Portable solar for limited current draw

yeah, that is constant problem here

the OP wants, what we all want, enough power to not worry about the battery
and we all know that in 99.9% of situations 100w is not enough

it can be help, extend the amount of power available during a weekend camping trip
it won't be enough for extended use, other means of recharging the battery and having power will be needed

he did not want to hear that, NONE of us ever do

Almot wrote:
You don't get it, people - the question was about power from 100W solar, and we were told not to assume.

Yes, 100W will generate enough power to run laptop on some tasks.
No, 100W solar will not run couple of lights, and neither will 200W, because solar won't work during the time that people usually need lights :)

Round 4...

Yeah, EXCUSE US for "assuming", the only choice available when the OP refuses to provide complete information. :S

You don't get it, people - the question was about power from 100W solar, and we were told not to assume.

Yes, 100W will generate enough power to run laptop on some tasks.
No, 100W solar will not run couple of lights, and neither will 200W, because solar won't work during the time that people usually need lights :)

Round 4...

steveh27 wrote:
My 2310 Dometic fridge on propane draws no electric. It is 20 years old.

SoundGuy wrote:
So yours is a manual light fridge ... but what has that got to do with the OP who as far as we know has a conventional DSI fridge? :h

steveh27 wrote:
Mine has the Piezo lgnitor to light the propane. While running on propane there is no draw on my battery. Works great for boondocking.

Agree, a manual light fridge with a piezoelectric ignitor is most suitable when dry camping as it requires no 12 vdc power to operate. If the OP would respond and clarify exactly what fridge he has that he seems to think will run on propane without any draw down on his trailer battery we could then determine whether this is true or not. If it's a DSI fridge then he's sadly mistaken - it won't run at all. :( Since his original question was about "how much" solar he needs this is an important question to answer.

SoundGuy wrote:

steveh27 wrote:
My 2310 Dometic fridge on propane draws no electric. It is 20 years old.

So yours is a manual light fridge ... but what has that got to do with the OP who as far as we know has a conventional DSI fridge? :h

Mine has the Piezo lgnitor to light the propane. While running on propane there is no draw on my battery. Works great for boondocking.

Here
97 Bounder , 20 year old Dometic, "eyebrow" control board at top
Uses 12v to control every thing, yes even LP
No power means no worky
Almost every fridge from around 1980 up
Has electronic controls
Power usage is not heavy, but it is constant, and has too be considered

steveh27 wrote:
My 2310 Dometic fridge on propane draws no electric. It is 20 years old.

So yours is a manual light fridge ... but what has that got to do with the OP who as far as we know has a conventional DSI fridge? :h

My 2310 Dometic fridge on propane draws no electric. It is 20 years old.

I have a 105 AH house battery in my Class B. I can get by with my 120 watt portable solar suitcase.

Almot wrote:
Classical case of incomplete information in the post #1.

ohhell10339 wrote:
Classic case of unwarranted assumptions. The fridge would run on propane, like it's designed to do.

If we're talking "assumptions" yours would be to assume only your fridge fan requires 12 vdc to operate when in the gas mode. This isn't the case at all as the main circuit board, ignitor, and gas solenoid in modern DSI fridges all require 12 vdc as well. Most gas absorption fridges also have a climate control heating element around the freezer section - some have a switch to turn this 12 vdc heating element off when dry camping but increasingly it seems manufacturers have been deleting the switch, meaning there's no way to eliminate this draw down on the battery. Mine is like that so I added my own switch for those times we may find ourselves camping without shore power and want to conserve our battery reserve as much as possible.

do as you please..
advice is offered based on experience. and differs from your idea that 100w portable is enough to do what you want
you can choose to ignore advice
but is impolite to argue that what you are presenting is the right idea, and will work, when you ask for opinions and advice
IF you are so convinced ? why ask ?

use always varies
but if you want to plan smart
you plan for the Maximum use, not the least amount of use

I doubt your parents had cellphones and laptops, i bet the fridge controls and other items also used less battery power than your trailer

and the alternator in the class C, was a lot closer to the batteries than the umbilical running to your trailer from tow vehicle, and did a better job of charging, than your T/V will ever do, with out modifications