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Old 02-03-2023, 07:35 AM   #1
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Solar Power?

I will be bringing my new Vibe 26RB home next week and I have some questions about the installed solar setup. It has the SOLAR CONTROLLER MODEL GP-PWM-30-SQ. I have only one battery and I don't plan on using it for long. I can connect to a 120v outlet only. I want to be able to thoroughly check it out before connecting to my home if possible.

1) What will this power? I know it will not work the a/c and furnace.

2) Will it work the slide and power jacks/stabilizers?

3) Will it work the TV, lights and refrigerator?

4) Where is the converter located?
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Old 02-03-2023, 08:20 AM   #2
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They sound like things your dealer could easily have explained to you.
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Old 02-03-2023, 09:07 AM   #3
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what don't you plan on using long?


" I have only one battery and I don't plan on using it for long."
a lot of things are powered by the 12v
Battery is good to have .... if you want to boondock at night and you are not connected to 120v shorepower / generator

"I can connect to a 120v outlet only. I want to be able to thoroughly check it out before connecting to my home if possible"
99.9% of Trailers and RV are 120v for shore power
it will be rated at 30 or 50amp connection

your house is setup for 120v
BUT..... There may be a 240v 50amp at the house .... DO NOT attempt to use that


you can get an electrician to install the correct 30 or 50amp 120v connection to your house OR you can use a 20amp outlet and an ADAPTER to get LIMITED power to your trailer while parked at home.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1) What will this power? I know it will not work the a/c and furnace.
LOOK at your inside power distribution box .
IT should list what is on 12v at the fuse panel


2) Will it work the slide and power jacks/stabilizers?
12v powered
power jack and stabilizers may have their own INLINE fuses...... Under the trailer


3) Will it work the TV, lights and refrigerator?
TV is now usually 120v look at your breaker panel .... if it is not listed
turn on the TV.............. then turn OFF one breaker at a time.

4) Where is the converter located?
usually at the Breaker / Fuse panel inside, look for a small electric fan at the panel
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------there are a ton of videos on youtube on understanding how the power systems work on an RV / Trailer


Take special notes on how the solar works... It's main role is to charge up the battery so you can have power at night or on rainy yukky days


HOW much battery and solar panels you need depends on how well you understand your individual usage.
Lots or posts about this already.
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Old 02-03-2023, 09:08 AM   #4
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Moved thread from the Appliances and Electronics sub-forum to the Electrical, Charging Systems and Solar sub-forum since the OP's questions are specific to that sub-forum.
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Old 02-03-2023, 09:21 AM   #5
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Solar doesn't run anything it charges the 12v battery. The battery will power anything that is 12 v. Most likely the TV is 120v and will only run on an inverter supplying 120v. Won't power the A/C but you can run the furnace. Your lights will work on 12v. What refrigerator do you have? Is it 12v powered or a 3-way? If it is a 3-way it will run on propane, 12v or shore power. The 12v one only powers by the battery and you will need plenty of battery storage.
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Old 02-03-2023, 09:29 AM   #6
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The PDI was done right after a dumping of snow. The roof was still covered in snow and it was cold we did it. I plan on meeting with the PDI person again when I pick it up.
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Old 02-03-2023, 10:08 AM   #7
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The PDI was done right after a dumping of snow. The roof was still covered in snow and it was cold we did it. I plan on meeting with the PDI person again when I pick it up.
As was said, solar doesn't directly run anything. It only recharges the batteries. It is a common misconception by the public, that solar is a magical solution for powering your RV.
So solar will help keep the batteries recharged when operating 12v items. Your furnace/lights/stabilizers/slideout ARE powered by 12v power so solar will help when using the furnace.
You have some strong misconceptions as to what solar does.
You need to find out if your tv is 110v AC or 12v DC. Is your fridge 12v only or propane/110v AC.
As to the converter location, you need to ask the dealer or ask that question in the Vibe sub-forum since that is a model-specific question.
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Old 02-03-2023, 10:20 AM   #8
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This thread link below we keep in the faq subsection will give you a basic primer on your electric systems in a rv that might help better understand.

https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo....php?p=1727027
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Old 02-03-2023, 10:25 AM   #9
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There are a wide variety of 12V batteries supplied with RV's They are added by the dealer ( not mfgr) and are generally low end dual purpose marine batteries passed off as deep cycle. The first thing you should do is determine what battery you have. You did not say what fridge you have. If you have one of the new 12V only fridges, you will need more battery capacity. If it is the typical 80AHr battery you have about 40-50AHr you can use. An AHr is one amp at 12V for an hour. You can determine your needs by adding up the demand from the various appliances you need to run. A 100W solar panel will recharge the battery at a rate of about 30AHr per day in full sun. You also need to factor in the possibility that you may have several days with no sun (so no charge). If you add a 120VAC inverter, you can estimate the demand by multiplying the 120VAC current requirement by 10. Before spending money on additional equipment, camp in your driveway or a campground with 120VAC power Do not plug in but try running on battery and determine your actual usage. You always have the option to connect to shore power if needed.
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Old 02-03-2023, 12:11 PM   #10
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The refrigerator is a Furrion 10cf 12v refrigerator.

