Solar charger for 4 6v golf cart batteries LONG TERM?

[DiskDoctr]

After a few years of medical hiatus, moving camper to a semi-permanent spot on our property. Looking for reasonable setup to keep our 4x 6v golf cart batteries topped up.

Usage will be 1-3 days about 3-4 times per month. We will have a generator available if we take it.

Topping off batteries after we leave or if we are away for a month or two is the goal.

It is on top of high hill in SW Pennsylvania, so looking at solar.

Don't want to get the wrong "trickle charger" that kills the batteries prematurely. Also don't want to be required to stay extra (few hours?) to run generator after a stay, or require a "service trip" just to charge up batteries.

We would run off generator and/or 2k inverter from batteries during out stay, likely run coffee maker, microwave, etc in am and eve, which also runs our 4 stage charger.

Winter usage as well, so propane fridge and RV furnace that uses the energy gobbling fan. Likely an internet link and remote camera setup for security will run 24/7

2005 Cougar 33BHS

Thanks in advance.

[DiskDoctr]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
An ideal "topping off" solar charger...

Does this fit the bill?

Renogy (BT model)


I am planning the wifi backhaul to the house for monitoring video, thermostat/temp, etc. Maybe even battery state?

This will allow us to pre-heat the camper before we arrive in winter. Winter usage is expected if I can get this road done before arctic weather moves in. Just picked up a fitting for the backhoe today.

oh yeah-

WHAT is MAXIMUM INCLINE/SLOPE of a road for a camper, as a general rule?

[DiskDoctr]

jaycocreek wrote:
Solar is awful dependent on where you live and the weather..I have 400 watts on the roof and 200ah of lithium batteries and it won't keep up right now in this weather..5-6 days maybe then it's generator time...Roughly 5-600 watt hours going out daily..The 2k inverter uses 13 watts times four is 300 watts plus daily of I left it on 24/7..

I need my generators even with 4-600 watts of solar where I live in the winter..The summer is just the opposite with all the sun..

So you have about 2x my battery capacity (SLA only down to 50%).

We've dry camped for a week with less than an hour in the am and an hour in the pm on generator to run A/C, microwave, coffee maker, high amp battery charger, etc.

That was for comfort, not dead batteries. They were also new, now about 4yrs old

The inverter I have is PROsine 1800 hardwired: https://www.bestconverter.com/PROsine-1800-Sine-Wave-Inverter-Hardwire_p_251.html

1800w with 2900w surge. It can start and run the A/C. Not sure how long, that was an accident when the genny ran out of fuel once. Lol.

It's only 1.5w on standby. So low that when we were using it, I just left it turned on.

Thanks.

[DiskDoctr]

Gulfcoast wrote:
It must be really cold where you are if you furnace will actually run 20 hours a day.

Haha! Yeah, estimating worst case while we're there, we want to be warm. On top of the hill with only a little windbreak on about 30%.

Actually considering anchors, just in case. We do get 60-80mph gusts during some storms.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

• An ideal "topping off" solar charger should include
• The ability to prevent under charged batteries from freezing the following night
• Temperature compensated voltage adjustment
• A mechanical switch to eliminate the tiniest leakage
• Redundant capacity to maintain a full charge even with the longest stretch of anticipated hundred percent cloud cover
• A five star customer rating for performance and longevity.

[jaycocreek]

Solar is awful dependent on where you live and the weather..I have 400 watts on the roof and 200ah of lithium batteries and it won't keep up right now in this weather..5-6 days maybe then it's generator time...Roughly 5-600 watt hours going out daily..The 2k inverter uses 13 watts times four is 300 watts plus daily of I left it on 24/7..

I need my generators even with 4-600 watts of solar where I live in the winter..The summer is just the opposite with all the sun..

[Gulfcoast]

It must be really cold where you are if you furnace will actually run 20 hours a day.

[DiskDoctr]

valhalla360 wrote:

So long as the panels have a clear view of the sun, works pretty much the same as someone who travels with the camper.

Nearly unobstructed view of sun except for eves, which get cut a little short by the neighboring mountain.

Similar to traveling, except no alternator to charge before/after trips. Hoping solar will do that job for us.

Thanks.

[DiskDoctr]

John Burke wrote:
I have a 12X24 off grid cabin....

Sounds a LOT like what we expect for usage, except it won't be heated full time when we aren't there.

Thanks.

[DiskDoctr]

I tried out that solar calculator.

It came back with 530 watts with 55 amp MPPT, 425ah lead acid batteries.

Used winter numbers with furnace at 20hrs per day, 0.5hrs microwave usage, etc

We have 4x 6v golf cart batteries (Duracell) and 2kw inverter. Batteries are a few years old, always connected to 4 stage charger/AC. Believe they are 215ah/each with 2 pairs in parallel (standard for 12v setup)

Likely will be adding a 24/7 camera and internet wifi backhaul link across the top and then down the mountainside to our house. So that will add a little more usage.

[valhalla360]

DiskDoctr wrote:
Thank you.

After placing our camper, it will be staying in the same place long term.

We will travel to and from it by 4x4 and/or ATV. It is in middle of nearly 100 acres.

So long as the panels have a clear view of the sun, works pretty much the same as someone who travels with the camper.

[DiskDoctr]

Thank you.

After placing our camper, it will be staying in the same place long term.

We will travel to and from it by 4x4 and/or ATV. It is in middle of nearly 100 acres.

[Gulfcoast]

Here's a great solar calculator that's easy to use:

Solar

[SJ-Chris]

You mentioned your goal was to just "top off" the batteries while in storage. Likely, when you are driving home from your trip the batteries will be getting charged. So really you probably only need about 100-200w max.

Suggestion: Look for USED panels on craigslist or facebook marketplace. You might be able to find healthy 250w panels for less than $100. An inexpensive PWM controller is probably all you need (~$25) if you are putting up 200-250w.

You probably only need 100w, but if you are buying used you can likely find 250w for a great price. When I was adding solar onto my RV I only was planning on putting up 250w. But I was able to get the 250w panels (used) for $35 each, so I bumped it up to a 500w system which is overkill.

Again....this is assuming you are mostly interested in keeping your batteries fully charged while in storage.

Good luck!
Chris

[John_Burke]

I have a 12X24 off grid cabin. I have an 8 cu ft, 120 volt fridge on all the time. My lights are 12 volt LED screw in house style bulbs. Nightly I use the TV a light or two. The cell booster is on all the time and have my computer most of the time. Every morning I use my coffee maker, use my crock pot regularly.
I have 6 GC2's, 6 100 watt solar panels with a MPPT controller set to top out at 14.2 volts and 1500 watt PSW invertor I have a 2000 watt invertor generator. I have a 4 stage RV charger if I need it. It will take about 6 hours on the generator to recharge the battery's.
I spend about 90 days a year there with about 35-40 of those days from Oct to April. I leave the heat on Oct thru early January, cabin is heated about 90 days a year. The heat is set at 50 when I am not there, 65 at night and 70 during the daytime when I am there. It is a 1983 RV furnace. It runs a few times during the night and day.
I have had to run the generator 2 maybe 3 times a year when there are several days in a row with no sun.
I realize this got a little long, but hope it gives you an idea of what you will need for what you want to do.

[StirCrazy]

DiskDoctr wrote:
After a few years of medical hiatus, moving camper to a semi-permanent spot on our property. Looking for reasonable setup to keep our 4x 6v golf cart batteries topped up.

Usage will be 1-3 days about 3-4 times per month. We will have a generator available if we take it.

Topping off batteries after we leave or if we are away for a month or two is the goal.

It is on top of high hill in SW Pennsylvania, so looking at solar.

Don't want to get the wrong "trickle charger" that kills the batteries prematurely. Also don't want to be required to stay extra (few hours?) to run generator after a stay, or require a "service trip" just to charge up batteries.

We would run off generator and/or 2k inverter from batteries during out stay, likely run coffee maker, microwave, etc in am and eve, which also runs our 4 stage charger.

Winter usage as well, so propane fridge and RV furnace that uses the energy gobbling fan. Likely an internet link and remote camera setup for security will run 24/7

2005 Cougar 33BHS

Thanks in advance.

decide how much power you want to use and go from there, some one sugested an energy audit, good idea. I don't go crazy with my 120 when I am camping but I do run the kurieg in the morning and in the evening, let the kids watch a movie every night and the ocasional short use of the microwave. I have four 6V batteries and 480 watts of solar and it is full by shortly after noon each day. if I use the furnace all day and night it is full before the sun goes down. if i had to do it again I would probably go more efficent panels and a MPPT charger and look for some where arounf 8-900 watts of panels.

save the genny for emergencys if you don't have to use it don't .

Steve