine you program to come on whenever you reach a full condition to make delicious fresh bread. That would be worth the effort for the tasty goodness. Your abilities to integrate with the blue box are most impressive and all ancient Greek to me. Carry on...
BTW, how are the shackles working?
¡La suspensión es perfecta!
Great solutions and installation engineering. Thanks you
clear explanations, and feeding the trolls to, what a man!
Those are some very nice aluminum nuggets
It always amazes me how well it machines with wood tools!
@@Everlanders it sure does!
Another amazing video as usual. I spotted your upload last night and it was the first thing i watched when I woke up.
Are foldable roof solar panels the future of cars? When deployed, it can achieve 1500-2000 watts of solar charging power, with an average daily recharge range of 30-50 miles.
Nope
Awesome job! Just found your channel and a new subscriber!
this is fantastic
My 8.5x20’ Taj-Ma-Haul (toy hauler luxury conversion) has 7kWatts, and if I could figure out how to install more, I’d do it. Love your rig!
thank you that was so much info packed into one video! script sniff. looks interesting. worth a google. And makes Nice awning too. . Again well done it looks like it will last for years.
Thanks once again for an update. I always learn something in every video (for me, that's amazing cause as I've mentioned before, i tend to struggle with all the tech stuff, even though I love it) Anyway, I do have one question: Do you think the higher wattage panels are more efficient ? eg; house style panels compared to just 12v ones. I have limited space on the top of my electric roof top tent so I'm looking for the maximum I can get from that area. I'm also interested in how the panels get effected by heat build up so I've been investigating a way of cooling them when we are in camp (if running some form of ducting & small fans. it looks like the extra output from the cooling would cover the small amount of power usage of the fans. it's just a thought?) Anyway, thanks once again. You challenged me to stick to my Rpi & touch screen project quite some time ago & though I'm still struggling with the code, I'm still learning (not bad for an "old fart" !!) I'm now dabbling in satellite tracking, SDR & HF radio, which is also fun even for a hands on fabricator! Cheers from Oz !👍
Fantastic, information-packed video!
Rad dude.
You keep surprising me with new ideas, i love it. Thank you!
Love it!!
Now we just need more battery capacity!! 😜
That is an amazing set up!
Very interesting project. I hope you side panels never crack and transfer photons to your power bank till the end of days!
So far, so good!
I was thinking of doing that as well, but here in NZ is constantly blowing over 30 knots of gusts. Do you have a safe "limit" to leave them open? Great job, as always!
I think this is one of the best videos you've done, great job! Showing the printer as an electrical load with subscribe on it was very clever. The added snippets from previous videos were neat too. Glad you're both feeling better.
I don't suppose you could have simply added a couple of dssr20's for the mppt charge controller input to be regulator by the sbms, allowing for diversion with the new panels as well?
The dashboard you created is amazing.
Yeah, I could have used DSSR's - But I already needed the cable for the logging data, So this cost me nothing more.
Awesome video Great work !
This is so cool! are we going to end up seeing an electronically controlled version?🤔
Nope
Actuators exist, but they are expensive and add weight plus won't be anywhere near as robust than the gas struts used.
How's the suspension holding up? have not seen an update video on that have we?
How is that they can sell the panels in South America that inexpensive. You would have to buy a pallet load in North America to get that price.
you can use excess electrical production to also heat your engines coolant when it sits. Sooner a diesel is at operating temps... no matter the outside temps the quicker it becomes happy??? when driving could make HHO to introduce for cleaner combustion.... wont really increase millage..... but will give you a cleaner burning engine adding to its longevity.
We already have a coolant heater, and HHO is a waste of time and energy.
@@Everlanders HHO is for sure a waste of time and money "when one thinks of it with in the parameters as it was touted in the past" which is what earned it the hoax reputation. That hoax persona is understandable to be why many folk can't look past it's bull shiat to see the benefits.... kinda a can't see the forest thru the tree's kinda thing.
