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Which solar panel would you choose for camper rooftop

Wo_ody
Explorer
Explorer
So its May 2014. Which specific solar panel would you choose to roof mount on your motor-home? When making a decision...are all panels aerodynamically suitable to withstand 85mph? Looking at installing a 600 amp battery bank and do not have unlimited roof space. Thanks for your input.
19 REPLIES 19

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
Hi,

How did you pick 85 mph?
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.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
Wo.ody wrote:
.are all panels aerodynamically suitable to withstand 85mph?
If installed correctly, yes.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
Hi,

For 600 amp-hours of battery bank, the rule of thumb minimum would be 360 watts of panels. That would cover about 120 amp-hours of use per day. If you full time, it is probably best to populate the entire roof with panels avoiding any shading caused by vents and other items.
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.

JiminDenver
Explorer
Explorer
With a 600 ah bank to be charged and maintained, the easy answer is as much as you can. Drain that bank down to 50% and you will need to replace 300 ah is a relative short time plus cover your daily loads. A single 24v panel and Mppt controller will put out less than 20a is the best conditions, so you would need at least 15-20 hrs to bring the bank back up if you were not using it.

In reality you need to figure out roughly how much power you use daily. What kind of conditions you camp in. What kind of loads are you running and how often do you dry camp. You already know the size of your bank and there is a recommended amount of solar needed to take care of it.
2011 GulfStream Amerilite 25BH
2003 Ford Expedition with 435w tilting portable/ TS-MPPT-45
750w solar , TS-MPPT-60 on the trailer
675 Ah bank, Trip-lite 1250fc inverter
Sportsman 2200w inverter generator

Fiverwheel
Explorer
Explorer
I would contact AM Solar on Marcola St in Springfield, Oregon. There is no one more qualified to help with your solar needs. They are also very easy to work with...great folks!
2006 34' Monaco Cayman