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AaronHorrocks

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Everything posted by AaronHorrocks

  1. Part is listed on Etsy! I'll eventually get this thing going. If anyone needs one, hit me up. https://www.etsy.com/listing/865004782/nissan-pathfinder-wd21-1990-1995-sunroof
  2. I found this new, never used, "mobility system", where it's a board that fits between a couple mattresses, and a rail that bends up so grandma can get in and out of bed easier. So I snagged it. Took a couple years before I found out it inadvertently makes a really, really good passenger side table. The handrail side goes down by the left side of the shifters, and rests fairly nicely. The board side rests on the door frame. Works great unless you open the passenger side door. I thought I'd share this knowledge, if there's anyone else out there that works out of their truck. Or even use on road trips, so the passenger can comfortably work on a laptop. For an off the shelf price of about $50, you really can't beat it. The only real issue is the two lock nuts that stick out. I'll figure out a fix later. I did make a small cut on it, at an angle, to better fit around the center/right vent. It really wasn't needed. Mobility Transfer Systems FREEDOM GRIP MODEL 501
  3. Well I guess you could always buy one of my Solar Sunroof Shades, as an entry-level solar starter! XD I have two different solar systems right now. I have one on my sunroof shade that powers USB banks... And then I have a goal zero system that I put in my truck, the 100 watt panel on stop with a Goal Zero Yeti 400 behind my seat, powering a 12v Fridge, and two power strips, etc. Topic is over here:
  4. Why would you wait? Is it because you want a more permanent installation? I specifically went with "off the shelf" products that are self-contained, so I can take them off/out, and use them anywhere else, or on another vehicle if needed. I made brackets that hold the solar panel to the roof rack. So (other than making the brackets themselves), there's no drilling, no cutting, no glue... It's all modular and can be mounted and dismounted by hand. Here's a quick video:
  5. That happened when I broke my steering tie.
  6. Previously, I've had a radio shack 350W inverter. Still do. I kept a few older car batteries in the garage, with the inverter. So this was my emergency power back up. It's just enough to boot up a cable modem and wifi, and run a TV, so it worked great. I had also been using it for years for portable power for an event. Like doing a huge cookout at a park, I'm lugging this car battery, and an inverter, and a power strip, and a radio, and cell phone chargers. Quite a hassle. Now it's all contained in this nice little unit. And it's in my truck at all times, so it's super convenient. My original, original plan, was to mount a secondary battery under my hood, and have it charge from the alternator also. Keep that separate from the main power. And have that for AC power in my truck for running laptops, and have USB power ports tapped off of that... Even have an external AC outlet somewhere on my pathfinder, for camping or whatever. But the reality is that we're getting muddy, or crossing creeks, or going through snow, so I didn't like that. And with doing reenactment events, and movie shoots, I want AC power for lights and to charge cameras... but I don't want to have to bring my truck everywhere we need power. So having a commercial "power station" (battery) like this is a godsend. I can move AC power wherever I need it. And even pack a solar panel to charge it in place on a film set or camping trip. Or more correctly, the solar panel is already on my roof rack, so it's "always packed". Again, I really need to just make a video of my setup.
  7. I could have made my own custom set up, and saved money, like you're saying. But I wanted a system that's more neatly packaged, and easier to remove, and take out and put in a camp site, or go to an event. So being portable and modular is key. The only thing semi permanent in my Pathfinder is that I routed a 15' extension cable from my roof, through my sunroof, inside the ceiling panel, down the side trim, up the wheel well, then under the rear seat, and down to my "Power Station", the Goal Zero Yeti 400. it's the non-lithium version, and it has a 33ah battery, which works pretty well for me. However I'm now running a 12 volt fridge, so I ordered more batteries and cables so I can chain this to 2 other batteries for a total of about 100ah. That should give me enough capacity to run the fridge 24/7 and also a laptop when I need it. With the way I have my panel mounted, I can easily dismount it, and set up the stand, and point it where I need to - when I need more power. But once I get that extra capacity connected, I don't think I'll ever have to do that again.
  8. I don't know of any food that will last if stored in a vehicle. The HOT- Cool - HOT cool cycle destroys even non perishables. I would keep a case of MREs handy under my desk at the office, and some in a "go back" or "day pack". and the pack travels with me from house to car, car to work or whatever. Or I'd even have a case handy at home, and then going on a trip, throw the case of MREs and a couple gallons of water in the truck. Food is just one of those things that you can't store in a vehicle for a long period of time, unfortunately.
  9. MREs are guaranteed to last 7 years, up to 14, with inspections on all years after 7. However, that depends on the "store in a cool dry place". The warmer it gets, the faster it expires. Storing in a vehicle, where the temperatures can exceed 120 easily and regularly, an MRE can expire in a single summer.
  10. And by comparison, the Goal Zero Nomad 10 and Flip 12. Kinda the same concept. A Solar Panel charging a Power Bank in your vehicle, ready to grab and go. But it's loose on the dash.
