renglekirk
Member
This is way better than I would have expected, I'll have to pick one of these cables up. I almost bought one of these Renogy suitcases not long ago, are you able to pull close to 200w with it when properly oriented?
2021 RAM 3500 Tradesman | AEV Prospector | FWC Grandby
- Thread starter ramblinChet
- Start date
This is way better than I would have expected, I'll have to pick one of these cables up. I almost bought one of these Renogy suitcases not long ago, are you able to pull close to 200w with it when properly oriented?
Kingsize24
Well-known member
Well I went ahead and ordered the suitcase. Where did you get your 40ft extension?
ramblinChet
Well-known member
On the Renogy site under wires you will find "solar panel extension cable with male to female solar connectors (single)." Make sure you select "options" and order TWO of the cables.
Last edited:
ramblinChet
Well-known member
The test for maximum power will be conducted in July and August in a southern state when the sun is directly overhead. Days are longest too so I am expecting significantly more power.
Worst months for solar are December and January since sun is at a low angle and days are very short. I expect to still be fine since my primary draw is my refrigerator and during the cooler months it will not be required to work as hard. Being able to angle the panels should prove to be more valuable during the winter and less during the summer. This is and interesting and fun exercise.
Kingsize24
Well-known member
Perfect, thank you! Heading there now.
Jason
Jason
Kingsize24
Well-known member
Purchased! I got some expansion sleeving for it as well to help keep it tidy. Thanks for the information! I look forward to using it.
Jason
ramblinChet
Well-known member
Let me know how the expansion sleeving works out - I was contemplating various options. My 200 watt system is pulling in 9.1 amps at 14.4 Vdc right now for a total of 131 watts. Event this time of year I can easily pull in 50-60 Ah per day which is more than double what I consume.
ramblinChet
Well-known member
Here is another video from Paul that includes my vehicle in it. This is a nice composition so site back and enjoy a few minutes of overlanding with nice music playing in the background:
Kingsize24
Well-known member
Well this was STUPID fast. Literally bought yesterday, delivered today. They MUST have a distributor near here.
ramblinChet
Well-known member
This past week has had me enjoying an amazing free camp site south of Zapata, Texas. This free site it nearly one-hundred acres and has maybe fifty dispersed camp sites. You can remain here for an unlimited amount of time and enjoy warm showers, flush toilets, water, dumpster, etc. Many Canadians stay here during the winter months, a few Americans have been here for approximately one year, while most stop in for a few days or weeks as part of their travels. Although it has been consistently in the 90s there is always a strong breeze and the nights have been in the low 70s so sleeping has been perfect.
Good morning from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
Since it has been months since I have treated myself to something wonderful I decided to stop in and visit my friend Edgar at Deutsch & Deutsch. After spending an hour plus Edgar excused himself for a moment and returned with something very special they had hidden in the safe.
Here is a shot from a week later in the same location. I ran into the nearby town of Roma, Texas, to pick up supplies from a local grocery store and stopped for an amazing dinner at Los Molcajetes. With 98% of the people in the county identifying as Hispanic or Latino, I am confident this was an authentic meal. El hombre blanco loco no pudo leer el menú!
And for all my fellow overland aficionados who only select the finest vehicles and components available, here is a recent video from Dave at American Expedition Vehicles:
Good morning from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
Since it has been months since I have treated myself to something wonderful I decided to stop in and visit my friend Edgar at Deutsch & Deutsch. After spending an hour plus Edgar excused himself for a moment and returned with something very special they had hidden in the safe.
Here is a shot from a week later in the same location. I ran into the nearby town of Roma, Texas, to pick up supplies from a local grocery store and stopped for an amazing dinner at Los Molcajetes. With 98% of the people in the county identifying as Hispanic or Latino, I am confident this was an authentic meal. El hombre blanco loco no pudo leer el menú!
And for all my fellow overland aficionados who only select the finest vehicles and components available, here is a recent video from Dave at American Expedition Vehicles:
Last edited:
nickw
Adventurer
FWIW… I today realized I have not shut off my fridge in the Land Cruiser for about a month.. I work at home and some days don’t drive, others like today 20 minutes or so..
power is via a Renogy 100ah lithium (the Bluetooth model) with a redarc 1240d DCDC charger.
not representative of your loads but here you go with a graph..
fridge is maybe 1/3 full of water and stuff. Opened every day or so… frankly just forgot about turning it off and have been using it for groceries runs and the like.
no solar.
power is via a Renogy 100ah lithium (the Bluetooth model) with a redarc 1240d DCDC charger.
not representative of your loads but here you go with a graph..
fridge is maybe 1/3 full of water and stuff. Opened every day or so… frankly just forgot about turning it off and have been using it for groceries runs and the like.
no solar.
