Midwestdrifter
Engineer In Residence
I like the ice chute! I do need to duct the condensate out of the compartment, otherwise it will fill with ice pretty quickly.
I passed a behemoth on the road a few days ago with five air conditioners on the roof.The front AC is ~8k BTU, the middle unit is the ducted unit, and its 13.5K, and the rear is 13.5K. That's 4kw of AC, which is borderline ridiculous. Probably necessary due to the poor efficiency and insulation, but ridiculous nonetheless.
It has gotten a bit ridiculous really. Some units are over 20klbs on the dealer lot, you would think some of that weight could be put towards insulation. I guess RV/trailer owners have been convinced there isn't anything better.I passed a behemoth on the road a few days ago with five air conditioners on the roof.
Why does that trailer seem incredibly close to the truck?The P.E. I am referring to is (1.7 to 2lb.) is about R7 per inch, the same as closed cell urethane, a lot depends on how well you seal it, but that is also easier since it can have an interference fit. it has enough structure to help with flimsey wall panels, especially if you use some adhesive. The sound deadening is better than all the hard foams. I used some styrene and some iso in my bus and the styrene off gassed whenever it was hot out,
I wouldn't do that again!
My point on structure wasn't really about the actual metal trailer, more about the cheap build, like you said, water intrusion and other things like particle board cabinets and general cheap fast construction. Your low mileage usage sounds like a good fit.
You may even profit when you sell it if this trend keeps up!
Sounds like you did well on the initial purchase too. A friend of mine bought a trailer park in NM and has run into some deals. It seems like good deals on 5th wheels turn up regularly. He bought a 10 year old 35ft. rig with a screwed up slider for $2500. it was in great condition except for the slider (water intrusion) which only took 2 days to fix.
As far as stupid names for trailers are concerned, see the pic below!
Still trying to figure out what we want for a water heater. Considering RV standard LP/electric. LP on demand style said:The on demand ecotemp propane H20 heaters work great, I have had one on my off grid bldg. of 10 years. They are only about $140 for the camp version. I would get the next one up because the base model mixes cold water, so you can use it with a single supply as a shower.
One of the sprinters I went to Mx in had a similar model. They are very efficient...
You can get a combination 6 gallon electric & LPG RV hot water heater. We often run the electric element AND the burner to shorten recovery times when the whole family is taking turns showering. You wouldn't be able to do it in all scenarios - but when you can/need to it's really nice. The RV water heaters tend to run pretty hot - if you've got enough capacity you can turn the temp down with an add on thermostat.A 6 gallon electric unit with 1-1.5kw element is also an option, as the recovery time should be reasonable. Set that to about 180F, and use a tempering valve to maximize storage. Could have an LPG model as well for very fast recovery.
Yeah, the current unit is 750W with LPG burner. We could do the same for not crazy money. I just hate how low the LPG efficiency is.You can get a combination 6 gallon electric & LPG RV hot water heater. We often run the electric element AND the burner to shorten recovery times when the whole family is taking turns showering. You wouldn't be able to do it in all scenarios - but when you can/need to it's really nice. The RV water heaters tend to run pretty hot - if you've got enough capacity you can turn the temp down with an add on thermostat.
I was noodling a heat recovery system the other day. With a modest length shower they do recover a fair bit of energy. So the question is. could I do something similar with aluminum tubing and some heat sink compound? Might be doable. 70$ for a 2" AL or copper pipe, lets say 24" long. Then 20ft of 1/2" copper or aluminum tubing, wrapped around. Might need 2 or 3 parallel tubes to avoid flow reduction. Probably about 200$ in materials.These are crazy expensive - but I have always thought they would make good sense in a shower drain line where you can continuously preheat the incoming cold water to the faucet. Maybe a cheap DIY model could be rigged up.
The link for the Spin tool you posted is for the swaging, not flaring.....was that intended that way?I’ve done 4 LG Multi systems and here’s what I’ve learned:
Flare your ends with the Spin Tools kit. Hard to believe but it makes great flares. In about 15 seconds. I have the (more expensive) Yellow Jacket tool but much prefer the Spin now.
Do not buy individual line sets, rather buy one line set that covers your total length.
Figure out your lineset lengths. Then order the durable white insulated (not black foam) line sets, based on how many feet you need. And- now they have “duplex” line sets- 1/4” and 3/8” paired together, makes it twice as fast ? Love em!
Run the first line set and cut it to length. Then repeat for the other line sets. Do the same for the electrical connecting cables.
Don’t buy any flare nuts. They‘re included on the LG evaporators. They come nitrogen charged (you’ll hear it escape when you take them off). The flare nuts are sealed with nylon or copper blanking inserts; remove the inserts and you’re ready to put them on the line sets. The LG flare nuts are very high quality, much better than the ones preflared on the line set you buy.
Don‘t worry about kinking the line sets, just use common sense and bend them by hand. The ones coming out of the evaporators are scarier as the copper is stiffer. But still, you won’t kink those.
Label room names on line sets and corresponding connecting electrical cables. Verrrry strange results if 2 room’s connecting cables are mixed. Don’t ask me how I know that…
Don’t worry about having too much r410a in the system. LG manuals from 4 years ago were very specific about removing refrigerant if line set lengths were shorter than a certain length. Subsequently they have removed that text, much to my chagrin. On my first install so as to not have to remove refrigerant, some of the line sets are longer than I would have liked. It’s on my “to do” list to shorten those up.