  11. If I make the clip to hold the Goal Zero Venture 30, it does kinda force people into that specific USB Power Bank. But the reason that I picked that one, other than my support for that company, is the 65 lumen LED light on it. Using that Power Bank above all others, makes my replacement Sun Roof Shade, not only a replacement part, but also a solar panel, a USB power bank, and an additional interior light. One that's actually bright enough that you can see the floors and dig around in your truck if it's full of crap. Rather than the dim map and dome lights. Which, do have their place, as a dim light so that you can just see enough to get in and out of the vehicle, and not hurt your eyes, or ruin your night vision. So it's a shade/solar panel/USB Power/Interior light. I'm using it as mostly a light. And it's all modular, so it can be taken apart. Here's an unlisted video that I just made:
  12. MOLLE straps? Nah. I'm trying to make this thing as simple and minimalist and practical as possible. My first design had so much going on that it would probably be too heavy. And get too expensive to make. It was already starting to go into the $200 to $300 range just in components before I started any work on it. I'm going to try to figure out some hard plastic brackets. I might have to make something spring loaded so that this snaps into place. Or maybe just some thin flexible plastic that will work. Like study the OtterBox phone holster, and figure something similar out.
  13. Spare headlight bulbs. This one is so important that I feel that I need to make a YouTube video about it. Sure, you can get a replacement headlight bulb in just about any town, any auto parts store, if it's in stock. But your headlight burns out at night. When the store isn't open. And having one or no headlights can be dangerous... and can get you pulled over. In a post 9/11 world, the cops have lots of terrorism and tactical training, and we're not getting the best people as police officers. If you're lucky, you'll get a "fix it ticket". You can get fined, for just the headlight, or a bunch of stuff. And your time wasted on the side of the road. More than not these days, the police getting hired have mental or personality issues, are authoritarian, below average intelligence, hot headed, and looking for a reason to escalate things. If your paperwork is not in order? You could have a really bad time. Some people are even being shot for "reaching", or "moving" or getting out of their vehicle. Having spare bulbs on hand, means that you can fix your headlight anywhere, anytime. Avoid getting pulled over. in 2017, I was pulled over for no (legitimate) reason. The officer kept asking for my ID, and I kept asking why they pulled me over. This continued until he called for back up and a supervisor, and then I was arrested for "obstruction of justice" and "resisting arrest" and my truck was towed. Between bail and getting my truck back, we're looking at over $5,000 and 3 days of wasted time. 3 years later, charges were never filed, but he probably thinks he taught me a lesson for not respecting his authority or something.
  14. Okay, so I stopped by the hardware store a couple days ago, and it seems like M10 x1.5 is close, but the threads are larger and further apart? Maybe M10 x 1.75 or 2? It looks like M10 x 1.75 exists and can be ordered, but M10 x 2 doesn't. I did end up buying some smaller threaded bolts that matched up with the threads and nuts for the front mounting slots. Unfortunately, I ended up not using those in my final design. This project is getting so complex that I might have to make my own knobs? I would want metal on metal because of the extra weight of this new visor. So I stopped by the Nissan dealership, and asked about them. Seems like they're in stock. So I would be able to get NOS/NIW knobs with fresh threads. That's good. Also I asked about the visor. Turns out it's called a "Sun Shade" or "Sun Roof Shade" in the parts catalog. And that the retail is $500. And it's not available. WOW. So I've worked out most of the kinks in my head, except for how to mount the USB Power Bank. Plastic strap? held in by? Rivets? Bolts? How does the power bank stay in place and not fall out while driving? I'm going to stop by the hardware store and buy a M10-1.5 bolt and see if they thread in.
  15. I have noticed that I'm getting less than 50% power from a solar panel under that sunroof glass. It has tinting and those dots all over it. So with a 14 watt panel, I'm getting like 4 to 6 watts out of it. It takes several days to charge a power bank, depending on size. The 12V socket in the dash, I have modified into a 3 socket on the lower center. It works great when I'm driving, and can charge a phone, and GPS, but it shuts off with the vehicle. I've put the solar panel above the sun roof visor, and had the charging cable run down to the passenger front frame, taped to the window, and into the pocket on the dash. It's okay for charging a battery bank, but then it's sitting in the sun and getting hot. Anywhere else in the vehicle, a USB power source will be loose. Here, in my idea, it would be mounted and integrated into the vehicle. It's modular. Removable. If you're in your vehicle and driving, it's not like you're going to be using it. This is a place for your USB power bank to charge. Not a location for you to use it. The difference in the product from "base model" and "solar model" wouldn't just be mounting holes, but brackets, and also a section of the board milled out to fit the panel. Otherwise the panel would just slide around and be annoying. I'm still working out the kinks. It seems like the original visor, between the front mounting brackets and the screw in knobs, all gave a huge tolerance for variations in where the mounting points were glued onto the glass. I've noticed some of my measurements were off. And I may have to compensate for that in a design. I've had to fudge my prototype. It's installed now, photo taken. (also, I'm limited to 0.02MB for attachments? yuck!) Also for the sun visor, I'm currently re-using the original knobs. But since they're plastic, and kinda worn out, I want to replace them. Does anyone know what thread the knobs are?
