Just another question on Solar
I have read a lot of threads on solar installs and I have a question or two. I am thinking of adding solar to my toy hauler. Planning on about 500watts. Also planning on two 6 volt batteries to st...
Forum Discussion
A whole lot of confusing statements on this page!
Anyway to find low cost panels, I was reading in Home Power Magazine many years ago about this website. SunElec.com
500 watts is a great plan, and will normally top off the batteries in one day with the 'average' loads. However if you want to run larger TV's and DVD's all night long, you might run short on power, and need to run the generator a little bit on the 4th or 5th day of camping.
Your RV will consume about 35 amp hours just to run the refrigerator, CO and propane detectors. That is about what one of my 120 watt solar panels will put out in one day. I have a 415 'rated watt' system, that will put out about 120 amp hours on a average winter day. In the summer, I do not do much dry camping, as it is to warm, and I would rather spend a day in a $35 campground than listen to my generator run all night, so I don't worry about power in the summer.
For a inverter, I normally use my portable inverter. You can buy a 500 watt inverter at Costco for about $40. It will plug into a cigarette lighter receptacle, and you can buy those at Radio Shack or your local auto parts store. Fuse it around 20 amps, and use #10 wire (rated at max of 30 amp fuse size) to decrease voltage drop.
While it is best to have the inverter close to the battery, and run a #16 extension cord at 120 volts to your load, you can do it the other way around. It is 'actually best' to have the inverter close to you, in the living area, and you can turn it on for the time that you need it, and shut it off while not in use, to save more power.
For running the microwave, and other heavy power things (coffee maker is about 850 - 1200 watts) you are much better off using the generator. Use the inverter for small loads in the 10 watt to 150 watt range. A laptop playing a DVD will use less than about 20 watts, less than a 120 volt DVD player would use. And the typical 20" LED TV will use about 80 - 100 watts, I find it changes all the time as the screen goes a little brighter and darker.
Good luck,
Have fun camping!
Fred.
Anyway to find low cost panels, I was reading in Home Power Magazine many years ago about this website. SunElec.com
500 watts is a great plan, and will normally top off the batteries in one day with the 'average' loads. However if you want to run larger TV's and DVD's all night long, you might run short on power, and need to run the generator a little bit on the 4th or 5th day of camping.
Your RV will consume about 35 amp hours just to run the refrigerator, CO and propane detectors. That is about what one of my 120 watt solar panels will put out in one day. I have a 415 'rated watt' system, that will put out about 120 amp hours on a average winter day. In the summer, I do not do much dry camping, as it is to warm, and I would rather spend a day in a $35 campground than listen to my generator run all night, so I don't worry about power in the summer.
For a inverter, I normally use my portable inverter. You can buy a 500 watt inverter at Costco for about $40. It will plug into a cigarette lighter receptacle, and you can buy those at Radio Shack or your local auto parts store. Fuse it around 20 amps, and use #10 wire (rated at max of 30 amp fuse size) to decrease voltage drop.
While it is best to have the inverter close to the battery, and run a #16 extension cord at 120 volts to your load, you can do it the other way around. It is 'actually best' to have the inverter close to you, in the living area, and you can turn it on for the time that you need it, and shut it off while not in use, to save more power.
For running the microwave, and other heavy power things (coffee maker is about 850 - 1200 watts) you are much better off using the generator. Use the inverter for small loads in the 10 watt to 150 watt range. A laptop playing a DVD will use less than about 20 watts, less than a 120 volt DVD player would use. And the typical 20" LED TV will use about 80 - 100 watts, I find it changes all the time as the screen goes a little brighter and darker.
Good luck,
Have fun camping!
Fred.
