How I'm combatting rising fuel prices with solar.

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Biggkidd said:
I got to pull a trailer with it today. Just a very small lawn & garden trailer but still nice to actually be able to use it for work around the farm. Carried a large cedar fence post, 5 gallons of gravel and the tools needed to plant it. I set this one in tamped in gravel since I've heard that makes them last longer. It's a tie post for a terribly sagging corner of the fence. I tied off to it with a ratchet binder and pulled the woven wire fence a lot tighter than I thought I'd be able to. Once I get this thing up off the ground a bit I'll be able to set it up to tow a little larger trailer but right now there's no space to put a regular trailer hitch. Heck there was barely room to slip a nut on a bolt through the pin hole location.

Spent a little time looking at how I'm going to mount this huge solar panel on the roof. Panel measures 39x77 it's a Renogy 300 watt 24 volt panel about ten years old. Same exact width as the roof that's on there now but 21 inches longer which is a good thing far as I am concerned. The charge controller for it should be in by middle of the week. It's going to mount using the same hardware right back to the original mounts. Bonus the rear seats will be under roof once it's done. lol
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These reports are great!

I would like to see some images that show how you tackle the panel mounting challenge.

Ben
 
Yes, more photos... those struts & lateral bars that hold up the plastic roof aren't that strong, but if your panel isn't that heavy it shouldn't be a problem. Somehow this reminds me of the time in Benson when some drunken golfer got all mad about the lousy shot he just made, so he up and cut loose by driving another ball at his nearby cart, putting a hole through and further cracking the acrylic windscreen, lol. Those windscreens aren't that thick, so a ball driven at close range will definitely do some damage... the dumb@$$ had to pay for the damage, of course, since the cart number was already listed under his name, lol. I guess some of those duffers take their game a little too seriously... moi, I'd kick back and enjoy the scenery, maybe get another cold one off the Beverage Cart, ya know? But I've always been more of a "miniature golfer" than a regular duffer, and I've heard some folks say that the larger game can get pretty frustrating, lol. Biggkidd, I don't wanna hear about how ya took it out on the cart when something else went wrong on the homestead... and remember, those roof struts ain't roll bars, lol. After I adjusted the governor and turned up the speed on each gas-powered utility cart we had, some youngster laid his cart over down some embankment, nearly rolling it, and the roof struts were all bent to one side, lol. :oops:
 
I can get pics when I do the solar no problem.

I am just mounting it right to what's there as is. Panels aren't all that heavy more awkward than anything. I'm stoked the frame for the roof is the same width as the panel. Serendipity it was!

Switched out the rear tires for some just a tad taller off an old lawnmower. The cart had 18x8-8 and I put 20x8-8 on the rear. By the time I got around to that the batteries were cooked so I can't tell if it made any running change other than the tires rub with 3 people in the cart now. But the suspension should happen late this week. Hopefully they will be alright until then. Once I do that I'll probably switch the front's too. They would rub a lot worse than the rears are because the front is sagging even worse than the rear.
 
Went scrounging through my junk piles today trying to come up with something to put around the outside of the solar panel. I'd like to have something to keep branches and such from pushing on it to hard. Came up with old frame parts from one of those HF canopies. Mixed and matched parts until we didn't even have to make a single cut. Think of it as a real light duty brush guard / bumper / crush zone before anything can reach the edge of the panel. The panel size could not have worked out any better. The entire passenger area will have a roof for the first time. If it hadn't started raining we might have gotten it mounted today but the rain got here first. Other than that we found and fixed every single rattle that hadn't already been taken care of. Also straightened out the rear step / foot rest it was bent pretty bad and the source of several rattles. Got the rear seat mounts that were broken repaired too.
 
Nothing to exciting on the cart today. Took several hours longer than it should have to get the rear suspension bushings replaced and that was after Nate showed up and started helping. 34 years of use and abuse made that job a PITA! But it does ride a WHOLE lot better and only the rear has been done still have to do the front.
 
