OK... full-timers ! question about solar !

[AlwaysTravelin]

I would really like to know..... if anyone is full timing and using ONLY solar. i realize that it takes alot of batteries and alot of solar panals and you have to have the right vehicle to accommodate all that. i have been looking at expedition vehicles that are built for
this kind of thing.

i was just wondering if there was anyone here that was on total solar.

thanks

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

You mention you have the money to do the solar install so we'll share our very very recent install (Oct 2014 completed). Thanks to a lot of input and patience with our zero knowledge at the start from many kind folks on Escapees forum and Jack Mayers website on solar (wonderful detailed writes up!). He also assisted Howard and Linda Payne of RV-Dreams.com with their install, and they have a great write up as well = just in case it helps you.

We are not FT yet, but rarely stay in an organized CG, preferring to Boondock/Dry Camp on our many travels of up to 8 weeks often. We installed 1000w solar and have 880amp hrs batteries (8 x Costco) installed last year after our 12 year old Nevercold fridge died and we replaced it with a residential one = so far so good. Wonderful 4 day weekend, central vacuumed twice with it, TV on about 3 hrs each night, microwave, hair dryer after showering, kettle and toaster used lots and four nights free camping = worked wonderful, and feel albeit very very early days best thing we ever did. The $2500+ we saved on replacing the old fridge with another RV one we applied to the $6000 of the full from scratch solar and new batteries install plus all monitors, inverter etc. I'm sure you can do it a lot cheaper but we opted for some name brand and high grade components that were highly recommended by many.

That's our story thus far FWIW.

[JimK-NY]

I fulltimed with 270 watts of solar and 2 x 150 AH AGM batteries. We have a compressor frige/freezer and my wife uses a CPAP. Both add up to about 60 AH per day so we are OK most of the time. BTW, TVs and laptop computers take a lot of juice so be sure to look at those when calculating your needs.

I have a generator for use when cloudy or camped in the woods. I also use it for the A/C and microwave. I have learned to live without the microwave except for rare, special uses. I keep my morning coffee warm in a thermos.

[Ropdoc]

pianotuna wrote:


http://freecampsites.net/

Thank you for the website that list free campsites. The comments with each site are especially helpful.

Dave

[pianotuna]

Hi,

An absorption fridge may use about 6 KWH per day. All the other loads pale in comparison to that.

6 kwh of consumption means having 12 kwh of battery bank. That will be approximately 10 Group 29 105 amp-hour batteries. It will take at least 600 watts of solar to replace the energy used by the fridge under ideal conditions. I'd add another 600 watts for less than perfect conditions, so the system would be at least 1200 watts of panels.

I can run my fridge for 24 hours on the 120 volt electric setting if my battery bank is brim full and the weather cooperates. Then I have to switch back to propane.

[AlwaysTravelin]

hey thanks so much for more of your posts.... thats what i was looking for... wanted to hear what people are doing. i wouldnt be anywhere i would have to use the air conditioner.... i'm good with good cross ventilation.
thats the whole reason to be living on wheels.... when the weather gets too hot or too cold... i am ABSOLUTELY OUT of there !

what i am looking to do is run my computer.... maybe use the microwave..... have the TV on and power the DVR and all those systems.
and ...i want the fridge to be run by
solar... i dont want to use any propane. AND i want to be able to plug in
my electric coffee pot when i am not outside cooking over a fire.

the only thing that would run full time of course would be the fridge/freezer.
otherwise.... most things would be on one at a time along with the fridge
and the lights. lol

money aside....would 1000w be enough to do that ? with the requisite number of
batteries ?....let me know what you think.

please dont tell me about propane.... i know all about that and i dont want to use it. people keep trying to steer me to propane... and i just dont want to use it.... i have the money to do solar right... and thats what i want.
PLUS.... i wont be anywhere the sun isnt shinning mostly all the time.
why not ? thats what living on wheels is all about. lol

thanks so much for your opinions. i am for sure going to have someone i trust
make sure i have what i need. but i would like to hear what you think.
since i cant post the same post in the boondocking section.... i'll mention it later on to see what else people have to say.

thanks

[time2roll]

Ropdoc wrote:

smkettner wrote:
Although 5+ days of no sun would put a crimp on operations as I carry no generator.

Just wondering, why do you not carry a genny? I am looking into solar and a generator.

Dave

Noise, stink, CO, security, fuel, weight, maintenance and general pain in the neck. Ever been relaxing in campsite listening to nature etc. and a big RV pulls up with that generator exhaust pointed out by the front wheel but right at your campsite? I have been run out a few times.

I do have 300w inverter for small stuff connected to all outlets and a 2000w inverter for microwave and short use of any high draw items.

If it will be roasting hot I am headed for hookups. Otherwise we will sweat it out. Last thing I want to do is run a generator 24/7 and hang out inside the RV. Cool down just at night is probably after generator hours.

This works fine for our small family on trips of 2 to 3 weeks. Actually DW prefers hookups but sometimes I don't even plug in :R

If I was full time it would be different as I would probably have a different (larger) RV. Most of the same stuff still applies to minimize generator run time.

[pianotuna]

Hi Dave,

The only item that is not easily powered by solar is the air conditioner. By the time you buy the fuel for the generator--you may as well be at an inexpensive rv park.

http://freecampsites.net/

I'm leaning towards abandoning my generator and beefing up my solar system. As it is now, I can go for many days without decent sun.

[Ropdoc]

smkettner wrote:
Although 5+ days of no sun would put a crimp on operations as I carry no generator.

Just wondering, why do you not carry a genny? I am looking into solar and a generator.

Dave

[gatorcq]

Susan and I are full-timers, we dry-camp everytime that we can or if the area allows it. We also use rv parks. First let's forget about the cost of solar and needing it to run the Air conditioner.
Benefits of solar to a full timer if in a park.

1) I can lower my Inv/Chg to 5 amps, in this way solar system will charge all my batteries and will run all 12 Vdc items in the coach. This reduces my electric rate if on a meter or even allow me to run 2 AC units on 30amps.

2) If loss of shore power, my system can keep us going for 2 to 5 days or longer depending on the sun without generator.

3) Well, there is no item 3.

Our system:
1000 Watts, MPPT controller, 660AHr Batteries
Installed a Residential Refrigerator.

Cost for our system was $2000, less then batteries. Do we have enough solar? No, because we still have open real estate on the roof.

[azrving]

Some installs

[AprilWhine]

I'm not a full timer but I have 2kw of solar panels on the roof of my bus and 14 house batteries. It's enough to run everything I need in my all electric bus. Not enough for the roof airs though, but we have a 20kw generator if needed.

[time2roll]

The serious ones are 1000+ watts solar and 8+ batteries.
I am not full time but I could easily go indefinite on solar. Although 5+ days of no sun would put a crimp on operations as I carry no generator.

[AlwaysTravelin]

Thanks for telling me about the boondocking forum.... i should have put this there. i was curious about the set up people have and how many solar panels and batteries they are using. i know its alot..... but wanted to hear about it.

i will go over to boondocking and post something there.... and thanks to everyone who posted here.

[2gypsies1]

rockhillmanor wrote:
As a full timer RV'er most of us use CG's with hook ups.

Not in our circle of friends. 🙂 Solar is used often.

We don't use solar solely but we have traveled many months by using solar, including an Alaskan trip. Of course, in summer we'd be in the mountains, and winter in Arizona so no need for air conditioning.

Yes, it definitely could be done.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

There are a couple of folks who do rely on solar for everything including air conditioning. It does take lots of solar and lots of battery bank.

I may, or may not, be joining that small "crowd" next summer.