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Trackrig's avatar
Trackrig
Explorer II
Mar 25, 2014

Thinking about changing the solar panel on my air conditiner

Be nice now. I know the mfg only stuck that thing up there so they could say they had a solar panel on the MH when they were selling it. And yes, the wiring is the smallest gauge they could find and it's on the front of the MH and the batteries are of course mounted in the rear of the MH. And yes the panel is there to only give the batteries a very weak trickle charge - not actually charge them.

Occasionally I come across a good deal on a new solar panel that someone didn't use. Considering the small wiring and lack of a controller how large of a panel (output not dimensionally) could I put up there in front of the air conditioner and connect it into the existing wiring?

Would the small wiring that far from the batteries even transmit the current from a larger panel?

This is not an attempt to use solar to power my MH, it's someone sitting there in a lawn chair with a drink in hand last night and his mind was off wondering.

2005 Fleetwood Excursion 39S.

Bill

4 Replies

  • Trace your wiring to understand where it goes (house or chassis battery, typically those small things are used on the chassis and not the house). If the panel goes to chassis batteries then 30W max without controller. If house batteries then 10 to 15 watts per battery. Assuming 4 house batteries then 40 to 60 watts.
  • 2 oldman - you're probably right, but I sawa couple of nice news ones a while ago for $20 that someone was selling and I really hated not buying one of them.

    Bill
  • Perhaps in the cold light of day you'll come to the conclusion it isn't worth it.

    That said, about 50w.