installing solar on the RV

[01cummins4ever]

Looking back at some old threads I see some that have installed the Harbor freight RV solar kit, I was thinking of going the same route, just wondering if any pros or cons with that kit/ anything I need to upgrade? I plan on making it portable, but one thing I would like to do is wire in a inverter so all the 120 outlets would be available for power. Just looking for some input. thanks

 

also plan on using to 6v batteries They are about 215 ah. I hope the 45w panels are enough for charging, but I do have a generator for back up if needed.

Edited February 5, 2017 by 01cummins4ever

[Mopar1973Man]

Pros it's small enough to store the panels under your bed if you have the storage area. 

Cons is the panels are just enough to power a small 19" (IIRC) flat screen TV for the day. Beyond that, the panels won't keep up. 

 

I've also got the Harbor Freight Inverter powering the 120 VAC outlets as well. Made my own transfer switch and works good. No issues at all powers my laptop, charges cell phone, etc. My power requirements are low usually when I'm camping in the RV. I'm not there to burn power in the RV all day but to be outside enjoying what you travelled too. 

[KATOOM]

As painful as their forum is, poke around rv.net and you'll get some good info on RV solar options.  Just ignore all the old buttheads who seemingly cant to be kind to anyone.....

 

I've been considering getting some portable solar panels for my 5th wheel too but I understand that 200w is bare minimum to offset any decent amount of energy usage during the night.  Portable because I dont want anything permanently mounted to the trailer otherwise I'd then have to park in the direct sun which isnt what I want.

 

Two 6 volts is by far the best battery for RVing too and will work much better than two 12 volts.  If you have the room for four 6 volts then thats even better.

 

And quality is important too.  Harbor Freight can offer some great opportunities for cheap tools, but we all know everything they sell Chinese crap and probably not the best place for solar products.  Maybe.....but I doubt it.

 

Do let me know what you come up with though.

Edited February 5, 2017 by KATOOM

[JAG1]

47 minutes ago, KATOOM said:

.

 

I've been considering getting some portable solar panels for my 5th wheel too but I understand that 200w is bare minimum to offset any decent amount of energy usage during the night.  Portable because I dont want anything permanently mounted to the trailer otherwise I'd then have to park in the direct sun which isnt what I want.

 

 

I need trees/ love a nice shady camp.... yet I've heard the right solar set up can afford more freedom while camping. I'm going to look into Amorphous type panels rather than the typically expensive multicrystallin as the Amorphous panels are more efficient in shade and cloudy days. Not sure on this yet but, all I want is to reduce my gen run time required in  mornings not eliminate it.

Edited February 5, 2017 by JAG1

[Mopar1973Man]

6 minutes ago, JAG1 said:

I'm going to look into Amorphous type panels rather than the typically expensive multicrystallin as the Amorphous panels are more efficient in shade and cloudy days.

2

 

Doesn't exist. If you do the research on solar panels cloudy or shady parts of the day they still take a large hit in performance. I've got one of each and soon as shade hits it's basically done. Charge rate fails fast. 

 

48 minutes ago, KATOOM said:

I understand that 200w is bare minimum to offset any decent amount of energy usage during the night. 

 

Remember I've got 400w of panels powering an entire 2 story house with 820 Amp/hours of 6V batteries (wired as 24V) hooked to 4,000 watt modified sine wave inverter. I've had this setup for about 20 years now.

 

13 minutes ago, JAG1 said:

I need trees/ love a nice shady camp....

 

This why you can't have your panels mounted to the roof. This would require you to park the RV in direct sunlight.

 

This is what 400w worth of panels look like. This stands about 10 foot tall to the top of the panels. Basically eight 50w panels. 

[01cummins4ever]

8 hours ago, JAG1 said:

I need trees/ love a nice shady camp.... yet I've heard the right solar set up can afford more freedom while camping. I'm going to look into Amorphous type panels rather than the typically expensive multicrystallin as the Amorphous panels are more efficient in shade and cloudy days. Not sure on this yet but, all I want is to reduce my gen run time required in  mornings not eliminate it.

winter time or early spring camping I dont even want to see a tree, nothing but  hills covered with saguaro cactus and a crystal blue laked for me.

If I go with two 6v batteries with 215 amp hrs. wired in parallel, I will have 12v. output , but still 215 ah,  still would be sufficient. If I use this formula for daily power consumption I would be using about 50 ah per day.

 

3 lights for 4 hrs. (4 hr. x 4.5 amps = 18ah)

water pump for 45 min. per day (.75 hr. x 5 amps = 3.75ah)

TV/ and reciever for 4 hrs. per day ( 4hr. x 6 amp =24ah)

misc. chargers pilot lights, ect... (about 2ah}

total is 47.5 amp hrs per day.  that would only be about 30% of total battery storage.

