Solar or Generator??

[Ramblin_Recks]

We are going to have some short boon-docking trips (3-4 days). I do not know my actual energy needs right now, but the DW and I are conservative when it comes to water and power. I really just want to get the biggest return on my $1400.00 budget for this project.

So initially I plan to get 2 T-145s, Trimetric monitor, and then I get bogged down solar or generator…

If it is a generator, I’m leaning towards a Honda EU2000i, or a Yamaha EF2400SHC and a new converter/charger (like maybe PowerMax PM4B Boondocker).

I’m thinking the generator is more versatile and could be used for other tasks than charging the batteries. I know I need to carry gasoline, but that’s ok.

If its solar, I’m thinking this system is “set-it and forget-it”, once it is installed making it easy to keep the batteries charged… but only to charge batteries. I think I would need to buy 4 T-145s (or 105) for solar. Then I start

thinking about my pin weight, I have not got mine weighed yet , but 4 batteries would be about 250-300 lbs., and we added the W/D Stack in the front closet. My BFT can handle it, but I like to keep the “weight police” at bay ;).

Solar or Generator??

Thanks for your thoughts.

[pianotuna]

Hi mena,

I agree. I had just enough solar for part time up to 13 days in a row (worst case). Now that I'm full time I need a big upgrade to my solar.

If I can't figure out a way to hang panels off the passenger's side of the RV then I'll have to rip off what I have and start over. I'm very reluctant to do that--as what I have seems to work extremely well. It may have to wait a year as I've kind of blown the budget for upgrades with the new Magnum 3012 inverter plus control panel.

I kind of wish I had not bought a generator. I could have done the solar upgrade and inverter upgrade last year--except I don't think the 3012 was available at that time--and certainly not for the barguuuuuuuuuuuuuuun price of $1699.00 (shipping in the lower 48 included).

[mena661]

NinerBikes wrote:
Isn't it great to have all the bases covered, if need be? 😉

He's a fulltimer, he has to. I don't live in mine so with my setup, it works rain or shine even if I lose a batt, the camping trip goes on. But I can do that, if I was full or part timing, it would be an entirely different story. MrWiz, on days like these do you go down below 50% SOC?

[NinerBikes]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Phil,

Your lovely little genny would not run my pd9140, which is about as small a 3 stage converter as can be found, unfortunately.

A 50% SOC 24 DC battery with that PD9140 will put a little grunt on my EU1000i when running with stock jetting at 9500 ft elevation up at Breckenridge, CO. At least it did last summer, pretty much every morning. Of course, back then I was running incandescent light bulbs, I didn't know any better. Nor was I monitoring my battery usage back then.

[NinerBikes]

MrWizard wrote:
Two days rain, After 41 hrs on battery only, almost zero solar charge
I started the Onan and ran it 3hrs 37 minutes
I will run some more around supper time, will add a couple more hrs of charging before evening shut down

Isn't it great to have all the bases covered, if need be? 😉

[MrWizard]

Two days rain, After 41 hrs on battery only, almost zero solar charge
I started the Onan and ran it 3hrs 37 minutes
I will run some more around supper time, will add a couple more hrs of charging before evening shut down

[JiminDenver]

pnichols wrote:

JiminDenver wrote:
... Since I've never been in a CG with that kind of distance between sites, I'll continue on as I have with the solar.

....or you could continue on, but with maximum weather flexibility, by adding this as a backup to your solar :B :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-EX650-PORTABLE-Generator-/141207340231?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item...

I can easily get 30 amps out of mine for around five hours for $1.80 (CA prices) worth of gas. It would take a solar (panel) system way too big for my roof and way to expensive, payback-wise, to match this.

Again you have to take altitude into consideration, the power level of that cute little generator will drop 200w.

Also my rig has the cheapo single stage 13.6v converter that came with it. The three stage solar controller does a better job and can be pushed to 15v.

I'd probably go with a Champion 3100i instead.

[pnichols]

pianotuna wrote:
Your lovely little genny would not run my pd9140, which is about as small a 3 stage converter as can be found, unfortunately.

Well .... it took me about one minute to find this 30 amp 3-voltage converter/charger (it's Charge Wizard is an option) for RV use. I only clicked on Google's first link - there were dozens more. I didn't even try to find power factor corrected 30 amp multi-stage converter/chargers, which the EX650 could fully drive even easier:

http://tweetys.com/intelli-power-pd9130.aspx?gclid=CNqr0-6S8rwCFdJbfgodfwsAnA

By the way, you used to post (I think?) a lot about the automotive-type multi-stage chargers (Black & Decker ... or similar?) that you used to help take care of your large RV battery bank. Weren't some of those around 30 amps maximum?

By the way, sometimes I hook up an old Sears 2-10-50 amp charger in parallel with my stock RV converter to pump even more current into the RV batteries when using the little Honda for faster AGM battery charging. I use the Sears charger in it's 50 amp "Engine Starting" mode to increase it's voltage just enough to better match the Parallax converter's 13.8 volt output voltage so they current-share better.

[time2roll]

I would love to see Honda build one of these 650w generators that produced 40 amps DC at ~14.5 volts. Not some noisy home built lawn mower and alternator but a true integrated unit similar to Honda 1000 with just a DC output and variable throttle. May as well have an auto start feature based on the connected battery voltage.

[pianotuna]

Hi Phil,

Your lovely little genny would not run my pd9140, which is about as small a 3 stage converter as can be found, unfortunately.

[pnichols]

westend wrote:
Are you sure about that?

My little super-quiet 650 watt genny will easily deliver (via a multi-stage charger) - 30 amps X 14.4 volts X 0.8 power factor equals 540 watts - into our RV batteries every hour that it's running. (I use it only with a 13.8 volt converter, however.)

I think it would take way more area and screw holes than my roof can take to fit on enough solar panels to match this level of output for five hours every day in any season in any weather.

It seems as if Honda years ago precisely engineered this generator for RV camping battery recharging. :h

I hope their (upcoming?) re-engineered line of inverter portable generators are specified to put out maximum power at an output noise level lower, are at least no higher, than my generator's constant speed output noise level.

[mena661]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi mena,

I think you need 150 watts more so you could have a total automatic system.

LOL! See what I mean. 🙂 PT, 300W will be enough BUT I'll have enough room to add another 150W should the solar bug take hold. :B

[pianotuna]

Hi mena,

I think you need 150 watts more so you could have a total automatic system.

[mena661]

Almot wrote:

Nobody said they are rare.

Oh ok, I misread.

pnichols wrote:
It would take a solar (panel) system way too big for my roof and way to expensive, payback-wise, to match this.

Not trying to talk you into anything but are you sure you would need that much solar? I thought I would need a lot but after considering what I needed it to do, turns out I don't need much at all. The 300W I'm planning to get is actually more than I require but since it's so inexpensive, why not.

[westend]

pnichols wrote:

JiminDenver wrote:
... Since I've never been in a CG with that kind of distance between sites, I'll continue on as I have with the solar.

....or you could continue on, but with maximum weather flexibility, by adding this as a backup to your solar :B :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-EX650-PORTABLE-Generator-/141207340231?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item...

I can easily get 30 amps out of mine for around five hours for $1.80 (CA prices) worth of gas. It would take a solar (panel) system way too big for my roof and way to expensive, payback-wise, to match this.

Are you sure about that? The 100-150 watt solar kits are getting fairly inexpensive. If you presume 30 days of generator use a year and prorate comparative use over a five year period, solar may be cheaper.