Solar options, quick review requested
23' Class C, no solar, Lifeline 80 AH AGM battery 4 years old and still going good, UltraIII 6300 3-stage converter, and generator.
Typically 6 days a month boondocking, currently on first 68 day long trip, heading towards probably 6 months a year on the road / boondocking within 2 years.
Phoenix Costco today, heading for salad and... what is this?
Pallets of Interstate Golf Cart batteries, 6v, 210 AH... $94. Certainly not a product I have seen in Costco in 28 years.
Started doing some Googling.
This gentleman endorses 6 volt GC batteries as better than AGM for boondocking use: half cost, lighter, but AGM does hold charge longest.
https://trekwithus.com/rv-batteries-101-and-why-we-use-trojan-t-105-6v-golf-cart-batteries-in-our-rv/
And finally found THE calculator. This thing is AMAZING.
https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/tools/solar-calculator.html
Options I am weighing....
1. For my current 80AH battery, I get 480 WH, and some days I have to run the generator up to 4 hrs if I am working on the computer a lot. I would need two 100W panels to keep this setup charged! Somehow I thought I could get away with one.
2. If I doubled the battery size to 160AH, I get 680 WH, and would need three panels! Wow.
And, the 6 volt Golf Cart batteries all start around 210 AH so I can't really get to 160AH.
Closest in an AGM would be GPL-31XT 12 Volt, 125 Amp Hour Deep Cycle AGM, $347
3. If I bought two of these Costco batteries it would nearly triple capacity up to 210 AH, I get 1280 WH and need 5 panels!
Since I can buy 2 ea. 6V, 220 AH for $186 (plus $30 core fee), why not just buy these batteries, charge them with just 2 panels (which I already need) and frequent driving (I tend to move around a fair amount) and keep them charged way up all the time?
Obviously this is lots of reserve capacity that I might never use but wouldn’t the batteries be healthy because they stay well-charged?
Yes, it’s sort of a waste but the batteries are so discounted that it would seem to make economic sense.
Constructive feedback greatly appreciated. I need to buy them tomorrow if I am going to do it so quick responses appreciated.
Typically 6 days a month boondocking, currently on first 68 day long trip, heading towards probably 6 months a year on the road / boondocking within 2 years.
Phoenix Costco today, heading for salad and... what is this?
Pallets of Interstate Golf Cart batteries, 6v, 210 AH... $94. Certainly not a product I have seen in Costco in 28 years.
Started doing some Googling.
This gentleman endorses 6 volt GC batteries as better than AGM for boondocking use: half cost, lighter, but AGM does hold charge longest.
https://trekwithus.com/rv-batteries-101-and-why-we-use-trojan-t-105-6v-golf-cart-batteries-in-our-rv/
And finally found THE calculator. This thing is AMAZING.
https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/tools/solar-calculator.html
Options I am weighing....
1. For my current 80AH battery, I get 480 WH, and some days I have to run the generator up to 4 hrs if I am working on the computer a lot. I would need two 100W panels to keep this setup charged! Somehow I thought I could get away with one.
2. If I doubled the battery size to 160AH, I get 680 WH, and would need three panels! Wow.
And, the 6 volt Golf Cart batteries all start around 210 AH so I can't really get to 160AH.
Closest in an AGM would be GPL-31XT 12 Volt, 125 Amp Hour Deep Cycle AGM, $347
3. If I bought two of these Costco batteries it would nearly triple capacity up to 210 AH, I get 1280 WH and need 5 panels!
Since I can buy 2 ea. 6V, 220 AH for $186 (plus $30 core fee), why not just buy these batteries, charge them with just 2 panels (which I already need) and frequent driving (I tend to move around a fair amount) and keep them charged way up all the time?
Obviously this is lots of reserve capacity that I might never use but wouldn’t the batteries be healthy because they stay well-charged?
Yes, it’s sort of a waste but the batteries are so discounted that it would seem to make economic sense.
Constructive feedback greatly appreciated. I need to buy them tomorrow if I am going to do it so quick responses appreciated.
