Solar Photovoltaic (“PV”) System
- Custom TIG-welded aluminum-tube elevated racking to preclude nearly all solar panel shading (tiltable in 2 directions)
- 9 polycrystalline solar panels (ET Solar; 300 Wp DC each; 2.7 kWp DC total)
- 9 module maximizers (TIGO Energy; MM-ES50) for increased power production
- TIGO Module Maximizer Management Unit (MMU) with Ethernet Gateway (GTWY)
- Combiner (Midnight Solar; MNPV3 with Touchsafe 15A/600 VDC fuses)
- 3 charge controllers (Midnight Solar; Classic 200’s)
- Output breaker box (Heineman; 80A/125 VDC breakers)
- Pure sine wave inverter/charger (Magnum Energy; MS-2012; 2,000 Watt)
- Advanced remote control (Magnum Energy; ME-ARC) for inverter/charger
- Battery Monitor Kit with DC shunt (Magnum Energy; ME-BMK)
Outdoor and Basement Compartments
- RV mounted tow bar (Blue Ox; 2” hitch rated at 10,000 lb.) and portable tow brake (Break Buddy) for towed vehicle
- Winegard Trav’ler multi-satellite dish antenna (SK-1000) with dual-tuner Dish Network satellite receiver (VIP722k DVR)
- 50A voltage regulator/booster (Surge Guard; 10175) with LED status and fault panel. Can boost voltage from as low as 95 volts.
- 50A portable surge suppressor (Surge Guard; 34750; 3,850 Joules protection) with LED screen
- Heavy-duty electric power extension cords (Camco; 50A/25’ and 30A/50’)
- Twist-on macerator sewage pump (Thetford Sani-Con; 12 VDC) with 21’ drain hose
- Propane line tees for both input (e.g. external propane sources) and output (e.g. propane grill)
- Wireless propane tank level sensor (Mopeka Pro; Bluetooth iPhone app)
- Heated drinking water hose (Camco; 5/8” x 25’)
- Pressure-treated Douglas fir planks (2” x 6” x various lengths) for heavy-duty leveling when boondocking
- 4 pavement-protecting aluminum landing plates (14” x 14” x ¼”) for beneath PowerGear hydraulic levelers
- Custom wooden picnic/grill table with adjustable metal legs and leaf locks. Table telescopes from passenger-side small basement compartment.
- Added faucet with hot/cold water in adjacent passenger-side basement compartment
- Heavy-duty 3-beam steel hammock stand (Vivere; 15’; no-tool disassembly; compact storage)
- 2-person hammock (Hammocks Rada; woven rope)
- 12 see-through, stackable matching storage bins with covers for use in basement compartments
- 12.5’ heavy-duty telescoping ladder (Xtend & Climb; 770P)
- Insect screens on the vents for the refrigerator, water heater, and both furnaces
- 4 wheel covers (ADCO; new never-used 2nd set) and covers for both side-mirrors and wipers
- Windshield fitted with external snap-on vinyl shade for heat protection and privacy (one-way viewing)
- Motion-activated external LED lights (Star Lights; SL-1000; qty 4) above the doorway and near the top-center of each slide-out, with separate switches inside RV
Entry and Indoors
- Keyless door entry (RVLock; Atlas) with 2 remotes
- Tint film on inside of windows throughout RV
- Removable XPS insulation board (Owens Corning Foamular-150) inserts for windows (layered up to R12 for largest windows)
- All lighting inside RV has been converted to LED bulbs
- Kitchen island (36” x 46” solid butcher-block top atop 2 mobile Yukon 9-drawer locking storage cabinets connected with top and bottom ratcheting box straps). Island halves easily separate and roll into the living room or hallway when moving the RV.
