Roof solar is just a waste of money….

[suavecarve]

Thanks - and I agree with all you said
.... but to the idea that idling causes cylinder glazing ... is this still a thing or not (or never has been)?

I know less than diddly about the mechanics of it all, but we ran a couple of diesel engines which were only used for journeys up to 2 miles max maybe 5 or 6 times a day and sometimes only 400 m (not on my team as they love to walk !)
Without fail they had to go in regularly for expensive repairs and once a week someone would give it a blast up the A3.
Petrol this time for our motors

 

[dawsey]

This just doesn't warrant getting involved with you again, this is absolutely bull shit where your other was half believable.

Steady on chap. No one is winding you up.

I’ve simply said that we didn’t find it as much use on the roof as expected, and outlined the reasons, because I knew it would be contentious. I also said an array that could be put in full sun would be useful.

 

[dawsey]

He has been telling us for a year now how he can live off grid for ever now he's saying he hooks up .

You do seem a little prone to misunderstanding stuff. We can and do manage off grid. The point was about how useful (or otherwise) we have found the solar to be at different times of the year.

If I was prepping the van again I wouldn’t bother with quite so much of it, as the batteries recharge much faster from the B2B. If you move every day and have B2B then there’s not much point in solar.

If you stay on a site or paid aire with EHU then there is not much point in solar.

It’s a view, an opinion, for debate, it was not written to encourage this sort of response.

 

[Carpmart]

I’m power self sufficient via my solar for months on end…

 

[Hoovie]

He has been telling us for a year now how he can live off grid for ever now he's saying he hooks up .

and moreover, why even have an inverter if you are hooking up? pointless thread summed up by the reply

my condensed version...

If you use EHU you don't need solar..

can't argue with that

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[Carpmart]

dawsey - since you’re on this thread and chatting, I’m genuinely interested in an update WRT your purchase?

 

[Gromett]

I’ve simply said that we didn’t find it as much use on the roof as expected

Your title was over the top and not what you ended up saying though... Perhaps if you didn't go for the tabloid style headlines Just saying

 

[Gromett]

and moreover, why even have an inverter if you are hooking up? pointless thread summed up by the reply

Yup it was this and solar being useless when parked under a tree that made me wonder what the whole point of the thread was.

 

[PhilandMena]

my condensed version...

If you use EHU you don't need solar..

can't argue with that

Your absolutly right ! However, Many sites now charge for Hook up on a metered basis and those that offer a fixed daily charge can be as high as 8.0 € a day although the avrage I suspect is somewhere between 4-5 € a day with the certain knowledge this will on ly increase.
Solar is still a cost effective option IMO and will increase in useage, I suspect.

 

[dawsey]

dawsey - since you’re on this thread and chatting, I’m genuinely interested in an update WRT your purchase?

Ahhh, dare I update? Maybe via the original thread which I might ask Jim to switch back on.

In a nutshell it all fell apart. Principle reason was the required investment just kept going up and the borrowing costs have become too high.

As I continually posted, the gypsies could come and go as they pleased, the infestation was chronic, critical maintenance had been skipped, waste inc human waste dumped on site and loads more (like the asbestos toilets). We just could not operate a site in an unsafe, unsecure and unhygienic way and just to correct this was going to be €150k we hadn’t previously considered.

When we started to suspect the owner was faking his own positive reviews to counter all the genuine negative ones it was a bit of a straw and camels back thing.

I will copy this to the original thread and expand on it a little when all the dust has settled, legalities are dealt with and we’ve recovered what we can from the notaire.

Much time, energy, effort and money wasted yes, but probably a bullet dodged. We did the right thing to insist on staying on the site to see it for what it really was. So the hunt for a new life is back on, and we are currently looking hard at a lovely little site in the Dordogne. So many Brits here it fees like home.

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[dawsey]

Your title was over the top and not what you ended up saying though... Perhaps if you didn't go for the tabloid style headlines Just saying

Ha - right you are Grommet !

 

[dawsey]

Yup it was this and solar being useless when parked under a tree that made me wonder what the whole point of the thread was.

That was really the point.

I don’t think the winter stuff anyone would disagree with, but in summer I hadn’t fully understood just how hot the van would get when staying stationary, and leaving it in full sun to collect all the energy we need to run the fridge, microwave, computers, stereo, TV, extractors, bit of A/C etc. We are quite power hungry. So yes, we went and hid under trees to stay cooler and of course the solar panels produced nothing. Bugger.

It got me thinking about how much value the panels really added when on the van roof, and what I would do differently if I was doing it again. It would likely be a remote array, but that would come with its own problems of course.

 

[Minxy]

Dawsey, I'm relieved for you that you didn't progress with the site purchase, next time promise that you will ask the collective fount of knowledge that is provided by the members of this forum before putting in an offer on something!

 

[suavecarve]

Ahhh, dare I update? Maybe via the original thread which I might ask Jim to switch back on.

In a nutshell it all fell apart. Principle reason was the required investment just kept going up and the borrowing costs have become too high.

As I continually posted, the gypsies could come and go as they pleased, the infestation was chronic, critical maintenance had been skipped, waste inc human waste dumped on site and loads more (like the asbestos toilets). We just could not operate a site in an unsafe, unsecure and unhygienic way and just to correct this was going to be €150k we hadn’t previously considered.

When we started to suspect the owner was faking his own positive reviews to counter all the genuine negative ones it was a bit of a straw and camels back thing.

