Recent content by deeter16317

We received our kit Monday...very well packed. I was expecting the charge controller to be physically larger than what it is...its a little bit larger than a soda can. I mounted the charge controller and breaker box last night, got that wiring done. It came with stranded 10ga wire, for the short...

And what are you guys with the GMs and Dodges seeing for average gas mileage? Mid teens? High teens? Single digits? A coworker has an 04 2500 Hemi...he gets single digits towing (I think he said 8mpg) and low teems unloaded (I think he said 13mpg)? But that's also an older generation Hemi...

Nah, I'm looking at true 3/4 tons; not a glorified 1/2 ton...that would be taking a step back in durability of components (lighter trans, lighter differentials, lighter tires, lower load carrying capacity, lighter springs, etc.)...

Originally Posted By: ffracer Two things to look at also: 1. What is the longevity of the automatic transmission? Depends on whether it is an HD transmission and general reliability data. In fleet vans/trucks in old company, these were the weakest component in the truck for all three makes, but...

Originally Posted By: MNgopher I agree with GMboy - all of the big three make capable 3/4 and one ton trucks. In the Fords, look for a V10 if you want a gasser. The 5.4 will be a dog in that platform, but the 6.8 V10 works very well. Its thirsty, but factor that against your proposed usage...

Originally Posted By: morris not being a diesel expert i offer this. block heaters, mmo in the fuel, lots of batterys. I know more about diesels than I care...I've owned them since the 90s.

See, the 1500 and 2500 are all but completely different animals...the 2500 being a solid axle design, and they have known steering issues (steering component and ball joint wear out, wander, etc.). I just dropped over $1500 in parts and labor (not much labor as I was doing some of the work) just...

Well, I'm at a point where I'm needing to change trucks...not because of miles/wear, etc., but because its a standard cab. I've been a Dodge guy all my life, but this 3rd gen has been less than impressive...steering issues, vibrations, injectors, etc...I've dumped A LOT of money into this truck...

I'm currently running 75w90 royal purple, and ran synthetic Pennzoil prior to that. I will be running 75w140 Schaeffer in the near future because I have lots of it on hand.

We actually pulled the trigger on a small 140 watt (single panel) setup with the MPPT controller, etc.. We discussed the whole deal and decided we would get our feet wet with a smaller setup, get some actually learning experience out of it, and if we see we get some beneficial use out of it...

Originally Posted By: Cujet Originally Posted By: deeter16317 Originally Posted By: Cujet For example, "Sunelec" a very reputable solar distributor now has, German made, high quality PV panels (not amorphous PV's like Harbor Freight) for $1.00 per watt. Too bad over half the panels they...

Its been working well for me...

I assume these panels keep charging even when its cold (say 20*F), correct? So fully discharging a battery would be a non-issue.

This is the kit I am currently looking at: http://www.solar-electric.com/rvvankitwi42.html I'm now thinking I would mount this on/in the garage, so... a) batteries would be stored indoors, but in the cold. So typical flooded batteries could be used...and I could start with batteries I own...

Originally Posted By: meep just noted you need sealed due to open flames. outgasing will be minimal... but you might be able to find automotive batts that use a tube for venting. or sealed (maintenance free?) but that might be hard to find in a deep cycle. you might give optima deep cycles a...