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Question about Solar ....

JustADrifter
Explorer
Explorer
FIRST... let me say i know NOTHING about solar... except that its costly. lol

Is anyone using solar with an A frame trailer ?
i know its expensive but if its possible... i want to consider it for times i am not connected to shore power.

i want to run a small tv and my computer or maybe the microwave to
heat something up. NOT all at the same time of course.

i will be cooking outdoors most of the time.

i would like to have the option to have power from somewhere besides a generator. i know people have panels they put outside in the sun on legs. thats what i was thinking about doing. they wouldnt be outside if i wasnt there watching them. lol

Also.... i wont be going places where there is no sun. i love
the deserts in the southwest.

Ok so ? anyone using solar ?

thanks
16 REPLIES 16

bondebond
Explorer
Explorer
With any off-grid desires, I would caution against microwave use if yore not going to )A have a large capacity battery and/or B) have a generator as a backup.

A microwave is just right behind an air conditioner as far as typical RV appliances for power consumption. Of course it is used sparingly but I would suggest other methods of heating if possible while off grid.

At least make it a small wattage MW. My built-in MW is 1500 watts and even pushes my generator around. I'm seriously considering swapping it out for a lesser wattage unit. But I digress.

I would suggest a dual battery bank. Several folks on here have dual and even have had quad battery banks for ham radio and the like (c'mon RoyB, where are you?).

Pianotuna has been doing solar and off grid for quite some time so I'd really look through some of his other posts.

You could sling some panels on the roof of your A frame but the angle might be less than desirous but that can easily be overcome but putting something more elegant than a rolled up towel under the low side to place the panels as perpendicular to the sun as possible.

You're also going to need an inverter as those are not included. Something in the 1500-2000 watt range based on what describe above. If you drop microwave usage, then possibly 1,000 watts or less would be more than enough. I have a 400 that would do it if the TV is LCD or similarly low power.

You will need to do the math on what you will consume in a day, both 12v and the impact of any 120v drains on the battery. If you can't make it one day without draining the battery below 50% (about 12.1 volts iirc) then you need a second battery (and in my opinion...quit using so many electronics 😉 ).

Then you'll need to figure out how much solar you need to put that daily usage drain back into the battery(ies). Then, there's always the real world tests, which I would do at home before you hit the road. Field testing can be the field in your driveway.
This space left intentionally.

2006 Fleetwood Sequoia and mods...one of the tallest highwall pop-ups on the planet after flipping the axle.

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
Hi,

Solar has never been cheaper. This winter prices at some places dropped low as 0.62 cents per watt.

Here is a simple flow chart:

budget-->energy audit-->battery storage-->size of solar system.

It is best to "aim" at between 60 and 150 watts of panels for every 100 amp-hours of battery storage.

Try these sites:

http://rvroadtrip.us/library/12v_system.php

http://rvroadtrip.us/library/solar_install.php
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.