1996 Eddie Bauer

[Becks_Bronco]

OBS Solutions Hood strut kit installed; These replace the factory coil spring hood supports. Easy, mostly bolt in install. Only needed to drill one hole.

[franklin90]

I also just added the solo shelf brackets and it saved so much space and made getting stuff out of the truck so much easier.

[Joe S.]

Those OBS hood struts are trick. I like those a lot!

[Becks_Bronco]

I also just added the solo shelf brackets and it saved so much space and made getting stuff out of the truck so much easier.

post up pictures man!

[Becks_Bronco]

Solar Install!

Used 85lb tensile 3m VHB ont he back of a flex panel... for better or worse, if I have to remove this panel, it'll be delaminating the shell.



Deutsch connectors instead of the crummy MC4's that come on the panel, and a marine grade bulkhead fitting.



Hopefully the only hole I'll ever drill in my top. Packed the hole with silicone, and bonded the fitting to the shell with E9000. Permanent.



Cable routed under headliner and front trim. Run behind trim bracket and secured.



Not necessarily hidden, but secured.



Good crimps make me happy.



Connector on



630 pm and we're getting enough juice to push some voltage into the battery. Super stoked!

[Becks_Bronco]

Charge controller all wired up, ready to put the covers back, on. Looks a little bit like spaghetti. Might go back and build a nicer harness at some point, but it works and I'm happy with that.

[Becks_Bronco]

Maybe I spoke too soon... Solar worked great at 7pm Thursday evening. Loaded the Bronco onto the trailer, left the house at 5am thinking the solar would top the battery off while I was driving all day.

Get to Frazier Park, and in full sun at 12pm, NADA. So frustrating how something I didn't touch went from working, to not overnight. Fired up the truck to get enough voltage to kick my bluetooth module back on.




Testing the panel, I'm getting 4.75a, and 16+V at the panel. Continuity is good on wiring, no significant voltage loss from he roof to the connector at the charge controller, but no dice on charging.

[Becks_Bronco]

Been going back and forth with Renogy diagnosing the system. they say my panel testing shows the panel is good, though I think the voltage is below what I should be putting out. I should be getting into he low 20's, as that's how the panel is rated.

Frustrated with the solar, but this thing makes me so happy to drive, so I'll look past it for now!

[Joe S.]

Man that’s a bummer, but will be really nice once you get it sorted out. So is the company claiming nothing is wrong with the panel and not willing to help you out? What are they suggesting is the problem, or are they?

[Becks_Bronco]

Man that’s a bummer, but will be really nice once you get it sorted out. So is the company claiming nothing is wrong with the panel and not willing to help you out? What are they suggesting is the problem, or are they?

I had to go through a bunch of troubleshooting steps for them, but eventually they agreed it was a fault panel and sent me a new one.

...the new one arrived cracked due to being manhandled in shipping ughhh.

So third panel was the charm, and that one has been working great since!

[Becks_Bronco]

Glamour Shots!!

[Becks_Bronco]

Done messed up over Labor Day last year. Something came loose on a side by side trail and pinched the MAF harness against the washer bottle bracket. Broke the insulation and blew the fuel pump fuse. Truck stalled out and wouldn't start back up. Thankfully poking around under the hood I caught the pinched harness and broken wires. There was enough wire still connected I was able to tape them up and zip tie the intake/MAF housing back in place and get off the trail.




Dug around online and found a replacement 4 wire MAF pigtail and spliced it in.

[Becks_Bronco]

Next upgrade was a mounted trickle charger to plug in the Bronco while it's parked in the garage. This will keep the starting battery topped off, and then send power to the house battery via its alternator connection.

Went with NOCO, as the mounting was dirt simple, and the system is completely IP65 waterproof.





As a side project, I hard wired my DC to DC charger through the battery terminals so that power input from the Alternator is automatic. Before I ran it via the sPod, and it needed to be switched on in order to send alternator power to the house battery.

This new wiring also allows the DC-DC charger to send solar power to the start battery once the house battery is topped off, which I couldn't do before.

[Becks_Bronco]

Really happy that my solar is now working perfectly. It tops off the lithium house battery, then moves to charge the starting battery.

[Froader527]

Love to see someone still using this page. I will be using some of your ideas! keep up the build posts!

[SteveG]

Really happy that my solar is now working perfectly. It tops off the lithium house battery, then moves to charge the starting battery.

Very cool! I've gone back and forth on adding solar to Wilson but I just can't bring myself to put holes in the fiberglass roof... would be different if it was a stock top. I also don't want to cover the giant Wilson head on the roof

[Becks_Bronco]

Really happy that my solar is now working perfectly. It tops off the lithium house battery, then moves to charge the starting battery.

Very cool! I've gone back and forth on adding solar to Wilson but I just can't bring myself to put holes in the fiberglass roof... would be different if it was a stock top. I also don't want to cover the giant Wilson head on the roof

Drilling the hole is what held me back, but it's been so worth it.

[SteveG]

I'm already putting a hole in the sheet metal roof... it's all dented up anyway. Don't ask me how, 'cause I don't know! Hahaha