Forum Discussion

Muddydogs's avatar
Muddydogs
Explorer
Sep 09, 2014

I went and ordered some solar.

Been looking and asking questions for a couple week about solar, didn't want to spend the money right now but I also don't want to run out of juice while hunting for 2 weeks so I ordered this kit, Windynation, along with another 50 foot of wire and some connectors.

Since I leave in a week and a half for the hunt I plan on wiring the controller up right and leaving the panels portable. Once I get an idea of how much power I am really getting and if I need more or not I will either install these on the roof or buy a couple more panels and have 2 on the roof and 2 portable. My thinking is that 2 panels will be enough for summer time camping and I can add the other 2 when hunting in the fall. I already have a plan in my little brain to make tilt mounts for the trailer roof.

Come on mail man I need these panels by Friday the 19th, CA isn't that far away.

Thanks for all the help guys, I have a better understanding of solar from you guys although its still a little muddy.

Jim S.

43 Replies

  • azrving's avatar
    azrving
    Explorer
    Sep 10, 2014
    Almot wrote:
    rjxj wrote:
    I should have said seasonal travels as we are trying to stay were it is as warm as possible.

    A seasonal site is a different creature. A lot easier to have a solar there than when you're constantly moving around. Doesn't have to be roof-mounted. 4 or 5 100W panels sitting on the ground, along the South side of trailer, propped with 1"x1" sticks or metal angles. At 40-45 degrees, for FL in winter. Once or twice a day you turn them towards the sun if you feel like. When you move, you throw them into storage closet.
    rjxj wrote:

    Now I have a quiet gen and a 15.3 v battery charger and have done full charges in 4 hours.

    2 things:
    1) There is no guarantee that it's "full" after 4 hours, even if you think it's full or OEM green light on the wall says so.
    2) There is no such thing as a "quiet generator", though this belief depends on whether you own one or not. 45 DB is enough to wake a sleeping person, and the quietest generators that I heard of, still roar at +60 DB within 10ft. If this is "quiet", then this word needs to be re-defined. Manufacturers call it quiet, alright.

    No, I mean seasonal as in leaving those places with all that white stuff that makes me slip and fall.

    When the hydrometer says full, it's full enough. I'm not new at this.

    The silly thing on the wall is good for nothing. Maybe worth some idea of where the fresh tank is at.

    It's quiet compared to many and even quieter when enclosed and ventilated. I try to use my generator in a courteous manner. I like to think of others as I use it and try to pick spots that are off from others as much as possible and never fire it up first thing in the morning. I watch for others to get up or leave for the day etc. It's hasn't been hard to get along with others so far.

    Yes, I lean towards having the panels on the ground some day but my mind isn't made up yet. Niner has given me some basic tips in that direction and I see that I now have a new source to ask questions of and read their posts pertaining to solar.....YOU.

    One step at a time brother, one step at a time. :)
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    Sep 10, 2014
    rjxj wrote:
    I should have said seasonal travels as we are trying to stay were it is as warm as possible.

    A seasonal site is a different creature. A lot easier to have a solar there than when you're constantly moving around. Doesn't have to be roof-mounted. 4 or 5 100W panels sitting on the ground, along the South side of trailer, propped with 1"x1" sticks or metal angles. At 40-45 degrees, for FL in winter. Once or twice a day you turn them towards the sun if you feel like. When you move, you throw them into storage closet.
    rjxj wrote:

    Now I have a quiet gen and a 15.3 v battery charger and have done full charges in 4 hours.

    2 things:
    1) There is no guarantee that it's "full" after 4 hours, even if you think it's full or OEM green light on the wall says so.
    2) There is no such thing as a "quiet generator", though this belief depends on whether you own one or not. 45 DB is enough to wake a sleeping person, and the quietest generators that I heard of, still roar at +60 DB within 10ft. If this is "quiet", then this word needs to be re-defined. Manufacturers call it quiet, alright.
  • azrving's avatar
    azrving
    Explorer
    Sep 10, 2014
    pianotuna wrote:
    Hi rjxj,

    That's why I keep going on about temperature compensated charging. My Magnum has it and today it was doing 14.9 volts and 2 to 4 amps in Absorb.

    rjxj wrote:
    After our first winter of travel last year and finding out how poorly converters work I started to look at solar then came to the part of an old guy climbing upon the roof over and over or lugging the panels out and setting them up. I backed up and left it alone and decided to make a gen and real battery charger work.


