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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Big Foot Levelers stuck
Have you tried put it in manual mode and try retracting them individually or extending them individually? I'm sure you did but did you try the emergency retract button?
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Itinerant1
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03/21/23 10:56am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Aqua Magic Style 2 - bowl leaks down
Be careful when you purchase "plumber's grease". It could be a petroleum product or it could be silicone. Only use silicone products because petroleum will react with the seal and ruin it.
Good point.
The particular kind that I've been using Oatey faucet and valve grease which is comprised of silicone oil (polydimethylsiloxane) in combination with silicone grease.
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Itinerant1
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02/13/23 03:40pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Aqua Magic Style 2 - bowl leaks down
Put some plumbers grease on the seal, it will help with the ball movement and sealing or atleast with mine.
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Itinerant1
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02/13/23 05:41am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Harvesting Solar
No too crowded for me but on blm. Not a soul around.
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Itinerant1
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02/12/23 02:10pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Harvesting Solar
I won't mention I could go back 6 years now. I doesn't seem right if I don't record now. I might have an issue. :(
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Itinerant1
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02/12/23 01:59pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Harvesting Solar
Everyday it's getting better for production. ;)
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Itinerant1
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02/12/23 01:50pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Harvesting Solar
I only have 1,280w solar flat mounted and 500ah batteries and been boondocking all the time. My last hookup was 11/5/21 and live very well on that using everything in the 5th wheel even this tiime of the year. We're in roughly the same area as you. We dont have an electric fridge and use propane for hot water. Beginning of January was the last time generator was used for a hold over charge. You learn to live in a psoc for awhile.
A few #s from beginning of month.
https://i.imgur.com/xJO56wnl.jpg
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Itinerant1
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02/12/23 12:47pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Effect of no absorption on LiFePo4?
And we all gotta go through a little experience with something new before learning or knowing what to expect and how to deal with or maintain it.
My response above is for the RV power “experts” if you will, who can’t seem to not go down rabbit holes.
Kindly sensing your frustration, consider (in the interest of a somewhat wider info-seeking audience…) that one man’s rabbit hole might very well be another man’s ‘go to’…
Admittedly, I sometimes provide the ugly details, but mostly to help dampen the ‘recurring, made-up’ LFP mis-information from growing recurring legs (as has happened on LFP ad nauseam - a seasoned pattern of nuisance thread misdirects by interlopers) JMHO…
3 tons - Guilty as Charged
There have been many times in these LFP threads that I start to write a respone then delete it. You seem to handle the misinfo well that gets posted.
It just seems even with so much real life experience of almost 7 years living off of LFP/ solar and over 2,200+ partial cycles of 35-45% DOD equalling 175-225ah daily from a 500ah battery bank so many new folks or non user know more. More power to them. I'll stick to what's been working. ;)
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Itinerant1
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01/27/23 06:40am |
Tech Issues
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RE: solar awning
I think solar awning is not quite correct. The web site pictures do not suggest that the panels are flexible.
https://xponentpower.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Page-8-Testimonials.jpg width=375
Looking at the add pictures again it appears that it folds accordion style and goes in the box/ holder on the roof edge.
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Itinerant1
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12/18/22 03:19pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: solar awning
I always want my solar production under tree cover. Make for a nice advertisement picture though, warm fuzzy feeling and green energy.
I'd be skeptical about longterm life of the in and out of the solar awning.
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Itinerant1
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12/18/22 12:27pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
Great info -- very thought-provoking. Someone mentioned a generator. I have a Honda 2000 and almost never use it -- I run it at home to keep it tuned up. We camp in search of silence (since we live in the city). So the generator is more for emergencies than for convenience.
I will look into the BB self-heated unit. But I do have a question -- if I insulate the battery box, and we are camping in 25 degree weather (not that cold), I assume that the internal heater will cycle on and off, keeping the battery at 35 degrees, right?
If that is true, then the 1.8 amp draw from the heater will be fairly minimal, since it is not continual.
otrfun, if you have the time, could you tell us more about the DIY heater you made? You mentioned that it has a "Switchable control (thermostat or BMS)." Please forgive my ignorance -- what is a BMS?
Do you have a post or a youtube video describing your setup?
I like the idea of a separate heater that is not built in to the battery. I find that when features are bundled within a high-dollar purchase, one point of failure can trash the whole assembly.
BMS= battery management system.
Basically it's the protection for the battery cells. It could be...
HVD= high voltage disconnect
LVD= low voltage disconnect
High temp disconnect
Low temp disconnect
and possibly other things depending on which hasbeen used.
If 25f is the low and during the day maybe higher you should be able to easily come up with a solution to keep the battery warm. Theft might have to be thought about tho.
