Violating Newton’s 1st Law
We return to Ecuador today and, of course, we’re still trying to figure out how to strategically pack our bags and bring everything we think we may want to have with us for the foreseeable future. I’ve been on and off the scale 10 times trying rearrange each bag to an allowable weight.
Naturally, we had a long list of things to do before we returned to South America. We didn’t stress out over it too much, but it does almost feel like we are starting over. We’ve been living a relatively pampered life for the past several weeks. There is a bit of an energy barrier to overcome in order to return to life on the road.
As far as list goes, the more items we checked off, the more we added. We won’t finish the list, but at least Bode has a new (to him) wetsuit and 2 of us shouldn’t get Typhoid fever.
Since I’ve been struggling to find the correct brake pads on the trip, I also figured it was a good time to stock up on some spares while we’re back in the USA. Two sets should last a while. I have no idea how many more miles we have to go in South America, but I figure we should have more luck finding spares the farther south we go. Time will tell.
I also decided to get that extra solar panel I’ve been thinking about. They are difficult to find and expensive south of the US border, so it’s now or never. We had a single 50W panel and now we’ll have 50W more. Back when I bought the first panel, I worried whether or not 50 would be enough. If you are considering your own camper setup, I recommend a 100W. Minimum. The best prices are on eBay. Merry Christmas to me.
Now I just have to figure out how to get it on the plane.
what all are you running off your panel?
Nick-
we’re running a 12V Engel fridge. the 50W panel is fine for moderate climates (when the fridge isn’t working too hard). In hotter/tropical areas, it has to run full blast all day – using all 50W (still amazingly efficient). But, there’s no surplus to charge the battery for night-time use. Hopefully, 100W will keep our beer cold 24/7 no matter the outside heat.
Jason,
Which model of Engel fridge do you have? I have been thinking about buying one to mount where the useless ice chest is. I can always store the extra oil under the seat instead. 🙂
Ryan
It’s the MT45. Works pretty well, is pretty efficient, and fits right where the old icebox was – just sticks out a bit. I hear there is a new competitor that makes a similar fridge for half the cost. Check GoWesty.