Bogart solar system

Nice work...I just finished my 280w Bogart Install.....Used a Trimetric on my truck camper and loved the info it provided.

rvbprecision.com

A few questions:
What size wire did you use?
12V or 24V ?
What does the battery selector do ?

Have you thought about covering the wires on the roof with Eternabond tape to protect them and cut down on wind resistance?

Thanks

23mikey wrote:
Very nice install & good to hear you are happy with the Bogart controller/monitor combination as well as the panels. Question........how did you wire the panels? Parallel or series/parallel?
Mike

Parallel

Very nice install & good to hear you are happy with the Bogart controller/monitor combination as well as the panels. Question........how did you wire the panels? Parallel or series/parallel?
Mike

RoyB - I usually rattle can those PVC boxes with flat white prior to mounting when they are going to be exposed to the elements. Seems to work well.

rjxj- Very glad the Bogart system is working out for you. Its on my wish list.

Nice job, thanks for posting.

I am doing a similar install later this year and it's great to see these examples.

Great project. You can tell alot of effort went into this....

I have been big over the years on using the PVC Electrical BOXES on the outside mounted in the high sun and have had some bad effects due to UV using the standard LOWES PVC ELECTRICAL series boxes... I don't think they were designed to be out in the open high sun.

Drilling the large center hole in these boxes that go through the trailer walls to me is a great idea. I have done this for years using the small wall type PVC electrical boxes and in my case I usually used PVC CONDUIT between things.

Just wondering if the larger PVC box you are using had any specs in this behalf.

I was able to keep some of my electronic systems installation tools from my working years which included the KROY CABLE MARKER which prints label info onto various sizes heat shrink tubing. This really turns out perfect for all of the cabling projects...

I also am doing the battery system upgrades using the baby steps... Since 2009 I have come up how much battery capacity we need to support our style of camping off the power grid and how to manage them. For us having the capability of running the smaller generator to power up the on-board smart mode converter/charger unit was our first priority. Now that we know we can do very well using this method it is only natural the next step is adding SOLAR PANELS to add to the enhancement. About four panels is about as large of a solar panel farm I can go with on my OFF-ROAD POPUP camper roof. Having an additional set of folding portable panels would work very well with my planned setup.

My camping grounds here on the EAST side of the US where generator run time restrictions have to dealt with makes having some solar panels in the mix very useful. This could reduce my generator run times down to around one hour where my batteries draw the maximum boost charge current. My three 85AH batteries will draw right at 53AMPS DC CURRENT when first hit with 14.4VDC. Once that is over with and the DC CURRENT has tapered back then the few panels I will have to use will get my batteries to the minimum of 90% charge state or more before the high sun goes away. I always will the generator on board to get the batteries charged if there is not enough high sun during the day.

This is all of my thinking at any rate...

Money is really hard to come by on this end so it will take me abit longer to get to my ultimate goal of adding solar panels. Replacement of my batteries is next on the must buy schedule now. I am really wanting to go with the TROJAN T-1275a but would use the golf cart 6V batteries as a cheaper alternative.

Glad you got your solar panels mounted... You can take a break now and enjoy some successful camping off the power grid for awhile. I know I would be sitting in front of the monitor panels for hours watching the DC CURRENTs rise and fall with a big ole grin on my face...

A very nice install

Roy Ken

Naio wrote:
Nice! Those are exactly the panels I was looking at getting :).

I dont know what happened but the price shot up soon after I bought. More deals will come along.

rjxj wrote:

westend wrote:
Very good looking installation!
How did you make your labels for the solar distribution panel, the one with the fused buses?

BTW, nominate this to the Forum master list of member installs, good stuff.

Thank you. I used a Brother ptouch PT310 label maker.

Hah, I knew there was a trick to get the labels so nice. I tried with an old Dymo machine and mine looked like crap.

Wow! Nice job!

Nice! Those are exactly the panels I was looking at getting :).