I also came across some load test videos (like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwQZCxXPWrw) and realized that when I am using it in the camper, it will likely never throttle up. It doesn't throttle up until you hit ~3.6kW, which I likely won't use.
After chatting with Dad a bit, I don't think I will try the water trick to make it quieter except as a last resort; I don't like changing how the engine works to make it quieter. Putting the exhaust in water would slightly change the compression from the engine which could in theory shorten the lifespan of my $4500 monster generator.
I was having some trouble falling asleep last night, so I decided to go and create an electrical conceptual diagram, since it is complicated with multiple sources. I have a concept that I think will work, but I would have to manually set up the breakers every time I plugged in the generator to turn off the power from the battery and turn on power to the battery so it recharges from the generator. I don't know how this is all automatically handled in commercial campers, though I guess I could design a board that detects available sources and triggers the proper relays to let power pass correctly. I poked Uncle to see if he knows how his works and how far off base I am.
I started to do a little more 12V research, looking at batteries and the like. I would still like to get a lithium battery, but at the smaller capacities, sealed lead acid snuck in despite the weight and is massively cheaper, so I poked Uncle to see how big his battery is. Mine will need to be bigger, since I am not running a propane fridge (the options for that kind of stink), and it will have the microwave to run (yes, I consider a microwave part of the critical stuff box), and so on. The whole spreadsheet comparing the different products I have looked at (batteries, panels, solar systems, generators, and so on) is now posted on my Google Drive since Microsoft did a helpful update on my work computer that means I can no longer click links in Excel. It is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16g0W-_9pEH2vaUiGeYPaBuW3A21ksxqL/view?usp=sharing
I looked at some 12V solar panels, but it looked like the comparison I did (sadly not documented above) when I bought the Renogy kit for testing was pretty much what there is.
Today started out kind of icky, everything was still drenched from the storms last night, so I started with some laziness. Dad sent me a picture of the dump truck brake drums, and I think if I hit it with a wire wheel and paint it, they actually would look pretty nice. I also installed the new SSD in my laptop, since its old one is one of the ones I was going to bring down for the new core for Jess' computer. I also started getting things together for the KY trip next week, I will have a fuller truck this time than normal.
Uncle Dennis gave me a call, since I had been asking him questions about how his camper solved certain problems. One of the things we discussed was that his camper did the electric as basic as you can get. I actually much prefer this, even if it means going with a lot of 12V stuff.
I also asked him about his battery size, and he said it was just a small one from the camper store. His two small deep cycle marine batteries last him about a week off-grid, though he goes extremely minimalist when he is using it on battery (no more than 1 light on, not even microwave to heat his coffee).
If I wanted to use that design which is extremely simple, I would have to change the kitchenette design which currently makes use of a standard 4.4 cubic foot dorm fridge, which requires 110v. I chose that because I wasn't pleased with the smaller sized offerings for propane + electric fridges, but I didn't look too hard. Though I could use a small passive inverter at the kitchenette that pulls in 12V and just use a 12V microwave and keep the design and the fridge that I like. It means beefy wires (700W + ~200W = 900W = 75A @ 12V) but most of the 12V microwaves come with what look like 4 or 2 gauge wires which I wouldn't mind dual-purposing for the fridge. Or I could use a normal microwave and get a bigger inverter like this one: https://www.eastwood.com/1000w-pure-sine-wave-power-inverter-w-remote.html There are many options, I just have to watch the wattage of the microwave and the starting wattage of the fridge. The GE model 4.4 cubic foot fridge with freezer was ~85W running with an 180W inrush, so that would limit me to a 800W microwave (small but fine for a camper). Either way, there are lots of options.
Uncle had another entertaining thought too: why not just rent one, try it and reverse engineer it? I can rent it for a week in the summer, take it out to an RV park, learn how it works, how to dump the tanks, and so on in a sheltered environment (perhaps at a place with a metered electric plug), and then maybe in the fall, rent it again and boondock with it (closer to my expected use case). See if I like it, learn a bit, find gotcha's that I haven't even considered yet (like leveling it...). The idea certainly has merit.
After all that though, it turned out to be a really nice day today. I started by finishing up some overdue cutting. I got the skirting I was supposed to bring down cut in half. Unfortunately it looks like part of it got damaged sitting outside the past couple years (look at the top right of the piece).
It needs a good pressure washing too.
I also got the boards cut for the last cabinet rack I am planning on building. This one is bigger so it can hold boxes of ziplocks.
I also did the well overdue oil change on the car. The new ramps suck, but they are all you can find these days. I had debated building my own, and still might.
I found out when I went dump the used oil back into the jug that my funnel has apparently cracked. Cracked quite badly.
So I went and grabbed my only other funnel out of the kitchen. Turns out it was cracked too, but it at least didn't leak everywhere. It is nearly impossible to wash the oil out of though, so it is dead to me now.
I also got the boards cut and painted for the south facing window.
After that I decided to transition to the table. I got some beautiful cabinet grade boards from Tim (one of his perks for working for a furniture manufacturer).
I sketched up a quick design of what I want to do with them.
I will have to find new hinges though. My leftover piano hinge the holes are dangerously close to the edge since they were designed for a 1 by board, and this is 5/8 plywood.
I went to sand everything and thought it was a good time to pull out the air sander that I got from a coworker last year. He won it at a raffle after I made him a step stool so he gave it to me. It is a very high end orbital sander (costs over 200 bucks) so I made out good on it. Unfortunately though, I have never used it before. The sandpaper I bought was plain, and this requires adhesive backed paper. D'oh!
So I ended up sanding everything by hand with my trusty old block. For over 2 hours. Used every piece of sandpaper I had too, but everything is perfectly smooth now. Except for the piece I plumb forgot to cut. I am out of sandpaper now though except for a few scraps I have in various places.
It was nice to get out and get some real work done, and a really nice day for it.
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