Completed the Lithium battery update

 Lithium battery update on the RV. 

It's taken a while, Raewyn has started working for Granger and I'm still doing the oil & gas sector but of late we're more maintaining roads in Northern Alberta. So we haven't had the time to organize time off to go anywhere. We couldn't really boondock as we had lead-acid batteries that were pretty shagged and the lithium upgrade was pretty expensive. 12 volt system update.

Today I have finally completed our 12 volt electrical system. Firstly I had to upgrade the converter to a lithium compatible one. Then install the Lithium battery. At this point we just have the one 200 amp/hour battery which is the minimum required to do the job. Next was to add a DC to DC charger. This is required when the RV is being towed and being charged from the trailer plug. As the Ford has a generic alternator designed for lead-acid batteries. We intend on adding a second battery perhaps a third. at around $1200 CAD it's  considerable expense but is a worthy investment.

Below in the 200 amp\hour battery above in the DC-DC charger that is connected to the power supplied from the trailer plug. To the left is 3000 Watt modified sine wave inverter, which needs to be upgraded to a pure sine wave inverter to that we can run the TV. Yere, the wiring is kind of messy but I'll get around to that in good time.

We're getting ready to take the RV out of the shelter to head down to Edmonton then down to Daysland, AB. Yere, I know it's not far but we're dying to get the RV out.

So expect an update soon-ish.

I have a YouTube channel Dave's TV I even have an Instagram page. Instagram hell yere!

UPDATE: I have finally completed the update. I added a battery charge monitor, Renoligy lithium batteries have a Bluetooth module inside the battery that allows you to monitor charge/discharge rates but the app asks for way too many privileges on your phone and seemed to just upload spam.  

The monitor mounted just nicely in the slide console.

I see you can only add one image to a post but here is the completed set up to the right is the DC-DC charger for the power (trailer) socket as the alternator in the Ford is a generic alternator. Underneath in one 200 Amp/hr battery with room for a second. left is a cheap inverter to be upgraded eventually to a sine wave then further left is the circuit breaker box for where the inverter connects to the RV. Cool eh.

Still a little messy.

I haven't posted in a while.

An update of sorts.

I haven't posted posted in a while as not alot has happened. So if you are remotely interested in what we have been into.

Raewyn has finally finished her Diploma in Business & HR management so she has some extra free time to do stuff around here (yere, right) to work while looking for other employment.

Dave, I've been busy still in my current role and not enjoying the snow, ice and warmer weather. 

For the RV I've started buying all the components for the solar and battery setup. Photos to come soon. 

I have a YouTube page as well.

 You Tube

I have a You tube page too you know. I believe it's just as bad as my blogging site. 

Rest assured constancy is key. Here is the link.  

My crappy page

We're in the shed.

 Well we have been in the shed for a month or so and consider that we are pretty well se up.
I've added a short video tour but as it's still pretty early in the Fall we don't have any snow on the ground but it is sure getting cold at night.

An update, of sorts.

 New AC unit

Yep, I have been a little on on the slack side of late that is due in part to COVID and work has been pretty steady of late. As for the RV side of things, we finally managed to get the air conditioner unit replaced. The main issue we encountered was being in a fairly northern regional part of Alberta, our selection of RV repair businesses is fairly limited. We originally were going to pay a repairer to come from Grande Prairie, Alberta. A mere 5 hour round trip to inspect the unit.

As painful as it was to pack up everything and take the 5th wheel into Peace River, It's done! Well it only took 16 months and best of all it's just in time for winter.

A heated shelter for Winter

As we had decided to stay here for the winter as going back to Southern British Columbia was not a financially viable option we are going to winter in Peace River, but were not doing this outside, oh no. We're going to survive the winter in a purpose built heated shed. 

The shed has a little private back yard with outdoor setting and ofcourse a fire pit.

The purpose built shed has in-floor heating and full hookup. The shed has windows it's just a pity that they don't really lineup with the windows in our RV. The black PVC pipe hanging from the roof is so that tank vents can be run through to the main plumbing vent.

The boiler for the heated shed heats the floor to the point that our pets like to sleep outside the RV. While the shed is more expensive than our previous 30 amp site we figured that for the planned one winter in Northern Alberta it works out cheaper in the long run than insulating, skirting and using copious amounts of propane.

Backing into the shed.

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We're going to winter in Peace River, Alberta

 Yep, back in peace River, Alberta

It's been a while since I posted and that's pretty much due to the fact that bugger all has happened since my last post about coming back to the Peace region in Alberta. This time however we will be wintering in minus10 to minus 30 degrees Celsius. At the moment we are at least enjoying and making the most of a Northern Alberta Summer.

Lily is certainly living the dream. Lilly the aqua dog.

Rainbow Trout

Finally catching some Trout in the pond not 30 meters from the RV. Hell yere! Those two rainbow trout look pretty surprised, eh!

I'm back in the energy sector and Raewyn is working at the RV park where we live. Apparently this is the Holy Grail in regards to the RV lifestyle work but it keeps her busy. 

We are in the process of getting set up for fall and winter so will post again soon-ish. 

Northern Alberta Again

 We are back in Northern Alberta, Canada

Well it's been a while since but we moved back up north as Cranbrook, British Columbia didn't really work out quite as planned.

Raewyn's work finished around xmas and Working for Optimistic just wasn't worth my time or effort. You can read my rant in a previous post so we packed up and left on the March the 25th. It was a fairly uneventful trip north but there was an issue as the weather was still into the the minuses at night I figured that the single battery does not hold enough power to run the furnace over night so we decided pick up a generator in Olds, Alberta. 

Our route was pretty much the way that we went south to Cranbrook, BC. Hwy 3 to the princess highway 2 north through Cowtown, Edmonton. We stayed at a Truck stop Junction 42, it's near Gasoline Alley (Red Deere, AB) and if you are familiar with the area Gasoline Alley is nolonger truck or anything longer than 35 feet in length for that matter.

Junction 42 is just a large truck stop with parking area. We parked on the side so that we wouldn't end up with a refrigerated unit or a Swift driver parking next to us. Well the purchase of the generator was a good idea as it was a cold night with lots of snow. We drove to Edmonton, Alberta and up to Peace River where we stayed the night as it was too late to book in to the RV park.

It took about 2 days to get ready to leave Cranbrook as we had to remove all the skirting and store everything ready to move.

Most of the materials used in the wood framed skirting and foam insulation (about $250 CAD) was thrown/given away. One of my goals for 2021 is to make fabric skirting for the RV then at least you can stick insulation to the inside of the skirting, roll it up when finished and take it with you.

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