All it takes to wash my house are a few washcloths and a bucket of water . . . .
Home Sweet Home
Going section by section I wipe with the wet cloth and shine with a dry one. I move the cloth in a circular motion over the white fiberglass as if washing a baby’s bottom. With my stepladder I can reach almost all the surface of the Casita. I plan to get a squeegy to reach the center of the roof.
Now I know why people polish their car again when it’s already perfect. It’s an act of love. Making my house shiny in the sunshine is a great way to enjoy a morning.
Here’s a look at the progress made on the solar project!
Cables, wing nuts, and battery straps are in place.
The charge controller and circuit breaker are at the end of the battery box next to the inverter.
The wiring for the controller and circuit breaker will be completed tomorrow.
The 200 watt solar panel is at Baker’s RV Service. The roof rack and tilt mechanism are expected to be delivered there tomorrow.
I’ll call Chip and set up a time for the installation of the solar panel on the roof of the Perfect Tow Vehicle!
rvsue
Funny!
Wow! I missed a couple of days, and just caught up. What a perfect place you landed!!! The battery box looks really good, very professional; of course your neighbors seem to really know what they are doing and have all the right tools.
I’m having solar installed on Wednesday, but I have a motor home, so the setup will be a little different than yours. I can’t wait to see how much of a difference it will make. I think we are both going to be very happy to be free from electrical hook-ups when we want to drive off into the desert or forest, or wherever! 🙂
I’m looking forward to the continuing solar saga…
Hi, Barbara!
Good for you! So you’re dreaming of parking away from campgrounds, too . . . I’ve heard it said that getting solar installed for your rv is too expensive, that it’s not cost effective. The way I look at it . . . saving money is not the point, although that would be nice. I’m getting solar for the FREEDOM!!!
Hope to meet you someday, Barbara. . . May you have many sunny days!
If you need some practice waxing trailers, i know of a 5th wheel in need……..
Howdy Sue & gang,
Sue, if you read the blog Travels with the Bayfield Bunch and the links & comments to them
you’ll get a whole lot of info on places in Mew Nexico.. Al B. is like a Chamber off Commerce travel-log and HIS PICS ARE PROFESSIONAL!!! The Bayfield Bunch just passed your part
and are headed to Arizona.. AND THEY ARE BOONDOCKERS!!!
You better get a looong handle sqeegee to reach the CENTER of your Casita!!!
You are getting like the Old Fat Man, having tooooo much fun!!!!
Hi, Butterbean!
I’ve been envying Al and Kelly’s boondocking ways for a long time. HIs photos are topnotch … the whole blog is great. No wonder he has so many followers.
With all the wind we have been having, everything has a layer of dust on it, I guess that is the price for living in the beautiful southwest! Wipe on, wipe off!
Geri,
Click on the photo of the Casita and you can see how dirty it was. As the crew and I walked back to our campsite this morning, the Casita was glowing in the sunlight. So pretty!
So of course, today it rains! haha!
Hi Sue,
What a treat it is following your progress. The friends you make while camping reminds me a bit of riding my motorcycle; every other rider you pass is a friend and you wave. I couldn’t agree more with your solar logic. Boondocking doesn’t always mean being by yourself. Especially in the southwest in the winter there are many spots where groups of boondockers gather. Thank you for sharing.
Barrie
Hi, Barrie!
It’s a treat for me to read the reactions of people following along with the solar project. I especially like to hear when someone agrees with my “solar logic.”
I can’t say what my fulltiming style will evolve into once I’m cut loose from electric hook-ups. I can say I’m going to relish the choices solar will give me.
I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle! I bet the sense of freedom is similar.
Sue,
I looked very close and see no POS. or NEG. markings on the cables on the battery’s.
This could lead to confusion and possible damage in the future.
Bill Kelleher
Hello, Bill!
I was wondering who would point that out.
The black positive cable will be wrapped with red tape.
Sue,
You may or may not be interested in this link I got it off of fgrv forum.
http://www.nurvers.com/
Bill Kelleher
Bill,
I took a quick glance at this site while writing comments. I’m intrigued. Thanks for putting the link here.
Lord have mercy….you go girl. There ain’t no sense me put’n my two sense (cents) in since you seem to have every thing under control. Did ya notice I used 3 forms of cents/sense/since in that last SENTence?? Purty cool huh?
My only concern would be the capacity of the AGM batteries, what I don’t know squat bout no AGM batteries. But I do know, if’n they was regular ol’ lead acid batteries, you would be cut’n yourself borderline at 75 AH of usable capacity (50% of total capacity). It’s a battery thing ya know. One other thing what I got think’n bout was what ya gonna do when ya disconnect the power cord to that “cute little house trailer”…….that what I call Casitas. What is gonna run the “ghost” circuits what control your refrigerator and such? I’m sure all the engineers done got that figger out, but I ain’t seen no posts where you have a battery in the “cute little house trailer” to power up these circuits when ya disconnect from the PTV.
Love read’n bout all your adventures and such. Time to be head’n south ya know with winter right on top of us.
Hi, Billy Bob!
Nice to see you here! I read your blog every day and it never disappoints.
I’m not going to attempt to explain my batteries and everthing just yet. I’m still learning and I’d mess it up.. When the smoke clears I’m going to put pages (permanently placed in the header) where the solar set-up will be explained in detail with links to where the components were purchased, photos, etc.
There is a “house battery” in the “cute little house trailer.”
Have a safe trip south .. . Yeah, winter’s arrival is getting harder to ignore . . .
Can’t wait to see a picture of the PTV with those solar panels on top!
I can hardly wait to see it myself, Cathie. It will probably seem very strange until I get used to it up there. I’ll have one panel up on a roof rack. I wonder if it will attract attention wherever I go. People will wonder what the heck I have inside my vehicle!
REALLY nice solar set-up, Sue! Can’t wait to see the panel(s) in place. You’ll love boondocking! We scout out dispersed camping sites wherever we go, it’s just so nice to really get out in nature (and still have your own little house and its amenities with you). I’m on a solo trip from NM to IL right now to take care of some business (why else go north in the winter) and camped in a state park in KS and another in IA. No one there but me and the deer and the skunks. Just used battery power and the solar panel to power ‘things’, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Hi, Dave!
You’ve got me dreaming,. I agree, it doesn’t get much better than that. I hope you get back here before winter grabs you in Illinois. Be careful .. .
Sue, It’s pretty much all been said.
Getting your energy from the sun is a good thing. You will learn as you go along what works well and what does not and improve when and if.
You and Barbara are both moving in the right direction. Gaining more energeny independence is hard to price.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Dayton
Same to you, Dayton! Enjoy the holidays!