That is incredibly helpful; thank you. I will look for the bolt holes in the morning.

I moved all of my wires back and boxed up the solar batteries, and the wires are still a jumble but here's what I have, minus the inverter. These are my old AGM truck batteries in parallel. I have to go to the farm in the morning to check on our electricity after a storm (can't ping internet router so that's ominous). I have the fridge full of iced tea and snacks cooling in the truck now. .





I need to stop by autozone for a new set of cables to the inverter since I just had to cannibalize one set to use with these batteries.

Hopefully when I get up I will find that I didn't cross anything and I am again charging the batteries. These little batteries should charge fully in an hour.

Pause to chase racoon off the cat food.



Done.

No, not done. It got worse. Whatever. The cats are fat already.



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Good grief now a third one trying to eat a little lemon tree I got yesterday?! One of these little suckers--I can't tell which because they all look alike to me--charges me when I walk around like a tiny bear, and I'm bare footed right now so that's why I am perched on a lawn chair, feet up, sans any defensive weapon save a thousand dollar cell phone, and stalling the end of this post. Sorry; they bite and I refuse to get the thousand dollar rabies shots unless I am then and there foaming at the mouth.

Don't laugh...I became a senior member with these type posts. What a world.

And please pardon the mess. Garage cleaning to a trailer for a trip to the landfill.



I digress.

I did go to Lowes today but they were having some sale with things piled in the middle aisles, and there were people everywhere--no self checkout, so I dipped into line quick during a lull--I just grabbed 8 end caps for the superstrut and one right angle bracket that only uses one bolt just to hold up and consider.




I'm going to paint those end caps black (from bright blue) in the morning.


Dead simple setup.

Okay I figured out why the internet is working badly. And why there are so many momma raccoons in the driveway. Meet baby. Baby is climbing our internet cables. He'd better hurry because he's in a dog zone.
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Oh. Good grief I have to save baby or he won't grow up to get rabies and chase me around the driveway. He can't have rabies yet, can he? Signing off.

 

I'm looking at solar options for my T/T in the near future, I have settled on Trojan true deep cycle batteries, while looking for secure battery boxes I found the Torklift Intl site. They have tongue boxes, and an under-mount batt holder.



https://www.torklift.com/

https://www.torklift.com/rv/hiddenpower

 

I like both of these products.

 

We have our T/T set up in a treed area at the moment (meaning, a tight spot for shade, with a metal cover, that we had to use a tractor rather than a normal vehicle to pull the T/T to... not a permanent spot but a longer term one because it is a two person operation just to get it out and back to a vehicle to be hitched for driving down the road) as sort of a little spot to get out of the heat and make a sandwich close to our pond. Our well is nearby so, it has electricity, but I want to do the same you are suggesting with a terrestrial mount for the panels. This Excursion project is a precursor, just so I can figure out the basics of solar. It is also a precursor to whole house solar but that's an even bigger deal where I live because there is almost no incentive to be grid tied--net metering is a joke in Texas--meaning you have the huge extra expense of real nightime energy storage for an entire house.

So I am very interested in what you are planning to do because though we may have different mounts or may use flexible versus framed solar panels, the energy demands will likely be the same or similar and that means our biggest problems are air conditioning and then deciding propane versus electric everything else. My view is that if you are going solar, the fridge and water heater should be on electric, too but if you are mainly mobile that may not be your thought. I hate dealing with propane. Our heater only runs on propane (with electric fan, of course).

 

Here is what I had this morning before the sun crested our roof. The Excursion is under a tree and shaded.



Then 30 minutes after it crested the roof, still under the tree but with nearly full sun through a gap, on two batteries.



Fridge sticking at 1-2 degrees from my setting.

I didn't catch the full charging amps. I'm sure it is too high and needs to be lowered for these batteries.

So, I need bigger batteries or less panels, probably.

 

MILSPEC

My deuce uses Interstate 6TL lead acid batteries

Interstate no longer makes those, but here is a replacement for them

https://www.powerstridebattery.com/m...litary-battery

Not cheap, but it IS a lead acid battery

If AGM is your wish - look at the 6TMF AGM battery

https://www.powerstridebattery.com/6...litary-battery

still US MIL SPEC - heck the computer I'm typing on is US Mil Spec - Getac B300

That is one slick closed battery box. Keeping the batteries outside the interior of the truck is the correct choice. And it should bolt right up. I'm keeping that link for my Ex.

