Ram 2500/HQ19 Full-Time

[K12]

Its been a long time since I updated here. I have been in one spot for the most party since April. I have been doing internships to finish up my degree which has take up quite a bit of my time, and unfortunately requires me to be in the local area. I am taking trips out to some of the local areas and still having fun and getting outdoors. The last few weeks have had a lot come up that have prevented me from going out and exploring at all. Hopefully nothing comes up for this weekend and I will be able to go out for a couple of days and explore the wilderness.

The last few weeks my solar setup has been producing less (of the 1200wh i have its been getting around 300 max), so I went out today to clean the panels, thinking that dirt and grime may be the cause of this. While up there cleaning there are very large white dots and separation from solar cells and the clear coating on the top. I noticed this on all 8 of my flexible panels which explains the issue (picture attached from one of the panels). The markings to look like impact marks, but seem to line up very well with the cells on the panel and when running my fingers across them there it is still smooth and doesn't have the feel of anything cracking. This leads me to believe that its not and impact related issue. I have previously commented on how much I love the flexible panels, but now have to retract that. I have 4 Alrska 150w panels and 4 panels, think are Renogy 100w, that came on my Black Series caravan, which both in a years time have developed this problem. The diminished returns started with the Alrska panels only a few months in, which I thought was just an issue with the wire distance and them being dirty all the time, along with it being the winter time, it made sense to me. With that being said I am transitioning the 4 panels on the Black Series to hard panels, which are on the way. I will update the thread with pictures when they get here. and trying to work with Alrska, since they are still under warranty, to replace them with hard panel so I don't run into the problem again. Hopefully they are willing to replace the 4x 150w panels with the same cost of hard panels, If this is the case I should be able to do 6 panels on the truck.

 

[K12]

Little update since its been a while. Never heard back from the solar panels, so just got some put up and getting 2 more to put on the trailer this month, and 2 more next month to cap out the charge controller.

Have had quite a bit of time to get out to the local area. its gorgeous, so I wont waste time telling ill just post all the pictures.

I have also been working on modifying the outdoor kitchen slideout. The 2 burner range was not working very well, it was a pain to light and would often go out with a low breeze. I decided a flat top griddle would be a much better route to go, and so far its working great. The install is mostly dont, just have to finish filling out the front end so that it looks like a more seemless install. Gunna get the fill in painted up blackt o match the rest of the frame boarder, then silicon around the outside and it should be done. Was happy I was able to keep the drawer in under the burner, I thought it was going to have to go.

Still on track to be done with school in December and back on the road. Hopefully it all works out.

 

[K12]

Getting ready to hopefully head out on the road in December. Have gotten just about everything done that I need to. Solar panels are up (1.4KwH between truck and HQ19), got the outdoor kitchen done the way I want it and the starlink Is mounted much better. Got one of my roof vents swapped out to help with heat in the summer and it can vent while closed which is awesome (have to clean up the sealant a bit, it looks messy). The bumper now has 3 anderson ports, the new addition runs into the cab of the truck and powers the 12v freezer from the HQ19.

 

[K12]

Learned some valuable lessons in the last 3 days.

#1. Always carry spare glow plugs for the diesel heater, cause they will go out at the worst possible time and you cannit find them in town.

#2. 10 degree weather sucks when you diesel heater goes out and you are relying on a little buddy heater to keep you warm.

#3. Dont be lazy and not put heat tape on ALL the water pipes... cause that small section will freeze and block your hot water....

I may or may not have to run some heat tape to run when I get a chance. Luckily the water heater's freeze protection is working well.

 

[K12]

I got under the trailer this morning(it was 9 degrees out) and remembered why I did not do the heat tape on the water lines. In order to run them properly I am going to have to drop the grey water and black water tanks. I have already stopped using the black water tank so it is sealed and I am deciding if i should replace it with another freshwater tank. Time will tell if i do a general water in its place or another filtered/drinking water. I want to see where my limitations are while I am on the road.

I got the heater back up and running today. so much better than using the little buddy that does not heat the inside very well. I'm hoping the exhaust from the diesel heater will keep the lines from freezing. I did not have any freezing problems with weather in the teens until the heater went out (maybe a coincidence?). Either way I think the tanks need to be dropped to get the heat tape on the lines for comfort, when I have time.

