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The Moonshine Motel - Enclosed Gooseneck "Crawler Hauler" Build

Snowy said:
This is all a next year project at earliest for me so I've got plenty of time to spend researching. Bought the trailer in 2019 for cheap and have used the crap out of it since so it owes me nothing. Probably worth investing the $5k into it to freshen things up a bit. It fits the bill for what I need perfectly for both racing and wheeling.
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Start a build thread!!
 
GLTHFJ60 glad to see some updates in time for wheeling season! Why did you remove the lift?

Snowy start a thread, so we can borrow ideas from one another. Always need more enclosed threads 👍
 
ridered3 said:
GLTHFJ60 glad to see some updates in time for wheeling season! Why did you remove the lift?
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Removed the lift to make it easier to load the car. Ramp angle was too steep before. Now that I've lowered the car and added some aero bits, it would have been impossible. It's a double-duty race trailer and off-road hauler now :grinpimp:
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
Removed the lift to make it easier to load the car. Ramp angle was too steep before. Now that I've lowered the car and added some aero bits, it would have been impossible. It's a double-duty race trailer and off-road hauler now :grinpimp:
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Makes sense on the car front for sure. Nothing like hauling lifted, lowered, and everything in between.
 
Brakes wired, hub+drumset installed and preload set, axles located and torqued, wheels on, and finally, trailer on the ground. Not as low as I remember it, and I think it's gonna be just about right for the car. Easier to step into and out of as well.

Onwards and upwards.

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Super minor update from today, but I found what seems to be an ideal spot for the rv head unit I picked up from crutchfield. Dvd player, optical in, hdmi in and out, Bluetooth, other stuff and more output zones than I know what to do with.

Hope to have speakers mounted and wired up to this in the next week or two, then when I get to the TV, this will integrate nicely. Cost $300, so not cheap, but I needed the optical in for the TV I'm gonna put in here.

Guess I need to build up a DVD collection again, lol.

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GLTHFJ60 said:
Super minor update from today, but I found what seems to be an ideal spot for the rv head unit I picked up from crutchfield. Dvd player, optical in, hdmi in and out, Bluetooth, other stuff and more output zones than I know what to do with.

Hope to have speakers mounted and wired up to this in the next week or two, then when I get to the TV, this will integrate nicely. Cost $300, so not cheap, but I needed the optical in for the TV I'm gonna put in here.

Guess I need to build up a DVD collection again, lol.

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Why optical???

Yard sales for dvd's! I have a couple milk crates full. If decent ones. Not just shit.
 
Java230 said:
Why optical???

Yard sales for dvd's! I have a couple milk crates full. If decent ones. Not just shit.
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My current garage TV will become the motel TV. It has optical out for audio, which is pretty convenient imo.

Not at all necessary, I'm sure it'll do rca audio out too, but optical out is nice, and I have the stuff to make it work.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
My current garage TV will become the motel TV. It has optical out for audio, which is pretty convenient imo.

Not at all necessary, I'm sure it'll do rca audio out too, but optical out is nice, and I have the stuff to make it work.
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Gotcha. Tv's are like 200$ now for a new one :flipoff2:
 
Java230 said:
Gotcha. Tv's are like 200$ now for a new one :flipoff2:
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#facts

When I buy a larger TV (65"?) for the living room, the current living room TV (55") moves to the garage. At that point, the current garage TV (42") moves to the motel.

There's always a scheme, lol.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
#facts

When I buy a larger TV (65"?) for the living room, the current living room TV (55") moves to the garage. At that point, the current garage TV (42") moves to the motel.

There's always a scheme, lol.
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That’s the way to play the game for sure.

Every few years I’d talk dad into a new tv so then I got the old tv. Haven’t bought a single tv in 15 years.
 
Another successful weekend with the motel towing my cruiser around. Gotta wire up the sign. The new brakes work fuckin great. I should have replaced all the brakes much sooner.

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GSMTR!! Got there fired up the genny and she was overheating, losing oil pressure:

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Changed the oil with T6 and added coolant (50/50 zxed-1 and water) and she was fixed. To clarify, oil change because I had never changed the oil, but that didn't fix the overheating issue (duh). There was no detectable coolant in the radiator cap tube somehow. This pic is after running for a few hours, it is running much cooler now somehow.

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Picked up a sponsor!!! Thanks again Marhsall!!


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Liquid N2 ice cream!!

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Also, as a result of the genny issues, i finally ordered solar panels. 250w residential units. Plan to put between 4 and 8 of the 10 panels I ordered up top of the motel, should be plenty.
 
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Looking for some advice from you solar guys.

I bought 10 of these panels. At $50 each with $150 flat rate freight shipping, (min order of 10). 250w residential panels:

www.santansolar.com

Snail Trail SanTan 250W Solar Panel | SanTan Solar

This listing is for 250W solar panels. These are used panels. They have developed a cosmetic blemish known as a snail trail. This does not affect the output of the panel. Manufacturing labels have been removed. Panels have been tested and have good output. These would need to be for off-grid...
www.santansolar.com www.santansolar.com

Specifications:​

  • Rated Power: 250W
  • Open circuit voltage (VOC): 37.6 V
  • Max power voltage (VMP): 30.3 V
  • Short circuit current (ISC): 8.85 A
  • Max power current: 8.27 A
  • Power Tolerance 0/+3%
  • Maximum system voltage: 600V (UL)
  • Fuse Rating: 15 A
  • Weight: 41 lbs.
  • Dimensions:64.95 × 39.05 × 1.37 in

I am not sure if I want to have 4 or 6 panels up top, but looking at the VOC, it looks like I'm a little over 150v with four of these panels in series, meaning i'll have to step up to a 250v MPPT controller. I need to get one with a VE.Can port on it to integrate into the rest of my Victron system.