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Itinerant1
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12/09/22 01:13pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
One more thought that seems to be parroted is the temperature. When talking about 0c/ 32f its the cells (batteries) temperature not the ambient temperature that's the end all be all of charging and as mentioned hopefully the cells have the cut off to charging from the bms.
Cutting off early morning charging from solar when it's below ambient freezing temps is crazy especially during this time of the year as the day light get shorter and the arc of the sun is lower. Precious charge is wasted if your controller can turn off charging and battery cell temps are above 32f.
I've been in 17f ambient temps, cells showing 38-40f (I can see all 20 cell temps and my bms/ ems can) solar charging at 20-30a and carrying my misc loads. This can extend the need for hooking up the generator for hold over charging, right now with the shorter daylight and my daily "wants", we're 21 days in partial solar charge living of 35% - 92% SOC. As long as my SOC is 60-65% by sundown that leaves enough to run the furnace use the microwave for dinner and breakfast, make a couple pots of coffee, toaster, humidifier usally going 24/7 and charging the phones, tablets and laptops all before the sun comes up. This is going into the 7th winter season fulltime living like this. ;)
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Itinerant1
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12/08/22 10:17am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
My concern for the OP would be having lfp batteries on the outside of trailer and doing long extended camping in cold weather were the temps do not get above freezing for extended periods. Even them being in a a cooler like a Yeti or Otter would still need extra insulating even with the heat types of batteries. I have a 65qt Otter box cooler and it does keep ice pretty long but can also freeze water in the bottom of the cooler when no ice is present during the winter months in the back of my inclosed truck. Any of these "well" insulated coolers will need more insulation and the coolers aren't cheap to start with.
If lead batteries have been working for you under these circumstances I would probably stay with them.
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Itinerant1
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12/08/22 09:32am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
I got the figures from the wobbly wide web. If I were going Li I'd go 40% to 85%. I never will due to cold.
Pianotuna you have good advise most of the time but I have to disagree with you on some of your interpreted reading of LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries.
But maybe your reading material is better than my hands on experience living off of them. ;)
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Itinerant1
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12/08/22 07:11am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Mounting cell antenna on a spring?
I have that antenna and as you can see it's mount on my truck mirror arm now for over 1.5 year and 84,000 miles. In speeds over 70 and a good cross wind it will move in circles and I'm sure it's good intertainment for fellow travelers seeing it. That spring will allow it to move some but not enough if it were mounted where you show it that if you hit a larger branch that it would flex enough not to damage the top portion of the antenna.
https://i.imgur.com/pCE2uxDl.jpg
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Itinerant1
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12/08/22 06:33am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Tech Issue Leave Lithium Do Dads On Charger?
Replacing batteries in the sealed cases isn't that hard just requires a little patience.
I use my tablet (Galaxy S6) like a laptop so the battery takes a whopping. Probably this summer I'll have to replace the battery, $25 for battery and an hour of time, good as new.
When the S10 phone needs a new battery samething.
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Itinerant1
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10/07/22 06:02am |
Tech Issues
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RE: what size inverter.
For those who may dry-camp a lot, an inverter's parasitic/no-load current might also be worth considering in addition to output capacity. Some larger inverters (>1500w) can have parasitic/no-load current as high as 3-4a. 3-4a can go-through 72-96ah in 24 hours---it adds up.
For what it's worth, we chose an Aims 2000w high-frequency inverter to power the microwave and a/c in our truck camper primarily because of its good inrush capability and low parasitic (and reasonable price). Aim rates the parasitic at .9a. We typically experience around .6 - .7a.
I know the Magnum 3000w hybrid inverter/ charger has 2ah or 48ah in 24 hours of idle draw.
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Itinerant1
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10/05/22 10:52am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium crossing the acceptance threshold…
I miss a good spirited debate about LFP. I hear they start airplanes on fire and phones burst into flames. ;)
Yep, I too can recall that the mythologies sure seemed to run rather deep!!
3 tons
I haven't seen BFL13 post in awhile. I hope all is well.
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Itinerant1
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09/14/22 07:56pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium crossing the acceptance threshold…
I miss a good spirited debate about LFP. I hear they start airplanes on fire and phones burst into flames. ;)
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Itinerant1
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09/14/22 06:24pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: no noise generators
I did not say these batteries don't lose capacity and eventually end up in the landfill or recycling center, everything does.
But once again you go off on a different chemistry within lithium.
As far as the deflection to EV in an rv thread... who would of thought that batteries will need replacing. Can't offard to play in the EV playground stay with tried and true gas engine vehicle.
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Itinerant1
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08/22/22 12:48pm |
Tech Issues
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