adding solar

how do i add a solar panel to keep my battery charged?

You can find them at boat supplies and various other RV centers. As I see it, these are your milestones:

1. Mounting it (on the roof prob.);
   
2. running wires down to the battery;
   
3. attaching a diode to the wire (to prevent powering the panel);
   
4. sit back and when it is sunny enough, a trickle charge to the battery.

The panel's voltage output must exceed the batteries for it to charge the battery.

I have a 120W solar panel. It does a fine job of keeping my batteries up as long as the kids don't watch movies all day. There is a link to photos in my signature.

You need:
A solar panel
Mounting system
Wiring
Controller
Dicor sealant

The first thing you need to do is decide what you expect from the panel then determine the proper size. I would recommend a larger panel instead of one that simply trickle charges your batteries. The installation will be the same and the larger panel will let you dry camp longer without depleting your batteries.

I would recommend buying a kit that includes everything. All the parts in the kits are engineered to work together. AM Solar is good to work with and they have a lot of information on their web site that will help you decide. Their AM100-22B is a good kit.

Silicon Solar seems to have a good selection including some small, portable battery chargers.

If you decide to proceed, I can give you further advice on installation, running cables, etc.

If you mount the panel close to the refrigerator, you can use the refrigerator's vent chase for running the wire from the roof to the heavy gauge wire located at the charge converter. Most of the time they mount the charge converter near the refrigerator. Make sure you use UV resistant cable (10ga). Most solar kits have this.

Like Scott, I have a 130W panel and it works great for dry camping. In full sun it kicks out over 8 amps. You need a charge controller to prevent overcharging. I set mine up so that I can add more panels in the future. I think one more 130W panel will suit my needs.

I got my kit from RV Solar Electric

Adding a solar panel. Does anyone know how thick the plywood on the roof is so I don't drill thru into a wire?
Thanks

Answered in the other post.

scottz wrote:I have a 120W solar panel. It does a fine job of keeping my batteries up as long as the kids don't watch movies all day. There is a link to photos in my signature.

You need:
A solar panel
Mounting system
Wiring
Controller
Dicor sealant

The first thing you need to do is decide what you expect from the panel then determine the proper size. I would recommend a larger panel instead of one that simply trickle charges your batteries. The installation will be the same and the larger panel will let you dry camp longer without depleting your batteries.

I would recommend buying a kit that includes everything. All the parts in the kits are engineered to work together. AM Solar is good to work with and they have a lot of information on their web site that will help you decide. Their AM100-22B is a good kit.

Silicon Solar seems to have a good selection including some small, portable battery chargers.

If you decide to proceed, I can give you further advice on installation, running cables, etc.

Scottz - Were did you but the 120 Watt panel?

What's a good way to calculate your 12V/110 use on typical summer/winter days?

Is there a chart that you guys use to know how big a system you need?

TC

Is there much difference, other than price, between a poly panel and a mono panel.

Try these, or just Google "RV Solar"

AZSOLAR AMSOLAR

The wiring from the solar panel goes to the charge controller then straight to the battery connections on the converter/charger. this seems to work OK. if you need any pictures,let me know and I will try to post them next week as I am away tomorrow for the weekend.

Sean

We got our complete system from http://rvsolarelectric.com/ You can see the details at http://www.wildcatcamperforum.com/diy-improvements-f3/going-solar-t2833.htm The system is working great. We have been dry camping for two weeks. I turn on the generator ONLY when we want the a/c, and even then I shut off the charge feature for the batteries because the solar does that good of a job. We are currently at 3500' on the top of a mountain in the sun in MT. It doesn't get any better.

That's where I got my stuff too.

I just had to laugh at the 3500' on top of a mountain. I guess when you come from Florida that's high. I'm sitting at a valley at 4800' then the Sierras jump up to 9-10,000 ft a few miles west of me.

We are in the Bull Mountains in MT. In FL an overpass is high and you need oxygen.

I have her hitched and my wife is putting the final dietary "goodies" into the kitchen for a long weekend trip to our favorite spot in the Colorado San Juans. Between Rico and Telluride, Lizardhead pass is at 10,300 with 13K peaks surrounding lush green meadows full of elk. I just wired in an 1100 watt inverter and am waiting for my 135 watt panel, it is back ordered and should arrive in a week.

bighornram wrote:I have her hitched and my wife is putting the final dietary "goodies" into the kitchen for a long weekend trip to our favorite spot in the Colorado San Juans. Between Rico and Telluride, Lizardhead pass is at 10,300 with 13K peaks surrounding lush green meadows full of elk.

That sounds like the place I'd like to be this weekend!

Probably a few trout swimming nearby as well.... Man oh man do I love being in the mountains.

My neighbor down the road went fishing the other day. Most of the rainbows were 2 2-1/2 lbs. The biggest that they have seen in years around here.

I just finished my install. I put up a Kyocera 135 watt panel, charging 4 golf cart batteries with an 1100 watt inverter powering the GW circuit from the trailer panel (took the line loose from the breaker box and connected it to the inverter output). I can now plug in anything to power it off the inverter. Don't know about the charging from the solar panel as I just got it installed yesterday and have not had the trailer out yet with it on. I have had the inverter out 2 times and ran the generator a couple hours each day to keep the batteries full. We ran the Satellite TiVo and the TV.

