Solar

[howshow]

Hi all, have a question regarding solar panels, i am running x2 6volt deep cycle batteries and would like to install solar to charge these, has anyone done this & if so is there a specific panel i need or can i use something like this.....

http://www.costco.ca/.product.100043...uctsInCategory

or spend the $$$$$ & go with something like this.......

http://gpelectric.com/products/solar...harging-system

any info would be much appreciated as our first trip out dry camping was not very eventful we lost power very quickly (within the first 24hrs!) nearly lost the contents of our fridge, & had to run the truck way to much for my liking while camping.

Im not sure if we have a ghost drain somewhere in the RV but it was very stressful & not the weekend i had planned for, i could not even run the heat at night times.

So this is why i am thinking solar panels on the roof would be helpful.

[Festus2]

It is not normal for 2 -6volt batteries to run down that quickly and leave you "powerless". There must be some kind of abnormal drain on your batteries to cause them to become depleted so quickly. With prudent use, you should expect to get at least a weekend's worth of power from them. You might want to check into that.

If you haven't switched over to LED lights, I would do that right away. Overhead incandescent lights will draw 9-10 times the amount of amps than LED's. If you dry camp, the changeover will be well worth it.

If you camp with young children, they might need a short course on SavingBatteriesWhile Camping101. LOL.

Adding solar panels is a wise move - especially for dry camping outings. The two 150w panels will keep your 6v up to charge without problems. The 300W inverter is not worth getting even though it is in this kit. 300w won't do much except charge your phone, run your computer, 2-3 lightbulbs, a crockpot (maybe) but not much else. It's almost useless and not a good addition for those 300W solar panels. I'd be looking at a 1000w inverter at a minimum but keep in mind that whatever wattage you decide to go with it takes juice from your batteries.

If you haven't looked at a generator, that might be something to consider. There are a number of 2000W-2500W generators out there that are quiet, reliable, and will provide you with more "watts to use" than those solar panels.

[howshow]

Originally Posted by Festus2

It is not normal for 2 -6volt batteries to run down that quickly and leave you "powerless". There must be some kind of abnormal drain on your batteries to cause them to become depleted so quickly. With prudent use, you should expect to get at least a weekend's worth of power from them. You might want to check into that.

If you haven't switched over to LED lights, I would do that right away. Overhead incandescent lights will draw 9-10 times the amount of amps than LED's. If you dry camp, the changeover will be well worth it.

If you camp with young children, they might need a short course on SavingBatteriesWhile Camping101. LOL.

Adding solar panels is a wise move - especially for dry camping outings. The two 150w panels will keep your 6v up to charge without problems. The 300W inverter is not worth getting even though it is in this kit. 300w won't do much except charge your phone, run your computer, 2-3 lightbulbs, a crockpot (maybe) but not much else. It's almost useless and not a good addition for those 300W solar panels. I'd be looking at a 1000w inverter at a minimum but keep in mind that it takes juice from your batteries.

If you haven't looked at a generator, that might be something to consider.

yup thats what i thought, it didnt help that batteries were not fully charged when i got there, as i found out after some testing that there was no power coming from truck to 7pin due to Toyota not installing a 40amp fuse in the panel!
But after driving home for 6hrs the batteries were still not fully charged and now back down to 1/3rd and its just been sitting in storage for 24hrs, i checked it tonight on my way home when grabbing a few things i left in RV.

The trailer is brand new, the batteries are brand new, i have not swapped out the bulbs for LEDS but i will be buying some online this week for sure, the baby is only 6months old so he doesn't consume any power yet lol, we barely used any lights as we put the baby to bed and sat by the fire for the rest of the night.......

Im not really into the idea of being the noisy neighbour with the generator running lol hence why id like the solar, but id like it to work not just on sunny days, ive head the new ones dont need direct sunlight to charge.

i do agree about that 300w inverter its garbage, & i would swap it out for a 1000-2000 one, but id need to know if the rest of the costco package is worth it or should i just buy something else, as i want to do it right the first time then forget about it

[Festus2]

After taking a closer look at the gpelectric/Carmanah kit, I kinda like the Weekender. I've seen the Carmanah's at RV shows and quite like the quality of their stuff - pricey yes but worth it if you can afford the extra $$$. This kit offers a 1500W inverter - maybe not quite enough but perhaps you can work out a deal to upgrade it to 2000W.

I have a single Kyocera 85W panel (not roof mounted) used in conjunction with 2 6v Trojans and I am pleased with its ability to keep the Trojans "up". I did notice a big difference in the longevity of the batteries after I did the switch to LED's.

Your RV's converter should be charging and maintaining that charge when you are plugged in. Don't count on your truck to fully charge it - especially on short runs.

[Stublejumper]

Originally Posted by howshow

Hi all, have a question regarding solar panels, i am running x2 6volt deep cycle batteries and would like to install solar to charge these, has anyone done this & if so is there a specific panel i need or can i use something like this.....

http://www.costco.ca/.product.100043...uctsInCategory

or spend the $$$$$ & go with something like this.......

http://gpelectric.com/products/solar...harging-system

any info would be much appreciated as our first trip out dry camping was not very eventful we lost power very quickly (within the first 24hrs!) nearly lost the contents of our fridge, & had to run the truck way to much for my liking while camping.

Im not sure if we have a ghost drain somewhere in the RV but it was very stressful & not the weekend i had planned for, i could not even run the heat at night times.

So this is why i am thinking solar panels on the roof would be helpful.

Try www.SolarWholesaler.ca.

[howshow]

Originally Posted by Festus2

After taking a closer look at the gpelectric/Carmanah kit, I kinda like the Weekender. I've seen the Carmanah's at RV shows and quite like the quality of their stuff - pricey yes but worth it if you can afford the extra $$$. This kit offers a 1500W inverter - maybe not quite enough but perhaps you can work out a deal to upgrade it to 2000W.

I have a single Kyocera 85W panel (not roof mounted) used in conjunction with 2 6v Trojans and I am pleased with its ability to keep the Trojans "up". I did notice a big difference in the longevity of the batteries after I did the switch to LED's.

Your RV's converter should be charging and maintaining that charge when you are plugged in. Don't count on your truck to fully charge it - especially on short runs.

I think you are right about the weekender also. ive found it online for 1500.00 id have to do install myself :\

[Festus2]

Originally Posted by howshow

I think you are right about the weekender also. ive found it online for 1500.00 id have to do install myself :\

Yikes! I didn't think it would be that expensive. You might want to look at solar panels sold in the US - Ariz/Calif outlets - online. I bought mine online in the US but found that the brokerage fees, shipping costs and taxes reduced my anticipated savings.
Some of these costs can be avoided by ordering it and picking it up at Ship Happens or similar in Sumas or Blaine.
Worth a look.