This morning the crew and I join Kathy and Bill at their campsite.
Bill tosses out a strange idea: “Let’s mount the battery box on top of the wheel well!”
“Say what?”
I’m skeptical.
Something tells me the curved wheel well and the flat bottom of the box are not a good mix. A stronger voice tells me this is the kind of situation where it’s best to keep an open mind. So we position the battery box on top of the wheel well and it looks good, very good.
” Okay, Bill. How are you going to keep the box — with 120 pounds of battery in it — stable?”
“Oh, that’s easy, ” he assures me. “I’ll make a T-brace and screw it to the bottom of the box. The brace will be bolted to the wheel well.”
The steel T-brace is strong enough to support two batteries and will secure the box to the wheel well.
The holes in the bottom of the box will help air flow to release heat. The wire is for the temperature sensor. (The solar panels in the background are not mine. Bill made these panels. They’re going on their travel trailer.)
The wire and right angle brace are for the temperature sensor. The markings on the bottom of the box are outlines of the batteries.
The blue straps are a safety feature. They will wrap around the batteries. In the event of a side-impact collision or a roll-over, the batteries will not fly out of the box.
Bill and Kathy insist on decorative screws to hold down the lid. The circular black grills are another professional touch.
At last the battery box is mounted on the wheel well!
Two bolts go through the metal plate of the T-brace and through the wheel well. Large washers are on the tire side of the bolts. Another bolt goes down through the bottom of the box and through the top of the wheel well. These two directions of the bolts remove any possibility of shearing taking place. Although I can’t imagine how that could happen . . . . The box is a solid part of the PTV now!
In the photo below you see the battery box is adjacent to the inverter.
Bridget assumes the job of Quality Assurance Officer.
I have labelled where the 15 amp, 75 volt max charge controller and the 150 amp, resettable circuit breaker go on the outside of the battery box. (Click to enlarge.) We put the lid on the box for this photo. Of course, the lid will come off again to finish the wiring, to connect the battery terminals, and to strap down the batteries properly.
I wonder if Bill will need a heating pad on his back tonight.
The batteries weigh 60 pounds each. He had to lug them up into the PTV and into the box. I held my breath hoping he would not throw his back out. As Bill remarked after hefting the batteries, “That was a job for a younger man!”
Everything is going well. I’m looking forward to more progress tomorrow!
rvsue
My, how sanitary. It almost feels nautical…a very good thing.
It’s really coming together nicely!
Dayton
On behalf of Mick and Bill . .. thank you! It is pretty nice, isn’t it.
Looking good !!
Oh, yeah.
Well check you out! Wow, how far you have come in such a short time. That PTV and Casita are some pretty cool wheels. I am really enjoying checking in to see your progress.
You and the canine kids will be having lots of wonderful times “off the grid” now.
Can’t wait to see what you are up to next.
I like your phrase . ..”pretty cool wheels.”
I’m having to cool our heels while the solar work is being done. I’m getting restless for the road!
Nice professional Job. Good space utilization. Can’t wait to see it all finished!
Definitely looks like it belongs in the PTV! Blends right in.
That’s looking good. Very clever.
Thanks for sharing all this info! I find it interesting that you run into just the right person willing to help just when you need it…Nice when the universe confirms that you’re on the right track. I’m especially looking forward to hearing how it all goes when you go off grid and use the panels.
Again, thanks so much for sharing.
Pat
Hi, Pat!
Right people arrive at the right time. It happens to me all the time! Did you read the blog entry about that treacherous and scary Coyote Road? A guy in a pickup appears and lets me know about the road up ahead and where to turn. . . . .
At Santa Rosa last summer, I feel like I’m going to faint from the heat while I’m trying to park the Casita …. what happens? A camp maintenance man appears immediately on an ATV and parks the Casita for me. I stayed there for several days and never saw him again.
You are blessed! Angels in your path!
Sue it looks fantastic, they did such a great job.
Christine
I am so happy and excited for you! ditto ditto ditto to what everyone else said! Kathy and Bill are great neighbors!
As Pat said (above) . . . I run into the right people willing to help just when I need it . . . You and Chuck are some of my “right people!”
awwwwww thanks! It’s only because you are so nice to begin with!
W O W ! ! ! That is one clean installation! Very professional.
Isn’t it the neatest thing!
That’s interesting. I don’t have the instructions because the inverter was already mounted in the van when I bought it. I’m going to see if I can find anything about that online.
One thing that is in my favor regarding the inverter not getting too warm . . . It’s a 3000 watt inverter and I probably won’t be dealing with anything over 2,000 watts.
Mick emailed me the manual for the inverter. Thanks, Mick!
I just found this link that you and and friends might be interested in for free camping…
http://www.freecampgrounds.com/