Solar Power

AKA Trickle Charge Economics

It blows my mind how resistant people are to solar power. There's an online community for Airstreamers where people share do-it-yourself ideas, and it's mind-boggling to see the invisible barrier people throw up against solar energy. I've read that solar power is "emotional", it's "green but not practical", it's frivolous, it's nothing like a generator, it's a Band-Aid on an infection. The metaphors are wildly inaccurate and clearly behind technology.

Thankfully, not everyone is like that! Many people make their Airstreams temples of sustainability, pushing the limits of green-living in a beautiful direction. Solar energy is so unbelievably cheap and easy, I just want to share it with the world. So here I go.

As mentioned before, Bessie has a deep-cycle battery to power her 12-volt system. Over time, a DC battery will discharge, which means its electrons flow from the positive terminal to the negative terminal. It is the battery's simple quest for equilibrium.

Harnessing this flow of electrons is what powers an electrical system. The longevity of a battery depends on how much it's used and its ability to recharge.

A constant trickle charge is the best way to maintain the health of a deep-cycle battery. A simple 15-watt solar panel will help restore the charge lost from powering a system (like interior lighting or a water pump). The solar panel sends electrons back to the positive terminal of the battery.

In the above photo, you see a 15-watt solar panel attached to the house roof. A few lengths of easy-to-disconnect wires connect to the battery in Bessie, which is located under the future bed...

In the photo below, the red plastic box holds the charge controller that protects the battery from a power surge from the solar panel. The grey plug connected to the blue battery fits into the black socket and powers the DC system. I leave it disconnected when not in use.

A side view, and maybe a better look, at the black power socket.

The wires from the black power socket are protected by PVC pipe that runs through the floor of the trailer and under the belly towards the battery box above the front hitch.

The wire in the above photo is the AC umbilical cord on the other side of the trailer. It is not part of the DC system which runs through the white PVC pipe.

At this point, the DC wires puncture the exterior skin of the trailer and emerge through the interior skin for regulation at the DC breaker box, located under the front window/dinette table.

Safe and sound and out of the way. The breaker box will eventually be covered by a wooden cabinet to protect against accidents.

The solar panel attached to Bessie in the first photos above sells for $55 online at www.siliconsolar.com and the charge controller is around $20.

A DC battery of 100 Amp-hours costs more than that, and if you only use the lights in your trailer when it's dark, and let the water pump do it's thing, you'll most likely not need much more than this panel to keep your DC battery above 80% charge for most of the year. If you are thoughtful about power usage, this is all you need to create a perpetually generating small electrical system. $200.

Disclaimer: Cloudy days will still give you electricity, just make sure you don't travel underground.

Belknap Springs

Our first Airstream Rally - sort of. Through the generosity of the Wally Byam Caravan Club (International?) we were invited to show up and check out the Oregon Airstreamers at the beautiful location of Belknap Hot Springs.

We didn't get wet - except for the rain - because we were busy checking out all the Airstreams parked everywhere. We met plenty of cool folks who dig the silver trailer. It was such a whirlwind afternoon meeting people and seeing different Airstreams that we wished we had more time to spend there. Next rally, in March, Bessie will be ready to join the party.

Look Bessie, we found you a friend. Her name is Miss Molly, she's a little older than you, but I think the two of you will have a lot in common!

Yes, those are solar-powered tiki torches, and yes that is a pink parking meter!

Heartbeat

Bessie now has a heart. And what a thumper it is. It's in the storage area under where we sleep. Well, where we WILL sleep, uh, eventually.

So Bessie officially has a pulse!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Look who couldn't stay away! After a relaxing afternoon of knitting in the last of the October sun, Brie walked into Bessie, picked up a screwdriver and said, "Can I give it a try?"

The help was much appreciated, as the awkward angle of screwing into a curved ceiling was beginning to frustrate me.

That is a freshly sanded (and unfortunately spray-painted) aluminum bathroom light fixture that she's putting into place. I say unfortunately because the metal is just too old, tarnished, and rust-pocked to bring out it's original luster. Perhaps with more time, patience, and knowledge, I could do a better job of restoring the aluminum, and I may in the future, but for now, they work. Plus, we're keeping it vintage!

Another sanded and spray-painted light fixture. They look okay. I do love the shine of aluminum, and I may have given Rust-o-leum a bad rap before. This isn't too shabby for spray paint.

I suppose I should be thankful that a shiny silver spray paint exists, otherwise I would have had to paint the raggedy metal some funky color. Hmm, on second thought, that might not be a bad idea. Color we likey.

Below are all three new light fixtures, in place, ready for electricity. Who needs a silly camping light now?

Stain

A few pieces never made the original staining, sanding, sealing, sanding, sealing, sanding task, and here they are, taking their turn in the makeover. One two-part shelf, one faux drawer, one cutting board (slides out in kitchen - super cool), and one medicine cabinet.

