I enjoy your videos. Might I suggest investing in a used heavy duty woodchipper. If you run all your forest wood and branches through it and spread the chips around your land you will add the nutrients back to the soil that the trees took out of the soil while they were growing. It's better than burning them up and losing all those nutrients into the atmosphere. After a few years the chips will compost back into the soil. It's good conservation practice. I'd suggest you add the chips back to the area you harvested the trees from. Good luck!
I believe the burning will do a better and faster job of returning nutrients to the soil. It's what mother nature does in the forest and farmers have been doing it for years.
@@srsykes Burning is faster, but it does not return any nutrients back to the soil at all. Mother nature returns the nutrients to the soil through rot and decay, microbes and fungi. Not through fire.
I am quite sure nutrient do not just go up into the air as there is a huge renewal of plant and tree life after forest fires that are started by lightning
Mulch holds water, on a mountain side that means soft soils that can slide. Rot is the best way to add nutrients back from all the bugs and critters doing their jobs but small burns like this also put back carbon without too much worry about NATURAL organic compounds into the air. The fuel exhaust from a chipper is not better than natural wood smoke.
Hi guy’s. Just an idea. You might want to place rock on the hill beside the solar panels to reduce erosion. The roots of trees help hold the soil in place. Mud slide!
another idea would be to build a retaining wall with a concrete slab between the wall and the container so that thre is a flat stable path behind the panels. it would also allow you to build a small road below the retaining wall for use outside of winter so you would be able to move the excavator around the property easier
Where I live - firewood has more than doubled in price in past year. I have been cutting up old scrap wood. I would have kept everything thicker than 1". Having said that. If I had farmstead, I would have kept all, built gasifier with old petrol engine generator and turn those branches into electracy and heat over the winter. And there you see! Like I said - with the dozer, you should have taken the track of the idler, put it on the sprocket and then back on the idler wheel. Much much easier. And when you have excavator arm around - use it, don't try Hoe Nr.1 and crowbar. Well done by the way! You both will be great after couple of years more! :)
Don't forget to ground the generator, while at 9th Engineer Support Battalion I ran those a lot all over Asia for several humanitarian missions and that was one of the things most often forgotten.
Edward Uechi. I was with 9th Engineers back in the early 80s, BulkFuel Co.. Happy Birthday and Semper Fi.... and you're right on grounding the equipment
The skills you possess are impressive. Seems as if you did most of your homework in college. I went military and chased bad guys in the Coast Guard. I’m almost caught up to current videos. I’ve greatly enjoyed the ride.
Hey guys, just a safety thought. When relieving the pressure on a tracked machine, be sure to take the pressure off the tread first. You did that with the track knocked off. Removing the grease nipple or the plug that holds the grease tensioner, it can come out like a bullet if the tensioner is loaded. Stand to one side when taking it out just in case. Great videos.
I would suggest y'all stabilize the slope you dug off in front of the solar array. It wouldn't be good if the ground got saturated and decided to slide taking the solar array down the hill with it. 5 or so dump truck loads of large rocks from around your property would work. 8 inches to 20 inches or so in size. Small enough to handle by hand but large enough to hold the slope. Several layers thick not just a single layer would be best. That should be a priority before the wet winter season and thaw in the spring is gonna be harsh on the slope being a bigger chance to fail at that time. Something that would also help which I'd do before the rocks is to use the excavator and track the hill in to pack the dirt good. This is very important to get both of these things done soon as y'all can. Good video. Stay well. -Wil 👍
I’m a divorced single dad watching you videos for ideas and motivation. Your way of life is a very clever way to navigate tax savings , building and utility costs - I’m inspired. Thank you 😊
I just love your videos, and look forward to them. I also like that this video was almost a half hour long❤️ It has been 28 years since I lived off grid..... We learned to recover firewood from every project. I had a one man Alaskan mill for my chainsaw, and turned any usable wood into 2" slabs. They are so useful for other projects. We made decks around the property for friends to set up on during 3 day parties. Even a stage and dance floor, but we were hippies and students, so we had plenty of friends and volunteers. The rest of the unused wood was cut into firewood and stacked to dry. I'm 70 now and living vicariously through your videos 😎. Thanks so much for making these videos. I love how you blend the sponsor's products into the videos. Very slick. Sending good vibes your way✌️
Tracks are all about that tension. First thing to do before any kind of track maintenance is release the track tension. Doesn't matter if you're replacing thrown track, repairing the track or replacing the track. The tension keeps it where it it, so any changes to that requires taking out the tension. That rubber one piece track on your excavator is very end user friendly. Glad you got it sorted and that solar input from the clearance and angle adjustment is super impressive.
Had to laugh when the track got thrown. That happens to me at least 3 times a year! Usually in mud. Nice you had your beautiful assistant to help. Doing it alone can be a bear!