Attachments
ramblinChet
Well-known member
One of my other hobbies centers on mechanical watches. I have a small collection...
ramblinChet
Well-known member
If you visit Falcon State Park in Texas, you will notice that the lake appears almost gone. If it were at it's high level I would be forty feet under water in the picture. I performed some research and the lake level has varied quite considerably over the years since the early '50s when the damn was constructed. This is the lake where American David Hartley was shot in the head by the Zeta Cartel while riding his jet ski with his wife. The Mexican Police Investigator who was assigned the case was murdered and his head delivered to the Mexican Army in a suitcase.
Near the border town of San Ygnacio I crossed paths with a man who owned a very cool truck. Despite being three or more decades old this truck was in immaculate condition. While standing and talking about his snakeskin boots and handcrafted cowboy hat he revealed that he has a small collection of a dozen plus trucks that are all old and in beautiful condition. We discussed a wide range of topics and after an hour or so, smiled and said goodbye.
This is a heart-breaker I came upon while hiking a trail near the Rio Grande River. From what I was able to interpret, this is where a twenty year old girl died, alone. I am not sure what the circumstances were but I spent much time thinking of my children and how blessed I am that they are all alive and kicking. Life is never perfect but when you die, life here on earth is gone forever. I prayed that night for this young lady who was someone's daughter, and hope she is where we all desire to be, in Heaven, enjoying eternal life.
This is something I have noticed, in many of the food stores here along the southern border, there are large sections of an aisle dedicated to religion. I actually think this is a wonderful fact and have much respect for Latin and Hispanic people. Do you have religious products like this in grocery stores in your area of the country?
Okay, you are all going to swear I am beginning to transform into a Mexican Vaquero, but I was really enjoying this Mexican music in downtown Laredo, Texas. Maybe it's hereditary since my father owned a matching pair of Ruger Vaquero's back in the day, lol. The band's name was Consuelo Montalvo and they did a great job. The bridge you see was a walking bridge over the Rio Grande River and when it was quiet you could hear vehicles and people over in Mexico. Many happy dancing people by the end of the show.
When the concert ended at 2200 it was time to locate a place to sleep. Whenever I see a large group of 18-wheelers I know there is a reasonable chance this might be a good place. As I pulled up I noticed a Border Patrol vehicle and after talking for a few moments I was told this place is okay for a night or two. Only one truck ran his engine all night but you know what, when you are tired, you will sleep just fine.
Here we are once again exploring the southern border and Rio Grande River a bit north of Laredo. Did you know that Laredo was once the capital of the Republic of the Rio Grande? I also enjoy learning interesting history and other facts about the areas I visit. If I had my AEV snorkel I would have challenged the guys to a race across the river. Has anyone ever live-streamed an invasion?
"I walked forty-seven miles of barbed wire, I got a cobra snake for a necktie. A brand new house on the road side, and it's a-made out of rattlesnake hide. Got a brand new chimney put on top, and it's a-made outta human skull. Come on take a little walk with me baby, and tell me who do you love? Who do you love?" ~ Bo Diddley
Okay, technically this stretch south of El Indio, Texas, was forty-six miles although I believe the song it quite appropriate. This was an interesting exercise in a very hot bumpy ride with everything shaking and rattling. I considered airing down my tires to 15-20 PSI since that has worked wonders previously but I was half way though and was also experimenting with various speeds as surface conditions changed. Have you noticed the curtains drawn in most shots lately? Blocking heat and prying eyes. Even though I do not have much in the rear, folks have suggested this to me. Maybe some heavy tint would be a consideration?
This is a tight section of the same road. Let's call this Texas-tight, lol. With the exception of many women, most things are huge in Texas and that definately includes the roads. When the road narrows down to 1.5 lanes wide there is seriously something strange going on. Believe it or not, I passed a few 18-wheelers on this road - these guys will go anywhere to save a few minutes since, "speed is time, and time is money."
