Ontario BS Thread

Does anyone have an old locking hub and axle kicking around that they would like to donate for top secret project science? neither has to be in drivable condition and only the stub of axle that goes into the hub is needed.

 

Yeah absolutely. @Manfred is running a combo of each. Second battery only charged via solar. Runs his fridge and what not.

For me I just run all the accessories on the second battery except the winch. With the fridge and other shit it was worth it, plus it was the only option at the time. Has the weight though as you mentioned and now you are also having to charge the batteries via starting the truck. Could add solar but for me it didn’t make sense since I don’t usually stay at a campsite for very long. Always moving.

 

> manfred


Yeah, without solar you're basically forced to use the trucks altinator to charge even the Jackery so damned if you do, damned if you dont type of thing. Dual battery would be nice but i dont even own that ARB fridge- its just something i borrowed for a few weeks for the time being. So i cant justify spending for a dual battery. However, i could pull the jackery inside the house and charge it there and top it off as the truck moves.
Atm im in a weird spot since i'll be sitting in 1spot for construction. Ill be out in the woods and would need to over night camp for a week so i cant use the truck (other than idle it) to charge batteries.
Even then- i think i have the rain curse. Tuktoyaktuk had a pretty decent rain storm after i left and all this and next week is rain

 

A small gass genny and a bare LiFePO4 battery and a DC-DC or AC/DC charger could be under budget of teh jackery. Probably only need to run ~20mins a day to top up fridge usage (assuming ~20Ah/day average consumption).

 

I've been looking at the solar generators/power supply units as well. Just considering the 300-500 Watt Hour range. Just to recharge phones, run some lights etc. What are you going to use those big ones for?

 

Trying to build something like this?
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/free-wheel-manual-hubs-conversion-kit.511528/

 

Nope. unrelated to 4x4 system but still for the taco.

 

Not the OP.
I am installing this kit on my pop-up camper. Going to add a 2nd battery somewhere as well.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00B8L8MD2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I got nothing to offer, but you got my curiosity

 

Does it make it more curious if I expand my request to also looking for a CV or two for the same project? (competing design strategy over the locking hub approach)

 

Well you got couple options, junkyards sell OEM or buy aftermarket from napa for like $120 each or so.

 

Surely you and peter have 15 damaged ones

 

If you ask after Yotas that Crawl 2022 we may have some

 

Ill be lurking through the woods.

 

That's a neat system! For me I want portability, for use outside a vehicle.

 

I got these adjustable brackets as well. That way I can optimize angle before I pop-up the roof.

$30 Renogy 28in Adjustable Solar Panel Mount Brackets, with Foldable Tilt Legs on Any Flat Surface for RV, Roof, Boat, Any Off-Grid Systems

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07CSKFWK7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Those jackeries are neat. I would go that route if I had to do it all again. There are some comparable brands that are cheaper too. Add a little foladable panel and you are good to go. Talk to Anthony. He has his kit with the arb. May have some good insight.

 

i considered a jackery or one of its competitors but i couldnt get over the slow charging on DC they all have. i also found for similar money i could install permanent second lithium battery with more capacity so i went that route. i built my own rear seat delete and its all hidden in there so doesnt take up much space.

my 100ah lithium battery is like 25lbs and the dcdc charger and wiring is probably another 10max so not too bad. all of that cost less than a jackery 1000. AGM is significantly cheaper but also more weight as you probably know.

powering a fridge and periodically charging phones, garmins for bikes and milwaukee batteries i can easily get 6 days out of my 100ah lithium without starting my truck but of course there are a ton of variables there. add a portable solar panel for the times you are parked for extended periods and you would be good for a long time unless you got big power needs. when i do start the truck the battery will charge from almost flat to full in under 3 hrs.

having a second battery to run a fridge and charge things has been a game changer for long trips for me. after having a setup like that on many 2-3 week trips its the right way to go for longer trips for sure and i dont think a jackery would handle that without alot of solar panels but all that solar changes the cost equation. i would still say a weekend warrior is probably best served with a jackery type unit.

 

be sure to check the recharge times on DC... they were a deal breaker for me. may have changed now but recently the ECOFlow models were a little faster to charge.

 

Go big or go home i guess

Really nothing specific that i need the 1500 other than the storage for that ARB fridge as there is some occasions i wont be moving often. Didnt need to worry all too much when i drove up to Tuk as the 8+hour drives was enough to top the battery and then some.
Just again, looking at options