DC Solar Trailers - NW Pennsylvania

[pa_robert]

I assume the "all in one" section is the most appropriate section to list the trailers for sale.

I am looking to sell two DC Solar trailers. Asking $13,000 per trailer.

I haven't had a chance to get the batteries to a shop for a check, but based on some load tests I've done they are about 70% of capacity. Inverters and charge controller all work as they should. Kubota generators working and charging fine. I've had a change in employment and won't have time for a good while to do what I wanted with the trailers.

Electrical controls/Box:

• 2x SMA Sunny Island SI6048-US-10 Battery Inverter (deliver 50 Amps at 240V Split phase)
• Midnite Solar Classic 250 Charge Controller
• Midnite Solar Photovoltaic Combiner Low Voltage Breakers/Distribution w/ 2 -15 amp breakers and 1 - 63 amp breaker
• AC Load Center with 2x 50 Amp Circuits and 1x 20 Amp circuits
• 2x thermostatically controlled fans inside the cabinet2x Hubbell 50 Amp Twist Lock for power distribution (CS6369)
• SB350 Anderson Plug for connecting battery bank
• SB350 Anderson Plug for auxiliary connection
• Twist lock connector for grid/generator power input (CS6375)
• Plug in connectors for solar array
• DC Shunt to measure battery current (Deltec 500 amp 50 mv MKB C shunt)
• All battery wiring is 2/0 stranded copper
• All other wiring is 6 AWG stranded copper except for 120 volt outlets which are 12 awg stranded copper

Trailers have 10000# axles

White US Tower trailer has 10 ea 250 watt Boviet panels

Black Carson trailer has 10 ea 265 watt Talesun panels

White US Tower Trailer has GNB Tubular Flooded Lead acid forklift batteries - 2 x 540 ah each

Black Carson Trailer has the GNB classic 2 x 510 ah each

US Tower Corp. telescoping aluminum light towers topped with (4) Alpha Series color temp: 4000K 48 volt Cree LED 120 watt lights each,

Both trailers have a Kubota GL11000 Lowboy Diesel generator (around 100 hours on each)

ECI Fuel tank 113 gallon


The SMA Sunny Island 6048 inverters are heavy duty, low frequency inverters. They are stout and top tier inverters.

 

[OzSolar]

Those batteries are toast, just like the other 10,000+ DC Solar trailers out there.

Your best chance at recouping some of your money is to part it out.

There's a Facebook page for these trailers.

eBay is full of these inverters that no one wants. Their user interface is total garbage and they have no LFP native settings.

I'm really sorry to rain on your parade, just trying to help someone else from inheriting your mistake.

 

[Brett V]

The generators and trailers have some residual value. Batteries are worth scrap price for lead. The solar panels might fetch $50 each on Craigslist. The rest is obsolete and basically worthless. They were a good build 15 years ago.

 

[pa_robert]

Thank you Oz and Brett for your expert internet opinion. But as you know, opinions are a lot like like.......everyone has one and they all stink.

Not trying to get into an interweb/forum pissing contest, but for the price, the package isn't bad. Considering is already wired and done. All you have to do is connect a cable from the trailer to your main for 240 split phase at 50 amps.. And Yes, that takes a little knowledge.

The batteries are not 100% but they are not toast. Their capacity is equivalent to a $5000 lithium set up, IMO. I think lithium is better technology, but being in NW PA cold temperatures are a factor.

The SMA Sunny Island inverters are archaic for user interface compared to the "new and improved" chinese all in ones. But if you can read and comprehend english, the manual is pretty good. I guarantee the inverters will last a lot longer than anything on the market except maybe sol ark or Schneider. And even those have gone "low cost production". All I'll say is good luck with your EG4's, clones, and amazon bought inverters.

Anyway, thank you for your replies.

 

[OzSolar]

Thank you Oz and Brett for your expert internet opinion.

You're most welcome, it really was my pleasure.

But my words weren't for you, I'm just trying to offer words of caution to others before they find themselves in the same predicament that you are in.

 

[42OhmsPA]

Howdy PA neighbor.
If the complete trailers don't sell and you decide to part them out I may be interested in a Kubota, the SMAs and a bare trailer.
It would give me another layer of redundancy when my Chinese SRNE 10kW AIO fails; I have 4MWh of nearly trouble free solar through it so far, I'm sure it's time is limited.
I could also use the generator to recharge my 765Ah of DIY LiFePo4 batteries I've spend ~5k on.

 

[G00SE]

Thank you Oz and Brett for your expert internet opinion. But as you know, opinions are a lot like like.......everyone has one and they all stink.

Not trying to get into an interweb/forum pissing contest, but for the price, the package isn't bad. Considering is already wired and done. All you have to do is connect a cable from the trailer to your main for 240 split phase at 50 amps.. And Yes, that takes a little knowledge.

The batteries are not 100% but they are not toast. Their capacity is equivalent to a $5000 lithium set up, IMO. I think lithium is better technology, but being in NW PA cold temperatures are a factor.

The SMA Sunny Island inverters are archaic for user interface compared to the "new and improved" chinese all in ones. But if you can read and comprehend english, the manual is pretty good. I guarantee the inverters will last a lot longer than anything on the market except maybe sol ark or Schneider. And even those have gone "low cost production". All I'll say is good luck with your EG4's, clones, and amazon bought inverters.

Anyway, thank you for your replies.

Seems they often fetch 8-15k on the fb groups for the trailers so while this forum may not lead to a sell (hey, it might!) I don’t doubt you’d have success elsewhere selling them.

Hard for people like me to justify when there’s an auction for 25 of them ending here today all under 7k. I’m not trying to start a pissing contest either, I’m just a cheap skate lol

 

[pa_robert]

Seems they often fetch 8-15k on the fb groups for the trailers so while this forum may not lead to a sell (hey, it might!) I don’t doubt you’d have success elsewhere selling them.

Hard for people like me to justify when there’s an auction for 25 of them ending here today all under 7k. I’m not trying to start a pissing contest either, I’m just a cheap skate lol

Fair statement. There are still auctions for them. But transporting and the 15% buyer's premium adds costs.

I am negotiable on price. For the price, assuming used equipment costs, it's still a fair value.

$5500 Kubota and a 113 gallon tank
$4000 Complete plug and play/wired inverter and charge control electrical box (and associated cables)
$2500 - Car hauler with tandem 10K axles
$700 - 10 wired/complete solar panels

The third trailer I have, the one I'm keeping, will be taken apart and house mounted, similar to the picture attached (note: picture lifted from someone else's set up). This will be done at the daughter's house. The trailer I'm keeping has issues. There are known dead and weak cells in the batteries and the Kubota threw a rod. I found a used GL11000 with a good engine and a fubar generator. So I just have to swap out engines. Kubota diesels, and diesel genny's in general, are expensive. But I like the diesel generators. I drive an F350 diesel and have a bed tank and keep a few hundred gallons of diesel on hand anyway. I like to be prepared.

When I get back home from my year long job in Wisconsin....I will get things done. I may scrap those batteries and use a big LiFePO4 bank. There are BMS's that can communicate with the SMA Sunny Islands.

If they don't sell, it's no big deal. They can sit on my property until I get to them.

 

[G00SE]

@pa_robert as an update, the auction closed yesterday with the cheapest being 7600 and most being 11.5k.
Not including the 15% fee. (None of the trailers were perfect either)

Seems like you’re right in line with your price. The fact you have the generators is a huge selling feature too

That’s a clean looking install with the cabinet mounted to the wall. There’s a ton of great parts in those cabinets that will probably serve a solid decade more to boot!