Next week I will be having a 50 Gal. Titan XXL fuel tank installed on the truck, and by the middle of next month should be back on the road full time. I cannot wait for the freedom to explore again.

 

[K12]

Got the Starlink back onto the 12v system this last weekend (it helps when the PoE injector is getting the proper voltage). Had a new fuel tank installed today from Titan Fuel Tanks. Upgraded from a 30gal useable tank to a 50 gal useable tank.

Other than that it has not been to eventful... Hopefully back on the road here in 2 weeks *fingers crossed*

 

[K12]

Finally back on the road. Left Idaho yesterday morning and made my way south. Found a great place with some good views. Arrived at sunset and it looked amazing.

This morning got to work. My awning broke a few months ago due to a freak wind gust and blew it over the top of the RV. Got around to attaching some camo netting and having a nice giant shaded area. Also had to clean the Air filter for yhe truck cause it was really gross and the truck keot reminding me to clean it the last 90 miles of my trip.

 

[ProtonDecay]

Awesome - hope you are having fun! Great shot of a Night Heron - where?

 

[K12]

Awesome - hope you are having fun! Great shot of a Night Heron - where?

This is at Pahranagut WMA. I was here last year but didnt get to stay too long.

 

[K12]

So the issue was not the air filter.... The link in the airbox came detached due to the clip holding it on broke. After some research I found that I could just remove the door, which has fixed the problem.

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I removed the microwave to add more storage. The second win is that microwaves generally bring unhealthy food, so it will (hopefully) force me to maintain a healthier diet. It added a ton of storage and its open which I think is nice. Nothing has bounced out in the first 400 miles so it should be pretty good.

 

[K12]

Been a minutes since I posted any updates. I am currently in NM, sitting through a snow storm. I spent a few weeks in AZ near Lake Havasu and near Bowie AZ at the Indian Bread Rocks. Both places had some good views. I have the Dc-Dc 30a charger hooked up now to help with charging while driving if needed. I am starting work on the above door shelves that I plan on doing, got the backer up and painted with the key hooks. Need to stop at a Lowe's or Home Depot at some point to get the wood to finish the project.

I did have a mishap with the Starlink that I am pretty sure stemmed from when i accidentally dropped the connector in a puddle months ago. It became unable to talk with the router, even though it was receiving power. Starlink was awesome and they sent me a whole new kit, and comped me for a month of service. I received it about 4 days after I placed the ticket, and they where able to work with me changing my address from my home of record one to ensure I received it.
The removal of the Airbox door has appeared to hold up and has not caused any lights. Still debating if i want to removed the front door that receives are from the grill to turn it, essentially, into a cold air intake. May be a project for a later date If I decide to go this route.

 

[K12]

I am apparently really bad at updating this. After NM I moved to Sandy Sanders WMA in OK for about 2 weeks. I drove around and explored a bit and had some fun. After that was in AR Ozarks which are beautiful. Spent time at Woolum campground, about 10 ft from the Buffalo River.

Got quite a bit done with the trailer as well. Been working on the "awning" which is just camo netting. Some of the mounts came off so I have to replace them with some better mounts om the trailer. I still have to take off the old awning that is broken, which I'll likely get done next week as ill be visiting people. I finally finished the shelves for above the door.

I also got the trailer setup on Home Assistant. I had one attempt at it while I was in OK, but it fried the raspi over night. I got a new one, with some better components and running off an NVMe SSD which is running far better. There is a very good integration with the Victron system, starlink, the magic home light toggles, mokpeka sensors, ruubi tags and some Tuya relays I am using for the water pumps, and soon the heater pads. Im going to wait on the pads until later in the year sine they wont be needed again for a few months. I have not yet messed with automation, but just habing all of my switches, panels and sensors in one place makes life super easy.

 

[K12]

Finally got the Starlink permanently mounted. I used the Everlanders 3D printed model. Found someone on Etsy that was selling them since i domt have a 3D printer. Cost me about $110, I went with the better more weather resistant material. Cutting through and doing everything was super easy, and you dont have to cut down to the circuit board, keeping it weatherproof underneath. I have it "mostly mounted," just waiting for epoxy to dry between the roof and aluminum tabs to test the bond.