Nice work on that track!, I recommend keeping the fuel tank full on that generator, the biggest hassle with the diesel generators was fuel problems, mostly caused by water in the fuel, which is often formed from condensation. Full tanks don't allow a lot of air to weep moisture into your tank, when the temperatures fluctuate. I enjoy seeing what you guys are building, keep the videos coming!
"This thing is crazy!" - Reckless Riley 11/06/2022 So many responses are running through my brain! Famous last words... Pot calling the kettle black... Stop calling yourself "thing"... Thats what she said... Don't make it ANGRY! etc... Most importantly, "You're buying me dinner!" - Restless Redhead 11/06/2022 Pottery Urn for sure. Riley reads instructions? 😲 /golf clap That was one steady coffee cup that didn't fall off the generator!!!
That old army Geny is sweet,I would give it some extra TLC before winter sets in . Drain the diesel,burn it up in the excavator,put some nice fresh into the tank ,change the filter .Add a small cheap electric heater from solar output into the frame of the generator keep it nice and warm on a thermostat ready to kick in on those cold nights when the power banks are getting depleted.I don't know how cold it gets in the winter but it would be nice to know that the gen gonna fire up without any hassle keeps the condense out of the old skool analoge gauges too , sorry and wrap it in a tarp ,I know i'm weird like that 😂 nice to see real time your boost by altering angle .
What ever project you're working on you make it fun and interesting, as well as knowledgeable. Enjoy your vedios and "thanks" for sharing with all of us. Until next time take care and be safe.
You should pour a slab under the generator. Otherwise two things will happen. first the built in skid will rust away and second, while running the vibrations will cause the generator to sink into the ground. Which will allow the moist soil to start rusting the bottom panel of the enclosure out.
Perhaps put some wood cribing or concrete blocks for the winter, and then pour a bad next season. Better with be some sort of roof (open enclosure) to keep the rain and snow away, big enough so you can refuel, change oil with dealing with snow.
@@johnwinnerdz1 Just like the existing skids, your metal "skid frame" would eventually rust away from contact with the constantly moist soil at their location.
@@akdisney I hadn't noticed the rock until a later video. It will provide drainage but there still should be some kind of roof over the generator as someone else mentioned.. Also the rock can shift under the vibration when gen is in use, so something a bit more solid would still be good.
Andrew Camarata is my 'go to' for what to do if all else fails and I'm impatient....:) When it comes to heavy equipment 'fixes' he's in an expert (and entertaining) league all his own. GL:).
I would say to seed the area before the solar panels with native grasses and wildflowers to stabilize the area. When going up steep hillsides use the arm to help pull yourself up.
One of the many lessons you will learn if you operate an excavator in rough terrain: You never swing the lower drivetrain while partly submerged in soil, or the track may jump off and you'll get stuck. Luckily the rubber belts are very forgiving and can be handled alone if you are strong, careful and know what you are doing. After putting the track back on two times in an hour, I got kinda good at it. A shovel, grease gun, a solid pry bar, toolkit and a piece of chain to help pull the belt with the bucket, all can be good to have when you get stranded with a track loose.
You should think about building a log home on the top of the mountain. You have the bulldozer to build the road and building site. The mountain has plenty of logs to build a beautiful log home. Just an idea.
Winter coming fast! Make sure your diesel transfer tank is full, and has good antigel additives! All your diesel equipment needs antigel, just in case you need it!
You should put some rip-rap using large rocks above your solar panels to protect from any heavy rains or snow melts. Because you have loose dirt all around your solar container, it will easily erode if you don't protect it from downhill water runoff. Make sure that you you bury a geo-tech fabric designed to be installed under rip-rap to prevent the water from undermining your rip-rap. Generally you bury the fabric a couple of feet below the surface and compact gravel over it. The end of high side of the fabric that faces the downhill water flow should be buried vertically about four feet.
I like my white door , makes it easy to find in the dark . The white picket fence makes the house easy to find on a dark night . The dark green pickup I own is difficult to find in the dark , even when I know where it’s parked , the old truck was white was much better . 👍🇨🇦
Reckless Riley at his best. I kept waiting for the Generator to roll down your mountain, than I was expecting the excavator to do the same. One of your best updates, thanks
I would have been screaming and cussing, but you guys kept your cool, nice to see, yet you had me worried with that machine going on those angles, stay safe, cheers!
Love what you're doing to set up your house and business! And I love all your work and maintaining Video with explanations in the Video Keep up the good work and looking forward to upcoming projects! Also comments about getting a wood chipper to thin out the forest and create mulch! Rather than burning even though Courtney loves burning! Most importantly cleaning up the forest floor is really important these days. Another Item to think about! Would not hurt to look above your hillside to find an area above House to put in a lake for water storage! Get the Big Cat DOZER up the hill as it would take very little time to collect water into a little lake! Too run sprinklers over and around the house in case of a forest fire! I think you have water collection off roof? But not enough for a forest fire, as this seems to be our future these days retired firefighter
9:05 Bungee cord is way quicker. Also, on the taller tanks, add a ball valve at the bottom of the hose & a 45° street elbow at the top. Makes it a lot easier to pour without spilling. Especially in winter, when that clear hose is hard to flex.