Wingnut said:
I was hoping you'd put some aftermarket shocks on that cart, lol... ;)
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Considering the loads I plan to haul and the fact I NEED to lift it and get taller tires for ground clearance around here but I WANT as smooth a ride as possible. I'm thinking air shocks. That way I can adjust the air for the load. Which is a part of why I put bushings in the old springs. The lift kits use blocks not springs and a set of new springs is around $100 for standard to $150 for HD and I'd probably get HD knowing me. lol If they don't workout it was only $15 and an afternoon. But I want to try lifting it with these older softer springs first. One step at a time as dollars permit. I'm just please as peaches to have one up and going for little as I've spent considering the cost of everything these days. Don't forget I still need new batteries. These are working but they're WEAK and die fast maybe 7 miles driving real easy like there's a rotten egg on the pedal! Maybe only two miles pulling the little trailer doing chores. It's amazing how many miles one can go one a small acreage driving back and forth here and there.
 
When I worked at the golf course, the carts for the duffers were all gas-powered, but we also had electric utility carts... mine was a Yamaha. Nice cart, and fairly quick too, but I kept it plugged in whenever it was not in use. I think your idea to rig up a panel on the roof was brilliant, why NOT use that space? I enjoy reading this thread because I'm a gearhead at heart, and I like seeing folks make mods suited to their specific needs.

I once modded TF out of an old Honda Z50, the thing had a Piranha 140cc motor, extended fork legs with stiffer springs, burly aftermarket shocks, nice knobbies, gold chain, custom seat, MX bars, translucent Clarke Racing mini-thumper tank (to check fuel level at a glance), it even had a ridiculously-over-the-top carbon fiber can on the aftermarket exhaust pipe, lol. I still kick myself on occasion for selling that bike, but I needed money at the time... and I have some good memories.

I'll have to dig up a video link or two here in a bit, just so you can see what I mean... it was certainly the most unconventional Honda Z50 I've ever seen, and with the 140cc Piranha motor it was a beast on the trail, lol. Really just a miniature bad@$$ dirt bike, I took it into the field with me and had heaps of fun riding that bad boy... now somebody else is riding it, and I hope that person is having as much fun as I did back when I had that little offroad rocket, lol.

Ya know, before I installed a Curt hitch and cargo carrier on 'The Mighty Camry' to haul the bike, I would simply tarp the back seat and place the bike inside the cabin, lol. It just barely fit with the MX bars, but it fit, even though I scratched up the paint a bit in the door frame on the loading side, lol. I'd pull up to a trailhead where a few other riders were present, and they'd all gravitate toward the bike once I unloaded it. Guys with big ol' KTM thumpers would sit on it and exclaim:

"I HAVE GOT TO GET ONE OF THESE!!!"

Lol... I always thought that was pretty funny. Lemme go dig up a video link for ya, aye? You'll get a kick out of it... ;)

Edit: Okay, I found one video that gives ya a pretty close look at the bike, even though I'm not actually riding it, lol. Forgot to mention that bad@$$ aluminum swingarm earlier, that set me back about $200, lol. Swapped it out in my living room while watching football years ago, lol... anyway, you'll get a kick out of the bike, check out that ridiculous carbon fiber can, aye? That Clarke Racing mini-thumper desert tank also set me back something like $200, but it was totally worth it.

The Beast!!!

P.S. Those are gloves or whatever resting on the bars... I'd stop in a shady spot to grab a beer out of my backpack, lol. Looking at the video again, I see a Coors stubby in a cooler cup resting on the exhaust, lol.
 
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My internet sucks but I got to see the bike. COOL little toy. Speaking of toys I built and raced a 79 Z28 street strip car for over 20 years. It should NOT have been anywhere near the street the last ten or so years before I sold it. Dang thing was FAST usual run was anywhere from 10.69 down to 9.50's depending on who I was lined up on. I liked being the chaser not the chased! Best run I ever made only full track nitrous pass I ever made was a 8.73 at 177 MPH. It did 9.50s on motor anything faster needed nitrous. Every vehicle I've ever owned has been modified to fit my needs at the time. Heck might just want to say everything I've ever owned was. Yep diehard gearhead here!
 