This is a great shot of the Official Staging Area of All Work That Is Bessie. Underneath the carport, the Official Staging Area is open-air, out of the rain, and close to electrical outlets. Can you hear the power tools?

Perhaps a better shot of the medicine cabinet. I used the chartreuse marmoleum extras to cover the shelves. Yes, I could have just said green, but where's the flair in that?

So, here's a before shot...

And here's an after-shot. Can you find the difference? Not easy, right? The cabinet blends well into the overall spacing, and provides useful storage.

Sliding mirrors exist to cover the shelving in the bathroom, but they are in disrepair. They seem rusty - how does a mirror rust exactly? I suppose it's time to get those fixed now.

Hey, who is that in the photo?

Walk Like An Egyptian

What walks on four legs at dawn, two legs at noon, and three legs at twilight?

If you were Tutankhamun, you walked on three legs all day long.

50 years ago, Wally Byam took a bunch of Airstreams over to Africa and road-tripped the eastern side of the continent. See previous post, Cape Town to Cairo. The caravan ended at the Great Pyramids of Giza, and they took this photo.

During the last two weeks of September, a common time for many Airstreamers to celebrate the anniversary of this epic trip, through random happenstance we were in Egypt.

How do you end up in Egypt on random happenstance you might ask? We didn't. We planned the trip, we just didn't know it was in conjunction with the anniversary of the African Caravan. Very little of Egypt feels African. Much of it feels Arabian.

Here's what that same parking lot under the First Great Pyramid looks like 50 years later. Timeless, aren't they, these amazing Wonders of the Ancient World.
The most frequently used Arabic phrases for us were (phonetic spelling):

Anna sayeed. Shokran. Salaam.

which means:

I am happy. Thank you. Peace.

The Sink

Just steadily making progress. Brie and I kept telling ourselves that one day this would happen, that one day the dozens of open projects would eventually, through sheer attrition, close, and that perhaps, many of these projects would close in conjunction with one another, and we would have an exponential success rate of completion. Sound pathological? These are the things you quietly repeat to yourself while clutching both temples and rocking yourself as you stare at yet another impromtu project you must begin while many others remain open.

Today, that day of exponential completion actually arrived. So many small projects came together today that I can safely say, with only a little bit of disbelief, that Bessie's bathroom is complete. So, okay, the bathroom still needs a shower fixture, some trim work, and all the plumbing piped, but from where we started, the bathroom's pretty much done.

Here's the latest...

Step 1: Put your wood on the box.
Step 2: Cut a hole in the box.
Step 3: Then you cover that box...

"And tha-at's the wa-ay ya do it!"

Saturday Night Live reference anyone? Anyone? No? Moving on then. In real words, I cut the plywood countertop yesterday and then used it as a template to cut the marmoleum counter-top. I then glued them to each other with a special adhesive and used some spare books and magazines to weight it down while it dried.

Next step was to put it into the bathroom. The counter frame was ready to go, and so I put the faucet and sink into the holes I jigsawed yesterday, placed the marmoleum trim on the accent walls (backsplash), then drilled everything into the floor for permanent travel. Eco-friendly too. How does it look?

We found the stainless steel sink at Ikea for the unbelievable low price of $20. Seriously? Yes. It was $6 extra dollars for the drain, which seems like a scam to me, to sell a sink without a drain, but when it costs that cheap, they can break up the items however they wish. You won't believe what Brie paid for that swan-neck faucet. They look good together yes? I can stick my whole head in that sink under the faucet and since the nozzle has two ball joints, it swivels nicely. Hmm. Insert off-colour jokes here.
We chose the chartreuse color for the marmoleum because we thought it looked good with the bamboo flooring. Sort of the color of bamboo leaves, if you will. If you won't, well then whatever.
Like the blingin' aluminum trim work? 5 minutes and a thimble-full of Gord's Aluminum Polish. Love that stuff. I still need to cut the bamboo floor to cover the plywood step, and then find some aluminum trim to cover the edges, but shoot. That's all work I can do in my sleep compared to what I've done. Oh yes, we are missing the top drawer, and the bottom drawer will actually be a hinged cubbyhole to maximize space.
The coolest feature of this beautiful faucet that Brie found for $15 at a refurbishing store (Habitat for Humanity) is that it swivels 360 degrees, and reaches outside the rear window. So yes, while camping, if the rear window is open, we have running water outside if we so desire. Cool.
So there's still a bit of detail work to do, trim work, sealant, and some finishing touches, but it feels good to walk into Bessie and see the bathroom in one piece. Whew. Can't wait to hook up the plumbing pipes.

Happy Birthday Mom!

October 3rd. Happy Birthday Mom! You're the best!

La Reine du Guerrier!