 

to replenish the power with a 45w  solar charger it would take 12.6 hr of sun light per day according to this formula

45w @ 12v. is 45w  divided by 12 = 3.75 amps

3.75 amps divided by 47.5 ah = 12.6 hr.

 

now if I go with a 100w. solar charger I think I could reduce the charging time to 5.7 hrs a day using the same formula, these are just scenerios but does give me something to go off of.

[Mopar1973Man]

Last time i fired up the panels on the RV I sat and watched TV in Boise valley for most of the afternoon without ever dropping below 12.6 to 12.8 volts. Also charging the cell phone.

Edited February 6, 2017 by Mopar1973Man

[KATOOM]

Hey.....I have a big trailer.  Not sure really why we call it camping.

[Mopar1973Man]

1 hour ago, KATOOM said:

Hey.....I have a big trailer.  Not sure really why we call it camping.

 

Because some of us don't go to RV parks with full hook up. That's just relocation of your home. Camping is when you don't have any hook ups.

[Royal Squire]

Some would say camping is when you have no electronics at all.(sleeping under the stars)

Age has prompted me to reevaluate my previous opinions! We may all have a little different description of what we consider camping. 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Royal Squire

[Mopar1973Man]

That's what I call roughing it. When you sleep under the stars and no electronics at all.

 

Age also has done the same thing to me. I use to do a lot of sleeping on the ground in a tent. I've even slept in the back of the truck for many years. If you look back in the forum you fine post of my old canopy set up with slide out drawer and bed above. 

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Mopar1973Man

[KATOOM]

Most of the time we dont have hookups.  Generator and ample battery bank is sufficient for a good few days of get away.  Solar would just reduce the generator usage.....

Actually I prefer to camp where others arent.....but thats getting more and more difficult these days as camping in general is becoming quite the popular activity for people.

But hey.....I dont know about you guys, but no sleeping on the ground for us anymore.  That was fun back in the day but now its too cold and the ground is too hard for these aging bodies.

Edited February 7, 2017 by KATOOM

[dripley]

Mine is just a second  home. Always in the rv park. Some nicer than others. Stayed in one outside of DC called Cherry Hill RV park. It was my only choice for the job location unless I wanted to drive 40+ miles one way every day. The cost was $1500 a month. That qualifies as the most expensive place I have ever stayed. Every park around DC and north is ridiculously high. As high and higher than my house payment. And I had to pay for the power too.

[01cummins4ever]

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Starter/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1488515248&sr=8-2&keywords=renogy+100w

 

I pulled the trigger on this starter kit from renogy, if it proves to be something that I want to further invest in it is expandable up to 400w.

I installed two Duracell 230 AH. 6v. golf cart batteries so far and got room for more if ever needed. I installed a 1500/3000w. pure sine inverter in the next compartment over from the batteries, Keeping the input battery cables to the inverter at about 20" in length.

So my question is What is the best way to wire this inverter into the 110 a/c outlets, I know I need to keep the converter isolated when running on inverter power, and I need to figure out how to wire in a switch to do that. @Mopar1973Man I read your thread on a DPDT switch you did, can you elaborate on how you did that, I have seen some of the fancy auto transfer switches but that's getting more complicated than I want to go at this point.  I also want the option to return it to straight shore power when not running off the batteries.

[KATOOM]

Make sure to update the thread on how this new system works out for you.  I'm on the fence about adding solar.....

[Mopar1973Man]

8 hours ago, 01cummins4ever said:

@Mopar1973Man I read your thread on a DPDT switch you did, can you elaborate on how you did that, I have seen some of the fancy auto transfer switches but that's getting more complicated than I want to go at this point.  I also want the option to return it to straight shore power when not running off the batteries.

 

 

 

 

That was easy. DPDT switch. I found the breaker in my panel for the outlets in the RV. So both hot and neutral go to the center pins. Then on one side is the hot neutral from the inverter and then the other side is hot neutral for the city. So this transfer switch actually breaks and connects both hot and neutral to the outlet. I use a center OFF style switch so there was a moment of power break or you could shut both supplies off. 

 

SOURCE1- Hot  Neutral

 

OUTLET --- Hot Neutral

 

SOURCE2 - Hot Neutral

Edited March 3, 2017 by Mopar1973Man

[01cummins4ever]

Great! thanks Mike, I'm going to pick up some supply's this weekend and try to get this part Done. 

 

I got a 25' run from the breaker/converter box to the inverter and plan on installing the switch close to the breaker/converter and running some 14/3 Romex to the inverter in conduit 

[Mopar1973Man]

 

Here is my article...