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Jonnygsx's avatar
Jonnygsx
Explorer
Dec 01, 2013

First time energy setup advice? (battery+solar)

I am trying to get my new trailer setup for first time use. I recently bought a 98 Prowler 24lz and am in the process of getting it ready for usage. I will be storing this out in Bishop CA in the eastern sierras and pulling out it of storage a few miles down the road to blm boondocking. So my battery wont be getting much charge from my vehicle on the road for such a short time. My plan is to try to use it once a month for a week at a time. The trailer is currently in need of a new battery, it is only setup for one battery at the moment. When I bought the trailer it included a 3000watt generator. Initially my plan is to buy a new battery and to buy a 120watt solar kit. Since I wont be moving this far and wont have power in storage Im hoping the solar kit will maintain the battery in storage and help me recharge it during the day while im using the trailer. With only a single battery im aware that I will probably need to use the generator quite a bit until I get more solar and can figure out more battery storage.

This is my first trailer and im not 100% sure what my power needs will be. It is cold in that area at night so I plan to need to use the heater in the evenings and mornings and the fridge 24/7. Hopefully a good 12v battery and the solar panel will be enough to get me through the nights with the generator helping me along during the day. Any buy advice on battery and solar is appreciated. If my logic on this is off and anyone things my initial setup wont work for me please chime in!

Thanks!

40 Replies

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  • JiminDenver's avatar
    JiminDenver
    Explorer II
    Dec 02, 2013
    While testing our solar this year we used a single 95 ah grp 27 most of the time. We kept that up with a single 230w solar panel left portable so that it could track the sun if needed. It's cooler where we camp so we use the furnace nightly. Early spring/ late fall it can run day and night. We do have LEDs.

    In our case 120w of solar would be on the slim side. I would suggest the 160w folding kit or possibly the 200w kit off of ebay for $300 and add hinges to make it portable.

    The single battery was able to handle a cold cloudy day with lots of furnace use but a second would of had me looking for ways to recharge it so a second battery would give that buffer zone needed with solar.

    We had a fella here with a Prowler last year and his battery tray sat under the propane door. In order to get two 6v batteries in there he had to trim the door a bit because they were too tall.

    Now because my solar is not mounted and I'm not about to leave it out in the storage lot, I have to take my batteries home with me between trips for charging. This way we start each trip with a battery that's topped off as much as possible. Starting out with a low battery is putting you behind the 8 ball from the get go.

    We never needed the generator for charging this year but last year we didn't have solar and used it daily for a few hours. That kept the single battery up day to day.

    So my suggestion is a bit more solar, a extra battery and some inexpensive ebay LEDs.
  • ewarnerusa's avatar
    ewarnerusa
    Nomad
    Dec 02, 2013
    I'd say easily <$300 for a ~100W solar charging system if you DIY. If you build for expansion, it might be worth spending more for nice fat wires and a higher capacity controller.
    solarblvd.com
    darvex.com
    I'm not affiliated with those sites at all, they're just where I bought some of my stuff from and I'd say they have good prices.
    I agree that OP should start out with addressing battery capacity first. Sounds like he already has a nice generator. Maybe look into the onboard converter and make sure it is a nice 3-stage smartcharger. That way he can make the most out of the existing generator. I'm all for solar, though.
  • wbwood's avatar
    wbwood
    Explorer
    Dec 02, 2013
    It is a concern and why you might want to consider a couple of 6 volts. They are more giving. And you don't want a 12 volt car battery. You want a 12 volt deep cycle battery. Whether you go 6 volt or 12 volt, plan on spending at least $75 or so on just one battery. 6 volt batteries will be a little more. You are talking several hundred dollars or more just for a solar hook up of the size you mentioned. Not to include installation if you have someone else do it.
  • Jonnygsx's avatar
    Jonnygsx
    Explorer
    Dec 01, 2013
    BassinDmax wrote:
    You should be able to mount a small box and install two 6 volt batteries on the front of the trailer. Two 6 volts shouldn't adversely effect tongue weight. I opted for four 6 volts on my rig by adding a side mount truck box to the front. I predominately boondock and wanted as much battery as possible since I'm still a few years away from adding solar. Don't like running a generator anymore then I have too. Here is my set-up;



    Hrm im not sure that will work on mine. My model has a big flip down cover for the propane tanks. I really am not wild about the design, the hinge area has worn and the cover means that anything in front of the cover needs to be clear for it to swing up and down.

    A bigger concern at least initially has been keeping the batteries in good shape. This is my first time dealing with solar and anything more than a car battery. Im concerned about spending a lot on batteries initially and then burning them up or running them to low before I learn what im doing. Is that a fair concern or is it fairly easy to avoid ruining your first battery/s?
  • BassinDmax's avatar
    BassinDmax
    Explorer
    Dec 01, 2013
    You should be able to mount a small box and install two 6 volt batteries on the front of the trailer. Two 6 volts shouldn't adversely effect tongue weight. I opted for four 6 volts on my rig by adding a side mount truck box to the front. I predominately boondock and wanted as much battery as possible since I'm still a few years away from adding solar. Don't like running a generator anymore then I have too. Here is my set-up;



  • RFCN2's avatar
    RFCN2
    Explorer
    Dec 01, 2013
    My quick guess is that you will need to run the generator a fair amount. But the way to do it is figure out how much power you will use and work back from that. What the 120 watts of solar will be very good for is to make sure you start out with a topped off battery.
  • ewarnerusa's avatar
    ewarnerusa
    Nomad
    Dec 01, 2013
    My wife and I used to camp (100% boondocking) in a tiny 14' TT with what I think was a 100W panel that came with it and one group 27 battery. No generator and no inverter, furnace every night, fridge 24/7 on propane, all incandescent lights, water pump for dishes, a 12V fan, and stereo use. Plenty of 3 day weekend camp trips and never ran out of battery. It would be in the low 12's for voltage by the end of the trips. I think if your usage was similar, and especially if you changed to LED lights, you could go a few days before needing a strong recharge with the gen. Park the TT in the sun.
  • wbwood's avatar
    wbwood
    Explorer
    Dec 01, 2013
    If you plan to do a lot of dry camping, I would opt for a couple of 6v golf cart batteries.
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Dec 01, 2013
    The first step is to define the amount of use you will have. This is calculated in Amp Hours. Here is a downloadable spreadsheet Calculator that will help you define the use.

    After you have the use estimates and a total, you can choose how much solar harvesting you want to do and how long you wish to run a generator every day. I run a small dorm fridge and have 300 AH of battery with a 235w module, for comparison. My heating is handled with a propane heater that doesn't use any electricity. My alarms are battery operated and have all LED lighting. The biggest use after my fridge is the TV, laptop and phone charging, and lastly, the water pump. I also have a couple of fans but those are used very seldom.

    Good luck with your boondocking rig!
  • EsoxLucius's avatar
    EsoxLucius
    Explorer
    Dec 01, 2013
    My guess is one battery and 120 watts of solar isn't going to cut it for the use you describe. The generator will get much use to keep your battery charged. You really need to get a battery monitor and figure out your power usage.

    http://www.jackdanmayer.com/rv_electrical_and_solar.htm
    http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm
    http://www.rv-dreams.com/rv-electrical.html
    http://roadslesstraveled.us/rv-solar-power-basic-concepts-components-and-installation-tutorial/

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