This article will give our readers an idea of what is needed to build a vehicle that utilizes solar panels, a DC to AC power inverter and a battery bank to enable the use of 120 volt appliances and tools while mobile and away from any power. Our system is mounted on a four wheel drive Chevrolet pickup with a utility commercial shell.

Several solar panels joined together are called a solar array. For our purposes we used a 12 volt array. There are also 24 volt arrays as well as 48 volt arrays which are usually reserved for residential or commercial buildings. We will only deal with 12 volt arrays for this article. Our service truck has four Kyocera 125 watt, 12 volt panels on the roof of our utility shell. The formula for figuring how many amps that relates to is, 125 watts divided by 12 volts = 10.42 amps per panel or 41.68 amps for the set of four. To put things in perspective, a large auto type battery charger puts out 40 amps. This is a very high power system and is enough power to power our personal travel trailer for about two cloudy days.

The next major component of our system is a charge controller. The power from the panels goes to the charge controller which is a Xantrex 40 amp, three stage controller capable of taking the full power to the battery bank when maximum charging is needed. As the battery bank becomes closer to being fully charged, the controller "tapers" off to a lower charging rate until the bank reaches about 14 volts when it then goes into a "float" mode that basically just maintains the batteries charge to 100%.

Batteries used for renewable energy are not the same as starting batteries as used to start a vehicle. Renewable energy batteries have much thicker plates and are built for many cycles of being discharged and recharged than would be a starting battery. They also have much more capacity than a starting battery. We use four Concorde Sun Extender 6 volt batteries which are wired in series and parallel. This wiring configuration gives our battery bank about 440 amp hours of reserve power. These are AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries which are sealed and are spill resistant and therefore pose no safety hazards as far as acid spills are concerned. Each battery has a 220 amp hour rating. When using a series AND parallel wiring configuration however, you end up with 440 amp hours. To illustrate the power here, remember most new homes have incoming power from the utility company of 200 amps!

Once we have all this power stored in our battery bank we need to convert it to usable ac power. This is accomplished by our 2500 watt inverter. The battery bank and the inverter are connected by very large gauge welding cables. An inverter takes the 12 volt dc power from the battery bank and changes it to 120 volts of ac power so that we can use household appliances such as coffee makers, microwaves for use in our travel trailer and most importantly on our service truck, for all our power tools.

Our system enables us to go out on new construction job sites and work all day even though there is no power to the building yet without the noise or expense of a generator. Of course the battery bank will be drained eventually and is why we built such a large one. A system should not be drained below 50%. The lower the discharge rate, the less life expectancy you will get from your batteries. Most of our equipment was purchased from Back Woods Solar in Idaho, who we found to be very knowledgeable and reasonable in cost. They also went the extra mile for us when we had questions. The cost of our system ran around $4,000.00 with us supplying all the labor.

When it comes to Jeeps one of the most common questions asked is, "What size tires can I fit on my Jeep?" If you have asked that question or if you intend on putting larger tires on your Jeep you should give this article a read. It will help you make your decision on what tire to buy for your stock Jeep.

There are three models of Jeep Wranglers, the YJ, TJ and JK. The YJ which were made between 1987 and 1995 are best identified by the square headlights and leaf spring suspension. If you have a YJ your best bet without a lift is a 30 x 9.5 inch tire. Next there is the TJ which was made from 1997 to 2006. TJs are identified by the return to round headlights and is the first model to use a coil spring suspension. They have a little more clearance so you can therefore go with a 31 x 10.5 inch tire with no problems. You might have to adjust the steering stops if you keep the stock wheels but that is an easy procedure. (Do a search for "jeep steering stop adjustment"). Finally you have the newest JK version which were built between 2007 and the present. JKs have an even larger wheel opening as well as an increased wheel base and slightly wider stance. JK's can easily run a 32" tire and even a 33" tire with the right wheels.

