2018 Models with Sunsaver Solar Prep

[CZNEDY]

We have a 2018 34QS with the Sunsaver-10 PWM Charger pre-wired and a spot on the roof for the solar panel. Has anyone added a solar panel ? Looking for ideas before I go digging around on the roof and the inside. I found the SS-10 in the storage bay.

[Oscarvan]

I did the math.....

How much do I use, and how much does the solar panel produce? I found it to be a drop in the bucket and not worth the aggravation/money as my generator was (and is) going to be running anyways.

But if you go boondocking EXTENSIVELY where every drop of fuel counts and you will watch your Amps like a hawk.......go for it.

[silver]

I did not know FR was putting solar prep on the Berkshires. I put a 300 watt system on my 2008 coach two years ago. Used a package from Renogy with a MPPT controller. My goal was to be self sufficient with everything but air conditioner and microwave. I have dry camped for two weeks at a time and the system works great and meets my goal. Even with fans on all night my batteries are usually full by 10:00 AM.

I think I am just north or you. Do you do much local camping?

[Oscarvan]

Silver.... don't know about the other models but the 38 started getting it with the 2017.5

[KRedburn]

I have GoPower panels on mine. work good. are flexible so no holes in the roof to hold them down just use good adhesive

check them out here:

Solar Flex Kits | Go Power!

[CZNEDY]

With the prep that installed, it looks like I can only install one 100 W panel, just enough to maintain a charge on the batteries. It will just cut down on the amount of time we need to run the generator when boondocking at a Casino or for a weekend at the Daytona 500. Our last two rigs had the flex panels and they worked great but they had a 30A PWM charger and my batteries maintained full all the time, but we only use the lights.

I don't think the 100 W panel would keep my fridge running all weekend long. I need to spend some time chasing the wiring when we get to FL and see where they installed it before I do anything. I'll let you know.

[CZNEDY]

Originally Posted by KRedburn

I have GoPower panels on mine. work good. are flexible so no holes in the roof to hold them down just use good adhesive

check them out here:

Solar Flex Kits | Go Power!

We had the GoPower flexible panels on our last on and they worked well. Very easy to install too.

[CZNEDY]

Originally Posted by silver

I did not know FR was putting solar prep on the Berkshires. I put a 300 watt system on my 2008 coach two years ago. Used a package from Renogy with a MPPT controller. My goal was to be self sufficient with everything but air conditioner and microwave. I have dry camped for two weeks at a time and the system works great and meets my goal. Even with fans on all night my batteries are usually full by 10:00 AM.

I think I am just north or you. Do you do much local camping?

Hi Silver. Yep, we are about an hour away. Most of our local camping is in Mass at Normandy Farms. We also head up to BAYLEYS every year in July for a week with friends. Been doing that trip since the kids were 10. Now it's just all of the adults. We have been traveling a lot outside of New England as well, but are heading to Ft. Myers in three weeks and will do some camping down there over the winter. I keep the rig in storage there and take it out every couple of weeks or as much as we can until we drive it back in May. Then it starts all over again. How about you?

[raidernation]

I have an 18 BK XL. Was wondering about the solar prep. I have also seen the sunsaver, but not sure about the wiring,

Love Normandy Farms. It's 1,000 km South of us, but I still make it twice per year. One week in summer with kids and another weekend in the fall for a football game. Will keep an eye out for Berkshires next time we go.

[Oscarvan]

Originally Posted by CZNEDY

I don't think the 100 W panel would keep my fridge running all weekend long.

Definitely not.

Say you get there with full batteries at 5pm, and start it up again on Sunday at 5pm. That's 48 hours.

Have to go look, but IIRC my fridge draws 6A at 120V is 720W. Now, it won't run all the time. It depends how warm the coach is inside, how often you open the fridge door, and whether or not you stick a warm 12-pack in there halfway. Lets just say it runs 50% of the time, that's 360W......for 48 hours is 17,280W.

Let's say you had two gorgeous days with bright sun and your 100 wat panel was doing really well for 10 hours a day at 80% efficiency. (I'm being optimistic here). That's 20Hx80W=1600W.

Not sure how large your house bank is but mine is 4 6V batteries 200A each.....2 batteries in series to make 12V, at 200A, two of those pairs in parallel makes 400A Total. You can safely discharge this bank 50% without killing your batteries. Voltage will drop, but let's say the inverter plays nice all the way. So, 200A x 12V is 2400W.

Grand total 4000W, you needed over 17,000. And there were a TON of favorable assumptions in there. Hot coach, cloudy days, inverter cutting out at higher voltage and so on would change the numbers by factors.

Realistically speaking (and based on experience) without the panel your fridge would last 8 or so hours, your panel will extend that by a few.....

And that's without turning on ANYTHING else. (We forgot the parasitic load of the inverter itself.....)

This is why I said at the top that it's pointless to try to use solar for boon docking in our units, unless you have more panels, a larger regulator and are VERY energy conscious.

All I see it good for is as a battery minder in storage. And I'm plugged in.

[CZNEDY]

Thanks. Using it as a charging maintainer is really all I would use it for.