Point Five Ambo Build
- Thread starter patoz
- Start date
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Generator?
RiderBloke
Observer
It’s a box of lifepo4 batteries to power the rig.
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Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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patoz
Expedition Leader
Yup!
I have been planning all along to use a Honda EU3000I that I have, but I bought an enclosure for the tongue to put it in and after some careful measuring I discovered the Honda is too tall, and won't fit once it's mounted on a slide out tray.
My good friend Bob Renz is mounting a Cummings Onan Microlite 4000 RV generator on his rig, the 'Fam-bulance'. We have discussed it quite a bit and not to be out done by him ?, I jumped on eBay and found a lightly used model with 288 hours on it. Both of these generators are gasoline fueled, which means I only have to deal with one fuel type except for small amounts of propane for cooking and heating water. Plus, I plan on installing a 20 - 25 gal. gas tank under the camper trailer, which will also serve as an emergency fuel backup for my truck, aka tow vehicle. I had thought about using a propane fueled model, but gasoline is much easier to find after any kind of disaster than propane, which is part of this trailer's purpose. Propane doesn't go bad like gasoline does, so it's a trade-off of sorts.
Anyway, this is what I got... It's a 2014 Commings Onan RV QG 4000 EVAP model, with automatic choke and electric start.
The Onan is only 14.5” high, whereas the Honda is 22.0” high, so it would fit in the existing box I already have, therefore no more expense there.
Pros and cons of both.
1. Rope start in case of an emergency -
a. Onan - no
b. Honda - Yes
2. Fuel Consumption - The Onan uses almost twice what the Honda does, but delivers 1,000 more watts.
a. Onan - Full load - .71 gph, half load - .48 gph.
b. Honda - Full load - .48, half load - .24 gph.
3. Weight -
a. Onan - 178 lbs. wet
b. Honda - 153 lbs. wet
4. Noise level -
a. Onan - 68 dB(A) @ 10 ft.
b. Honda - 57 dB(A) @ rated load, 50 dB(A) @ 1/4 load. I believe Honda does their test at 26’.
patoz
Expedition Leader
Nope, not lifepo4 batteries but I wish it were because they cost more than a generator does!
This is what I'm using...
This is a FullRiver DC250-6 Deep-Cycle AGM Battery and I am using four of these wired in a series/parallel configuration, for a total of 500 Ah.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Very nice Pat! What do I win? ?
patoz
Expedition Leader
Hahaha, how about a seafood dinner and a pitcher of beer at one of our beach bar and restaurants?
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patoz
Expedition Leader
He dribbles...he shoots....he scores!!
Hi guys,
Yes, I'm still alive but on days like today when our heat index is 106°, I wonder sometimes because it feels like Hell! ?? Still, it's much better than being in the middle of a hurricane like a bunch of other folks are.
Now, that I'm 65 y/o and officially a Senior Citizen, I don't sleep at night so I find things to entertain me on the internet, one of which is checking my local FB Market place for used items for sale. A couple of days ago I came across a RV Awning for sale.
It's a brand new 14’ x 8' ShadeMaker Roll-up Awning with hardware for an RV, never used and still in the tube/box for $300.00, and it was only about 20 minutes from to me. The seller said they paid $665.00 for it in 2014, but I found a dealer for ShadeMaker and priced the exact awning at $1,215.00.
My ambulance body is around 12’ long, so it’s too long to fit properly. However, there is a way to cut these things down and make them shorter in length, but it’s a little bit involved.
Even if I don’t use it on the ambulance camper, I’ve been thinking about building a small 14' x 8' ground level deck on the front of my house which faces west, so I could put a couple of chairs out there and watch the sunset in the evenings. I also wanted to get a retractable awning of some sort to go over it, and a 14’ x 8' awning is exactly what I would need for that space. I’ve looked at those Sun Setter Awnings, but they are in the $1,000.00 range also. So, this awning will most likely go on the house and I'll hold out for a F65 Fiamma Awning, which seems to fit the Wheeled Coach bodies with their 45° corners better that any of the others, Plus, they don't require the vertical supports to be in place to support the roller while it's in the stored position.
Anyway, this is what I got...
The color is Vulcan Gray, and since my house has white vinyl siding and brick, with a gray roof, it should match pretty well.
I carried it home strapped to the passenger's side of my truck. The seller kept asking me how I was going to get it inside my truck and even volunteered to take it to my house in his trailer. I told him thanks, but I got this! He was so impressed by this method, he got his wife to run inside and get his cell phone so he could take a couple of pictures of it.
Us Southern boys know how to 'Git-R-Done!
Hi guys,
Yes, I'm still alive but on days like today when our heat index is 106°, I wonder sometimes because it feels like Hell! ?? Still, it's much better than being in the middle of a hurricane like a bunch of other folks are.
Now, that I'm 65 y/o and officially a Senior Citizen, I don't sleep at night so I find things to entertain me on the internet, one of which is checking my local FB Market place for used items for sale. A couple of days ago I came across a RV Awning for sale.
It's a brand new 14’ x 8' ShadeMaker Roll-up Awning with hardware for an RV, never used and still in the tube/box for $300.00, and it was only about 20 minutes from to me. The seller said they paid $665.00 for it in 2014, but I found a dealer for ShadeMaker and priced the exact awning at $1,215.00.
My ambulance body is around 12’ long, so it’s too long to fit properly. However, there is a way to cut these things down and make them shorter in length, but it’s a little bit involved.