Thanks - LOVE the idea of the fridge, but I'm considering between the front seats (yeah, I know)... So thanks for a second idea

 

I was thinking the same thing. I almost forget our 34', 9500 lb. trailer is back there at times. My V-10 ex pulls the TT such much better than my son's '02 7.3 F350 it's not even comparable. Maybe not power and speed wise, but the manners are sooooo much better in the ex.

 

They don't sell 22LR where you live? Coons are vermin and should be exterminated as such. My record is 12 in one sitting from my deer bow stand.

 

Cool setup.

i considered solar and or adding an additional battery to my 7.3s 2 batteries to power my ARB fridge however after using it found that I can go 3 days before needing to start the vehicle so I never did either the solar or extra battery.

fwiw, the ARB allows you to set the amount you are willing to let the battery’s drain down so you can always start the vehicle.
on the low draw down mode I can still start the vehicle and it runs the fridge for 2-3 days. When I am using mine we are typically adventuring around Baja and end up driving to a new spot every few days so it works well for me.

i painted mine to match, seats are out of a Navigator.

 

That is a really nice setup, Camo. I had no idea you already plowed this field and am proud to know mine is in the same spot as yours! The paint idea is great!

I went with the insulating "transit* cover because I assumed I'd be leaving it on all of the time, and I have so far. There is a three position switch near the rear plug on mine that selects a range for battery cut-out and cut-in that sounds like what you describe.

I am sure the ARB is the one to get and I covet one. But it is so odd that every brand I looked at appears almost exactly alike in terms of the handles, latch, buttons, etc. I bet they all fit the same smittybilt transit cover. They probably have varying degrees of insulation and better or worse compressors.

The sole remaining issue with the fridge is that the little cigarette lighter end plug does not stay tight in the socket attached to my batteries. That's real irritating and boils down to a super tight spring on the positive plug probe plus a super slick socket wall. I have a fuse on the socket end, and though I hate the thought of cutting a brand new cord I may eliminate the plug and splice the wires, using the fuse as a switch; or maybe get a real switch. Since I have not put up the panel to mount everything on the spare tire and haven't decided how *official* everything will be, belaying a fancy switch setup. My guess is that I will soon have the power cord buried under the carpet and be as official as possible with some neat looking switch. I'm not sure how to tell which wire on the fridge cable is positive, though. I'll Google.

I put the little end caps on the superstrut rack. They look fine. I think I'm done with the rack.


It isn't sleek, but neither is anything else on this four ton truck.

On the subject of the rack I need to say to everyone generally that the Smittybilt mounts are very strong and secure, and the superstrut so strong, easy to work with, and capable of accepting so many little bits and pieces that make building your own rack of any description so ridiculously easy, I have no qualms suggesting it in lieu of a commercial rack system for any use. Zero qualms. The steel versions are heavier than standard racks by far but if you're concerned about the weight of a rack on an Excursion you may be in the wrong business. There is also a SIGNIFICANT potential for extra Smittybilt roof mounts, or the existing ones on my roof, to be used as mount points for side, front, and back facing work or off road lights, with or without superstrut. They can be turned so the mount ears face outwards of the track rather than inward. And once you have run solar cable from the roof, running light wiring back up to the roof doesn't seem daunting in the least. Work lights could easily go to the solar batteries instead of the vehicle electrical system, with appropriate relays and switches operated by the vehicle electrical and switches mounted at driver area or on the panel at back. I'm trying not to go nuts here with mods but it is so tempting.

Highway driving/riding three hours today I could not pick out any wind noise from the roof from any other noise so I not going to worry about a valance for the sides and front. The sole remaining roof chore is to paint the frames black because I just realized the solar panel frames are ever so slightly brown. That won't do because I like things matchy matchy. Self etching primer and black enamel applied will fix that.

 

Now THAT is a mil spec battery!

I admire anyone who had the foresight and fortitude to get a deuce instead of dithering like I did when they were cheap and plentiful and good on the liquidation sites. The hummer releases ruined it all, forever. Even a lowly diesel generator that won't convert to anything useful is over a thousand bucks and people buy them despite the fact that they don't know the difference between household current, high frequency radar current, and river current. Sad.

Front seat is ideal in a deuce because you sure as heck don't want to take your eyes off the road in that beast to reach back for a yoohoo.

