inexpensive panels

A 250 watt panel will undoubtedly be a 24 volt panel. Using a PWM controller will cut the watts in half when connected to a 12 volt battery. You need an MPPT controller to get the full 250 watts to a 12 volt battery.

How about this charge controller?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B089SH3W85/ref=sspa_mw_detail_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pd_rd_i=B089SH3W85p13NParams#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

$49.90 with free shipping
60a PWM
12/24/36v battery system
States up to 720w if using a 12v system.
Maximum input voltage from the panel: 92v according to the seller.

If these specs are true, then it seems like you could buy two 250w panels for $50x2= $100 and this charge controller ($50) and all the misc other items (~$60) and have a 500w solar system for ~$210.
Note: This requires picking up the panels as shipping makes them too pricy. (I happen to be visiting near where their business is located in Arizona right now.... :-)

What am I missing here? Thoughts?
Chris

Your mirrors have to stick out further than the rest of the RV, so if the mirrors fit so will the rest of the RV.

Down here overwidth rigs are immediately adjusted by the first passing big rig.

Gdetrailer wrote:

RLS7201 wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30148343/gotomsg/30148770.cfm#30148770

Scroll down to Tom-M's photos

Thanks for the link. I see nothing repulsive about the side mounted panels on that class C. No climbing on the roof to tilt. Nice piece of engineering. Those panels would be out of place mounted on a high end rig.
I have a space on the curb side of my ol Bounder that I've considered mounting a panel but that got put on hold when I installed the SolaRVector lifts on the roof panels.

Richard

Never said it was "repulsive".

More like not everyone's cup-o-tea..

Also have to be aware that those panels will add some extra width to the rig, while 1 or 2 inches to EACH side doesn't sound like much, it is if your rig is already 8.5ft (102") and generally the max allowed width without oversized permits is 9' (108") :E

Have run into a few construction zones that were UNDER 9' and my trailer at 8.5ft on the outside of the tires barely had an inch to spare on each side..

There are a lot of 8.5' RV out there with awnings making them over 8.5'. Montana used to crack down on them when they crossed the state line. But when RV sales deteriorated some one stepped in and fixed the problem.
If you're running close with a 8.5' trailer, don't buy a MH. 8.5' MHs are about 10.5' at the mirrors. Of course safety devices don't fall under the 8.5' or 9' laws.

Richard



Richard

Seen at Quartzsite - 4K +worth of solar (the lower set of panels not yet installed) & 12K of batteries in the trailer. Runs the RV & keeps the Chevy Volt charged...

Here's my latest setup with the two 100 watt panels:

A little "over the top" perhaps :E

One must love camping without power to go those lengths..

Seems to me, much cheaper in the end to conserve energy than to become an energy source..

And how about this solar powered RV:

I saw this at a campground in Florida. Twelve 250 watt panels:


Don't know where this photo is from: