Cost For Solar Install Please

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

$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.

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.

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.

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.

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