Question on charging batteries with Gen

mrad wrote:
It would not happen more than 2-3 days a year, and that would only happen if we were at an outdoor concert event for a weekend and they did not have electric hookups. Would a 100 watt solar charging system be sufficient?

No, I mean how often during a single day?.

No. I'd go at least 300 and even then there may still be generator use. just not as much.

"Would a 100 watt solar charging system be sufficient?"

A 100 watt solar panel will provide 5.7 amps per hour in a perfect alignment with the sun...which it never is. No, it won't. One solar watt per battery amp hour is the general rule...in MN you'll need more..1.5x.

"I am buying one from a friend and..."

How old are the panels? Quality controller? Big wire as determined by a solar wire chart? How much?

The 2200W generator should be able to power the converter and the fridge simultaneously, though not much if anything more if the converter is operating at full load. Chances are most of the time the converter wouldn't be in that state. Chances are also very good--pretty much certain--that the 2200W generator will not last near 11 hours on a gallon when loaded heavily, though it still may well be more fuel efficient than the built-in generator.

The best way to know for sure is probably to perform a little experiment, since you have the generator already and soon will have the RV.

2oldman wrote:
How often do you plan on having to run this generator?

For the future it's desirable to have solar and an inverter for a resi refridge boondocking. At least I would.

In all reality, It would not happen more than 2-3 days a year, and that would only happen if we were at an outdoor concert event for a weekend and they did not have electric hookups.

Would a 100 watt solar charging system be sufficient? I am buying one from a friend and had planned on putting it on my fishouse to charge the batteries during the week when I am not there. I suppose I could also hook it up to the toy hauler.

I also have a 3100 watt champion inverter I could use if that would be sufficient.

That 2200 peak power
Will not supply enough power for 80 amps charge
It will run the fridge and hardly now it's there

The 80 amp converter could be a significant load on the 2200 if you have a large battery and they are very low on charge. Worst case keep the fridge running on the inverter and just charge batteries for the first hour or two. Most likely all will be just fine with the 2200.

This always comes out to amp draw vs output. So the answer is always - depends. Yes your genset will recharge your batteries. How low they are and the output vs other simultaneous draws will determine the rate of recharge. Your residential fridge doesn't draw much power once cooled.

This was a concern of mine too, so I have a decent solar panel and it keeps them topped off provided I am not running too much. I think my inverter is only allocated to the residential fridge though.

How often do you plan on having to run this generator?

For the future it's desirable to have solar and an inverter for a resi refridge boondocking. At least I would.