I will copy this to the original thread and expand on it a little when all the dust has settled, legalities are dealt with and we’ve recovered what we can from the notaire.

Much time, energy, effort and money wasted yes, but probably a bullet dodged. We did the right thing to insist on staying on the site to see it for what it really was. So the hunt for a new life is back on, and we are currently looking hard at a lovely little site in the Dordogne. So many Brits here it fees like home.

Where are you based at the moment, and more importantly where (apart from under a tree) will you be based in about a fortnight ?

Thanks for the update, several people were very interested.

 

[chaser]

Dawsey, I'm relieved for you that you didn't progress with the site purchase, next time promise that you will ask the collective fount of knowledge that is provided by the members of this forum before putting in an offer on something!

Will he take any notice though.
Not a chance.

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[68c]

What dawsey did not say in his OP was what use the inverter was put to and for what periods.

Powering the drunken lecherous chef.

 

[suavecarve]

Dawsey, I'm relieved for you that you didn't progress with the site purchase, next time promise that you will ask the collective fount of knowledge that is provided by the members of this forum before putting in an offer on something!

He wouldnt be able to buy diesel at the forecourt if he needed a consensus from us !

 

[dunnah01]

Would have been really stuck in 1st lockdown with no solar. We spent 3 months wilding in a French forest and had to sign all sorts of paperwork to move the van anywhere. Luckily the solar allowed us to live a pleasant life even it was a bit monotonous.

 

[chaser]

He wouldnt be able to buy diesel at the forecourt if he needed a consensus from us !

Why is it that people who talk bulls... On here get listened to yet anyone who just gives a bit of advice get abuse.
How many times was he told this camp was a bad idea and yet others just kept encouraging him to throw away millions on it just to humour him.

 

[dawsey]

Will he take any notice though.
Not a chance.

All the ‘advice’ was followed in the end wasn’t it?

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[dawsey]

Why is it that people who talk bulls... On here get listened to yet anyone who just gives a bit of advice get abuse.

Hmm. It sure beats me….

 

[scotjimland]

Your absolutly right ! However, Many sites now charge for Hook up on a metered basis and those that offer a fixed daily charge can be as high as 8.0 € a day although the avrage I suspect is somewhere between 4-5 € a day with the certain knowledge this will on ly increase.
Solar is still a cost effective option IMO and will increase in useage, I suspect.

I agree...
but my post wasn't an economic argument for using EHU, or saying it wasn't useful.. I was simply condensing the OPs long winded post into a simple statement ..

"If you use EHU you don't need solar ".. no more, no less.

In fact I do have solar, but on my last 3 week trip to France, all the CCP aires have a 6A EHU included in the price, this is more than enough to keep batteries charged, heat water in the Truma and run a 12v compressor fridge ...
On a couple of aires without EHU the solar was more than capable of running the compressor fridge and charging the batteries.. etc

 

[dawsey]

Powering the drunken lecherous chef.

Ahh, we almost miss him and his burned pizzas with raw egg on top.

 

[suavecarve]

Why is it that people who talk bulls... On here get listened to yet anyone who just gives a bit of advice get abuse.
How many times was he told this camp was a bad idea and yet others just kept encouraging him to throw away millions on it just to humour him.

I dont think you get my humour !

 

[dawsey]

Where are you based at the moment, and more importantly where (apart from under a tree) will you be based in about a fortnight ?

Thanks for the update, several people were very interested.

Ta. I will switch on the original thread when we are fully extracted. Still licking our wounds, it was a tough call but the combination of the borrowing cost, additional investment, lack of disclosure, attitude to maintenance, safety, security, hygiene and devious behaviour of the owner turned us in the end. He bought it to get grants and all sorts of government support, artificially drive up turnover by over selling, massage online feedback, hike prices to the max, exploit the assets to the max and then flip. There was just too much to do as a result. Despite all, it had the potential to be, within its own (falling down) walls a fabulous and beautiful site - and it ran a massive €400,000 turnover, so was an opportunity unlikely ever to be found again. It will take a while to fully get over.

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[Gromett]

I dont think you get my humour !

That was humour


Just kidding

 

[suavecarve]

That was humour


Just kidding

You could have given me a funny emoticon !

 

[Otter Spotter]

I think I might have mentioned this before.

We have a modern diesel Jag. During lockdown (after the first couple of weeks) I received a note from Jaguar saying to run the engine for 30 minutes with the A/C thermostat set at 22C. And each following week, to run the engine for at least 15 minutes with the same A/C setting.

Now I don't claim to be a particular expert on the subject, but it would be surprising if Jaguar were recommending such action for its vehicles if it was going to wreck the engines?

Sounds like they needed to fill up their workshops with engine repairs

 

[Gromett]

You could have given me a funny emoticon !

I would if it was funny

 

[corconx]

Ta. I will switch on the original thread when we are fully extracted. Still licking our wounds, it was a tough call but the combination of the borrowing cost, additional investment, lack of disclosure, attitude to maintenance, safety, security, hygiene and devious behaviour of the owner turned us in the end. He bought it to get grants and all sorts of government support, artificially drive up turnover by over selling, massage online feedback, hike prices to the max, exploit the assets to the max and then flip. There was just too much to do as a result. Despite all, it had the potential to be, within its own (falling down) walls a fabulous and beautiful site - and it ran a massive €400,000 turnover, so was an opportunity unlikely ever to be found again. It will take a while to fully get over.

You will find something that appeals you can make your own. Just keep looking


carol

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