Solar panels on roof of HTT

[jvantassell]

I have a 2009 Jayco 21M and would like to know if anyone has every mounted solar panels on the roof. Jayco says they do not recommend it as it is not an option on that model. Since the roof is very thin I'm thinking of making a stand to set the panel on the ground. I'm going to be 9-14 days off grid this spring. Any help from someone with experience with this would be greatly appreciated.

[Seann45]

ALL RV roofs are thin... I run full length "L" brackets with 4 screws in the base for mounting mine.. (on each side) then attach each panel with a nut and bolt at each corner... this allows me to tilt the panel for max power in the winter... (winter camping NOW if you can call +70F winter)

[RustyFairmount]

Just curious to know how many watts worth of panels you intend to use. I use a 1.5w panel to maintain the battery while the camper is in Summer storage between trips. Thinking about moving up to 5w to extend trips off the grid.

[Lounsy]

I have an 85 watt panel. I kept it portable in case the trailer does not get any sun at all. We camp off grid for 3-4 weeks at a time. I simply added telescoping legs. There is a rod running between the legs for stability, and twine or a thin chain as a preventer to keep the legs from going back too far. It's great, you can move it around to the sun. At the end of the day. you can position it to get the fist rays next morning. Hope this helps.
Lounsy

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by RustyFairmount

snip..... I use a 1.5w panel to maintain the battery while the camper is in Summer storage between trips. Thinking about moving up to 5w to extend trips off the grid.

Rusty,

The solar system is intended to charge the battery(s), and if you plan to do some "off grid" camping, then the solar system should be sized based on how much energy one uses and the amp size of the battery(s). I tend to agree with others that 80 to 100 watt solar panel minimum for every 100 amps of battery storage.

A 5W solar panel will "eventually" charge the battery, but under extended "off grid" conditions IMO the 5W panel will disappoint.

Here is a good thread for some additional data: http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthrea...t=solar&page=2

Don't forget, depending on where one camps, the best conditions may provide only 5-6 hours of optimum sun light.

Just food for thought.

Bob

[RustyFairmount]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Rusty,

The solar system is intended to charge the battery(s), and if you plan to do some "off grid" camping, then the solar system should be sized based on how much energy one uses and the amp size of the battery(s). I tend to agree with others that 80 to 100 watt solar panel minimum for every 100 amps of battery storage.

A 5W solar panel will "eventually" charge the battery, but under extended "off grid" conditions IMO the 5W panel will disappoint.

Here is a good thread for some additional data: http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthrea...t=solar&page=2

Don't forget, depending on where one camps, the best conditions may provide only 5-6 hours of optimum sun light.

Just food for thought.

Bob

Thanks. I'll continue reading (including the link you provided). My charging needs are really limited to lighting, water pump, and ignition for fridge and hot water tank. With LED's at 3 watts each, and the water pump at 90 watts, I was hoping (yeah, very unscientific) that 4 hours of good sunlight and a 5 watt panel would be enough.

My math went like this: 5 watt panel for 4 hours = 20 watt-hours of energy. Assuming a 100% efficient battery, that's 1200 watt-minutes. Wouldn't that mean the pump could run for 13 minutes off that charge (moving 37 gallons of water)? Or 2 lights for 200 minutes?

What am I missing? Furnace and inverters are hungry. I understand that if I want to operate those I'd need a larger panel.

And...if I need a much larger panel...I'll refer back to this thread to understand how to safely mount it on the roof!

[Chakara]

Originally Posted by RustyFairmount

Just curious to know how many watts worth of panels you intend to use. I use a 1.5w panel to maintain the battery while the camper is in Summer storage between trips. Thinking about moving up to 5w to extend trips off the grid.

Hi Rusty - just so you know 1.5W is enough to maintain typical batteries - assuming they are already charged when they are stored. 5w isn't much better and over a month stay may keep a light on for an extra hour. I'm probably exaggerating a bit, but you get the idea.

It takes quite a bit more to be useful when camping. I have a 55w panel that I'm trying to decide what to do with as my research shows it probably won't give me any positive charge on my 2x GC-2 batteries. I may run them down a bit and see how it does, but he "guru's" tell me it won't work. We'll see..

Good luck!

-Chak

[RustyFairmount]

Good luck to you all, too. I can't wait for the weather to break up here in Michigan so I can go out and "test" my setup, too. Come to think of it, I have some new lawn chairs and can-cozy's to "test" as well. :-)

[Seann45]

Originally Posted by RustyFairmount

Good luck to you all, too. I can't wait for the weather to break up here in Michigan so I can go out and "test" my setup, too. Come to think of it, I have some new lawn chairs and can-cozy's to "test" as well. :-)

Send em to my camp here in the DSW... I will evaluate them and report back... ohh by the way make sure the can cozies are accompanied by the product you with them to keep cool... different products might work differently...

[jvantassell]

Thanks for all of those suggestions and comments. I was off web for a few days. I'm planing on using a 100W panel and like the idea of using a stand to optimize sun exposure. I have converted to all LED lights (at least the ones I need to use), the biggest draw will be the furnace if I hit cold weather.