Even if I don’t use it on the ambulance camper, I’ve been thinking about building a small 14' x 8' ground level deck on the front of my house which faces west, so I could put a couple of chairs out there and watch the sunset in the evenings. I also wanted to get a retractable awning of some sort to go over it, and a 14’ x 8' awning is exactly what I would need for that space. I’ve looked at those Sun Setter Awnings, but they are in the $1,000.00 range also. So, this awning will most likely go on the house and I'll hold out for a F65 Fiamma Awning, which seems to fit the Wheeled Coach bodies with their 45° corners better that any of the others, Plus, they don't require the vertical supports to be in place to support the roller while it's in the stored position.
Anyway, this is what I got...
The color is Vulcan Gray, and since my house has white vinyl siding and brick, with a gray roof, it should match pretty well.
I carried it home strapped to the passenger's side of my truck. The seller kept asking me how I was going to get it inside my truck and even volunteered to take it to my house in his trailer. I told him thanks, but I got this! He was so impressed by this method, he got his wife to run inside and get his cell phone so he could take a couple of pictures of it.
Us Southern boys know how to 'Git-R-Done!
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patoz
Expedition Leader
Guys,
With me being a retired professional Firefighter/EMT, today has not been very good for me. It is the anniversary of the 9-11-2001 attacks and has been somewhat more stressful than the previous years for some reason. I have been watching the ceremonies, the News reports, the videos, the pictures, and listening to the witness reports all day. I don't know if it's because I'm older, or because of the current state of the world's affairs which makes me think the situation is ripe for another attack similar to this, or even worse!
Where were you on 9-11-2001?
I was the Airfield District Fire Chief at Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL, and I was just coming on shift at 0730 hrs. Our Dispatcher came over the PA system to all Stations telling us to turn on our TV's immediately, and that a passenger aircraft had just crashed into the World Trade Center.
As we were standing there watching the tower burn, a second plane struck the second tower. At that moment, I knew this was no accident and we were under attack.
All of our aircraft, including the Blue Angels who were practicing at the time, were recalled immediately and Sherman Field went into lock-down, as did the rest of the base.
The next day we were notified we needed to get a team together and prepare to head to NY or to the Pentagon. We were prepared to go, but were never called due to the abundance of responding personnel who were much closer. For the next two weeks I spent every minute of the day and night when I could in front of a TV learning every detail that I could. Even when I was at work at the FD I moved a TV into my office so I could keep up with what was going on. I slept with the TV on and woke up every hour or so to get the updates.
This is a video of the fire apparatus belonging to my brother FDNY Firefighters, many of whom didn't make out alive. Three hundred and forty three firefighters died, and this gives you an idea of how much of their firefighting apparatus was lost also.
With me being a retired professional Firefighter/EMT, today has not been very good for me. It is the anniversary of the 9-11-2001 attacks and has been somewhat more stressful than the previous years for some reason. I have been watching the ceremonies, the News reports, the videos, the pictures, and listening to the witness reports all day. I don't know if it's because I'm older, or because of the current state of the world's affairs which makes me think the situation is ripe for another attack similar to this, or even worse!
Where were you on 9-11-2001?
I was the Airfield District Fire Chief at Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL, and I was just coming on shift at 0730 hrs. Our Dispatcher came over the PA system to all Stations telling us to turn on our TV's immediately, and that a passenger aircraft had just crashed into the World Trade Center.
As we were standing there watching the tower burn, a second plane struck the second tower. At that moment, I knew this was no accident and we were under attack.
All of our aircraft, including the Blue Angels who were practicing at the time, were recalled immediately and Sherman Field went into lock-down, as did the rest of the base.
The next day we were notified we needed to get a team together and prepare to head to NY or to the Pentagon. We were prepared to go, but were never called due to the abundance of responding personnel who were much closer. For the next two weeks I spent every minute of the day and night when I could in front of a TV learning every detail that I could. Even when I was at work at the FD I moved a TV into my office so I could keep up with what was going on. I slept with the TV on and woke up every hour or so to get the updates.
This is a video of the fire apparatus belonging to my brother FDNY Firefighters, many of whom didn't make out alive. Three hundred and forty three firefighters died, and this gives you an idea of how much of their firefighting apparatus was lost also.
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Coachgeo
Explorer
remind me...... do AGM's allow for up to 80% discharge without deterioration orr??
patoz
Expedition Leader
I had to refresh my own memory, so here's the info from Northern Arizona Wind & Sun...
Deep Cycle Battery FAQ - Cycles vs Lifespan
Battery life is directly related to how deep the battery is cycled each time. If a battery is discharged to 50% every day, it will last about twice as long as if it is cycled to 80% DOD. If cycled only 10% DOD, it will last about 5 times as long as one cycled to 50%. Obviously, there are some practical limitations on this - you don't usually want to have a 5 ton pile of batteries sitting there just to reduce the DOD. The most practical number to use is 50% DOD on a regular basis. This does NOT mean you cannot go to 80% once in a while. It's just that when designing a system when you have some idea of the loads, you should figure on an average DOD of around 50% for the best storage vs cost factor.
Deep Cycle Battery FAQ
The subject of batteries could take up many pages. All we have room for here is a basic overview of batteries commonly used in photovoltaic power systems. These are nearly all various variations of Lead-Acid batteries. For a very brief discussion on the ad
www.solar-electric.com
Coachgeo
Explorer
if life was so easy...... for example ... for other batts the above statement would only be true written as:
(generic Lead Acid).... The most practical number to use is 25% DOD on a regular basis. This does NOT mean you cannot go to 50% once in a while. It's just that when designing a system when you have some idea of the loads, you should figure on an average DOD of around 25% for the best storage vs cost factor.
(Generic LiPo).... The most practical number to use is 75% DOD on a regular basis(?). This does NOT mean you cannot go to 0% once in a while. It's just that when designing a system when you have some idea of the loads, you should figure on an average DOD of around 75% for the best storage vs cost factor.
NOT sure the figures here are correct but you get the point
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