 

Oh yes, and I have both 22LR rifles and pistols. And at the farm I'd have a string of them on the fence. But this is at our city house and if you'll just imagine Rooster Cogburn making his last run at the Ned Pepper gang, reins in his teeth,
***
but with the additional overlay of a terrible exopthalmos eye disease ruining the vision in his one good eye, along with houses 75 feet any direction... you'll understand why I'm not pulling out any shooting irons. If raccoons were the same shape and size as the broad side of a barn I'd still hesitate at the moment.

 

Just a quick note.

The solar charge controller I have, pictured above among my jumble of wires, certainly feels mil spec but more importantly it doesn't get warm, at all, even on full sun charge of the batteries, and even on full sun charge plus simultaneous warm start of the fridge and inverter at 1000 watts draw. I don't have anything connected to the load terminals but I will give that a shot, too, to see if I can stress test it into the slightest bit of warmth.

I have to say that I still sit in amazement that a chimp like me can just buy some stuff on Amazon based on reviews, hook everything up without really reading any instructions, and be producing power; and that the power (after the sunk cost of panels, etc.) is free and completely location-independent.

I know people have been using solar for decades but this is all new to me. Color me *impressed* at how easy and effective it is, whether attached to an X or not.

 

Refusing to drill holes anywhere is hard on a person. So here is my solution for an inside panel keep everything off of the floor. This is not fully executed yet.

First, some 5/8 x 8 inch bolts. Perfect fit in stud holes of spare tire, along with associated fender washers, and nuts. Poke through unzipped carpet of spare tire, e.g.,



Then some some diamond plate. Because diamond plate always looks good. This is 36 x 36 from home depot. 60 bucks seems like robbery but I had no alternative.



It is only point oh 73 thick, so a half sheet of 1 inch subfloor plywood I already had m, cut slightly smaller than the diamond plate, goes behind to provide something to screw into and give it some strength.

I can't come up with a good reason to try to make this whole thing round like the tire rather than keeping it square and resting on the floor. So, square it will be.

I also have some #10 3/4 inch screws and liquid nails. The plywood goes on the back of the diamond plate, secured by liquid nails. Then the screws are used to attach controller, invterer, etc through drilled holes in the diamond plate, into the plywood. Everything secured to the spare with the 5/8 bolts. After it is all together i will cut off the extra length of the bolts.

I want to keep the wires separate so I don't get confused if I have to disconnect them; the extra length will be behind the spare, so tracing would be a big deal. Two grommets for PV (+ and -), one for battery and ground (they are red, black and green), one for load (red and black), one for inverter (red, black and green ground) and one extra grommet for the controller screen and inverter switch panel. So I'll get six. Something like this grommet, or a few of them, for that. My roof hole saw cuts 3/4 holes.



EDIT: No, scratch that. That grommet only gives about a half inch ID for wires. I always shoot for 3/4 inch holes because NMO suppliers have great plugs and grommets for them but bigger is required here. Always looking for a dual use for things, I just ordered some desk grommets and a fresh bimetal hole saw blade instead.




I'm going to cut the plywood a little small so I can cover the edge of the diamond plate to keep it safe.


. 073 is close to 1/16th.

 

I did have to cut a corner, literally, as shown below. This system is going to work. I'm slow.

Smeared liquid nails before laying diamond tread aluminum down. Waste of liquid nails. I ended up using 3/4 inch screws to hold it together.

If I had left that corner, my glass would be gone or the whole thing would be shifted too far fore to avoid it.

The inverter is placed in the zone of the rear glass so I can just open the top and plug something in, even if it is raining. At least, that was my thinking.

The 5/8th bolts need to be threaded all of the way to the bolt head. Mine are collared and that makes it very hard to get them through the project board holes and get nuts on them... They want to hide. A better solution is to have bolt head through lug hole, then washer and another nut against the front face of the lug hole to hold the bolt straight and proud, then through the project board, then to a washer and a final nut. I'll do that later.

The whole. Thing is heavy with just what I have bolted to it, with 1 inch plywood. I dropped it and boogered the aluminum on the top. I just beat it over the top with a hammer, motivated by a little irritation at myself, in four passes. That worked so well and looks so good, if I had it to do over again I would just beat the aluminum around the plywood all of the way around.

Next step is cut holes and place grommets for wires, sort bolts and nuts, place monitor screens for inverter and controller, run grounds, put new mega battery in place of old batteries, and hide all running wires under carpet/elsewhere. Then done.