Seeking advice for solar setup

[forest_fae]

Hello, this is my first post!
I recently purchased a 2017 Forest River Wolf Pup M16FQ in great condition. While happily gathering all the supplies I know are necessary, I am also seeking recommendations for small solar setups for when I'm not plugged in! I just started learning about solar.... I think I may start with 1-2 100ah lithium batteries and a 200W panel (Hope I typed those correctly!).
I'm happy to answer any questions to help figure what solar setup will work best for me.
Any and all friendly suggestions and feedback on options, brands, etc. are welcome! TIA, ff

 

[bikendan]

Moved thread from the General Community Discussion section to the Electrical, Charging Systems and Solar sub-forum since the OP's questions are specific to only Solar and are not general community discussion questions.

 

[forest_fae]

Moved thread from the General Community Discussion section to the Electrical, Charging Systems and Solar sub-forum since the OP's questions are specific to only Solar and are not general community discussion questions.

Thank you!

 

[Aussieguy]

little 16 footer... roof won't allow much solar install
400-600 w of panels is a good starting point

look to see what you can actually get on the roof...
and what solar controller was used


Then you can start making any plans for future upgrades
either to roof mount more
or to use an additional ground panel
or a little generator
or just shore power

How many days do you want to be off grid?

 

[forest_fae]

little 16 footer... roof won't allow much solar install
400-600 w of panels is a good starting point

look to see what you can actually get on the roof...
and what solar controller was used


Then you can start making any plans for future upgrades
either to roof mount more
or to use an additional ground panel
or a little generator
or just shore power

How many days do you want to be off grid?

Thank, I will check out the roof space for reference and for comparing prices of starter setups!
I was thinking to start with a ground panel, then upgrade to roof if needed/when able.
I don't have a specified amount of time to be off grid at the moment. Just want to be prepared before it's necessary!

There's a "solar ready" hookup on the rv... I guess I need to look at that to see what type of connector is needed?

 

[tomkatb]

The math.

Solar works well in sunny places. Not so much in the Midwest.

Solar produces about 25 ah per 100 watt panel on the best days on the roof.

How much do you consume? Typically with a compressor fridge you can consume over 100 ah per day. Much more with the furnace running.

I would first cram in as much battery as reasonable. 400 ah of battery. That buys you 3-4 days no matter what. Any generator will recharge the batteries fairly quickly. My converter is 60 amps per HOUR. Solar is 25 ah per DAY per 100 watt.

The other option is to plug in daily.

Sort of depends on your camping style. Out west boondocking is wonderful. In the Midwest, not so common.

 

[forest_fae]

The math.

Solar works well in sunny places. Not so much in the Midwest.

Solar produces about 25 ah per 100 watt panel on the best days on the roof.

How much do you consume? Typically with a compressor fridge you can consume over 100 ah per day. Much more with the furnace running.

I would first cram in as much battery as reasonable. 400 ah of battery. That buys you 3-4 days no matter what. Any generator will recharge the batteries fairly quickly. My converter is 60 amps per HOUR. Solar is 25 ah per DAY per 100 watt.

The other option is to plug in daily.

Sort of depends on your camping style. Out west boondocking is wonderful. In the Midwest, not so common.

Thank you!
I will be mostly plugged in to start but want to be prepared with solar if/when needed. I appreciate the math aspect presented in an easy to understand way. Makes sense.... appreciate the info!

 

[Canadian Eh]

I was challenged with roof space also. I had a local supplier give me a list of panel sizes and when I thought I had it sorted I made up a couple of cardboard templates to see if I had clearance. The panels were going to be covering the rear seam so I put a strip of endurobond over the seam to ensure it wouldn't leak in the near future. I ended up with 2 170W panels. I didn't want to have suitcase panels just because of the room needed to carry them. Next I started to look to see how much battery I could carry and found a fabricator that built a second rack beside the step so was able to add two more batteries giving us 400 amp hours of Lithium. Its probably overkill but I no longer have to keep an eye on the voltage when the furnace is being used. We love to boondock and having the big "gas tank" of hydro is wonderful.

 

[forest_fae]

I was challenged with roof space also. I had a local supplier give me a list of panel sizes and when I thought I had it sorted I made up a couple of cardboard templates to see if I had clearance. The panels were going to be covering the rear seam so I put a strip of endurobond over the seam to ensure it wouldn't leak in the near future. I ended up with 2 170W panels. I didn't want to have suitcase panels just because of the room needed to carry them. Next I started to look to see how much battery I could carry and found a fabricator that built a second rack beside the step so was able to add two more batteries giving us 400 amp hours of Lithium. Its probably overkill but I no longer have to keep an eye on the voltage when the furnace is being used. We love to boondock and having the big "gas tank" of hydro is wonderful.

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Aussieguy]

Not so much in the Midwest.

Where does the midwest start cause I have no problems up by the great lakes?

haven't been a bit more west than Indiana border
BUT as long as no biggie trees around... plenty of good old sun out there... plenty of open spaces
Winter would be a problem... but I won't go up there into the cold stuff.

fridge using 100amps a day
during solar hours mine uses zero battery... it only draws around 5 amps and the panels can handle that...
and got enough panels to charge battery as well as they are powering the fridge and other loads

measured my actual use from fridge + furnace lights etc (tyical camping loads)
never seen it go more than 60ah and that's using the furnace all day too!

IMHO..... If you can improve the ROOF production you are much better off doing that first
as once it is done... it requires no further user effort

 

[Heavy Half Ton]

I highly recommend Bougerv CIGS peel and stick flexible panels. Install in minutes, no holes to drill, super light weight, and sorta expensive. I also recommend a 200 ah battery over two 100 ah batteries. The prices right now are pretty bottomed out and likely to go up shortly.

 

[forest_fae]

I highly recommend Bougerv CIGS peel and stick flexible panels. Install in minutes, no holes to drill, super light weight, and sorta expensive. I also recommend a 200 ah battery over two 100 ah batteries. The prices right now are pretty bottomed out and likely to go up shortly.

Thank you! I've been debating between two 100ah or one 200ah. I'm able to purchase a 200ah now...

Do you think it's ok to buy the battery now, even though I'm uncertain about panels?
Are certain battery brands better than others in your opinion/ experience?

 

[Heavy Half Ton]

Absolutely. You can put it in as is with zero changes. You will want to get the solar setup soon to fully charge the battery. If you have the right power center, this is an excellent price for a lithium capable converter: RV WF-8955-AD-MBA 55 Amp Converter 12VDC Main Board Assembly Replacement Unit | eBay

Not totally needed, but highly recommended. 15 minute job to swap that out.

 

[forest_fae]

Absolutely. You can put it in as is with zero changes. You will want to get the solar setup soon to fully charge the battery. If you have the right power center, this is an excellent price for a lithium capable converter: RV WF-8955-AD-MBA 55 Amp Converter 12VDC Main Board Assembly Replacement Unit | eBay

Not totally needed, but highly recommended. 15 minute job to swap that out.

Awesome, thanks so much!

 

[tomkatb]

You get what you pay for in batteries.

I own the SOK batteries. Best for dollar. Has a good bms, temp sensors. Heating pads. We travel in cold weather. Batteries good to 0. Battery monitors built in. Best cells. Designed for DIY if necessary. But, not cheap! You can get them for less.

Measure your spaces available. Many sizes available. Shop around.

 

[forest_fae]

You get what you pay for in batteries.

I own the SOK batteries. Best for dollar. Has a good bms, temp sensors. Heating pads. We travel in cold weather. Batteries good to 0. Battery monitors built in. Best cells. Designed for DIY if necessary. But, not cheap! You can get them for less.

Measure your spaces available. Many sizes available. Shop around.

Thanks! I have some money to invest, although I am on a fairly tight budget.
Does this battery seem decent for the price? I like it because it's smaller dimensions... and affordable (hopefully this link works?)

Amazon.com

 

[RhumbleFish]

Thanks! I have some money to invest, although I am on a fairly tight budget.
Does this battery seem decent for the price? I like it because it's smaller dimensions... and affordable (hopefully this link works?)

Amazon.com

If you're budget shopping, you'll save as you start giving up (1) features, (2) quality, and (3) warranty. I did a deep dive for inexpensive LiFePo and landed on Chins for a budget battery bank - they come in two flavors: dumb (no heater or low temp protection), and smart (more, $, but more durable). Will Prowse loves 'em, and they test incredibly/surprisingly well. I believe that they come to the market under other names including AmpereTime and (potentially) LiTime.

My 600ah of dumb Chins LiFePo has been flawless as it enters its fourth year of service. To get around some of the cold weather woes, I installed them inside the passenger compartment.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[Heavy Half Ton]

Spend a little more for this one if it will physically fit: https://www.amazon.com/CHINS-LiFePO...ix=280+ah+lithium+,automotive,111&sr=1-3&th=1
It has a much stouter BMS, which dictates how hard you can discharge the battery. Plus, at 280ah, will power the average camper a long time, like over a week.

 

[Aussieguy]

I bought Amazon budget batteries ... Elfhub with BLUETOOTH save having to buy a monitor/screen

Batteries still working 4000 miles later
If you want to use a biggy INVERTER ... get a more robust battery

standard 12v usage.. IMHO a budget battery works just fine
and they can be repaired.. BMS is the most likely thing to break on them

 

[TitanMike]

I highly recommend Bougerv CIGS peel and stick flexible panels. Install in minutes, no holes to drill, super light weight, and sorta expensive. I also recommend a 200 ah battery over two 100 ah batteries. The prices right now are pretty bottomed out and likely to go up shortly.

Totally like my cigs panels. After reading your initial post on them I realized they were the solution to my roof space issue. I installed two initially and they struggled t o keep up with my average daily use without help from a portable panels set. Installed the third and now have seen as high as 513 watts as recorded by solar controller. That was earlier in March here in the Pacific NW when sun angle was lower than today which is only 32 degrees (altitude at noon).

Nice to look at a 30-40 amp charge rate that replenished my average 90-110 ah daily use before day's end.

Nice part about the Bouge panels, beyond just ease of install, is should you need to access roof the panels can be walked on. Also easy to clean.