Housekeeping...

One of the first things to learn when camping in a small trailer is that whatever mess gets created is out there for all to see...

Does this mean I'm about to become a tidier person? Time will tell I suppose! This photo shows what the first week has produced. Will week two be better or worse?

Power Watch

It's been dark and rainy the past few days so the battery has done most of the work powering Big Trill. When getting up in the morning I noticed two things. First, I had forgotten to turn my outside light off. Second, with it using 1 amp of electricity each hour, the battery voltage was hovering around 12.1 which is about 50% capacity or so. Normally the voltage is around 12.6 or higher and the battery charge is above 80%.

When the fridge turns on it draws 2.5 amps for a short period, but the voltage remains constant. 

Once the fridge turns off and the sky brightens up a little the voltage goes up a little, a good sign! This has been the pattern during this period of rainy days.

The good news is the 50 watt solar panel has been able to maintain power and can do so probably indefinitely if I'm careful with my power consumption. 

The Road!

The road has been calling for a while now so it was only a matter of time before wheels began turning and big Trill rolled down the driveway to set out on her trial run. 

Here she is in her first campsite. Solar up and running, water working and we've settled in with no trauma to speak of. Water is nearby so I went for a swim and enjoyed a few beers with the locals. Life appears to be good!

Love A Little Sunshine!

 

Solar panels like the 50 watt panel in the photo are becoming more and more affordable so it makes sense to add one or more to a camper/trailer these days to augment whatever battery charging arrangement you might have. I have bought two such panels over the years, the second one costing less than half what the first one cost only a few years earlier! In addition to this panel, I have a 40 watt flexible roll-up panel from my kayaking camping days which I can also use. It is more efficient than the unit seen in the photo especially on cloudy days or when camping in shady spots. The panel is not permanently fixed in place, so I can move it to a sunny spot wherever that might be.

Both panels connect to the 12 volt circuit via the external socket seen in the above photo. I also have a pig-tail which allows both panels to be plugged in at the same time if need be. These socket type connectors are not ideal nor weather-proof, so I am presently in the market to replace them with better connectors designed for all weather solar systems, however they serve the purpose for now.

Before the solar produced electricity enters the trailer electrical circuit, it passes through a 'controller' which prevents over-charging of the battery. The next item one really needs in a 12 volt system is an instrument which tells you the state of your battery's charge and how much current you are using. To stay in peak condition, it is best not to run a battery down too low. This unit in the photo allows me to see how many volts of power I have coming into the battery, the state of charge as well as the number of amps being used. It will also tell me how long I can continue to use amps at the current rate of consumption. All very handy information!

That's really all there is to a solar powered electrical system other than at least one deep-cycle battery which can store the electricity. The larger your storage capacity and the lower your consumption, the longer you can camp 'off the grid' as they say. Being careful not to overdo it using all LED light bulbs and an efficient fridge, I can stay 'off' indefinitely...

It's A Jungle In There...

When I picked up the Trillium from the previous owner, it was set up to run only on 120 VAC power. That is, without being plugged in to 'shore power' at a campground or such, there was no electric power at all. However, when the trailer left the factory, it had been wired for both 120 VAC and 12 VDC power. The question was, what had been changed over the 37 years of previous owners? Was any of the original wiring still intact?

It was nearly impossible to find out as all the wiring was hidden behind various built-in cupboards and seats and floors. Using a camera I began documenting all the wiring by randomly sticking my arm into nooks and crannies and snapping away. By doing that and piecing the puzzle together, I discovered in the upper photo that the old DC wiring was there as well as a fuse even if I couldn't reach any of it easily.

Some wiring like that seen above was easier to see and reach. This is a mess of wiring behind the cupboard beneath the sink, which includes running lights from the tow vehicle, 120 VAC wiring for the fridge, and 12 VDC for the lights above the sink and stove. Nothing labelled of course, all in a confusing jumble!

All the wires eventually led to or from this unit, the Power Converter. It was here that the 120 VAC was converted into 12 VDC which in turn ran the interior lights and fridge. I chose to bypass this unit so that today, the two electrical circuits are totally separate. The 120 VAC will still power the fridge if I wish and a reading lamp and some power outlets. All the 12 VDC power, except the running lights which are tow vehicle powered, is supplied by a deep cycle battery which is recharged by a 50 watt solar panel outside. The panel can be plugged in and moved about to take advantage of the sun's position depending on how the trailer is parked. So far it's all that's required to power the day to day operation of the Trillium. I'll get to the solar set up in another posting.

Changing Fridges

The original fridge in the Trillium was a three way (110/12/propane) device which had long since seen its day when I bought the trailer. The seller claimed it worked, but it didn't really. Not only that, but it was much too finicky for my liking, having to be always level and so on.

It was tossed out and an Engel unit which I had from my Teardrop days moved into its place. This chest fridge works on 110 and 12 volt, but not propane. The good news was it doesn't require it to be particularly level and draws so little power, I can run it off a 50 watt solar panel indefinitely!

I installed the Engel on a slide out base using the clip in base which Engel supplies. This base prevents the fridge from suddenly becoming a projectile should one stop suddenly and, shudder the thought, crash.

 

The smaller outside dimensions of the fridge, even with the additional 'blanket' allowed me to add an extra drawer above it and a slide out waste basket to the right.

Belly Tuck

The Trillium is made in two halves joined in the middle. The outside of the joint is finished off with the metal band seen in the photo. Sadly over time this joint leaks due to the way the band was attached. So...

Off it came. Next step was filling the gap with fiberglass paste and then finishing it off with Bondo and a paint job. 

Voila! New joint and no more leaks. Did I mention the fridge had issues...?