I saw that years ago when I pulled them out of the packet, sat on a fridge tray on my shed roof in Lockyer for about 10 years, first couple of years they had a sheet of glass over them until hail took it out, never replaced it and now on this shed roof for another 6 years, maybe I was lucky, they still chuff away happily, they have always been at a slight angle, though now they have a bit of silastic around the edge as the plastic frame is getting a bit dicky.............. they have to be at least 15 years old by now anyway.. maybe I'm just RC.................. Be interesting to see how much longer they go for especially after this deluge we have had .
17' Series 01/2014 Expanda 17.56.1 - New to Expanda Family & Advice wanted
- Thread starter MelSurf
- Start date
@Drover , amazing you have got away with that for so long. Just goes to show that "field testing" will sometimes over-rule "instructions/directions" and specs of manufacturers. You have to win sometimes, but personally, I would not like to risk my $70.00 odd just to prove a point.
I think its RC really, when the glass broke I never got around to pulling another sheet out, when we moved and built the new shed I didn't have any of that stuff anymore, so not a bad run for something I think I paid $15 each for, the surrounds are getting pretty dodgy so I should put them on the bench and dismantle them, might get another decade out of them, a new project, see how the circuit board is after all these years.............................Now they just keep my shed battery topped up while my rescued old house panel does the job on the boat battery.......... Read the same 20v .
If you are still getting 20 volts with no load and around 17 odd volts when charging and 200 or 300ma output into battery, you are on a winner after 15 years under severe conditions. Remember the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't (try to) fix it!". Tempting I know for a handyman like you. Noting the price you paid back then, it makes one wonder with all the so called improvements in technology and more mass production, has the quality kept up with the price???
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I was only just thinking that myself as I loooked up at shed roof, thinking leave them alone, might look for a bit of glass to chuck over them at least, more storms banging away so it on The List...................... I am surprised with them and hope they haven't been mozzed..............
thanks RickO - I just need to work out where it is coming from - through the hinge or tracking from the outside in. If it is the hinge I can just tape up with some sale tape. Will check it out next time we are out in the rain. It wasn't a huge amount of rain pooling - just enough to be annoying and not keep the bed dry for pack up
Thanks Boots, It is the kitchen vent (above the stove) and my husband watched it track in through the vent into the van and down the wall to the kitchen bench it was enough to soak a dishcloth placed their to catch the drips. If it isn't meant to be sikaflexed in place (from the outside to the wall of the van) maybe the seal is missing. For now a couple of strips of gaffa tape is keeping the water out. Will look closer when the rain goes away.
Hi,
if the rain goes away, is it possible to post photos of the internal and external parts of this vent?
Just so we are all on the same page and can give you more accurate guidance.
@Boots in Action was commenting on the two external fridge cooling vents which are indeed removable and are most unlikely to cause the leak into the interior of the van that you are observing.
take care
Mike
thanks for your reply @RickO do you happen to have any photos of your solution? sounds like something we need to try - we will do some investigating when we use it at Easter
I thought this maybe too - some sailcloth tape or waterproof gaffer tape might fix the water coming through. why it is that water and caravans don't mix nicely LOL
we have had so much rain - not severe flooding like those in the Lismore areas but it has rained most days for all of Feb. It is nicely taped up at the moment with gaffer tape keeping the water out! Will need to look at a better more permanent solution in the near future when we can take a proper look - when it stops raining for more than one day. We had it looked at for the kick/car ding (that happened after we'd had it only two weeks!) and water has come in through the water fill section and damaged the inside wall under the lounge seat area - so it is all being fixed by insurance but this too is now taped up! Not sure when the seal failed as we survived the rain bomb Tuesday (no water in at all) but has since gotten in - unfortunately we didn't have that taped up! Frustrating - but lucky we have insurance and have never had to claim before - first time in 15 years
thanks @Drover sorry for the delay - haven't been on the computer much lately! do you have any advice regarding covers and the solar panel on the roof - is there a way to have the van covered and the solar panel still charging the battery? sorry if that is a completely stupid question?! Our van doesn't have an anderson plug so only the roof solar. We were thinking we want a cover to help protect the seals from the weather but wanting to be realistic as well. Cheers MelissaIf you can't just leave it plugged in to 240v at the olds place then I would get one of those 2.5w - 5w portable solar battery chargers from supercheap and hook it direct to battery, throw panel on roof at a slight angle so crud washes off and you will find your battery will stay good for ages so long as it was fully charged in the beginning and disconnected from rest of van, these don't require a regulator just connect direct to battery........ mine have kept batteries charged that are higher A/H than detailed.....
Of course if your van has solar already then its not a drama .........
The other way is since your van battery is either GEL or AGM , when you drop your van off you just pull the battery out, take it home and throw it on a suitable multi stage charger to keep it sweet until next time, the charger just needs to be for your battery type and be about 5 stage so you can leave it to do its thing and forget about it, there quite a few out there that are not overly expensive things either........................... Being GEL or AGM it is quite safe to carry in your vehicle as they won't spill or vent nasty gas, just need to protect the terminals from stray contact with anything.......
If its not parked on concrete or hard gravel then I would sit the wheels on pads as well as have the draw bar on a stand also on a pad, put the jockey wheel under cover.......... a good spray underneath with surface spray can't hurt either, wheel covers are good or something that keeps the weather and sun off them... I would go a well tied down cover, may only last a year but if your not around then it will keep a lot of muck off it, they must be well secured with good straps or they do more damage than good...........
SCA 12V 4.8W Solar Maintenance Charger
SCA 12V 4.8W Solar Maintenance Chargerwww.supercheapauto.com.au
Hi @MelSurf , no silly questions on this forum as @Drover has said before. Obviously, if you have the solar panel/s on the roof of van and they are covered up by cover or garaging, then no light (sun) can hit solar panel/s and therefor no generation. @Drover will probably suggest that you have a portable panel that is able to be placed in sunny area, and connected to solar controller to charge van battery while van covered. Just need to have a Anderson plug on side of van, with extra wiring, so no big deal! No other way unfortunately. See attached for simple explanation as I have done.
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Pretty well as @Boots in Action said about fitting an anderson, I'm not a great lover of covers as they are not great for fit and forget, Big Mal has sat outside for the last 11 years with out any great drama but the plastic bits on the roof suffered, thanks to a hail storm that got sorted, but it can spend 4 months a year travelling and gets regular clean and polish ............ You could always pull the battery out and take it home and plug it into a multi stage charger just don't forget it when you head off again.