So awesome you are becoming quite the skilled loggers ,now I’ll suggest again,get a portable saw mill the lumber could provide you with inexpensive building materials that could be bartered or utilized! Great to see you guys back safe, blessings to you,I smile every time I get to watch your videos!
For fire starters in NC I use for outside and inside fires are pine cones. I buy a 10lb block of candle wax and I dip a small portion of the cone the throw into a 55gal trash bag for later use. A 10lb block of wax will do about 7, 55gal bags of cones.
Just trying to be helpful, but there is a whole "geometry understanding" to being good at "falling" (in the parlance of most tree people) trees. And there would be "backcut first" technique, "shark jaw" technique. "barber chair prevention" by little cuts in from the side, etc. etc. A guy who was in my graduating class an an "elite university" dropped a tree on himself, died. Just sayin'. Wider notches, thinking about where holding wood is on hinges, knowing how and when to plunge, then cut release...
At my forestry college we were taught the Swedish technique for felling. It's easier to show than explain. Gives you a lot of control but any tree can surprise you by doing the unexpected and those times can kill or maim you
LOL so fun to watch you two, especially since my Wife and I started our similar Dream living 23 years ago, but the solar options were not like today back then. Luckily like you were on solar for the last two years, modern Inverters, PV and batteries are awesome. love your vids, keep em coming.
Removing those trees was truly a bright ideal. 😎As a grandpa I get a pass on the really bad puns. 😉 Love the channel. You guys know that a lot of us are living the dreams that we were to chicken to try ourselves thru you. Keep up the good work!
Digging a trench (road) in front of your array is great. Now extend the road, make a switchback, & lower the generator about 4 feet. Hope you get the shipping container anchored soon.
Suggestion: get sheets of metal roofing and put them at a slope below the solar panels so that the snow will slide off of the metal panels but light will also reflect off of the metal roofing onto the solar panels.
Back in the 70's we would find stands of dead Tamarack that had been killed off in the 1910 forest fire, which started in Washington and ended in South Dakota. These trees were all buck skins (obviously) and still standing and very big. Some measuring 6' at the butt and not one branch on them. Like giant tooth picks sticking out of the ground. Great firewood. If you want to see just how big these Tamaracks grew before the fire, go to the back side of Lookout Pass ski hill and look southeast, which will be in Montana. There is a live Tamarack that, from that view point, makes the trees around it look like blades of grass. It has to be over 300 feet. John Mullan call this area "The Land Of Big Trees", as they made the first trail in the 1800's.
Do I recall correctly you installed three inverters that could give you 120/208 3-Phase if you needed it? If so, moving the side taps back to 120/208 would be advised on the generator. The MEP is far more power efficient on fuel when running in 3-Phase power. It would also allow the passthrough power on your inverters.
Save a10' piece of tree trunk and use it in the bucket claw as a level to backdrag the ground to level it .Cut lengthwise in half for a sharper edge ...
FIRST: Skidding down a steep slope with all wheels (or treads) locked is among my most scary moments, ever! I saw you had a few this episode. SECOND: door color: 50 years ago I married a very creative, very color-aware and very intuitive Angel. If my beloved really wants chartreuse - lime green with pokadots she gets it. Or, we consider mixing 50/50 of our individual choices and see how that looks. Fifty years from now, long after the door is faded and gone, may your love for each other be stronger than ever. Blessings. Don D (La Mesa)
I hear ya on being a pyro. I live in the adjacent state and manage. Certified burner program. I would be happy to help with any burning needs. If you burn more piles consider a larger propane torch attached to a 20lb propane tank. You can get them at North 40. Burns wetter piles easier!
I'm a bit of a pyro, too. But DAMN, girl, that was a waste of a lot of good fuel. I get burning off the small stuff, but there were a lot of really good logs there. GAH!!! Well done setting that generator and getting the track back.
Just a suggestion, but when you store your orbital sander you should leave a sanding disk on it to keep from damaging it by flattening out the hook and loop pad
I have a 500 gal diesel tank on my little farm and they deliver for a bit less than I spent at the gas station. It is a pretty big bill all at once, but so convenient to refuel from, and lasts me all year.
Cannot tell which color would be best due to camera color tones. Best thing to do is look at it in multiple lights, including almost too dark to see, bright light, and cloudy. To me both colors look off, but from the bad color tone angle, choosing based on that, Pottern Urn is the only one that might look ok!
I don't like either color, and yeah the tone is so far off due to camera fluctuations. I choose colors by how they are going to look dirty, but since this is a door, it can be repainted more easily than other things so two tone it and make it fancy!
I know it’s not on your priority list but I think you still should have a second exit out of the apartment because of fire Maybe you should have a video on maintenance of all your equipment winter is coming and it’s time to put stuff to sleep for winter love watching your videos keep it up
I would nearly always recommend either letting wood rot or chipping it up and spreading it around. Much better for soil, bioorganisms around you and not harmful for the environment. On the other hand I can understand wanting to burn stuff hehe
When you do the back cut with the chainsaw do it about 6" above the wedge so when you cut straight across it will leave a 6" lip. It should split loose on its own and you can use wedges like normal. The reason is to keep the bottom of the trunk from kicking out and possibly hitting you.
Fixing a Solar Problem like this really comes down to not thinking one monolithic array is the solution but thinking outside the box as they say instead. First of course is to know the Sun's path in Winter because its daylight is shorter and a more vertical layout would be ideal since it collects just as much. Indeed the few minutes that were gained by cutting down more trees seemed to make sense but configuring to accommodate its shadows in the mornings-sunset was better. Of course the more there are the better since it lessens the mass clearing and gives more power in trade. Erosion is a factor nearly as much if not more just for those few minutes of gain and with that much space adding on more if not higher not wider on the array is a thought.
Wheat Penny. A suggestion: Secure the new slope underneath the solar panels with some rocks, I think you have enough on your property... ;-). Otherwise you'll get problems with erosion. With a real strong downpour over some days, the whole side could slide down!
When dragging logs with chain, wrap the hook end back around the lead to create a slip knot. It's actually called choking the load. The idea is the tighter you pull the tighter the chain becomes.
Hey just a little tip after you cut your wedge on the fall side come in about or at a angle to the wedge.. Riley don't let Courtney need any gas to burn brush up.. lol
That app at 3:42 would have got you burned at the stake in the town square or laughed out of town if you showed that or even suggested such a concept in the 80's. 🤣😂😆 That's some serious witchcraft or Star Trek technology right there. So glad to be the age I am so that I can completely understand and really enjoy the technology at our fingertips today. Thank you for showing that Sun Track app! (puts away sextant, compass, maps, graphing tools and goes for a beer) P.S. For those that are not in the Apple world, there are Android based sun tracker apps on Google Play.
It’s always nice to get away for a bit of a vacation, you guys got a lot of work done! And I hate to say it but I like wheat penny, yell, but don’t hit lol!
Use code 8LFCAHK8 for your 8% off on River 2 unit now! amzn.to/3gjCQFN
that thing is amazing and now I know what to buy husband for Christmas! Thanks for that!!!
Weat pinny
Thanks I'm going to get one soon
Wheat penny, sorry Courtney.
Wheat pinny
I enjoy your videos. Might I suggest investing in a used heavy duty woodchipper. If you run all your forest wood and branches through it and spread the chips around your land you will add the nutrients back to the soil that the trees took out of the soil while they were growing. It's better than burning them up and losing all those nutrients into the atmosphere. After a few years the chips will compost back into the soil. It's good conservation practice. I'd suggest you add the chips back to the area you harvested the trees from. Good luck!
I believe the burning will do a better and faster job of returning nutrients to the soil. It's what mother nature does in the forest and farmers have been doing it for years.
@@srsykes Plus Courtney gets to burn!
@@srsykes Burning is faster, but it does not return any nutrients back to the soil at all. Mother nature returns the nutrients to the soil through rot and decay, microbes and fungi. Not through fire.
I am quite sure nutrient do not just go up into the air as there is a huge renewal of plant and tree life after forest fires that are started by lightning
Mulch holds water, on a mountain side that means soft soils that can slide. Rot is the best way to add nutrients back from all the bugs and critters doing their jobs but small burns like this also put back carbon without too much worry about NATURAL organic compounds into the air. The fuel exhaust from a chipper is not better than natural wood smoke.
Love this guy...always smiling... and the way he looks at his wife, and smiles...
Hi guy’s. Just an idea. You might want to place rock on the hill beside the solar panels to reduce erosion. The roots of trees help hold the soil in place. Mud slide!
I was thinking that too
Place rip rap beneath the solar array
I was thinking some good old grass seed would make it look nice.
Concur! Definitely need erosion control or your whole system could end up at the bottom of the hill.😳
another idea would be to build a retaining wall with a concrete slab between the wall and the container so that thre is a flat stable path behind the panels. it would also allow you to build a small road below the retaining wall for use outside of winter so you would be able to move the excavator around the property easier
I was lucky with my digger I was able to drive forward and my track popped back on 😊
Where I live - firewood has more than doubled in price in past year. I have been cutting up old scrap wood. I would have kept everything thicker than 1". Having said that. If I had farmstead, I would have kept all, built gasifier with old petrol engine generator and turn those branches into electracy and heat over the winter. And there you see! Like I said - with the dozer, you should have taken the track of the idler, put it on the sprocket and then back on the idler wheel. Much much easier. And when you have excavator arm around - use it, don't try Hoe Nr.1 and crowbar. Well done by the way! You both will be great after couple of years more! :)
2:00 Chains are heavy and difficult to carry. As you did, I found over-the-shoulder to be the best method.
Don't forget to ground the generator, while at 9th Engineer Support Battalion I ran those a lot all over Asia for several humanitarian missions and that was one of the things most often forgotten.
Came to say that. Should be an open lug on the frame for grounding. Very important for safety.
if whole electric system is bond it to ground and main shop have a ground rod a second one by ground rod is bad idle
I forget if they installed a ground rod?
@@CubbyTech back to first concrete pour set all pipes and conduit and one ground rod
Edward Uechi. I was with 9th Engineers back in the early 80s, BulkFuel Co.. Happy Birthday and Semper Fi.... and you're right on grounding the equipment
The skills you possess are impressive. Seems as if you did most of your homework in college. I went military and chased bad guys in the Coast Guard. I’m almost caught up to current videos. I’ve greatly enjoyed the ride.
Hey guys, just a safety thought. When relieving the pressure on a tracked machine, be sure to take the pressure off the tread first. You did that with the track knocked off. Removing the grease nipple or the plug that holds the grease tensioner, it can come out like a bullet if the tensioner is loaded. Stand to one side when taking it out just in case. Great videos.
As a coffee nerd, I have to indignantly scoff at how you ground your beans! 😁 Though I’m happy you’re not simply using preground!
I would suggest y'all stabilize the slope you dug off in front of the solar array. It wouldn't be good if the ground got saturated and decided to slide taking the solar array down the hill with it. 5 or so dump truck loads of large rocks from around your property would work. 8 inches to 20 inches or so in size. Small enough to handle by hand but large enough to hold the slope. Several layers thick not just a single layer would be best. That should be a priority before the wet winter season and thaw in the spring is gonna be harsh on the slope being a bigger chance to fail at that time. Something that would also help which I'd do before the rocks is to use the excavator and track the hill in to pack the dirt good. This is very important to get both of these things done soon as y'all can. Good video. Stay well. -Wil 👍
The lighter of the two colors fits best with the siding you have... 😉
I’m a divorced single dad watching you videos for ideas and motivation. Your way of life is a very clever way to navigate tax savings , building and utility costs - I’m inspired. Thank you 😊
Thanks for watching!
Good afternoon & thank you for sharing youe journey with us
I just love your videos, and look forward to them.
I also like that this video was almost a half hour long❤️
It has been 28 years since I lived off grid..... We learned to recover firewood from every project.
I had a one man Alaskan mill for my chainsaw, and turned any usable wood into 2" slabs. They are so useful for other projects. We made decks around the property for friends to set up on during 3 day parties. Even a stage and dance floor, but we were hippies and students, so we had plenty of friends and volunteers.
The rest of the unused wood was cut into firewood and stacked to dry.
I'm 70 now and living vicariously through your videos 😎.
Thanks so much for making these videos. I love how you blend the sponsor's products into the videos. Very slick.
Sending good vibes your way✌️
Ha! I like that at 26:00, it looks like the solar array is bigger than the barndominium.
Tracks are all about that tension. First thing to do before any kind of track maintenance is release the track tension. Doesn't matter if you're replacing thrown track, repairing the track or replacing the track. The tension keeps it where it it, so any changes to that requires taking out the tension.
That rubber one piece track on your excavator is very end user friendly.
Glad you got it sorted and that solar input from the clearance and angle adjustment is super impressive.
Had to laugh when the track got thrown. That happens to me at least 3 times a year! Usually in mud. Nice you had your beautiful assistant to help. Doing it alone can be a bear!
Nice work on that track!, I recommend keeping the fuel tank full on that generator, the biggest hassle with the diesel generators was fuel problems, mostly caused by water in the fuel, which is often formed from condensation. Full tanks don't allow a lot of air to weep moisture into your tank, when the temperatures fluctuate. I enjoy seeing what you guys are building, keep the videos coming!
Wow, look at all those branches you could be chipping to make mulch for your garden. What a waste.❤❤❤❤
Great job cutting the trees down Riley
"This thing is crazy!" - Reckless Riley 11/06/2022
So many responses are running through my brain!
Famous last words...
Pot calling the kettle black...
Stop calling yourself "thing"...
Thats what she said...
Don't make it ANGRY!
etc...
Most importantly, "You're buying me dinner!" - Restless Redhead 11/06/2022
Pottery Urn for sure.
Riley reads instructions? 😲 /golf clap
That was one steady coffee cup that didn't fall off the generator!!!
That old army Geny is sweet,I would give it some extra TLC before winter sets in . Drain the diesel,burn it up in the excavator,put some nice fresh into the tank ,change the filter .Add a small cheap electric heater from solar output into the frame of the generator keep it nice and warm on a thermostat ready to kick in on those cold nights when the power banks are getting depleted.I don't know how cold it gets in the winter but it would be nice to know that the gen gonna fire up without any hassle keeps the condense out of the old skool analoge gauges too , sorry and wrap it in a tarp ,I know i'm weird like that 😂 nice to see real time your boost by altering angle .
What ever project you're working on you make it fun and interesting, as well as knowledgeable. Enjoy your vedios and "thanks" for sharing with all of us. Until next time take care and be safe.
You guys might want to check the coolant in the bulldozer before you get hard freezes.
I look forward to what they do e up with for a heavy equipment garage! 👽👽
Thanks for be together making videos, l’m sure Cournie is going to paint the generator, l’m sure she want to keep pretty outside of your shop.
You should pour a slab under the generator. Otherwise two things will happen. first the built in skid will rust away and second, while running the vibrations will cause the generator to sink into the ground. Which will allow the moist soil to start rusting the bottom panel of the enclosure out.
Perhaps put some wood cribing or concrete blocks for the winter, and then pour a bad next season. Better with be some sort of roof (open enclosure) to keep the rain and snow away, big enough so you can refuel, change oil with dealing with snow.
Or weld up a skid frame for it ! Lol genius I know.
@@johnwinnerdz1 Just like the existing skids, your metal "skid frame" would eventually rust away from contact with the constantly moist soil at their location.
there a lot rock under generator and is rock base under solar container Hill side drain pipe too
@@akdisney I hadn't noticed the rock until a later video. It will provide drainage but there still should be some kind of roof over the generator as someone else mentioned.. Also the rock can shift under the vibration when gen is in use, so something a bit more solid would still be good.
Andrew Camarata is my 'go to' for what to do if all else fails and I'm impatient....:) When it comes to heavy equipment 'fixes' he's in an expert (and entertaining) league all his own. GL:).
I would say to seed the area before the solar panels with native grasses and wildflowers to stabilize the area.
When going up steep hillsides use the arm to help pull yourself up.
A bit hard if you're using it to lift something!
One of the many lessons you will learn if you operate an excavator in rough terrain: You never swing the lower drivetrain while partly submerged in soil, or the track may jump off and you'll get stuck. Luckily the rubber belts are very forgiving and can be handled alone if you are strong, careful and know what you are doing. After putting the track back on two times in an hour, I got kinda good at it. A shovel, grease gun, a solid pry bar, toolkit and a piece of chain to help pull the belt with the bucket, all can be good to have when you get stranded with a track loose.
Be careful with the dirt removal so that you don't start erosion around the panels
Adding some stone or rip rap is probably in their plans, maybe some terrace levels as well
I was thinking the same thing. Would be easy enough to put in a retaining wall before the freeze.
Yep your correct Cortney is a pyro. Love watching you 2.
You should think about building a log home on the top of the mountain. You have the bulldozer to build the road and building site. The mountain has plenty of logs to build a beautiful log home. Just an idea.
What a difference a little tilt makes. Wow. Cheers 😙🥂😘
Winter coming fast! Make sure your diesel transfer tank is full, and has good antigel additives! All your diesel equipment needs antigel, just in case you need it!
You should put some rip-rap using large rocks above your solar panels to protect from any heavy rains or snow melts. Because you have loose dirt all around your solar container, it will easily erode if you don't protect it from downhill water runoff. Make sure that you you bury a geo-tech fabric designed to be installed under rip-rap to prevent the water from undermining your rip-rap. Generally you bury the fabric a couple of feet below the surface and compact gravel over it. The end of high side of the fabric that faces the downhill water flow should be buried vertically about four feet.
Love to watch you guys! Never a dull moment with you! ❤️
I like my white door , makes it easy to find in the dark . The white picket fence makes the house easy to find on a dark night . The dark green pickup I own is difficult to find in the dark , even when I know where it’s parked , the old truck was white was much better . 👍🇨🇦
Reckless Riley at his best. I kept waiting for the Generator to roll down your mountain, than I was expecting the excavator to do the same. One of your best updates, thanks
I would have been screaming and cussing, but you guys kept your cool, nice to see, yet you had me worried with that machine going on those angles, stay safe, cheers!
Love what you're doing to set up your house and business! And I love all your work and maintaining Video with explanations in the Video Keep up the good work and looking forward to upcoming projects! Also comments about getting a wood chipper to thin out the forest and create mulch! Rather than burning even though Courtney loves burning!
Most importantly cleaning up the forest floor is really important these days.
Another Item to think about!
Would not hurt to look above your hillside to find an area above House to put in a lake for water storage!
Get the Big Cat DOZER up the hill as it would take very little time to collect water into a little lake!
Too run sprinklers over and around the house in case of a forest fire!
I think you have water collection off roof? But not enough for a forest fire, as this seems to be our future these days
retired firefighter
9:05 Bungee cord is way quicker. Also, on the taller tanks, add a ball valve at the bottom of the hose & a 45° street elbow at the top. Makes it a lot easier to pour without spilling. Especially in winter, when that clear hose is hard to flex.
I like your rigid pipe nipple idea. But, it wouldn't work for my BX Kubota.
So awesome you are becoming quite the skilled loggers ,now I’ll suggest again,get a portable saw mill the lumber could provide you with inexpensive building materials that could be bartered or utilized! Great to see you guys back safe, blessings to you,I smile every time I get to watch your videos!
