The Man Stands Tall

Ever purchase something only to discover the service department didn't meet your expectations? I think it's happened to most of us.

Last winter we had our solar system installed in Texas. Paul went out of his way to do an excellent job both on the roof and inside our trailer. Wiring, location, equipment was all installed to maximize usage. We were delighted. No longer did we need our generator to have coffee or toast in the morning, watch a movie at night and keep the furnace running so we could be warm when it snowed in April.

But on June 23rd it stopped working. No longer were our batteries being re-filled each sunny day. What could have gone wrong? I sent an e-mail off to Paul explaining our problem and within an hour had a reply and what to do. I checked everything Paul listed including the fuses but they looked fine, no black spots on the glass and the metal strip look complete. What next? Off with more e-mails and more things to check. Paul even shipped a replacement solar charger just to make sure ours wasn't at fault.

Up on the roof I opened each panel box and tested for current.

Each box and connection was solid and each panel was putting out about 19.3 volts.

Back inside I checked the fuse again and this time discovered that it was the problem. No fuse, no current, no batteries being charged.

It was the first thing Paul had asked me to check and I had missed the right diagnosis. Paul was patient, understanding and persistent, knowing that the problem could be corrected and with his help I was able to do so.

If you are thinking of solar for your Airstream, Paul is the guy to call.

Thanks Paul. You Stand Tall in my books.

Safe travels

Day Three, Solar Installation

Picked up the battery box yesterday and I was delighted. This box will hold 4 Trojan batteries on the tongue of our trailer and give us plenty of amp storage.

While Paul and I worked on the trailer the ladies worked in the garden.

Once we knew the box would fit, Paul cut away the old storage box and prepared the frame for painting.

This is the steel frame Paul made to support the stainless steel battery box. It also was painted once we knew  it would work.

Finally it was time to crawl up on the roof, run the wire and clean off the old solar panel. Pop-rivets were used to seal the holes and each was immersed  in sealant to prevent any water leaks.

To-day the batteries go in and the panels go on. Can't wait to see how it all works out. Check back tomorrow for more pictures.

Safe travels.

Day Two Solar Installation

We are making progress. First order of the day was to set up our monitoring panel. Here Paul works at cutting out the head-liner in the trailer and attaching the different gauges for the inverter, charger and controller.

When he was done I thought it looked like a factory installation, very professional.

The converter, charger, and inverter are located under the couch at the front of the trailer. Here you see the IOTA DLS 75 Power Converter installed and ready to work.

Final job of the day was patching the hole left in the trailer body when we removed the battery box. Paul is very meticulous about making sure everything fits perfectly and is properly sealed. I was very pleased.

This morning we are off to Justin to get the battery box. Not  sure if we will get the solar panels on today or tomorrow.

Write and let me know if you have any questions.

Safe travels.