evy
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Re: Planning solar panels (take 2)
brulaz wrote: I would put the panels length wise on one side of the trailer so the kayak won't shade them when travelling. We do a lot of battery recharge with solar when travelling. The kayak is drawn just to see if I can still physically fit it up there with the solar panels. It will almost never be there. when you travel isn't it your alternator that charges your batteries?437Views0likes0CommentsRe: Planning solar panels (take 2)
time2roll wrote: Yes any shade can make each section not produce power. These large panels are set in three sections. There are bypass diodes so the unshaded sections can still produce power. If going with an over/under configuration consider running them in parallel. Bottom panel will add power when extended. Make sure the slide mechanism gives you plenty of reach to completely expose the lower panel even when the sun is at an angle. What is the actual width of the platform? '8 wide RV can get two of those panels side by side. In which case I would mount them side by side in the rear. Again in parallel with one getting shade when the kayak is mounted. As shown both panels will produce about nothing when the kayak is up. The kayak is drawn just to see if I can still fit it up there with the solar panels. It wont be there too often. The width of the roof rack is 66" I can't fit two of those side by side that's for sure. I was considering getting extra long 48" drawer slides, the panel is 39" wide so there would be a 9" space between the panels when it is totally extended.437Views0likes0CommentsPlanning solar panels (take 2)
Ok so my project is going forward but not as fast as I was hoping... I am planning installing (2) 300w solar panels (600w total) on the roof of my DIY camper. The thing is these 300w panels are huge 39"X60"!! They take up a lot of space on my roof rack and I had an idea to save some space, by installing the two panels one on top of the other, but having the bottom one slide out on tracks and by doing this it would cover my windshield like an awning, that might be interesting on those hot sunny days. But I heard (really not sure) that if you have shadows on only one of the two panels it affects the output? can anyone confirm? So If I'm parked at a restaurant for a couple of hours and my bottom panel is not out (100% shadowed) what are the consequences? FYI 600 watts for 2 6v batteries (225AH total) with a 40A MPPT Epsolar Tracer charge controler. This is just an idea, let me know if it's a bad one and why, thanks guys! If I install them side by side on my roof rack they take up 2/3 of the space :-( p.s. the kayak will not be there often and if it is, It will only be there when rolling.1.2KViews0likes7CommentsWhynter 12v refrigerator vs 3 way refrigerator
Hi everyone, I have a 3 way Dometic Americana 4.3cu.ft. refrigerator, with a small freezer section inside, as of now it's installed in its place but not hooked up yet. I'm looking into installing at least one 300w solar panel, maybe 2 (600w total) I heard that my 3 way is not a very good option for solar, so I looked into getting a power efficient 12v refrigerator that would work with solar. I'm not sure if I really need a freezer? I don't eat meat (please don't judge me) I really like the 12v refrigerator shaped like a cooler (top open) because they don't loose all the cold every time you open the door. My cabinets are already done so I wanted a 12v freezer that would fit. I found this model from Whynter (FM-951GW) 95quarts/3.2cu.ft. 70watts running power, but I havent found much info on it (nothing on this forum). What do you guys think? any other models would fit? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WO43IMW/ref=asc_df_B00WO43IMW5435728?tag=cnet-us-genius-20&smid=A3K90JHFOGRITA&linkCode=df0&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B00WO43IMW&ascsubtag=f1ccd160-3dbf-11e8-a943-85496de1b7a6 https://www.whynter.com/product/whynter-95-quart-portable-wheeled-freezer-door-alert-12v-option-gray/#prettyPhoto https://www.whynter.com/wp-content/uploads/FM-951-Comsumption-Chart-2018.pdf2.8KViews0likes16CommentsRe: Electrical questions, alternator? amps? generator?
Ok guys thanks for all the information, I tried making sens of everything, I hope the corrections I did on the drawing covers everything, if not please don't hesitate to let me know. I still have some questions about : -overall wire gauge? -fuse holders vs breakers? I added three other AC and DC distribution drawings (after the AC/DC panel) they're also work in progress, please don't hesitate to comment on them as well. you can click on the pictures to go directly in my photo bucket and zoom in if you want to. I managed to get my hands on my battery monitor (Xantrex XBM) so that's another story but you can take a look on my photo bucket I have pictures of evrything. I also would like to get your opinion on this issue, I had a hard time finding some genuine good 12V DC wiring, 100% stranded copper (not aluminum) + real AWG (not the smaller made in China kind) and all I could find was speaker wiring and I couldn't find the specs for wire temp... So my brother got his hands on the real stuff where he works, and he got it all for free!! all the 18AWG and 14AWG I needed for the DC distribution circuits, I was really happy since I'm on a tight budget and all. BUT!! the only issue is the wire colors, he could only get RED and WHITE... So I got the equal length in both colors... Is this going to be a problem? I normally see black and white or black and red. I still didn't get the bigger gauge wiring for all the components around the batteries, what color should I get? Again thanks!614Views0likes0CommentsRe: Electrical questions, alternator? amps? generator?
Thanks for all the information guys. Here's where I'm at right now. I bought most of the big equipment in my project, as for electrical components, all the equipment with Brand names and models (on my diagram) are in my possession waiting to be installed, I have most of the wiring and lighting fixtures, I am missing fuses/breakers/switches/connectors etc... I won't start installing anything until I get general approval and also I will try to get someone who has experience with this kind of system to take a look at everything before I turn the power on. Here's the diagram I'm working on, yes it's a work in progress, there's probably a lot of errors on it but I'm getting there, If you see errors or if you can answer some of the questions on there please don't hesitate, thanks!615Views0likes0CommentsRe: Building a battery box, info needed please.
DrewE wrote: #1 looks more rain resistant to me, though it may be a matter of the angle of the picture. I would likely choose it for that reason and drill a little weep hole at the very bottom of the vent so any water that gets in has a place to drip out. That's a great idea, I will put a couple of holes on that bottom row.436Views0likes0Comments
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