Six days in with solar

Free lander, sorry mate but there wa nothing on the reply you sent me. Kevin

kevjan wrote:Freelander, sorry to keep on with the question's but looking at your piece about fitting the solar and the inverter i noticed you have the same on/off button for the under slung tank heater odes this do both tanks or just the waste water as it say's on the label, if it does only do the one where is the switch for fresh tank please. Kevin

Sorry about that ,don’t know what happened there ,

I have never used the heat pads or turned them on or tested them in the 3 years I have had the van so unable to help sorry , use the search function there are a few post about then on the forum

Kevjan
If you look at my Kemerton xl making improvements post shows the controller bottom right switch for the fresh water tank page 4

I just fill up and had 1 green light showing now full 12.18 LT and was 91.9p a LT cost £11.19 still much better then cost of bottles
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glyne lock wrote:I just fill up and had 1 green light showing now full 12.18 LT and was 91.9p a LT cost £11.19 still much better then cost of bottles
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Cheap at that price, .99 to 1.22 here and I will need a full tank next week when I have the underslung tank replaced due to a faulty weld!

Richard

this is at the Texaco station and has Somerset motorhome centre behind it TA3 5NN IS THE POST CODE
the pump has just been repaired and back in action.
I have given the site but please only use for correct use THANKS
I want to help the sites get used so they stay open

Chris, I’m starting to plan my next big project so your thoughts would be appreciated after your successful solar upgrade. It probably won’t be for another year or so at least but I want to get this one right from the start and I love the planning stage of a project.
The Symbol will go and the new van will be a blank canvas with nothing on the roof to begin with, either 6m or 6.8m, I haven’t decided yet.
Anyway, back to the reason for asking. If you could pretty much fit what you wanted in an empty van (not just the panel but batteries, inverter etc), what would it be? I know there are many variables to that question but your general thoughts based on your experience would be great.
David.

Dbvwt wrote:Chris, I’m starting to plan my next big project so your thoughts would be appreciated after your successful solar upgrade. It probably won’t be for another year or so at least but I want to get this one right from the start and I love the planning stage of a project.
The Symbol will go and the new van will be a blank canvas with nothing on the roof to begin with, either 6m or 6.8m, I haven’t decided yet.
Anyway, back to the reason for asking. If you could pretty much fit what you wanted in an empty van (not just the panel but batteries, inverter etc), what would it be? I know there are many variables to that question but your general thoughts based on your experience would be great.
David.

After using for the 12 days with Sun most days and thinking about increasing the panels size after removing the tv Ariel to increase usage in the not so sunny months and they way things are going with site fee’s and electric going mostly to metered, I would use the largest house hold panel/panels I could fit on the roof along with a Mppt solar controller, I would use a full roof rack and supporting bars to fasten the panels too as this allows a greater air gap underneath for cooling, the reason for the house hold panels is because of the higher voltage that they operate at enabling the Mppt regulator to start producing power earlier in the morning and later in the evening.

I don’t think I would go lithium until the prices drop down further but would definitely use the pure lead carbon gel batteries due to deeper discharge and faster charging than lead acid, the largest discharge in amps we had in one day was 45amps but battery was in float nearly every day by dinner time

Inverter size if I was to change now would be to a 2000w same make that I am using now as the standby watts used is very low and the remote switch turns the unit completely off, the inverter diverter switch would be the same as now ( recommended by Glyne )

With the panels that are on my van roof been a mismatch in voltages I don’t benefit from the full amount of watts, I have 390watts of panel but because of the difference I only get 350w according to the panel calculations but did see 371watts on the Victron app,

I would still use all Victron equipment , Mppt, smart shunt, and smart battery sense and a battery master to keep the starter trickle charged , A B2B charger would not be on my list due to the type of van use we do

Hope this helps a little

That’s great Chris, thanks for the reply.
This new project has only just been hatched in my head but the grey cells have already started churning!!
Thanks again.

kevjan wrote:Freelander, sorry to keep on with the question's but looking at your piece about fitting the solar and the inverter i noticed you have the same on/off button for the under slung tank heater odes this do both tanks or just the waste water as it say's on the label, if it does only do the one where is the switch for fresh tank please. Kevin

According to manual for my 2014 wxl if the tank blanket switch on main control panel is lit up then both tank blankets will operate, but only in accordance with temperature conditions being met, the switch under offside rear seat allows waste tank blanket to be switched off while fresh one still works. Did dealer not cover this as part of handover?

Dbvwt wrote:That’s great Chris, thanks for the reply.
This new project has only just been hatched in my head but the grey cells have already started churning!!
Thanks again.

Dave

Good opportunity to bin gas then, all that elec will do some of the gas loads, compressor only fridge for example, diesel air and water heating and poss marine diesel hob too.