Question is, what layout should I use? There are a few combos:

  • 4 panels in series (150.4 VOC, max 8.85 ISC)
  • 6 panels in series (225.6 VOC, max 8.85 ISC)
  • 4 panel series/parallel setup (2 sets of 2 panels in series, paralleled together) (75.2 VOC, 17.7 ISC)
  • 6 panel series/parallel setup (2 sets of 3 panels in series, paralleled together) (112.8 VOC, 17.7 ISC)

As I understand it, higher voltage is better for efficiency, but partial shade in a string impacts all panels in that string. In my mind, that is a negative of having all four or six panels in series, because if one panel is shaded, the whole string is degraded.

That being said, 2-3 panels in a string is not much voltage, so probably not super efficient.

I'm currently thinking 6 panels in series with this MPPT controller as my go-to. This would allow me to add another string if I wanted in a series-parallel system down the road, or if I wanted ground-deploy panels for some reason.


So, those in the know. Which layout should I choose?
 
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The mppt controller is most efficient the higher the voltage you can send it. That's why series generally Works out. Depending on your panels, the whole string may or may not be degraded, some panels are able to just shut off one row of cells in the panel.

With those being an older style panel, I don't think they're going to drop out strings inside the panel. But I would still probably put them all in series and as many as you can fit on the roof
 
That’s a lot of solar! Can’t wait to see what you get figured out as a fellow dome roof owner.
 
Right now these have my eye. Not sure it'll have enough height, but they're lookin good.

www.eco-worthy.com

Z Style Solar Panel Mounting Brackets with Nuts and Bolts | ECO-WORTHY

ECO-WORTHY Z Style Solar Panel Mounting Brackets made with Aluminum Alloy bracket and stainless steel M6 Screw. It is strong enough to support any size of solar panel. Widely used for installation on Flat roof, RV, Marine Yacht Deck, Camping house. Free maintenance and easy installation, easy...
www.eco-worthy.com www.eco-worthy.com

Of note for those looking to suggest solutions (suggestions welcome!) I'm going for fixed flat mounts. I'm too lazy to adjust the angle of the panels once parked somewhere, and too forgetful to remember to set them flat before moving again, so fixed is the way for me.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
Right now these have my eye. Not sure it'll have enough height, but they're lookin good.

www.eco-worthy.com

Z Style Solar Panel Mounting Brackets with Nuts and Bolts | ECO-WORTHY

ECO-WORTHY Z Style Solar Panel Mounting Brackets made with Aluminum Alloy bracket and stainless steel M6 Screw. It is strong enough to support any size of solar panel. Widely used for installation on Flat roof, RV, Marine Yacht Deck, Camping house. Free maintenance and easy installation, easy...
www.eco-worthy.com www.eco-worthy.com

Of note for those looking to suggest solutions (suggestions welcome!) I'm going for fixed flat mounts. I'm too lazy to adjust the angle of the panels once parked somewhere, and too forgetful to remember to set them flat before moving again, so fixed is the way for me.
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Used those on my rounded top trailer for one small panel. So far, so good.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
Right now these have my eye. Not sure it'll have enough height, but they're lookin good.

www.eco-worthy.com

Z Style Solar Panel Mounting Brackets with Nuts and Bolts | ECO-WORTHY

ECO-WORTHY Z Style Solar Panel Mounting Brackets made with Aluminum Alloy bracket and stainless steel M6 Screw. It is strong enough to support any size of solar panel. Widely used for installation on Flat roof, RV, Marine Yacht Deck, Camping house. Free maintenance and easy installation, easy...
www.eco-worthy.com www.eco-worthy.com

Of note for those looking to suggest solutions (suggestions welcome!) I'm going for fixed flat mounts. I'm too lazy to adjust the angle of the panels once parked somewhere, and too forgetful to remember to set them flat before moving again, so fixed is the way for me.
Click to expand...
The only I thing I don't like about those style mounts is if you need to pull a panel up how do you access the screws/bolts under the panel between the roof and the panel?

I did it different but obviously at a higher weight/cost setup but I can pull two bolts and have them up, tilted etc.
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Java230 said:
just use some aluminum angle?
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Absolutely. I'm armcharing right now, but the holup is how much height I need. To compensate for the roof curve. It's not a 90* angle from the panel to the roof curve. The angle would have to be flattened out a bit, maybe a 110* angle iron or something.

I was thinking though, if I came up with mounts that could be bolted/screwed into the trailer, then tropi-cool'd over, so they can't leak, then the panels bolted on.
CarterKraft said:
The only I thing I don't like about those style mounts is if you need to pull a panel up how do you access the screws/bolts under the panel between the roof and the panel?

I did it different but obviously at a higher weight/cost setup but I can pull two bolts and have them up, tilted etc.
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I don't understand how you have these mounted. Can you expand on that? It looks clean as hell.
 
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