Haha, reminds me of going "a hundred and a half" on my rice rocket out in Anza-Borrego... slowing down to about 90 in the broad curves, lol. Had to watch the drift sand in the twisties, though... that stuff was downright dangerous. As for mods, why NOT make something better-suited to your specific needs? Or wants, lol... ;)

I've always enjoyed tinkering with mechanical things & machines, I started with skateboards & BMX bikes and slowly worked my way up to bigger things... the mini phase was sort of a retro deal, lol, but I still love minis & pit bikes, they serve a purpose and they're heller fun. This world needs more of such fun right about now, I reckon... :confused:
 
Went ahead and got the lift kit ordered. Stretches the budget really tight for the rest of the month but I like to get things done once I finally make up my mind. Man it rides so much better after replacing the bushings in the rear springs. I can't wait to see what it's like once the front is all new too. Really looking forward to being able to get nearly everywhere on the land on it once the lift and tires are on. It'll probably be a couple months before I can get the wheels and tires though. Right now it just doesn't have the ground clearance to go anywhere truly off road / path. Every little stick or branch gets caught now and that's mostly staying on the roads & paths.
 
The charge controller hit today. I should have paid attention to the size. It's physically a lot larger and heavier than expected. It's also capable of twice the wattage I thought. Problem is it will not fit where I wanted to put it. That's the down side the upside is it's nice and heavy which leads me to believe it's well made. But this opens another option and I like options. I can park it next to where the other panel of the pair I'm taking one from for this is and hook the two in series when the cart's at the house. Probably will not be needed once I get new batteries but these are pretty bad. So having the ability to double the charging will be good.

I drove it to the neighbors and back (4 miles) after getting a fresh full charge. When I got home the battery voltage was down at 43 aka DEAD batteries! That's about 1/5th of what it should be able to do and I was driving like there was a rotten egg between the pedal and my foot.
 
Okay just finished reading the charge controller instructions. Which is not something I do that often. lmao But I am glad I did because had I not I would have smoked some equipment! Turns out I can NOT use my oldest panels as they are 72 cell panels and this controller can only accept up to 60 cell panels. I had no idea! I was planning to use the 72's. This means reconfiguring a bunch of stuff some of which had already been partially built. May also mean shifting a lot of solar panels around. Murphey's old monkey wrench got me good this time!
 
Alright I think I'm glad the older larger panel wouldn't work other than the extra covered space it would have given. That sent me to looking for other mounting options which I found and I like this so very much better than the original plan. Even though it's really not much different mostly just used different materials to work with. Added a little more weight but so much more strength. The panel is on and in place but has not been fastened down yet. It is locked solidly in place via pinch fit on the front and both sides with a nice 5/16ths tall lip edge. I was unable to get any pictures of this part of the process as it rained off and on the entire time we worked on it. Bad enough having tools out in the rain but I wasn't trying to get the tablet or camera soaked too. All the parts used came from the scrap pile except the fasteners! I think it looks great so far you guys will have to wait and see since it's now well past dark and raining. Still a long way to go before it this part will be done.

I am pooped!

ETA: Forgot to mention it drives about as well in mud as a pregnant cow ice skates!
 
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Solar powered golf cart is hooked up! That's not to say I'm done with it by any means but the solar part is on and working. I still haven't gotten pictures yet but I will it's on tomorrow's agenda. We built a guard of sorts to go around it but then I decided not to put it on. I may still yet just not sure. I hate to keep adding weight a pound here and there adds up.
 
Biggkidd said:
Solar powered golf cart is hooked up! That's not to say I'm done with it by any means but the solar part is on and working. I still haven't gotten pictures yet but I will it's on tomorrow's agenda. We built a guard of sorts to go around it but then I decided not to put it on. I may still yet just not sure. I hate to keep adding weight a pound here and there adds up.
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Nice!

As long as you don't put the solar panel in jeopardy, it is time to start logging battery voltage through the day. You will be charging all day but only discharge while moving.

Ben
 
Neb said:
Nice!

As long as you don't put the solar panel in jeopardy, it is time to start logging battery voltage through the day. You will be charging all day but only discharge while moving.

Ben
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I think the panel will be good it's much better mounted than it could have been very rugged and sturdy. Haven't had the extra cash for an onboard meter yet but maybe next month.

