Saturday 19 September 2015

Boosting the power on the move. Or Mr Fix It strikes again

Having enough stored battery power at the end of a day's travel is pretty important to us. We like to have water pumped by the 12v pump, to see by the 12v lights, maybe watch the 12v TV or make coffee. (Ok coffee is the most important, but you get my drift) This is only possible if the batteries have got enough juice to run things.


We have camp in one place power well under control. We have ample capacity for solar power generation; two 200 watt panels in a carry case on the back of the van, one 40 watt on the roof and another 80 watts packed away for long stays. And we can always give in and run the generator.

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Solar panels and wind generator

We also have a small wind generator for windy days and nights. This is brilliant at the beach, but not so reliable in hilly places where the wind swirls.

Whilst travelling, the car's electrical system has to charge the cranking battery and the second car battery which will have the two camping fridge freezers plugged in, as well as run whatever is on in the car AND charge the caravan batteries.

So K has decided to help the poor car out by connecting the roof mounted solar panel, and by mounting this device on the wind generator pole while we travel. If we did this with our normal wind generator it would blow apart as it is not designed for car type speeds.

 He has connected a whirly gig extractor fan, the kind you see on the top of dog trailers to remove heat, to a car alternator which will go round and round driven by the fan as we motor along. Since the alternator is designed to go round really fast driven by the speed of the car motor, I  am assured that it will work just as if the car was running it. It will all be managed by our charging system which was seriously upgraded this summer.
 
There is a lot more maths and science to this than I can hope to understand, as well as lots of research into safety and such.

The contraption is ready for a road test attached to the car and an isolated battery this weekend on the airstrip. Be interesting to see how well it goes.

If you interested in customised 12 volt set ups try this article. It appears that the need to tweak things in a caravan is a common affliction.

Cheers Sue

A Ferg  the Move
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4 comments:

  1. poggeaux8:22 am, September 19, 2015

    Wow - all this is so fascinating. K would be in his element. I guess this when I get to being concerned as I am so not a practical person and all these running repairs and builds (as much as they fascinate me) would be out of my realm of capability on the road. hmmmmm.

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    1. Fergsonthemove9:43 am, September 19, 2015

      Well you could always cultivate a friend!
      Our rig didn't have much in the way of power generation or power saving solutions so we have done the upgrades ourselves rather than buy a new van.

      Many of the newer vans intended for off road or long stay living have provision for solar and other useful stuff.
      He just enjoys the intellectual and practical challenge of going it himself.

      I reckon the key is saving money where you can so you can afford to pay the man to do what you can't.

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  2. Fay8:03 pm, September 19, 2015

    Hi Sue, I have one single solar panel and a battery on the front towing bar of my trailer. The solar panel trickle feeds the battery, and that is all that I have for my little trailer. Of course I am not in a caravan, my trailer is really just a bed and everything else, cooking sitting and a table outside is where I live when I am not in the trailer. So I guess I will be generally traveling to a destination and hopefully staying with friends at the end of say a four or five day trip. When I went to Morisset I stayed with Gail B. in her house, but when I went to Melbourne, I slept in my trailer so that my daughter didn't have to disrupt her household and sleeping arrangements. Still as I get more experienced at travel I am sure lots of things will occur to me on the way.

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    1. Fergsonthemove9:00 pm, September 19, 2015

      Sounds like you have your power needs covered. Light at night and power for fridge is good.
      Our regular neighbours here, who are retired, live in the back of their Landcruiser. They have a tent they put up very rarely. They travel all over Australia in the winter in it.
      They have even slept in it at Christmas in their shed when the house is full of family.

      Up here we live outside most of the time anyway.

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