When one looks at it for what it "can do" instead of the hoax reputation that highlighted what it "can't do" .. then it opens new doors. Example with solar... one is NOT using alternator to create the charge, then that cancel out one of fallacies that made it a hoax... and two when using for what it can do (help make engine combustion more complete) instead of focusing on the other part of the hoax (MPG gains etc) then it its benefits begin to appear. Granted won't appear w/out many many miles of use... cause realistically the value is really only when used over the long haul. Such as in rigs that are going to be used rather hard over long service life; which is exactly your case.
Block heater -- not talking about diesel or propane fired one... but electric, as a place to dump excess power..... Not one intended really for winter use.... aka a block heater feed off excess solar charge after cook/bathing water heated tank got dumped too. .... benefit is engine is more often up to temp before starting (even on hot days) so it gets up and going pretty much immediately within its best combustion parameters..... once again- extending life of the engine.
Great project! Isn't possible that the blue MPPT is heating up because it's over paneled?
Nope, it's heating because of the voltage delta.
That's a nice upgrade.. Nice to get >>> MORE
en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/moar
@@EverlandersOh.. Ooops. MYSORRY.
16:09 Could you give the name of the port sniffer and even though it may seem silly to have a checksum for each command, I guess it could be accounting for not all the bytes being received or maybe in the wrong order, I am not sure what can occur over a (secure) wired connection but I have heard of a lot of devices having checksums with their payloads
So, no one noticed the 8.5 Bajillion views on the Rooftop RV Sliding Solar Install VIdeo? Just me? Okay. Hahah
1/8 Easter Eggs Unlocked!
I'm going to tell you you could Mac mini M1-2-3 and they won't draw more than 15 watts and full video compression of 100 streams!
Who cares... Wouldn't ever consider a Mac
@@Everlanders I guess you want a computer that uses low power!
30 watts vs 50 watts doesn't amount to much when we're making 10Kwh a day... And given Apple's business practices, I wouldn't give them a nickel.
UNLIMITED POWA!
dashboard system would get a lot of views if you did a video on it. "how to"
What software is the COM Port sniffer?
www.aggsoft.com/serial-port-monitor/download.htm
@@Everlanders Thank you very much.
I have never, and I mean, never seen this level of competence and intelligence on RUclips. Combination of your electrical and mechanical professorial knowledge is legendary, and I treat diseases for a living. Kudos to you sir.
Quality content as usual. Haven't been a sub for long, but these videos have been some of my favorite lately. Not a whole lot of RV channels talking about sniffing protocols to create custom python control code for big brand hardware!
Everyone knew it couldn't be done, until he did it. Well done. Very impressive. Hope you feel better soon.
Today I'm back at 100%
Thanks!!
GREAT BUILD WELL DONE W O W
Great video. I was considering how to make “dumbo ear” panels myself. I’ll be interested to see how well they hold up in terms of the Panel construction vs road vibrations. Thanks again and safe travels!
I'll post an update after 5 years.
We know it's a Victron ;) come on. Say the name! Say the name!!! :) Btw - nice chicken you had in the background ;)
Love it! Nice use of the packet analyzer to overcome the weakness in the blue device. And it was nice to see Lincoln even briefly.
Wow! That's a s sweet install for sure - and I like the tongue and cheek name for your project. Your electronic controls are next level, Star Trek type stuff. I'm impressed with your coding skills too. We're old, retired FTers who designed and built our system ourselves, on a tight budget. It took us 5 years to gather the resources and finally complete the project, doing all the work ourselves. We started by building a 620-watt liftable solar array on the side of our motorhome, like you did. Your liftable panels are a little cleaner install, but we did ours while boondocking with no access to welders, a machine shop, etc. so everything was bolted-up with off the shelf items, like stainless steel gate hinges, gate latches, aluminum from Lowes, and was all fabricated by hand in the wilderness. Our array makes a nice bedroom window awning too, practically lifting itself with a couple 44" 80lb gas struts, like yours does, and it's easy to clean, standing safely on the ground.
