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Old 01-03-2021, 01:36 PM   #41
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I just had a thought for Mel - what about something like a Jackery 1000?
Solar panels, SCC, inverter - 1000 watts for $1500?


No installation.
Just plug n' go.
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Old 01-03-2021, 01:50 PM   #42
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But I still have a noisy generator right?
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Old 01-03-2021, 03:32 PM   #43
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Pretty Comprehensive Solar Doc

Hi, I am in the same space as yourself and found this very good comprehensive doc by RV With Tito: https://pages.rvwithtito.com/free-solar-panel-guide. He has lots of other links on solar from his main website: https://www.rvwithtito.com/articles/...power-systems/

Best of luck - do let us know what you went with!

Cheers, Michael
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Old 01-03-2021, 09:36 PM   #44
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I confess I didn't read all the answers. Pardon any repitition.

1. You don't state power consumption goals. What do you plan to do?
2. You don't say where you live. Baker City, where? What state? That matters a whole lot. Washington State is very different than Colorado.
3. You mention an inverter, but what's it for?

Definitely read, but you indicate relatively modest goals...or you seem to imply that. You mention two batteries and two to four panels. Keep your goals modest, and you'll do fine.

I'll mention my situation as an illustration.

4 x 100 watt Renology brand monocrystalline panels, a PWM controller, and 2 x 6 volt flooded cell lead acid (FCLA) batteries in series to make 12 volts.
In sunny Colorado, my batteries are topped off by about 1 PM.
I have 115 USABLE amp hours (AH) available to: run the stereo, furnace, lights, parasitic loads, fire the propane fridge and hot water heater, and run the water pump. More than enough battery, and more than enough solar.

You will NOT run AC, microwave, and so on using a modest solar setup like mine. If you expect to do that, stop reading my post. You need a LOT more solar and a LOT more battery...as illustrated in one of the other responses.
My opinion is that running the AC, micro, and so on relies on the generator...and you have one. That's what it's for.

Still interested?

Smart upgrade when efficiency is important: MPPT controller.
https://news.energysage.com/what-are...%20controllers.

Here is my solar kit...I paid about $550 for this, and it's often on sale for this price: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is the same kit with an MPPT charge controller: https://smile.amazon.com/Renogy-Sola...s%2C230&sr=8-5

I have two of these. If these guys are around you, they are a good place to buy batteries. https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sligc115 I bought two plastic battery boxes to mount on the tongue to hold the batteries...about $35/box, and they are vastly superior to the boxes dealers supply.

If you go with 400 watts, you'll need to run at least #10 awg wire from the panels to the charge controller and from the controller to the battery. #8 wire would be better.

You'll need one of these to penetrate the roof or a side wall. It's a "gland." https://smile.amazon.com/Link-Solar-...garden&sr=1-11

Run your wire through a closet or pantry cabinet so you can come in the top, attach to the charge controller, and run the wire to your battery bay in the MH. The most direct route is best, but if your house batteries are in an inconvenient spot don't be afraid to go out the floor, under the coach, and up into the battery bay if you must.

You may be able to flush mount your charge controller using a saw of this type. Very precise and clean cuts. Any brand will do...this is an illustration: https://smile.amazon.com/Rockwell-RK...dDbGljaz10cnVl

This doesn't apply to your MH, but in a travel trailer, if you are able to run wire through a front closet, you may be able to run the wire out just above the battery bank through a gland.

MOST IMPORTANT TO KNOW: There is no trick to connecting to the battery. Your shore power/converter/battery charger can run in "parallel" to the solar charging system with no special connections or concerns. Just like jump starting a car. Once the dead car starts, the alternator in the car is charging, and the jump car is charging thru the jumper cables. No harm, no foul. Hook straight from you charge controller directly to the battery bank. Easy as can be.

Extra tid bit. The charge controller does NOT like to be connected to the panels and DISCONNECTED from the battery. Do yourself a favor and install a 30 amp (or more) capable switch between the panels and the charge controller. Again...illustration: https://smile.amazon.com/DEVMO-Heavy...729284&sr=8-18 You can hide these in your cabinet, or you can find a more elegant solution and "display" them above the charge controller. You won't need them often, but you SHOULD turn off the panel output to the charge controller if you disconnect the batteries for any reason.

I also have a small inverter, 500 watts, to run my electric blanket for 20 minutes to take the chill off the bed. This consumes about 10 AH. I do NOT use solar to run appliances such as coffee makers, microwave, and so on. 15 minutes of generator run time does this work AND pumps a few AH into the battery while it's at it. If you want to run a big inverter and lots of 120 volt appliances, open your wallet wide and be prepared to install 800 to 1000 watts of solar panels, and a really serious battery bank...and spend big bucks.

If you want to understand your loads, here's an easy tool. https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/ele...alculator.html Get your load in watts (e.g. 1000 watts for a micro) and ALWAYS plug in 12 volts - that's your power source. A 1000 watt micro pulls 83+ amps at 12 volts. Batteries don't last long with that kind of draw. If you already know the amps for a 120 volt load, multiply times 10 3.5 amps at 120 volts is 35 amps at 12 volts. Add up your loads and brace yourself for some very sobering facts of life. My puny 115 usable AH won't last long powering 120 volt loads, so I don't ask my batteries to do that. I use my generator. It's just that simple.

This is a simple solar system that does the job for literally endless boondocking. My only limitation is the capacity of my black tank, and, if I want to stay longer, here's the answer: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I can haul this to any vault toilet and dump. I use a small one, because at 8.3 pounds per gallon, even a 15 gallon tote weighs over 120 pounds.

I'm 71. It took me an afternoon to install the solar panels, and it took several hours to install the charge controller, wire and configure the batteries, and clean up my tools.

I can advise you on installing the panels if you are interested.
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Solar on Jayco Close.jpg   ~Solar Charge Controller.jpg   Jayco Renology Solar Kit.jpg  
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Old 01-03-2021, 09:48 PM   #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bucket2 View Post
But I still have a noisy generator right?

Are you talking about my post - the Jackery?


No - the Jackery kit I saw comes with two solar panels. I'm assuming 200 watts. So you'd need to figure out when you'd recharge the battery in the Jackery.


Or you get two power banks, use one while the other is charging.


For $1500, you'd have $500 left over for the Harbor Freight 2000 watt generator. Which is as quiet as the Honda's.
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Old 01-04-2021, 11:49 AM   #46
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One omission on my part.

CO is windy. Personally, I would not rely on portable panels for several reasons. #1 is wind. #2 is theft. #3 is that having to setup portables keeps them off-line until they are setup...whereas permanent roof mount means they work from sunup to sundown...on the road, in storage, at the moment you setup through the moment you pull away. #4 labor...messing with panels and having to re-aim them is not part of my desired camping routine. I have enough setup to worry about: positioning, leveling, generator, stab jacks, slide, canopy, propane fire pit, grill, chairs, table (when boondocking), yada, yada, yada. I don't want to add solar panels to the list of setup and teardown. I prefer to get enough solar for an adequate fixed roof installation and follow a set it and forget it routine. Set it when you install, and forget it until it needs repair...if ever.
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Old 01-04-2021, 01:01 PM   #47
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I thought about it and agree
Yks
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