Here is an interesting veteran's memorial in Eagle Pass, Texas. Are you beginning to notice all the bird related words? Maybe it's because so many fly though this part of the country during their annual migration? I am no Air Force history dude so I was unable to determine if this was a variant of the P-80 Shooting Star or T-33 trainer since it has two seats. Any experts who are able to clarify? The most interesting thing is that children were climbing all over the monument. There was much damage to it including a bullet hole, broken glass, dents, etc. But despite the repeated attacks, she still looks pretty from a few paces away.
Edit - she's a T-33A trainer based upon this list of displayed aircraft.
Near the border town of San Ygnacio I crossed paths with a man who owned a very cool truck. Despite being three or more decades old this truck was in immaculate condition. While standing and talking about his snakeskin boots and handcrafted cowboy hat he revealed that he has a small collection of a dozen plus trucks that are all old and in beautiful condition. We discussed a wide range of topics and after an hour or so, smiled and said goodbye.
This is a heart-breaker I came upon while hiking a trail near the Rio Grande River. From what I was able to interpret, this is where a twenty year old girl died, alone. I am not sure what the circumstances were but I spent much time thinking of my children and how blessed I am that they are all alive and kicking. Life is never perfect but when you die, life here on earth is gone forever. I prayed that night for this young lady who was someone's daughter, and hope she is where we all desire to be, in Heaven, enjoying eternal life.
This is something I have noticed, in many of the food stores here along the southern border, there are large sections of an aisle dedicated to religion. I actually think this is a wonderful fact and have much respect for Latin and Hispanic people. Do you have religious products like this in grocery stores in your area of the country?
Okay, you are all going to swear I am beginning to transform into a Mexican Vaquero, but I was really enjoying this Mexican music in downtown Laredo, Texas. Maybe it's hereditary since my father owned a matching pair of Ruger Vaquero's back in the day, lol. The band's name was Consuelo Montalvo and they did a great job. The bridge you see was a walking bridge over the Rio Grande River and when it was quiet you could hear vehicles and people over in Mexico. Many happy dancing people by the end of the show.
When the concert ended at 2200 it was time to locate a place to sleep. Whenever I see a large group of 18-wheelers I know there is a reasonable chance this might be a good place. As I pulled up I noticed a Border Patrol vehicle and after talking for a few moments I was told this place is okay for a night or two. Only one truck ran his engine all night but you know what, when you are tired, you will sleep just fine.
Here we are once again exploring the southern border and Rio Grande River a bit north of Laredo. Did you know that Laredo was once the capital of the Republic of the Rio Grande? I also enjoy learning interesting history and other facts about the areas I visit. If I had my AEV snorkel I would have challenged the guys to a race across the river. Has anyone ever live-streamed an invasion?
"I walked forty-seven miles of barbed wire, I got a cobra snake for a necktie. A brand new house on the road side, and it's a-made out of rattlesnake hide. Got a brand new chimney put on top, and it's a-made outta human skull. Come on take a little walk with me baby, and tell me who do you love? Who do you love?" ~ Bo Diddley
Okay, technically this stretch south of El Indio, Texas, was forty-six miles although I believe the song it quite appropriate. This was an interesting exercise in a very hot bumpy ride with everything shaking and rattling. I considered airing down my tires to 15-20 PSI since that has worked wonders previously but I was half way though and was also experimenting with various speeds as surface conditions changed. Have you noticed the curtains drawn in most shots lately? Blocking heat and prying eyes. Even though I do not have much in the rear, folks have suggested this to me. Maybe some heavy tint would be a consideration?
This is a tight section of the same road. Let's call this Texas-tight, lol. With the exception of many women, most things are huge in Texas and that definately includes the roads. When the road narrows down to 1.5 lanes wide there is seriously something strange going on. Believe it or not, I passed a few 18-wheelers on this road - these guys will go anywhere to save a few minutes since, "speed is time, and time is money."
Here is an interesting veteran's memorial in Eagle Pass, Texas. Are you beginning to notice all the bird related words? Maybe it's because so many fly though this part of the country during their annual migration? I am no Air Force history dude so I was unable to determine if this was a variant of the P-80 Shooting Star or T-33 trainer since it has two seats. Any experts who are able to clarify? The most interesting thing is that children were climbing all over the monument. There was much damage to it including a bullet hole, broken glass, dents, etc. But despite the repeated attacks, she still looks pretty from a few paces away.
Edit - she's a T-33A trainer based upon this list of displayed aircraft.
Last edited:
