1982 Holiday Rambler Solar panel install questions
Hi everyone! I am an RV/Good Sam newbie, I just got my first motorhome- a 33 foot 1982 Holiday Rambler Imperial - and I love it! I wanted to be able to spend some time boondocking, so I got a solar panel kit, and am piecing together all of what i need. I had a couple questions and would love any help you can give me. I have been studying online a lot-as this is my first time with an RV or solar - so I don't know a whole lot, but have been picking things up, so please forgive any terminology mistakes. Mainly my questions have to do with implementing the setup into this 1982 Holiday Rambler Imperial - because this model doesnt have a lot of basement storage, and how/if I can merge the solar system with what is already there electronically. I'd be happy to post any pics or anything that would help.
1) There is currently one long size house battery in the battery compartment outside, which is sandwiched between the wheel well and the generator compartment. There is no room nearby to add more batteries outside the coach. The outside storage trays that pull out arent deep enough to hold batteries. I have purchased 4 deep cycle batteries for my solar usage. I am wondering if I can just replace the house battery with these 4 batteries (wired in parallel) and use the entire existing house electronic setup? All of the lights and electrical sockets are already running through the system, so there is some kind of "inverter" already, right?
2) And if I can replace the 1 house battery with the 4 deep cycle batteries, where should I put them? Without any outside space my only options are a) build a box inside the cab near the driver seat, where I suppose I would need to build a casing of some sort and add a vent hose - or b) in the closet where the fusebox and breakers are (but is about 12 feet from the current house battery -or c) in the bedroom in back, which is very far, but with the long distance wouldnt i worry about the power diminishing through the wire?
3) If I can just use my new batteries as a bigger battery bank and run the lights and electrical sockets through the house system, can I leave everything how it is and just install the solar panels, through the charge controller directly to the battery bank (with fuses/cut off on each side of the charge controller) without having to make any other modifications?
Im sorry if it is a simple question, but the solar panels through the charge controller is really just a battery recharge system, right? Would it theoretically be like just hooking a battery charger onto the terminals of a battery and letting it charge overnight, where it wouldnt affect any of the pre-existing electric setup on the other side of the battery (in this case like the generator and its ability to charge the battery)?
I probably have a hundred other questions, but maybe Ill start with these, I just want to find out what I can use that I have already, because I spent just about all of my budget on the RV and the solar kit and batteries, so if i can wait to buy some things, but still boondock now, Id prefer to.
My solar system so far: I got four 100 watt panels w/ 40a MPPT charge controller (and the wires/connectors needed for it) , and four 12v deep cycle batteries, and was looking at a digital monitor like the trimetric 2025-RV or meTer that connects right in the Tracer MPPT controller I got in my kit.
- Thanks so much for any help/advice -
Brad
1) There is currently one long size house battery in the battery compartment outside, which is sandwiched between the wheel well and the generator compartment. There is no room nearby to add more batteries outside the coach. The outside storage trays that pull out arent deep enough to hold batteries. I have purchased 4 deep cycle batteries for my solar usage. I am wondering if I can just replace the house battery with these 4 batteries (wired in parallel) and use the entire existing house electronic setup? All of the lights and electrical sockets are already running through the system, so there is some kind of "inverter" already, right?
2) And if I can replace the 1 house battery with the 4 deep cycle batteries, where should I put them? Without any outside space my only options are a) build a box inside the cab near the driver seat, where I suppose I would need to build a casing of some sort and add a vent hose - or b) in the closet where the fusebox and breakers are (but is about 12 feet from the current house battery -or c) in the bedroom in back, which is very far, but with the long distance wouldnt i worry about the power diminishing through the wire?
3) If I can just use my new batteries as a bigger battery bank and run the lights and electrical sockets through the house system, can I leave everything how it is and just install the solar panels, through the charge controller directly to the battery bank (with fuses/cut off on each side of the charge controller) without having to make any other modifications?
Im sorry if it is a simple question, but the solar panels through the charge controller is really just a battery recharge system, right? Would it theoretically be like just hooking a battery charger onto the terminals of a battery and letting it charge overnight, where it wouldnt affect any of the pre-existing electric setup on the other side of the battery (in this case like the generator and its ability to charge the battery)?
I probably have a hundred other questions, but maybe Ill start with these, I just want to find out what I can use that I have already, because I spent just about all of my budget on the RV and the solar kit and batteries, so if i can wait to buy some things, but still boondock now, Id prefer to.
My solar system so far: I got four 100 watt panels w/ 40a MPPT charge controller (and the wires/connectors needed for it) , and four 12v deep cycle batteries, and was looking at a digital monitor like the trimetric 2025-RV or meTer that connects right in the Tracer MPPT controller I got in my kit.
- Thanks so much for any help/advice -
Brad
