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Old 01-26-2014, 11:42 PM   #43
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I'm a little slow and weak in telling the difference of sarcastic responses and in earnest responses and several of these seem could go ether way but seems like over all, solar panels aren't worth the cost for the average 42 - 45 foot motor coach owner.
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Old 01-27-2014, 05:49 AM   #44
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Wasn't being sarcastic...I just don't see the value equation for solar...but maybe I am missing something. I have yet to meet a coach owner in a 43 or 45 footer who is doing 100-200 boondocking nights a year or even two years and it seems that is what it would take to make the dollars work. If you are doing BLM lands for the Winter, OK...that might make sense. If you're are finding National and State Parks that will handle 42/45 ft OK, but many are going to have tree cover. As far as a portable, I wouldn't do it, vice running the Onan.

Unless I'm missing the point, my only suggestion is that the value equation needs to be looked at very closely, to see if it really makes sense. I was also surprised that Entegra was adding a couple solar panels to its line up, at a cost, rather than leaving them as an option. I can think of a dozen ways I'd prefer them spend a couple of thousand (other than adding solar because some of the other coach makers are adding solar). JMHO
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Old 01-27-2014, 06:38 AM   #45
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If the knowledge from this post would have been know by me at the time I ordered my MH, I could have saved $2,700 for a couple of solar panels I now know really don't do much.
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Old 01-27-2014, 09:13 AM   #46
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Yes to every ones opinion here. Yes, the payback on solar is slow. I boondock about 50 days a year and I used to run the genny 4-5 hours a day. Now I never run it. Yes I put in solar and added 2 batteries to make the solar install make sense. And the cost wasn't cheap. But when I’m sitting along a river with just the river to hear, I like that. Just my opinion like everyone else.
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Old 01-27-2014, 10:17 AM   #47
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Originally Posted by DSL417 View Post
Wasn't being sarcastic...I just don't see the value equation for solar...but maybe I am missing something. I have yet to meet a coach owner in a 43 or 45 footer who is doing 100-200 boondocking nights a year or even two years and it seems that is what it would take to make the dollars work. If you are doing BLM lands for the Winter, OK...that might make sense. If you're are finding National and State Parks that will handle 42/45 ft OK, but many are going to have tree cover. As far as a portable, I wouldn't do it, vice running the Onan. Unless I'm missing the point, my only suggestion is that the value equation needs to be looked at very closely, to see if it really makes sense. I was also surprised that Entegra was adding a couple solar panels to its line up, at a cost, rather than leaving them as an option. I can think of a dozen ways I'd prefer them spend a couple of thousand (other than adding solar because some of the other coach makers are adding solar). JMHO
No, I didn't mean it that way, I seriously couldn't tell if several of these posts were for or against solar due to their wording. After a little research I fully agree with you.
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Old 01-27-2014, 11:57 AM   #48
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I also thought solar was a good option for our dry camping trips. We have 620 watts of panels and on a perfect day it will put 36 amps into the batteries. But, we do not get many perfect days. With the residential refrigerator, sat receiver, tv and occasional micro wave, I still have to run the 10kw generator 6 hours per day to keep the six batteries above 12.2 volts. I just bought a 2000 watt Honda generator that will run a 50 amp charger for 10 hours on less than 1 gallon of gas. We can hardly hear it run. The solar system will keep the bank up during the day, but goes down hill at night and early morning when all the power is needed. IMHO, the $800 for the Honda was a better investment than the $2000 I spent on the solar. Having both is the best way to go.
You are so right
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Old 01-27-2014, 01:14 PM   #49
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You may want someone to look at your install, something doesn't sound right with 600+ watts.
+1
Something wrong with that setup. First thing could be a mismatch of solar capacity in relation to battery capacity and power usage.
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Old 01-27-2014, 01:21 PM   #50
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Sorry, late to the game. With 30 and 25 feet of #8 wire I'd be going to 24 volt panels or pulling new wire. 3% or more voltage drop is too much in my opinion. I'd keep it under 2%. But then I'm not an engineer in the electrical field.
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Old 01-27-2014, 01:31 PM   #51
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We have the big 5 watt solar panel that Newmar puts on as standard equipment
5 watts big? That will barely maintain (not charge) the chassis batteries it is connected to.
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Old 01-27-2014, 04:46 PM   #52
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+1
Something wrong with that setup. First thing could be a mismatch of solar capacity in relation to battery capacity and power usage.

Agreed, my system has shown 740 watts and 54 amps many times on the controller
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Old 02-26-2014, 05:38 PM   #53
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Well this seems to be the most active solar discussion so I'll post here with my questions if that's okay.

I've been running a couple of GC batts for the past several years with good success just running the gen a couple of hours a day when dry camping. We actually prefer dry camping over campgrounds where possible and have a long history of desert play here in so-cal where there are no hookups. Our tanks are good for about 5 days.

So I'm in the process of doing some upgrades to possibly make the power thing work better, a new converter to replace the old parallax single stage converter, and maybe a couple hundred watts of panels.

So these are the questions I have after a ton of research on the subject...

1. converter - seems iota is the only one you can set to 14.8v for the 3-cell 6's. Progressive Dynamics and the others are all 14.4. This fact seems like the Iota is the only clear choice.

2. Since I've gotten by with the crappy single voltage converter for 8 years maybe I should just skip the converter replacement and install a charge controller for PV modules. I'm wondering if they would play well together or interfere with each other?
3. What happens to the power coming out of the panels when the batteries are full, like when the unit is parked for storage? I understand the charge controller shuts them off, but what happens to the power production from the panels? Is it like a water faucet - you just disconnect it so the power can't get out? I'm confused by this.