"Skilled Loggers" okay.....
For fire starters in NC I use for outside and inside fires are pine cones. I buy a 10lb block of candle wax and I dip a small portion of the cone the throw into a 55gal trash bag for later use. A 10lb block of wax will do about 7, 55gal bags of cones.
Wheat Penny! I think when something doesn't match surrounding colors exactly, it's best to go with something with higher contrast.
Paint choice....... Use both! Wheat penny on the door frame & Pottery urn for the door. Everybody wins, and it will look good too :)
You need to cut wider notches and leave a hinge to control the fall and avoid kickback
Just trying to be helpful, but there is a whole "geometry understanding" to being good at "falling" (in the parlance of most tree people) trees. And there would be "backcut first" technique, "shark jaw" technique. "barber chair prevention" by little cuts in from the side, etc. etc. A guy who was in my graduating class an an "elite university" dropped a tree on himself, died. Just sayin'. Wider notches, thinking about where holding wood is on hinges, knowing how and when to plunge, then cut release...
At my forestry college we were taught the Swedish technique for felling. It's easier to show than explain. Gives you a lot of control but any tree can surprise you by doing the unexpected and those times can kill or maim you
second cut high up
LOL so fun to watch you two, especially since my Wife and I started our similar Dream living 23 years ago, but the solar options were not like today back then. Luckily like you were on solar for the last two years, modern Inverters, PV and batteries are awesome. love your vids, keep em coming.
Removing those trees was truly a bright ideal. 😎As a grandpa I get a pass on the really bad puns. 😉 Love the channel. You guys know that a lot of us are living the dreams that we were to chicken to try ourselves thru you. Keep up the good work!
I love this Idea. I am looking at your array as a model for what we will be building for our new home in the mountains of New Hampshire.
Pottery Urn for sure.
Portable battery is really cool. Not sure I need it for UK village living though ;)
Digging a trench (road) in front of your array is great. Now extend the road, make a switchback, & lower the generator about 4 feet. Hope you get the shipping container anchored soon.
Suggestion: get sheets of metal roofing and put them at a slope below the solar panels so that the snow will slide off of the metal panels but light will also reflect off of the metal roofing onto the solar panels.
Back in the 70's we would find stands of dead Tamarack that had been killed off in the 1910 forest fire, which started in Washington and ended in South Dakota. These trees were all buck skins (obviously) and still standing and very big. Some measuring 6' at the butt and not one branch on them. Like giant tooth picks sticking out of the ground. Great firewood. If you want to see just how big these Tamaracks grew before the fire, go to the back side of Lookout Pass ski hill and look southeast, which will be in Montana. There is a live Tamarack that, from that view point, makes the trees around it look like blades of grass. It has to be over 300 feet. John Mullan call this area "The Land Of Big Trees", as they made the first trail in the 1800's.
Do I recall correctly you installed three inverters that could give you 120/208 3-Phase if you needed it? If so, moving the side taps back to 120/208 would be advised on the generator. The MEP is far more power efficient on fuel when running in 3-Phase power. It would also allow the passthrough power on your inverters.
Reckless Riley says "This thing is crazy" as HE drives it off camber up a steep hill ;) Yepp its definately NOT the operator thats crazy ;)
😉
Save a10' piece of tree trunk and use it in the bucket claw as a level to backdrag the ground to level it .Cut lengthwise in half for a sharper edge ...
FIRST: Skidding down a steep slope with all wheels (or treads) locked is among my most scary moments, ever! I saw you had a few this episode.
SECOND: door color: 50 years ago I married a very creative, very color-aware and very intuitive Angel. If my beloved really wants chartreuse - lime green with pokadots she gets it. Or, we consider mixing 50/50 of our individual choices and see how that looks. Fifty years from now, long after the door is faded and gone, may your love for each other be stronger than ever. Blessings.
Don D (La Mesa)
"Pink with purple stripes and yellow polka-dots." was my father's reply whenever he was asked what color he was going to paint something.
I hear ya on being a pyro. I live in the adjacent state and manage. Certified burner program. I would be happy to help with any burning needs. If you burn more piles consider a larger propane torch attached to a 20lb propane tank. You can get them at North 40. Burns wetter piles easier!
I vote for Wheat Penny. It's like it blends better with the building and the soil. Great videos.
Nice video, thank you! Lots of Fixes. Love your apartment, work space and Grounds! Ron PTL USA
I was always wondering how much shading those trees would cause, guess this answers it.
I'm a bit of a pyro, too. But DAMN, girl, that was a waste of a lot of good fuel. I get burning off the small stuff, but there were a lot of really good logs there. GAH!!!
Well done setting that generator and getting the track back.
It seemed y'all were having too much fun, good job as always!
Great video. I was holding my breath when you were moving that genny. I love my DJI Mavic Mini too. Great little drone.
Just a suggestion, but when you store your orbital sander you should leave a sanding disk on it to keep from damaging it by flattening out the hook and loop pad
That’s a great tip!
