God With Us #3: Let There Be Light

 

We have 8 solar panels and two lithium batteries (1600W with 400Ah) to help power our rig, as well as a Victron ‘smart’ solar charger to connect to our smart shunt and read our intake and output of power. During daylight, our panels collect the solar energy and re-charge our batteries, which power our lights, outlets and refrigerator, etc. - pretty basic. Using power at night drains our batteries, usually anywhere from 15-30%, or even more if we run something like a space heater. With full sunlight the next day, at that rate, we can be recharged by late morning or early afternoon no problem. And repeat. 

In the previous post about our trek through Washington state, I made mention of our issues with the ‘solar system.’ Upon our midday arrival at the Fishtrap Recreation Area outside Spokane, WA, Justin noticed our intake of power was at zero, though we parked in a sunny spot with no obstructions. He spent the next several hours troubleshooting the issue, looking for loose or broken connections/wires, resetting the switch, checking the panels on the roof, etc. He contacted the company in Colorado Springs that had installed the upgraded system and proceeded to run through the gamut of system checks yet again. We found nothing, and after nightfall, we were unable to continue to search for the issue. 

The next day, we knew we needed to be nearer to the city to get help, so we moved to Cabela’s just over the border in Idaho. It was a Sunday, of course, and the nearest RV solar experts Google could find were clear over in Montana and closed Sunday-Monday (any solar company near us were residential panel providers and wouldn’t necessarily be able to provide parts or expertise for our setup, or offer any help in the short-term). It was an awful feeling; knowing that the issue must be something simple and fixable, but not being able to find it ourselves and wondering if we’d have to start paying for hookups at an RV park or hightail it back to the Springs for repair, before we ran out of power and our food started to spoil with nothing to run the fridge. It was like a ticking time-bomb, and we were all but helpless watching the power drain and calculating that we only had about a day and a half left before we were in real trouble. And, being in the parking lot of a business establishment rather than the middle of the country meant that we couldn’t just run our generator all day. 

The next day, Justin took the boys to town to find a solution. He brought the circuit breaker box with him and looked for a replacement, first in Walmart and then at Home Depot, with no luck. The associate there advised him to try Platt Electric Supply down the street. There, he was given a new list of several places to try, the first of which was BL Best electrical supply store. They had his plug tested, and it proved to be functioning properly, and so the wild goose chase with a false lead ended back at square one. 

Little did we know, though, that God was listening to our little silent prayers and desperate petitions for help. 

When Justin had parked at BL Best, there was a van that pulled up at the same time. Once the associated had tested the plug, he mentioned that a man named Don - a mobile RV tech from Yuma, Arizona - had just pulled in the lot at the same time Justin had. He introduced the two of them, they chatted, Justin got his information and Don offered to come by the rig in an hour or so to check it out. Justin came straight back, excited that we had someone, hooked the part back up and… out of nowhere, the solar began charging again. It was just after 1pm (high sun). Nothing had been fixed - it was unexplainable! We let Don know, but he came out anyway to look it over and test wires and plugs. He was also able to test the awning motor and let us know it was blown. He gave us a new plug to have on hand if this ever happened again, and went on his merry way. 

Soon after he left, however, the system went down once again, without rhyme or reason. Long story short, Don came back out that evening and re-tested things, finding that the fuse in the MC4 connector was blown. (We had overlooked this fuse on the roof, because it was hidden inside a connector cover on a part originally installed by the manufacturer, not further down the newly-installed line where we had been checking.) He gave us a new fuse, which Justin replaced, and that was that. 

Now, I do believe that God speaks to us individually and in different ways. For Justin, the miracle was that he just happened to show up at the right store at exactly the same time as a very knowledgeable mobile RV tech that had just driven all the way from Arizona and was available that same day to help. (And what a great guy he was, coming out twice and all!) For me, it was the fact that just as we were facing running out of power that night, it was like God reached down and gave us just enough charge to make it through to see another day. There was no reason for the system to charge again that day - only for a couple hours - then blackout again. It gave me just enough of a taste of hope to remember that He is in control, and He will always provide for our needs. 

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” 

~ John 8:12 ~