Ready to get my feet wet with Solar power

bka0721 wrote:
My contribution to this thread is only from a practical experience tangent, as I have been practicing what the OP has originally opened for discussion, for a number of years now. My solar system is split into two distinct systems. The primary was developed exactly as the OP is proposing, an independent cart (Solar Panels, controller, battery monitor, inverter, battery bank, cables, fuses and switches). I set it up with one of the major functions to be able to set my “cart” out in the sun and my camper under the shade of nearby trees. My “cart” functions as a “power plant,” just as if I was plugged into campground pedestal or outlet in the garage. Sometimes you just need to listen and take the bits of “wisdom” in how it applies to your specific needs. The subject gets muddied with tangent information, occasionally.

Here are a few things I would recommend from a practical viewpoint. 1. If you are planning on this to be a mobile “power plant” refrain from large solar panels, as you will grow tired of moving them around and wrestling with them when the wind kicks up. Smaller panels are easier to move around. 2. Laying panels on the bed will grow tiresome as you find how dirty these panels will become. Laying them on the bed will bring dirt and dust (since you work horses you are all too well versed in what I am referring to) onto your bed comforters/sheets, as well as wrestling large panels through the door.

Here is what I would recommend; Go Kart racers use these “knock down” carts where the base contains the tool box, engine parts, starting batteries, wheels and sundry items. The combined weight provides an excellent base for anchoring a work platform above. The platform above provides support for a heavy Go Kart. This is accomplished by box tubing, vertically inserted to a box receiver type opening welded onto two opposite sides of the frame, set upon 4 pneumatic tires. These tires would allow the cart to move about the paddock and in and out of the trailers. (Sounds like you have a lift of some type that could set this “cart” off of your flat bed, to the ground) These 1 inch tubes set down into these vertically placed box receivers and then have a frame set on top of the 1 inch vertical steel tubes, for a platform for the Go Karts to rest on while they are worked on.

So, lets change it up, this frame, that is maneuverable by 6 inch pneumatic tires, has 6-6v Interstate GC2 FWC Batteries (with all the moving on and off your truck, I would invest in AGM batteries, I am just providing the example in the manner I have my “cart” set up) placed in the frame of the base. Beside them is a small panel that has mounted to it a Charge controller, Battery Monitor, Buss Fuse disconnect, Inverter, (catastrophic fuses for inverter installed on battery bank), all within inches of the batteries, on the movable base. This base would always be permanently bolted into the base and move as one unit, on and off your truck. Now put the vertical tubes into the receivers on the base, providing the stand ups for your solar panels. The solar panels essentially assume the place of the Go Kart in a frame that the solar panels can be set into, clipped in (various products are available for this) and with some adjustable bars, so the solar panels would be able to be tilted, as needed. I would recommend 3 – 100w Panels or 2 – 150w panels. Basically you have put together a “cart” that looks like you might land it on the planet Mars, as a Martian Rover. Base and solar panels on top. You could then move it around as needed, into the sun, or out of the shade of your camper.

Now comes the question in how this is connected. First, there are many connectors available for connecting your solar panels to the battery bank and many more people can jump in here and provide guidance. The way I did it, works for me. So let’s discuss the connections to your camper. First, your cart is now nothing more than a campground pedestal, so treat it the same. Just pull your shore power cable/cord and plug it into your “cart’s” inverter. You now have AC power, but none of the DC parts will work will work of your “cart” as it presently is set up. (Be sure to disconnect your convertor, which is a whole different discussion) For your DC side of your camper to work off your cart, you need to isolate this DC side and it sounds like you already have. Install Anderson Connectors to the cables that connect to your House Batteries, so you will be able to disconnect your House Batteries completely from your DC House Panel. Attach your “cart” batteries with a separate cable (much like a set of jumper cables), (sized correctly for the distance), one end of this cable connected to the battery bank, with a Catastrophic Fuse on the Pos (+) connection, sized properly. The other end, are Anderson Connectors and simply connect to the connector that has been removed from the connector to the House Battery Bank, leaving the House battery disconnected from your DC side of your Camper. Personally, I would just eliminate the DC Cable to your Martian Rover “cart” and use the current House Battery Bank to take care of your DC Camper needs. I would install a second Battery monitor to maintain this banks SOC. If you are moving your camper every few days, your alternator would still charge your House Battery and now with your AC side taken care of by the Martian Rover “cart,” you will be using your House Batteries at a very nominal rate.
If this is something that works for you, I can provide more details in how I have made this “cart” work for me, as I full time and don’t stay in campgrounds. I also have not plugged into electricity (outlets or campground pedestals) for over 2 years now. I have stayed in two campgrounds in two years (Death Valley NP and Lost Dutchman SP) and didn’t plug in while there, as my own Martian Rover “cart” satisfies all of my needs. Plus, when I was in the northern cascades of California (Mill Creek, California) my Martian Rover “cart” was very comfortable sitting out in a mountain meadow as I camped under the shade of many 140’+ trees, with my shore power cable stretched out to it.

As for your charging the batteries on your cart, with a generator, I would just have a separate battery charger, like a Black & Decker/Schumacher plugged into your generator and clipped onto your battery bank, bypassing your inverter.

Good luck and you definitely have a doable project, go do it and have many happy days of camping.

P.s. Just getting a Generator would be less money than solar and less trouble, if you don’t plan on camping for long periods of time.

bryan

Bryan, you have definitely peaked my interest and yes I want more information / pictures if possible. You have put out a lot of information which will require some time for me to digest and I'm sure I will have many follow-up questions. I was beginning to think my idea was a little too far out there or too expensive / ineffecient. I am currently retired and when the DW retires I plan to full time for awhile. Full timing with horses will be expensive, just for horse feed, so I would like to cut cost by boondocking / drycamping as much as possible to save costs. Thanks for the post.