So there it is. Those are the basic tire sizes you can fit on stock Wranglers. Of course you should use this as a general guideline only. Consult a tire professional before investing the money in wheels and tires if you are unsure about what tire will fit.

For years, Chevrolet and GMC has had an upstanding reputation for quality trucks. It is no doubt, even with current gas prices, that these trucks are pure Americana and forever will be. It just won't be the same having to live without the pick up truck, especially when most of us depend on them for business and pleasure, it is the automobile most of us can't live without. Chevrolet's light duty pickup truck has been quite the successful runner for over 25 years. Aside from larger Silverados and C-10's, the smaller S-10 has sold its fair share of trucks, millions world wide. It was always the choice for the guy that wanted a smaller truck, a get around towner, the runner for the trip to the lumber yard. It has been unanimously dubbed the "all purpose economy truck". The memorable S-10 nameplate has since disappeared from new Chevy lots, but it's newest incarnation, the Chevrolet Colorado, continues the all purpose legacy. With such a demanding market for breakthrough vehicles, does the 2008 Colorado light up candles with other competitive trucks. I'll test drive the 2008 Chevrolet Colorado regular cab and simply compare it's heavy duty capabilities to comparable models in it's class. Does it still offer everything for the working American?

At first, I elected to try out a basic LS, 4 cyl., stick shift model, the no frills deal. It is the volume leader in every manufacturer's lineup, so it was clearly the smartest choice to base a fair assessment on. Base work truck trims are not known for their fancy looks, albeit the 2008 Colorado was the epitome of plain. This was ok, the truck was built durable and comes in a wide array of colors, mine was the "DOT" white. Aside from the ho-hum looks, the Colorado does the job as it included a myriad of truck features. The bed is constructed without the exposed bolts, this was great in that I could just slide 2x4's or plywood without it ever hanging up. Additionally, there wouldn't be any pesky rust issues, which help up-play it's durability. My test Colorado also had some tie downs, stake pockets, double tiered loading, rubber mat, light duty towing package, drain holes for standing water, and a lockable/multi adjusting tailgate that was engineered with versatility in mind. Chevy did an outstanding job integrating smart ideas to it's focused loading area to eliminate the need of any unneeded accessory purchases. A true money saving aspect! All in all, I gave the thumbs up for it's useful mix of durability and features, even though the overall package was lacking any sort of personality. I was willing to look past that.

Secondly, my Colorado interior was all about the work grade. I keep thinking to myself, that this truck would get battered everyday. The vinyl as some would expect, is durable, if not commercialized. I'm glad mine at least came with an AM/FM radio, cruise control standard, automatic headlamp control, onstar, and dual airbags. It was the least I expected, and it delivered more than what I wanted. Believe or not, I also had the spray and wash rubber flooring. Real nice and very easy to clean. Drivability was bouncy, just like a truck should be. The 4 cyl was a little too coarse sounding, if not thirsting for more power. During cold starts, this little engine gets a little too noisy even for me. If Chevy would decide to enhance its midsize area, maybe they should engineer a much quieter and more refined engine, I would hope someday. Overall power was suitable for the everyday driver, maybe lacking what it should have in comparison to say the Toyota Tacoma or even the Ford Ranger.

There are couple areas I would strongly consider to picking the 2008 Chevrolet Colorado over the rest. Pricing is uber-cheap, especially for GM's thirst for big rebates, even in it's 2008 model year. My test mule priced in at only $15,495 in an automatic, additional couple thousand in rebates make this more of an absolute bargain. Also expect about $500-1,200 between MSRP and invoice to help making negotiating easier. In addition, the secondary aftermarket is huge for upfitting and personalizing the bland Colorado. There are more parts and accessories available for this pick up than any other one. The consumer can easily improve looks, power, and gas mileage with simple and quick bolt ons! In conclusion, the 2008 Chevrolet Colorado is the perennial smart choice for the ever demanding everyday truck driver crowd. Inexpensive, plenty of options, and durable for the everyman.


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