Solar

[LilHorse&buggy]

Your 2nd choice was correct. You have to buy your own charge controller and solar panels.

[Ttramp]

Originally Posted by joeuncool

The biggest thing to understand about solar is that solar doesn't really power anything in your camper. Solar charges your batteries and the things in your camper run off the batteries. Now, during the day you might be lightly using your 12 volt system and the solar panels might be a high enough wattage to keep up and always keep your batteries full. It becomes a wash, and so in an indirect way, your usage in the camper is running off the solar panels.

If you are doing any amount of dry camping I would immediately get 2 batteries.

As for the solar panels. I bought the Zamp 200 watt portable. I will tell you right off that Zamp are way over priced. I got ripped off, however, here is why I did it. Convenience. The more I thought about it, the camper is wired for Zamp and it would be plug and play. I considered other portable units but I would have adapt the connection for the Zamp plug on the trailer as Zamp reverses their polarity for some proprietary reason. If I purchased individual panels and controller which would be much much cheaper I would have to get them wired together and potentially wire in some connection to the batteries. I didn't want to just use alligator clips on the batteries. It was getting close to trip time and I had too much other stuff to do in setting up our new camper.

While I still say I got ripped off, after using them, I am glad I bought the Zamp. Plugged them in and they work. Here is my short review of the 200 watt portable panels. Lots of power, they work very well. Recharged the batteries from about 70% to 100% in bright sunlight in just under 2 hours. The portables were great in that we were camping in the trees and I could move the panels so they were always in the sun and pointed directly at the sun for maximum effect. The bad. The 200 watt panels are heavy. They are also kind of large so it makes them a bit awkward to deploy. They do come folded in a case which again is heavy. 70 lbs maybe? Maybe more?

The other bad, and this is about solar in general. No sun, very little charge. On our second to last day it was cloudy most of the day and partly cloudy the day before so I didn't quite get a full charge then. If it wasn't for our 2 batteries we would have been dead electric wise. By the time we left, we were at just over 50% at 12.12 volts.

For those curious about tow vehicle charging, during the 2.5 hour trip home, the batteries charged from 12.12 volts to 12.42 volts. Tow vehicle connection is a very slow charge.

Wow, 200 watt portable solar panel. You gotta be the Hulk. I won't whine about my 80W portable in soft suitcase (go power) ever again. Lol

[babock]

Originally Posted by KevK

...or is it basically a 12v battery connector on the side of the camper and you have to get your own solar panels and charge controller?

Correct...which makes no sense to be married to the Zamp connector and wiring. You can actually wire it yourself with larger gauge wiring so you can charge your batteries with a reasonable voltage drop.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by babock

Correct...which makes no sense to be married to the Zamp connector and wiring. You can actually wire it yourself with larger gauge wiring so you can charge your batteries with a reasonable voltage drop.

Thanks. I have a 2005 Salem 21FB and wired it myself. Instead of installing a sidewall port, I picked up a 10 gauge 2-pin SAE pigtail from eBay which I routed through the shore power cord outlet. I mounted my charge controller behind the converter/distribution box which may seem inconvenient but I have a bluetooth dongle on the charge controller so I can see how I am doing and change controller settings via my phone. The only things outside are two foldable 100 watt panels and connecting cables.

As others have posted, do a rough sizing calculation before buying your equipment. Go Power has a nice calculator for sizing your battery, inverter, and panel needs here:

Size Your Go Power! Solar or Inverter System | Go Power!

[Dave Lyon]

As others have noted, you really need to have an idea of your consumption.

I posted a thread here "Real Life Solar Results" where I indicated that I camped for 3 nights without hydro and my 100 watt panel (Cosctco) had no trouble keeping my group 31 DC battery above 12V and there was intermittent shade due to trees.

I didn't use much power, flushing the toilet, doing dishes and lights were only on to go to bed. I never used my furnace. For my demand the 100 watt panel was sufficient.

[CurtPutnam]

I hope this isn't a hijack. I'm interested in solar as a trickle charger for my two 6 volt batteries. I've already gone the generator route because the southwest pretty much requires A/C and I don't know of any units that will run off batteries.

