Amount of Solar Panels

[cruizerEd]

If you have a residential fridge and use the microwave or a hot plate or a hair drier and have a lead acid technology batteries (flooded or AGM) 600W will help but will probably not keep you from using the generator under anything but ideal conditions. Even under ideal conditions you'll be doing deep cycles unless you have more than 600AH. If you are a very light power user other than the fridge you might get away with it.

If you want to be casual about power usage somewhere above 1200W and but less than 2000 watts will keep you from running the generator if you have batteries that can absorb it fast enough and deliver it efficiently enough. Flooded or AGM typically can't especially after they start to age. If you want storage that balances well with solar you have to have LiFePo4. They don't have an absorb cycle, they never have to be fully charged, and they don't suffer from Peukert's law effect.

2000W will work even if you have partial shade or some overcast and after the system ages or like me the panels start degrading faster than expected.

It is not economical in the least to build out a 2000W or even a 1200W system. You only do that if you really don't like or can not run the generator and are with out power frequently. We have been off grid for up to 6 months in some years. We really don't like the generator. We don't like being slaves to quite times. We had the money so it was worth it for us. I would 100% do it again (just not with Grape Solar)

Be advised the panels make a mess out of your roof. Between the mounting points, the panels, the cables, and the combiner boxes keeping your roof clean is going to get about 10 times hard.

[wirenut1241]

Our setup is 800 watts (4-200 panels) and seems adequate. However, we do not have a residential refer. While boondocking we use approx. 130 to 150 amp hour per day. The MPPT controller at times is as high as 43 amps with full sun to our 4- 6 volt batteries. Only need the genset if cloudy more than a day.
Safe travels!

[Flentz56]

You can’t base wattage of solar by the rating of the panel, real world they will not produce their stated output. I installed 3 195 watt panels thinking they would be enough, I just had a 4th panel added, now I’m satisfied.

You really need to do a survey on how much power each device you need to supply power to, just look at wattage, then look at how much you plan on running them and calculate total watts needed and solar array wattage in a day. Don’t include your inverter as it really doesn’t consume much power itself.

Then you need to look at your battery bank and determine it’s real world capacity and does it fulfill power needs.

I have two lithium 280 AH batteries, a 50 amp solar charge controller, the 4 solar panels together are rated to output 780 watts but the controller will never see that much power.

[ktnhog]

We have a DS 4018. We had 10 100’s put on the roof. Why 10, check and see what will fit, that’s a big thing. Nothing above the awning facia. We are tall enough already! Spent months off grid in Q. We ended up getting a couple of Zamp 230’s (I think that’s what they are)

On cloudy rainy days of winter we had to do a little supplemental with our Hondas. Maybe once a week

And we have lithium. Quite a bit. What would fit.

Advice, if you can afford it, put as much as fits on the roof! Fits is a big thing!

Discount Solar In Q did ours. Craig and his team did the work. Good outfit.

We did this just prior to Covid, technology may have changed.

[RonAz]

If you go with a higher voltage capable MPPT controller you might be able to use your existing wires from the roof. I have a Victron MPPT that is being fed at 90-100 volts with 950 watts of panels. I was able to use the Tiffin installed wires in a 2022 model year.

[LargeMarge]

2003, we engineered our ExpeditionVehicle with zero obstructions on the roof.
.
We mounted six 305-Watt photovoltaic panels, a total of 1,830-Watts.
These top our bank of eight ancient Lifeline Concorde AGM 105ah batteries.
.
We are extremely frugal with any electric appliances.
We usually use our appliances mid-day, so our bank is merely a 'pass-through'.
A brainiac caravan chum calculated our draw at usually around three percent (3%), leaving about 97% in reserve.
.
We usually hit the sack shortly after sundown, so our parasitic draw is minimal and easily replaced by early morning.
.
All this to say...
We designed our rig from a blank... on an empty brown paper grocery bag.
We intentionally avoided attempting to duplicate a stand-still house in a vehicle.
.
We reached this point after a half-century of make-do camping in lesser rigs.
We just got fed-up with fixing junk...
... and fed-up with the anxiety of worrying about the next failure.
Accordingly, we engineered our rig with the minimum of gadgets and gizmos.
.
Weird, eh?

