Up to lately with a 5er, camping in provincial parks in the winter off-grid, under the trees with no solar possible, and a two-hour time limit on generators 9-11am and 6-8pm (that one in the dark) using nearly 200AH a day with over a 100 of that furnace-- we could do that, once I had the necessary number of batteries, high amp chargers, and a generator with enough VA to run those chargers.It may be of interest to members to note that now with a Class C (no toad), doing the same camping routine (which includes a lot of driving around during the day away from the camp site), that this has all changed.Trying it all out recently, I found that the Class C meant driving around in that instead of in the truck, with the 5er still under the trees in our site.So, you get alternator charging while driving around, plus any solar you can grab if the sun is out (not often in the winter). You can leave your site and just park out in the open under any sunlight at the campground parking lot and grab some solar time, while still being able to walk the trails or whatever at the campground.You can spend the day wandering from parking lot to parking lot like PT does in his Class C, same as any homeless person with an old Class C :) like you see around here at the library or grocery stores during the day. This means you are excused the 2-hour time for generator runs plus any solar. You can even pick a spot they won't care if you have a noisy gen. Just go back to your site for the night same as before with the 5er. All good.So the equipment requirements are less severe than with the 5er doing the same camping time. (As in going up-Island to Rathtrevor for a few days in the winter every month)

Four hours of generator time per day. I’ll pass on that GC.

Big alternators work wonders to regain 50% SOC to 85% SOC.Down here where there is only 1-1/2 hours less sun during winter and a corresponding lack of latitude loss of same, solar is great -- but like many other places, leave panels in a vulnerable position and they'll learn to do the Macarena on down the highway in no time.Been thinking about getting one of those garden tote "Big Red Wagon" and mounting a panel sideways in it. Garden hose spool for 10/2 SOJ wire. And a MPPT controller, which would be permanently mounted at the site of the batteries.But I need my ship to come in. Jump over the jetty and slide up onto the beach...

In full sun at noon last week my 255w panel lying flat on the roof was putting 4.5 amps into a low SOC four- battery bank. (During a brief sunny break) Not much use there. However driving around was putting 25 amps in from alternator charging, which beats the 5 amps from 7-pin with the truck and 5er. I know I can improve on that 25 amps if need be, but we just got this thing and there are other priorities.The big thing was I did not need the generator at all, which is good, because I can't fit the Honda 3000i into the Class C compartments yet. ( I could if I remove the skids from the bottom of the Honda, so that is a possible)I could get by with a lower amp charger, smaller gen, using more gen time as now allowed away from the park, but adding in AH from driving around and any solar that comes in. Different equipment requirements and less expensive at that. The Class C has some advantages over the 5er for that side of things. Some other things were better with the 5er but nothing to do with batteries etc. We are pleased with the switch over at this stage of our RVing life--just thought it was interesting about how you can get away with less equipment set-up for off-grid in our scenario.

BFL13 wrote:In full sun at noon last week my 255w panel lying flat on the roof was putting 4.5 amps into a low SOC four- battery bank. (During a brief sunny break) Not much use there.However driving around was putting 25 amps in from alternator charging, which beats the 5 amps from 7-pin with the truck and 5er. I know I can improve on that 25 amps if need be, but we just got this thing and there are other priorities.The big thing was I did not need the generator at all, which is good, because I can't fit the Honda 3000i into the Class C compartments yet. ( I could if I remove the skids from the bottom of the Honda, so that is a possible)I could get by with a lower amp charger, smaller gen, using more gen time as now allowed away from the park, but adding in AH from driving around and any solar that comes in. Different equipment requirements and less expensive at that. The Class C has some advantages over the 5er for that side of things. Some other things were better with the 5er but nothing to do with batteries etc.We are pleased with the switch over at this stage of our RVing life--just thought it was interesting about how you can get away with less equipment set-up for off-grid in our scenario.BF ..... you're sure preaching to the choir here. It's good to have you finally come over to the non-solar-slave dark side! ;)We're not squatter campers. We camp here and there only a few days at each spot, so we often find that either the sun isn't out at all or it's not out enough. For this style of RV'ing in a motorhome with fat wiring between a big alternator and the coach batteries ... mixed in with some Honda or Onan time when in a campsite ... we have all that's needed to keep up our fast charging AGM coach batteries.We can't count on the sun being there when we need it .... only generators and alternators. To us the humming of a generator or whirring of an alternator is the sound of independence.

When we had a fiver I considered auxiliary batteries in the truck bed to charge while driving, but never followed through.

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BFL13
Explorer II
Dec 15, 2017
Too complicated with two RVs and a big truck needed for them too. Decided to simplify things. So far so good :)

I know the solar and alternator charging "play well together" from PT's reporting, but I want to test for how that works exactly.