Next, we built a 12v, 560ah LiFePo-4 battery with 8, 280ah prismatic cells. We use a Heltec 330amp BMS with a 5a active balancer. We chose these cells rather than a pre-built battery because they fit perfectly under the steps of our MH where our old pair of golf cart batteries used to reside. We insulated the battery compartment, cut a small hole in our step risers and installed a tiny computer CPU fan to keep this space at close to room temperature, so we don't have to worry about the BMS shutting down charging due to low temperature - or their life reduced from getting too hot. Our 12v system uses an 80A Progressive Dynamics LFP converter/charger, a 1,000w Renogy inverter, a 50a Epever MPPT charge controller and a Lnex battery monitor. We built this entire 12v phase of our system for under $3,500.
By mounting the solar array on the side of our coach, we left the roof free to rack 8, 550w solar panels, like you have, down the length of our 35ft Class A, 15" off our roof, above our AC, vents, etc. We built the rack out of 2" aluminum angle with the front 2 panels sloping down at a shallower 9.5-degrees to meet the roof, gently easing airflow over the array, making the RV more stable with less wind drag driving down the road too. It covers our entire roof, providing some nice shade with plenty of cooling air underneath, increasing solar output and reducing the heat load on the air conditioners too, though our overall height is still just under 12 ft. We mounted a Sungold Power all-in-one 48V, 5,000W Inverter/100A charge controller/battery charger, breakers and a Lnex battery monitor on the wall in our bedroom, saving us space as well as money compared to a system with individual components. We chose this unit as it supports up to 500 volts and we have a 400 voc solar array. It can work without batteries and has a power saver mode that only uses 20-25 watts when idling. It's only $764 - not bad for a 5,000-watt PSW inverter (with the same 95% efficiency as a high-end "Blue" unit) and has 100amps of combined 48v battery charger/charge controller capacity. Our 48v battery uses 16, 320ah prismatic cells and a 200amp Heltec BMS to keep it safe.
Together with our 560ah 12v bank, we have a total of 23.5 kwh of batteries onboard - kept charged by 5,020 watts of solar. This is the equivalent storage capacity as $16,650 worth of Battleborn batteries for under $3,400. We removed the rooftop A/C we had in the bedroom and replaced it with an EG4 28.5 seer-2, 12k btu mini-split heat pump on the upper rear of our motorhome, like yours is. It's super quiet and cools as well as our 14.5k btu soft start equipped Furrion we installed up front. This second phase provides 24/7 off-grid air conditioning and heat from the heat pump. We can run both A/Cs, microwave and charge our batteries from solar at the same time, even in winter. Last night we ran our heat-pump in heat mode all night (making up to 13k btus of heat) and our 48v battery was only down to 66% by morning. It will be full again by noon. We have a total of 6,000 watts of 120v inverted ac power, giving us off-grid electrical self-sufficiency without the need to run our generator, for a total budget of around $11,500, including the high-efficiency heat pump.
Take care, we hope to see you down the road one day.
Your skills always amaze me, your dashboard system is what I dream to do in a future van... if I don't fail
Yeah, That video is still in the back of my mind when I can't sleep...
Wow. I am blown away at your intelligence, ingenuity and practicality.
God damn man. You are a real life professor Gyro. Go now create your own trailer company and build the overland trucks the world needs.
I'm done running companies...
This is so awesome, I never even thought this was possible. I'm also very impressed with the dashboard setup. And.. uh, a little worried about the "blue" MPPT charge controller I got. I've heard mixed reviews with Viktron's products and I'm really hoping I don't get--pardon the pun--burned on this one.
"True intelligence requires fabulous imagination."
Very impressive build! Always blown away by your high level skill set combining hands on building with in depth understanding of technology
Are you concerned about shading when the top panels are slid out? Or do these panels have the fancy diodes or whatever to prevent the shaded part pulling the rest down?
Nope no concerns... Works like a champ!
Oh man I feel ya about dealing with Big Blue. They seem to be the go to for a lot of people and companies but all of their product manuals are trash and there are always like 5 different ways to hook up the same thing to do the same thing.