    Sorry I said winter. My bad.I should have said seasonal travels as we are trying to stay were it is as warm as possible. My low would probably be about 45 and high of maybe 70. I do understand and agree with you as to the benefits of temp comp. I will keep it in mind if I go to solar.

    At the time my basic problem was low charge voltage with an old converter and trying to do it on a loud gen. Bad combination.

    Now I have a quiet gen and a 15.3 v battery charger and have done full charges in 4 hours.
  • pianotuna's avatar
    pianotuna
    Nomad III
    Sep 10, 2014
    Hi rjxj,

    That's why I keep going on about temperature compensated charging. My Magnum has it and today it was doing 14.9 volts and 2 to 4 amps in Absorb.

    rjxj wrote:
    After our first winter of travel last year and finding out how poorly converters work I started to look at solar then came to the part of an old guy climbing upon the roof over and over or lugging the panels out and setting them up. I backed up and left it alone and decided to make a gen and real battery charger work.
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    Sep 10, 2014
    Muddydogs wrote:
    Then again I will have to get over punching holes in my roof which just seems crazy as well. So many things to think about makes a guys brain hurt or maybe I have just been setting on it to long.

    You've been setting on it too long. After you've brought yourself to drilling the first hole, it will become easier. Holes should be properly sealed, brackets should be of the proper shape, and hardrware should be adequate. There is already a couple dozen holes in your roof.
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    Sep 10, 2014
    "Flat" panel is slightly tilted anyway. A minimum 4-5 degrees tilt is needed to shed the rain water. Normally, roof has a slope to the sides, so when you conform panel to the roof surface, it becomes "tilted". Can be cleaned with mop from a step-ladder. Yes, you won't see a small poo on almost-flat panel from the ground, so checking it once in a while won't hurt. Performance will suffer until then, no big deal. When you have a proper size solar, things like bird poo, dust, or losses due to flat panel harvesting less than tilted, - this all can be ignored. 15-20% losses due to all these factors (or more than 20% if you are not in Southern states), should be included on the planning stage.

    A ladder can be handy if you go for more than a day or two. I like my Werner MT-13. One of the best purchases I ever made. Works as 5ft step-ladder, or extends to 11ft. Folds compact. A little heavy though.
  • azrving's avatar
    azrving
    Explorer
    Sep 10, 2014
    Muddy,
    You have the brain hurt part right. After our first winter of travel last year and finding out how poorly converters work I started to look at solar then came to the part of an old guy climbing upon the roof over and over or lugging the panels out and setting them up. I backed up and left it alone and decided to make a gen and real battery charger work. Maybe solar will be next summers project.

    It makes me think that I'll be fabricating motorized tilting pivoting panel mounts. This rv'ing stuff will wear a guy out.
  • Muddydogs's avatar
    Muddydogs
    Explorer
    Sep 10, 2014
    Almot wrote:
    Muddydogs wrote:

    I will go fixed or tiltable in the spring I'm sure, I just won't have time to get it done in the next week and a half

    So, let me poo on something that you haven't done yet - tilting. As recently as last week, at this very forum - Search doesn't work well but you will find it if you look hard - an estimate or prediction was made that an average person tilts his panels 7 times. He goes up and down the ladder 7 times - or 14 times if 2 panels need to be accessed separately. Then he is fed up.

    To me, it's not even climbing up and down that sucks, but walking around panels on the roof. It's slippery even when it's dry, and it's not flat on my trailer. Stepping from the ladder to the roof and back again is a dangerous part too.

    This would be TAD tolerable on a seasonal site, where you only do this once a season. Still, better to avoid.


    I have thought about this also thats why I'm not in a hurry to mount the panels. Do I really want to carry a ladder? My left knee and arch is messed up so do I really want to stand on a ladder messing with panels? Do I want to keep them portable and have to deal with set up and take down? Since I have lots of roof space should I cover the whole top with panels and not have to worry about tilting or setting up?

    I am thinking that having 2 or 3 panels mounted flat on the roof for general camping and a couple portable panels for winter might just be the ticket. Then again I will have to get over punching holes in my roof which just seems crazy as well. So many things to think about makes a guys brain hurt or maybe I have just been setting on it to long.

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