Solar Power

[Reed Cundiff]

Menobb55- you might want to get an Olympian Wave (or similar make) catalytic propane heater as adjunct to youforced air heatesr. These use very little propane and no electricity. We find the OW 8 will keep our 34' 5th wheel warm down to freezing. We only use the forced air for a short time in the morning to get the temperature of cabin from 50' to mid-60s and then just use the OW (Olympian Wave) to keep us warm.

As noted in our post #40 above, we are solar autonomous. We are at an RV park at present but have not hooked up.

Reed and Elaine

[Cubey]

For just myself in my little Class B, I put two 100W solar panels and ran a single cheap marine battery. I had a second but it went bad before I hit the road as it was about 5 years old.

My biggest complaint is only having the one battery to be honest. 200W is PLENTY in my van for normal usage. But then again it doesn't use a blower on the furnace and have all LED bulbs except the bathroom. (I think the manufacturer wired the bathroom light fixture backwards, LED won't work but incandescent will).

The only other things I *need* besides lights and phone and/or tablet charging are the fresh water pump and recirculating toilet flush. If it's warm, a low power draw 12V fan is left on blowing on me. Aside from that... that's all I need.

Trying to run an inverter eats up the battery pretty quickly after dark but if I keep to 12V only stuff like a cell phone or tablet charger it's okay. During the day I can run a very small inverter to charge non-12V things and still have ample power a night.

I ran it down around 50% a few times with a 100W inverter and a laptop simply because I kept pushing it and wanting to be on a laptop instead of my tablet.

Plan V - A van dwelling blog: Solar panels - Part 1
http://cubey7800.blogspot.com/2013/0...ls-part-2.html

[kenn_chan]

First Off Bob is the man, his ramblings as some have called them track almost perfectly with my own experiences in regards to designing and building the system I own and while it might take multiple reads to gleen all of the info from them, it is their for the asking.

I currenetly have two 240 watt cell panels wired in parallel with a tristar MPPT-45 as a charge controller. this feeds two 200 Ah 12 volt batteries which feed a Xantrex freedom 1800 charger inverter (not reccomended and soon to be replaced) as well as a samlex 300 watt PSW inerter.


If you have a smaller roof like me (the two panels cover 90% of the roof) then running the grid tie panels is a winner. I had to make a tilting rack system so that I can fully open my roof vent when needed (plus I can tilt them for winter months)

The clan (DW two daughters and myself) just returned from a two week expedition through Hokaido Japan (highly reccomended for any expeditioneers out there) and with no gen support we kept at 60 SOC or higher at all times powering two engel 12 volt refreidgerators/freezers, 800 watt microwave for defrost/reheating duties , lights, small tv with dvd for the kids, phone chargers, camera chargers, handy cams, game boys and etc.

I was also able to jump start a stranded Japanese family from the main battery bank after their professionally installed battery system on their van conversion left them with dead batteries (batteries were simply wired in parralel with no controller between house and coach batteries, yes I schooled them on the facts and gae them a diagram along with several web links on where they could get what they needed to fix the problem.

So in short Solar if installed properly (biggest issue I see) can be the knife that cuts the tether from campgrounds and generators but it must be installed properly.

kenn

I tried to upload a wireing diagram of our system in excell but the forum won't let me for some reason, anybody want it PM me and I will send it.

[Jack Mayer]

As I have said before many times - there is nothing magical about designing a good solar/electrical system. The facts on what makes it perform well are well known....just seemingly not by many solar installers. Although things are improving a "little".

The size of the system will drive many of the choices. Many people do not need or want MPPT controllers when their system is small and on a tight budget. You just have to determine the needs and the boundaries "up front". And leave room in the design for expansion....because MOST people expand if they have the roof space.

Some people - like us - want to be able to use power whenever they want (within some limits). Thus I have a large system (3000 watt hybrid Magnum inverter, 1200 watts high voltage solar, MidNite Classic 150 controller, 1200 Ah AGM battery, Trimetric 203RV). That would be excessive for some. But not for us. Of course we have the space for all that in a 44' 5er....

[yourpcgeek49]

There was a question that another poster asked that I have not seen the answer: How do you get the wires down from the roof?

I have seen various comments about "going down the refrig vent", but I'm not really clear how that is done? Actually putting the wires inside the vent pipe??? How do you exit to connect to the rest of the electrical system?

A related question, how do you secure the wires on the roof? More screws in the roof?

Also, what is the "gunk" that you use to seal all the holes when installing this stuff & where do you get it?

One additional thing, it seems that most people are using 12 volt panels and then either wiring them in series or parallel depending on their plan. Is there a reason more people don't use 24 or 36 volt panels?

[John Hilley]

It is easy to enter the back of the refrigerator through the vent cap. Once you get to the bottom you can go through the plastic floor and then into the basement.

You can usually keep the wires on the roof fairly short. You can use clamps screwed to the roof. Seal with self leveling Dicor.

Higher voltage panels and MPPT controllers are actually getting a lot more popular. Some reasons for holding off were lack of decent charge controllers and frames not meant to travel down the road.

[kenn_chan]

To answer post # 47 from yourpcgeek49 you can do the fridge vent, or you can get a 4"x4"x2" pvc electrical waterproof box with the gasketed screw on cover. Simply seal it to the roof with sealer and 4 screws, un screw the top and drill a hole straight through the roof run your wires where needed. since the top cover can be opened and closed when ever needed its also easy to make additions with etc. You can also use it as a location to combine multiple wires as well.
also you do not have to use screws to attach the wires to the roof, 3M makes stick on pads that when properly applied will not come off even in hurcain level winds. you can get them with reliefs that accept cable zip ties to run the wires where ever without drilling any screw holes.

just some thoughts

ken

[mel s]

Originally Posted by yourpcgeek49

it seems that most people are using 12 volt panels and then either wiring them in series or parallel depending on their plan. Is there a reason more people don't use 24 or 36 volt panels?

yourpcgeek49
12V solar panels and 12V solar controllers are used on most RVs because most RVs have 12V batteries and 12V electrical systems.
Mel
'96 Safari

[pocketchange]

NOT...

There are all kinds of glues available that compared to drilling holes makes more sense. If airliners are glued together, it must be a better path to follow.

No location on my solar system has been screwed to anything including the incoming wiring. pc

[Reed Cundiff]

Absolutely agree with post #50. 12 V panels and 12 V battery banks are most commonly used on RV systems. Handy Bob pretty much advocates this concept. He is a proponent of simple to design and fabricate, things that a handyman/woman can do with everyday tools. These are systems that can be fairly fool proof and fail safe for the handyman.

Have been “lurking” about on the varied solar fora (varied threads on Open Roads, Solar Panel Forum, Northern Arizona Wind and Sun, and the Aussie Grey Nomads). The more sophisticated and complex systems are going to panels in series (higher voltage and thus lesser loss from panels) and 24 to 48 V battery banks. These take considerable more design and fabrication skills than 12 V and are probably not for the average do-it-yourselfer. (My electronics skills end with placing batteries in a flashlight – I was a physicist for 35 years at White Sands Missile Range). Ours is a complex system (see post #40) but it was designed and fabricated by son with around 30 years experience in alternative energy and a master electrician/electrical contractor. I did help/hinder in the fabrication as in “Dad, could you get the drill” or “hold this for a second.”

Our panels are held down with S-clamps and have been hit with 2" rainfalls with no leaks.

Our original system was 12 V and we were exceptionally happy with it.
Reed and Elaine

[yourpcgeek49]

Someone suggested using 3M VHB tapes, but there are dozens of products in that line. Anyone have a specific product that they would recommend or have used?

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by yourpcgeek49

Someone suggested using 3M VHB tapes, but there are dozens of products in that line. Anyone have a specific product that they would recommend or have used?

Check this out.

[yourpcgeek49]

Anybody have suggestions for the EPDM Rubber roof on the Heartland Bighorn? The "Sticky Feet" brochure specifically says ""Sticky Feet" are not for use on RV's with rubber ... roofs!"

[mel s]

Originally Posted by yourpcgeek49

Anybody have suggestions for the EPDM Rubber roof on the Heartland Bighorn? The "Sticky Feet" brochure specifically says ""Sticky Feet" are not for use on RV's with rubber ... roofs!"

yourpcgeek49
IMO, there's a "common sense" solution to that "non-problem"... don't wear "Sticky Feet", (what ever they are?), on the rubber roof of your Heartland Bighorn.

Am I missing something?

Mel