We just completed our 1st three day boondocking trip. Honda generator worked fine but battery power alone had to take care of the last hook up and unhooking. Links to solar education would be appreciated as well as outright recommendations for solutions to my problem. TIA

[Ttramp]

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

I hope this isn't a hijack. I'm interested in solar as a trickle charger for my two 6 volt batteries. I've already gone the generator route because the southwest pretty much requires A/C and I don't know of any units that will run off batteries.

We just completed our 1st three day boondocking trip. Honda generator worked fine but battery power alone had to take care of the last hook up and unhooking. Links to solar education would be appreciated as well as outright recommendations for solutions to my problem. TIA

Sound like you already have the conservation for boondocking under control. I don't know your needs but we seem pretty close
(Trailer size, days out, etc.). You could probably get by on a 80/100 watt portable. Works fine for me.

Also, the wife likes movies when we boondock w/o using trailer battery. I have a HF solar AGM Battery, a 400w inverter with 2 110V plugs (even a usb). Plug TV and DVD to inverter for over 4 hrs use while charging my devices. With good sunlight the battery charges in about 4 hrs with my 80w portable panel.
Happy Camping.

[CurtPutnam]

Originally Posted by Ttramp

Sound like you already have the conservation for boondocking under control. I don't know your needs but we seem pretty close
(Trailer size, days out, etc.). You could probably get by on a 80/100 watt portable. Works fine for me.

Also, the wife likes movies when we boondock w/o using trailer battery. I have a HF solar AGM Battery, a 400w inverter with 2 110V plugs (even a usb). Plug TV and DVD to inverter for over 4 hrs use while charging my devices. With good sunlight the battery charges in about 4 hrs with my 80w portable panel.
Happy Camping.

You are way ahead of us on solar usage. We have a 2017 Sonoma 280RKS and have managed 2 trips (so far this year. Medical issues on my part, We are not far from Palm Springs. Given that we have to store the unit in a lot, we'd need a permanent installation to keep the batteries up between trips - and to keep the solar panels from going walkabout.

We spent the last 4 or 5 years running around in a 29' 1996 Itasca Class C. Learned that we needed a smaller vehicle for national parks and such. Moneywise, it worked out best for us to get a truck and trailer. Bought a used 3/4 ton Toyota and a new 28' (nominal) trailer with a single long slide. It's been "fun" learning how to hitch and unhitch especially since my petite wife has to do all the work as well as the driving (medical issues.) We're getting there.

[Summer2Go]

I got an 80 watt Zamp portable on eBay from someone who was up grading their solar. They got it with their new camper at a dealership. It has been a good deal for me to learn about solar. It is not too heavy and has been a good resource to help charge my batteries when I couldn't plug in. I now have solar on my roof, and I'm not sure if I will still be able to use it. It may be another option for pulling in amps because it is moveable.

[HangDiver]

Originally Posted by Summer2Go

I got an 80 watt Zamp portable on eBay from someone who was up grading their solar. It has been a good deal for me to learn about solar. It is not too heavy and has been a good resource to help charge my batteries when I couldn't plug in. I now have solar on my roof, and I'm not sure if I will still be able to use it. It may be another option for pulling in amps because it is moveable.

I would keep it for a while and see if you use it. No harm in that.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by benchmarks

Would a 25' Micro Lite 25brds be considered small?

The size of the trailer is less important than your power consumption habits. With the exception of maybe additional lighting or vent fans, or having to run the furnace longer to keep it warm, there's not much difference. Newer trailers have LED lighting so adding more lights is a negligible increase in power requirements.

[Arctic Wolf]

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

I hope this isn't a hijack. I'm interested in solar as a trickle charger for my two 6 volt batteries. I've already gone the generator route because the southwest pretty much requires A/C and I don't know of any units that will run off batteries.

We just completed our 1st three day boondocking trip. Honda generator worked fine but battery power alone had to take care of the last hook up and unhooking. Links to solar education would be appreciated as well as outright recommendations for solutions to my problem. TIA

There is a lot of good information on solar here: https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com

[Arctic Wolf]

I'm not sure if it would be practical, but with a big enough system and a well insulated RV solar COULD run AC...

