Son-of-a-bitch!!

[Thumper]

We’re camped in Minneapolis tonight and just had a frigging hail storm roll through here. You’ve heard of golfball sized hail? We just had it. I have a few samples in the freezer, but they were melting super fast and it was raining so hard I didn’t go out to pick ‘em up until the bowling balls quit falling and the rain died down. Dammit! I just had new, upgraded solar panels installed at the Winnebago factory last week. I’m almost afraid to check out the roof tomorrow morning. Also, I wonder what a new Mercedes hood costs? Arrrrggghhh!

[Thumper]

Weather report said “severe thunderstorms” … no mention of hail. (Like it would have made a difference)

Like I said, these had mostly melted by time I got to them. With all the rain and 80 degree temps, it’s a wonder much was left to pick up. I stuck some in my freezer with a penny for reference.

[Hombre]

Sorry thump, this really does suck.

[Chicken Dinner]

Jesus, those will leave a mark!


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[Thumper]

Well, I just got back in from a walk-around and (so far) have only found one good sized ding on the hood. Luckily, the coach part is fiberglass. I’m waiting for my brother to drag his lazy ass out of bed to check the solar panels. (My ladder’s weight limit is 225-lbs and I weigh in at 290-295, so I don’t want to push my luck)


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[Thumper]

I’m relieved, our brand new upgraded solar panels came through without a scratch. We’re now in the town of Red Wing Minnesota. Having lunch, then will tour the Red Wing Shoe factory.





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[Hombre]

Interested in how those solar panels are working. I don't know much about solar panels. Do they charge a battery and then use an inverter?

[BarryBobPosthole]

Are you going to make it up to Duluth? There is a railroad museum there that is beyond amazing. And all kinds of sights up the road towards Grand Marais.

Have fun! Glad your woke ass solar panels didn’t get their snowflake asses dinged.

BKB

[Penguin]

Are you going to make it up to Duluth? There is a railroad museum there that is beyond amazing. And all kinds of sights up the road towards Grand Marais....

Hey, I've been to that when my wife bought us a couple tickets for the scenic rail trip from duluth up to the iron fields north of there. Great trip. We have another scenic rail trip in a couple weeks, the Cass Scenic RR up to Bald Knob. Right above the hunting camp I spent so much of my youth in. Scenic rail rocks.

About the hail. Jim no one who has not lived in the upper midwest seems to believe me when I tell them that the summers are hotter and more muggy than those in WV. It is just hard to believe some place that far north can have such stifling humidity and ferocious storms. It was shocking to me when I moved up there.

I remember back around 97 or so when we got one of those incredibly hard hail/thunderstorms. I had just restored the original Betsy a couple years earlier. A short wheel based standard cab '79 Silverado with a new GM body and an unbelievably stout LT1 like 350. I ran outside with a bunch of quilts and weighed them down on the hood, cab, and bedsides while the storm raged. Luckily no damage but I was lucky in that they predicted it so I was ready when it started.

I hope you are lucky too. Don't let it ruin your trip either way my friend. Memory making trips are much more rare than new hoods.

Will

[DeputyDog]

Several years ago I was in Salt Lake City for a conference. It was in May and the weather was in the 90’s already there and all of the locals were complaining about the ridiculously high humidity. If I remember correctly the humidity was in the low 30% range.

It was training for the software system we were using and they were talking about moving the conference from Utah, where they were based, to Indiana which was more central to their customer base. It never happened, but I can’t imagine what they would have though about the humidity in Indiana during the summer.


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[Thumper]

Interested in how those solar panels are working. I don't know much about solar panels. Do they charge a battery and then use an inverter?

They work great for what I use them for Hombre, but like anything else, it all depends on how much money you want to throw at it. Mine came stock with 200-watts of solar and I was planning on bumping it up to 370, but stuck with an “upgraded” 200 (two 100-watt panels) because Winnebago did it for free (long story). So I still have the same output, just better panels.

They do an excellent job of keeping my house batteries topped off (especially when parked at home, not being used). While camping with no hook-ups, they’ll run the low-draw stuff like lights, fridge and the basics like that, but ya’ ain’t gonna run a/c, tv, high-draw appliances (stove/heater/microwave, etc), at least not for long. I have instant hot water (no tank) that sips tiny amounts of propane (love it), so it’s not an issue. I can get away with heating up a cup of tea in the micro, but run much more than that through the inverter and you can see your battery reserve drop like a rock (I’m just running AGM batteries)

The hardcore boondockers get carried away with plastering every available square inch with high-output solar panels, big bucks controllers and bazillion $$ lithium battery packs. I’m not that serious and have better things to do with my money.

I also have many options on most things, but I have a residential style fridge that runs strictly off electric (battery, generator or shore power). None of the disadvantages of propane, but the disadvantage of needing electric if no hook-ups are available. I like it, no leveling issues (it’ll run upside down if you want it to) and I’m not having to fill with propane every week! I have a diesel generator that draws off the coach fuel tank and actually uses much less fuel than a propane unit.

I have a bazillion cooking options, outside grill (propane and/or charcoal), inside microwave oven, convection oven, propane stove and electric induction range. Add rice cooker, crock pot, etc. and the sky’s the limit. I have gas heat, ceramic heater and heat pump as well as a/c of course. Obviously, I don’t plan on relying on silly solar panels to stay comfortable or keep things convenient. I’m more of a “glamper”.

I know that’s a Thump answer to your question, but the solar is great for what I use it for, but not even close to adequate for the hardcore solar groupies.


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