The batteries came on a semi with a hydraulic loading gate, so I just backed down to the road and we pushed the pallet into the back of my truck. It made it squat. According to the delivery receipt the pallet was 392lbs, right onto the tailgate. Fortunately my tailgate isn't rotted through like the bumper.
The batteries. They came with a bus bar and a couple other accessories too. I tested putting them on the ground and lifting them into the truck (they are 127lbs apiece) and while I was able to do it, I might want to start lifting weights, it was all I had to get them back up into the truck.
For now I put them in the carport with the cover back on them just in case the bird tries to poop on them. The carport has once again become an obstacle course. I was originally planning on putting them in the shed, but there is no way I am carrying them all the way up the hill, and the path up there is still wet and slick enough that I don't really want to drive up there.
I did a few other things when I got home. The whistling on the mirror wasn't because of the tiny plastic. One of the plastic clips on top popped apart, this seam had a small gap.
The new spindles arrived in only the finest quality grade A packaging. Fortunately neither looked damaged.
I also took some gorilla tape and patched the seats. The Cub seat was good, just one minor hole that I covered, but the Craftsman was stored outside most of its life, and it shows.
I also installed a receiver on the big tractor. This will allow me to use it to pull the trailer out of my yard and stuff like that. If I drive my truck into the back yard right now the tractor would be pulling it out. I need to pick up a new draw bar for the truck anyways for the anti-sway hitch, so I can use the old one in the tractor.
The last major component arrived last night for the camper electrical, the inverter. It is a big sucker. It comes with 4 sets of what look like 4-6AWG cables for the battery. That is a lot of current (334A). It is so high because I went with a 12V system. Typically off-grid systems are 48V because of the current, but that would have required a 4th battery and driven up the cost.
I also went out and started refurbishing the boards last night before bed. It takes a bit longer than I expected. They don't look bad when they are done though.
It made a gigantic mess though. It appears that the filter and dust control system in my belt sander doesn't work anymore. It is completely clogged and unfortunately the filter is not replaceable.
So I worked on the grading blade (to get most of the mess outside).
I got 5 boards done and then it started to rain and my hands were tired. I will finish up the rest of them tonight.
No movement on the project list. After seeing the inverter and the battery charger though, I think I might revisit the design for the electrical system. I was planning on mounting everything vertically on the sides of essentially a two shelf battery box. If I do that though, I won't be able to see any of the gauges or interfaces on the inverter or the charger. I think instead I might make a single shelf with the batteries the long way instead so I can mount them horizontally and see the interfaces when I look in the back of the truck. Basically turn everything in the design 90 degrees. Maybe I will draw it up today and see what I think.
2021 Projects:
Prepare summer equipmentCarport repair- Windows in shed
- Shed supports
- Table
- South wall siding
- Bridge over creek
- Review options for house (mobile home vs stick built vs modular)
- Trailer hub
- Rebuild smaller trailer
- Level back yard
- Level side yard
- Level front yard
- Clear trees to creek
- Remove dead/dying beech trees
- Retaining walls?
- Eliminate pile of crap in back
- Camper Electrical extension (portable AC power source and generator)
- Clean up/level area down by second parking spot
- Driveway round three
- Fix shed door.
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