They could easily combine a bunch of their stuff into one compact unit but they don't so you are just left guessing what works with what and you end up with what seems like unnecessary redundant features.
usually if you want any answers about anything you have to resort to the forums where other people will tell you how it works or does not work.
If you can actually find a number for any kind of support all they do is turn you back to the sales team that arguably doesn't know anything about how it works.
I am an electrical systems installer at a camper van and truck shop and deal with Big Blue every day. It still blows my mind how completely vague and nonexistant most of the info is that I need to find.
As always your system integration blows my mind and always inspires me to make my own things better.
Greetings from Argentina. I am a new subscriber. Your channel is Excellent.
The electrodacus solar products are second to none in reliability and longevity.. to bad tge panels are to high of voltage for tge new dssr50s.. i really like them they save alot of space compared to the dssr 20s..
☀☀☀☀You Guys are Amazing ☀☀☀☀ Thank you for sharing ~peace~
Great video as always and worth the wait. I am very appreciative for your mentions (and links) for the things you use like the thermal camera (been looking for a good solution for one) and trust in the "Jason uses it" stamp.
I now have started planning on a similar solar system deployment , as it will have a side benefit (pun intended) to cover up the mass of windows I have on the bus when parking in town.
Yes, It's a really slick camera, being able to take a photo or video and save it straight to the phone and then send it to someone is a really helpful feature.
Awesome video! My build is also inspired by your sliding solar layout, but I'll be using 9x275w 30V panels on ball screws and the SBMS0 :)
I'm curious to the config you use for the SBMS0! What do you have set for the upper battery charge limits? I'm considering using a NodeRed workflow for "soft" diversion by using the batteries once they're above 90%; do you think that's a good idea to maintain Lifepo4 charge limits?
Cheers!
Sure, that's basically what I have going too... SBMS settings are pretty much default, But the Python loop overrides and heats water or runs air compressors if there is going to be lucrative solar production.
RUclips is a mind-reader. I was contemplating of what if you make an awning made of Solar panels to augment your solar input, and at the same time, providing a little bit of shade to your rig. and this video came up in my recommended videos. nice vid. thanks.
What software did you use to port sniff and replay the uart?
Just a couple of more panels you could fly the thing ...😆
I've been following your solar progress over the years, as always, very impressive! Well done and inspiring to the community of what can be done.
Although I don't subscribe, every time your video pops into my feed and I watch it, I'm always amazed. I don't think most folks realize how incredible talented you are. In fact, I doubt only a very small percentage of the population could half the stuff you do.
This guy is insane! for always making things possible when people would say otherwise. Love the effort and engineering you put into making everything work. Awesome!
I see there is partial shade on the panels, this may significantly reduce the panel efficiency. I suggest analysing this point. Great work!
The 6 inches of overhang makes no difference as the controller is already over paneled.
Nice job! Sounds like you are also finally feeling a bit better. Sorry to hear the customer service from Victron sucked..
Yes, was still rough when filming that, but today I'm at 100%
Thanks 🧡
Forget the trolls. You have a great installation that works!
Outstanding Jason! I'm happy you're feeling better. Kara did a great job filling in. You'd better maintain your health, or she'll steal the show! :-) I would think you've added some redundancy, since the two new panels seem independent of the rooftop. Also looks like you'll pick up some shading on your sidewalls. Well done! Your Everlanders hat has found its place on my rack.
Awesome video as always, here in USA looked for the Sikaflex SOLO and cant find it, wonder if it has a different name here.
In the US you will have access to Sikaflex 252
thank you so very much @@Everlanders
Wild. This man out here living in 3023 😂😂😂
Amazing Jason
I thought of doing solar panels on the side, but I'm worried about them getting scratched up or even damaged by people.
Plans:
6 x 2PCS Bifacial 450 Watt (up to 585W) Monocrystalline Solar Panel
SKU: RSP450DT-120x2-US........$759.99
8 x Marine ECO-WORTHY 12V 280Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery.....$698.99
This system is setup for a 24V system.
The truck can handle 4 solar panels on top. I'l design and build a sliding rack system. So I can have 12 panels total.
