Solar vs trickle chargers
I have a Coachmen tt with two 6v batts. After 3 or 4 days boondocking, runnin g the lights, water pump, heater fan, etc, the batts get pretty low. Should I get a roof mounted solar panel or would a...
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First: reduce your consumption as much as possible; if you haven't replaced all lights with LED, start there.
I have 2 60 watt panels permanently flat mounted on the roof with a $20 PWM controller. They will supply all our needs if we are in a clear spot with good sun and almost no need for the heater (have all LEDs and we are pretty careful).
I have a portable 100 watt panel without a controller that can be positioned to face sun, and can be up to about 100 feet from the trailer.
Using both systems we can almost always avoid using the generator unless we get a long run of no sun and/or need the heater a lot (more than a couple hours a day). We have had a couple of sites where it was so shaded that I couldn't even get the portable panel in the sun and had to use the generator after 4 or 5 days; can't win em all!!
Doug
I have 2 60 watt panels permanently flat mounted on the roof with a $20 PWM controller. They will supply all our needs if we are in a clear spot with good sun and almost no need for the heater (have all LEDs and we are pretty careful).
I have a portable 100 watt panel without a controller that can be positioned to face sun, and can be up to about 100 feet from the trailer.
Using both systems we can almost always avoid using the generator unless we get a long run of no sun and/or need the heater a lot (more than a couple hours a day). We have had a couple of sites where it was so shaded that I couldn't even get the portable panel in the sun and had to use the generator after 4 or 5 days; can't win em all!!
Doug
