Date:         Fri, 11 Oct 2013 12:48:22 -0400
Reply-To:     Bryan Feddish <uprightbassghost@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bryan Feddish <uprightbassghost@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mounting Solar Panel on a Westy
Comments: To: ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET
In-Reply-To:  <912752.2276175.1381407847704.JavaMail.root@vms170025>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Yup, that was my van!

Bryan

From: David Bjorkman 
Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2013 8:24 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
Subject: Re: Mounting Solar Panel on a Westy

Hi Bryan;
Were you at Westies @ Watkins?  I saw a brown Westie with 2 solar panels and a windmill mounted on the roof.  Couldn't believe it, but there it was.  Talk about being free of the grid!

Dave B.


On 10/10/13, Bryan Feddish<uprightbassghost@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote: 

>> So the answer to the inadequacies of solar is to buy ever more of it and
>> cover the roof, then carry some extra panels to spread around the camp on
>> long leashes? Then put a couple hundred pounds of battery in the interior
>> storage spaces, and do the solar panel shuffle every day to try to make
>> the best of things? Kinda makes one long for a 3 way fridge again. <<


Pretty close! ;) Actually, I have 2 panels on the roof for a total of 155
watts. The 100 panel tilts but the other does not. I no longer do the
thing where I take one off and chase the sun. I have enough power that I
can go indefinitely with good weather and keep the fridge (and the wife who
has a fridge full of organic food) happy. It's very low maintenance at
this point.

On a side note, I have a windmill too which is pretty much a toy but when we
were at Assateaque this past spring both panels were getting full sun and
the windmill was screaming away and there was so much juice I could have
powered the entire campground for the weekend.

Bryan