Attaching Solar Panel

[gfior]

I have searched this forum for ideas about adding solar. It generally seems like a practical solution for dry camping, but I'm puzzled about how to attach panels to the roof. I see that there are some flexible panels with adhesive backing, but I wonder if the edges will lift and eventually be torn off by the wind. Drilling holes into a brand new fiberglass roof goes against my better judgement. I read that the flexible ones can be rolled up and stored.

Do some people store the panels in the basement and set them out when camped?

How well does that work?

If that is done, don't the panels have a tendency to develop legs and walk away?

[HomeOnWheels]

I'm very interested in this topic and have done research on this forum as well. But, not answering your questions, I want to offer a different perspective based on my limited experience. During my three-day/two-night dry camping trip to Joshua Tree, I monitored battery usage closely. I purposely left on lights, turned on TV, kept mobile devices charged, and used water pump, and so on, and the longest duration was about 5 hours at night. I never once noticed the battery fell below 50% mark. I never had to turn on generator to charge battery. Just driving around during the day was enough to keep battery fully charged.
I realize with solar you will save on LP and gas, and prolong dry camping.

[gfior]

Originally Posted by HomeOnWheels

Just driving around during the day was enough to keep battery fully charged.

So Home, how long a drive was enough to keep your batteries up? Are you talking about daily mileage to or from a destination?

Greg

[Sandiegodoug]

I bought the 134 volt stick on but its too long to fit. Instead I'm going to buy 2x 100 watt flexible panels and was told I could stick them to roof with industrial strength Velcro so no drilling needed. I measured and found I could even fit a 3rd panel
Already bought mppt controller
Just not sure how much power needed. I was told if you let batteries go to 50 percent it's bad


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[HomeOnWheels]

Originally Posted by gfior

So Home, how long a drive was enough to keep your batteries up? Are you talking about daily mileage to or from a destination?

Greg

No more than 10 miles to charge from 50% to 100%.

Forgot to mention earlier, I also left two dometic fans on at ~50% speed when testing the battery.

[HomeOnWheels]

Originally Posted by Sandiegodoug

I was told if you let batteries go to 50 percent it's bad


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That's really disconcerting if it's true.

[Blackhat6mike]

Originally Posted by HomeOnWheels

I'm very interested in this topic and have done research on this forum as well. But, not answering your questions, I want to offer a different perspective based on my limited experience. During my three-day/two-night dry camping trip to Joshua Tree, I monitored battery usage closely. I purposely left on lights, turned on TV, kept mobile devices charged, and used water pump, and so on, and the longest duration was about 5 hours at night. I never once noticed the battery fell below 50% mark. I never had to turn on generator to charge battery. Just driving around during the day was enough to keep battery fully charged.
I realize with solar you will save on LP and gas, and prolong dry camping.

You must have one huge alternator to recharge your batts in that short of time! I'm talking HUGE! I have a Balmar 150 amp alt. in my sailboat and it doesn't charge that fast. Don't always believe the wall panel monitor lights. Try a hydrometer to get the real charge level. You will find the two don't always agree.
What voltage are your TVs?? 12vdc or 110vac?

[gfior]

Originally Posted by Blackhat6mike

You must have one huge alternator...

I think I read that it's 200 Amp in the 2015 Solera.

Greg

[Sandiegodoug]

If I run the gen for an hour or so it shows 4 lights but I think it's a surface charge and batteries must sit to get true state of charge. That's why I am putting on solar panels for dry camping. I like to run the fantastic fans during the day to keep air moving. And wife likes to read at night.


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[Blackhat6mike]

Originally Posted by gfior

I think I read that it's 200 Amp in the 2015 Solera.

Greg

WOW! That's one huge alternator!
Solar panels keep your batts charged if you have a big enough system. Don't know how it would save you LP but it will save you having to wear out your motor and burn fuel just to do the same thing as solar.

[Still Kickin]

Originally Posted by HomeOnWheels

No more than 10 miles to charge from 50% to 100%.

Forgot to mention earlier, I also left two dometic fans on at ~50% speed when testing the battery.

Batteries (wet cell) take current relatively quick, till they reach about 80% capacity, then it takes a longer time to get the last 20% in. I belive if you read up on the subject in this forum, you will find that you need a much longer period than a 10 mile drive to get them close to 100%. What your expierencing is the surface charge that seems like they are full. Like the others have mentioned, the panel displays are not an accurate indicator of your true bat status.