Unless you have the proper open jaw torque wrench, use common sense when tightening flare nuts. But do tighten them a lot. Use Nylog Blue on all joints.
Pull the Shrader valve core with the Appion tool. Nitrogen pressure test overnight.
Vacuum to below 500 micron, valve off vacuum pump, vacuum test for a few hours to observe no significant rise.
Put the valve core back in and cap off (use Nylog on those caps too)
Release the beast and see how it works.
BTW the LG condenser is louder in heating mode compared to cooling mode.
Smarthinq is pretty lame, but handy none the less. Do the diagnostic test for fun. My son has Home Smart (sp) and controls his LG minisplits (and many other Arduino devices) with that.
Home Depot has gutter that makes great single lineset cover. Just rip a 1x4 a little, screw it on the wall and attach some fasteners to cable tie the line sets, electrical cable, and drain line too. Then attach the gutter over it all with some stainless panhead wood screws into the sides of the 1x4.
Here’s some links that may be handy:
SupplyHouse.com - Plumbing, Heating & HVAC Supplies - SupplyHouse.com
SupplyHouse.com offers HVAC, PEX, radiant heat, hydronic heating and plumbing supplies. Shop now for great prices on PEX Tubing, thermostats, fittings & more.www.supplyhouse.com
Rectorseal NFP-75 NFP - Telescopic Wall Sleeve - 2-1/2-Inch ID - 2-7/8-Inch OD
Buy Rectorseal NFP-75 Today. Check the Rectorseal NFP - Telescopic Wall Sleeve - 2-1/2-Inch ID - 2-7/8-Inch OD ratings before checking out.www.ecomfort.com
Mini Split Accessories MSCABLE144-65 Mini Split Connecting Cable - 14 GA - 4 Conductors - Stranded - 65' Length
Buy Mini Split Accessories MSCABLE144-65 Today. Check the Mini Split Connecting Cable - 14 GA - 4 Conductors - Stranded - 65' Length ratings before checking out.www.ecomfort.com
MGAVCR - Appion MGAVCR - 5/16" Valve Core Removal Tool
Appion MGAVCR - 5/16" Valve Core Removal Tool - Valve cores effect refrigerant recovery and system evacuation times significantly. <br><br> <b>Product Features</b> <ul> <li>Vacuum-Rated to 20 microns <li>Full Flow for high speed recovery and evacuation <li>Double O-Ring ball valve seal for...www.supplyhouse.com
SPIN Tools S5000 Swaging Drill Bit Set, 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" & 3/4" | eBay
SPIN Tools S5000 Swaging Drill Bit Set, 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" & 3/4". Swage Stopper - Great swaging depth. Easier to braze. The Swaging Spin Tools allows you to connect tubes with ease and without the use of extra fittings; sleeves and unions, turning potential waste into actual profit.www.ebay.com
Deluxe 45° Flaring Tool for Soft Copper
Our flaring tool offers a full range from 1/8" to 3/4". Made for soft copper, the self-centering yoke grips without marring or constricting tube. Our flaring tool is easy to use with just a few steps and is made in the USA.yellowjacket.com
I‘m a fan of what you’re doing with this ”Medium” Home idea. That12’ attached garage should be great for a workshop. Where do you envision parking it when you live in various cities- rent (or buy?) land, rather than campgrounds?
Stay happy!
Roy
Sorry, thanks for pointing out my error! NOT the swaging set (s), but rather the flaring set (f).The link for the Spin tool you posted is for the swaging, not flaring.....was that intended that way?
Panel | MPN | Width | Length | watts | Watts/ft^2 | cells | Price | Price/watt | Roof Capacity | Roof Watts | Total Cost | weight | Total Weight |
Panasonic HIT 330W | HIT N330 | 41.5 | 62.5 | 330 | 18 | 96 | $ 334 | $ 1.01 | 12 | 3960 | $ 4,008 | 41 | 492 |
Panasonic 370W | EVPV370 | 40 | 67.8 | 370 | 20 | 60 | $ 438 | $ 1.18 | 10 | 3700 | $ 4,380 | 43 | 430 |
Q CELLS DUO 340W | Q.PEAKDUOBLKG6+AC | 40.6 | 68.5 | 340 | 18 | 60 | $ 358 | $ 1.05 | 10 | 3400 | $ 3,580 | 47.2 | 472 |
Trina 410W | TSM-410-DE15 | 39.21 | 79.33 | 410 | 19 | 77 | $ 253 | $ 0.62 | 10 | 4100 | $ 2,530 | 48.5 | 485 |
I do see them at a couple retailers. Small order prices are pretty rarely below 1$ a watt right now, but there are a few options in the 0.60-.90 range if I don't mind a 12 year warranty vs 25. It may come down to what my local distributor has when we go to buy.Have you looked at the Solaria XT400 panels, I purchased on for my van for about 370, less than a buck a watt. The have 2 different sizes for the same wattage so perhaps that can help with your game of panel tetris.
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Hi, are you going to have a practical way to remove snow/ice from the panels?Mostly that I am going to ditch LPG, and I will hold off on a gasoline/diesel hydronic system until absolutely necessary