Truck Conversion & Toterhome Community - View Single Post

Ran D. St. Clair · 10-27-2010, 04:44 PM

Wolfy,

Thanks for the encouraging words. I was hoping there were some folks lurking out there that might gain some benefit from my mistakes.

Actually, all I need to make my laptop work without AC power is 5V and minimal current to power the USB hub/switch. I may just wire up a linear regulator that I have in a junk box somewhere. A DC to DC converter would be nice for keeping the laptop batteries charged up though.

I actually have a wireless mouse that came with the laptop. I don’t know how long the batteries will last, but you must be right. If they died that frequently no one would put up with them. In some ways the wires are a good thing though. I tied them off so the KBD and Mouse can’t slide off the tabletop when I am driving. I also put a pad of Velcro on the back of the KBD so I can stow it for travel, but sometimes I forget to put it away properly.

I am starting to think that I might have been wrong not to look into solar more carefully. From the reading I have been doing on various other forums it seems that Solar and a small generator (like mine) make a good combination. The generator is good for bulk charging the batteries at relatively high current, and can support heavier loads like an air conditioner, but is wasteful when the batteries are 90% charged and slowly nudging up towards 100%. Solar is good for lower current charging and as you say, is quiet and free (well sort of.) There are those out there with lots of solar panels and big battery banks who almost never need their generator, or so they claim. Of course it all comes down to lifestyle choices. Some people are energy frugal and some are not.

I have been thinking about my two big side doors which open up to be awnings. If they were covered with solar panels, and I parked the truck with the awnings up and facing south, I bet they would be in a great position to gather sunlight. The down side is that my Stealth Camper would no longer be stealthy at all. Also, the solar panels would stow down low where any passerby could take a rock to them. Everything is a compromise I guess.

My comment about the energy required to make a solar panel being more than it can deliver over it’s lifetime is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. It relates to national or even global energy policy, not the viability of solar in an off grid situation. A remote cabin in the woods, or an RV set up for dry camping have a unique cost/benefit calculation. You pay for the energy up front in the cost of the panels, and then you get it back with some help from the sun. If on the other hand, you have access to the grid, you might as well use the energy directly. Turning energy into solar panels and then getting only some of that energy back over the life of the system is a waste. Until they improve the technology to get that ratio up over 1:1, the more solar panels you make/use the more energy you waste. Anyway, all of that has very little to do with truck conversions so sorry for the hijack.

It sounds like you are a far more experienced stealth camper than I am. I assume you are familiar with the website

http://cheaprvliving.com/

Their information on living in a Box Van was a huge part of what got me started down this path.

I am not sure if you can hold me up to your relatives as an example of sanity though. Doing what I am doing probably only proves that I am crazy in their eyes. If you want to show them that living full time on the road is not a fringe life style then you would probably be better off looking at the Escapees forum:

http://www.escapees.com/index2.asp

They have tons of honorable people living the full time lifestyle and not all of them rich retirees either. Lots of them are work camping:

http://www.work-for-rvers-and-...obs-listings-04.html

Forgive me if you already know all this stuff, but someone is out there lurking and now they know it too.

Thanks…

10-27-2010, 04:44 PM	#245
Ran D. St. Clair Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 212	Wolfy, Thanks for the encouraging words. I was hoping there were some folks lurking out there that might gain some benefit from my mistakes. Actually, all I need to make my laptop work without AC power is 5V and minimal current to power the USB hub/switch. I may just wire up a linear regulator that I have in a junk box somewhere. A DC to DC converter would be nice for keeping the laptop batteries charged up though. I actually have a wireless mouse that came with the laptop. I don’t know how long the batteries will last, but you must be right. If they died that frequently no one would put up with them. In some ways the wires are a good thing though. I tied them off so the KBD and Mouse can’t slide off the tabletop when I am driving. I also put a pad of Velcro on the back of the KBD so I can stow it for travel, but sometimes I forget to put it away properly. I am starting to think that I might have been wrong not to look into solar more carefully. From the reading I have been doing on various other forums it seems that Solar and a small generator (like mine) make a good combination. The generator is good for bulk charging the batteries at relatively high current, and can support heavier loads like an air conditioner, but is wasteful when the batteries are 90% charged and slowly nudging up towards 100%. Solar is good for lower current charging and as you say, is quiet and free (well sort of.) There are those out there with lots of solar panels and big battery banks who almost never need their generator, or so they claim. Of course it all comes down to lifestyle choices. Some people are energy frugal and some are not. I have been thinking about my two big side doors which open up to be awnings. If they were covered with solar panels, and I parked the truck with the awnings up and facing south, I bet they would be in a great position to gather sunlight. The down side is that my Stealth Camper would no longer be stealthy at all. Also, the solar panels would stow down low where any passerby could take a rock to them. Everything is a compromise I guess. My comment about the energy required to make a solar panel being more than it can deliver over it’s lifetime is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. It relates to national or even global energy policy, not the viability of solar in an off grid situation. A remote cabin in the woods, or an RV set up for dry camping have a unique cost/benefit calculation. You pay for the energy up front in the cost of the panels, and then you get it back with some help from the sun. If on the other hand, you have access to the grid, you might as well use the energy directly. Turning energy into solar panels and then getting only some of that energy back over the life of the system is a waste. Until they improve the technology to get that ratio up over 1:1, the more solar panels you make/use the more energy you waste. Anyway, all of that has very little to do with truck conversions so sorry for the hijack. It sounds like you are a far more experienced stealth camper than I am. I assume you are familiar with the website http://cheaprvliving.com/ Their information on living in a Box Van was a huge part of what got me started down this path. I am not sure if you can hold me up to your relatives as an example of sanity though. Doing what I am doing probably only proves that I am crazy in their eyes. If you want to show them that living full time on the road is not a fringe life style then you would probably be better off looking at the Escapees forum: http://www.escapees.com/index2.asp They have tons of honorable people living the full time lifestyle and not all of them rich retirees either. Lots of them are work camping: http://www.work-for-rvers-and-...obs-listings-04.html Forgive me if you already know all this stuff, but someone is out there lurking and now they know it too. Thanks…