4. Ronogy and AZ sun people have some pretty nice 200watt or so systems that would keep my 220ah batt system charged. What I'm confused about is why I couldn't just install one big commercial 240/250watt panel with a mppt controller? Why does the RV industry stick with 12v panels? Is it just a controller cost standpoint or did I miss something? Will a single 48v 250watt panel produce 30amps or so charging with a mppt controller? Or should I get a couple of 100-130watt 12v panels?

4. Roof mount vs portable - what's the general consensus? Seems like the portables would be versatile for finding direct sunlight if there were trees, but a hassle to store and get out and setup every time. Still seems like a great way to take advantage of some solar charging for my 2-batt array. It's not like I need a solar farm for my setup.

I'm pretty handy so no problem figuring out how to install one of these things, just have to figure out the best configuration and order in the components. I like the idea of solar power being quiet and doing a proper job of peaking up the flooded cell batts. We almost always have clear sunshine when we camp. If it's hot we have to run the gen anyway for AC, but we are good up to about 90deg before we feel like we need to run the air. With shade and some misting water we can keep pretty comfy. Night time is a different deal, but then we'd head home if it was that hot.

There are plenty of surplus PV modules for sale around here, one craigslist seller seems to wheel and deal in them and has all sorts of panels with many at or under $1 per watt, 12, 24, and 36 volt panels of varying sizes. With a mppt controller seems I could use any of them, just get a combo to total about 180-250 watts.

I saw earlier mention of Renogy product and wondered what experience any of you had with them. They certainly have good prices for parts and they are just up the hiway from me a bit - easy to just go there and pickup components.
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Old 02-26-2014, 08:09 PM   #54
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Originally Posted by CJBROWN View Post
Well this seems to be the most active solar discussion so I'll post here with my questions if that's okay.

I've been running a couple of GC batts for the past several years with good success just running the gen a couple of hours a day when dry camping. We actually prefer dry camping over campgrounds where possible and have a long history of desert play here in so-cal where there are no hookups. Our tanks are good for about 5 days.

So I'm in the process of doing some upgrades to possibly make the power thing work better, a new converter to replace the old parallax single stage converter, and maybe a couple hundred watts of panels.

So these are the questions I have after a ton of research on the subject...

1. converter - seems iota is the only one you can set to 14.8v for the 3-cell 6's. Progressive Dynamics and the others are all 14.4. This fact seems like the Iota is the only clear choice.

2. Since I've gotten by with the crappy single voltage converter for 8 years maybe I should just skip the converter replacement and install a charge controller for PV modules. I'm wondering if they would play well together or interfere with each other?
3. What happens to the power coming out of the panels when the batteries are full, like when the unit is parked for storage? I understand the charge controller shuts them off, but what happens to the power production from the panels? Is it like a water faucet - you just disconnect it so the power can't get out? I'm confused by this.

4. Ronogy and AZ sun people have some pretty nice 200watt or so systems that would keep my 220ah batt system charged. What I'm confused about is why I couldn't just install one big commercial 240/250watt panel with a mppt controller? Why does the RV industry stick with 12v panels? Is it just a controller cost standpoint or did I miss something? Will a single 48v 250watt panel produce 30amps or so charging with a mppt controller? Or should I get a couple of 100-130watt 12v panels?

4. Roof mount vs portable - what's the general consensus? Seems like the portables would be versatile for finding direct sunlight if there were trees, but a hassle to store and get out and setup every time. Still seems like a great way to take advantage of some solar charging for my 2-batt array. It's not like I need a solar farm for my setup.

I'm pretty handy so no problem figuring out how to install one of these things, just have to figure out the best configuration and order in the components. I like the idea of solar power being quiet and doing a proper job of peaking up the flooded cell batts. We almost always have clear sunshine when we camp. If it's hot we have to run the gen anyway for AC, but we are good up to about 90deg before we feel like we need to run the air. With shade and some misting water we can keep pretty comfy. Night time is a different deal, but then we'd head home if it was that hot.

There are plenty of surplus PV modules for sale around here, one craigslist seller seems to wheel and deal in them and has all sorts of panels with many at or under $1 per watt, 12, 24, and 36 volt panels of varying sizes. With a mppt controller seems I could use any of them, just get a combo to total about 180-250 watts.

I saw earlier mention of Renogy product and wondered what experience any of you had with them. They certainly have good prices for parts and they are just up the hiway from me a bit - easy to just go there and pickup components.
For help with several of your questions the write up of my system I included earlier in this thread may help to answer.

As for changing out your converter, I opted not to do so, rather let the solar charge controller do most all the charging. I have not turned on my converter for a very long time.
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Old 02-27-2014, 08:33 AM   #55
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I will buy solar panels and bounce them around the country when they get to a point where they actually work. And are unbreakable, wont cause leaks falling debris damage ETC, ETC , etc, etc. Snake oil proof,
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Old 02-27-2014, 08:59 AM   #56
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Originally Posted by johnnyreno View Post
I will buy solar panels and bounce them around the country when they get to a point where they actually work. And are unbreakable, wont cause leaks falling debris damage ETC, ETC , etc, etc. Snake oil proof,
What first hand experiences have you had with such failures? I have zero failures with my 8 panels and have not seen such comments from others. Thanks.
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