[gasser 38]

I have 600 watt it does well but not enough for what you are looking for
You will need at least 1200 or more

[Holiday1]

I have a 2007 HR Endeavor with 8 100 watt panels. a 2000 watt inverter and 8 225 amp lead acid batteries. I can run everything but the micro wave, washer dryer and ac. Running lights, TV/DVD, vacume cleaner, wifes hair and fans on the propane heater. In full sun I can run forever without the Gen.

Doug and Pam
2007 HR Endeavor
2019Equinox
RVi brake system

[JC 4018]

Originally Posted by mroach003

Hi,

I searched and couldn't find this topic (though its probably here somewhere). We have a 2022 Newmar Mountain Aire 4118. I am having solar panels installed. Leaning toward this package that was recommended to me that says 600 watts. (https://gopowersolar.com/products/so...tem-600-watts/).

Question, assuming we are in a close to full sun situation, is this sufficient to generate enough electricity to the batteries to offset basic usage - fridge, lights, TV. I have seen the usage estimation approaches, but I am an electric idiot, so hoping to really just cover basic/minimal usage so we don't have to run generator nonstop in a boondock type situation (tailgate for example). As well as, when we are parked without shore power getting maintenance or repairs, we at least have a chance to keep some power in the batteries.

Any help is appreciated.

Mickey
2022 Newmar Mountain Aire 4118

Solar is not so EZ
There is a lot to it you need to know before you drop lots of money. I put a system on my 2016 Newmar DS 4018 then put a system on my 2019 DS 4018. I put 5 72 volt panels to a Morningstar 60AMP MPPT controller they now make a 90 amp. I added 1 panel extra for cloudy days. Panels must have air under them to help keep them cool so they don't lose power from the heat. there is a lot of sizes offered in 72 volt panels. I got them for $100.00 each from CED
.supply company Escondido CA. You can get 12 volt DC to DC ??volt converter's that will run your TV's DVD,CPAP to keep down the lose of going from 12 volts to 110 AC from the inefficiency of the inverter.
There is more then enough room on roof of your coach to keep the sat. dish and oversize the system with 72 volt panels.
Do your homework on this! There is a lot _______ that just want your money.

[JC 4018]

Don't run your microwave on the inverter it will damaging your battery's
by warping the plates inside because of the high amperage draw.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by JC 4018

Don't run your microwave on the inverter it will damaging your battery's
by warping the plates inside because of the high amperage draw.

If the microwave draws 12 amps and you have 3 12 volt strings ( 6, 6 volt batteries ), that's about 120 amp draw at 12 volts, plus a bit for loses.

Thats about 40 amps per 12 volt string, not a plate warping load.

It's even lower if you have 8 batteries.

[dannonebr]

It looks to me like the gopower kit (https://gopowersolar.com/products/so...tem-600-watts/) should include the cost of installation for $4000 w/o batteries!

[Our05Winneba]

It really depends on your battery system. To run everything you list (which is common) you really should have a good Lithium battery system of at least 400Ah - More would be better.

Assuming you have good batteries then 600 watts is barely sufficient - in optimal lighting. Keep in mind that there will be rainy days, cloudy days, and many days when you are parked under trees. You will likely also need to have a good operating generator with decently sized converter to charge from as backup.

I would strongly suggest adding a few hundred watts of remote panels to your rooftop system. With remote panels you position them out in the sun even if you are shaded (which you will want to be on hot, sunny days). Also make sure that your have a good BMS (battery Monitoring System) to enable you to watch how much charging / discharging is happening, as well as see accurate battery charge levels.

There are tons of posts on Youtube about installing RV solar systems which go into much more detail than what can be given here.

[JC 4018]

Originally Posted by twinboat

If the microwave draws 12 amps and you have 3 12 volt strings ( 6, 6 volt batteries ), that's about 120 amp draw at 12 volts, plus a bit for loses.

Thats about 40 amps per 12 volt string, not a plate warping load.

It's even lower if you have 8 batteries.

We have 8 AGM and amp meter show 225 amps out when just the microwave is on.