Solar charger recommendation

jasin1 · 02-05-2022, 01:53 PM

I have my fifth wheel plugged into the house with my progressive external mounted ems

I’ve been thinking it may make more sense to use a small solar charger to maintain the battery’s…less wear and tear on the ems,converter and less electric usage in general.
I have two Trojan 6 volt golf cart batteries.

I also have two boats …one with three group 31 and one with two 8d batteries
They are on land for the winter but like to keep the batteries in and I go to the marina and plug in the chargers every now and then.

Anyone have some recommendations on what size small solar charger would work for each boat and the rv?

I’m gonna purchase three chargers but I guess I can wire the battery’s together so that one charger will maintain all the banks on each boat/rv

The fifth wheel I would just hook into one battery since it’s just basically one large 12 volt battery

Do I have to worry about overcharging?

I know some people just remove the battery’s but I want to be able to go in the fifth wheel at times and the boats I leave in for bilge pumps in case water would get in somewhere

jasin1 · 02-06-2022, 06:58 AM

Lol maybe I should have just picked a random solar charger/ maintainer and said “this is what you need to keep battery’s topped off in storage”

Might have got some answers

snoobler · 02-06-2022, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasin1

Lol maybe I should have just picked a random solar charger/ maintainer and said “this is what you need to keep battery’s topped off in storage”

Might have got some answers

Really? Not even 24 hours have gone by. Are Zoomers with their zero attention span and delay of gratification issues already engaging in RV life?

jasin1 · 02-06-2022, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snoobler

Really? Not even 24 hours have gone by. Are Zoomers with their zero attention span and delay of gratification issues already engaging in RV life?

Wow making a lot of assumptions about me ..you can (PARENTAL ADVISORY) sir lol

I was making a joke..look at my past posts and you will see I’m pretty active and polite

**chuckster57** · 02-06-2022, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasin1

I have my fifth wheel plugged into the house with my progressive external mounted ems

I’ve been thinking it may make more sense to use a small solar charger to maintain the battery’s…less wear and tear on the ems,converter and less electric usage in general.
I have two Trojan 6 volt golf cart batteries.

I also have two boats …one with three group 31 and one with two 8d batteries
They are on land for the winter but like to keep the batteries in and I go to the marina and plug in the chargers every now and then.

Anyone have some recommendations on what size small solar charger would work for each boat and the rv?

I’m gonna purchase three chargers but I guess I can wire the battery’s together so that one charger will maintain all the banks on each boat/rv

The fifth wheel I would just hook into one battery since it’s just basically one large 12 volt battery

Do I have to worry about overcharging?

I know some people just remove the battery’s but I want to be able to go in the fifth wheel at times and the boats I leave in for bilge pumps in case water would get in somewhere

Nothing on YouTube?

Just kidding. I would look into portable for the boats and maybe invest in rooftop for the trailer.

jasin1 · 02-06-2022, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Nothing on YouTube?

Just kidding. I would look into portable for the boats and maybe invest in rooftop for the trailer.

Lol funny you say that ..it’s the one place I didn’t check…I think your right I will buy a panel for the roof and call it a day..I have a 200 watt suitcase but didn’t want that set up outside taking up room.

I’m probably gonna get the harbor freight 25 watt portable for the boats

Thanks for the reply and I meant post #2 as a JOKE lol

I have ALWAYS received Great feedback from this forum and am very grateful

**JRTJH** · 02-06-2022, 07:30 AM

Jasin,

Just an opinion, but for what it's worth:

Cost to run a battery maintainer is about 50 cents a month and the boats/trailer are in storage 6 months a year ??? (just a guess for comparisons) and the charger costs $15, or in your situation, is already purchased and paid for, so no additional "startup expense" ...

Cost to buy a solar charger system is going to equal, at least 5 or 6 years of expense for the current system, even at 5 times the current cost to operate...

So, is the desire to change from a "paid for and working system" to solar driven by some desire other than economics ???

As for the boats stored at a marina, I'd guess they are also currently being maintained without problems with the current regimen? If the concern is having to go to the marina periodically to keep the batteries charged, a "shore powered automatic charger" connected 24/7 does the same thing as a "solar powered automatic charger" connected 24/7. So, if power is available, using shore power eliminates having to brush snow and ice off the solar panels. Something to consider: if the boats are shrink wrapped, where would you mount the solar panels?

I suppose my first concern would be, "How much is this going to cost and will there be an improvement or benefits over the current method" ???

jasin1 · 02-06-2022, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Jasin,

Just an opinion, but for what it's worth:

Cost to run a battery maintainer is about 50 cents a month and the boats/trailer are in storage 6 months a year ??? (just a guess for comparisons) and costs $15, or in your situation, already purchased...

Cost to buy a solar charger system is going to equal, at least 5 or 6 years of expense for the current system, even at 5 times the current cost to operate...

So, is the desire to change from a "paid for and working system" to solar driven by some desire other than economics ???

As for the boats stored at a marina, I'd guess they are also currently being maintained without problems with the current regimen? If the concern is having to go to the marina periodically to keep the batteries charged, a "shore powered automatic charger" connected 24/7 does the same thing as a "solar powered automatic charger" connected 24/7. So, if power is available, using shore power eliminates having to brush snow and ice off the solar panels. Something to consider: if the boats are shrink wrapped, where would you mount the solar panels?

I suppose my first concern would be, "How much is this going to cost and will there be an improvement or benefits over the current method" ???

