We finished the battery install Monday, sealed the connections and called it done. Now we're looking forward to doing real boondocking and not depending upon the generator. Yes, we'll have it along (it's built in), but I hope there is no need for it. However, we do have some challenges ahead. We had turned off the charger so that the batteries are only being charged by the solar system. That has worked well until the last couple of days, when we've had very cloudy, overcast skies. So last night we broke down and turned the charger on.
About 10 days ago, I ordered some LED lights via eBay. I'm still patiently waiting for them. My next goal is to reduce the load on batteries by using more efficient lighting, like LEDs. The kicker is that I'm not certain I'm ready to spend the dollars to do it up right. Today I bought one CFL for to see how well they work. Actually, it's not for me, but it is for daughter's house. Tonight after dark, we'll see how much light one bulb puts out. The bulb I purchased is equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent bulb in light output and it only consumes 12 watts - I measured it. I wish I could find a similar bulb for our rig.
Today we made a quick trip to Cedar Rapids to allow the blood suckers to draw their yearly sample. I guess the worst part is that I had to fast since last night. On the way back to the rig, I stopped in to see my mother in the care center. Since she has moved from the assisted living section to the full care section, I think she has really done better. In the assisted living area, she had very few residents in similar circumstances. In the care center, most are in a very similar condition and thus she has many more social opportunities. Don't they say "its the little things that count?"
We've had some rain here in Iowa in the last week, but nothing serious. The ground is still very hard, so no problem when we leave on Sunday.
Gene
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