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Old 07-04-2012, 07:53 PM   #1
D-Cubed
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: BC
Posts: 7
Need Solar panel Breakdown

I am new to TT and ran my battery dead a few weeks ago while camping without hook ups. So it made me decide I needed something. My long term plan is to get a generator in the next coupe years and to change to two 6v batteries as have been spoke of in every post I seem to read.

But I would like to set up a bare minimum portable solar pane system that will get me through a couple days of using the pump and a light or two.

I need an explanation on what that entails and the likely costs, but if you can really dumb it down so I can get the basics because most of the posts I have read seemed to be above my knowledge base.
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Old 07-04-2012, 08:16 PM   #2
Xtjrp
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Join Date: Apr 2012
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Thumbs up This is a good source for solar info and supply- has RV topics

This is a good source for solar info and supply- has RV topics
http://windsun.com/
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Old 07-04-2012, 08:25 PM   #3
Festus2
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D-Cubed -
If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive panel to use for 2-3 days of dry camping, you might want to consider a 60w panel. You can get them in kit form which includes a charge controller and the wiring. The kits are either 1 single 60w panel, 2-30w or 3-20w. I've seen one 60w kit that comes with a charge controller, a 200w inverter and a stand and puts out 4A max - enough to keep a fully-charged battery maintained with light, reasonable and rationed use.

If you let your battery run down, the 4 amp output of a 60w solar panel won't do much to bring it up to charge in a hurry.
I wouldn't consider mounting such a small panel on the roof but would instead place it on a sandwich board-type stand or something similar.
The kit I saw at Canadian Tire was $299 but you should check out eBay for other panels and prices. By the time you pay for shipping, you are probably looking at somewhere around $300 anyway.
If you are going with a panel of 60w or more, you need a charge controller to protect both the battery from overcharging and the solar panel from any discharge current from the battery.
Remember that solar panels need sunlight to operate efficiently. Under cloudy conditions, their effeciency drops considerably and you may not be able to maintain a charge on your battery.

If you want to spend more money, you can always opt for a larger panel which will cost more but it has the potential to produce more amps. With careful use of your lights, water pump and other items that require 12v, you should be able to get by with a 60w panel. If you plan on using solar in the future, you might be wise to look at panels of 100+w.

Hope this is of some help.
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Old 07-04-2012, 09:48 PM   #4
azlee56
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Tucson AZ
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I will ask the BF, because he got a solar panel that trickles in a charge. It was like 80.00 at Checkers (that was what they were called then). I was amazed what this little panel can do. He sits it on a tv tray outside and it keeps the battery pretty well level while we are dry camping. This is when we aren't inside doing anything. I was quite impressed. It would never do if we had a heavy load going though. We also in an emergency went to Habor Frieght and got some generic generator cause our old one was running way to fast and that did the trick. On sale it was 90.00 for a 2000. Now this is a 2 cycle (I think they call it). It charges the battery but that is about all. We did watch the TV while it was on.

I was sold on it cause a friend of ours runs it as a maintenance thing, he bought another one after his wife ran her hair dryer and totally ruined it. Nice little generator for an emergency, but who knows how long it will last. The friend said he had his for 7 years, but he had the big one too.
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