The boats are on land ..one shrink wrapped and one isn’t ..the money isn’t really the issue as far as electrical costs.

The 8d batteries in my sons boats are outboard of the Diesel engines in fiberglass boxes and hard to remove…the boats are both far away from the marina building and not easily plugged in.. and marina won’t let cords run permanently across parking lot ..for the most part there is no parasitic draw..the bilge pumps on boats are /should be wired directly to the batteries and bypass the battery switches..if no bilge pump comes on then they just lose charge by? Natural causes?

If we get heavy rains, inevitably some of it finds its way into the bilge
A little is ok but don’t want the moisture lingering in the engine room.

I don’t have any drain plugs in my boats so have to be able to get any water out.

I guess the best idea is to remove the batteries in my boat and leave the ones in my sons..I will leave a older sacrificial battery in my boat for the pumps.. ( five pumps)

My sons boat I will buy the harbor freight 25 solar maintainer just to see how it works for us

As far as my fifth wheel…. It just seems overkill to have it plugged in and racking up hours of use on the ems and converter just to keep the parasitic battery drain topped off. Was going to buy a small panel for the roof just for
Keeping the battery topped off…not for a off grid inverter use

If I ever do that I would also plug in my suitcase system to augment.
Probably overthinking everything…before joining the forum I never understood or bothered with worrying about letting a battery go completely dead…now I know better

**JRTJH** · 02-06-2022, 08:19 AM

I see the need to have a means to recharge the boat batteries. I'd question if a 25 watt panel would be enough. That's 25 watts in "full sun" which seldom happens with the sun "low on the horizon during winter" and clouds, etc. So, it may wind up being a 0.4 or 0.5 amp charger, considering 1/3 sunlight being 8 watts@13 volts being 0.61 amp output from the solar panel. A 100 watt panel at 1/3 sunlight would provide 33 watts which is 2.5 amps. I'm not convinced a 25 watt solar panel being used to charge a full size FLA battery is anything more than a "feel good exercise"...

As for the "wear and tear on the EMS" There's two schools of thought on that. Contacts carrying current don't "wear" but they do stay warm. The "wear" comes from arcing when the contacts open or close. Contacts that are open don't "wear" but they are exposed to humidity, so they MAY be prone to faster corrosion ????

There is a "limited exposure to lightening or voltage surges" protection by not having the EMS plugged in, but as for "wear and tear" ??? I'm not sure there's a significant difference worth trying to calculate a loss in serviceabilty.... YMMV

jasin1 · 02-06-2022, 08:53 AM

Ok thanks for the input

Superchief05 · 02-07-2022, 05:49 AM

Here is what I use for my 5th wheel. They also have a model for boats. Seems to work well and my battery remains at 100%

https://www.amazon.com/DuraVolt-Mari...s%2C159&sr=8-4

Scott
MHC 372HC

jasin1 · 02-07-2022, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superchief05

Here is what I use for my 5th wheel. They also have a model for boats. Seems to work well and my battery remains at 100%

https://www.amazon.com/DuraVolt-Mari...s%2C159&sr=8-4

Scott
MHC 372HC

Thanks! I appreciate

travelin texans · 02-07-2022, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superchief05

Here is what I use for my 5th wheel. They also have a model for boats. Seems to work well and my battery remains at 100%

https://www.amazon.com/DuraVolt-Mari...s%2C159&sr=8-4

Scott
MHC 372HC

That's basically the same unit I mentioned in another post that I had on my last 5er in storage, worked great to keep the disconnected batteries topped off.
But I guess my memory isn't too good, DUH, as I didn't remember the price as being that much. But then again it may be this COVID BS thing as the price of everything has doubled.

Superchief05 · 02-07-2022, 08:23 AM

This model is for 5ers with 2 batteries. A little higher output.

bbells · 02-10-2022, 09:12 AM

For my boats I have a 200 watt solar panel mounted on a pvc frame. I have a pwm controller connected directly to the battery with anderson connectors coming out of the battery box. When I want to charge the battery I simply swivel the pvc stand to point the panel towards the sun (38 degree angle here), and plug it into the anderson connectors. $100 for the panel, $10 for the controller, and I had the pvc just laying around.

jasin1 · 02-10-2022, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbells

For my boats I have a 200 watt solar panel mounted on a pvc frame. I have a pwm controller connected directly to the battery with anderson connectors coming out of the battery box. When I want to charge the battery I simply swivel the pvc stand to point the panel towards the sun (38 degree angle here), and plug it into the anderson connectors. $100 for the panel, $10 for the controller, and I had the pvc just laying around.

Thanks for the info!

jasin1 · 03-14-2022, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasin1

Wow making a lot of assumptions about me ..you can (PARENTAL ADVISORY) sir lol

I was making a joke..look at my past posts and you will see I’m pretty active and polite

I really should have handled this a little more like an adult,my apologies to the forum for how i responded.

I enjoy being a part of this group of people and there is too much stuff in the world goin on to find things to get mad at on this forum.

snoobler · 03-14-2022, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasin1

I really should have handled this a little more like an adult,my apologies to the forum for how i responded.

I enjoy being a part of this group of people and there is too much stuff in the world goin on to find things to get mad at on this forum.

Thanks for the PM. It wasn't necessary. I was trying to be funny too, so I didn't take it personally. My lack of response in no way indicated I was offended or upset.

Please accept my apologies for omitting a suitable emoticon to convey my mood and intensity.

You may also like: