Promaster Build- Solar Panel and Fan

HJust before leaving on our ski trip we intstalled our solar panel and fan on top of our roof.  This was the first scary project because it involves putting holes in the van.  Everything went really smoothly!  To be honest, the hardest part was getting on top of the van because we didn't have a ladder.  Brian climbed up on the bulding and then walked on to the van from the roof of the building, but that wasn't working for me.  My brother showed up with a ladder and things went well after that.

Materials: (I will link to the products when I get on a computer, typing on my phone!)

Solar

Goal Zero Boulder 90 solar panel

Goal Zero Hinge Base mounts

3M VHB 5952 tape

Rubber gasket

White silicone caulk

Fan

Fantastic Fan

White silicone caulk

Jigsaw blade for cutting metal

3M VHB 5952 tape

Rubberish weather stripping

Steps:

Solar.  On Silas I used two Boulder 30 panels, which was definitely sufficient for our needs.  However, the Boulder 90 is now available so I thought, why not?  When I did my first van, there were no mounting options that were pre-made so my brother machined some custom adjustable mounts for me which we screwed into the roof.  Now they make the Goal Zero bracket mount.  

1. Decide on positioning.  We decided to mount the panel on the front of the roof in case we eventually put a kayak rack on the back of the roof for Brian's  boat.  We put it on the side (vs. centered) so we can hopefully reach it to brush snow off, and we can fit another Boulder 90 next to it if we decide we want another.

2. You will want to clean the roof of your van and the bottom of the mounts with rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth.

3. Attach your mounts to the panel.  The mounts don't come with any instructions or suggestions for how to use them.  I figured out how they fit onto the panel and Brian tightened them down with an allen wrench.

4.  Mystery tape.  The Goal Zero mounts come with a bunch of GIANT screw holes in them.  If you were to use screws to lock them onto the roof you would be making a lot of big holes in your roof.  We had heard of another option- 3M VHB tape, which supposedly can replace welding in certain situations.  I saw examples of other people using it but couldn't really find concrete information on it.  My brother helped me choose one of the different formulas, 5952, which I think is good for painted surfaces.  There are a lot of different VHB tapes, so hopefully we chose the right one.  Anywho, make sure it isn't too cold out when you're applying the tape.  Stick it onto the mounts, then peel off the backing and stick it onto the roof.  Apply pressure and it will be sticky right away, so make sure you position it right on the first try.  I think it reaches full strength about 24 hours after you apply it.

5. Wiring.  After the panel was mounted, we drilled a 1/2" hole in the roof.  If you want a smaller hole, you can cut the fat end part of the wire off, thread it through the roof, and then reattach the end.  We put a rubber gasket around the wire, plugged the hole with it, and sealed it off with silicone caulk.  Done!

Fan.  Who is ready to cut a big hole in the roof of their van?  You are!  Well, I actually wasn't so I had my brother do it, just like I did on the last van!  

1. Positioning.  Figure out where you want your fan.  Based on where our windows will be and where our door is, we positioned the fan slightly behind the kitchen area and in front of the bed so it can be ventiliation for cooking and also keep us cool while sleeping.  Try to find a spot on your roof where the fan can potentially fit between ribs on the rooftop and definitely put it somewhere where you won't have to cut through the internal roof ribs/supports.  You can trace the fan hole (it should come with a stencil) on the inside of the van and then drill holes in the corners.  Once on top of the van, line the stencil up with the corners and trace it again.  (We actually didn't do this and just measured sort of how far it should be on the roof and we almost cut through a ceiling rib... oops).

2. Cut the hole!  We drilled a pilot hole and then put the jigsaw blade in and began trimming.  It cuts really easily.  You can line your hole with tape so you don't scratch the paint with the jigsaw.

3. Plop the fan in the hole.  Make sure it fits and make sure it is facing the right way so the dome doesn't get ripped off if you forget to put it down before driving.

4. Seal.  Once you've checked the fit you are ready to stick the fan in for good.  We had a bunch of leftover 3M tape from the panel, so we decided to use it on the fan to avoid drilling more holes in the roof.  We put some weather stripping in the low points of the ribs to try to make a more even surface.  I've also seen people pound down the ribs where the fan is so it is all flat.  We stuck the 3M tape on van, peeled the backing, and stuck the fan in.  We then used a caulk gun and sealed all the edges and the holes in the fan frame where the screws would have gone if we used them.  

Gear Love

I really love gear.  Sometimes I feel like I want to buy all the new gadgets, latest models, and coolest looking apparel.  But, living in the van has taught me that I can't have it all because 1. I don't have spare money for all the latest gear and 2. There is no space for more gear.  This year I have been very selective about acquiring things, and I am really excited about a couple pieces of new gear.  Here they are and here's what I like about them:

1. Spot Gen3 Locator: This isn't normally something I would have thought to get myself, but my Grandpa really wanted me to have one and gave it to me as a gift.  As it turns out, this has been really useful and fun to have.  I primarily use it to check in with my family and friends if I'm out of cell phone range, just click a button and it texts or emails them an "I'm OK" message.  I also used it to check in at each of our campsites on the Tahoe Rim Trail, and using the app, I had a map of all our campsites at the end of the hike, which was really neat and entertaining to look at.  In an emergency, you can call for rescue, and there are also settings that allow to call for assistance in a non-emergency situation.

  

2. Goal Zero Flip 10: Tiny and efficient, this thing charges up your phone, GoPro, or tablet when you need some power on the go.  While backpacking and bike touring, I charge this during the day using my Nomad 3.5 panel and then boost up my electronics in the tent at night.  I also charge it up in the van and take it with me on day adventures in case I am ever running low on battery.

3. Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket: As you can see from the picture, this jacket folds up TINY!  It weighs only 5.5 oz, so there is really no reason not to take it with you everywhere you go.  It's waterproof (though I've experienced a tiny bit of zipper seepage during extended periods of heavy rain) and it comes in a bunch of fun colors.  This thing will always be in my pack, on me, or clipped to my harness.

4. Hydro Flask 64 oz. Growler (18 oz. pictured): Keeps the colds cold and the hots hot!  The Hydro Flask Growler is my favorite option because it's HUGE and between me and the pups, we drink a ton of water.  If you're looking for a more portable and lighter option, the 18 oz. is my next most used.  The bottle is durable and can stand being thrown around a bit and your beverage will be ready to enjoy at the temperature you filled it up at any time of the day.

Salt Lake City

After skiing Apsen, we head to Moab and then Indian Creek, which I touched on in the post, Diversions.  After that it was time to head to Salt Lake!  We were really excited to meet up with my friend Drew, who I hadn't seen in years.  Drew and I grew up in the same town and went to highschool together.  We were snowboarding (I used to be a snowboarder!) and climbing buddies before we went our seperate ways to college.  Drew is a super positive, high-energy person and I was excited to see what he was up to in Salt Lake.  Fortunately, our timing was just right, because Drew had just been offered a new job and learned that he would be moving to New York at the end of the week!  I was glad we got the chance to catch up and meet his wonderful girlfriend, Emily before the big move.  Salt Lake is home to many other wonderful things that we wanted to check out as well (including skiing, next post!).

One of those things is Goal Zero, the company that makes the solar panels that we have on top of the van and the generator that we have inside the van that powers our lights and fan, and charges our computer, phones, cameras, etc.  I had emailed Goal Zero before we arrived in Salt Lake to see if we could have a tour of their HQ, and to my delight they said yes!  We met James and Ryan in the foyer of the building, which included a slide and a climbing wall (awesome).  They showed us all around the building and explained where everything happens.  They even hooked us up with one of their new proudcts, the Flip 10, and a bunch of stickers!  Thanks again guys!

Another company we loved that is located in SLC is PROBAR.  We basically live off of PROBARs (we started the trip with a stock of 10 boxes).  They are delicious and nutritious and made with real food and nothing else.  We made the fine folks at PROBAR a valentine out of woven together wrappers from our bars, and headed out to see them.  Unfortunately, we went to their old office first and it was just about the time when they were going to close for the weekend.  We raced over to their new office, and after disappointingly pulling on locked doors, a smiling face appeared and let us in!  We gave them our valentine and they hooked us up with a bunch of bars!  If you haven't tried their bars, I highly recommend you do.  You can find them at REI and a bunch of other spots.  We really like their new snack bars, Bite.  

One last company that has a warehouse in SLC is the company I was working for before this trip, Backroads.  Aaron at Backrods was nice enough to hook us up with a bike box for Drew to ship his bike to NY in, and he also showed up around the warehouse.  So many bikes!  

Before leaving SLC, we met up with our good friends, the Checketts.  As a kid, the Checketts lived next door and we all played together and had the best time running around in the street, jumping on the trampoline, and exploring in the creek and the nearby park.  Their home is so full of love and positive energy, so it was wonderful to stop by and have a delicious waffle breakfast and catch up a bit.  

In addition to all the running around, we went on some really cool hikes with Titan and Star.  We misinterpreted a trail sign and ended up doing a 10 mile hike after a full day of skiing, which was kind of exhuasting, and we also did some fun night hiking, and went on a cool trial system above the city.  Salt Lake is a great place and definitely somewhere I would consider living for a while.  Thanks for the good times!