I was also able to get a poe injector and the connector swap for the starlink cable to standard rj45 connection. Made it super easy to put it on my 12v system and I did not have to cut any cables. If I need to reset the system for any reason, I can easily plug it back to the Starlink router.
Its going to be nice to not have to setup/stow/disconnect Starlink every time I move, and Starlink should work in motion now, but havent had a chance to test this just yet.

 

[K12]

Just realized its been about 4 months since I've updated on here. A lot has happened since. The starlink mount is working fantastic. I have starlink in motion, and getting into sites and setup has decreased quite a bit with that. No more jumping up and mounting the dishy. It has also been easier to find sites to connect with clear sky views since its pointed directly up.

Have had a few stops on the way. I missed pictures in OK. but after that was at Mills Canyon in NM, Right on the edge of the canyon. Was quite windy but not too bad. From there I made it up to Colorado to meet up with friends and camping outside of Buena Vista. Had a Really fun time getting out of 15" of snow that dropped over night, very unexpected for the middle of may. Took about an hour to get out and onto the trail, but from there it was pretty easy. I learned a lot getting out of that, and next time will be better prepared. Next stop was City of Rock in Idaho, just north of Twin Falls. Got some snow their too, but did not stick. Met up with some people to have some fun on memorial day. Was a great place, with gorgeous views and some great trails. A little wind that made the outdoor cooking a little harder than it needed to be, but we figured it out.

I spent a few days in Swan Falls, right on the river. Its a beautiful spot, but is quite crowded and had a lot of people that would walk through the campsite or fish right below it. Next stop was one of my favorite spots in Idaho. Its also my hunting area so try to get up there a couple of times a year. Its beautiful up in the Boise National Forrest plenty of trees and wildlife, outside of hunting season, they tend to dissapear at the end of August.

From there is was a trip to Expo PNW. Had a good time there, and was able to get a new awning since my old one broke. Was easy to get it mounted, just waiting to get the extension panel for the anex room this coming week.

After Expo I wemt north in Oregon and found a great place to hand out for a bit. Lots of nice trees, enough shade (esspecially now that the awning works) and a nice breeze going through almost all the time. not much traffic has come through here which I really like, it was silent on 4th of July, Just the sounds of the birds and wind which has been very relaxing. Next is a stop back in the Boise area, to get some stuff done and ready to continue on.

As far as upgrades and improvements, I have not done much other than the starlink mount and the awning. I have plans to redo the pluming and make it better with less piping run and a drain valve for the low points before the tanks. Its nothing that is in dire need but just making plumbing more efficient. Another project I want to do is swap the propane fridge for a 12v fridge to lower the propane consumption even more. Its not something thag will happen any time soon, as I would want to add more to the battery bank before that happens. Luckily LiFePO4 batteries are coming down in price which may help make it happen sooner.

The plans for the summer are to explore the western side of Montana and the Idaho peninsula. Any recommendations for sites and easy trails (im pulling/living in a long trailer so nothing too technical) would be much appreciated.

 

[ProtonDecay]

Thanks for the update - when you were at Expo PNW did you get a chance to see the Roam Resilient trailer? Thoughts? D

 

[K12]

Thanks for the update - when you were at Expo PNW did you get a chance to see the Roam Resilient trailer? Thoughts? D

I did not. I didnt really look at trailers, I was looking at more of the HAB vehicles like Adrenaline and truck house. Both of which look awesome. But I want to swap to a single vheicle onstead of truck at trailer in the mext 2 years. It is soemthing I think will be easier in the long run for my needs.

 

[K9LTW]

The plans for the summer are to explore the western side of Montana and the Idaho peninsula. Any recommendations for sites and easy trails (im pulling/living in a long trailer so nothing too technical) would be much appreciated.

There are 2-3 very trailer friendly spots along the bottom of FS3920 west of 44.60607, -112.99125. Just as it enters national forest, however, it takes a sharp left and starts heading up. You need to turn around at that point as you'll not make it through the switchbacks.

This is an extremely well-used, but insanely amazing site on Lake Koocanusa. You can get that trailer in there as there's room to three-point at the end. If someone's in there, you'll be able to see before committing. I know there's another site beyond it as well, but I can't say how easy it'll be to turn around beyond it. 48.46486, -115.28212 FS228 on the west side has a number of large sites as well. We saw a good number of 5th wheels and such parked over there.