The All New, New "What have you done to your Bay today" thread.

Finished installing solar panel..
The bus is now harnessing the power of the sun.

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Nice! What size panel and brand did you go for?
This is next on my list for electrics. I have a Ctek box which acts as both a MPPT controller and voltage sensitive relay so should just be a case of plugging the solar panels in.

 

From memory the Ctek is better than a VSR, it’s actually a B to B charger with an MPPT controller built in.

 

That's the one. It'll top up the starter battery from solar once the leisure battery reaches full capacity.
I've just got the B-B element wired up at the moment.

 

Which CTEK, out of curiousity?

 

I've the CTEK d2590SE:
https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/ctek-d250se-dual-input-dc-dc-charger-mppt-solar-controller.html

 

I chose this because it came as a kit...seemed just the job for what I wanted...works fine.

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Bought some thin-wall cable

 

Thin wall cable...What's that?...hang on...is it thin cable to go on/in a wall.

I'm a bit dim sometimes

 

The kind of cable you get in modern cars. Weedy, anaemic-looking stuff.

 

That's the stuff

 

Still gradually working through the consequences of having the poptop ping up at 65mph.
That screw is brass, and it pulled through its fixing hole.

Several pop rivets on the webbing straps have pulled out and been replaced.
The hooks that the latches pull down are half way through being replaced - I have made stainless steel versions of the hooks as that is a bit stiffer than the mild steel used by Devon.
Problem is that one corner the meta work l has thinned because it was the place the rain came in when the van was stored badly before I had it. Maybe have to make a new bracket to hold the cap to the struts in that corner.

And the very thin bolts used by Devon to attach the hooks (3mm equivalent) have rusted into lumps at the back so I will just chisel them off.
And I might as well replace the bolts holding the roof down with stainless all round anyway.

 

Gave my central locking a good debuggering. Motors jump up and down as firm as you like if you drive them directly, door connectors fine but nowt happens driven through the crap Chinese wiring harness. Knew I shouldn't have fitted it. It's made of goathair and old floor sweepings. How can a couple of feet of wire have a resistance of 2.5ohms? Utter sh1te.

In with a proper loom...

 

I converted my washer bottle to 12v as i was pig sick of pumping it up every two minutes.

 

The same panels that I used but with a MPPT controller. 1.1 amp is about the maximum I have seen from both 100w panels in bright sunlight and in anything less than ideal conditions nothing at all. I don’t have them connected now - the controller loses exceed the panel output.

 

Replaced the broken sinuous springs in my passenger seat. Murder on the fingers but brilliant improvement. Springs are 26" 9 gauge for a few bob each on Amazon, if anyone wants to do their own. You'll need a pair of vice-grips and an empty swear jar.

 

You'll have your eye out!

 

Emptied half a gallon of rainwater out of the cab doors