I have a 500 gal diesel tank on my little farm and they deliver for a bit less than I spent at the gas station. It is a pretty big bill all at once, but so convenient to refuel from, and lasts me all year.
Cannot tell which color would be best due to camera color tones. Best thing to do is look at it in multiple lights, including almost too dark to see, bright light, and cloudy.
To me both colors look off, but from the bad color tone angle, choosing based on that, Pottern Urn is the only one that might look ok!
I don't like either color, and yeah the tone is so far off due to camera fluctuations. I choose colors by how they are going to look dirty, but since this is a door, it can be repainted more easily than other things so two tone it and make it fancy!
That's a great video and you are a wonderful team. Thanks!! The Sunnytrack app is not only available for iOS, but also Android ;-)
I know it’s not on your priority list but I think you still should have a second exit out of the apartment because of fire
Maybe you should have a video on maintenance of all your equipment winter is coming and it’s time to put stuff to sleep for winter love watching your videos keep it up
Good idea. Do they have a fire ladder at least?
They could build a slide from the livingroom / kitchen window.
Egress is by law Mandatory in any sleeping area. More so, over a garage with flammable materials. Make this number one project. Or don't sleep there.
EXCITMENT! Glad the track went on fairly easily.
You get to learn all sorts of lessons. Have you considered a band saw mill?
I would nearly always recommend either letting wood rot or chipping it up and spreading it around. Much better for soil, bioorganisms around you and not harmful for the environment. On the other hand I can understand wanting to burn stuff hehe
Maybe a retaining wall just below th solar array, to control erosion?
When you do the back cut with the chainsaw do it about 6" above the wedge so when you cut straight across it will leave a 6" lip. It should split loose on its own and you can use wedges like normal. The reason is to keep the bottom of the trunk from kicking out and possibly hitting you.
It took forever to get the best excavator driver back in the drivers seat, way to go Courtney!
So relieved you got through this last challenge
Over 400 of us watching and only a few likes 👍 come on folks hit the like button ☺️ morning to all 👋
Fixing a Solar Problem like this really comes down to not thinking one monolithic array is the solution but thinking outside the box as they say instead. First of course is to know the Sun's path in Winter because its daylight is shorter and a more vertical layout would be ideal since it collects just as much. Indeed the few minutes that were gained by cutting down more trees seemed to make sense but configuring to accommodate its shadows in the mornings-sunset was better. Of course the more there are the better since it lessens the mass clearing and gives more power in trade. Erosion is a factor nearly as much if not more just for those few minutes of gain and with that much space adding on more if not higher not wider on the array is a thought.
Another great episode guys 👍 R u planning on putting a shelter over the generator to protect it from heavy snow or can it withstand direct weather?
Wheat Penny. A suggestion: Secure the new slope underneath the solar panels with some rocks, I think you have enough on your property... ;-). Otherwise you'll get problems with erosion. With a real strong downpour over some days, the whole side could slide down!
when i first saw the generator i knew it was definitely military grade stuff
When dragging logs with chain, wrap the hook end back around the lead to create a slip knot. It's actually called choking the load.
The idea is the tighter you pull the tighter the chain becomes.
Hey just a little tip after you cut your wedge on the fall side come in about or at a angle to the wedge..
Riley don't let Courtney need any gas to burn brush up.. lol
That app at 3:42 would have got you burned at the stake in the town square or laughed out of town if you showed that or even suggested such a concept in the 80's. 🤣😂😆 That's some serious witchcraft or Star Trek technology right there. So glad to be the age I am so that I can completely understand and really enjoy the technology at our fingertips today.
Thank you for showing that Sun Track app! (puts away sextant, compass, maps, graphing tools and goes for a beer)
P.S. For those that are not in the Apple world, there are Android based sun tracker apps on Google Play.
It’s always nice to get away for a bit of a vacation, you guys got a lot of work done! And I hate to say it but I like wheat penny, yell, but don’t hit lol!
Wheat Penny. Matches the color on the folding garage door.
I think you guys should save the trees truck and make your vegetable garden and get a wood chipper for your garden.
Great job, looking Great! Beautiful up there too!
You need to get that sawmill. There is a lot of lumber in those trees you burned. 😳 Or firewood for the stove. Use everything. 🙂
aloha frm hawaii.....
paint it a yelllowish/brown so it kinda standout frm the buildings color; especially when it snows.... good contrast!!!
I like the wheat penny color.
Thanks for the shot of ambition but I need more 😊
Take output voltage readings as you take each tree down that will tell you where your productivity is
Just because it snows does not mean winter is here because it will snow up in the north states in the spring too
Yeah Winter is here!
The nice thing about your tilting solar array is if you get a hail storm you always tilt it vertical so it doesn't get damaged.
Hi guy's glad you back that fire is huge all you need a chair hot dog and something to drank GOD bless.
Great Video! Looking forward to the inverter to generator wire installation!!