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Cost For Solar Install Please

alaska315
Explorer
Explorer
I thought I would post this question to you folks to try and find the fair coast of a 400 watt solar system using 4 100 watt panels and associated wiring controller etc. on our 5er.We would be supplying all the equipt including the inverter so all I am asking about is the total hours to install a simple system like this.I was quoted 50.00 an hour by an experienced but unlicensed individual which seems fair enough.It's the total hours for install I am looking for so any help you can offer is appreciated.

I'll get your input and then let you know what I was quoted and then what my experienced Amish friend also quoted me.
Thanks
19 REPLIES 19

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
alaska315 wrote:
I know 400 is plenty because I have been doing it with a stand alone fold up ground setup for two years at 200 watts.
We are just the two of us and watch very little TV and use on a few hours computer a day.We have a 2 battery system ( 6 volt each ) as well as a deep cycle 12 volt for the bedroom TV and 12 volt fan only.
The only time we have ever used the gen is for the AC on a few hot days and maybe a few times for recharges and that's it.
I only want the extra 200 watts so we can watch a little more TV if we want to on a rainy night.
We changed our lighting out to LED's several years ago.We just don't use the power some folks use.



A. Be careful of the math, since going from 200 to 400 is not double when you are also going portable aimed to 400 flat. EG 230w is perfect for us with that 230 in a portable on the ground and aimed a few times during the day as the sun moves around. I ran a test where and when we do that and found this was equivalent in daily AH haul to 370w flat. (there and then--yours will be different)

So depending on a bunch of things, you might not be gaining as much extra TV time as you expect.

B. Not clear how you recharge the 12v "TV" battery and the pair of 6s with one solar set up.

Maybe hang on to the portable set after you get the 400w flat on the roof. Could put the portable on the 12 and the roof set on the pair of 6s, or the other way around. You can also put the portable on the same battery bank as the roof set if you like.

Less complicated to have one house bank and an inverter to run whole house. Then you can have a 120v TV and watch it anywhere in the rig for instance. One solar set to do the one house batt bank. (MH engine battery can share with one of those MH arrangements for that, or have its own solar set)
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

alaska315
Explorer
Explorer
My 6 volt AGM's are indentical and the 12 I use for the bedroom TV and Fan is totally off the rest of my system.I had some space and that battery was nearly new so I kept it for the time being to run that room.

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
Hi alaska315,

If possible upgrade the storage capacity, so that all the batteries are identical.

What charge controller are you using at the moment?

alaska315 wrote:
We have a 2 battery system ( 6 volt each ) as well as a deep cycle 12 volt for the bedroom TV and 12 volt fan only.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
I did panel installs involving 4 90 watt panels mounted in the rear and batteries located in the front cargo area. The charging cable had to pass down into the bedroom behind the rear wall panel. Inverter install was next to the batteries. I had to run a 6 gauge cable forward under the rig in one frame channel and 8/3 wire forward in the other frame channel. Using liquitite armored tubing. So commenting on this without having your specifics is like ------- upwind. I can comment using a yacht bung seal and passing the cable down insulation then through the deck took the better part of 5 hours. R&R of the wood panel was not something to be rushed. Neither was actual mounting of the panel retaining hardware. When doing work by bid it is overwhelmingly tempting to rush things when install time is longer than predicted. I eliminated this by insisting the rig owner help. The last install was done on an Arctic Fox. The owner was a pilot for Delta. He said afterward "I still can't believe how much work was involved". I hope your install is easier.

alaska315
Explorer
Explorer
I know 400 is plenty because I have been doing it with a stand alone fold up ground setup for two years at 200 watts.
We are just the two of us and watch very little TV and use on a few hours computer a day.We have a 2 battery system ( 6 volt each ) as well as a deep cycle 12 volt for the bedroom TV and 12 volt fan only.
The only time we have ever used the gen is for the AC on a few hot days and maybe a few times for recharges and that's it.
I only want the extra 200 watts so we can watch a little more TV if we want to on a rainy night.
We changed our lighting out to LED's several years ago.We just don't use the power some folks use.

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
$1 per watt.

How do you know 400 is enough?

alaska315 wrote:
I thought I would post this question to you folks to try and find the fair coast of a 400 watt solar system using 4 100 watt panels and associated wiring controller etc. on our 5er.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

alaska315
Explorer
Explorer
In my case the fellow that made the quote saw full photos of our rig and made out a detailed list of the supplies he needed and based on our needs and the fact we also have a generator,400 watts is plenty for us.We're boondockers,not glam campers.

I appreciate your input but feel your abit hard on the Amish that quite frankly do quality work.Please remember they are merely working in a camper factory doing what they are told to do.
I can tell you from living and working with them for years I'll put their workmanship against any "englishmen" anytime.
So please before you make those comments,please walk thru any of their homes,drive by their homes,see how they live,not how they are told to do a factory job before you attempt to force judgement on the rest of us because you obviously dislike Mexicans and Amish.
And no this isn't a half baked idea.I was merely asking for thoughts from others.Fact is 36 hours time is way to much for any 400 watt install of solar.