Pictures posted in the Repairs and DYI section.
Battery compartment
Rooftop panel

Sean wrote:The wiring from the solar panel goes to the charge controller then straight to the battery connections on the converter/charger. this seems to work OK. if you need any pictures,let me know and I will try to post them next week as I am away tomorrow for the weekend.

Sean

You hooked yours to the converter/charge and so did I. I am not convinced that works. My hot wire, from the solar, panel, is connected to the battery wire at the C/C. When the battery is charged my control rapidly moves from not charging to charging. Sun says this is what it's suppose to do. When it does that the fluorescent lights flicker and it drives us nuts. Wondering if mine needs to be hooked to the battery instead.

if you do that and have a battery cutoff switch I dont think the batteries will charge when the batteries are cutoff. hooking the solar directly to the batteries would be the way to go.

I have my solar panels (2 - 80 watt panels) connected directly to the batteries and they work fine. When connected to shore power, both the converter and panels charge the batteries. Actually the converter by itself doesn't seem to charge the batteries to 100%, but the solar controller does, so the two systems work good together. The converter stops charging first and the solar finnishes the the the job. When the trailer is in storage I disconnect everything but the solar. The solar keeps the batteries fully charged all winter. I don't remove the batteries in winter and we have temperatures down to -30*C (-22*F). Have never had a problem even when the panels are under a foot of snow. The batteries do not gas much as I have to add very little distilled water only once a year.

ribbs65 wrote:if you do that and have a battery cutoff switch I dont think the batteries will charge when the batteries are cutoff. hooking the solar directly to the batteries would be the way to go.

Why use the battery cutoff if hooked to solar. Does not seem necessary.

Portagie1968 wrote:You hooked yours to the converter/charge and so did I. I am not convinced that works. My hot wire, from the solar, panel, is connected to the battery wire at the C/C. When the battery is charged my control rapidly moves from not charging to charging. Sun says this is what it's suppose to do. When it does that the fluorescent lights flicker and it drives us nuts. Wondering if mine needs to be hooked to the battery instead.

I'm starting to think you'd be better off trying another charge controller that better controls the voltage spikes when it's turning on and off. Or maybe installing a large capacitor to absorb the spikes (like the ones used in car stereos).

Have you monitored the voltage when it's turning on and off?

Never tried that but based on the info I got from the techs who design and sell these systems I am changing somethings. Thank you for the info Jet.

Well the rebuild is over. I installed a new Morningstar controller and had my dealer run the wires from the back to the front. Now we will see how my portable solar system works. Hooked directly to the batteries as the techs with the knowledge said to do. First thing I noticed is my LED lights are brighter. Maybe new controler is better, old sun controller a little banged up, or the fact I am hooked to the battery instead of the charge converter in the back. Anyway here are some pics.

The orange switch is the cutoff for my solar. The red switch is the cutoff for my trailer. My radio is hot all the time. It had to have new wires run a long time ago. So they ran them directly to the battery.
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The plug in the back. The right one is for the solar.
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The 45 watt solar pannel from Harbor Freight that keeps my batteries charged. See if the new controler over charges them.
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The 135 watt solar pannel will be rewired soon and in September 7 days of dry camping at a State Park. Now time for some pain medication.

Well here we are all hooked up. The panel did its job. We helped it one day due to overcast skies. Battery never got below 12 volts all week. Forgot the angle gauge so I think I was close to the desired degrees. Was a little off on my direction. Needed to turn the panel a little more to the right. But it worked and it worked great. There is 8 gauge wires running from the back of the trailer to the front. The 20 foot extension cord is 10 gauge and the pigtail from solar panel is 12 gauge.

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Nice job Dan. I have the same Morningstar and panel combination.

TC wrote:What's a good way to calculate your 12V/110 use on typical summer/winter days?

Is there a chart that you guys use to know how big a system you need?

TC

TC,

Unless I'm wrong, I think you use the age old electrical formula. If you have 12VDC and you have a 120W panel to can get 10A DC Current Flow out of it. 120/12 = 10. Conversely if you have a 50A DC panel you will get 600 Watts of DC power out of it at 12VDC. 50*12 = 600.

If you are using a solar panel to charge a 12VDC deep cycle battery, you'll want a good charge protector to hook up in the circuit. This device prevents overcharging of the battery.

schrowang wrote:

TC wrote:What's a good way to calculate your 12V/110 use on typical summer/winter days?

Is there a chart that you guys use to know how big a system you need?

TC

TC,

Unless I'm wrong, I think you use the age old electrical formula. If you have 12VDC and you have a 120W panel to can get 10A DC Current Flow out of it. 120/12 = 10. Conversely if you have a 50A DC panel you will get 600 Watts of DC power out of it at 12VDC. 50*12 = 600.

If you are using a solar panel to charge a 12VDC deep cycle battery, you'll want a good charge protector to hook up in the circuit. This device prevents overcharging of the battery.

Mike that is the equation as I understand it also. A good charge controller will manage the charge levels, and keep the batteries conditioned also.

Good stuff in this thread...