Solar System Purchase for Weekend Boondocking
Looking for some advice on our upcomming purchase of a DIY 12v Solar System. We've done lot's of research and we are on a small budget. Our frequent trips are usually 2-4 days at a time. We really ...
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You almost could get by one one fully charged battery, with no way to recharge during the trip, for your entire 3-4 days at 7aH/day. But that would drain the battery too low, not a good thing. You can get a second battery, or get a solar setup... either one would get you though the trip.
I have a group 24 battery, and last spring I added a 75W panel and a Morningstar SG-4 pwm controller, all for about $125. I wired my controller to my panel with a chopped extension cord; that way I can plug in more extension cords as desired to extend the panel to unshaded areas. I camped without hookups for a week in Yosemite and never ran short of power.
The panel you like should work fine for you. Lights on the controller could be nice, but you can just as easily check your battery with a voltage meter. Add some alligator clips or something to connect to your battery terminals, and you're set.
I have a group 24 battery, and last spring I added a 75W panel and a Morningstar SG-4 pwm controller, all for about $125. I wired my controller to my panel with a chopped extension cord; that way I can plug in more extension cords as desired to extend the panel to unshaded areas. I camped without hookups for a week in Yosemite and never ran short of power.
The panel you like should work fine for you. Lights on the controller could be nice, but you can just as easily check your battery with a voltage meter. Add some alligator clips or something to connect to your battery terminals, and you're set.