  16. I just looked up the Nomad 20, and it's like my Nomad 10, it's very thick and heavy. NO WAY. Look up the Nomad __ Plus series. They're very thin and light. So much so that they're kinda flimsy and frail, and they've been discontinued. I took the pouch/stand off of mine, and use it on the dash or in the sun roof. Here's a video that shows the product fairly well: I bought the 14 because it was the largest panel that could fit on the sun roof. But now I'm thinking that I might be better off with one or 2 of the 7 Plus panels instead.
  17. So my sun visor is on it's last legs, and keeps falling down on hard bumps. I've tried gluing it back into shape but it only holds up for months at a time, then cracks somewhere else, and falls apart again. I went over to a local plastic store, and had them cut me a piece of "Starboard", which is Marine Grade plastic, some of the toughest stuff that they have for UV light and use on boats. Unfortunately, 1/4" is the thinnest that it comes, so I'm running though a few different designs, trying to figure out how to make this work, as even a 1/4" sheet is heavier than the original visor. I'm looking at utilizing the original brackets, perhaps? but that might not be practical. What I want to do for mine, is to have a solar panel on the top side (specifically a Goal Zero Nomad 14 Plus), utilizing some of that light. And on the bottom side, have it charging a portable USB powerbank/LED Light (specifically the Goal Zero Venture 30). The idea is that throughout the day, the light charges the power bank, and then I can use the power bank to charge my phone, or other device. It's out of sight, out of mind thing, where it's integrated into the truck, and you use it when you need to. No longer having to fumble with packing up and storing a portable solar panel. Also with the LED light, when you need more light than the dome light and map lights put out, you can hit this thing, and turn on 65 lumens for some bright white LED light, and actually see. You can use this light for hours without worrying about draining your vehicle battery. Also if you're going camping, or hiking, or going to an event, you can just yoink the Goal Zero Venture 30 from the sun visor and be on your way. (Small image attached) Who would want one of these Nissan Pathfinder WD21 replacement visors? I can make them "Slick" (just the basics), or make them "solar" where you'd be able to set them up for solar as I said. Initial costs are looking between $100 to $300.
  18. I picked the Goal Zero - Boulder 100 because it was the largest panel that would fit in the roofrack. For that, I like this product. I can also remove it and set it up on it's stand. Or stand it up on my roof. It's built pretty tough, so it'll last for years being mounted, and dismounted, and used for camping, etc. For performance wise, not so much. I seem to be getting 40 to 60 watts regularly, and only on the best clearest summer day with the panel pointed directly at the sun, can I get something in the low 80 watt range. Because it's powering a Goal Zero Yeti 400, I sometimes need more power, as I don't have much in reserve. So to get more wattage out of the panel, I loosen my mounts, and stand up the panel. This probably wouldn't be needed if I had more batteries connected. (Which I've ordered). The Yeti 400 (non lithium) is a 300 watt inverter on a 33ah battery, so if I'm using a laptop, running a 12v fridge, charging phones and cameras, I can drain the thing entirely while working in the sun in something like 4-6 hours. doing the math, you can use 100 watts for 4 hours "400 watt hour" is the rating of the Yeti 400. So even with 40-60 watts coming in, if I'm pulling 180watts, I'm running out of power in the day time. But that's kinda heavy use working on the road. My rack mount? Isn't the best. The first one that I designed would have been AWESOME, but became cost prohibitive. But I still want to make it. So for the time being, I bought some angle Aluminium and by making several cuts, bends, and holes, it works for mounting the panel. So I spent about $40 instead of hundreds. However, the location of the roof struts are critically dependent to be placed at exact locations for these brackets to connect and mount up. I plan to make a video later covering all of this, so any questions now that i can try to answer typing would be good for preparation.
  19. Okay, the replacement part/parts is "Rubber Stop", and I bought two. $15.25 each. 46512-H0101 Looks like they're both for the brake and cruise control. Also, maybe this is why my cruise control hasn't been working??? lol will check!
  20. Thanks guys I cut a strip of rubber to cover that part, and wrapped it with some electrical tape, and it's working as a temporary fix. But it keeps falling off because it's 106 degrees out here. I'll stop by the dealership and see if they have replacements.
  21. I've been having some slow starts almost like my battery has been dying. Just noticed today that my brake lights are stuck on. Fiddled with brake, brake light still on. Removed electrical connector to the master cylinder, brake light still on. Removed fuse, light turned off. Plug fuse back in, light turns back on. I'm a bit stumped here. Shouldn't the switch to the brake lights be in the master cylinder, and when you unplug the electrical the lights should turn off?
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