19 - Solar Installation and Gen. Oil Change

I've just completed a maintenance item and the installation of a solar power system on the Orion. The generator oil change was straightforward and easy: run the gen. a bit to warm the oil; remove the cover panel; remove the fill cap/dipstick; put a catch pan underneath and remove the drain plug and wait for all oil to drain; replace drain plug; add 600 ml new oil; run gen. a few minutes; recheck oil level; tidy up. I only spilled one drop of oil and that was off the funnel when I removed it. I used a 15w-50 diesel oil (Wal-Mart brand). In researching oils, the better diesel oils met the viscosity and service standards recommended by Cummins/Onan. I have used such oil on previous RV generators and never had any problems. Future oil changes will be dictated by time rather than hours of use, as I've only put 18 hours on it since October 2016.

The solar installation went pretty smoothly. My main components were two Renogy 50-watt mono-crystalline panels, a Victron MPPT charge controller, and a couple of 15-amp circuit breaker switches. I installed the controller and switches inside a drawer cabinet to be out of sight, yet accessible.

I ran the battery positive lead to the always-hot terminal of the battery cut-off switch located low by the entry door. That will provide charging whether the cut-off is on or off. The components are next to the refrigerator, which made for an easy way to route the cable from the panels through the vent stack behind the refrigerator without having to drill holes through the roof.

The two panels were attached just forward of the A/C unit and near the fridge vent to minimize the length of cable run, and in some unused roof space. The brackets are screwed to the roof as well as glued with marine-grade poly adhesive.

On previous RV's, I had a 60-watt panel for two batteries and a 30-watt panel for one battery. My main objective was to keep the batteries charged through long storage periods, and provide some extra recovery charging for camping without hookups, and those served my needs well. The Orion has two batteries, so I decided on a bit more power (100 watts total). We don't boondock enough to require several hundred watts of power, and budget also was a factor. The panels are wired in series to provide 37 volts nominal output while keeping the amps the same so the feed wires don't need to be heavier gauge. Victron recommends the higher voltage setup for better efficiency.

This particular controller has Bluetooth connectivity with an app that Victron provides for smart phones. After I started the system and got the app synced with the controller, there were immediately two firmware updates that installed automatically. When those completed, I got status readings on my phone. This was morning, and the app showed 56 watts output along with charge parameters to the battery. Later near noon, I saw 84 watts output.

I believe this setup will keep the batteries in good shape. There are four modes of charging including equalize, which can be configured to be off or repeat as desired. Other parameters can also be set via the app. I am very happy with the outcome and performance so far. No more significant projects contemplated--time to go traveling and camping.

18 - April 2018 Weight Check

We made our spring migration from AZ to CO in April. We load all our clothing and food for transfer between our houses, and that was about 6 packing boxes worth. In addition, I pack a couple of bags of tools and other miscellaneous gear that we need wherever we are. So, the Orion is pretty well loaded along with towing the Smart car, plus a tank of fresh water for use during our four day trip. Since this was more heavily loaded than we would normally be, I thought it was time to get a weight check to be sure I wasn't overloading the coach.

I stopped at a CAT truck scale in Willcox, AZ. It was nice to have the 3-segment scale to get separate weights for the Orion front and rear axles and the car. Because I had to get out of the RV to press the call button, I didn't get my own weight added, but the numbers are helpful anyway. Here are the scale weights in pounds compared to the maximum GVWR published for my RV:

                                     Scale               GVWR               Margin

Front axle                     3220                 4130                    910  (740 if I deduct my weight)
Rear axle                      5940                 7275                   1335

Total                            9160                 11300                  2140

Smart car                     1960

Total combined           11120                12300                  1180

I was happily surprised that there is plenty of reserve capacity with our combination. I could load a ton more on the Orion if not towing, or I could tow a car weighing over 1,100 pounds more if desired. Another reason that we didn't seriously consider a Promaster based unit because they only have a 9,600 # GVWR. Just not enough reserve for my comfort.

The trip home was good. We had some strong tail winds and I was showing mid 14 mpg on both gauges, but I never did a hand calculation. The RV is now partially winterized and in storage. I have two 50 watt solar panels and a MPPT charge controller on hand to install in the next few weeks. I also will be changing the generator oil; a bit overdue since it hasn't been changed since purchase in Oct. 2016, but I only have put about 14 hours total on it. Looking forward to some relaxing local camping around Colorado this summer.