Should I Change My WFCO Converter?
Opinions have often been expressed, both on this and other RV forums, that most stock RV converters are inadequate to properly charge and maintain batteries and are often of poor quality. It is frequ...
Forum Discussion
A 40 amper on a 460Ah bank is a C/11.5 rate. A 50-80% charge would take almost 4 hours. And an 85-97% would take even longer. Boondocking requires at least a C/5 rate, or else plenty more gen run time. Solar does allow one to use a lower charge rate, but of course, solar is hit and miss.
On a pair of T-105's, the megawatt 40a will yield a C/5.6 rate, and combined with a 140w/8a solar panel, it will yield a C/4.7 rate. Combined with 280w of solar it would yield a C/4 rate.
$60 for the MW, plus about $200 for a 140w solar set-up, is only $40 more than a 60a adjustable pm. Plus, gen time will be reduced considerably more using such a combination, than with a 60a adjustable alone. Of course, down the road, a 60a adjustable plus 140w of solar would be good, and would yield a C/3.3 rate if combined, but would still not lower overall gen run times like a 40 amper and a 280w solar would. So these are all viable options.
If money is not an issue, then by all means, go with a 75a adjustable pm now, and at least 280w of solar later. But it really is a pay me now, or pay me later, situation.
On a pair of T-105's, the megawatt 40a will yield a C/5.6 rate, and combined with a 140w/8a solar panel, it will yield a C/4.7 rate. Combined with 280w of solar it would yield a C/4 rate.
$60 for the MW, plus about $200 for a 140w solar set-up, is only $40 more than a 60a adjustable pm. Plus, gen time will be reduced considerably more using such a combination, than with a 60a adjustable alone. Of course, down the road, a 60a adjustable plus 140w of solar would be good, and would yield a C/3.3 rate if combined, but would still not lower overall gen run times like a 40 amper and a 280w solar would. So these are all viable options.
If money is not an issue, then by all means, go with a 75a adjustable pm now, and at least 280w of solar later. But it really is a pay me now, or pay me later, situation.