Another reason I am asking these questions is it would be nice to open up the slide to have access to the refrigerator to eat lunch at a rest area.
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Old 02-03-2023, 01:00 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by reubenray374 View Post

Another reason I am asking these questions is it would be nice to open up the slide to have access to the refrigerator to eat lunch at a rest area.
So how do you expect solar doing anything for that?
Since your tow vehicle will supply charging power to the trailer battery, while towing, solar wouldn't be necessary.
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Old 02-03-2023, 01:58 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussieguy View Post
"I can connect to a 120v outlet only. I want to be able to thoroughly check it out before connecting to my home if possible"
99.9% of Trailers and RV are 120v for shore power
it will be rated at 30 or 50amp connection

your house is setup for 120v
BUT..... There may be a 240v 50amp at the house .... DO NOT attempt to use that
I hate to derail the thread, but this bit isn't entirely correct. Your house is 120/240 volt with 2 legs of 120 volt power coming into it. Your breaker panel allows those to be combined into 240 volts. Modern ovens, dryers, and other appliances use 240 volts.

A 50 amp RV is 120/240 volts, exactly the same as them if they're wired with 4 wires where you can isolate the 2 legs of 120 volts. Older appliances only used 3 wires and you couldn't isolate the 120 volt legs.

An RV just appears to be different in that your breaker panel treats each leg separately. But there's no reason you can't use a home residential panel inside of an RV and combine them to support 240 volt appliances. In fact, I personally know 3 people who have this setup (none are factory RVs, though I do know 1 person online whose DRV MobileSuites came that way with a 240v dryer).

See this article for full details:

https://learntorv.com/rv-voltage/
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Old 02-03-2023, 02:04 PM   #13
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The biggest thing to recall is that, for simplicity, solar doesn't really run anything. Things run off of battery power (or shore power) and solar is just there to help recharge the battery. It's just a battery charger.


Quote:
Originally Posted by reubenray374 View Post
I will be bringing my new Vibe 26RB home next week and I have some questions about the installed solar setup. It has the SOLAR CONTROLLER MODEL GP-PWM-30-SQ. I have only one battery and I don't plan on using it for long. I can connect to a 120v outlet only. I want to be able to thoroughly check it out before connecting to my home if possible.

1) What will this power? I know it will not work the a/c and furnace.
See this FAQ for details on what does and doesn't work when you're connected to a shore power plug-in. You're correct that the A/C won't work, but the furnace burns propane to make heat and uses the battery for the brains + to power the fan to blow the hot air around.

FAQ: https://rvingquestions.com/what-work...to-a-campsite/


Quote:
Originally Posted by reubenray374 View Post
2) Will it work the slide and power jacks/stabilizers?
These are 12v items and yes, they will run off of battery power.


Quote:
Originally Posted by reubenray374 View Post
3) Will it work the TV, lights and refrigerator?
Very few RVs come with 12v TVs and are usually residential 120v, which will likely not work when you're not plugged in. It's possible that there is an inverter but that just muddies the water. Lights, yes. Refrigerator, most likely unless it's a residential unit. (Oh wait, I see that you answered this in a later comment- yes, it's a 12v unit and will run off of battery power.)


Quote:
Originally Posted by reubenray374 View Post
4) Where is the converter located?
I don't know your unit specifically, but it's very often either a part of the electrical distribution panel or behind it.


Quote:
Originally Posted by reubenray374 View Post
The refrigerator is a Furrion 10cf 12v refrigerator.

Another reason I am asking these questions is it would be nice to open up the slide to have access to the refrigerator to eat lunch at a rest area.
Yes, your slide will work off of battery power.

And again, remember- your battery provides the power; solar is just there to recharge your battery.
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Old 02-04-2023, 06:34 AM   #14
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The refrigerator is a Furrion 10cf 12v refrigerator.