NinerBikes
Explorer
Explorer
As a contractor and as a handyman, I've had too many jobs where "the customer supplies all the parts" go bad, all the parts aren't there, the customer doesn't know what is necessary, and starting a job and having to go on a parts hunt or come back at a later date drives my costs and travel time up.

You either know what you are doing, design it yourself, and the laborer, unlicensed provides the grunt work, for cheap, or you don't know what you are doing, hire a licensed professional, pay for their expertise, and do the job right, the first time.

400 watts for a 5th wheel, most of them that I see are 30 feet plus in length, sounds like too little, to me, especially for winter time use.

This is a half baked idea. You're gonna get what you paid for. Not much. No one here has seen your 5th wheel, getting pricing over the internet, as such, is a complete joke.

As an aside, as a general contractor that has built a few custom homes, and done plenty of remodels, my Travel trailer was built by Amish employees in Michigan. Their work is no better than stuff built by Mexicans by Eclipse in Riverside, CA, or Mexicans at Lance in Lancaster CA, none of which speak English as a first language. The quality of construction by them is junk, mass produced cr@p. Built to a price point, and built to fail within a decade or a bit longer.

A few trades they suck at are plumbing, electrical, cabinetry and finish carpentry, IMHO. They have dangerously low standards on electrical in particular. Don't ask me how I know.

alaska315
Explorer
Explorer
The guy that quoted me 50.00 an hour labor and I supplied all the materials was doing the entire plannning.
No Cydog15 there would be no interuptions on our part at all,that's why I sought out what I thought was a pro.
However in our case,this unlicensed "Pro" while wanting to charge us 50.00 an hour labor also said it would take him 26 to 36 hours to do this install.
Now I see where he has started a web site but it seems he preys on high end class A owners.
Now,I have an Amish friend who I recently found does these installs as well as the Amish are really getting into using solar.My Amish friend while again not licensed is very articulate and professional.I have known him 50 years and he quoted me 25.00 an hour and one day or approx 8 hours for the complete install and said I could interupt him with any questions I had.

Part of my original post was to try and show as well that there are people out there that will prey on those of us they think might be an easy hit.
The guy that thought he could charge me up to 36 hours and 50.00 an hour for what I had a good idea could be done for far less money and hours was someone I found on another forum type site run by a private individual.He is a fulltimer and I'll leave it at that.

Thanks for all of your input.
In my case,I decided to go with someone I trust and have known for 50 years who is giving me a fair price for the task and he is planning the system for us.
While he may not be licensed,I know where he lives and I know he will stand behind his work.

Thanks for all your input.

Cydog15
Explorer
Explorer
Does this quote also include the interruptions from you and your wife questioning the methods being used or is it flat rate time?

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
This appears to be a recipe for disappointment.

Huntindog
Explorer
Explorer
2oldman wrote:
BFL13 wrote:
Lesson is to know yourself what is right and wrong before getting anything done, then get some quotes. Then make sure it is done the way you specified.
x2

The grunt work is what the installer does. The design is (or should be) what YOU do. That's so you know what's up when something goes wrong.

I've talked to many folks with solar who don't even know whether their panels are wired in parallel or series. Please, spend some time learning and designing before turning it loose to people who only want to get it done quickly.


So long as this amount of operator involvement is necessary, Solar will not become mainstream.

There are many more people that don't care to know the details about how things work, than there are techies who love to know this stuff.

I have a ton of knowledge about many things, but I don't know everything about everything.
For example:
I don't care to know how a microwave works, just that it does.
Huntindog
100% boondocking
2021 Grand Design Momentum 398M
2 bathrooms, no waiting
104 gal grey, 104 black,158 fresh
FullBodyPaint, 3,8Kaxles, DiscBrakes
17.5LRH commercial tires
1860watts solar,800 AH Battleborn batterys
2020 Silverado HighCountry CC DA 4X4 DRW

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
BFL13 wrote:
Lesson is to know yourself what is right and wrong before getting anything done, then get some quotes. Then make sure it is done the way you specified.
x2

The grunt work is what the installer does. The design is (or should be) what YOU do. That's so you know what's up when something goes wrong.

I've talked to many folks with solar who don't even know whether their panels are wired in parallel or series. Please, spend some time learning and designing before turning it loose to people who only want to get it done quickly.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
You are supplying the equipment, but who is doing the design? Do you know how the solar SHOULD be installed? Does the installer? ๐Ÿ˜ž

Several folks have been on here after finding out their installed solar was poorly designed and high cost.

Lesson is to know yourself what is right and wrong before getting anything done, then get some quotes. Then make sure it is done the way you specified.
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.