And for not so sunny days or no sunny days or just to top off the batteries. I'm using a generator, max 4,500W/ continuous 3,700W.
Wow, expensive stuff!
@@Everlanders
I'm not going to buy something cheap when it comes to my solar power. It's the heart of my house.
Mine too...
After thinking about it, there are so many ways you can deploy all those panels for max solar input, depending on direction pointed, latitude, time of year, diodes in the panels to deal with shading, etc. it would be fun to see a production analysis in the future. Impressive engineering!
As always, congrats on the high quality of the Show, Video, Audio - and the eminent physical implementation of those new panels. So well thought out, and so well implemented. Glad to see You `ll Doing Well after all this time , Successful Hope People are Kind To You`ll.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I really appreciate the in depth install. For someone who wants to do a similar build eventually, this is so amazingly helpful. Hope to see you out on the trails one day!!
Solid option for more panels- yours are permanent- due to WINDOWS- okay we know your valid thoughts on those- I cannot hang permanently. Wonder if I could create same but make it removalable for travel. I'll need to watch your video again about 10x
Woahhhhh!! Very impressive, your technical know-how is first rate. Think I felt a little faint when I saw your dashboard and you started talking about Python scripting ha ha huge kudos, thank you so much for posting!
i am wondering here, re : the Mppt, at 50v to 12 v we are burning heat due to excess voltage, 5 times to much :) , like an old LM317 or 317k voltage regulator... with the MPPT working with bucking... we have too high a voltage re: 50v +_ even at 24v which would be better, we are still way high for a 12v end system. So my guess is a 24 v panel would have been a better choice for you 12v system, although when in need we buy what we can get on the road and that just have to suffice.
Having a Electronic background i get why you want to have higher voltage,but all considered you have no heat bleed off due to too much voltage, my educated guess would be that the MPPT is shedding more than 50% of your solar power in the form of heat.... hope it makes sense.
Johan
Nicely done and well edited. May have to steal the microphone hat idea. Your audio is dialed in. #everlanderspattentpending
Also thanks for the link to the thermal camera. It pushed me over the edge to pick one up.
Hat microphone build video inbound...
Cool project.
My main concern would be shading from the overhang of the panels above.
As you said, they are working fine.
I am trying to put 12 (2x6) panels on my 34' RV.
I also want single axis tracking.
The "mounts are very difficult to find.
A custom rack is required also.
If anyone sees this and has recommends, pls feel free to hit me with a reply.
I have a couple of blue items in my system. Pretty low level - smart charger for my 12V battery, running off a 60A 48-12 DC-DC converter. And a smart shunt. The shunt tells me the real story (not nearly as well as the setup you have) of how the batteries are being charged.
But the big story is that I priced the blue stuff for my primary solar controller/AC charging/inverter. 4X the cost, more parts, and about double the weight of an MPP Solar LV6548. No contest. The young DIY Solar Jedi had torture tested the LV6548 charging his Tesla, and reported good reliability there and knowledge of a history of reliable performance in other setups. So with that I went all in with MPP. Glad I did. It's been working great for going on 2 years now. Has demonstrated serious fault tolerance and protected itself from faulty (internally shorted) AC equipment inside the vehicle. I would do it the same if I had to do it over.
Fuuuuuh, this is why I couldn’t live full time… if something happened to my solar and I’m in the booties I’m just SOL…. 😂 I fix people not solar arrays. Damn electrical engineers are so cool. I understood absolutely nothing when he was pulling up programs, program sniffers (which sounds like my ex wife) 😉 etc was wild.
I’m a software dev trying to do something similar. Your setup is way too cool.
Love the hinged solar modules! I do upfitting of Sprinter vans in Dallas and thinking of installing walkable panels on top and hinging a module off driver's side of the van for a customer. He kind of wants his Sprinter to be a baby overlanding rig. Thank you so very much for all the great info you provide the community - so helpful to me. I use Sikaflex 252 for all roof penetrations. When you discuss using Sikaflex adhesive when you bonded the panels to top, is this a different product?
You’ve blown my mind! I’m speechless. You are above and beyond! Thank you