Another reason I am asking these questions is it would be nice to open up the slide to have access to the refrigerator to eat lunch at a rest area.
Yes you will be able to have an Ice Cold beverage with lunch while on the road. The Furrion 12v refridegrator runs off of the battery. Even when connected to shore power it still runs off of the battery while the converter charges the battery. When you do your PDI make sure you address all of your concerns with the employee.
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Old 02-04-2023, 07:55 AM   #15
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I elected to not get an additional battery and I don't know what type of battery I have. I will check this out more next week when I pick it up.
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Old 02-04-2023, 09:01 AM   #16
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Do you plan on camping more than 24 hours without shorepower


IF yes
talk to your dealer and make sure they install a good battery for off grid
the standard "marine" type that some dealers install is not a good choice for 12v fridge and overnight boondocking.
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Old 02-04-2023, 09:03 AM   #17
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The people who claim that solar does not power anything are actually incorrect. The 12v DC system will power the 12v refrigerator (according to FR that is what you have), the power tongue jack, the power stabilizer jacks, the furnace fan and control power, control power for the water heater, the lights, the water pump, the tank heating pads, and vent fans. The television appears to be 120v AC and the trailer does not appear to have an inverter that would supply 120v AC from the 12v DC system.

BTW, your power panel is under the wardrobe closet between the sofa and the bathroom, and the converter is in the bottom half of the power panel. The 12v DC system will have 3 sources of power: converter, solar and battery (and a 4th - the tow vehicle when it is hooked up to the 7-pin cable, but we will ignore that). What powers the DC system is based on the voltages supplied by the power sources and their capacity in amps - and the battery will almost always be the last source to provide power.

When you are plugged into shore power, the converter will likely be the strongest source of DC power - likely at least 50 amps and it will produce a voltage of at least 13.3 volts. A fully charged 12v lead-acid battery will supply 12.73 volts. Since the converter voltage is higher than the battery voltage, it will supply all of the DC loads and charge the battery. The battery will not be supplying any electrical load - unless there is a heavy load on the 12v DC system such as running the slide which may pull the converter voltage down. In that case, once the converter voltage is pulled down to equal the battery voltage, then both the converter and the battery will supply the DC system.

When you add solar, you are adding another source of DC power and it works basically the same way as the converter - when it has enough sunlight to operate. The capacity in amps of the solar system is dependent on how much sun it is getting (and of course the size of the solar system panels). In direct sunlight, the solar system operates the same way as the converter. It will supply a similar voltage - 13.3 volts (maybe higher) minimum, which will be higher than battery voltage. It will also supply all of the DC electrical loads and charge the battery - until the loads on the DC electrical system pull the voltage down. Increasing electrical loads pulls DC voltage down (when the capacity of the source is reached). Once the solar controller voltage gets pulled down to equal battery voltage, then both the solar system and the battery will be supplying the electrical loads.

It's all about voltage and current capacity in amps. The source of power on the DC electrical side with the highest voltage output will supply the entire DC electrical system and charge the battery until it's capacity in amps is reached and its voltage starts dropping. Then the source with the next highest voltage will start contributing to supplying power until its capacity in amps is reached and its voltage starts dropping as well. The battery will have the lowest supply voltage so it will supply DC electrical loads last.

When you shed electrical loads (turn off lights, refer turns off, etc.), the opposite happens and once the solar or converter loads are reduced their voltages rise, eventually to above battery voltage, and they start supplying the DC electrical loads and charge the battery again.

Lithium Ion batteries are the same, except they operate at a higher voltage; converters and solar controllers designed for Lithium Ion batteries also produce higher voltages to compensate for the higher voltage of the Lithium Ion battery.
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Old 02-04-2023, 09:40 AM   #18
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I don't plan on camping for more than 24hrs without shore power. But when I have the rv at my house the only power I can connect is 15amp using a 50amp to 15amp dogbone. Having the capabilities to use the lights while prepping it for a trip would be a plus without having shore power. If I really had to have more power I have an inverter generator with 30amp connections to use.
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Old 02-04-2023, 09:47 AM   #19
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You'll be fine

Quote:
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I don't plan on camping for more than 24hrs without shore power. But when I have the rv at my house the only power I can connect is 15amp using a 50amp to 15amp dogbone. Having the capabilities to use the lights while prepping it for a trip would be a plus without having shore power. If I really had to have more power I have an inverter generator with 30amp connections to use.
You can run the lights and fans in the trailer from a 15 amp circuit. No problem. You cannot run the air conditioner or microwave oven. Run the water heater in propane mode, not electrical mode. You can run the refrigerator. Ideally there won't be other things (e.g., garage door opener, garage lights) beside the trailer on that 15 amp circuit.
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Old 02-04-2023, 12:51 PM   #20
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Larry: My air con and microwave work fine off my 15 amp home outlet just not both at the same time.
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