Becoming Supercharged!

We took the motorhome to First RV Leisure Ltd in Northwich, near Chester to diagnose the issues with the battery and found out that the existing 95 amp AGM leisure battery is faulty: it will only hold a 60 per cent charge so we are replacing it with a 105 amp lithium battery – the equivalent to two of the older ones.  But to do this, we need to also upgrade our charging system through installing a 30 amp MPPT, and a DC to DC charger.  This also necessitates changing the 100 amp existing solar panel to match the 200 amp panel Tom installed to ensure a parity of wattage. What about the EHU charger, you may be wondering?  Well, this is compatible with the lithium system but will only take it to 90 per cent however the other two charging systems will top up the shortfall to 100 per cent.  Sorted.

Today has been a bewildering day of terms and language that I could probably get my head around however, frankly, it was too boring.  Tom dictated the above for those of you who are more technically minded.  And if you are reading it and thinking ‘hold on a minute…’ then I take full responsibility as I may have enjoyed a micro nap whilst he was explaining it to me.

To prove a point that I was out of my depth, there was one point during the evening where Tom and the guys had a good laugh when one of them presented Tom with what I must assume is the arm from a lego man.  Why this lego man had to be tortured to replace the battery in the motorhome is beyond my understanding but I assume it is to appease the amp overlords.  Every culture has its own idiosyncrasies and who am I to question the rituals of the mechanically minded.

A ritualistic sacrifice to appease the amp Gods?

So yes, a baffling day.  But, to clarify for my English teacher friends, here is my summary of the day in the words of Shakespeare’s Macbeth: 

We arrived at the garage, pointed at the battery and declared: “out, damned battery! Out, I say!”  And so the guys at the garage unseamed our motorhome from the nave to the chaps and removed the offending battery.  Those worthy gentlemen were no doubt wondering if all great Neptune’s ocean would wash this grease clean from their hands by the time they were finished the night’s great business!  They had the new battery installed by 10:20pm (having stayed 4 hours past their closing time to sort us out) and exhausted after a long day, we headed to a nearby pub stopover to sleep – much like Macbeth and Banquo did after defeating the rebellious Macdonwald.

We found the pub stopover (The Lodge) on Brit stops – a subscription service that costs £35 a year but gives you access to a huge range of businesses – mainly pubs but also some vineyards, farm shops and other such places – that allow you to park overnight on their land.  It’s a great idea as the business gets your custom (Tom and I had dinner at The Lodge) and you get a free night’s parking.   It was the first time we’d used Brit stops and we had a peaceful night.

It’s now Wednesday and we need to spend another day or two in this area as we are waiting for a solar panel to be delivered so we can finish off becoming supercharged.  The problem today is the heat, which already feels like a massive monster lurking out of sight just over the horizon.  In the shade, the monster feels manageable – a kitten playing with a ball of wool perhaps, but as soon as you step out of the shade, you find that the sun has claws that blind and scorch.

We are spending the day at Marbury Country Park as it’s close to the garage for when the solar panel comes in but is full of peaceful shade.  We went for a walk this morning and it was beautiful – nut brown paths dappled with sunlight and shade and behemoth trees growing a thick, leafy ceiling  which provide deep, cool darkness.  It’s into this darkness where we will retreat from the monster heat this afternoon with a picnic blanket, and a book.

So now we are paused for a slow, relaxed day or two of doing not very much whilst we await the solar panel.  But when it comes, we will be supercharged and nothing will hold us back.  Next up: Anglesey take two and Snowdonia! 

My fingers are very firmly crossed!