where do you get your solar panels?

[kcmusa]

looking to install about 200 watts of solar and wondering where is one of the better places to purchase from. and what brands of panels/controllers do you recommend?

[mfMcFroggierPod]

https://www.altestore.com


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[Ramblin Recks]

Grape 160w panels from Amazon

[mud yapster]

Monocrystillin panels shop around for cheapest price the prices change constantly for good panels. Monocrystillin panels are more efficient than the poloycrystillin panels.
The 2 at the back are 100 watt each (Renogy panels) and the 2 farther away at the front of my 5er are 2 ECO 160 watt each for a total of 520 watts of solar. Even when its raining out I've seen them making 10 amps. Once I finally used up enough of my 435ah AGM battery bank I've seen them cranking out 37 amps to the batterys. Very convenient to beable to camp anywhere you park sense there's no need for shore power, just fill your fresh water tank and go. My 2000 watt TSW Cotek inverter runs everything except the A/C units of course. Love my solar set up and will be boondocking this weekend burning free electricity.

[Klipstr]

Mud Yapster, good on ya! Nice set up and looks like it was done right. What meter are you using? I'd like to see a picture of you charge controller connections...

[CharSolera]

Kcmusa, try AM Solar (www.amsolar.com). They specialize in RV solar installations and can get you started in the right direction.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by kcmusa

looking to install about 200 watts of solar and wondering where is one of the better places to purchase from. and what brands of panels/controllers do you recommend?

Windynation.com or Renogy.com both sell 200 watt RV kits. With windy nation there are two kits about $30 diff. Get the one with the better controller. Worth the few extra bucks. Both offer free shipping to the lower 48

[bmaggin1]

Just put one of these on my motor home.. I came with everything that you need and a MPPT controller so you can run the 100 watt panels at 24 volts instead of 12v.. The controller will convert the 24 volts to 12 to charge your batteries..

200 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Premium Kit | Renogy Solar

[silver]

Originally Posted by bmaggin1

Just put one of these on my motor home.. I came with everything that you need and a MPPT controller so you can run the 100 watt panels at 24 volts instead of 12v.. The controller will convert the 24 volts to 12 to charge your batteries..

200 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Premium Kit | Renogy Solar

I am looking at that kit. When you say everything did you get the fuses? I did not see those in the description and thought I would need to get separately.

[spower]

Check out my last post in this thread --> http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ion-92918.html

200w bought from solarblvd.com free shipping good prices.

[MOODMAN]

Originally Posted by bmaggin1

Just put one of these on my motor home.. I came with everything that you need and a MPPT controller so you can run the 100 watt panels at 24 volts instead of 12v.. The controller will convert the 24 volts to 12 to charge your batteries..

200 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Premium Kit | Renogy Solar

So, what's the advantage to 24v versus 12v? IF you go with 24v, what do you have to do different with the panels? Just asking why!

[SCCS]

gpelectric.com excellent source of information.

[KMP44]

Got mine from solarblvd - very happy with the system and the price.


https://www.solarblvd.com/index.php?cPath=1_272

[DRiveWell]

Solar PV panels are now widely available with prices coming down almost daily. You should be able to find a good mono panel for about $1.50 a watt. Outback just released a small MPPT controller that outputs up to 20 amps (for 12 volt system) with selectable charging regimes for lead/acid and AGM batteries. This controller will work well with a 200 watt panel.

[RailwayRog]

What do you guys think of this one? Just need a controller.
Grape Solar 100 Watt Polycrystalline PV Solar Panel

[TimVWulp]

Originally Posted by MOODMAN

So, what's the advantage to 24v versus 12v? IF you go with 24v, what do you have to do different with the panels? Just asking why!

Have bought panels and parts from this suppler (fred480v). He is a wholesaler who picks up end of run or over stock. If you see what you want buy it now stock changes fast and never the same.

fred480v | eBay

Hope This Helps Tim

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by silver

I am looking at that kit. When you say everything did you get the fuses? I did not see those in the description and thought I would need to get separately.

You will manage to spend a bit more at an auto part store or similar to put 20 or 30 amps blade fuses on both the solar array side and the lead to the battery. You ought to order 10 ga wire as an option with the kit which comes with 12 ga by default. You will also want some crimp on loops to take the Positive to the Battery post and the Negative to the a frame ground or the battery post. I have done or helped on several installs and you may well need a roll of 10ga stranded copper wire for your run from controller to battery and wire ties as well as some inch or inch and a quarter #14 stainless sheet metal screws to mount the panels to the roof as well as a tube of self leveling Dicor or similar to caulk every point that you penetrate the roof. Some blue or red loctite to make sure the screws holding the panels to the mounting brackets never back out might not hurt.

Its a KIT but you still need shop supplies to install it

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by RailwayRog

What do you guys think of this one? Just need a controller.
Grape Solar 100 Watt Polycrystalline PV Solar Panel

That is just the panel you still need mounting brackets and special water tight connectors and 10 or 12 ga wire to connect panel to controller and controller to battery SO sounds nice that it is only $129 put you need the kit for ease of rv install

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by MOODMAN

So, what's the advantage to 24v versus 12v? IF you go with 24v, what do you have to do different with the panels? Just asking why!

Most good controllers will take a "12v or 24V" input two in parallel is 12 v two in series is 24 v. At 24 volt you can carry more on thinner wire. Some controllers start working in lower light at 24 input than on 12 input but we did some tests on the drive way and it did not seem to make too much difference.

[mnoland30]

https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/...ging-puzzle-2/

This site will tell you what you need to know. I put 100 watt panel on my Roo, with a Morningstar controller. I have two batteries, and led lights, and it will run everything I need, including running the furnace for a couple of hours in the morning until the sun comes up. I don't run my furnace at night because it wakes me up. I purchased my flexible panel from a guy on eBay who sells out of Albuquerque. Convenient, since I live here. I attached my panel with silicone. I tried to remove my last solar panel when I sold my camper, and gave up. Critical to have large wire from panel to battery, I like circuit breakers better than fuses (you can get them at auto supply store).