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We have a 2001 Hawk that we got used. The slide out was gone, and the previous owner put a permanent extension in, which covered the stove. Not good for us, so we ripped that out, so the cab over bed was pretty tiny. We were able to find a used slide out, which is just thin plywood with a nice...

As always, really helpful advise, thanks All! I've gone ahead and ordered a second plug and will hard wire it. What kind of monitor are you using to keep an eye on the temp? I'm thinking of putting a reflextix cover together, but would be interested on the cover you found on amazon, Dphillip.

Hey Ronin, Thanks for you input. We don't want to hard wire, as we may use the fridge in other ways. So I'm hoping to get some ideas on a better plug system. Have you had good luck with your TruckFridge? And looks like we're neighbors, hi from GV!

Just ordered our 12v TruckFridge, super excited! What have you done for wiring them in. I hear not great things about the cig plugs which they come with, so I'm looking at options. Thanks for your thoughts and experiences!

We've been using the water bricks for years, really like them. The only issue is that the pour spout is in the center, so once the brick is ½ empty, you have to tip it, not that big a deal. I love how they lock together, super stable.

Thanks for these leads!

Hi All, Gathering my equipment for my solar install on my older NOT pre wired Hawk. I would like to be able to use a portable panel along with the 180w Grape panel I've put on the roof. What kind of port have you used? The Zamp seem better due to 10AWG copper wire, but there is the reversed...

Thanks for this link, very helpful. Slowly these concepts are coming together! I did the math on series vs parallel with the 175w fixed and 100w panel portable and the loss much less in parallel (260w total in parallel vs 205w in series) plus easier wiring. Boy, does it 'always depend'!

Thanks for your reply, Vic, you have been super helpful. I forgot to add that I'll be using the Victron MPPT 100/20 and the battery monitor. Opps, big omission in my post! Will the IOTA still need 'tweaking'? What is IQ4? I'm planning on adding a plug on the camper for the portable, and wire...

Question on this, too! If both panels are 12v, but different watts, can they still be wired in parallel tot he controller? We'll be using 175w Newpowa on the roof, and not sure on size of portable. TIA!

Hi All, In the process of designing our solar system. My question is about the existing power converter, Iota DLS-30. Here are the specs: Input v 108-140 vac Input W 500w Input frequency 50-60 hz Output amps 30 Output volts 13.4 vdc I've done all the power usage calculations, using 44 amp/day...

Ok, thanks for answering that question about the two controllers working for the separate systems. My plan is to wire the battery to an external plug for the suitcase, the 'clip' comment is in reference to the clips that are included with the suitcase, but I'll do something more secure and...

Haha, it depends! I was wondering about the issue of whether to get a portable with a controller or not. So if the portable does have its own controller, then it's ok to just clip it to the battery and add an outside plug? And the roof system on the MPPT would just operate on its own, and the...

Carrizo Plains Bloom Up Date # (805) 475-2035 Your Welcome :)

Ok, so if I go with the the higher v panel, and a MPPT controller (which I've already decided on, not a specific one, but know I'll use MPPT), could a 12 v portable be used too? Seems a no brainer to go parallel on multi panels, but maybe I'm missing something. Like a few brain cells from the...

Just saw this, not mine. https://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/d/roseville-2014-tundra-2014-four-wheel/6855195415.html

Ha, yep, get the geezer thing, we are going for the struts! Thanks for the idea about the rails. I thought about them, but couldn't really see the use, but you bring up a great point about fine tuning, and being able carry something else up there if needed. Off to search for that thread on rail...

Thanks, Vic. Do you have any thoughts about one large panel vs two smaller ones? Of course, space issues, but in terms of how much power is produced, if the watts are equal? And we've decided to add the exterior struts, the speaker stand works great, but it did malfunction on our last trip, and...

Hi DG, I'm looking at the Renogy 100w panels x 2 so it will be around 30+lbs.

Hi All, I'm in the midst of designing our solar set up for our 2001 Hawk. I'm looking at panels and the roof space I have. I'm wondering how important is it to center the weight of the panels side to side (two at 16 lbs each), or can I run them off center next to the the vents. So, I can...

Thanks for your feed back. I think we will keep our truck battery just for truck starting... been stranded in the boonies with a dead battery once, that was enough for me! But love hearing all the different ways folks go about powering their 12v fridge. Happy trails!

Thanks for all your helpful replies. PaulT- thanks for the heads up about possible system changes with a LiFePo4, that is news to me. We are considering all options right now (except keeping the blue top!).

We are coming to that exact conclusion, Trailbob, thanks for the back up! We would need to get 3 more of them. I'll search out the battery threads. We are in the process of figuring out what our power usage will be, then will size things from there.

Thanks so much for these links. I've learned a lot! My searching the forums seems to have a bit to be desired, so it's great to get these links!

Thanks for your replies! That is a helpful link for my understanding of . So, the idea of a second 12v... any thoughts on that, with our month old battery? Does it double the amp hours, and more importantly, the usable amp hours? We will not be using the TruckFridge until we get our solar setup...