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Old 04-26-2018, 08:03 PM   #41
DawnLuvsPossums
 
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2016 16' Sport
Gainesville , Florida
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 17
Hi Sandy,

Your thoughts on the flex panels after a year? Just keeping my eyes on solar over the years, while they seem so appealing an a great solution to not having to drill into the structure and risk damage to the roof, plastic tends to cloud (yours are too new maybe to see that yet) and the most recent downside I've read is since they are direct mount, there's no place for heat to escape. In San Diego, maybe not a problem (and if I were in CO...so hi fellow Steamboat Person if you check in, I lived there as a kid and know darned well that CO, not FL, is the real sunshine state) where you are, but here in FL where it is so hot we can just put a ladder on our airstreams and put our food up there to cook, I'm sure this if all places is the last place that's going to do well with anything that has a drawback relating to heat...still, very interested to hear what people's experiences have been and ultimately with my needs for flexibility here in a hurricane state, I'm very interested in going with some kind of a hybrid system where I either use flex but off surface so heat isn't an issue, or if I go glass, that it's very portable, so figure a way to roof mount while driving/storing, but if a need arises elsewhere, that I can easily pull them off and take them to where my energy needs are. So goal zero replies would be appreciated as well!
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Old 05-01-2018, 06:22 AM   #42
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2017 16' Sport
San Diego and Julian , California
Join Date: Apr 2016
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Dear LuvsPossums,

It has been a year since the upgrades including the Flexi solar panels. Within the year we have experienced quite a lot of time dry camping. The longest bout was 7 days in Yellowstone under mixed clouds and some occasional drizzle. Other times we were out dry camping for three days in the direct sun of Joshua Tree. In all situations the solar performed like a dream. We had power every day, the panels topped off the battery by the time we would need more power in the evenings. The performance is so good that I do not stress out about whether the battery has been charged up and turn my attention to other matters. It may be a false sense of security, but the consistent performance has trained me to be confident that we will have enough power for our needs.

The adhesive we used to mount the solar panels were another worry upon installation. One of the panel corners seemed loose. We did not have to worry about that either. A year later and over 3,500 miles and the panels are solid.

I hope this information helps with your decision making. Your concerns are about intense heat exposure over time. Southern California is a good test case area, but indeed, Florida is something else.

Good luck on what you decide and let us know,
Sandy
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Old 05-02-2018, 08:14 AM   #43
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2006 16' International CCD
Steamboat Springs , Colorado
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Sandy,

Thanks for the report. Your lithium install was the inspiration for ours (and our subsequent solar upgrade too). I really like the aesthetics of your flex panels on the curved Airstream roof.

LuvsPossums,

I also had a concern about heat lowering the solar conversion efficiency when using flex panels. Sandy's report indicates this may not be a major concern. Perhaps the days that the conversion efficiency is lowered (hot and sunny) are also the days that have the best sunshine and minimum use of high current devices like the furnace blower. I can vouch that putting 200 watts of solar on top has essentially eliminated us worrying about the charge level anymore, just as in Sandy's case.

In our own case, the flex panels didn't work out due to mechanical reasons. Our Bambi is 2006 and has the Weingard antenna on the passenger side. This precludes putting a panel on that side of the trailer, allowing only a single 100 w flex panel on the driver side. Not enough, since we wanted to max out on solar. So instead, we put two SP100 rigid panels from AM Solar on the driver side, head to tail. We didn't do any drilling either, as the feet that hold the panels are held down by VHB tape and Sikaflex. This is a standard mounting method for rigid panels. The panels extended onto the two caps beyond the roof, but the "flat" portion of the cap that follows the shape of the roof. Some mounting feet were placed on these cap portions, some on the roof proper. Again, all without drilling.
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Old 06-29-2020, 08:14 PM   #44
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2018 16' Sport
St. Louis , Missouri
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Sandy,
Some great info here. I was thinking I was going to have to mount battery sideways to have enough room. What did you guys use to elevate the battery tray above the water valves?
You will enjoy the lift, ours had a 3" lift when we purchased it. Thanks.
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Old 06-29-2020, 08:34 PM   #45
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How did you elevate the battery tray above the water valves? Thanks for the great info.
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Old 06-29-2020, 11:23 PM   #46
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San Diego and Julian , California
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The battery above water valves

We used 2x4 pieces of wood, cut to fit, to elevate the self-made battery box to sit above the water valves. It’s been a simple and perfect solution. No problems since installation.

By the way, we have loved the Dexter 3-inch lift. No more dragging the back bumper.
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Old 06-30-2020, 08:13 AM   #47
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I was thinking that 2x4 would be too large to fit between the plumbing. I was thinking 2x2.

I am assuming you screwed the wood to the floor and then attached the battery carrier to the wood?

I have been told the trailer had a bit harsher ride with the lifts. Not as nimble over the bumps, but I would rather have the extra clearence.
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Old 07-01-2020, 07:55 AM   #48
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2017 16' Sport
San Diego and Julian , California
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Dear Sport 16 STL,
Larry 9000 did indeed begin the thread regarding the lithium battery install. I see here in this thread only part of it has been reconstructed. You may wish to read the rest of the original thread because there are photos of the battery box, and how the box and battery fit into the water tank area. We also included photos of the wiring, etc. Let me know if you have any other wonderings. Since we now have had the solar/lithium/and 3-inch lift for three years, I will be able to convey from our experiences how it all has worked out.

The lift has not made the trailer bouncy-er. It reacts as solidly as before, just pleasantly higher.

Cheers,
Sandy
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Old 07-03-2020, 08:26 PM   #49
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2018 16' Sport
St. Louis , Missouri
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Sandy, can you post the link showing the support for the battery tray?
I don't see it on this thread. Sorry if I missed it.
Thanks
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Old 07-10-2020, 05:04 PM   #50
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2017 22' Sport
North Bay , California
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Last winter, I had my local Airstream dealer install the Expion360 EV-V120-2A 240Ah setup in my 22 Sport. They installed both batteries next to the hot water heater under the front bed.

I installed an inverter in the same space and ran the control wiring to the bathroom, along with two extension cords - one under the kitchen sink and one under the bathroom sink. These are used for AC draw when off-grid.

I also roof mounted a 100W Renogy flexible solar panel on the roof and tied it to a solar controller to charge the batteries. I plan to expand to 400W of solar (utilizing some narrow panels) this year. In the meantime, I've been using my 160W solar suitcase to augment the rooftop solar and we've been in mostly good shape for off-grid use.
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Old 07-10-2020, 05:18 PM   #51
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Slidell , Louisiana
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Decreasing the hitch weight percentage should not be the goal. Decreasing overall weight is desirable. I realize a lot of campers want to drive down tongue weight to compensate for undersized tow vehicles, but trailer stability is optimized at 15% tongue weight. Just sayin. Newton was no fool you can't cheat his laws of physics.
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