Solar Panels for battery charging
Hi - we have a 1998 Fleetwood Angler 8'. I am wondering if anyone here has installed a solar power kit for charging the battery. I have not put in an auxillary battery and don't like to hook in to m...
Forum Discussion
CMOregon - It is very difficult for any of us to tell you exactly what to install. It can get very technical, and the fact is you probably would just throw your hands up. What we can do? We can tell you what we have, how we use it, it's strengths and weakness.
Unless cost is no object, I think your best approach is with a system that would probably be borderline too small, but have the ability to be added to in the future. Personally, I do not think the Costco solar is worth while in terms of babg for the buck.
You have posted:
"I don't really want to deal with taking extra battery(ies)"
"We use our camper while on the road with a winter seasonal business and are not set up for long in any one place. The camper is in use most of the time between October and end of Dec."
Your name suggest you live in Oregon, of which clouds, overcast, rain will really limit how efficient your solar will be. Oct-Dec is not the best for efficient solar.
You ask for ideas. I have a few, but will limit the technical stuff. I will refer to AH (Amp Hours). Bottom line is how many AHs do you use/need/have.
1 Like it or not, I think you will need atleast two batteries. For several reasons, I suggest AGMs (100 - 125 AH each). You can start with one, when and if you add the second, you could have issues to work with. Probably best to start with two. With the AGM batteries, you have more mounting options.
2 Although you can start with a relatively small panel (60 watts), I think you eventually will add panels up to 200-300 watts. Due to your weather conditions, you might need more. I suggest a minimum of 130 watts. A TC roof is pretty small, a careful planning in location of the panels is required. You can use different sizes of panels. I prefer to stay with common voltage panels, and leave the odd voltage panels for the more experienced guys.
3 There are many different controllers available. You can have more than one controller but, that can get complicated for a novice. My suggestion is to get a large (30 amp?) with MPPT.
4 I question the value to tilting panel mounting on a TC for several reasons. Some of the quickest that come to mind is the need to climb on the roof to tilt, forget one time and drive off with them up and you can destroy all of your panels. You must always park so the panels can be tilted toward the sun. Technically, there is an advantage to tilting, but it depends on your use. The tilt mounts can be spendy.
5 Minimize battery usage. It is easier/cheaper to save AHs than to create them. Change all frequently used lighting to L.E.D. Never run the fridge on 12v. Use 75 to 100 watt inverters (12v to 120v). If you have a device that requires a large inverter, get rid of the device or use it with your generator. I really suggest a Wave3 heater and use the furnace as a backup. Not only does the furnace use lots of AHs, it uses them when the least amount of sun is available for solar. Installing the Wave3 was a major AH saver for me.
6 This is the tough part for most people. Install a battery TriMetric Battery Monitor or equal. In my opinion, this should be the first thing you install. You have no real idea as to how many batteries you need or how much solar, untill you know how many Amp Hours you are using. You need to know the condition of your battery/ies at all times and how many AH a device is using. I feel very strongly about the battery monitor.
I have lived in my TC, in parking lots, year round for four nights and three days for five years. I was in the San Francisco bay area. I personally installed my one AGM, battery monitor, Iota smart charger, 120 watt solar. With the exception of a few week per year, my solar requirements was/is less than yours. I did not install a kit and it was not complicated.
I planned for additional solar, but have never needed it. As I recall, I used between 20 and 30 AHs per day in the winter months. This was useing my 21" TV and laptop about 3-4 hours a day. In a pinch, I can, and have, used the Honda and Iota for about 30 minutes to one hour (abt 80%) and put a substantial charge in my AGM. I wasted my time fabricating tiltable panel mounts.
Adding solar can cost a lot of money, because it is not simply a matter of solar panels. If planned, you can pay as you go. If you are interested, I can provide more details, and sources for parts needed.
Wayne
Unless cost is no object, I think your best approach is with a system that would probably be borderline too small, but have the ability to be added to in the future. Personally, I do not think the Costco solar is worth while in terms of babg for the buck.
You have posted:
"I don't really want to deal with taking extra battery(ies)"
"We use our camper while on the road with a winter seasonal business and are not set up for long in any one place. The camper is in use most of the time between October and end of Dec."
Your name suggest you live in Oregon, of which clouds, overcast, rain will really limit how efficient your solar will be. Oct-Dec is not the best for efficient solar.
You ask for ideas. I have a few, but will limit the technical stuff. I will refer to AH (Amp Hours). Bottom line is how many AHs do you use/need/have.
1 Like it or not, I think you will need atleast two batteries. For several reasons, I suggest AGMs (100 - 125 AH each). You can start with one, when and if you add the second, you could have issues to work with. Probably best to start with two. With the AGM batteries, you have more mounting options.
2 Although you can start with a relatively small panel (60 watts), I think you eventually will add panels up to 200-300 watts. Due to your weather conditions, you might need more. I suggest a minimum of 130 watts. A TC roof is pretty small, a careful planning in location of the panels is required. You can use different sizes of panels. I prefer to stay with common voltage panels, and leave the odd voltage panels for the more experienced guys.
3 There are many different controllers available. You can have more than one controller but, that can get complicated for a novice. My suggestion is to get a large (30 amp?) with MPPT.
4 I question the value to tilting panel mounting on a TC for several reasons. Some of the quickest that come to mind is the need to climb on the roof to tilt, forget one time and drive off with them up and you can destroy all of your panels. You must always park so the panels can be tilted toward the sun. Technically, there is an advantage to tilting, but it depends on your use. The tilt mounts can be spendy.
5 Minimize battery usage. It is easier/cheaper to save AHs than to create them. Change all frequently used lighting to L.E.D. Never run the fridge on 12v. Use 75 to 100 watt inverters (12v to 120v). If you have a device that requires a large inverter, get rid of the device or use it with your generator. I really suggest a Wave3 heater and use the furnace as a backup. Not only does the furnace use lots of AHs, it uses them when the least amount of sun is available for solar. Installing the Wave3 was a major AH saver for me.
6 This is the tough part for most people. Install a battery TriMetric Battery Monitor or equal. In my opinion, this should be the first thing you install. You have no real idea as to how many batteries you need or how much solar, untill you know how many Amp Hours you are using. You need to know the condition of your battery/ies at all times and how many AH a device is using. I feel very strongly about the battery monitor.
I have lived in my TC, in parking lots, year round for four nights and three days for five years. I was in the San Francisco bay area. I personally installed my one AGM, battery monitor, Iota smart charger, 120 watt solar. With the exception of a few week per year, my solar requirements was/is less than yours. I did not install a kit and it was not complicated.
I planned for additional solar, but have never needed it. As I recall, I used between 20 and 30 AHs per day in the winter months. This was useing my 21" TV and laptop about 3-4 hours a day. In a pinch, I can, and have, used the Honda and Iota for about 30 minutes to one hour (abt 80%) and put a substantial charge in my AGM. I wasted my time fabricating tiltable panel mounts.
Adding solar can cost a lot of money, because it is not simply a matter of solar panels. If planned, you can pay as you go. If you are interested, I can provide more details, and sources for parts needed.
Wayne