[babock]

Originally Posted by Arctic Wolf

I'm not sure if it would be practical, but with a big enough system and a well insulated RV solar COULD run AC...

Assuming an AC consumes 1300W, that equates to 120Amps at 12.6V assuming a 85% inverter efficiency. If the AC was on half the time, that's 60A per hour. Would need a very big battery bank and a very big solar bank.

[Arctic Wolf]

Yup.
Could gain efficiency by using 48 volts.... Like I said... Possible maybe, probably not practical especially for an RV

[hankpac]

I used Brian Boone to install my system. Got Solar, installed?" Going to upgrade next year, and have him add Lithium batteries and 4 more panels.
Luke Platz, who was working for him in a training situation, suddenly split without notice. He took a year of apprenticeship, then was trying to leave without even saying goodbye, early yesterday morning, before even completing half of his training. He plans to start up his own company. He stayed long enough to learn the suppliers, and much trade lore.
This sort of backstabbing should not go unacknowledged.
If you are referred or look into "Silent Night" Solar, or Luke Platz for you install, know that he is only partially trained, walked out on a contractual agreement, and is probably not licensed as a contractor or electrician. He has only the experience he gained this summer. And quit before he was done.
Look over Brian Boone's sites, on Facebook, You will see that he is a pro. He has a solid reputation, backs up his work and has enormous background in electrical and solar. He also has winnowed through all the companies, and suppliers, and knows where the best deals are for materials, and panels, and his installations are impeccable.

[babock]

Originally Posted by hankpac

I used Brian Boone to install my system. Got Solar, installed?" Going to upgrade next year, and have him add Lithium batteries and 4 more panels.
Luke Platz, who was working for him in a training situation, suddenly split without notice. He took a year of apprenticeship, then was trying to leave without even saying goodbye, early yesterday morning, before even completing half of his training. He plans to start up his own company. He stayed long enough to learn the suppliers, and much trade lore.
This sort of backstabbing should not go unacknowledged.
If you are referred or look into "Silent Night" Solar, or Luke Platz for you install, know that he is only partially trained, walked out on a contractual agreement, and is probably not licensed as a contractor or electrician. He has only the experience he gained this summer. And quit before he was done.
Look over Brian Boone's sites, on Facebook, You will see that he is a pro. He has a solid reputation, backs up his work and has enormous background in electrical and solar. He also has winnowed through all the companies, and suppliers, and knows where the best deals are for materials, and panels, and his installations are impeccable.

I wouldn't let that Luke guy install anything on an RV that I owned. I commented on one of his photos on Facebook where he had around 8 ring connectors stacked on top of each other on the output of his current shunt. He didn't understand that he should have used a bus bar. He just used a really long bolt in place of the bolt that the shunt came with. Total hack job!

On his own facebook page he has an install with a Victron solar controller mounted to the underneath of a ceiling even though Victron tells you to mount vertically only with battery connections at the bottom.

[joeuncool]

Answering old posts. Of course it is possible but, is it practical? Actually it could be. This couple moved on to a sailboat and have enough batteries (lithium) to run their AC for several hours. I have found the battery side of life to be quite interesting and a fun challenge to see what can be done ever since we got a camper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0rZY5uotKI

[rk06382]

Originally Posted by Witch Doctor

To be safe yes a second battery, think of the cloudy days, you just can't only depend on solar...

I have seen 240 watts on a cloudy day and when the sun came out of the clouds, it went up to 340 watts.

I went with Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Panel (Slim Design)

Make sure your Solar Charger Controller is MPPT.
YouTube: MPPT vs PWM

I have a EPever 40A MPPT controler, but I am adding more panels a upgrading to a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 Solar Charge Controller 100V 50A with Bluetooth.

[cyberrick1]

Mmmnn, I think I just got hosed. I bought a portable 80W suitcase system from my dealer for $500+ looks like a great setup with controller, extention cable and several adapters.