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Topic: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install (Read 3686 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install

Reply #50
Just out of curiosity. What is your finished height now?
Our '89 GV measures 11'4" to the top of our storage pod above the bedroom.
Better safe than sorry.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install

Reply #51
One of my concerns with this racking system is redundancy for securing the panels down. Even though these rails are rated for 160mph winds, I hate not having a backup way to keep them down if the t bolt pulled out of the channel. I've attached a picture so you can see what I'm talking about.

Since two is one and one is none, I decided to add 4 band clamps on each panel. They aren't the primary means of securing the panels but they're there incase of an oh-shit moment.

@nitehawk ill get you overall measurements. Still definitely under 12' but maybe even 11
1987 Grand Villa ORED
2001 U320 4010

Not all that wander are lost... but I often am.

Re: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install

Reply #52
Just out of curiosity. What is your finished height now?
Our '89 GV measures 11'4" to the top of our storage pod above the bedroom.
Better safe than sorry.
10.66' at the front most panel. Coach is off right now so it may come up a bit but the front airbags are still pretty full from driving it yesterday.
1987 Grand Villa ORED
2001 U320 4010

Not all that wander are lost... but I often am.

Re: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install

Reply #53
Well, we hit some of the gnarliest wind I've driven a coach through near the solar farms between Kingman and Las Vegas. Ventusky said 50+ mph gusts. The panels didn't move an inch and everything is still secure up there. It was trial by fire but she held up well.
1987 Grand Villa ORED
2001 U320 4010

Not all that wander are lost... but I often am.

Re: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install

Reply #54
One of the things we learned this summer is that in hot weather the little pie fans I put in the closet do not move enough air out when we are running heavy loads like the air conditioner going down the road. We were constantly battling overheating issues with the inverter so today I finally got around to installing a much bigger fan to move air out of the closet.

The is a 4" hvac fan meant for moving air through duct work that I put on a switch.
1987 Grand Villa ORED
2001 U320 4010

Not all that wander are lost... but I often am.

Re: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install

Reply #55
Elliott, that fan moving 280CFM should clear out the heat quickly.
If needed, a simple louvered register on the closet door with a 4" hole behind it will really get circulation going through that closet.
Of course on a really hot day, it might also pull the cool air out of your coach while sucking hot air in anywhere that's not sealed up good.
Mark & Bev
2001 U295 36' Slide
Cummins ISC 8.3 350HP
Build #5802
Jeep Wrangler Toad

Re: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install

Reply #56
I mounted my hot electrics in the ceiling of the front lower compartment.
Cut an inlet hole and added an auto on exhaust fan .

Re: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install

Reply #57
Good idea to vent the hot air. 

Be interested in how well the dryer vent louvers hold up while going down the road, both with the fan on and off.  If its a problem then next time you are in Nac, Xtreme makes a good sized dryer vent cover that will not restrict air flow (much).
2000 / 36' / U320 / WTFE
WildEBeest / "Striving to put right what once went wrong"

 

Re: Elliott’s Grand Villa Solar Install

Reply #58
Elliot this project inspired a lot of what I did on our U270. Minus the massive solar install. Ours is just a measly 2060 watts. Thanks for documenting it so well.  Tom
Tom and Michelle 2004 U270 36WTFS