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Just4Fun20 · 07-21-2016, 02:18 PM

Good day. I apologize in advance for a very basic question.

I'm the proud new owner of a 2006 Newmar Dutch Star. I'm a handyman and an electrical engineer, although I work in computers. That's only important to establish my technical level of expertise.

I believe my Dutch Star is fairly standard. It has four 6V house batteries (2 in series and two in parallel for 12V and I think 4,400 AH). It has an inverter, I think in the 1K range. There's a power conditioner (or tester) on the incoming power line that was added to insure input power quality.

I'm unclear on the (house) battery charging mechanism. An inverter, to me, takes 12V and converts it to 110V. I'm fairly familiar with the general concepts. I'm not aware (but it could be there) of another power unit. Does that mean the inverter also has the battery charging circuits?

The reason I ask is that I'm planning on adding solar. In addition to the panel(s) I believe I need a solar controller. Does it work with, or replace, the existing battery charging components?

Second thought is around when the RV is in storage. Sadly :-) we're not full timers yet. At the moment the rig is plugged in but within a month or two it won't be. We'll be taking it out on the weekends but during the week it will be on it's own, with no power. It would seem to me that getting started on Solar, adding a single 200-250W panel, will provide enough power to keep the house batteries fully charged. I was told to keep the rig plugged in, to keep the batteries up. I'm assuming that having the solar, keeping the batteries up, serves the same purpose. Is that correct? Ultimately I'd like 800-1,000 watts (4 panels) but starting with a single panel, with growth in mind, seemed like a good starting point. Any comments? Is my logic correct?

Thank you (all) for any feedback. I'm just trying to get my head wrapped around the ideas and best practices.

Have a great day.

**TonyDi** · 07-21-2016, 02:43 PM

You didn't state which model you have, but on my DS I have a 2000w inverter.
If it's your plan to go to 800-1000w solar then starting with 200-250 w is a good start. Make sure the controller you get for it will handle the increase in solar when you add it.

twinboat · 07-21-2016, 02:43 PM

Many inverters are also chargers. Lookup the brand for info. If not, there will be a stand alone converter/charger.

Maybe a typo but you have 440 AH of battery

You do need a solar controller for that size panel. If your going to upgrade, you may want to get a controller for the higher output panels now. The solar controller is a stand alone system that gets tied into the batteries. It will not effect what you have now.

I store my MH for months at a time, with 300 watts of solar. I do nothing but park it and run the generator out of gas. The batteries are maintained with the solar.

My MH didn't have the capability to charge the start battery from the house bank, where the solar was connected. I installed a battery combiner that connects the two battery banks, when 13.4 volts is detected in either bank.

TechWriter · 07-21-2016, 03:36 PM

Check out Jack Mayer's blog (RV Electrical). He actually knows what he's doing.

Just4Fun20 · 07-22-2016, 06:13 AM

Thank you all for an excellent push in the right direction.

Yes, 440 AH. Not sure how I got the x10 in there.

It's a 4028.

The big takeaways are that I'll basically be adding solar and the solar/charge controller, vs a rip and replace of existing components. I'll size for my expected end state and that the solar is a good way to keep the house batteries up, if stored for awhile.

Thanks again and have a great day.

"007" · 07-22-2016, 08:14 AM

Welcome to the forum and irv2.
Here is a link on your battery system and how your batteries are charged and here is one for fusing and wiring.
These links and this one on Solar are found in QT's # 3 with many more for your coach.
All the links below in my signature will apply to your Newmar also.
Enjoy the forum and safe travels in your Newmar.