[Blackhat6mike]

Originally Posted by Sandiegodoug

I bought the 134 volt stick on but its too long to fit. Instead I'm going to buy 2x 100 watt flexible panels and was told I could stick them to roof with industrial strength Velcro so no drilling needed. I measured and found I could even fit a 3rd panel
Already bought mppt controller
Just not sure how much power needed. I was told if you let batteries go to 50 percent it's bad


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I would bite the bullet and screw down the solar panels to your roof and add some GOOP under the mounts. They aren't going to fly off. ''Industrial strength velco''?? That is scary!
Check out my picture album under Blackhat6mike.

[HomeOnWheels]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

Batteries (wet cell) take current relatively quick, till they reach about 80% capacity, then it takes a longer time to get the last 20% in. I belive if you read up on the subject in this forum, you will find that you need a much longer period than a 10 mile drive to get them close to 100%. What your expierencing is the surface charge that seems like they are full. Like the others have mentioned, the panel displays are not an accurate indicator of your true bat status.

Thanks for alerting me to this phenomenon. There is so much to learn for a newbie. After some more reading on the forum, I gathered the following:
1. Don't trust the panel display. Okay, I bought a digital voltmeter with cigarette lighter plug and will from now on monitor battery level with voltmeter.
The voltage reading reflects charge level more accurately -

2. 'Surface charge' right after charging is higher than the actual, so wait a couple hours before testing.
3. Deep cycle batteries have a life span of 4 ~ 8 years, and can be discharged to 20% and have 675 charging cycles. However, maintaining a ~ 50% charge level will double its life to 1150 cycles.

So the way I see it is, although preferred, it's not a nightmare to frequently discharge the batter to below 50%. You still get a good few years' use of it. Am I missing anything thinking this way?

Above all, I was able to dry camp, completely relied on house battery for many hours, and had a lot of fun!

[Sandiegodoug]

Exactly why I'm going to use solar.
Keep batteries over 50
Use as much power as I want


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[gfior]

Originally Posted by gfior

Drilling holes into a brand new fiberglass roof goes against my better judgement.

I did some more research and I think I have an answer to my own question:
3M VHB Tape.

[fortbud]

I posted some pics about 2 100 watt flexible panels using 2" Velcro Extreme and completed a 5500 mile trip from northern Colorado to southern Florida and back in all kinds of weather with no problems. The Velcro Extreme is meant to be very good at sticking when you don't need to remove it often. I see no lifting of the edges and am very pleased. We are leaving for Alaska in four weeks and have no concerns with the panels. We only had several dry camping nights on our trip to Florida so that wasn't much of a test.
However, we ran into some other folks from Switzerland in a Class C with 200 watts of solar and they said they could go a week or two without an electric hookup.
One of the nice things about the solar panels is that I no longer need to plug into the house electric when I bring it home to load/unload, clean, etc. I have a MPPT charge controller that shows I have a full charge all of the time. I do have the cigarette type gauge that I use for the engine battery. It's nice to see the 12.7 volts on both the engine and the house batteries. I did get the class 31 AGM batteries for the house and am very pleased with them.

[Sandiegodoug]

Exactly the post I was waiting for. Renology told me to mount them with extreme Velcro and I was going to buy 2x100 watt flexable panels , just wasn't sure if it was enough and Velcro would hold. Thanks for post


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[Ecopco]

Originally Posted by Sandiegodoug

Exactly the post I was waiting for. Renology told me to mount them with extreme Velcro and I was going to buy 2x100 watt flexable panels , just wasn't sure if it was enough and Velcro would hold. Thanks for post


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Are the Renogy flexible solar panels designed to mount flat on the roof? I always heard that you need airflow under the panels to help dissipate heat. Will you post some pictures after you do your install too. I'm very interested in this stuff too. Thanks, Brian


2015 Solera 24R

[gfior]

[QUOTE=... 2 100 watt flexible panels using 2" Velcro Extreme....[/QUOTE]

So, did you tape the entire perimeter of the panels?

Greg

[Starry2some]

We have 4 Renogy flat 100W panels and plan to mount them flat, across the front of the Sunseeker, using Velcro with Eternabond covering the edges.