As you know I like simplicity! My fridge doesn't have a pc pcb!! My water fill system uses gravity, my electrics wouldn't even visit the Sargent website!!

Would like to do exactly what I think you have planned, but a good start is covering the roof with solar......

“Good opportunity to bin gas then, all that elec will do some of the gas loads, compressor only fridge for example, diesel air and water heating and poss marine diesel hob too”


Those things are already on the shopping list Ian!! I’m already getting excited although have you seen the prices of a decent spec VW/Mann or Merc 

Really did have a serious look at a self build, a lot of it would be simple enough, the bit that, although workshop well equipped, bothered me was to get even close to a AS or other cabinet finish.

Then I found these guys, Italian but that's where a lot of the UK van interiors come from I believe...
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Is it true what I have been told, that some sites do not allow commercial vans, also do you have to get it type approved for insurance?

Would have loved to build my own van, but old age is getting in the way and by the time I finish it, "well" who knows I expect electric will be the power source!

Richard

Chris 
The fitting the solar to the roof rack bars as I did on my camper means no holes drilled in the roof .you can clean under the panels better  as you said been a metal roof now gives a cooler air gape so the panels work better as to the very small gape from the fitting by A/S holds more heat hard to clean under the panel just some - points the A/S wiring let’s keep it short and just say very poor as to much to say🤫

Having done a couple of self builds I have a fair idea of what’s involved and that standard of finish will possibly be the deciding factor Ian whether the project gets off the ground. Both previous builds were built with Vohringer board and edging, to be honest it looked great but I would want something more factory/top end this time.
I’m not too bothered about that commercial van rule Richard, trust me it wouldn’t look anything like a commercial van by the time I’ve finished with it! Besides, most sites I use have all sorts of dodgy old home builds scattered around. There is also a big self build insurance market out there although it’s not quite as easy as insuring a recognised brand such as A/S.

There are a few companies now that will do a self build pack of furniture and cabinets for vans , Magnum Motorhomes in Grimbsy used to sell a full bathroom kit that just slotted in to the back of a van, all the draw fronts and cabinet doors can be bought from them ,they buy lots of ex stock from Motorhome build factories and the ware house is a gold mine of stuff for self builders

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glyne lock wrote:Chris 
The fitting the solar to the roof rack bars as I did on my camper means no holes drilled in the roof .you can clean under the panels better  as you said been a metal roof now gives a cooler air gape so the panels work better as to the very small gape from the fitting by A/S holds more heat hard to clean under the panel just some - points the A/S wiring let’s keep it short and just say very poor as to much to say🤫

Yes less holes Glyne, easier to clean and colder panels, on the photo of the app power produced if you look at the figures at the bottom you can actually tell which day was sunny and cold and which was sunny and hot and cloudy days, the other benifit is no panels detaching from the roof when using the wrong mounts or adhesive

I have just been fitting plastic in the roof ribs to stop the water collecting just a small mod
When you use the rack as I have fitted the panels plenty of room to clean as can be seen in my picture and the panels are much cooler with better air flow

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Dbvwt wrote:“Good opportunity to bin gas then, all that elec will do some of the gas loads, compressor only fridge for example, diesel air and water heating and poss marine diesel hob too”


Those things are already on the shopping list Ian!! I’m already getting excited although have you seen the prices of a decent spec VW/Mann or Merc 

Considered a Fiat Ducato 6m 4x4???

IanH wrote:
Considered a Fiat Ducato 6m 4x4???

I know the German build quality is not what it once was but I (perhaps unfairly) don’t want to go Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen again. I have had many vehicles of the various brands over the years and a VW/Merc is where I want to sit in possibly my last van based on experience despite the shocking cost!

Merc 
Back in 2000 vans ok I would have said yes yes yes and the transit no no no
But now with the problems I would stay clear and the size to sleep across is a problem

glyne lock wrote:Merc 
Back in 2000 vans ok I would have said yes yes yes and the transit no no no
But now with the problems I would stay clear and the size to sleep across is a problem

Thanks Glyne, I’m leaning towards a VW/Mann and I realise that they are also narrow which is why I’m probably going for a 6.8 metre. 
No brand has a great reputation these days which unfortunately is sadly the way it is, you just have to hope you don’t get one of the Friday ones!!

So what is the vw van I don’t want to break that news to you .
When the merc vans did not let us have them at a good price we went to the vw and can I say has a different engine but same van
the lwb vans can only carry a small load so just moor problems

Very early days and the whole project may well get binned when I research things more if things don’t stack up.
Thanks for your advice, I like the look of Mann vans on an auto box (a VW in disguise I know), any experience of those and the Crafter appreciated.
Just to put things into perspective, if I said I was looking at a Peugeot Boxer, what would your honest reply be? Quite possibly awful but I’ve had 4 and a half years trouble free motoring on that base vehicle.