While I was at it today I re rigged the windshield someone put on there. It isn't the correct one for this cart and they had it screwed on so it couldn't fold down. So since I had to take it off to do what I was doing I improved upon that. It now opens and closes. It's to small neither goes all the way to the top or bottom but much better than what they had done. Not sure if I'll try and get the correct one down the road or kind of flash this one in to work better at keeping rain and wind out.
 
Dag gummit Neb it's all your fault. LoL Just kidding but I did go ahead and order a volt & amp meter so I know what's going on with the system. Won't be here until next week. Since I was already dipping in to funds I hadn't planned to I also ordered a cheap set of 18W LED lights for it. I couldn't hardly see my hand in front of my face when I came in tonight and that happens all to often.
 
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Late getting up this morning I was tired! Heck I'm still tired. Anyway I just stepped outside and checked the voltage 55.6V and it's cloudy no sun to speak of. I did go ahead and charge the batteries last night so they would start off today without being drained. Yesterday morning a little earlier than this after being charged the night before they were at 50.1 so it's working. I have an onboard volt & amp meter coming for it next week. For now using the old trusty multi meter.
 
Late getting up this morning I was tired! Heck I'm still tired. Anyway I just stepped outside and checked the voltage 55.6V and it's cloudy no sun to speak of. I did go ahead and charge the batteries last night so they would start off today without being drained. Yesterday morning a little earlier than this after being charged the night before they were at 50.1 so it's working. I have an onboard volt & amp meter coming for it next week. For now using the old trusty multi meter.
 
Got a few pics this morning. All the aluminum used came out of the scrap pile except for the pieces the charge controller is mounted to. They were part of an old camper screen door that needs parting out. Hey I was scrounging up any decent aluminum I could find. Even the wiring was from scrap. It was part of an old 12g extension cord that has been cut many times.

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One of three around here. The other two roam a lot they're travelers for some reason.

I can't wait to get some tires with traction. These have good straight tread but they are worthless in this mud. Need some good MT or AT tires for it.
 
Meh, I have FAITH in ya, LOL... and remember this, most gnarly tires START around 9" rims, that's just the way it is, aye? For instance, NOBODY makes burly sand paddles with scoops for 8" rims, it just ain't happening, or wasn't a few years ago, I can't believe that it's HAPPENING NOW, lol. When I took my tricked-out monkeybike to Glamis Dunes, I used Carlisle X-Trac snow-blower tires as paddles in the sand, and they WORKED GREAT!!! :oops:

No lie, those tires worked GREAT in the sand, but they would've been WORTHLESS on the trail or any road... ya gotta take all THAT into consideration, LOL. ;)
 
It's been pretty grey around here since installing the solar panel on the roof of the cart. Just ran out a few minutes before 9:30 am and checked the voltage. 57.1 volts now that there's finally some sunshine.
 
Golf cart lift is kicking my butt! Got most of the front done and went to install the new spindles only to find out they never finished tapping the holes. They made the first rough cut but never the second or finish cut. So I had to go two towns over to get a 1/2 by 20 tap. Then on my way there I lost my phone. Turned out it fell out under the mower seat. Anyway got back and been fighting the threads since. Almost two hours so far tapping 4 holes. They were so tight I had to fight just to get the tap started. Then it's a half turn at a time back it out clean out the metal in another half turn repeat till I get a full inch inside that's 40 times in and out for each hole. I still have most of the last hole left to do my hands are giving up. They aren't use to this kind of abuse these days! It had better be worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Had to come in to check what the flashing PV light meant on the controller on the cart. Found out it means the charge controller has finished charging the the batteries and they are in float stage! So that's working anyway.
 
Taps were one if my first machine shop tools I acquired 40 years ago. Then added a big set from Harbor Freight. So about 2-3 sets now. Not used every day but when needed glad to have them.

I was taught to progress 1/2, back off 1/4 turn , repeat. I only broke 2 taps, both 4-40. The first was in a fixture for a physics experiment. Ticked me off because that was the last step. Had to start over from the begining. The other was in a cylinder for a small steam engine. Another start over.

Thank you for the updates.

Ben
 
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