I get the 25 amps at 13.8v showing on the Trimetric from alternator charging (some of that could be from solar), but if the solar controller is set for 14.8 and only getting 4 amps, do you still get the alternator's amps? The house battery bank is at 12.3 say.

I want to test for when the batts get to 13.8 on the way to 14.8, you should lose the alternator's amps and just have the solar's amps. Then I would test for dialling down the solar to 13.8 and see if you keep getting lots of amps. IMO you should since now you are in absorption at 13.8v so amps will taper, but still be fairly high.

Anyway, there are lots of things to test and measure with the Class C, so all is not lost. :)
brulaz
Explorer
Dec 15, 2017
BFL13 wrote:

...
However driving around was putting 25 amps in from alternator charging, which beats the 5 amps from 7-pin with the truck and 5er.
...

When we camp under the trees boondocking, I used to plan on the sunny travel to the next site filling up my batts with solar energy.

But last summer in Northern Ontario was a really wet year. Rained much of the time when we drove.

So have installed an old 1000W inverter in the truck (220A alternator) and plugged that (via 12awg extension cord with weatherproof plug/socket between truck/trailer) into the Meanwell (upto 700W; ~55A @12V) in the trailer. Works well.

But my question is what drove your switch from a 5er to a Class C?
Do you still have/use your truck/camper and 5er?
Ductape
Explorer
Dec 15, 2017
When we had a fiver I considered auxiliary batteries in the truck bed to charge while driving, but never followed through.
pnichols
Explorer II
Dec 15, 2017
BFL13 wrote:
In full sun at noon last week my 255w panel lying flat on the roof was putting 4.5 amps into a low SOC four- battery bank. (During a brief sunny break) Not much use there.

However driving around was putting 25 amps in from alternator charging, which beats the 5 amps from 7-pin with the truck and 5er. I know I can improve on that 25 amps if need be, but we just got this thing and there are other priorities.

The big thing was I did not need the generator at all, which is good, because I can't fit the Honda 3000i into the Class C compartments yet. ( I could if I remove the skids from the bottom of the Honda, so that is a possible)

I could get by with a lower amp charger, smaller gen, using more gen time as now allowed away from the park, but adding in AH from driving around and any solar that comes in. Different equipment requirements and less expensive at that. The Class C has some advantages over the 5er for that side of things. Some other things were better with the 5er but nothing to do with batteries etc.

We are pleased with the switch over at this stage of our RVing life--just thought it was interesting about how you can get away with less equipment set-up for off-grid in our scenario.

BF ..... you're sure preaching to the choir here. It's good to have you finally come over to the non-solar-slave dark side! ;)

We're not squatter campers. We camp here and there only a few days at each spot, so we often find that either the sun isn't out at all or it's not out enough. For this style of RV'ing in a motorhome with fat wiring between a big alternator and the coach batteries ... mixed in with some Honda or Onan time when in a campsite ... we have all that's needed to keep up our fast charging AGM coach batteries.

We can't count on the sun being there when we need it .... only generators and alternators. To us the humming of a generator or whirring of an alternator is the sound of independence.
BFL13
Explorer II
Dec 15, 2017
In full sun at noon last week my 255w panel lying flat on the roof was putting 4.5 amps into a low SOC four- battery bank. (During a brief sunny break) Not much use there.

However driving around was putting 25 amps in from alternator charging, which beats the 5 amps from 7-pin with the truck and 5er. I know I can improve on that 25 amps if need be, but we just got this thing and there are other priorities.

The big thing was I did not need the generator at all, which is good, because I can't fit the Honda 3000i into the Class C compartments yet. ( I could if I remove the skids from the bottom of the Honda, so that is a possible)

I could get by with a lower amp charger, smaller gen, using more gen time as now allowed away from the park, but adding in AH from driving around and any solar that comes in. Different equipment requirements and less expensive at that. The Class C has some advantages over the 5er for that side of things. Some other things were better with the 5er but nothing to do with batteries etc.

We are pleased with the switch over at this stage of our RVing life--just thought it was interesting about how you can get away with less equipment set-up for off-grid in our scenario.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Dec 15, 2017
Big alternators work wonders to regain 50% SOC to 85% SOC.

Down here where there is only 1-1/2 hours less sun during winter and a corresponding lack of latitude loss of same, solar is great -- but like many other places, leave panels in a vulnerable position and they'll learn to do the Macarena on down the highway in no time.

Been thinking about getting one of those garden tote "Big Red Wagon" and mounting a panel sideways in it. Garden hose spool for 10/2 SOJ wire. And a MPPT controller, which would be permanently mounted at the site of the batteries.

But I need my ship to come in. Jump over the jetty and slide up onto the beach...
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Dec 15, 2017
Four hours of generator time per day. I’ll pass on that GC.

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