- Portable chest freezer/refrigerator (Dometic CF-80; 120VAC/12VDC)
- Horizontal ceiling-level rack for fishing rods
- Corner wooden desk (27” tall) with padded adjustable-height swivel chair
- Erasable whiteboard (23″ x 36″)
- Router (Linksys E3000) and Power-Over-Ethernet (“POE”) bridge (D-Link DGS-1008P 8-port)
- IP camera (Amcrest: ProHD 1080P POE) pan/tilt with 2-way audio and night vision
- Marine 800 mW WiFi receiver (Roque Wave; ECB-722) with 8.5 dB omnidirectional rooftop antenna
- Cell phone signal booster (weBoost) with assorted Wilson antennas
- Portable 26” electric fireplace (Dimplex; DF2608; 1,400 Watts) with 360° turntable
- Olympian Wave-8 catalytic heater (4,000 to 8,000 BTU/hour adjustable output) with leg stand and 20’ hose
- Gate valve and quick-disconnect under kitchen sink for catalytic heater’s propane hose
- Two oscillating tower ceramic heaters (Lasko; 1,500 Watt each)
- Two “My Heat” portable desktop heaters (Lasko; 200 Watt each)
- Portable 3rd air conditioner (Idylis; 13,000 BTU/hour)
- Air purifier/deionizer (Alen; T300 floor unit) with spare filters
- Portable dehumidifier (Midea Cube; 20 pint) with SmartHome app
- Two wooden ottomans with storage (each about 17” deep x 34” wide x 17” tall). The lids remain horizontal when opening and provide convenient dining tables while seated at the livingroom sofa
- Queen-size mattress (Sleep Number) and heated mattress pad (Sunbeam). Left & right side of both can be controlled separately.
- Fireproof steel security safe (combination with key; 14” x 17” x 12” tall) bolted to floor beneath the bed
- Weather station (readable from bed) with 9 wireless sensors, each showing both temperature and humidity
- Additional 110 VAC duplex electric outlets installed throughout RV (some with USB charging)
- 14 electric power strips (110 VAC)
- 3 fire extinguishers
Additional Indoor Modifications
The following modifications were made principally to facilitate long-term off-grid boondocking:
- Plumbed in and electrically connected a spare water pump (Pentair Shurflo;12 VDC;) in parallel with the original pump to provide redundancy and quick switching if necessary.
- Replaced TV above the dash with additional wooden storage cabinet/door/hinges/struts matching rest of those in room.
- Installed pleated heavy-duty marine vinyl curtains on both the driver & passenger sides of the cockpit (my “mudroom”).
- Hung 3 separate insulating sections of thick grommeted moving blankets (sandwiched between beige blackout curtains on both sides) between the mudroom and the kitchen.
- Repurposed the dinette by building its 2 deep dinette drawers into a heavy-duty relocatable support stand for the portable Dometic chest/freezer; and making the wooden dinette table top stand-alone, relocatable, and quickly storable by adding screw-on adjustable legs.
- Installed an open Ikea Kallax shelf unit (16 compartments, each 13” x 13” x 15” deep; with added 3/8” plywood backing) filling the wall of the previous dinette area to conveniently house kitchen appliances within reach of the kitchen island.
- Wired in a selection switch within reach of the sofa to select the source of power (optionally either shore-power/generator or inverter) for the 110 VAC electric outlets on the passenger-side of both the kitchen and living room.
- Removed the fickle Splendide combination washer/dryer from the lower bathroom cabinet and replaced it with wooden pantry shelving.
- Removed the 2 floor-mounted euro-style recliners/footstools (factory options) and the 2 padded dinette-area folding chairs to free up space. They are available for free if you pay the packing and shipping costs from New Mexico within 30 days of buying the RV.
- Replaced the twice-failed Automatic Transfer Switch (Intellitec ATS; 50 Amp; shore power/generator) with a manual transfer switch (Reliance Controls; 50 Amp) installed on the wall in the bedroom closet together with an LED display of the incoming voltage and current. The Intellitec ATS is included in the RV purchase and could be repaired and reinstalled.
- Moved the 12 VDC relay for the 110 VAC from the back of the water heater to a better-protected and readily accessible electric outlet box in the bedroom closet and included a relay monitoring light there. Also installed remote On/Off switches for the water heater electric and propane sources (accessible from the bed), and included an LED indicator at that location showing the heater tank water temperature.
Most Recent Services/Additions
- New oil and filters (oil, air, and diesel fuel) for generator in 2023
- Inspection of wheel bearings, brakes, and alignment (all passed) in 2023
- 2 new chassis batteries (Napa Commercial; 12 VDC) in 2024
- New battery isolation solenoid (Cole Hersee; 12 VDC/85 A) in 2024
- Replaced engine fluids (oil and antifreeze) and filters (oil and both diesel fuel filters) in 2024
- New windshield in 2024 (RV Glass Solutions)
- Relaced turbocharger and VGT actuator assembly (Holset) in 2025
- Replaced engine fluids (oil and antifreeze) and filters (oil and both diesel fuel filters) in 2025
- 6 new tires (Sumitomo 275/70R/22.5) with less than 390 miles